Benjamin Sharma 🇨🇦 🇺🇸
@benjamin.bsky.social
Torontonian by birth and residence. Canadian and American by nationality. Fan of history, liberal democracy, and our constitutional monarchy. Also a fan of the Leafs, Jays, Bills, and Raps. Plays video games from time to time.
Widely-available generative AI was always going to lead to this.
And yes, the worst people are going to find ways to do the worst things with it.
I suppose we can lock down major platforms (iOS, Google Play, Steam/GOG/Epic), and trust that the young aren’t computer-literate enough to circumvent…
And yes, the worst people are going to find ways to do the worst things with it.
I suppose we can lock down major platforms (iOS, Google Play, Steam/GOG/Epic), and trust that the young aren’t computer-literate enough to circumvent…
cannot stress enough how bad it is to give teenage boys a "see this person naked" button. massive, multi-axis disaster
The rise of deepfake pornography in schools: ‘One girl was so horrified she vomited’ www.theguardian.com/society/ng-i...
December 6, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Widely-available generative AI was always going to lead to this.
And yes, the worst people are going to find ways to do the worst things with it.
I suppose we can lock down major platforms (iOS, Google Play, Steam/GOG/Epic), and trust that the young aren’t computer-literate enough to circumvent…
And yes, the worst people are going to find ways to do the worst things with it.
I suppose we can lock down major platforms (iOS, Google Play, Steam/GOG/Epic), and trust that the young aren’t computer-literate enough to circumvent…
So I guess I have to set up the Steam Deck or ROG Ally to play Dreamcast games now.
December 5, 2025 at 6:57 PM
So I guess I have to set up the Steam Deck or ROG Ally to play Dreamcast games now.
They have a big universe to play with, I’m surprised this is their first university series.
Deep Space Nine Oh Two One Oh
🚨 BREAKING - New Star Trek: #StarfleetAcademy Poster!
The first season of the new #StarTrek live-action series premieres January 15th on Paramount+
🖖 Will YOU be watching?
The first season of the new #StarTrek live-action series premieres January 15th on Paramount+
🖖 Will YOU be watching?
December 4, 2025 at 6:37 PM
They have a big universe to play with, I’m surprised this is their first university series.
The Mandela Effect messes with me simply because I remember Mandela quite well, and attended the “Mandela and the Children” event at Skydome in 1995.
Wait, it was actually 1998, I apparently was in my last year of high school.
Okay there’s a small Mandela Effect there, then.
Wait, it was actually 1998, I apparently was in my last year of high school.
Okay there’s a small Mandela Effect there, then.
I'm not a big Mandela Effect guy but this one is bothering me.
My fellow olds, what did Nancy Kerrigan famously scream after she got kneecapped by Tonya Harding's goon?
My fellow olds, what did Nancy Kerrigan famously scream after she got kneecapped by Tonya Harding's goon?
December 4, 2025 at 4:05 PM
The Mandela Effect messes with me simply because I remember Mandela quite well, and attended the “Mandela and the Children” event at Skydome in 1995.
Wait, it was actually 1998, I apparently was in my last year of high school.
Okay there’s a small Mandela Effect there, then.
Wait, it was actually 1998, I apparently was in my last year of high school.
Okay there’s a small Mandela Effect there, then.
Way gentler on the Leafs than I expected/would have been.
Last week, I came up with one reason to be thankful for all 32 NHL teams.
This week, we're flipping the script. From burning mascots to terrible uniforms to an unfortunate chicken, it's 32 reasons to say "no thanks".
www.nytimes.com/athletic/685...
This week, we're flipping the script. From burning mascots to terrible uniforms to an unfortunate chicken, it's 32 reasons to say "no thanks".
www.nytimes.com/athletic/685...
One reason to say ‘no thanks’ to all 32 NHL teams after Thanksgiving
From setting mascots on fire to canons to ugly uniforms and much more, here's one negative for every hockey team.
www.nytimes.com
December 4, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Way gentler on the Leafs than I expected/would have been.
Today I learnt that this person I follow for sports also went to law school and left practice. (I too have a law degree, etc.)
Sports is a happier topic than law is.
Sports is a happier topic than law is.
Oh hey, the guy who hired me out of law school has made today's @rooster.info. Probably not how he'd like! www.rooster.info/p/where-is-l...
December 4, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Today I learnt that this person I follow for sports also went to law school and left practice. (I too have a law degree, etc.)
Sports is a happier topic than law is.
Sports is a happier topic than law is.
Not entirely sure I agree with Mike here but he knows a lot more about Bitcoin and the crypto currency project than I do. Passing it along for others to inform themselves.
About complicity, and arguments along those lines: everything happens in a context. 1/2
About complicity, and arguments along those lines: everything happens in a context. 1/2
My critics fire back. And I reply.
The Banality of Bitcoin Advocacy
Yesterday, I wrote an essay.
www.notesfromthecircus.com
December 2, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Not entirely sure I agree with Mike here but he knows a lot more about Bitcoin and the crypto currency project than I do. Passing it along for others to inform themselves.
