Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Toxic @toxic.sf.ca.us · 8h

Do the Blue Jays have like an epic Roti or Poutine to show off?

Reposted by Toxic

Ana Marie Cox @anamariecox.bsky.social · 8h

It's so strange to think of how much less suffering there would be in the world if a certain slice of America gave just a tiny bit more of a shit about keeping a white supremacist out of the White House.

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Toxic @toxic.sf.ca.us · 1d

By far the most anti-immigrant population in the US is made up of citizens who naturalized in adulthood. They like to talk about how they came in "the right way" (which usually means in 1986's amnesty period) and everyone behind them is illegal and should be kicked out.

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Toxic @toxic.sf.ca.us · 2d

Rabbids yes, by the dozens.
Crash Bandicoot yes
Sonic no
Knuckles yes
Tails no
Fido Dido yes
Ecco the dolphin strangely yes?

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Toxic @toxic.sf.ca.us · 2d

...and if it makes me a better prompt-writer or agent-wrangler, or whatever, then it's worth the time.

That's how I use AI today, and it's kind of fun. I don't know if I'm going to (willingly) use it at all tomorrow, but I'm glad to have a mostly non-harmful reason to know how it all works.

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Toxic @toxic.sf.ca.us · 2d

Make of that what you will. For the rest of the season, I'm going to continue to have the LLM make NCAA picks and write about them in the voice of a nonsensical persona (though in hindsight, I wish I'd picked a Hawaiian-shirted wiseguy that would be at home in a Carl Hiaasen book instead of a nun).

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Toxic @toxic.sf.ca.us · 2d

The thing is, it's (hopefully) absolutely clear that Sister Mary Catherine is fictional, even absurdist, and "AI", down to the LSU habit and the Red Solo Cup of sacramental wine.

And yet, it's been on a 11-5 heater since the college football season started.

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Toxic @toxic.sf.ca.us · 2d

...I'm also asking it to consume a lot of "here are my picks, trust me bro" material and "this is a detailed analysis of the SEC's favorite defensive configuration, and what that means this week" material, and more.

and I am more than a little surprised at how well it can synthesize this stuff.

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Toxic @toxic.sf.ca.us · 2d

Overall, I do use the bot to write (hopefully entertaining) slop, including tales of 35 nuns getting quite baked (on what Sister Margaret describes as the sticky icky) and discussing the liturgical implications of the forward pass and the ideal hangover gumbo.

but...

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Toxic @toxic.sf.ca.us · 2d

I have professional reasons to stay current with AI/LLM tech, which includes knowing how to use them. The bot is a side project that lets me do that and have fun.

I did not expect it to regularly beat the house, and I do expect that every winning streak will be followed by a longer losing one.

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Toxic @toxic.sf.ca.us · 2d

For those who missed it, the bot went 4-0 on its picks, again.

Sister Mary Catherine is LLM output. It's trained on a lot of NCAA football data and the sportswriters who cover NCAA. I've been tuning prompts to try to add some personality, but I very rarely edit the output except for formatting.

Toxic @toxic.sf.ca.us · 3d

OK, fess up. Which one of you left your weed in front of the sister's convent this week?

firedcoaches.beehiiv.com/p/heavenly-e...

Heavenly Enlightenment: A Week 7 Preview from the Garden of Earthly Delights

firedcoaches.beehiiv.com

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Toxic @toxic.sf.ca.us · 2d

"substantial procedural lapse".

That's what the Times is calling "blatantly illegal public sector personnel moves" these days?

The people who signed their names on bottom of the RIF letters committed a crime and should be charged. They don't have the president's "immunity" protection.

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Reposted by Toxic

kat, ghost of helenruthsghost @chaoskat.bsky.social · 2d

Salvation Army seen feeding ICE today. For anyone who doesn't already know about their bigotry, here is more, No need to give them your money this Christmas, or ever.

unraveled @unraveledpress.com · 2d

It’s dinner time for the police. Appears to be pizza from a Salvation Army van.

Broadview’s “free speech” curfew starts soon, at 6pm.

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Reposted by Toxic

rahaeli @rahaeli.bsky.social · 2d

For any Catholic, the sight of a Eucharistic Procession being turned away at the gates of the destination is the embodiment of Jesus being denied entrance. You don't have to be Catholic to get the symbolism in that!

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Reposted by Toxic

rahaeli @rahaeli.bsky.social · 2d

What Fr Dowling is doing here was not just "offering communion to detainees". A full on Eucharistic Procession is a really fucking big deal. In Catholic theological framing, those folks were the honor guard with the very great privilege of escorting Jesus himself to the detention center.

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Reposted by Toxic

Toxic @toxic.sf.ca.us · 2d

Whether they are assisting with ICE isn't relevant. That's just a pretext.

A state has deployed troops to another state against the receiving state's wishes. That is an unwelcome act of aggression if not war, and the good people of Illinois should not be expected to tolerate or help the invasion.

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Reposted by Toxic

Sean Parker @seanforfive.bsky.social · 2d

Ever wonder what happened to George Lincoln Rockwell’s body?

Me neither who gives a shit about a dead nazi

But man @socialistdogmom.bsky.social is a hell of a story teller and the WLG pod is the best history pod out there. Check it out

Cool Zone Media @coolzonemedia.bsky.social · 4d

When the commander of the American Nazi Party died, he left instructions with his successor. He wanted the military funeral he was entitled to as an American veteran. It didn't go well.

@socialistdogmom.bsky.social @whysophiewhy.bsky.social

www.iheart.com/podcast/1119...

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Toxic @toxic.sf.ca.us · 2d

Never did i think the 3rd amendment would be relevant in my lifetime.

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Toxic @toxic.sf.ca.us · 2d

Whether they are assisting with ICE isn't relevant. That's just a pretext.

A state has deployed troops to another state against the receiving state's wishes. That is an unwelcome act of aggression if not war, and the good people of Illinois should not be expected to tolerate or help the invasion.

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Toxic @toxic.sf.ca.us · 2d

About 1 in 3 Americans support them enthusiastically. The administration will change, but this overall stupidity isn't going to end in our lifetimes.

Toxic @toxic.sf.ca.us · 2d

"Ordered to be there."
"Just following orders"

Members of the guard have the duty to ignore and report illegal orders. When they accepted them and invaded another state, they became part of an illegal occupying force.

No, they do not deserve to eat from the local restaurants or sleep in hotels.

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Toxic @toxic.sf.ca.us · 3d

And if you're in the UK, BT-Sport 1 should take you straight into a cricket match, which might somehow not last as long as that Mariners game.

Toxic @toxic.sf.ca.us · 3d

OK, fess up. Which one of you left your weed in front of the sister's convent this week?

firedcoaches.beehiiv.com/p/heavenly-e...

Heavenly Enlightenment: A Week 7 Preview from the Garden of Earthly Delights

firedcoaches.beehiiv.com

Toxic @toxic.sf.ca.us · 3d

This map is from @506sports.bsky.social (506sports.com), who has been publishing these for a very long time and is absolutely awesome.

506sports.com - Home

506sports.com

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Toxic @toxic.sf.ca.us · 3d

Blue is Dallas@Carolina. Yellow is Seattle@Jacksonville.

The Seahawks/Jags game is going to be a better game, between much better teams. But, because Fox has an agreement with Jerry Jones, most of the country has to endure a game between two flailing teams, neither of which has a winning record.

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