Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Tom Spoors @tomspoors.bsky.social · 3h

When you use companies' communications products they can do what they want. We seem surprised by this!
Secondhand censorship (government doesn't censor but merely disapproves and company reacts censoriously) gives plausible deniability.

Oliver Markus Malloy @malloy.rocks · 3h

Tom Spoors @tomspoors.bsky.social · 5h

A valid opinion, but we should remember that the Nobel Peace Prize like all Nobel Prizes is a PRIVATE award, given by a private foundation. It also brings a significant monetary award as well so that the recipient might be better able to focus on the work they do.

Jonathan Cohn @jonathancohn.bsky.social · 6h

The Nobel Peace Prize, in my opinion, should only ever be given posthumously.

Given that so many people who champion peace or even achieve temporary peace can also champion war in other circumstances, it should be based on a totality of work.

Reposted by Tom Spoors

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 1d

God damn, we need criticism. I loved reading this review (almost) as much as I would love overpaying for this stunt-cast version of Godot and forming my own opinions.

4columns.org/krasinski-je...

Waiting for Godot

4columns.org

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Tom Spoors @tomspoors.bsky.social · 10h

It IS exquisite! One could set this as a piece to analyse in and of itself!

Reposted by Tom Spoors

Dr. Michael MacKay @michaelmackay.bsky.social · 22h

Russia's war aim is to annihilate Ukrainians as a people and to make a colony of all Ukrainian land.

There is no "deal" that can possibly stop Russian imperialism. Only the total defeat of the Russian invaders and their unconditional surrender can stop it.

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Reposted by Tom Spoors

The Editorial Board @editorialboard.bsky.social · 1d

So much truth here.

Jonathan Edward Durham @thisone0verhere.bsky.social · 1d

This year has felt like 9 months of babysitting somebody else’s kid and they’re making you play a boardgame you don’t wanna play and making up the rules so only they can win and also they’re screaming the whole time and their parents aren’t coming home anytime soon and you’re paying them $150 a day

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Reposted by Tom Spoors

Vlad Vexler @vladvexler.bsky.social · 1d

You can call political leaders fascist if you do it responsibly. But understand that fascism isn’t a fringe pathology. It’s one of the central ideologies in our culture.

You can’t declare fascists beyond the pale and move on. You have to confront them and defeat them politically.

1/2

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Tom Spoors @tomspoors.bsky.social · 1d

Trusting an uninoculated immune system never helped those of billions who died from polio, tetanus, mumps or measles and other infections before vaccines were developed. Those who purvey such nonsense should never be given roles in human health. I wonder how many of them are alive due to vaccines?

Tori Foote @toriatheisttori.bsky.social · 2d

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Reposted by Tom Spoors

ghostdoctoral researcher @chemotaxis.bsky.social · 1d

the falconer? no, we haven't heard anything from him in a while. i'm hearing this for the first time. folks, our gyre is beautiful, some are saying the widest and getting wider. one of the widest ever, in terms of gyres.

elias isquith @eliasisquith.blog · 1d

many ppl are saying - have you heard this yet? it’s true - many people are saying that life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. it’s true. you’re hearing it more and more.

James @gravitysra1nbow.bsky.social · 1d

This is a land of wolves now? Wow. I didn’t know that. You’re just now telling me for the first time. The rule of law lived an amazing life. What can you even say?

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Tom Spoors @tomspoors.bsky.social · 1d

She was nominated by Senator Rick Scott and Secretary of State Marco Rubio! Trump would be apoplectic were they to tell him.

Reposted by Tom Spoors

Elizabeth Sandifer @eruditorumpress.com · 1d

I've just spent fifteen minutes on a 150 word section describing the crime scene photo of Mary Kelly's dismembered body. It was legitimately some of the least pleasant writing work I have ever done. At exactly zero points in the process did I think, "gosh, I wish I could get AI to do this for me."

Faine Greenwood @faineg.bsky.social · 1d

there’s this weird idea a lot of people seem to have about how all of us writers and artists must secretly want to use AI and are merely resisting temptation for ethical reasons, and like, no, it’s not hard for me to resist drinking the bowl of Piss With Glass In It actually

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Tom Spoors @tomspoors.bsky.social · 1d

Wait till Trumpy Wumpy gets his brain cell around this idea.

emptywheel @emptywheel.bsky.social · 1d

Huh. Gonna be an awkward day for Secretary of State-National Security Advisor-Acting Archivist Marco Rubio.

www.rickscott.senate.gov/services/fil...

Part of a letter sent by a bunch of GOP members of Congress in favor of granting Maria Corina Machado the Nobel Peace Prize, which she won today.

