Michael J Wise

I did a security shift at my synagogue this morning. At my quiet suburban synagogue we have high fences, sliding gates and security lighting and cameras. Other places of worship do not need this, or if they do it's due to possible theft. We fear disruption and violence. 😔

One of the most clever pieces @MarshSongs has done.

Iranian Nobel peace laureate Narges Mohammadi has been rushed to the hospital in critical condition after months of neglect and abuse in prison -- for standing up for women’s rights. She needs us with her now -- join me here to demand her free secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/fr…

Americans 🇺🇸 Did you know Hershey’s chocolate tastes like vomit to Europeans? This is not a joke. The reason? Butyric acid. Hershey’s uses a special milk process (lipolysis) that breaks down fats & creates butyric acid, the same compound found in vomit, rancid butter, and parmesan. It gives that signature tangy/sour note Americans grew up loving, but hits Europeans like a punch in the gut. Cultural chocolate trauma is real 😂 I have tried to eat a couple of Hershey chocolate bars over the years, I can’t get past the first bite.

Somehow, I think even that would be enough in some places.

@TheFigen_ That is a remarkably cute design for a closable stadium roof. One thing. With the larger number of edges to seal, does it leak in heavy rain?

Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s engineering marvel; roof closes like a camera lens — forming their iconic star logo from above!

Causes of death in London in 1632. What do you notice

@ifeosaa Congratulations. Best of luck with your new adventures.

On April 28, 2026, I defended my PhD at Harvard. I’m still in awe—of the moment and its meaning, the community that held me, and the grace that made it possible. God who began the good work carried it through. And I am so grateful for this. #dream #phd #harvard #journey #grace

@simongerman600 All three were invented in the UK, so not surprising that they are at the centre. Australia will be in the World Cup (again), so perhaps them too. Ditto US in the football soccer.

In the US neither of these three sports are front of center. Still a funny visual.

@sciencegirl The reference is a book from 2023, which implies the research was done 2022 or earlier, maybe very early 2023, but publishing things takes time. The point is that the technology has come a long way even since then. Consider the capabilities of LLMs then and now.

U.S. Marines recently proved that low-tech creativity can still defeat cutting-edge military artificial intelligence. In a DARPA field trial, a team of eight Marines was challenged to sneak past a sophisticated AI-powered detection system. Instead of relying on advanced stealth gear or electronic countermeasures, they turned to absurdly simple, almost cartoonish tactics and succeeded Some Marines cartwheeled and rolled across 300 meters of open ground. Others concealed themselves under ordinary cardboard boxes and slowly inched forward. One soldier even disguised himself as a small fir tree, shuffling gradually toward the objective. Remarkably, every Marine reached the target without ever triggering the AI sensors. The system had been trained extensively on normal human walking and running patterns, but it had no reference for these bizarre movements. Because the Marines’ actions fell completely outside the AI’s learned understanding of “human behavior,” they were effectively invisible to it. This exercise offers a timely lesson for the defense sector: no matter how advanced military AI becomes, it can still be outmaneuvered by human ingenuity, unconventional thinking, and old-fashioned manual tactics. This incident serves as a vital reminder for the defense industry that while AI is an incredibly powerful tool, it remains susceptible to creative human deception and the unpredictable nature of manual tactics. source: Scharre, P. (2023). Four Battlegrounds: Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. W. W. Norton & Company.

@Risichad @simongerman600 Mintochondrion (unless it's part of a chain) 😄

@simongerman600 I name it Mitochondria

Believe it or not, but we just discovered a new island. New land! In 2026! Sick finding! Don't get too excited though. Our newest island is near Antarctica and is only 130 meters long. Source: surfer.com/news/scientist…

@Greybush98617 Joke can be a very pliable thing. Perhaps you have come across a person who tells a racist "joke", then smiles wanly and asks "Can't you take a joke"? I had seen a t-shirt slogan I didn't understand, "I'm a humourless feminist". After that, I did understand.

@some_wise Words matter, but Jews know that comedy was never the problem. That's probably why Jews more or less invented it, and why Bruce, who was obviously Jewish, went to prison to defend it.

😆😆😆

@Greybush98617 @BarefootJewess I never warmed to Bruce's comedy. Tom Lehrer is more my style. Gentler; Clever angy, rather than just plain angry. But yes, words matter. Not the sounds in air, but what they convince "good" people to do. It begins with demeaning. Jews know well where it can end.

@some_wise @BarefootJewess You look old. Ever hear of a comedian by the name of Lenny Bruce? He would have some choice words in response to your comment, but I won't endeavor to replicate them as I don't want to be banned by X. btw, Mask man is a fag.

Congratulations to Westminster Council for their acceptance of Banksy’s brilliant statue near Pall Mall. Let’s hope it stays — a welcome note of calmness and humour at a time of growing extremism.

@aliciaandrz My cat certainly does greet me. What he's unequivocally saying is, "Oy, make with the food!"

I walked in the door & yelled out, “who’s going to greet me today? probably no one because my cats are ungrateful & rude.” & my cat Boone emerged from behind the couch, looked me in the eye, & meowed. she’s never done anything like this before, so clearly she speaks English.

Former NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell resigned as he’d “forgot” to declare an expensive bottle of wine. Federal Labor minister Mick Young waa forced to stand down in 1984 as he didn’t declare a Paddington bear in his luggage thru customs. Hanson is gifted a new plane and $2M cash from a billionaire and the media thinks it’s a blow up over nothing?

A fascinating way of answering the question of who pays the most for their military!

@eliotranch Shabbat Shalom

Exactly this 👇. Until now I've been posting on X under a pseudonym. I'm naturally private. I'm wary of declarative shit on social media. And I've used this account as a free, anonymous outlet for my rising fear of what's happening to our society. But now is not the time to hide. The 76-year-old Jewish man stabbed at a bus stop in Golders Green couldn't hide. Jewish children going to school under guard can't hide. Worshippers heading to synagogue with trepidation can't hide. If we keep ignoring the patterns - imported conflicts and hatreds, institutional double standards, and the unreal reframing of words and violence - none of us will be able to hide for long. There are far more of us who reject this than it sometimes feels. People who value reality over ideology, evidence over slogans and Western freedoms over imported (and homegrown) hatred. But we are often shut away from each other in fear. We're quieter. We're anonymous. So my real name is Ellie Rofe. I'm a nobody of no importance. But Jews in the UK (and elsewhere) now have one more name and face (via a terrible sodding photo 😂!) they can recognise as standing with them. I stand with you. Plainly and without apology. For whatever that's worth. What else can I do to help? @e1duchess @joshxhowie @vampywitchy

@DrHelenFry My father served in the Eighth Army, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, rising from sapper to staff sergeant in the vehicle inspectorate.

Do you have a family member who served in WW2?