Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

My experience joining the United States DOGE Service as a software engineer, and what I learned along the way.

Reposted by Ashley Kimler

Mark Cuban @mcuban.bsky.social · May 30

sahillavingia.com/doge

DOGE Days

sahillavingia.com

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Ashley Kimler @ashleykimler.bsky.social · Jun 1

I suppose that would depend on how you use it, but it was all loving and positive during the design process :)

Ashley Kimler @ashleykimler.bsky.social · Jun 1

They're definitely cool! I love them. It's just a bummer that it's going from being an affordable housing solution to nearly the same price as normal framing.

Ashley Kimler @ashleykimler.bsky.social · Jun 1

Now shipping container homes are now are a trendy luxury.

My Experience with (New to Me) Remote Volunteer Opportunities

Reposted by Ashley Kimler

Joe Segal @joesegal.bsky.social · May 31

A president should have to start each day volunteering at a local nursing home, VA, food bank, or city morgue for an hour.

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Ashley Kimler @ashleykimler.bsky.social · Jun 1

Took a break from in-person volunteering and found a new way to give back...remotely. If you're curious about citizen science or just want to help from home, here's what I found.

ashleykimler.medium.com/my-experienc...

Early this Spring, I stepped back from my role as a CASA volunteer. As a professional writer with lived experience in most of the types of…

Ashley Kimler @ashleykimler.bsky.social · May 31

oof... I really wish this wasn't so true.

Ashley Kimler @ashleykimler.bsky.social · May 31

I made this spirit board design for a vinyl cutout on a thrifted bowl (for a loved one who practices pendulum divination)—Functional decor that doubles as a place to collect crystals and trinkets. Then, I thought it would be perfect on a mirror or even a cake, so now it’s in my Etsy shop too.

Printer Format Etsy Shop @printerformat.bsky.social · May 31

This spirit board design is made for… well, anything: cake, mirror, thrifted bowl… because why not make your decor a functional part of your divination practice?

Get it here: printerformat.etsy.com/listing/1884...

2,703 Sellers Examined 3 Chargeback Tools: 1 Came Out On Top - Aurajinn

Ashley Kimler @ashleykimler.bsky.social · May 26

Some of my favorite shots from Sedona—the Chapel built right into the cliff.

Here’s the full photo set from that day...the red rock doing what it does best.

#Sedona #ChapelOfTheHolyCross #DesertPhotography #FineArtPrints #RedRockCountry #WallArt

Red rock cliff formation in Sedona, Arizona, with layered textures and deep shadows under a cloudy sky.

The Chapel of the Holy Cross built into a red rock slope, with dramatic angles and stormy clouds above.

Unique spires of Sedona’s red rocks reaching up into a partly cloudy sky, with scrub brush in the foreground.

Ashley Kimler @ashleykimler.bsky.social · May 26

Snapped this in Sedona on a quiet afternoon. The Chapel of the Holy Cross looks like it grew straight out of the rock.

Now it’s available as a print set in my shop—peaceful, sacred, and a little surreal.

Printer Format Etsy Shop @printerformat.bsky.social · May 26

📸 New in the shop: Sedona’s red rocks and desert skies

This photo features the Chapel of the Holy Cross tucked into the cliffs, taken on a sunny afternoon.

Available in 8x10 & 16x20

www.etsy.com/listing/4308...

#Photography #WallArt #Sedona #DesertDecor #PrintableArt #EtsyFinds #PrinterFormat

Framed desert landscape photo featuring the Chapel of the Holy Cross built into red rock cliffs in Sedona, Arizona, under a clear blue sky.

Ashley Kimler @ashleykimler.bsky.social · May 7

I’ve been curious about how our referrals actually use chargeback tools—not just what our partners claim. So we tracked real clicks, installs, and (where possible) savings.

One tool rose above the rest.

Here’s what 2,703 sellers taught us.

Aurajinn @aurajinn.bsky.social · May 7

2,703 sellers explored 3 chargeback tools—and only one came out on top.

We tracked what they clicked, what they installed, and how much they likely saved.

One tool delivered nearly $500 in recovered revenue per install.

Dig into the real numbers:
🔗 aurajinn.com/chargeback-t...

Today, chargeback tools aren’t just helpful; they’re essential because:

aurajinn.com

Ashley Kimler @ashleykimler.bsky.social · May 6

😔

Ashley Kimler @ashleykimler.bsky.social · May 5

This is helpful!

nonijoni3.bsky.social @nonijoni3.bsky.social · Apr 29

NO to CUTS
“The Department of Justice’s Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program supports and promotes court-appointed volunteer advocacy for children and youth who have experienced abuse and neglect.”
resist.bot/petitions/PQ...

