Stephen Ryan | Lightnews

Stephen Ryan 🌻 🍉 🌍 Stiofán Ó Riain 🌻🍉 🌍

@stephenryanrathlin.bsky.social

170 followers 310 following 280 posts

Dubliner living on Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim.

Recovering academic. Politics, history, sociology, music, Liverpool FC and some photos of an island.

Was never a member of The Stars Of Heaven, sadly.

#WeAreHopeDespiteTheTimes .. more

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Communication & Media Studies 28%

Psychology 24%

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Stephen Ryan 🌻 🍉 🌍 Stiofán Ó Riain 🌻🍉 🌍 @stephenryanrathlin.bsky.social · Jun 29

A couple of my photos from my first time seeing R.E.M. which was somehow 40 years ago #OTD.

@remhq.bsky.social @michaelstipe.bsky.social @millsish.bsky.social @bertisdowns.bsky.social @remonthisday.bsky.social

Reposted by Klaus E. Meyer, Steve Peers, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 2 more Klaus E. Meyer, Steve Peers, Rosemary A. Joyce, Stephen Ryan, Georg Weizsäcker

Kaja Kallas @kajakallas.bsky.social · 5h

We still need to get from a situation where Russia pretends to negotiate to a situation where they need to negotiate.

Extract from my press remarks following today’s informal Foreign Affairs Council ↓

Reposted by Stephen Ryan

Darach Ó Séaghdha @darach.bsky.social · 5h

This weird chef is right, of course. Every country that doesn't have a religion-specific call to prayer on the national public broadcaster inevitably descends into tyranny. Those bells keep our democracy safe!

Stephen Ryan 🌻 🍉 🌍 Stiofán Ó Riain 🌻🍉 🌍 @stephenryanrathlin.bsky.social · 6h

petition.parliament.uk/signatures/1...

Petition: Call a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy

We are concerned about reported efforts from Russia to influence democracy in the US, UK, Europe and elsewhere. We believe we must establish the depth and breadth of possible Russian influence campaig...

petition.parliament.uk

Reposted by Richard S.J. Tol, Colin F. Camerer, Steve Peers , and 22 more Richard S.J. Tol, Colin F. Camerer, Steve Peers, Steven French, Amir Attaran, Gregory B. Lee, Peter Campbell, Smith, Jonathan Hopkin, David R. Miller, Scott A. Imberman, Stephen Ryan, James Goodwin, Brian Keegan, Nikolay Marinov, James Connelly, Brooke Harrington, Joanna L. Grossman, Prokla Redaktion, Nicole Guenther Discenza, Manisha Sinha, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, Prakash Kashwan, Nathan P. Kalmoe, Pedro Gullón

Miami DSA @miamidsa.org · 7h

Good morning to Brazilian reporter Manuela Borges, who’s been waiting eleven years for this petty moment. ❤️ 🇧🇷

Reposted by Jason Mittell, Tom Shakespeare, Russell T. McCutcheon , and 10 more Jason Mittell, Tom Shakespeare, Russell T. McCutcheon, David W. Kerstetter, B. R. Mitchell, McKenzie Wark, Stephen Ryan, James Goodwin, Alfie Kohn, David Bartram, Roland Pierik, Simon Lester, David R. Shumway

Rebecca Colesworthy @rcolesworthy.bsky.social · 1d

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 Steve Peers, Stephen Ryan

Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 1d

If multiple people can remember someone being horribly racist, even by the appalling low bar of the racist 1970s, that is entirely noteworthy.

As an adult Farage fanboyed Enoch Powell - the most infamous racist of the 1960s - and long cited him as his political hero.

And that's noteworthy too.

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Cas Mudde, Ben H. Ansell , and 71 more Jonathan Portes, Cas Mudde, Ben H. Ansell, Richard S.J. Tol, Dorothy Bishop, David M. Farrell, Will Jennings, Stefan Rahmstorf, David N. Thomas, Gavin A. Schmidt, Patrick A. Jansen, John Horgan, Steve Peers, Andrew Scott, Colin Murray, Mark D. White, Huw Price, Rosemary A. Joyce, Dirk Pilat, Charles West, Martijn W. Hesselink, Chris Hanretty, Simon Wren‐Lewis, Alison Phipps, Mary Corcoran, Anand Menon, Michelle Everson, Jo Barraket, Rebecca Tushnet, Ben Worthy, David R. Miller, Robert Wolfe, Gary D. Rawnsley, Aileen McHarg, Jacob T. Levy, Simon Glendinning, Scott A. Imberman, Julie Cupples, Lyndsey Stonebridge, Stephen Ryan, Samantha Brennan, Jonathan Birch, Anne Norton, Hubert Zimmermann, Leo McCann, Timothy Burke, Manuel Puppis, Graeme Warren, David Bartram, Lisa Diedrich, Brian Doucet, Ann Bartow, Stuart White, Pauline Stafford, Clayton Littlejohn, Rense Corten, Greg Linden, Jack Stilgoe, Lukas Graf, Jon Dean, Klaus Oschema, Christina Pagel, Daxton R. Stewart, Rune Møller Stahl, Olivier Mannoni, Camille Lefebvre, Aviel Roshwald, Colin Talbot, Tarik Abou‐Chadi, Nathan P. Kalmoe, Jeroen Van Bouwel, David Spurrett, François Guesnet, Speranţa Dumitru

Rutger Bregman @rutgerbregman.com · 1d

I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.

