Colin
@celsmooth.bsky.social
Assistant clinical professor of STEM Ed. Parent to two young children. Walker in woods. Usually in Philly these days (he/his)
Reposted by Colin
Curtailment of faculty authority in governing higher education institutions today will not only undermine professional freedoms--it will spoil the fruits of those freedoms: an independent, intellectually rigorous, and incorruptible education for future generations
-- Afshan Jafar (Conn AAUP)
-- Afshan Jafar (Conn AAUP)
In Defense of an Independent and Representative Faculty Voice: The Case of Faculty Senates
BY AFSHAN JAFAR We have recently seen accelerating legislative and political attacks on faculty governing bodies at state institutions, including legislation recently enacted in Indiana, Ohio, Utah…
academeblog.org
November 30, 2025 at 12:36 AM
Curtailment of faculty authority in governing higher education institutions today will not only undermine professional freedoms--it will spoil the fruits of those freedoms: an independent, intellectually rigorous, and incorruptible education for future generations
-- Afshan Jafar (Conn AAUP)
-- Afshan Jafar (Conn AAUP)
Reposted by Colin
You mean this OpenAI?
November 29, 2025 at 7:53 PM
You mean this OpenAI?
Reposted by Colin
Edtech has absolutely turned the language of regulation to its own advantage and maximization of opportunities. Also it is depressing that actual people utter words in this way now.
November 29, 2025 at 12:25 AM
Edtech has absolutely turned the language of regulation to its own advantage and maximization of opportunities. Also it is depressing that actual people utter words in this way now.
Reposted by Colin
Once again, you now live in a country where there are two classes of citizenship, & those of us who hold the second class variety can apparently lose ours if we do not show good behavior to Dear Leader & the far right authoritarian party.
The President of the United States promising a policy of mass denaturalization of citizens "who undermine domestic tranquility"
Trump: “I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries … denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility, and deport any Foreign National who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilization.“
November 28, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Once again, you now live in a country where there are two classes of citizenship, & those of us who hold the second class variety can apparently lose ours if we do not show good behavior to Dear Leader & the far right authoritarian party.
Reposted by Colin
spanish flu was 1918........ the great wall street crash was 1929........... very cool stuff, history, very cool and not stressful
November 27, 2025 at 7:00 AM
spanish flu was 1918........ the great wall street crash was 1929........... very cool stuff, history, very cool and not stressful
Reposted by Colin
It was the evening before Thanksgiving...and EPA dropped a final rule granting oil & gas companies more than a year to comply with some Biden-era mandates to replace leaky equipment & routinely monitor for escaped methane.
Story w/gift link @bloomberg.com: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Story w/gift link @bloomberg.com: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
New EPA Rule Gives Oil, Gas Firms More Time to Fix Equipment Leaking Methane
The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday finalized a rule granting oil and gas operators more than a year in additional time to comply with mandates set by former President Joe Biden to replac...
www.bloomberg.com
November 27, 2025 at 12:42 AM
It was the evening before Thanksgiving...and EPA dropped a final rule granting oil & gas companies more than a year to comply with some Biden-era mandates to replace leaky equipment & routinely monitor for escaped methane.
Story w/gift link @bloomberg.com: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Story w/gift link @bloomberg.com: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Reposted by Colin
I'm not convinced that this is an issue that will win votes. I agree that it's legally and constitutionally an important issue, but I think voters want to see a plan to make their day to day personal lives easier
November 26, 2025 at 4:58 PM
I'm not convinced that this is an issue that will win votes. I agree that it's legally and constitutionally an important issue, but I think voters want to see a plan to make their day to day personal lives easier
Reposted by Colin
Landmark move: New York City's comptroller @bradlander.bsky.social, with hundreds of billions under his control, recommends dropping investment giant Blackrock because they won't reckon with climate change.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
NYC’s Lander Recommends Dropping $42 Billion BlackRock Mandate
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander is urging three of the city’s pension funds to drop BlackRock Inc. because of “inadequate” climate plans, the latest move to penalize investment firms for failing...