The Department of Justice’s Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)

Text SIGN PQCQHM to 50409 to send this to your officials.

resist.bot

Ashley Kimler @ashleykimler.bsky.social · May 5

CASA just got defunded at the federal level. I spent 1.5 years as a volunteer advocate for kids in the system. I can tell you, this decision isn’t abstract. It’s going to harm real children.

Here’s why that matters (and what we can still do):
ashleykimler.medium.com/after-volunt...

After Volunteering With CASA, I Know This Defunding Hurts Kids Most

For a year and a half, I volunteered as a Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) through CASA of Central Oregon. During that time, I…

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Ashley Kimler @ashleykimler.bsky.social · May 5

Might have to check it out! Thanks :)

Ashley Kimler @ashleykimler.bsky.social · May 3

My 15-year-old son was just saying we should get it, so I was considering it. We love the Elder Scrolls...Are you saying its not worth it?

Ashley Kimler @ashleykimler.bsky.social · May 3

This is a fantastic idea!

Eric Lint @ericlint.com · Apr 20

If you’re #inBend or Central Oregon we can make this happen!

Visit cotool.org or hit up @jheylin.bsky.social

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Ashley Kimler @ashleykimler.bsky.social · May 3

Omg... Clemen is too cute! If you have the room for more love in your life, go meet him!

Adopt a Pet @adoptapet.bsky.social · Apr 22

Step into a world of love and licks with, Clemen, located in Prineville, OR.

Learn more: https://www.petfinder.com/dog/clemen-75782190/or/prineville/the-humane-society-of-the-ochocos-or23/

Clemen is a Hound mix dog, available for adoption in Prineville, OR.

What I’ve Learned Selling My Prineville Home Without a Realtor (So Far)

Ashley Kimler @ashleykimler.bsky.social · May 3

I listed my house without a realtor, and wow—I have thoughts. Here’s some of what I’ve learned about photos, timing, and doing things the slow, DIY way: ashleykimler.medium.com/what-ive-lea...

I listed my house just under three weeks ago. It’s a 3-bedroom in the Ochoco Heights neighborhood of Prineville with a quarter-acre lot, a…

Ashley Kimler @ashleykimler.bsky.social · May 2

I wonder what Daniel Tiger and Big Bird did to piss off the new administration.

Stephen King @stephenking.bsky.social · May 2

Trumpty-Dumpty is defunding PBS. What he calls "bias" some of us call "facts Trumpty-Dumpty doesn't like."

I Took Two Tests to See if I Could Spot Fake News — Here’s What I Learned

Ashley Kimler @ashleykimler.bsky.social · May 2

I took two fake news tests from Cambridge to see if I could really spot misinformation. Scored 15/16 and 19/20. What I got wrong was actually about trying to overcompensate for my own bias.

Here's the post → ashleykimler.medium.com/i-took-two-t...

We’ve all scrolled past a headline and thought, That can’t be real… right?

Why One Quiet Blog Post Outperformed 1,000+ Others (and What You Can Learn From it)

Ashley Kimler @ashleykimler.bsky.social · May 1

Wrote a blog post a couple years ago.
No promo. No backlinks.
Still pulls 1,200+ views/month.

It’s not magic—it’s useful.

I broke down what made it work (and how to do the same):
ashleykimler.medium.com/why-one-quie...

TL;DR:
Forget viral.
Write for one real human and make it count.

In a sea of AI-generated content, one blog post I co-wrote continues to quietly outperform almost everything else on a high-traffic site…

I Write Content for a Living — Here are 7 Formats That Still Work in Today’s AI-Driven Search World

Reposted by Ashley Kimler

🩸𒉭 Black Metal Vampyre 𒉭🩸 @espikvlt.bsky.social · Apr 25

Funny how the people who call my English degree useless and say writing is easy can't even send an email without AI.

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Ashley Kimler @ashleykimler.bsky.social · Apr 30

Not all content’s getting buried by AI. Just the stuff that sounds like everything else.

Here are 7 formats I still use that actually work in AI-heavy search:
ashleykimler.medium.com/i-write-cont...

#contentstrategy #writing #ai #search #seo

If your organic traffic has dropped over the past 18 months, you’re not alone. With Google rolling out AI overviews in search, content…