Michael S
@hottesttake.bsky.social
I live in Beechview, Pittsburgh. I am a librarian who works remotely. I live with my partner and four cats. I am from Illinois, where I grew up on a farm. También hablo/escribo español e um pouco do português. 🏳️🌈
New cultural phenomenon: the podcast fake laugh
December 24, 2025 at 6:37 PM
New cultural phenomenon: the podcast fake laugh
While tracking down a book chapter @katedohe.bsky.social and I wrote earlier this year, I came across something that she also wrote this year, about AI and its affect on openly available content. scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2025/10/07/g...
Guest Post - “Have You Proved You’re Human Today?” Open Content and Web Harvesting in the AI Era - The Scholarly Kitchen
AI web harvesting bots are different from traditional web crawlers and violate many of the established rules and practices in place. Their rapidly expanding use is emerging as a significant IT managem...
scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org
December 24, 2025 at 4:19 PM
While tracking down a book chapter @katedohe.bsky.social and I wrote earlier this year, I came across something that she also wrote this year, about AI and its affect on openly available content. scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2025/10/07/g...
Reposted by Michael S
whatever is going on in higher ed in terms of theories of reading and selection, an enthusiastic teacher discussing and writing about an old book with kids at taxpayer expense remains a good idea
December 23, 2025 at 7:26 PM
whatever is going on in higher ed in terms of theories of reading and selection, an enthusiastic teacher discussing and writing about an old book with kids at taxpayer expense remains a good idea
This shit has happened, directly or indirectly, in Latin America for *centuries*, thanks to the colonial powers and the current neocolonial power. Trump just says out loud/does what has happened under *all* of our presidents, regardless of party.
While of course the controversy around Bari Weiss is a huge deal and says a lot about the current dismal state of mass media in the U.S., I think a bigger deal is content of the actual report: archive.org/details/60mi...
Pulled 60 Minutes segment on CECOT : CBS : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
This is a screen recording of a 60 Minutes segment about the Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT) prison in El Salvador, which was intended to be...
archive.org
December 24, 2025 at 3:33 PM
This shit has happened, directly or indirectly, in Latin America for *centuries*, thanks to the colonial powers and the current neocolonial power. Trump just says out loud/does what has happened under *all* of our presidents, regardless of party.
While of course the controversy around Bari Weiss is a huge deal and says a lot about the current dismal state of mass media in the U.S., I think a bigger deal is content of the actual report: archive.org/details/60mi...
Pulled 60 Minutes segment on CECOT : CBS : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
This is a screen recording of a 60 Minutes segment about the Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT) prison in El Salvador, which was intended to be...
archive.org
December 24, 2025 at 3:21 PM
While of course the controversy around Bari Weiss is a huge deal and says a lot about the current dismal state of mass media in the U.S., I think a bigger deal is content of the actual report: archive.org/details/60mi...
Reposted by Michael S
A beautiful Christmas Eve morning in #pittsburgh today with buildings downtown lit up red and green for the holidays. Sunrise was incredible as well from the West End Overlook, capping off what was a great start to the day.
December 24, 2025 at 2:26 PM
A beautiful Christmas Eve morning in #pittsburgh today with buildings downtown lit up red and green for the holidays. Sunrise was incredible as well from the West End Overlook, capping off what was a great start to the day.
When does the "it feels like midnight the second the sun sets" phase end?
December 23, 2025 at 1:04 AM
When does the "it feels like midnight the second the sun sets" phase end?
Reposted by Michael S
December 22, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Here's my take on the 60 Minutes controversy: Bari Weiss sucks
December 22, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Here's my take on the 60 Minutes controversy: Bari Weiss sucks
Reposted by Michael S
When we say "no, everything hasn't been digitized," I need you to understand that we really mean is that virtually nothing has been digitized. This is because the realm of primary sources that historians use is incomprehensibly large.
Seems like it's worth posting this one again.
Why Do Historians Still Have To Go To Archives?
Why do historians go to archives? Hasn’t everything already been digitized?
contingentmagazine.org
December 22, 2025 at 1:40 AM
When we say "no, everything hasn't been digitized," I need you to understand that we really mean is that virtually nothing has been digitized. This is because the realm of primary sources that historians use is incomprehensibly large.
Reposted by Michael S
Columbus! with @brentincolumbus.bsky.social
How 50 maps are telling the story of Columbus
"Columbus in 50 Maps" charts history, taco trucks, tall buildings and more.
www.axios.com
December 22, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Columbus! with @brentincolumbus.bsky.social
One thing from the hot-take commentariat that makes me a little batty is when they say things like Trump's Reiner post are a distraction that gets his base worked up. My response is: "Don't you remember what happens when his base gets worked up?"
December 22, 2025 at 1:52 PM
One thing from the hot-take commentariat that makes me a little batty is when they say things like Trump's Reiner post are a distraction that gets his base worked up. My response is: "Don't you remember what happens when his base gets worked up?"
