Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

John MacLeod @mrjohnmacleod.bsky.social · 6h

“Sherman, stop eating cola bottles!”

Reposted by John MacLeod

Cohen is a Ghost @skullmandible.bsky.social · 7h

"even if it's AI, it's at least true" hard to overstate the damage this stuff is doing to people's brains. we're gonna be cleaning the slop out of archives for decades

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Reposted by John MacLeod

Gabby HC, but a ghost, hiding in a corner @scriblit.bsky.social · 10h

This is such a good point. I can't afford £100 for a covid booster. I could and would cheerfully pay £15 for one as I do flu. I also don't understand why so many aren't eligible for an NHS booster this year considering it didn't miraculously stop being covid over the summer

Gabby @gabliotecaria.bsky.social · 10h

This makes me want to break things. If it's such a no-big (it actually is a big that fucking disabled me), and you're equating it to flu (again, not remotely like), then why aren't the prices comparable?

(They should be free but given that's not going to happen, well)

Jason Hazeley @jasonhazeley.bsky.social · 11h

It’s dispiriting that this is what getting a COVID vaccination now looks like to this chronic asthmatic.

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John MacLeod @mrjohnmacleod.bsky.social · 9h

This week’s been really hard, and I’m pretty sure it’s because last week covid finished kicking my arse. I can’t remember the last time I was eligible for a booster and I damn sure can’t afford £98 for one.

Matt Green @mattgreencomedy.com · 10h

There’s a comment piece in The Times about sickness benefits mysteriously going up and no mention of Covid, long Covid, the effects of lockdown etc. Boosters help people stay healthy, but now they are only available to the very old or people who can afford them.

Jason Hazeley @jasonhazeley.bsky.social · 11h

It’s dispiriting that this is what getting a COVID vaccination now looks like to this chronic asthmatic.

Reposted by John MacLeod

Matt Green @mattgreencomedy.com · 10h

There’s a comment piece in The Times about sickness benefits mysteriously going up and no mention of Covid, long Covid, the effects of lockdown etc. Boosters help people stay healthy, but now they are only available to the very old or people who can afford them.

Jason Hazeley @jasonhazeley.bsky.social · 11h

It’s dispiriting that this is what getting a COVID vaccination now looks like to this chronic asthmatic.

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John MacLeod @mrjohnmacleod.bsky.social · 1d

a black and white photo of a man singing into a microphone with the words this is the water .

Alt: a black and white gif of the woodsman from Twin Peaks: The Return, speaking into a radio microphone the words “This is the water And this is the well. Drink full and descend. The horse is the white of the eyes and dark within.”

media.tenor.com

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John MacLeod @mrjohnmacleod.bsky.social · 1d

Gotta light?

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John MacLeod @mrjohnmacleod.bsky.social · 1d

This is the water And this is the well. Drink full and descend. The horse is the white of the eyes and dark within.

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Reposted by John MacLeod

Stephen Collins @stephencollins.bsky.social · 1d

All my comics have happy endings!

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John MacLeod @mrjohnmacleod.bsky.social · 1d

Let’s all just die, that’ll show ‘em.

Saint Vice @savic.bsky.social · 1d

BBC decided to cancel a podcast on heat pumps deeming the topic "controversial" because it presented that the technology could contribute to net zero reducing carbon emmissions.

In 2025 an anti-science posture is not only valid, but required in any debate to be considered "balanced" 😬

Reposted by John MacLeod

Sarah Dempster @dempster2000.bsky.social · 1d

If eating scotch eggs in an Austin Allegro had a face.

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John MacLeod @mrjohnmacleod.bsky.social · 1d

This episode of Sesame St was brought to you by the question “What are any of us doing, really?”

Reposted by John MacLeod

BUCKERS @deathofbuckley.bsky.social · 1d

Whenever I make a bad decision, I sit down in front of the mirror, and tell myself “at least you aren’t a massive daft bastard who told the world that being circumcised probably means you have autism” x

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Reposted by John MacLeod

Another Angry Woman @stavvers.bsky.social · 2d

Whomst could have possibly foreseen that the online safety act would create massive security risks? www.theguardian.com/media/2025/o...

Hack of age verification firm may have exposed 70,000 Discord users’ ID photos

Names, email addresses and other contact details of users from around the world could also have been taken

www.theguardian.com

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John MacLeod @mrjohnmacleod.bsky.social · 2d

What, like some sort of alarmed woodland animal?

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Reposted by John MacLeod

Klaproth @klaproth.bsky.social · 5d

SWIFT: Trav, honey?
KELCE: (looks up from first edition Krazsnahorkai in original Hungarian) (pauses rare Steve Reich LP, Japanese pressing) Yes?
SWIFT: What rhymes with "thighs"?
KELCE: Hmm. "Belies," perhaps?
SWIFT: (under her breath) Oh for fuck's sake

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Reposted by John MacLeod

BUCKERS @deathofbuckley.bsky.social · 2d

Just seen a headline which asks "Thatcher was born 100 years ago and her reign feels a lifetime away. Why is her effect on the country still so huge?"

It's because she was a massive bastard. Hope that helps x

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Reposted by John MacLeod

Cal Young 🦖 @callie99.bsky.social · 3d

@martian-observer.art

David M. Bennett MD (FAAOS, FPOSNA, DABOS) @davembmd.bsky.social · 3d

This is the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time. @aptshadow.bsky.social @abraham.bsky.social

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Reposted by John MacLeod

Keith W. Dickinson @keithwdickinson.bsky.social · 3d

Today is a day when arts degrees are worthless, but the product of those degrees is so valuable it would kill an entire industry if they were made to pay for it.

The Verge @theverge.com · May 26

Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry

Paul McCartne, Elton John and others signed an open letter.

buff.ly

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John MacLeod @mrjohnmacleod.bsky.social · 3d

Deploying ellipsis in 3, 2, 1…

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John MacLeod @mrjohnmacleod.bsky.social · 3d

‘How Firm Was My Pasta?’
by Alan Dente.

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John MacLeod @mrjohnmacleod.bsky.social · 4d

(It must feel like I’m being “Yes, but…” to everything you’re saying, although I hope not. I’m just following similar paths to your creative block and haven’t quite vaulted over it yet!)

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John MacLeod @mrjohnmacleod.bsky.social · 4d

I *think* I want to make something kinda podcasty, but I need to figure out how I want that to work, ‘cause I want it to be a decent original idea, so do I want to script it or be a bit looser. I keep feeling on the cusp of an idea that bursts the dam but not quite.

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John MacLeod @mrjohnmacleod.bsky.social · 4d

Thankfully my news input is right down to minimal - I’m aware of things without it taking over, and I’m managing not to scroll much. I’m just sitting down to see what comes out, and… nowt. It’s been a pigfucker of a year tbh & I’m a bit burnt out. Inspiration’s been struggling since about 2018/20. 😬

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John MacLeod @mrjohnmacleod.bsky.social · 4d

I need to figure some sort of fresh enterprise out, for sure - it’s been very much on my mind to do that. The only difficulty I’m having is building the bridge from here to whatever it could be, as I’m drawing blanks. 😆😖

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