Crystal Barnes
@greekforice.bsky.social
Appalachian by nature. Creative by trade.
Reposted by Crystal Barnes
Techbros seem to love Tolkien, so here's an analogy to help you understand what genAI is.
GenAI is The One Ring. You think your use is justified, b/c you don't have evil in your heart.
But it came from evil, it is intended for evil purpose, & anything you do with it will be twisted to that end.
GenAI is The One Ring. You think your use is justified, b/c you don't have evil in your heart.
But it came from evil, it is intended for evil purpose, & anything you do with it will be twisted to that end.
December 17, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Techbros seem to love Tolkien, so here's an analogy to help you understand what genAI is.
GenAI is The One Ring. You think your use is justified, b/c you don't have evil in your heart.
But it came from evil, it is intended for evil purpose, & anything you do with it will be twisted to that end.
GenAI is The One Ring. You think your use is justified, b/c you don't have evil in your heart.
But it came from evil, it is intended for evil purpose, & anything you do with it will be twisted to that end.
Reposted by Crystal Barnes
Me, an atheist: Your holiness I stand ready to join the crusade against the demonic computers
Pope Leo XIV told students not to use artificial intelligence for homework, saying that AI ‘won’t stand in authentic wonder before the beauty of God’s creation.’
Even God Is Worried About ChatGPT
Pope Leo XIV told students not to use artificial intelligence for homework, saying that AI ‘won’t stand in authentic wonder before the beauty of God’s creation.’
www.vulture.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Me, an atheist: Your holiness I stand ready to join the crusade against the demonic computers
Reposted by Crystal Barnes
Jane Goodall was my first childhood hero, as I loved animals as a kid and was inspired by her story. I still remember the National Geographic specials about her. RIP.
October 1, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Jane Goodall was my first childhood hero, as I loved animals as a kid and was inspired by her story. I still remember the National Geographic specials about her. RIP.
Reposted by Crystal Barnes
Absolute all-timer sentence in today's @nytimes.com
September 30, 2025 at 7:06 AM
Absolute all-timer sentence in today's @nytimes.com
Reposted by Crystal Barnes
NEW: The Pentagon told journalists it will require them to pledge they won’t gather any information — even unclassified — that hasn’t been expressly authorized for release, and will revoke the press credentials of those who do not obey. @washingtonpost.com
Pentagon demands journalists pledge to not obtain unauthorized material
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is imposing strict new rules that would severely limit the ability of journalists to report on the Pentagon.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 19, 2025 at 10:57 PM
NEW: The Pentagon told journalists it will require them to pledge they won’t gather any information — even unclassified — that hasn’t been expressly authorized for release, and will revoke the press credentials of those who do not obey. @washingtonpost.com
Reposted by Crystal Barnes
korean reporting is nightmarish on the conditions Korean workers were contained in
September 14, 2025 at 6:06 PM
korean reporting is nightmarish on the conditions Korean workers were contained in
Reposted by Crystal Barnes
This is all correct. The only thing I’d add is that some states have literally made it legal to run down protestors with your car.
For a nation that likes to wave the First Amendment in everyone else’s face, we’ve done a terrible job actually protecting it in the last decade.
For a nation that likes to wave the First Amendment in everyone else’s face, we’ve done a terrible job actually protecting it in the last decade.
this (from the brilliant @everywhereist.bsky.social) puts into words the big black tangle of frustration i have whenever i get the same question
August 26, 2025 at 8:54 PM
This is all correct. The only thing I’d add is that some states have literally made it legal to run down protestors with your car.
For a nation that likes to wave the First Amendment in everyone else’s face, we’ve done a terrible job actually protecting it in the last decade.
For a nation that likes to wave the First Amendment in everyone else’s face, we’ve done a terrible job actually protecting it in the last decade.
Reposted by Crystal Barnes
If the AI bubble really is bursting, please take this lesson from it:
Nothing marketed to you this relentlessly is ever worth it. If it was, they wouldn’t need to beg you.
Nothing marketed to you this relentlessly is ever worth it. If it was, they wouldn’t need to beg you.