Our second-oldest cat Edie has taken to standing on the cable box. We really do need to move it.
December 22, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Our second-oldest cat Edie has taken to standing on the cable box. We really do need to move it.
Inventor of toast, thank you.
December 22, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Inventor of toast, thank you.
UPDATE: I think it's pretty solidly in Green Tree. Hot dogs were fine, but no Dee's. Good fries and shakes, though. Also, while I'm glad I got them and it was convenient, there is something depressing about getting vaccinated in a busy CVS.
Plan for the next couple of hours: COVID and flu shots, then probably hot dogs at Brighton Hot Dog Shoppe in Green Tree. Or is it Crafton? Or some other town that is somehow both in Green Tree and Crafton, because this is Pennsylvania? Anyway, big plans today.
December 21, 2025 at 8:42 PM
UPDATE: I think it's pretty solidly in Green Tree. Hot dogs were fine, but no Dee's. Good fries and shakes, though. Also, while I'm glad I got them and it was convenient, there is something depressing about getting vaccinated in a busy CVS.
Plan for the next couple of hours: COVID and flu shots, then probably hot dogs at Brighton Hot Dog Shoppe in Green Tree. Or is it Crafton? Or some other town that is somehow both in Green Tree and Crafton, because this is Pennsylvania? Anyway, big plans today.
December 21, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Plan for the next couple of hours: COVID and flu shots, then probably hot dogs at Brighton Hot Dog Shoppe in Green Tree. Or is it Crafton? Or some other town that is somehow both in Green Tree and Crafton, because this is Pennsylvania? Anyway, big plans today.
My new computer can take pictures! This is a digital photograph. #thefuture
December 20, 2025 at 10:16 PM
My new computer can take pictures! This is a digital photograph. #thefuture
It's not so much that Pittsburgh weather totally sucks, I'd still take a winter here over a Minneapolis one, but it's more that it just sucks a bit a lot of the time. (Today, however, it actually sucks.)
December 19, 2025 at 7:44 PM
It's not so much that Pittsburgh weather totally sucks, I'd still take a winter here over a Minneapolis one, but it's more that it just sucks a bit a lot of the time. (Today, however, it actually sucks.)
Reposted by Michael S
one thing that is important to know is that BIRTH OF A NATION is so racist that people at the *time*, in 1915, were like, “holy shit this is racist”
When the slightest bit of research shows he was consistently racist and a daddy issues Confederate fanboy.
People try to paint BIRTH OF A NATION as a masterpiece with some unfortunate racism. The whole movie is racist, the “masterpiece “ thing was backfilled to excuse it.
People try to paint BIRTH OF A NATION as a masterpiece with some unfortunate racism. The whole movie is racist, the “masterpiece “ thing was backfilled to excuse it.
December 19, 2025 at 12:55 PM
one thing that is important to know is that BIRTH OF A NATION is so racist that people at the *time*, in 1915, were like, “holy shit this is racist”
I once sang this song at karaoke, and a second before I started singing, I thought, "Oh, this is a pretty tricky karaoke song." youtu.be/jg9b2PnmgxY?...
Virginia Plain
YouTube video by Roxy Music - Topic
youtu.be
December 19, 2025 at 2:29 AM
I once sang this song at karaoke, and a second before I started singing, I thought, "Oh, this is a pretty tricky karaoke song." youtu.be/jg9b2PnmgxY?...
Re the previous post: I know that NYC and Shickley, Nebraska are two quite different places, but it is possible. It would be great to get an update on this story @pbsnews.org www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...
Parents in Shickley, Nebraska desperately needed child care. The public school stepped up
The lack of affordable child care is not just an issue in urban and suburban communities. In rural America, limited access also takes a toll on small town economies. Special correspondent Cat Wise and...
www.pbs.org
December 18, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Re the previous post: I know that NYC and Shickley, Nebraska are two quite different places, but it is possible. It would be great to get an update on this story @pbsnews.org www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...
Reposted by Michael S
I mean NYC is about the embark on a project of trying to implement some major policies intended to support regular people. Folks could focus on that to see what might be possible to achieve in similar positioned cities. Can NYC deliver universal childcare?
December 18, 2025 at 3:37 PM
I mean NYC is about the embark on a project of trying to implement some major policies intended to support regular people. Folks could focus on that to see what might be possible to achieve in similar positioned cities. Can NYC deliver universal childcare?
While I think the "elitist" label comes from the right and is false for 99% of colleges and universities, I am all for ending college as a way to maintain the oligarchy. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
This student group agrees US universities are too elitist – but aims to transform, not destroy them
Class Action, a grassroots network formed after the affirmative action ruling, seeks to be critical of universities in their current form
www.theguardian.com
December 18, 2025 at 3:27 PM
While I think the "elitist" label comes from the right and is false for 99% of colleges and universities, I am all for ending college as a way to maintain the oligarchy. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...