www.bloomberg.com
November 26, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Landmark move: New York City's comptroller @bradlander.bsky.social, with hundreds of billions under his control, recommends dropping investment giant Blackrock because they won't reckon with climate change.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Reposted by Colin
Lo and behold, reveries of the breakfast world
November 26, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Lo and behold, reveries of the breakfast world
Reposted by Colin
Russian asset Ron Johnson says there’s no money to give Americans $2K inflation checks. But there is money for a despot’s $250M ballroom and enough to give $40B to Argentina’s dictator.
I’ll always remember Ron paying Putin a visit in Moscow on July 4th weekend in 2018.
I’ll always remember Ron paying Putin a visit in Moscow on July 4th weekend in 2018.
November 25, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Russian asset Ron Johnson says there’s no money to give Americans $2K inflation checks. But there is money for a despot’s $250M ballroom and enough to give $40B to Argentina’s dictator.
I’ll always remember Ron paying Putin a visit in Moscow on July 4th weekend in 2018.
I’ll always remember Ron paying Putin a visit in Moscow on July 4th weekend in 2018.
Reposted by Colin
“TikTok’s reliance on attention-grabbing short-form video content, coupled with apps like Sora 2, has made it far easier for non-Black creators and bot accounts to adopt racialized stereotypical Black personas using deepfakes.”
The Viral ‘DoorDash Girl’ Saga Unearthed a Nightmare for Black Creators
A delivery driver posted a TikTok alleging she had been sexually assaulted by a customer. The deepfakes that followed reveal a growing digital blackface problem.
www.wired.com
November 26, 2025 at 12:05 PM
“TikTok’s reliance on attention-grabbing short-form video content, coupled with apps like Sora 2, has made it far easier for non-Black creators and bot accounts to adopt racialized stereotypical Black personas using deepfakes.”
Reposted by Colin
@schumer.senate.gov but they promised, right Chuck, & they always follow through with their promises…
November 25, 2025 at 7:17 PM
@schumer.senate.gov but they promised, right Chuck, & they always follow through with their promises…
Reposted by Colin
Now, remind me again that non-Americans should mind their own business.
November 25, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Now, remind me again that non-Americans should mind their own business.
Reposted by Colin
University among nation’s first institutions to partner with serial arsonist on fire safety programs.
University of Kentucky among nation’s 1st institutions to partner with Microsoft on responsible AI innovation
The University of Kentucky and Microsoft have formed a strategic partnership to advance the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) and strengthen learning, innovation and care across the Comm...
uknow.uky.edu
November 25, 2025 at 6:11 PM
University among nation’s first institutions to partner with serial arsonist on fire safety programs.
Reposted by Colin
This is how to write an environmental news headline in the Trump era
November 25, 2025 at 7:40 PM
This is how to write an environmental news headline in the Trump era
Reposted by Colin
Everyone knows data centers use a ton of water.
What hardly anyone knows: they can poison the water that remains.
And in eastern Oregon, Amazon is doing exactly that.
What hardly anyone knows: they can poison the water that remains.
And in eastern Oregon, Amazon is doing exactly that.
AI’s water problem is worse than we thought
A new investigation reveals how Amazon is amplifying Oregon’s nitrate pollution crisis.
heated.world
November 25, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Everyone knows data centers use a ton of water.
What hardly anyone knows: they can poison the water that remains.
And in eastern Oregon, Amazon is doing exactly that.
What hardly anyone knows: they can poison the water that remains.
And in eastern Oregon, Amazon is doing exactly that.
Reposted by Colin
"The agency also announced plans to relax a rule requiring companies to report all products containing PFAS and has proposed weakening drinking water standards for the chemicals."
The EPA is starting to allow the use of pesticides containing PFAS on food. The move is part of an effort to roll back the regulation of PFAS — also known as "forever chemicals" because they don't break down easily in the environment.
