Jeff Smith
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ascarel.bsky.social
Jeff Smith
@ascarel.bsky.social
Trained linguist, medieval history nerd, classical piano amateur, Python programming cheerleader, red ale enthusiast, Chinese martial arts disciple.
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One thing I wished didn't move over from Twitter is the follow spam. Artists and other creative people -- I salute your endeavours, but if you follow me just to tell me you exist, this is an auto-block from me. Please use social media smartly.
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Again,
December 29, 2025 at 3:34 AM
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12YO girl signed up to do “stand up comedy” at the talent show. 13YO boy decided to heckle her. Teacher started to tell the boy to leave her alone, but the 12YO comedian said “no, no, let him go, this is the closest he’s ever going to get to having a conversation with a girl.”
What's an insult you'll never forget?
December 26, 2025 at 4:43 PM
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My favorite piece of content today.
November 21, 2025 at 8:28 PM
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I don't want to be around when the owner of these glasses comes back to find them.
November 8, 2025 at 6:39 PM
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October 28, 2025 at 9:35 PM
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Car parking
October 22, 2025 at 12:57 AM
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This is what democracy looks like. #NoKings
October 18, 2025 at 11:22 PM
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Rest in peace Jane Goodall. A real hero.
October 2, 2025 at 6:51 AM
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The Irish government has released a report on the benefits of the pilot for a Basic Income for the Arts, and in a total shocker, it seems like it was good for the country as well as the artists.

Nobody could have seen this coming.

#SpeirGorm #UBI

www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
Basic Income for the Arts pilot produced over €100 million in Social and Economic Benefits
www.gov.ie
September 23, 2025 at 3:57 PM
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A quick guide on "How to fall downstairs":

Step 1

Step 6

Step 8, 9, 10, 11.
September 23, 2025 at 5:59 AM
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There's a great Substack piece by Adam Rutherford debunking all this nonsense.
arutherford.substack.com/p/dire-wolve...
Dire wolves remain very extinct
Despite what you are being fed, de-extinction is a con, full of gloss, bullshit and ghoulish greed.
arutherford.substack.com
September 18, 2025 at 1:58 PM
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Ta-Nehisi Coates remains clear-eyed as ever on the subject of Ezra Klein and a punditry eager to wash whiteness.

“…the hard question must be asked: If you would look away from the words of Charlie Kirk, from what else would you look away?”

www.vanityfair.com/news/story/c...
Charlie Kirk, Redeemed: A Political Class Finds Its Lost Cause
By ignoring the rhetoric and actions of the Turning Point USA founder, pundits and politicians are sanitizing his legacy.
www.vanityfair.com
September 16, 2025 at 7:14 PM
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At a time when everything seems terrible, I was checking in w one of my kids abt what he’s watching on-line, and apparently it’s inspirational edits like this one, which was … actually pretty uplifting at a time when uplift sometimes seems in short supply.
September 16, 2025 at 1:42 AM
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Update: Civil War cancelled due to shooter being demographically uncooperative
September 12, 2025 at 4:23 PM
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September 6, 2025 at 2:06 AM
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I let out several different audible “NO”s during this video

incredible stuff, you gotta watch the whole thing
it should be at least 400 times harder to get a driver's license
September 1, 2025 at 9:46 PM
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Good news about the cutting-edge AI tools from the $3-trillion-dollar company.
September 2, 2025 at 12:10 AM
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I love this so much and I am absolutely tearing up about it. The gentleness and plainness of this, the way he just lets her be her (and she seems so damn lovely, who wouldn’t?), the generosity.

It isn’t going to solve the world’s problems, but this kind of humanity is a hell of a start.
August 12, 2025 at 1:51 AM
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"PhD-level experts in your back pocket" is a completely nonsensical description of AI but a pretty good description of social media if you follow the right people
August 9, 2025 at 11:07 PM
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Congrats to Hulk Hogan for making it 7 days without using the N-word.
July 31, 2025 at 5:43 PM
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Thanks for the reminder @janemunday.bsky.social. Every summer, I repost this article DROWNING DOES NOT LOOK LIKE DROWNING. To date, I know of FOUR kids who were saved after someone who'd clicked on the link learnt how to spot actual drowning. Take time to read and pass on.

slate.com/technology/2...
Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning
Drowning is not the violent, splashing call for help that most people expect.
slate.com
June 19, 2025 at 4:22 PM
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Our research has been engulfed by an endless torrent of lab leak conspiracy theories about the origin of the pandemic - even as the evidence for zoonosis has only grown stronger.

This fuels anti-science agendas and erodes public trust.

Now, we respond 👇

theconversation.com/how-conspira...
How conspiracy theories about COVID’s origins are hampering our ability to prevent the next pandemic
The COVID pandemic likely began when the virus jumped from animals to humans, and didn’t start in a lab. But false narratives continue to circulate.
theconversation.com
July 30, 2025 at 12:45 AM
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I AM SHRIEKING 💀🤣

Forget the statue at City Hall, this guy is the *real* Spirit of Detroit. 🫡
July 22, 2025 at 7:16 PM
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Is Superman woke? Or are you just realizing you’re the bad guy? 🤷‍♂️
July 10, 2025 at 7:20 AM