Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Zohar Jacobs @zoharjacobs.bsky.social · 7d

For the past 60 years, about 50% of NASA engineers have seemed to be named Steve. Never realized this phenomenon extended to other professions.

John86 @john86l.bsky.social · 7d

You don’t have to be called Steve or Stephen to work at Blackpool, but it does help.

A club statement from Blackpool saying Steve Bruce has been sacked along with coaches Steve Agnew and Stephen Clemence. Stephen Dobbie and Steve Banks will take temporary charge.

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Reposted by Zohar Jacobs

Ben Whitham @drbenwhitham.bsky.social · 7d

Men in balaclavas set fire to a mosque in East Sussex last night. It's only appearing on the BBC's local coverage, rather than its main national headlines, despite coming just a week after the (also under-reported) firebombing of an asylum hotel in London last week
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Peacehaven: Fire at East Sussex mosque probed as 'hate crime'

Video appears to show two people in balaclavas at the mosque before a large blaze spreads.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by Zohar Jacobs

🇵🇸 Caleb 𓇼 ⋆｡˚ 𓆝⋆｡˚ 𓇼 🏳️‍⚧️ @littlestpersimmon.bsky.social · 7d

Thinking abt how Tolkien was a fan of Mary Renault (his ex student BTW). And he wrote abt being "deeply engaged" with her work. It lives completely rent free in my mind. Like she almost exclusively wrote twinks from the ancient near east edging. This is like if GRRM was a huge fan of MXTX.

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Tom Cox @dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social · Jun 20

One thing you will never think after reading a great book or listening to a great album or seeing a great piece of art is, “I’m really glad this person remained cautious while they were making this and guarded against being perceived as weird.”

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Deanna Kreisel 🌱 @doctorwaffle.substack.com · 9d

In honor of National Poetry Day, the greatest parody rewrite of all time:

Screen cap of parodic version of William Blake's "The Tyger" that begins:
Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright
(Not sure if I spelled that right)
What immortal hand or eye
Could fashion such a stripy guy?
What the hammer that hath hewn it
Into such a chonky unit?
Did who made the lamb make thee,
Or an external franchisee?

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Zohar Jacobs @zoharjacobs.bsky.social · 8d

What's great about writing, though, is that you can do things most readers would consider a mistake and then win major literary prizes.

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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 8d

CST: 'we utterly reject his message of hate and division. His so-called support for our community is not welcome or helpful'

That was 2021. I hope + anticipate similar sentiments in 2025

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Reposted by Zohar Jacobs

Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 8d

Utterly despicable.

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 8d

This Israeli government decision to host Tommy Robinson will widen the growing gulf between the Netanyahu government and the British public, including the broad majority of Jews in Britain (3/4 of whom dsapproved of Netanyahu, before this new link to this anti-Muslim racist UK far right convict).

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Zohar Jacobs @zoharjacobs.bsky.social · 8d

Keeping my fingers crossed for you - and I will report back on the sleeper

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Zohar Jacobs @zoharjacobs.bsky.social · 8d

Sympathy! I was meant to be on the Caledonian Sleeper to Aberdeen this evening. It has been cancelled but luckily I was also able to cancel my B&B without charge and I'll pick up the holiday in Inverness (also by sleeper, now on Sunday night).

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Zohar Jacobs @zoharjacobs.bsky.social · 8d

Breaking news: major triumph against antisemitism as Jewish woman successfully purchases loaf of challah from M&S in time for Shabbat.

(Taking small joys where I can today.)

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Joel S. @joelhs.bsky.social · 10d

On the eve of the holiest day of the year for globalists, no less.

Eric Columbus @ericcolumbus.bsky.social · 10d

DHS appears to suggest that it will deny citizenship to "globalists"

Homeland Security
@DHSgov
"Communist?"
DENIED.
"Terrorist?"
DENIED.
"Globalist?"
DENIED.

Above a meme of a bearded smiling guy, in this case wearing a USCIS hat

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Zohar Jacobs @zoharjacobs.bsky.social · 9d

The reposts have been heartening too! But there's something about hearing from someone person-to-person.

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Zohar Jacobs @zoharjacobs.bsky.social · 9d

Even a simple "I heard the news and am thinking of you tonight" would be enough, I'm sure.

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Zohar Jacobs @zoharjacobs.bsky.social · 9d

Thank you so much for amplifying this.

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Zohar Jacobs @zoharjacobs.bsky.social · 9d

If you have any Jewish friends, this would be an immensely meaningful thing to hear right now. Ideally as a personal message and not a social media repost.

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 9d

This invitation is to join in sending messages of solidarity and support to Jewish people in Britain at 723pm tonight (& beyond).

In your own words, or by sharing this message/image from Together if you would like to use it

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Zohar Jacobs @zoharjacobs.bsky.social · 13d

Why are litfic/SFF crossovers usually marketed as litfic rather than as SFF? Wondering if it's because litfic is, ironically, considered more "commercial" than commercial genre in this context – in other words, publishers think more people will pick it up if it's on the litfic shelves?

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Tim Howard @tmhwrd.bsky.social · 14d

The solution to the male loneliness epidemic is to normalise retreating to your library to produce a volume of digressive, idiosyncratic essays that remain an essential repository of humanist thought and skeptical inquiry 400+ years after your death.

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E.Saxey @esaxey.bsky.social · 17d

Missed bisexual visibility day. Am no longer visible. Still audible, tangible, frangible and malleable, ineluctable, flammable and biodegradable, unspeakable, impressionable and comfortable.

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Reposted by Zohar Jacobs

Fitzcarraldo Editions @fitzcarraldoeds.bsky.social · 19d

🔵 ANNIVERSARY SALE 🔵

To celebrate eleven years since we published our first book, we are running a sale on our website until 11.59 p.m. BST on 30 September, with a 40 per cent discount across our website.

Use the code ‘ANNIVERSARY40’ at checkout: fitzcarraldoeditions.com

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Zohar Jacobs @zoharjacobs.bsky.social · 19d

"One of the hardest elements of her mental fitness regime has been 'building up my boredom tolerance, trying to let myself be idle without filling the gap.' She has had to start small – looking out of a window for five seconds, then trying to last a bit longer."

Seriously??? tinyurl.com/7thm597f

‘We’re exhausted – but not from doing too much’: can this woman help us survive the age of distraction?

With three jobs, three children and a labradoodle, the behavioural scientist Zelana Montminy knows a lot about being pulled in all directions. What can her new book about finding focus teach the rest ...

www.theguardian.com

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Colin Yeo @colinyeo.bsky.social · 20d

It’s quite do-able from a legal perspective. I don’t think dismissing Reform in this way is wise. Voters need to understand that this stuff can happen if they vote for it - and that it would be morally, socially, culturally, economically disastrous. So they shouldn’t vote for it.

Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 20d

Reform will apparently pledge today that they'd abolish indefinite leave to remain - including retrospectively, to people already granted it. Obviously this is a moral abomination but it is also a practical and legal impossibility.

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Reposted by Zohar Jacobs

Maxim Peter Griffin @maximpetergriff.bsky.social · 20d

21/9/25 - nocturn

small hours
big time

there is Saturn - south east - over that chimney
later on - Jupiter appears, left of the barrows

the arrival of Venus means morning is close
and 200 geese appear - full voice, headed west

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Zohar Jacobs @zoharjacobs.bsky.social · 20d

If you thought having finished a few novels meant you know how to write, having to compose an artist statement quickly disabuses you of that notion.

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