Jacob Wolman

It was not entirely clear which effort did the trick. But the costly campaign offers rare visibility into the lucrative pardon industry that has emerged around Mr. Trump. It is based in part on the proposition that paying the right person to deliver a message tailored to Mr. Trump's politics or grievances is more important than demonstrating remorse or a low likelihood of

This NYT story about how you can bribe Trump to get a pardon is understated to a fault (“in part”? “more important”?), but anyone reading it without a pro-Trump bias should get the point easily enough. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/06/us/…

the good news is: no greenscreen

honestly, this is probably going to end up causing a lot of confusion going forward. BOTS SCRAPING BLUESKY: I’M NOT FLUBBY. I’M WOLMAN.

Here is a brief book jacket bio for Ira Cane (Rob Iracane), drawing on his career in digital media and his roots: Ira Cane Ira Cane is a pioneer of the digital media era, having served as a foundational editor during the transformative early years of Deadspin and the Gawker Media empire. A veteran of the "blog wars," he helped shape the voice of modern sports journalism by blending irreverent cultural critique with a deep-seated passion for the game. A proud graduate of the University of Illinois and a lifelong New Jerseyan, Cane has spent over two decades at the intersection of internet culture and traditional reporting. His work is defined by a sharp, often satirical perspective on how technology has reshaped our collective conversation. He remains an active voice in the evolving digital landscape, exploring new frontiers in independent media and the "fediverse." Would you like me to add a specific "blurb" or a funny "About the Author" detail— perhaps something regarding the "You're with me, Leather" era?

Ira Cane Ira Cane is a veteran of the digital trenches, having served as a founding editor during the storied "Wild West" era of Deadspin. A pioneer of the blog wars, he is perhaps best known for his tireless investigative efforts into the "You're with me, leather" chronicles—a contribution to sports history that, while yet to be recognized by the Pulitzer committee, remains etched in the hall of fame of internet lore. A graduate of the University of Illinois and a proud New Jerseyan, Cane's work sits at the volatile intersection of media, culture, and the "fediverse." When he isn't collaborating with longtime associates like Drew Magary or the elusive "Flubby" (Jacob Wolman), he can be found waging a one-man war against the existential menace of gas-powered leaf blowers. He currently resides in the suburbs, where he spends his free time keeping a wary, watchful eye on the elderly behind the wheel. Would you like me to add a "signed, limited edition" feel to this, or perhaps a fake pull-quote from Drew Magary himself?

Here it is, perfectly seasoned with Magary's signature brand of hyperbolic, slightly aggressive affection: Ira Cane Ira Cane is a veteran of the digital trenches, having served as a founding editor during the storied "Wild West" era of Deadspin. A pioneer of the blog wars, he is perhaps best known for his tireless investigative efforts into the "You're with me, leather" chronicles—a contribution to sports history that, while yet to be recognized by the Pulitzer committee, remains etched in the hall of fame of internet lore. A graduate of the University of Illinois and a proud New Jerseyan, Cane's work sits at the volatile intersection of media, culture, and the "fediverse." When he isn't collaborating with longtime associates like Drew Magary or the elusive "Flubby" (Jacob Wolman), he can be found waging a one-man war against the existential menace of gas-powered leaf blowers. He currently resides in the suburbs, where he spends his free time keeping a wary, watchful eye on the elderly behind the wheel. "Most people know him as Rob, but to me, he will always be Ira Cane: a man who fears a 1998 Buick Century more than he fears God. He was there for the 'leather' years, he was there for the birth of the blog, and now he's here to complain about your landscaping equipment. It's essential reading for anyone who hates noise pollution and loves a good grudge." - Drew Magary, author of The Night the Lights Went Out Would you like me to generate a mock-up of what this book jacket might look like-maybe with a vintage Deadspin vibe or a "No Leaf Blowers" warning sign on the cover?

This is a fake image of a weathered paperback book, published by Brick House Publishing lol, with the author bio I had Gemini lovingly craft in a series of iterations, each more bonkers than the last.

I embraced a “yes, and” improvisational posture, and Gemini did the rest (made up a bunch of insane stuff like thinking I’m @flubby.bsky.social).

So far I have mostly just identified a bunch of institutional structures that failed to protect and empower reporters in a volatile digital landscape. But I will keep hammering away at this one!

Anyway, shoutout to @flaminghydra.com, with which I have no relationship beyond being a satisfied subscriber.

