Bad Ghibli
pirate wires #137 // an openAI update ghiblifies the world, “ethical questions” raised, and the white house social media team innovates within the form (a fascinating disaster)
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pirate wires #137 // an openAI update ghiblifies the world, “ethical questions” raised, and the white house social media team innovates within the form (a fascinating disaster)
From today's Pirate Wires Daily newsletter:
Cory Booker’s last stand
Wedge baby
Hot-Box Office Hit
New Jersey Senator Cory Booker just completed the biologically impressive feat of speaking in Congress, without interruption — without a meal break, without a bathroom break — for 25 hours straight. It was the longest speech in Congressional history. An absolute triumph, the press declared. Finally, a Democrat was “fighting.” But it was less clear what exactly he was fighting for, as the actual particulars never made it into any of the major coverage. And so there it was, an accidentally perfect metaphor for the Democratic Party in 2025: the grand Hollywood performance of a Senator, but no coherent principle. AOC is annoying, but at least I know what she stands for (literally communism). All I know about Cory is he stood a long time. Yes, that’s impressive. But only in a Guinness Book of World Records kind of way. Still, flowers where they’re due, he definitely earned the title: longest ever speech about nothing. Congrats.
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Cory Booker’s last stand
New Jersey Senator Cory Booker just completed the biologically impressive feat of speaking in Congress, without interruption — without a meal break, without a bathroom break — for 25 hours straight. It was the longest speech in Congressional history. An absolute triumph, the press declared. Finally, a Democrat was “fighting.” But it was less clear what exactly he was fighting for, as the actual particulars never made it into any of the major coverage. And so there it was, an accidentally perfect metaphor for the Democratic Party in 2025: the grand Hollywood performance of a Senator, but no coherent principle. AOC is annoying, but at least I know what she stands for (literally communism). All I know about Cory is he stood a long time. Yes, that’s impressive. But only in a Guinness Book of World Records kind of way. Still, flowers where they’re due, he definitely earned the title: longest ever speech about nothing. Congrats.
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Wedge baby
Tuesday, The NYT published a deep dive on the future of IVF, specifically the silent rise in “polygenic screening” — tests that use embryo DNA to predict risks for things like heart disease, cancer, depression, and even eye color. The reporter captures a key tension here, writing “It is no one’s business what particular couples do with their embryos,” but with more of...
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Hot-Box Office Hit
According to an official at the ‘New York Office of Cannabis Management’ (NY DOGE wen?), plans are currently in the works to allow movie theaters to sell marijuana, and here, we once again see a continuation of the phenomenon I call “Seth Rogen’s Law” — that is, marijuana use being encouraged by our elected officials while cigarette / nicotine use is simultaneously sh...
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deel’s rippling spy is the latest in a storied history of corporate espionage
G. B. Rangoit costs $93,064 to attend brown university. the annual budget deficit is $46 million. i wanted to know where the hell all the money was going.
Alex Shieha butthole-obsessed artificial intelligence might hold the key to humanity’s future
Blake Dodgethe daunting obstacles facing a future-bound cultivated meat industry
G. B. Rangolet immigrants bid for citizenship, pay cash dividends to americans — and beat china
Matt Mirelespirate wires #136 // paid influencers, foreign bot armies, and a biblical flood of AI-generated content — how much of our internet is real? and is there any way to save ourselves from slop?
Mike Solanacataloging one of the rare moments a b2b partnership seed-generated a bunch of great memes
Brandon Gorrellhow the process of science becomes The Science™ of public policy
Nick JikomesGet the free Pirate Wires Daily
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JOIN 100,000 READERS
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Every day we’ll send you a short email with the takes you need about what’s happening. Read it in 3 minutes and go crush your day.
JOIN 100,000 READERS
deel’s rippling spy is the latest in a storied history of corporate espionage
pirate wires #137 // an openAI update ghiblifies the world, “ethical questions” raised, and the white house social media team innovates within the form (a fascinating disaster)
Mike Solanathe daunting obstacles facing a future-bound cultivated meat industry
G. B. Rangoa butthole-obsessed artificial intelligence might hold the key to humanity’s future
Blake Dodgecataloging one of the rare moments a b2b partnership seed-generated a bunch of great memes
Brandon Gorrellpirate wires #136 // paid influencers, foreign bot armies, and a biblical flood of AI-generated content — how much of our internet is real? and is there any way to save ourselves from slop?
Mike Solanait costs $93,064 to attend brown university. the annual budget deficit is $46 million. i wanted to know where the hell all the money was going.
let immigrants bid for citizenship, pay cash dividends to americans — and beat china
Matt Mirelesfact checkers covered up his high-ranking role in a genocidal regime, helping democrats avoid a scandal that could have taken down the squad
Ashley Rindsbergpirate wires #135 // jeff bezos bans commie shit on the washington post opinion page, and the white house reexplores its press badge system. is this fascism? people are saying
Mike Solanapirate wires #134 // europe shocked as america “transforms” into a… liberal country? a few thoughts on the EU’s unprovoked trade war, and the future of the western lib alliance
Mike Solanapirate wires #133 // trump’s first strike on the bureaucracy reveals the face of real power, and unleashes its defenses; trump sends tech bros into the arena, and the stakes have never been higher
Mike Solanabluesky blues #1 // a recurring column in which riley takes a closer look at some of the things people are bluecrying about over on the other side™ of the internet (spoiler: stephen king is unwell)
how the process of science becomes The Science™ of public policy
Nick Jikomesa viral video of rfk jr consuming a trendy health supplement has the internet asking — is drinking fish tank cleaner actually good for you?
Riley Norki was trans for five years — and what i came to understand about men and women was revelatory
Hunter Ashthere's a new book out about incels — here's our review
Harris Sockela growing army of over 600,000 seed oil truthers are railing against fine dining establishments to clean up their cooking oils
Kevin Chaiken