![\"Daphnis](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/404/2026/daphnis-and-chloe-frontis-detail-780x1024-m.jpg\")
For some time recently I contemplated writing a biography of M. R. James — and I’m now glad I didn’t commit because here’s a new one. Any editor who would like me to review it should hit me up!
\n","summary":"","url":"https://social.ayjay.org/2026/07/30/for-some-time-recently-i.html","date_published":"2026-07-30T21:12:40+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"21:12","date_timestamp":1785445960,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"94925220","content_html":"@dancohen Ack, I didn’t clock that, though I should have. Trouble on all sides!
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/ayjay/94925220","date_published":"2026-07-30T17:42:10+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"17:42","date_timestamp":1785433330,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"94922823","content_html":"![](\"https://micro.blog/photos/100x/https%3A%2F%2Fimage.tmdb.org%2Ft%2Fp%2Fw154%2FiUekaw96QLInZpsNwRTlRKrZgwm.jpg\")
Watched: Munich. Had to write a (spoilery) post on this one. 🍿
\n","summary":"","url":"https://social.ayjay.org/2026/07/30/watched-munich-had-to-write.html","date_published":"2026-07-30T16:50:04+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"16:50","date_timestamp":1785430204,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"94913759","content_html":"A decade or more ago there was a robust ecosystem of libraries and museums sharing items from their collections on the open web, but now they’re all on Instagram and other walled gardens. I think that’s wholly inconsistent with their institutional missions. I hope they come back some day.
\n","summary":"","url":"https://social.ayjay.org/2026/07/30/a-decade-or-more-ago.html","date_published":"2026-07-30T13:58:56+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-30 13:58","date_timestamp":1785419936,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"94912645","content_html":"
![\"\"](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/404/2026/img-0400-m.jpg\")
\n","summary":"","url":"https://social.ayjay.org/2026/07/30/081133.html","date_published":"2026-07-30T13:11:33+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-30 13:11","date_timestamp":1785417093,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"94854159","content_html":"![\"Laity](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/404/2026/laity-praying-the-psalms-retreat-7-m.jpg\")
Wonderful photo by Wendi Poole of Steuart Pincombe, whose music did so much to enhance this retreat.
\n","summary":"","url":"https://social.ayjay.org/2026/07/29/wonderful-photo-by-wendi-poole.html","date_published":"2026-07-29T14:07:22+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-29 14:07","date_timestamp":1785334042,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"94850308","content_html":"This explanation of why my Big Blog is called The Homebound Symphony is also a good overview of what I’m trying to do in all my online writing.
\n","summary":"","url":"https://social.ayjay.org/2026/07/29/this-explanation-of-why-my.html","date_published":"2026-07-29T12:47:49+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-29 12:47","date_timestamp":1785329269,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"94805665","content_html":"@manton Same. But I can see millions of people choosing to sweat rather than live without TikTok for a day.
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/ayjay/94805665","date_published":"2026-07-28T18:06:37+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-28 18:06","date_timestamp":1785261997,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"94804963","content_html":"@manton I have a feeling we’re not that far from getting text messages saying “If you’d like to have air-conditioning for the next 24 hours, press 1. If you’d prefer to have the internet, press 2.”
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/ayjay/94804963","date_published":"2026-07-28T17:52:21+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-28 17:52","date_timestamp":1785261141,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"94801916","content_html":"![\"\"](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/404/2026/28n6bnwnzgqh37ocdcqrwtj5ot9i4z-m.jpg\")
me irl rn
\n","summary":"","url":"https://social.ayjay.org/2026/07/28/me-irl-rn.html","date_published":"2026-07-28T16:43:03+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-28 16:43","date_timestamp":1785256983,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"94801343","content_html":"My old internet friend Erin Kissane and I probably have some significant disagreements about electoral politics, but there’s a deeper politics of how human beings communicate with one another about which we are in real agreement. I love the work on our common life she’s been doing ever since the Covid...
social.ayjay.org","summary":"","url":"https://social.ayjay.org/2026/07/28/my-old-internet-friend-erin.html","date_published":"2026-07-28T16:31:05+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-28 16:31","date_timestamp":1785256265,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"94800166","content_html":"@manton So pumped about this!
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/ayjay/94800166","date_published":"2026-07-28T16:11:35+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-28 16:11","date_timestamp":1785255095,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"94797786","content_html":"This clip of the “worst 20 seconds in football” — from a 1993 QPR-Man City match — is just mesmerizing. The intricacy of the choreography is worthy of a Jackie Chan movie.