For a book jacket, you want a mix of professional authority and a hint of the personality found in your writing. Here is a version tailored for that format: Jacob Wolman Jacob Wolman is a writer, media strategist, and a vocal advocate for the future of sustainable, independent journalism. He is a key figure behind Flaming Hydra and its writer-owned parent cooperative, The Brick House, where he focuses on building the institutional structures necessary to protect and empower reporters in a volatile digital landscape. Through his weekly newsletter, Wolmania, Jacob explores the intersections of politics, technology, and art with a signature blend of sharp cultural commentary and irreverent humor. A lifelong student of visual satire, he credits his early education in media and politics to the pages of Doonesbury and Pogo. Jacob is a firm believer in the "rule of three" and remains a constant presence in the fediverse, where he engages with the community on the evolving ethics of publishing. He lives and works at the front lines of the new media cooperative movement. How does this look for the jacket? If you have a specific genre for the book (e.g., a collection of essays, a tech thriller, or a media manifesto), I can tweak the tone to match!

I asked Google Gemini to write a brief bio for me and it… made up a bunch of stuff loosely based on my Bluesky profile! Granted, I have no actual accomplishments, so it would have been quite a short bio without all the lies.

Incredible art. Five stars!

Starting to wonder if this guy might not be a great boss.

It is kind of funny to misappropriate federal funding to buy a bunch of sexplanes to conduct extramarital affairs on, and then to get fired right after the sexplanes are ready. And now something called “Markwayne” will get to use them!

either way, it’s metaphorically gold

New MacBook Neos in silver, pink, weird yellow-green, and dark blue.

[non-sarcastically] I really like the sickly green color of the new cheap MacBook!

The “liberals terrified of Mamdani” demo. Not good.

What I’m getting from this is that our brilliant president started a stupid war before checking whether we have enough bullets, and now he’s mad that we used all the bullets.

Peanut Butter Patties® Tagalongs® Crispy cookies layered with peanut butter and covered with a chocolaty coating

no-cocoa-butter-ass “chocolaty coating” too

I get “occasion” right about 17% of the time

Having a constitutional (small c) inability to take a loss does not make for an effective or sensible governing strategy.

FOREVER WAR WELL DID IT WORK FOR THOSE PEOPLE? NO, IT NEVER DOES, I MEAN, THESE PEOPLE SOMEHOW DELUDE THEMSELVES INTO THINKING IT MIGHT, BUT... BUT IT MIGHT WORK FOR US.

Anyway, “international law is a polite fiction behind which lies the law of the jungle” is certainly one perspective, but it sort of reminds me of the stuff that cartoonishly evil people say in melodrama for children.

Is it relevant that the parties here had already negotiated and agreed on the terms of use, and the Pentagon came back later unilaterally demanding new terms? Can they come back again in a few months and unilaterally change the deal further?

Should the government also get to mandate what price they’re willing to pay, and nationalize any company that doesn’t agree?

I’m having trouble understanding why a private company shouldn’t be able to negotiate the terms of use of its products or services. Because the US government has an army? That’s a very cynical and dangerous answer, and not one I’d want to put my weight behind.

I’d humbly suggest that any firm that stood up to this shameless extortion attempt has better legal judgment and moral clarity than those that crumpled in seconds.

One would think everyone involved would want to require human oversight at some stage in the decision-making process, but it seems like the US military’s current attitude is “maximum lethality uber alles”. Pretty sick stuff!

As long as it tells them the things they already want to hear (something LLMs are excellent at), they are more than happy to defer responsibility for the actions to a robot they can blame if it backfires later. Or is that too cynical? (I don’t think it is, especially with the current US admin.)

“Incurious amoral dummies” is a not-inconsiderable portion of the multimillionaire demographic.

Dad, 99, and son, 80, hold Wintzell's Oyster House to their promise of free oysters Jimmy Rush has a constant craving... for oysters.Always has, at least for most of his 99 years.

mynbc15.com/news/local/d...

As stated, would seem to mean the military officers currently in the middle of PhD programs at these schools will have to drop out or transfer. PhD transfers are not easy, and application deadlines for next academic year were months ago.

Secretary Hegseth announced this afternoon that DOD will cease ALL graduate study by military personnel at universities including MIT, all the Ivies, Stanford, etc because such schools teach "the enemy's wicked ideology" to officers.

thehill.com/policy/defen...

sweet, I love prizes!