Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Brian Urlacher (aka Grant Forks) @grantforks.bsky.social · 7d

Oh this is not good. Back up your courses and prepare for the extra work that comes when prices spike and university procurement goes elsewhere.

Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · 7d

If your institution requires you to use Blackboard for teaching (like me), be aware its parent company is broke and it's getting new private equity owners whose plans for the platform, and how they'll capitalize on it, remain unknown (bet it includes "AI") onedtech.philhillaa.com/p/anthology-...

What This Means for the LMS and EdTech Markets

For campus leaders: Blackboard will continue operating through the case, but the ownership and investment thesis behind the LMS are changing. This could affect long-term product direction and stability.

For EdTech executives: This is a textbook example of distressed-debt control in our sector. It shows how private equity cycles, first driving aggressive expansion, now dictating asset sales, reshape vendor landscapes.

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Brian Urlacher (aka Grant Forks) @grantforks.bsky.social · 10d

So, so many people are terrified of Fargo!

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Reposted by Brian Urlacher (aka Grant Forks)

Faine Greenwood @faineg.bsky.social · 10d

the amount of raw, unadulterated fear that many Americans have of even small cities is never going to stop being darkly hilarious to me

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Brian Urlacher (aka Grant Forks) @grantforks.bsky.social · 11d

Pointing out hypocrisy is a losers strategy. Yeah, Jesus—the son of god himself—used this strategy to attack the political and religious elites, but he also got crucified and his followers scattered.

Sure they eventually regrouped but it literally required devine intervention on Pentecost.

Brian Urlacher (aka Grant Forks) @grantforks.bsky.social · 19d

Honestly I didn’t pay super close attention in my comparative politics course work but I do remember the debate about political culture as public opinion or something deeper.

I always assumed there was something deeper and durable and now we are (finally) getting a solid test of that hypothesis.

Brian Urlacher (aka Grant Forks) @grantforks.bsky.social · 19d

If I had a soap box I would scream that of all our first amendment rights, only freedom of assembly is beyond the power of elites to control and direct.

I don’t have a soap box, but the point stands because it is manifestly obvious.

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Brian Urlacher (aka Grant Forks) @grantforks.bsky.social · 21d

Two weeks ago I met with a publisher and got a tentative green light on a book project. I’ve added nearly 5k words since then. I’ve still got 40-60k more to write but this is not a bad pace….

But I probably need to double it 😬

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Reposted by Brian Urlacher (aka Grant Forks)

The Girl with the Green Ribbon 💀💀 (Jenny Hamilton) @readingtheend.bsky.social · 22d

what's that? you need some good news? can we interest you in some Murderbot news? "Family road trip from hell"?

New 'Murderbot' book promises 'family road trip from hell': See the cover

"Murderbot" fans are in for a treat with Martha Wells' eighth book "Platform Decay." The author shares what she's excited for readers to see.

www.usatoday.com

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Brian Urlacher (aka Grant Forks) @grantforks.bsky.social · 22d

Trump is a dignity wraith. The military parade and the deployment of the National Guard and the renaming of Defense to "War" are all ways of forcing institutions to bend the knee so that when the real asks for fealty come, they've already so debased themselves that they can't imagine saying no.

Tom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social · 22d

This is extrajudicial execution, without any clear threat to the US, no authorization from Congress, and far beyond even Article II. The military is not the president's personal hit squad.
Or wasn't, until now.

CNN @cnn.com · 22d

The US military killed three people in another deadly strike on a vessel in international waters around South America allegedly "transporting illegal narcotics" from Venezuela, President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post. https://cnn.it/4na60EM

Brian Urlacher (aka Grant Forks) @grantforks.bsky.social · 22d

My own kids are probably not going to attend. Everyone has good reasons, but when everyone has good reasons the only reasonable conclusion is that you do not matter to anyone.

And that is where I’m at and why I am ideating and drinking and wanting to just walk away from a stupid pathetic life.