They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1

Reposted by Stephen Ryan

Tom Gauld @tomgauld.bsky.social · 2d

Now for some sports news...
(this week's cartoon for @theguardian.com books pages)

Panel One: A sportscaster speaks to a television camera
"You join us just in time for the annual booksellers versus librarians tug of war."

Panel Two: We see the participants warming up as he continues...
"Two very strong teams this year, they’ve both been in training since February. As always, the real skill in this match is not to start chatting about boo-"

Panel Three:
"Too late!!
A pair of librarians are discussing the new Margaret Atwood!
A crowd is forming!
The booksellers are joining in!
It's all over!!"
We see all the participants chatting.

Panel Four: The sportscaster finishes up to the camera:
"The rope lies untouched!
The discussions continue!
We have a draw for 325th year in a row!
Join us again next year!"

End.

Bonus alt-text Content:

Fun fact!
The first tug of war was between the staff of Cranston Library and those of Daniel Midwinter Booksellers
www.cranstonlibraryreigate.com/
www.blogs.nottingham.ac.uk/manuscripts/2017/11/10/booksellers/

Reposted by Will Jennings, Brendan Nyhan, Steve Peers , and 22 more Will Jennings, Brendan Nyhan, Steve Peers, Samuel L. Perry, Rosemary A. Joyce, David Rothschild, Jacob Montgomery, Alan Lester, Melanie C. Green, Peter Stewart, Rebecca Tushnet, Aaron Sojourner, McKenzie Wark, Stephen Ryan, Michael D. McDonald, David J. Berri, Ann Bartow, Iñaki Aldasoro, Greg Linden, Julie Novkov, Tim Stephens, Daxton R. Stewart, Nicolai von Ondarza, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, Francesco Nicoli

derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 3d

Twitter pays people based on engagement (views, retweets, comments, etc). It appears that many MAGA accounts are based abroad and they use AI technology to generate low-effort rage bait.

My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.

A Twitter account called Ivanka News tweets an AI image of a young woman wearing Muslim garb. The woman is holding a sign that says "I came here illegally. Should I be deported?"

Ivanka News writes: What is your response to this person ??

In the "About this account" tab, it appears the account is based in Nigeria

An account called MAGA scope writes:

Who, in your view is the great enemy of the United States? Communism, Islam, Democratic Party, or Satan?

The account is based in Nigeria.

An account called MAGA Nadine writes: You go to work and find this. What would you do? The attached pic is an AI image that shows a microwave. The microwave has a sign that says "For religious reasons, this microwave is now making halal food only."

The account is based in Morocco.

An account called America First posts an AI image of Tulsi Gabbard. They wrote: How would you rate your trust in Tulsi Gabbard on a scale of 1-10?

Reposted by Robert Wolfe, Stephen Ryan, Aviel Roshwald

News Eye @newseye.bsky.social · 3d

We now have leaders of allied nations unable to trust a word the US tells them.

We are witnessing one of the greatest diplomatic and foreign relations blunders of our lifetimes.

A post by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. It reads:

Together with the leaders of Europe, Canada and Japan, we have declared our readiness to work on the 28-point plan despite some reservations. However, before we start our work, it would be good to know for sure who is the author of the plan and where was it created.

Stephen Ryan 🌻 🍉 🌍 Stiofán Ó Riain 🌻🍉 🌍 @stephenryanrathlin.bsky.social · 3d

Tick, tock...

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Four top Labour figures could beat Starmer in a leadership race, poll finds

Research shows members would back Andy Burnham, Ed Miliband, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting over PM

www.theguardian.com

Stephen Ryan 🌻 🍉 🌍 Stiofán Ó Riain 🌻🍉 🌍 @stephenryanrathlin.bsky.social · 3d

A beautiful night in Belfast at Martin Stephenson and the Daintees. So many great, great songs, and all in the company of a really special character.

Reposted by Will Jennings, Steve Peers, Rebecca Tushnet , and 5 more Will Jennings, Steve Peers, Rebecca Tushnet, Alan Richardson, Stephen Ryan, Greg Linden, Daxton R. Stewart, David Darmofal

Dare Obasanjo @carnage4life.bsky.social · 3d

Grand opening, grand closing.