August 20, 2025 at 5:17 PM
If the AI bubble really is bursting, please take this lesson from it:
Nothing marketed to you this relentlessly is ever worth it. If it was, they wouldn’t need to beg you.
Nothing marketed to you this relentlessly is ever worth it. If it was, they wouldn’t need to beg you.
Reposted by Crystal Barnes
A Nazi owns Twitter, right wing billionaires own the Wall Street Journal and the LA Times, and CBS is run by a right wing nepo baby who just fired one of the network’s biggest stars for criticizing Donald Trump. Here’s why America has a left-wing media bias problem.
July 18, 2025 at 4:52 PM
A Nazi owns Twitter, right wing billionaires own the Wall Street Journal and the LA Times, and CBS is run by a right wing nepo baby who just fired one of the network’s biggest stars for criticizing Donald Trump. Here’s why America has a left-wing media bias problem.
Reposted by Crystal Barnes
LAPD when they think nobody is watching
June 9, 2025 at 4:01 AM
LAPD when they think nobody is watching
Reposted by Crystal Barnes
Trump has indefinitely withdrawn federal funding for:
• Investigating child sexual abuse and internet crimes against kids;
• Responding to reports of missing children;
• Preventing youth violence
New, @propublica.org
• Investigating child sexual abuse and internet crimes against kids;
• Responding to reports of missing children;
• Preventing youth violence
New, @propublica.org
The Trump Administration’s War on Children
The administration is quietly putting America’s children at risk by cutting funds and manpower for investigating child abuse, enforcing child support payments, providing child care and much more.
www.propublica.org
April 23, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Trump has indefinitely withdrawn federal funding for:
• Investigating child sexual abuse and internet crimes against kids;
• Responding to reports of missing children;
• Preventing youth violence
New, @propublica.org
• Investigating child sexual abuse and internet crimes against kids;
• Responding to reports of missing children;
• Preventing youth violence
New, @propublica.org
Reposted by Crystal Barnes
Reposted by Crystal Barnes
Elon Musk has been a walking SEC violation for a decade and no one cared. The entire Trump era could have been avoided if the US took white collar crime anywhere near as seriously as it does low level drug crime.
On a 2023 earnings call, Elon Musk boasted that Tesla had bagged “over 1 million” Cybertruck reservations and that “demand is off the charts.”
So why has the company still sold less than 50,000 trucks since customer deliveries began 14 months ago?
So why has the company still sold less than 50,000 trucks since customer deliveries began 14 months ago?
‘Over 1 Million’ People Wanted a Cybertruck. Where Are They?
“Demand is off the charts!” Elon Musk crowed at the end of 2023, citing more than a million reservations for Tesla's polarizing polygonic pickup—so why has it still sold less than 50,000?
wrd.cm
March 29, 2025 at 11:21 PM
Elon Musk has been a walking SEC violation for a decade and no one cared. The entire Trump era could have been avoided if the US took white collar crime anywhere near as seriously as it does low level drug crime.
Reposted by Crystal Barnes
the “but her emails” libs are going nuts today and to be honest they deserve it
March 24, 2025 at 6:52 PM
the “but her emails” libs are going nuts today and to be honest they deserve it
Reposted by Crystal Barnes
99-0. Every single senator voted to confirm this ghoul.
The annual State Department human rights report “will remove all sections covering the rights of women, LGBTQ+ people, and the disabled as well as sections dedicated to discrimination against indigenous people and corruption in government.”
www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/03/marc...
www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/03/marc...
Marco Rubio removes LGBTQ+ people & women from annual human rights report - LGBTQ Nation
He also removed sections on women, people with disabilities, and government corruption.
www.lgbtqnation.com
March 21, 2025 at 12:19 AM
99-0. Every single senator voted to confirm this ghoul.
Reposted by Crystal Barnes
The US has been added to the Civicus Monitor Watchlist, which identifies countries that the global civil rights watchdog believes are currently experiencing a rapid decline in civic freedoms.