About complicity, and arguments along those lines: everything happens in a context. 1/2
About complicity, and arguments along those lines: everything happens in a context. 1/2
The emergency system test was a staple of Saturday morning cartoon watches on Buffalo television stations from Toronto (and we were acutely aware of when that system would be used, ie nuclear war).
a) A while ago @radiofreetom.bsky.social wrote an article on how ubiquitous mushroom clouds were in 1980s music videos, and the fact that we've memory-holed that should serve as a reminder that nostalgia always looks back through rose-tinted glasses.
Yes, how can we go back to the carefree 1980s when no one worried about anything 🙃
December 2, 2025 at 4:39 PM
The emergency system test was a staple of Saturday morning cartoon watches on Buffalo television stations from Toronto (and we were acutely aware of when that system would be used, ie nuclear war).
WNED would play O Canada as well as The Star-Spangled Banner at station sign off in the 1980s and 1990s, for what it’s worth.
WNED bills (no pun) itself as Buffalo-Toronto, so if people here feel like giving... (aka "Buffalo Toronto Public Media")
Today is 'Giving Tuesday'! Many NPR/PBS stations — recently defunded by the Trump administration and Congress — have matches that mean your donation will go twice as far.
Support your local stations! If you already do, consider adopting a station hit hard. Here are NY's: adoptastation.org/newyork
Support your local stations! If you already do, consider adopting a station hit hard. Here are NY's: adoptastation.org/newyork
December 2, 2025 at 4:04 PM
WNED would play O Canada as well as The Star-Spangled Banner at station sign off in the 1980s and 1990s, for what it’s worth.
“The Coast of Utopia” was an amazing trilogy, especially for someone writing a senior thesis on that era of Russian intellectual history in 2002-03.
RIP Sir Tom Stoppard, OM (who also had sound politics).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Coa...
RIP Sir Tom Stoppard, OM (who also had sound politics).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Coa...
The Coast of Utopia - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
December 2, 2025 at 3:58 PM
“The Coast of Utopia” was an amazing trilogy, especially for someone writing a senior thesis on that era of Russian intellectual history in 2002-03.
RIP Sir Tom Stoppard, OM (who also had sound politics).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Coa...
RIP Sir Tom Stoppard, OM (who also had sound politics).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Coa...
Decided that Threads is mean, trivial, and toxic, so deleted it.
BlueSky probably can be that too but the various nuclear block options make it tolerable.
(Twitter is the Wild West.)
BlueSky probably can be that too but the various nuclear block options make it tolerable.
(Twitter is the Wild West.)
December 2, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Decided that Threads is mean, trivial, and toxic, so deleted it.
BlueSky probably can be that too but the various nuclear block options make it tolerable.
(Twitter is the Wild West.)
BlueSky probably can be that too but the various nuclear block options make it tolerable.
(Twitter is the Wild West.)
I personally prefer having bike lanes because I hate having cyclists in traffic lanes.
You kinda creep behind them and wait for oncoming traffic to leave a window for you to pull out and around them.
It’s a hassle.
We could do better about integrating right turns with bike lanes tho.
You kinda creep behind them and wait for oncoming traffic to leave a window for you to pull out and around them.
It’s a hassle.
We could do better about integrating right turns with bike lanes tho.
This explains something that has always mystified me about drivers who rail against bike lanes and transit. Why WOULDN'T you want people to have options not to drive? It would make your own driving better! But they don't just want good traffic, they want to reinforce the NORM of driving
This is actually quite brilliant, up to and including the final sentence 🔥
December 1, 2025 at 3:28 PM
I personally prefer having bike lanes because I hate having cyclists in traffic lanes.
You kinda creep behind them and wait for oncoming traffic to leave a window for you to pull out and around them.
It’s a hassle.
We could do better about integrating right turns with bike lanes tho.
You kinda creep behind them and wait for oncoming traffic to leave a window for you to pull out and around them.
It’s a hassle.
We could do better about integrating right turns with bike lanes tho.
Playing like it’s 1999…
November 30, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Playing like it’s 1999…
The Raptors season so far has united us in the assessment that Masai Ujiri still had the magic touch, even on his way out.
November 29, 2025 at 3:12 PM
The Raptors season so far has united us in the assessment that Masai Ujiri still had the magic touch, even on his way out.
I mean look I’ll get a new iPad when they finally add water resistance, and I might have gotten a new iPhone this year but they got rid of physical sims and I’m not quite ready to go all eSIMs, so the iPhone 14 Pro gets another year or two from me.
stupid young people, stop buying a new phone every year if you don't want to be broke. wait no, not like that.
November 28, 2025 at 8:16 PM
I mean look I’ll get a new iPad when they finally add water resistance, and I might have gotten a new iPhone this year but they got rid of physical sims and I’m not quite ready to go all eSIMs, so the iPhone 14 Pro gets another year or two from me.