Brian Urlacher (aka Grant Forks) @grantforks.bsky.social · 22d

Scheduled a party for Saturday and learning once again that I don’t actually have any friends.

The last time (2 years ago) I tried to initiate a social event, I invited 20 “friends” of 15+ years and not one showed. Only one person told me ahead of time.

I’m not doing well tonight.

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Brian Urlacher (aka Grant Forks) @grantforks.bsky.social · 23d

Sometimes I think back to my undergrad years debating the merits (or lack there of) of Daniel Goldhagen’s book “hitlers willing executioners” and I just shake my head.

an elderly woman is sitting at a table and says oh my sweet summer child .

ALT: an elderly woman is sitting at a table and says oh my sweet summer child .

media.tenor.com

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Brian Urlacher (aka Grant Forks) @grantforks.bsky.social · 25d

And I don’t mean this in the sense that AI will become sentient and threaten humanity. Rather I mean it in the sense that this is…dumb. It is all so dumb.

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Brian Urlacher (aka Grant Forks) @grantforks.bsky.social · 25d

Me everytime some over paid consultant tries to shove AI into my workflow.

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Brian Urlacher (aka Grant Forks) @grantforks.bsky.social · 25d

Again, nothing wrong with gumbo and cornbread on a Friday night.

Brian Urlacher (aka Grant Forks) @grantforks.bsky.social · 25d

Not sure if Im doing Chicago right but I’m not doing it wrong.

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Brian Urlacher (aka Grant Forks) @grantforks.bsky.social · 25d

Have the vibes turned against study abroad? Discuss amongst your selves (students, faculty, parents, and administrators)

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Brian Urlacher (aka Grant Forks) @grantforks.bsky.social · 25d

(No one actually says this)

Brian Urlacher (aka Grant Forks) @grantforks.bsky.social · 25d

Also, Chicago, you have won your way back into my heart as America’s best city. Love the energy, the food, the music, and the grit. As they say, you’ve got some big shoulders Chi town.

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Brian Urlacher (aka Grant Forks) @grantforks.bsky.social · 25d

I completed my first AACSB associate deans conference.

There were parts I didn’t love but the main takeaway is that political science conferences are the hunger games for social climbers while admin conferences are (comparably) about building community and support.

Very weird.

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Reposted by Brian Urlacher (aka Grant Forks)

Cheryl Lynn Eaton @cheryllynneaton.bsky.social · 25d

We are not in a tech race with China. We are sitting down and drinking a Gatorade while China does laps around us with solar innovation and electric vehicles. Dumping everything into "NFTs the Sequel" will not help us.

Senator Elissa Slotkin @slotkin.senate.gov · 25d

We’re in a tech race with China– and there’s no area more important to win than on artificial intelligence.

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Brian Urlacher (aka Grant Forks) @grantforks.bsky.social · 26d

Just listened to two very drunk stock traders debate if it was safe to take an uber home from the bar.

The level of fear these dudes live with…man.

I don’t throw the “c” word around lightly, but honestly a bunch of cowards.

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Brian Urlacher (aka Grant Forks) @grantforks.bsky.social · 26d

Speaker: there are people who think AI is just a bubble or a fad!

Crowd: *laughs uproariously*

Speaker: we very smart people know better….

Crowd: *pats itself on the back for being smart*

Mark me down as unconvinced.

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Brian Urlacher (aka Grant Forks) @grantforks.bsky.social · 27d

Presenter finishes talk.

Audience member with a question: “First off, thank you for your intuitive insights…”

Me: damn! That is vicious! 🔪🔪🔪

Brian Urlacher (aka Grant Forks) @grantforks.bsky.social · 27d

I’m going to go out on a limb here with a prediction. In 5 years nearly every AI company will be bankrupt and the only “AI” companies in existence will have hyper specific use cases.

The most successful AI company will be grammarly.

Putting down my marker.

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