Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Philippa R. Francis

Olaf Falafel @ofalafel.bsky.social · 4h

Due to staff shortages, wizards are developing bad backs.

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Surprised Eel Historian, PhD @greenleejw.bsky.social · 7h

It's Wednesday. You need some eels in your life, right? And some otters?

Here you go!

A scene of otters & eels, from an early 15th C. copy of Gaston Phoebus's Livre de la chasse. Eel blood is toxic to mammals, but otters don't care. They love them some eels.

Can you blame them?

A medieval painting of otters playing in a pool, chasing and catching eels and other fish. There are 10 adult otters, and what look to be 2 younger otters in a den at the base of a tree. They are all doing serious otter things: playing, eating, cavorting, eating, gamboling, eating, swimming, and eating. They are having a good time. For now.

It can't last, though. This pond seems way too small to support all of these otters, and the painting has a border around it. They can't leave, and soon they will turn on each other in a bloodbath that will make the Donner Party look like a tea time at the Rotary Club. If you check back with these otters in two weeks, I suspect you'll find only carnage.

That, though, is a problem for Future Otters. Today's otters are carefree, with spotless souls.

Source:
Morgan (MS M.1044 fol. 28r)

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The Public Domain Review @publicdomainrev.bsky.social · 4h

Cat beating a drum: one of a motley crew of anthropomorphic animals to be found adorning the lower margins of a finely illuminated "book of hours" produced in late 13th-century England. More here: publicdomainreview.org/collection/m...

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Joel Morris @gralefrit.bsky.social · 13h

And one of the industries which, relying entirely on freelance workers, but requiring public audience spaces, was fucked over completely by the pandemic, without mercy or assistance, but survived, on its knees so it can now get another kick in the teeth from these soulless twats.

Corey Brotherson - ready for my close up--NOOO TOO CLOSE! @coreybrotherson.bsky.social · 14h

Hey kids!

Remember when the pandemic struck and eventually the (Tory) government told everyone to stay at home, and the arts and entertainment industries were one of the few things keeping everyone from pulling our own eyes out of our skulls from abject fear and boredom?

Remember that?

Tim Worthington @outonbluesix.bsky.social · 15h

How is this repeatedly made into a policy issue - by *all* parties - when the blunt fact of the matter is that grown adults who are obliged to pay for their own education, and relentlessly pursued to repay their loans, should be able to study whatever the fuck they want.

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RossyDoesDrawings (commissions open) @rossydoesdrawings.bsky.social · 3h

There are so many creatures in and around the goblin city

a page with lots of drawings of various creatures on it including a frog with a snail shell and a spiral shaped worm and a long axolotl and a bat and a horned ladybird and a long frog and a mushroom with a face and legs. At the top of the page it says "there are so many creatures in and around the goblin city"

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Jonathan Edward Durham @thisone0verhere.bsky.social · 8h

Guys listen we can still do hibernation if we really want. Like we’re already a total abomination to nature so it’s whatever at this point let’s do this

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KJ Charles @kjcharleswriter.com · 12h

a) an English degree does not prevent you from getting and doing a [scare quote] real job [scare quote]
b) there are things, goals, and values in the world other than money
but also c) last year the publishing industry's estimated worth to the UK economy was ELEVEN BILLION QUID.

Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 15h

Calling English a 'rip-off degree' is one of the most blatant exhibitions of personal barbarism I've ever seen. You've demonstrated nothing but the poverty of your own mind.

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wynterrayven.bsky.social @wynterrayven.bsky.social · 6h

Our hike was a little atmospheric today:)
#Nature
#Photography

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lichtbringer @saintghost.bsky.social · 8h

dear reality
please go away
i’m hibernating

#haiku #senryu
#DailyHaikuPrompt (avoid)

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Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 13h

"15 years ago, Polish workers came here to find opportunity. Now Poland is growing twice as fast as we are," says Kemi Badenoch.

Any ideas what may have happened in the interim?

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Jordan Shiveley (Dread Singles) @jordanshiveley.bsky.social · 3h

If you switch from Audible to @libro.fm you can designate a local bookstore to receive a portion of your sales. Mine are going to @moonpalacebooks.bsky.social

Just sayin

That’s a thing you could do. You don’t have to. THEY won’t like emerge from beneath the floorboards if you don’t.

Probably

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Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 6h

Suddenly, I noticed a faint smell of tuna. I looked over at my office partner, Dr. Hunt. She was grinning by the machine she'd built.

"It works!"

"Nice," I said. "What is it?"

"What you smell is the ghost of tuna!"

I felt something brush against my leg. The office filled with ghostly purring.

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Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 9h

My secret evil plot to ‘destroy Britain’ has been unveiled by (checks notes) the same paper that endorsed Liz Truss.

If I don’t know better I’d say we’ve got them entirely rattled.

Join.greenparty.org.uk

Greens who want to save the world by destroying Britain.

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Breezie @breeze420.bsky.social · 6h

"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority."
- E. B. White

the wetlands in northern california. Bushes and a small bare tree in the foreground with small masses of land and bushes throughout the photo.

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FrontRangeWildflowers @frwildflowers.bsky.social · 3h

A white nonnative Corydalis in PK’s garden

#FallbackFlowers #Fallback to April 8 🌿

White flowers with long spurs rising behind them

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Martin Travis @martintravis.bsky.social · 5h

West Kirby sunset tonight.

A procession of people returning from Hilbre Island 🌅

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Julia Rose Kraut @juliarosekraut.bsky.social · 1d

Happy Banned Books Week! 🗃️

For more information on Book Bans, check out this recent report from @penamerica.bsky.social

pen.org/report/the-n...

Read Banned Books under a shelf of books.

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Viv Schwarz @vivschwarz.bsky.social · 10h

An industry that's set to replace artists with an endless churn of reconstituted slop, trying to suppress all critical understanding of the ways people may be controlled. This is a plan for automatic emotional manipulation engines to replace human culture.

Keith W. Dickinson @keithwdickinson.bsky.social · 13h

Today is a day when arts degrees are worthless, but the product of those degrees is so valuable it would kill an entire industry if they were made to pay for it.

The Verge @theverge.com · May 26

Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry

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sheilaeh.bsky.social @sheilaeh.bsky.social · 3h

#blueskyrelay #prompt #sonder

BTW, this is a true story

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Jeremy Ghost Shipp @jeremycshipp.bsky.social · 3h

I'm hand-sewing a ghost moth. She can speak with the moon.

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Rachel Deering @racheldeering.bsky.social · 1d

Les Chauves-Souris, Antonio de la Gandara,
c. 1895. 🦇 #Gothtober #31daysofhalloween

Bats in flight over grasses and flowers, painting.

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Rachel Deering @racheldeering.bsky.social · 1d

🎃 #Gothtober #31daysofhalloween

Vintage Halloween card with black cat in centre sat by broomstick in middle of full moon surrounded by four pumpkins.
‘A MERRY
HALLOWEEN’
"for Ways that are dark and tricks that are vain"
Watch out!

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Rachel Deering @racheldeering.bsky.social · 3h

Goodnight.
🖼️ Maggie Vandewalle #31DaysofHalloween #Gothtober

Black cat with bat wings and stripy tail sat in tree under a full moon and night sky, painting.

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Philippa R. Francis @philippa.bsky.social · 3h

Lovely work.

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hookland.bsky.social @hookland.bsky.social · 4h

The witch's calendar of harvest refuses ink-marked dates. She knows the turn year by berry swell, by movements through colour towards ripeness. She waits on the mistletoe drupe, not in hope of Christmas kisses, but future cures. – #EmilyCBanting, 1982 #WitchSky

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