Reposted by Benjamin Sharma 🇨🇦 🇺🇸
“Device hoarding” un fucking real
Both major political parties agree we have one job and it’s to buy shit
Both major political parties agree we have one job and it’s to buy shit
stupid young people, stop buying a new phone every year if you don't want to be broke. wait no, not like that.
November 25, 2025 at 6:24 PM
“Device hoarding” un fucking real
Both major political parties agree we have one job and it’s to buy shit
Both major political parties agree we have one job and it’s to buy shit
So about this from Mike — his language can get a little dramatic from time to time, but he is writing from the belly of the beast: Silicon Valley is where the neo-reactionism stuff took root, and the execs who decided to back 45/47 are people he knows quite well.
So he knows whereof he speaks.
So he knows whereof he speaks.
November 27, 2025 at 11:07 PM
So about this from Mike — his language can get a little dramatic from time to time, but he is writing from the belly of the beast: Silicon Valley is where the neo-reactionism stuff took root, and the execs who decided to back 45/47 are people he knows quite well.
So he knows whereof he speaks.
So he knows whereof he speaks.
Crazy process:
“After Mr. Paul learned from his wife that the authorities were threatening to deport her without a hearing, their lawyer filed a lawsuit in federal court … to halt her removal and secure her release.
“In response, the government approved Ms. Paul’s green card and freed her.”
“After Mr. Paul learned from his wife that the authorities were threatening to deport her without a hearing, their lawyer filed a lawsuit in federal court … to halt her removal and secure her release.
“In response, the government approved Ms. Paul’s green card and freed her.”
I need everybody to read this and understand what’s going on. These are spouses of US citizens in the country legally. They have entry clearance and green cards, they’ve passed background checks and have no criminal records. ICE is taking them anyway.
Gift link:
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
Gift link:
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
Green Card Interviews End in Handcuffs for Spouses of U.S. Citizens
www.nytimes.com
November 26, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Crazy process:
“After Mr. Paul learned from his wife that the authorities were threatening to deport her without a hearing, their lawyer filed a lawsuit in federal court … to halt her removal and secure her release.
“In response, the government approved Ms. Paul’s green card and freed her.”
“After Mr. Paul learned from his wife that the authorities were threatening to deport her without a hearing, their lawyer filed a lawsuit in federal court … to halt her removal and secure her release.
“In response, the government approved Ms. Paul’s green card and freed her.”
Suspect liberal educations will remain a distinguishing feature of the Ivies and the old liberal arts colleges of New England.
That’s not awful, we need some liberal arts people, but they were overproduced.
But if the liberal arts leave the other universities altogether, that will be a loss.
That’s not awful, we need some liberal arts people, but they were overproduced.
But if the liberal arts leave the other universities altogether, that will be a loss.
November 26, 2025 at 4:21 AM
Suspect liberal educations will remain a distinguishing feature of the Ivies and the old liberal arts colleges of New England.
That’s not awful, we need some liberal arts people, but they were overproduced.
But if the liberal arts leave the other universities altogether, that will be a loss.
That’s not awful, we need some liberal arts people, but they were overproduced.
But if the liberal arts leave the other universities altogether, that will be a loss.
So yeah I was a Russian lit major…
November 26, 2025 at 4:16 AM
So yeah I was a Russian lit major…
The PS Plus discounts are up, so I re-upped for a year of Premium, making my Portal a great cloud streaming device.
November 21, 2025 at 3:30 PM
The PS Plus discounts are up, so I re-upped for a year of Premium, making my Portal a great cloud streaming device.
Amazing.
Extremely rare banana putter given out to Nintendo employees who participated in the marketing of Donkey Kong 64.
November 18, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Amazing.
Worthwhile thread to have a read of.
Baltimore’s revival over the last few years is something to feel good about.
Baltimore’s revival over the last few years is something to feel good about.
Yes, you wish to abolish the police. You have said so in this thread. Not defund or delegitimize its worst policies, but abolish. Your words.
In Baltimore in the last two and a half years, police and prosecutorial work has doubled the number of defendants charged with shootings and gun crimes...
In Baltimore in the last two and a half years, police and prosecutorial work has doubled the number of defendants charged with shootings and gun crimes...
November 17, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Worthwhile thread to have a read of.
Baltimore’s revival over the last few years is something to feel good about.
Baltimore’s revival over the last few years is something to feel good about.
Sony worries about that huge tax write-off, I think.
Sony cracks down on Concord custom servers, issues DMCA takedowns on gameplay videos
“Due to worrying legal action we’ve decided to pause invites for the time being.”
DMCA takedowns have only been sent on YouTube gameplay videos so far and not direct to the team's custom server project
“Due to worrying legal action we’ve decided to pause invites for the time being.”
DMCA takedowns have only been sent on YouTube gameplay videos so far and not direct to the team's custom server project
November 15, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Sony worries about that huge tax write-off, I think.