The last three paragraphs, before Rick Scott and Marco Rubio's signature, reads:

The Maduro regime's abuses and assaults on the civil society and legitimate
political activity of Venezuelan citizens have caused millions to flee to other countries,
while millions more have had no choice but to remain in the prison Maduro has
imposed on them. The peace of the region has been greatly disturbed by Maduro’s
welcoming of some of the world’s worst actors, including terrorists and dictators who
support him.
It is our firm belief that María Corina Machado’s courageous and selfless
leadership, and unyielding dedication to the pursuit of peace and democratic ideals,
make her a most deserving candidate for this prestigious award. Her efforts not only
highlight the urgent need for international solidarity in the face of aggressive and
expansive authoritarianism but also serve as a reminder of the power of individual
bravery in the quest for justice.

Tom Spoors @tomspoors.bsky.social · 1d

The point is to be in the news. For any reason at all so that your name is in the heads of sampled citizens. It's also a fact, whether it's admitted or not, that some pollsters poll right and some poll left. Few, if any, go right down the middle.

Tom Spoors @tomspoors.bsky.social · 1d

That was quick! I am impressed!

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Tom Spoors @tomspoors.bsky.social · 1d

Here's a #silly quasi-feline game. Where does this #cat come from?

Shows a metal object that has the shape of a cat's head. The object is rusty and backed by a rubber seal.

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Tom Spoors @tomspoors.bsky.social · 1d

As Frank Herbert noted power doesn't necessarily corrupt but it does attract the easily corruptible.

Colleen Flanagan @holistictips4u.bsky.social · 1d

“Sociopaths are attracted to politics because
they see it as a sphere in which you can be
ruthless and step all over people."
~Sir Alexander McCall Smith,
Scottish Legal Scholar & Author
#TruthToPower

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Reposted by Tom Spoors

Kevin J. CREATURE @kevinjkircher.com · 1d

Over 40% of corn grown in Indiana is used to make ethanol that cars burn. One acre of corn yields about 16,500 vehicle-miles per year of ethanol, which sounds high until you realize that one acre of solar yields about 2,700,000 vehicle-miles per year: 16,000% more driving for a given plot of land.

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Tom Spoors @tomspoors.bsky.social · 1d

And the "Tom, you're on a roll" when you haven't interacted in 18 months. Linkedin time dilation.

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Tom Spoors @tomspoors.bsky.social · 1d

Insanity. We don't have enough ATC staff so we'll sack some.

Dr Bishnujee Singh @drbishnujee.bsky.social · 1d

The nation is headed on a disaster path. 👇

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Tom Spoors @tomspoors.bsky.social · 1d

Female AND Venezuelan. That won't piss him off at all!

Pam Jarvis @drpam.bsky.social · 1d

There is some commonsense and decency left in this crazy world, then.

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Tom Spoors @tomspoors.bsky.social · 1d

Eloquence in the face of state-sponsored terror.
Relatives of mine who believed in the project of Israel joining their military, working in kibbutzes would be turning in their graves.
youtube.com/shorts/zaEu8...

They Took Me To The Prison Where My Brother Was Tortured

YouTube video by Novara Media

youtube.com

Reposted by Tom Spoors

Gale Sinatra @galesinatra.bsky.social · 2d

That’s not how science works dip shit.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d

RFK Jr on Tylenol and autism: "It is not proof. We're doing the studies to make the proof."

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Tom Spoors @tomspoors.bsky.social · 1d

I can't imagine Churchill or de Gaulle or Roosevelt or Nehru or Mandela, or, in fact, anyone wanting to be heard as statesman blathering on about whether Vegans ever intentionally or not ate mosquitos.
Too many little people with egos and no ideas wanting power for its own sake.

Fabienne Cassagne @fabulousfab.bsky.social · 1d

Sous vos yeux ébahis, le grand pote de la présidente de l’Assemblée nationale

Marine Tondelier @marinetondelier.fr · 2d

Sur BFM, Sébastien Chenu bafouille que les "écolos vegans complètement tarés mangent des moustiques" 😂

Ce monsieur est vice-président de l'Assemblée nationale grâce aux macronistes et LR.

Et il prétend gouverner la France !

Vous imaginez le carnage ?

Reposted by Tom Spoors

Sean Coleman @colemandesign.bsky.social · 2d

NEW #DoctorWho postcard pack on sale next week. 15 Doctors, 15 debut stories. Artwork based on #DavidPelham’s #PenguinBook covers from the 1970s. Here are the first four —

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Tom Spoors @tomspoors.bsky.social · 1d

Sometimes brackets mean optional items in scripts, so perhaps that's the issue. ho knows when you're dealing with MSFT. Could your rule target a common part of the sender's email address or some other common phrase in the message body?