\n","summary":"","url":"https://social.ayjay.org/2026/07/28/this-clip-of-the-worst.html","date_published":"2026-07-28T15:23:37+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-28 15:23","date_timestamp":1785252217,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"94788342","content_html":"![](\"https://micro.blog/photos/100x/https%3A%2F%2Fimage.tmdb.org%2Ft%2Fp%2Fw154%2Fnxy9fg1rT853P7zP7ZQGqRimiCS.jpg\")
Synopsis: Four drug-addled Englishmen are lost, confused, and at one another’s throats until a quiet, friendly Texan comes along to give them new hope and a new sense of purpose. 🍿
\n","summary":"","url":"https://social.ayjay.org/2026/07/28/synopsis-four-drugaddled-british-musicians.html","date_published":"2026-07-28T12:06:14+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-28 12:06","date_timestamp":1785240374,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"94751873","content_html":"Over at Cosmos Malick: The Girl’s Story.
\n","summary":"","url":"https://social.ayjay.org/2026/07/27/over-at-cosmos-malick-the.html","date_published":"2026-07-27T19:41:17+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-27 19:41","date_timestamp":1785181277,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"94749066","content_html":"@grmr Steven and I have been talking for a decade about hosting a year-long cohort: four seasons, four meetings, four books — let’s do it!
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/ayjay/94749066","date_published":"2026-07-27T18:33:48+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-27 18:33","date_timestamp":1785177228,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"94741271","content_html":"![\"\"](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/404/2026/image13-m.jpg\")
A shipwreck with a great deal of champagne (and other things)
\n","summary":"","url":"https://social.ayjay.org/2026/07/27/a-shipwreck-with-a-great.html","date_published":"2026-07-27T15:47:11+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-27 15:47","date_timestamp":1785167231,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"94740944","content_html":"I’m teaching a class this term called Four Big Books. I describe it here.
\n","summary":"","url":"https://social.ayjay.org/2026/07/27/im-teaching-a-class-this.html","date_published":"2026-07-27T15:40:35+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-27 15:40","date_timestamp":1785166835,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"94735455","content_html":"The Girl's Story ![\"Days](\"https://micro.blog/photos/50/https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/315326/2026/days-of-heaven-92.jpg\")
![\"Linda](\"https://micro.blog/photos/50/https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/315326/2026/linda-manz.jpg.png\")
: cosmosmalick.net
@manton I’m hoping (but not expecting) that the two roads will clearly diverge and some people will just do video while others will just do audio.
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/ayjay/94588182","date_published":"2026-07-24T15:11:53+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-24 15:11","date_timestamp":1784905913,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"94588174","content_html":"\n\nsocial.ayjay.org","summary":"","url":"https://social.ayjay.org/2026/07/24/john-mcwhorter-in-latin-h.html","date_published":"2026-07-24T15:08:43+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-24 15:08","date_timestamp":1784905723,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"94587781","content_html":"In Latin, H was “ha,” and K as “ka” came after it. People reciting the alphabet would say “ha, ka, el ….” But Latin didn’t really need the K, because C did its job. (Caesar was pronounced “KIGH-sar.”) So people started thinking of “ha, ka” as referring just to H and saying “haka.” Heavy usage transforms pronunciation. “Haka” dropped the “H” at the start like Eliza Doolittle was taught out of in her “Hertford, Hereford and Hampshire” exercise — “aka.” Then the K changed to a “ch” — “ahcha” — and the A at the end dropped off — “ahch.” Then the “ah” changed to “ay” and hence “aitch”! We...
\n
One super-annoying thing about the podcast pivot to video: Many podcasters now think of video as the normal way to experience their podcasts, so they’ll regularly refer to images they’re displaying — images I can’t see, because I only listen to podcasts when I’m walking, driving, or lying in bed with my eyes closed. Podcasters increasingly assume that people are looking at screens every minute of the day. But wasn’t it always one of the virtues of podcasts that you don’t have to look at them?
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/ayjay/94587781","date_published":"2026-07-24T15:04:31+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-24 15:04","date_timestamp":1784905471,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"94586659","content_html":"\"So, Professor Jacobs, what do you work on during your summer break?”