X quietly disabled a new feature that showed which country an account was posting from when it revealed that lots of popular right wing MAGA accounts were being run from foreign countries like India and Nigeria.

Reposted by Stephen Ryan

Vincent van Gogh @vangogh.bsky.social · 4d

Wheat Field with Cypresses - 1889
https://botfrens.com/collections/46/contents/104154

Purchase, The Annenberg Foundation Gift, 1993

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Jonathan A. Eisen, Steve Peers , and 6 more Stephen M. Walt, Jonathan A. Eisen, Steve Peers, Mark D. White, American Library Association, Jacob T. Levy, Stephen Ryan, Mark Rice, Dan Immergluck

Erin Maye Quade @erinmayequade.bsky.social · 6d

A Trump supporter started murdering his way through an assassination list of Democratic law makers FIVE MONTHS AGO. He murdered my colleague Melissa Hortman, and her husband Mark — and attempted to assassinate my dear friend John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. I was also on the hit list. WTF

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 6d

Insanity

SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!

Reposted by Jonathan A. Eisen, Jonathan Wolff, Alan Richardson , and 8 more Jonathan A. Eisen, Jonathan Wolff, Alan Richardson, Stephen Ryan, Michael D. McDonald, Ann Bartow, Henry Jones, Olivier Mannoni, Pádua Fernandes, Colin Woodard, David Darmofal

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 6d

Insanity

Stephen Ryan 🌻 🍉 🌍 Stiofán Ó Riain 🌻🍉 🌍 @stephenryanrathlin.bsky.social · 6d

Remember this well as well.

R.E.M. on this Day @remonthisday.bsky.social · 6d

Recorded on this day in 1984. (1/2)

R.E.M. - Pretty Persuasion (Live on Whistle Test 1984)

YouTube video by Dave F

www.youtube.com

Reposted by Stephen Ryan

R.E.M. on this Day @remonthisday.bsky.social · 6d

Recorded on this day in 1984. (1/2)

R.E.M. - Pretty Persuasion (Live on Whistle Test 1984)

YouTube video by Dave F

www.youtube.com

Reposted by Stephen Ryan

Stereogum @stereogum.com · 6d

My Bloody Valentine played a surprise first show in seven years tonight

My Bloody Valentine Play Surprise First Show In Seven Years

It’s been nearly a year since My Bloody Valentine announced their first show since 2018, a gig at Dublin’s 3arena this coming Saturday that also marks their first headlining show in Ireland since 1992...

stereogum.com

Reposted by Stephen Ryan

Nature Of Rathlin @natureofrathlin.bsky.social · 7d

"The Story of Rathlin Wool" written by islander Marianne Green and illustrated by Lynn Finnegan from Ballycastle will be launched in Yarn (former Danske Bank) in Ballycastle on Wednesday the 26th November at 7pm...

Reposted by Stephen Ryan

R.E.M. @remhq.bsky.social · 8d

Setlist from the band’s final show on the Accelerate tour, November 18, 2008, in Mexico City.

Reposted by Stephen Ryan

Vincent van Gogh @vangogh.bsky.social · 8d

The Stone Bench in the Garden at Saint-Paul Hospital - 1889
https://botfrens.com/collections/46/contents/14684

Reposted by Stephen Ryan

Shamim Malekmian @shamimmalekmian.bsky.social · 8d

this tbh

from an RTE article about Enoch being ordered back to jail: The judge said far too much attention had been focused on Mr Burke and not enough on the children and teachers.

Stephen Ryan 🌻 🍉 🌍 Stiofán Ó Riain 🌻🍉 🌍 @stephenryanrathlin.bsky.social · 8d

Remember it well.

R.E.M. on this Day @remonthisday.bsky.social · 8d

Recorded on this day in 1983.

R.E.M. Radio Free Europe Live on THE TUBE **HQ**

YouTube video by StephenQdoo

www.youtube.com

Reposted by Stephen Ryan

R.E.M. on this Day @remonthisday.bsky.social · 8d

On this day in 2008, R.E.M. play their last ever show in front of a paying crowd, at Auditorio Nacional, Mexico City, supported by Los Concorde.

Reposted by Stephen Ryan

R.E.M. on this Day @remonthisday.bsky.social · 8d

Recorded on this day in 1983.

R.E.M. Radio Free Europe Live on THE TUBE **HQ**

YouTube video by StephenQdoo

www.youtube.com

Reposted by Stephen Ryan

Gavan Reilly @gavreilly.com · 8d

NEW: Paschal Donohoe is resigning as MInister for Finance, and as a TD, in order to take up a role with the World Bank in Washington. Announcement expected after this morning's Cabinet meeting. @virginmedianews.bsky.social