US added to international watchlist for rapid decline in civic freedoms
Civicus, an international non-profit, puts country alongside Democratic Republic of Congo, Italy, Pakistan and Serbia
www.theguardian.com
March 10, 2025 at 1:59 PM
The US has been added to the Civicus Monitor Watchlist, which identifies countries that the global civil rights watchdog believes are currently experiencing a rapid decline in civic freedoms.
Do y’all remember when the political scandal of the day was a tan suit? We didn’t know how good we had it.
Hell, I’d even take the mission accomplished banner again.
Hell, I’d even take the mission accomplished banner again.
March 4, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Do y’all remember when the political scandal of the day was a tan suit? We didn’t know how good we had it.
Hell, I’d even take the mission accomplished banner again.
Hell, I’d even take the mission accomplished banner again.
Reposted by Crystal Barnes
US farmers sold $2 billion of food to USAID. Not any more.
- US farmers provided 41% of food delivered by USAID
- $340M of purchases/shipments are now paused. Over 680,000 tonnes.
- Food stranded in Houston
- Aid stopped in transit.
The world’s poor starving, food rotting & US farmers screwed.
- US farmers provided 41% of food delivered by USAID
- $340M of purchases/shipments are now paused. Over 680,000 tonnes.
- Food stranded in Houston
- Aid stopped in transit.
The world’s poor starving, food rotting & US farmers screwed.
Gutting USAID threatens billions of dollars for U.S. farms, businesses
U.S. businesses that sold goods and services to USAID are in limbo, including American farms dealing in rice, wheat and soybeans.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 7, 2025 at 3:35 PM
US farmers sold $2 billion of food to USAID. Not any more.
- US farmers provided 41% of food delivered by USAID
- $340M of purchases/shipments are now paused. Over 680,000 tonnes.
- Food stranded in Houston
- Aid stopped in transit.
The world’s poor starving, food rotting & US farmers screwed.
- US farmers provided 41% of food delivered by USAID
- $340M of purchases/shipments are now paused. Over 680,000 tonnes.
- Food stranded in Houston
- Aid stopped in transit.
The world’s poor starving, food rotting & US farmers screwed.
The party of “small government” everyone.
The government has no right to decide what name or nickname your child goes by in class.
The government has no right to pick out what clothes your child wears to school.
This is not just an attack on trans children. It's an attack on personal choice.
www.nytimes.com/2025/01/30/u...
The government has no right to pick out what clothes your child wears to school.
This is not just an attack on trans children. It's an attack on personal choice.
www.nytimes.com/2025/01/30/u...
With Sweeping Executive Orders, Trump Tests Local Control of Schools
The orders seek to encourage “patriotic education” and restrict discussions about racism and gender by threatening to withdraw federal funding. But schools are often resistant to change.
www.nytimes.com
January 30, 2025 at 11:47 PM
The party of “small government” everyone.
Reposted by Crystal Barnes
we never should’ve given power to the nerds. the jocks shouldn’t have it either. we must usher in the age of the goths
January 25, 2025 at 5:41 PM
we never should’ve given power to the nerds. the jocks shouldn’t have it either. we must usher in the age of the goths
Reposted by Crystal Barnes
The biggest argument against "people posting on the internet under their real names will improve civility" is the website where people will post the most ludicrous things right beside their CV.
December 1, 2024 at 3:43 AM
The biggest argument against "people posting on the internet under their real names will improve civility" is the website where people will post the most ludicrous things right beside their CV.
Every time I remember it's only Tuesday, my SSRI gets a little less effective
December 10, 2024 at 10:13 PM
Every time I remember it's only Tuesday, my SSRI gets a little less effective
Reposted by Crystal Barnes
What is the charge?! Eating a meal???? A succulent McDonald’s meal?!?!
December 10, 2024 at 1:45 AM
What is the charge?! Eating a meal???? A succulent McDonald’s meal?!?!
It never gets less isolating to be in a room full of people cheering in agreement that all families want what is best for their children when you yourself grew up in abuse and neglect.
November 18, 2024 at 3:36 PM
It never gets less isolating to be in a room full of people cheering in agreement that all families want what is best for their children when you yourself grew up in abuse and neglect.