\n“Well, mainly I watch Jackie Chan movies.” 🍿
\n","summary":"","url":"https://social.ayjay.org/2026/07/24/so-professor-jacobs-what-do.html","date_published":"2026-07-24T14:37:55+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-24 14:37","date_timestamp":1784903875,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"94577846","content_html":"A new entry in my ongoing series of posts on religion, the Bible, and the movies: this one on how that earnest purveyor of Biblical epics, Cecil B. DeMille, put more skin on the screen than any other Hollywood director and forced the creation of the Hays Code.
\n","summary":"","url":"https://social.ayjay.org/2026/07/24/a-new-entry-in-my.html","date_published":"2026-07-24T11:40:17+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-24 11:40","date_timestamp":1784893217,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"94576752","content_html":"A random snapshot taken in Central Park in 2008 — with the original iPhone. Funny how lo-res digital imagery now has a nostalgic aura.
\n![\"\"](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/404/2026/img-0173-m.jpg\")
\n","summary":"","url":"https://social.ayjay.org/2026/07/24/a-random-snapshot-taken-in.html","date_published":"2026-07-24T11:18:42+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-24 11:18","date_timestamp":1784891922,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"94551161","content_html":"![](\"https://micro.blog/photos/100x/https%3A%2F%2Fimage.tmdb.org%2Ft%2Fp%2Fw154%2FriBzUgeYawBDi2q9PjARjHrQM7Z.jpg\")
Watching Stray Dog, the chief experience I have is a feeling of immense gratitude for air-conditioning. The film takes place during a brutal Tokyo heatwave (indeed it was filmed in those conditions) and everyone sweats rivers throughout. 🍿
\n","summary":"","url":"https://social.ayjay.org/2026/07/23/watching-stray-dog-the-chief.html","date_published":"2026-07-23T23:47:04+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-23 23:47","date_timestamp":1784850424,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"94536251","content_html":"@mwerickson Might not be worth it just for that little detail! (I also don’t think it one of Tarkovsky’s best.)
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/ayjay/94536251","date_published":"2026-07-23T18:04:40+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-23 18:04","date_timestamp":1784829880,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"94533775","content_html":"![](\"https://micro.blog/photos/100x/https%3A%2F%2Fimage.tmdb.org%2Ft%2Fp%2Fw154%2Fpgqj7QoBPWFLLKtLEpPmFYFRMgB.jpg\")
At the end of Tarkovsky’s Solaris we see Kris returning to his father’s house — the place where we had first seen him in the opening seconds of the movie. Shortly after that opening we had heard Kris’s father tell a friend that he had built that house in imitation of another house he liked; and now, at the...
social.ayjay.org","summary":"","url":"https://social.ayjay.org/2026/07/23/at-the-end-of-tarkovskys.html","date_published":"2026-07-23T17:08:15+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-23 17:08","date_timestamp":1784826495,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"94532403","content_html":"\n\n\nBy dominating the digital world, Silicon Valley has already exerted indirect control over the physical one. Today’s data-center build-out is a whole new beast. From the most concrete aspects — cooling, power, land — to the most abstract financial instruments, AI has morphed into a heavy industry.
\n
And needs to be regulated as such.
\n","summary":"","url":"https://social.ayjay.org/2026/07/23/the-atlantic-by-dominating-the.html","date_published":"2026-07-23T16:41:13+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-23 16:41","date_timestamp":1784824873,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"94531857","content_html":"The second entry in my series of essays on the ongoing interest in the Second World War is now up.
\n","summary":"","url":"https://social.ayjay.org/2026/07/23/the-second-entry-in-my.html","date_published":"2026-07-23T16:30:35+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-23 16:30","date_timestamp":1784824235,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"94461133","content_html":"@ablerism Wonderful. And may you have at least 41 more.
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/ayjay/94461133","date_published":"2026-07-22T13:30:51+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-22 13:30","date_timestamp":1784727051,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"94460697","content_html":"Kaiju IPO:
\nInitiating Psychic
\nObliteration.
When you need a good album to cook to, I highly recommend Dusty in Memphis.
\n","summary":"","url":"https://social.ayjay.org/2026/07/21/when-you-need-a-good.html","date_published":"2026-07-21T21:15:32+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-21 21:15","date_timestamp":1784668532,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"94285807","content_html":"@manton I guess they’ve been getting angry at strangers online for so long that it seems normal to them. The nice thing about getting away from it for a while is that you remember that it’s a pretty weird thing to do.
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/ayjay/94285807","date_published":"2026-07-19T17:34:10+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-19 17:34","date_timestamp":1784482450,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"94280377","content_html":"@ablerism I find all this really fascinating! — in large part I guess because my own handedness is so peculiar.
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/ayjay/94280377","date_published":"2026-07-19T15:04:54+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-19 15:04","date_timestamp":1784473494,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"94184896","content_html":"@manginajoe I must save my reply for a later follow-up post! 😉
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/ayjay/94184896","date_published":"2026-07-17T18:39:38+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-17 18:39","date_timestamp":1784313578,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"94171580","content_html":"@manton The homemade feature would be even better – no need to connect to an external service.
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/ayjay/94171580","date_published":"2026-07-17T14:09:31+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-17 14:09","date_timestamp":1784297371,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"94164322","content_html":"@manton I hope this means that Auphonic integration with Wavelength will continue in the new version. That’s a really nice feature. (And I’m eager to start micro-podcasting when the new Wavelength is released.)
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/ayjay/94164322","date_published":"2026-07-17T11:38:51+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-17 11:38","date_timestamp":1784288331,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"94110930","content_html":"@manton We absolutely do not have to build those data centers. Maybe we should, maybe we shouldn’t, but we don’t have to. We could live without them. The world’s biggest and most predatory corporations, like the world’s most predatory politicians, always say “We have no choice.” But the first step towards making the right decisions is realizing that we can choose.
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/ayjay/94110930","date_published":"2026-07-16T14:50:19+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-16 14:50","date_timestamp":1784213419,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"93382538","content_html":"@manginajoe Austin’s line to me is always “Open web, empty pockets” 😂
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/ayjay/93382538","date_published":"2026-07-03T17:39:56+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-03 17:39","date_timestamp":1783100396,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"93376628","content_html":"@manginajoe Good to see you here, Joe!
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/ayjay/93376628","date_published":"2026-07-03T15:35:15+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-03 15:35","date_timestamp":1783092915,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"93251102","content_html":"@manton I am really excited about this! I want to do more audio posts and while I’ve found Wavelength the ideal way to do that, I’ve been a little worried about the lack of development. So, good news indeed.
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/ayjay/93251102","date_published":"2026-07-01T14:14:57+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-01 14:14","date_timestamp":1782915297,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"93193837","content_html":"@manton My $.02: If people want/need to know who’s following them, micro.blog’s extensive cross-posting to platforms built for that kind of engagement meets the need. There’s no need for micro.blog itself to replicate what every social-media platform already does. And that micro.blog does not do follower counts etc. is a useful reminder that we don’t have to do things the way we learned to do them on Twitter back in the day.
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/ayjay/93193837","date_published":"2026-06-30T15:42:15+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-06-30 15:42","date_timestamp":1782834135,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"92900522","content_html":"@grmr Doesn’t quite look like my view from the Frio!
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/ayjay/92900522","date_published":"2026-06-25T19:26:09+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-06-25 19:26","date_timestamp":1782415569,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"92895175","content_html":"@manton I don’t think many people realize how much that bad ankle compromised him in the playoffs. He’s a key piece of the puzzle.
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/ayjay/92895175","date_published":"2026-06-25T17:45:48+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-06-25 17:45","date_timestamp":1782409548,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"92740207","content_html":"@dancohen This may well be!
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/ayjay/92740207","date_published":"2026-06-23T15:46:08+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-06-23 15:46","date_timestamp":1782229568,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"92728509","content_html":"@dancohen The first answer is correct! Check the mail for your prize.
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/ayjay/92728509","date_published":"2026-06-23T12:40:01+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-06-23 12:40","date_timestamp":1782218401,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"92563137","content_html":"@ablerism @mwerickson One year, back in the Nineties I think, Coles was the speaker at Wheaton’s Faculty Development Day. He was inspiring, to say the least.
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/ayjay/92563137","date_published":"2026-06-20T18:15:34+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-06-20 18:15","date_timestamp":1781979334,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"92289231","content_html":"@manton Hard to pick a winner!
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/ayjay/92289231","date_published":"2026-06-16T14:13:59+00:00","author":{"name":"Alan Jacobs ","url":"https://ayjay.org","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2022%2F650.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"ayjay"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-06-16 14:13","date_timestamp":1781619239,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}}]}