November 25, 2025 at 5:38 PM
"The agency also announced plans to relax a rule requiring companies to report all products containing PFAS and has proposed weakening drinking water standards for the chemicals."
Reposted by Colin
one of the coolest things about ChatGPT is how you can actually just never use it. you can fill your whole entire life with simply not once using it. it's incredible.
November 25, 2025 at 4:15 PM
one of the coolest things about ChatGPT is how you can actually just never use it. you can fill your whole entire life with simply not once using it. it's incredible.
Reposted by Colin
NEW: ICE has torn up its $180M cap on a proposed immigrant-tracking program and is now guaranteeing private surveillance firms at least $7.5M each, with potential payouts reaching $281M per vendor. The change signals a shift from “pilot” to full-scale outsourcing of street-level investigative work.
ICE Offers Up to $280 Million to Immigrant-Tracking ‘Bounty Hunter’ Firms
Immigration and Customs Enforcement lifted a $180 million cap on a proposed immigrant-tracking program while guaranteeing multimillion-dollar payouts for private surveillance firms.
www.wired.com
November 25, 2025 at 8:00 PM
NEW: ICE has torn up its $180M cap on a proposed immigrant-tracking program and is now guaranteeing private surveillance firms at least $7.5M each, with potential payouts reaching $281M per vendor. The change signals a shift from “pilot” to full-scale outsourcing of street-level investigative work.
Reposted by Colin
yes! wow
Honored to serve on Mayor-elect @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social Transition Committee on Technology. For too long, too many New Yorkers have been left behind. NYC deserves governance that centers affordability, equity, and the public good-looking forward to the work ahead. www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news...
NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announces transition committees
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announced Monday the creation of 17 transition advisory committees made up of more than 400 people.
www.cbsnews.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:11 AM
yes! wow
Reposted by Colin
"Amazon" coffee from one of the world's most destructive corporations ... That's where we are, people ...
November 25, 2025 at 12:41 PM
"Amazon" coffee from one of the world's most destructive corporations ... That's where we are, people ...
Scale/extract, repeat
LLM chatbots, films shot on green screens that look hopelessly bland, consumer tech that can't delight, the same flavourless but Instagram-friendly food in all the trendy restaurants...
None of this is about quality at any point. It's about what some people think might *scale*.
That's it.
None of this is about quality at any point. It's about what some people think might *scale*.
That's it.
November 25, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Scale/extract, repeat
Reposted by Colin
Difficult to overstate how profound a failure DOGE was. Spending in FY2025 was not only than in FY2024 – but higher than it was projected to be when Trump first took office.*
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
Bye bye, “DOGE”.
It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...
It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...
November 23, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Difficult to overstate how profound a failure DOGE was. Spending in FY2025 was not only than in FY2024 – but higher than it was projected to be when Trump first took office.*
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
Reposted by Colin
Instagram’s former head of safety and well-being Vaishnavi Jayakumar testified the company had a “17x” strike policy for accounts that engaged in the trafficking of humans for sex.
“You could incur 16 violations and upon the 17th violation, your account would be suspended"
time.com/7336204/meta...
“You could incur 16 violations and upon the 17th violation, your account would be suspended"
time.com/7336204/meta...
7 Allegations Against Meta in Newly Unsealed Filings
Court filings allege Meta tolerated sex trafficking, hid harms to teens, and prioritized growth over user safety for years.
time.com
November 23, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Instagram’s former head of safety and well-being Vaishnavi Jayakumar testified the company had a “17x” strike policy for accounts that engaged in the trafficking of humans for sex.
“You could incur 16 violations and upon the 17th violation, your account would be suspended"
time.com/7336204/meta...
“You could incur 16 violations and upon the 17th violation, your account would be suspended"
time.com/7336204/meta...
Reposted by Colin
Sign at the US Military Academy at West Point:
November 23, 2025 at 6:41 AM
Sign at the US Military Academy at West Point: