Thread Reader app solves a problem with long post threads on X

One issue X users have with the social media service formerly called Twitter is following long “threads” of interconnected posts of interest.
Thankfully an independent app has stepped in solve the problem and make those threads easy to read. The app, called Thread Reader, organizes a person’s train of thought in chronological order.
To use the bot, you simply reply to any tweet in a thread and mention @threadreaderapp and the keyword “unroll.” Thread Reader then sends you a link back on X that you can share.
The Thread Reader app was created by a couple of software developers and went live in November 2017.
To see the threads I’ve created check out my page on Thread Reader.

Twitter, I mean X, is better under Elon Musk’s ownership

When Tesla billionaire Elon Musk bought Twitter in October 2022, I was concerned about how it would fair under his ownership. That was especially true after he renamed it X, which I opposed.
I still have a tough time calling it X. Twitter is catchier and more accurate for the short-message social media service.
Nevertheless, Twitter, I mean X, has actually improved under Musk’s ownership. I’m a daily user of X and enjoy reading the posts of accounts I follow and going down the rabbit hole with posts in the “For You” section. X has a lot of funny posts, videos and memes, as well as eye-opening information you don't see in the traditional media. I use X for entertainment and news.
Except for some limited interference by Musk, X is a free speech free-for-all. There’s still misinformation on the service but the Community Notes feature does a good job of crowd-sourced fact-checking. Plus, with the addition of the Grok AI chatbot, users can ask for context and more information on claims in posts.
Like all social media services, X has its share of bad actors, including trolls and propagandists. But you can avoid them if you want. I prefer X to all the other social media services out there, namely Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
I also appreciate that X made “likes” private in June 2024. I use the like button mostly as a bookmark, not to tell people that I like or agree with something posted.
Other changes under Musk include that addition of long-form texts and repurposing the user verification system as a subscription premium.

Chicago X accounts to see the good and bad of the Windy City

As a native of the Chicagoland area, I still keep track of goings-on in the Windy City, even though I live on the East Coast now.
I follow several accounts on X, formerly Twitter, to get different raw takes on Chicago, beyond the local news outlets. Some show the fun, nostalgic and touristy side of the city, while other show the grim reality of problems facing the nation’s third most populous city.
For positive views of Chicago, check out these X accounts:

Barry Butler Photography, @barrybutler9

Barry Butler is a professional landscape photographer who takes beautiful shots of the Chicago skyline, its parks, waterfront, etc.

Chicago History, @Chicago_History

Chicago History describes itself as “Chicken Soup For The Chicago Soul.” It features Chicago nostalgia and takes on its culture.

Given all the problems the city has due to poor governance, there are a lot of critical Chicago X accounts. What follows are just a few.

Chicago Critter, @ChicagoCritter

Chicago Critter provides independent news coverage across the city, highlighting crime and disturbances that go unreported or are downplayed elsewhere.

SubX.News, @SubxNews

SubX.News is a news aggregator that spotlights violent crime, teen takeovers and other problems in Chicago.

Chicago Contrarian, @ChicagoContrar1

Chicago Contrarian provides commentary on urban affairs in Chicago. It shines a light on the ineptness of Chicago politicians and the crooked Chicago Teachers Union.

Mark Weyermuller, @publicpolicyman

Mark Weyermuller is a taxpayer advocate and conservative citizen journalist in Chicago.
One of his initiatives is the “Empty Chicago Storefront Project,” where he documents all the vacant businesses in the city. He blames high taxes, high crime, over-regulation, government corruption and incompetence.

Libs of Chicago, @Libs_OfChicago

Libs of Chicago critiques Chicago’s liberal and progressive politics and the problems they have caused.

Goofies of Chicago, @Chicago_Goofies

Goofies of Chicago provides a look at the dark side of living in Chicago. That includes crime, social disruptions and other negative aspects of the city.

Let me know if I missed any good ones.

The news media oversimplifies business competition

In trying to capture the attention of readers, the news media often oversimplifies the nature of business competition as one of winners and losers.
I’ll admit to doing this as well. But as a stock-focused technology business writer, it’s easier for me to point to companies doing well on the market and compare them to those that aren’t.
In a recent interview, streaming media industry analyst and consultant Dan Rayburn told me that he doesn’t like the popular phrase “streaming video war,” much less crowning Netflix the “winner.”
“As a soldier, someone still tied to the military, war is not good,” he said. “But what we have amongst all these streamers is competition. Competition is great.”
He added, “The media uses that (phrase) because it makes it sound worse than it is. It’s not a war – it’s competition. Competition breeds great things for consumers.”
And further, Netflix is not the only winner. It may have the largest global subscriber base, but others have been successful in the market. He pointed to Alphabet’s YouTube as another highly successful video streamer, one which takes a different approach to the market with ad-supported videos.
On May 9, AMD Chief Executive Lisa Su spoke to students, faculty and guests at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y. She was asked about her company’s competition with Nvidia.
“I don’t view these things as zero-sum games,” she said. “The media tends to want to make these very critique conversations. It’s AMD vs. Intel or it’s Nvidia vs. AMD.”
“I don’t think we should think about it that way,” she said. “We should think about things as: the world needs more compute … And there are very few companies that build compute.”
Wise words.

Photo: AMD Chief Executive Lisa Su speaks at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., on May 9, 2025. She was interviewed by RPI President Martin Schmidt at the President’s Commencement Colloquy. (Patrick Seitz)

Text message spam is annoying as hell

A few months ago I wrote about how I unplugged my home landline phone because of all the junk calls I was getting. At the time, I mentioned that every form of electronic communications has been ruined by marketers and scammers.
Lately I’ve noticed an increase in spam and phishing texts on my mobile phone. They’re super annoying because you have to look at them to see if someone you know is trying to reach you.
I wonder if any cellular phone service is better at blocking these messages than others. That’s something that might get me to switch carriers, if the situation worsens.
The spam text messages fall into a few categories.
First, there are the fake delivery service texts supposedly from UPS Ground. Then, there are purported texts from Amazon contacting you about a refund.
I’ve also received fake traffic ticket texts that threaten to suspend my driving privileges and vehicle registration.
The most common type of spam texts I receive are recruiting messages. They say they’ve found my resume online and that I’d be perfect for a job they’re offering. It’s usually a remote position doing miscellaneous things like helping Temu merchants with product reviews.
The oddest ones are short messages that try to engage you. They’ll say things like “hello” or “all good?”
I even got a supposed text from Donald Trump Jr. I couldn’t delete that one fast enough.

Porn movies ‘ripped from the headlines’

Many fictional television shows will feature storylines that are “ripped from the headlines” to be topical. The adult video industry is no different.
To spice up their productions, they’ll glom onto newsworthy subjects, social movements and current events.
One way they do that is with porn parodies of politicians, celebrities and public figures. I’ve already covered that topic.
Another way is to play off the names and slogans of protests, military operations and other real-life subjects.
For instance, the Black Lives Matter social movement that started in 2013, inspired the titles of at least eight porn movies.
Other subjects for porn titles included the Occupy Wall Street protests, Islamic terrorists and military operations such as Operation Just Cause, Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
A list of such movies follows.
Note: This is the last in a series of articles on how the porn industry riffs on current events and pop culture.

‘Black Lives Matter’ porn takeoffs:

Black Wives Matter (2015)
Black Cocks Matter (2015)
Black Cocks Matter 2 (2016), tagline: “Black cocks are politically erect”
Black Loads Matter (2016)
Black Cocks Matter! (2016), tagline “They’re rioting in the sheets”
Black Dick Matters (2017)
Black Wives Matter 2 (2018)
Black Lesbians Matter (2019)

‘Occupy Wall Street’ porn takeoffs:

Occupy Ball Street (2012)
Occupy My Ass (2012)

U.S. military operation porn takeoffs:

Occupation Anal Storm (1991), tagline: “There’ll be no unconditional withdrawal”
Occupation: Anal Freedom (2003)
Occupation Anal Freedom (2007)
Occupation Anal Storm (2007)
Occupation: Desert Stormy (2007)
Occupation Just Cooze (2001)
Occupation Just Cooze 2 (2002)

Islamic terrorism porn takeoffs:

Radical Jizzlam (2019)
Talibang: Mating with the Muslims (2010), taglines “Stolen from al Qweefa. 100% jihad”

TSA porn parodies were a short-lived trend

With news this week that the Transportation Security Administration will allow passengers to keep their shoes on during airport screenings, the TSA became a little less onerous.
After the agency was created in 2001, it was the subject of derision and ridicule. Even the adult video industry took part in mocking the agency, which had been accused of groping travelers and invading their privacy.
From 2011 through 2018, the TSA was the subject of at least six porn parodies.

TSA porn parodies:

TSA – Your Ass Is In Our Hands (2011)
TSA Strip Down (2011)
Airport Secur-titty (2011)
TSA – Touching, Searching And Pussy Pounding (2014)
Fluids On The Flight (2016)
TSA Checkpoint (2018)

Related articles:

TSA to end shoes-off policy for airport security screening (ABC News; July 7, 2025)

The TSA Is Letting Travelers Keep Their Shoes on in Security. About Time. (Slate; July 10, 2025)

Transportation Security Administration (Wikipedia)