Veronica
@vmcombs.bsky.social
Parent, partner, reader, writer, knitter.
Reposted by Veronica
one of the funnier aspects to the AI backlash is the fact that they're negatively polarizing much of the tech enthusiast demographic against them by making hobbyist PC building functionally unaffordable
Just so I'm clear on this, computer memory has tripled in price because a bunch of it that hasn't been produced yet has been ordered to populate GPUs that aren't installed in data centers that aren't built yet in order to service a demand that doesn't exist to make profits that don't happen.
December 15, 2025 at 8:04 PM
one of the funnier aspects to the AI backlash is the fact that they're negatively polarizing much of the tech enthusiast demographic against them by making hobbyist PC building functionally unaffordable
Reposted by Veronica
One of the cool things about the ACA was that it made it easier for people to start and run small businesses, including as independent contractors. Without subsidies, the ability to innovate and be an entrepreneur is more limited! So much for a country that loves business I guess.
They Power the U.S. Economy, But Will Struggle to Afford Health Care
Health insurance costs will skyrocket for millions of Americans if certain tax credits expire. Small business owners and the self-employed will be hit especially hard.
capitalandmain.com
December 15, 2025 at 9:23 PM
One of the cool things about the ACA was that it made it easier for people to start and run small businesses, including as independent contractors. Without subsidies, the ability to innovate and be an entrepreneur is more limited! So much for a country that loves business I guess.
Reposted by Veronica
Okay @erinbiba.bsky.social it’s time for my second-most anticipated annual thread: Cats in Christmas Trees (and Battling Menorahs). Starting off strong with Donut.
December 3, 2025 at 4:52 AM
Okay @erinbiba.bsky.social it’s time for my second-most anticipated annual thread: Cats in Christmas Trees (and Battling Menorahs). Starting off strong with Donut.
Reposted by Veronica
Algorithmic feeds will probably be seen the same way the cigarette is now in 50 years tbh. Nothing goods come out of them, all they do is polarize society and reinforce inequalities
December 16, 2025 at 5:01 AM
Algorithmic feeds will probably be seen the same way the cigarette is now in 50 years tbh. Nothing goods come out of them, all they do is polarize society and reinforce inequalities
Reposted by Veronica
The dudes in r/conservative appear to be universally appalled at the President's post about Rob Reiner, and I gotta tell you, when you've lost the pandering sycophants of r/conservative, you've finally gone too far
December 16, 2025 at 3:23 AM
The dudes in r/conservative appear to be universally appalled at the President's post about Rob Reiner, and I gotta tell you, when you've lost the pandering sycophants of r/conservative, you've finally gone too far
Reposted by Veronica
See this shits too good for Tik tok or Twitter. Straight to the bluesky baby.
December 16, 2025 at 5:05 AM
See this shits too good for Tik tok or Twitter. Straight to the bluesky baby.
Reposted by Veronica
We just murdered eight more people in boats.
December 16, 2025 at 2:45 AM
We just murdered eight more people in boats.
Reposted by Veronica
Reposted by Veronica
to be clear, it is fine if you just want to dick around! that's what i mostly do on here. but the idea that "you're giving up the fight to influence people by not using X" is belied by the fact that effectively *no one* uses X. and i don't see any of the "use X!" people on tiktok or youtube.
December 15, 2025 at 7:35 PM
to be clear, it is fine if you just want to dick around! that's what i mostly do on here. but the idea that "you're giving up the fight to influence people by not using X" is belied by the fact that effectively *no one* uses X. and i don't see any of the "use X!" people on tiktok or youtube.
Reposted by Veronica
yesss goooood
i have said this before but if you are actually interested in influencing people beyond a narrow circle of too-online journalists you will be making direct to camera videos on tiktok, instagram and youtube. if you primarily post on text-based social media then you're just dicking around.
December 15, 2025 at 9:57 PM
yesss goooood
Reposted by Veronica
@jeffjarvis.bsky.social: “Journalists must address their civic, professional, even moral obligation to provide news, reporting, and information via AI.” www.niemanlab.org/2025/12/apis...
December 15, 2025 at 10:05 PM
@jeffjarvis.bsky.social: “Journalists must address their civic, professional, even moral obligation to provide news, reporting, and information via AI.” www.niemanlab.org/2025/12/apis...
Reposted by Veronica
Looks like others are wondering the same thing: www.npr.org/2025/12/09/n...
White House calls national security strategy Trump's version of the Monroe Doctrine
President Trump is pursuing aggressive policies throughout the Western Hemisphere. His administration is calling it the "Trump Corollary" to the Monroe Doctrine.
www.npr.org
December 15, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Looks like others are wondering the same thing: www.npr.org/2025/12/09/n...
Reposted by Veronica
"Any donations will help significantly with any expenses my family will have to face, and the rest of the funds will be donated to charity in his name. "
www.gofundme.com/f/in-memory-...
www.gofundme.com/f/in-memory-...
December 15, 2025 at 10:02 PM
"Any donations will help significantly with any expenses my family will have to face, and the rest of the funds will be donated to charity in his name. "
www.gofundme.com/f/in-memory-...
www.gofundme.com/f/in-memory-...
Reposted by Veronica
He closed the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention & opposes common-sense gun reform.
He also supports having military-grade assault weapons on our streets.
There’s plenty more we can do than “just pray.”
He also supports having military-grade assault weapons on our streets.
There’s plenty more we can do than “just pray.”
This is infuriating. Trump responds to the Brown University mass shooting: “All we can do now is pray. Just pray.” THAT’S NOT ALL YOU CAN DO! So sick of this Republican inaction on sensible gun control measures.
December 15, 2025 at 7:18 PM
He closed the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention & opposes common-sense gun reform.
He also supports having military-grade assault weapons on our streets.
There’s plenty more we can do than “just pray.”
He also supports having military-grade assault weapons on our streets.
There’s plenty more we can do than “just pray.”
Reposted by Veronica
I really disagree with this and think nihilism is often used as an excuse for undisciplined behavior.
counterpoint: nothing you post on any social media platform will in any way combat the dangerousness of the right
IMO it's hard to combat the dangerousness of the right by participating in a platform where they aren't present.
December 15, 2025 at 6:54 PM
I really disagree with this and think nihilism is often used as an excuse for undisciplined behavior.
Reposted by Veronica
maybe if i make enough content, for free, to enrich the people who hate me, they'll finally listen to me
I really disagree with this and think nihilism is often used as an excuse for undisciplined behavior.
counterpoint: nothing you post on any social media platform will in any way combat the dangerousness of the right
December 15, 2025 at 10:06 PM
maybe if i make enough content, for free, to enrich the people who hate me, they'll finally listen to me
Reposted by Veronica
you should be online to look respectfully at women
“Oh you should be online to try to provide value to your political side” fuck that that’s nerd shit you should be online because you’re unwell and need to tell people about weird animals you saw
December 15, 2025 at 10:06 PM
you should be online to look respectfully at women
Reposted by Veronica
that "prep me to discuss this document" is so your boss or professor don't know you didn't write that shit when they question you about it
Is there a way to get this mind-numbing Co-Pilot shit off Microsoft Word?
December 15, 2025 at 9:49 PM
that "prep me to discuss this document" is so your boss or professor don't know you didn't write that shit when they question you about it
Reposted by Veronica
“Internal tests found that the AI was generating podcasts riddled with errors and bias, with anywhere between 68 and 84 percent of the scripts deemed unpublishable by evaluators across three rounds of testing.”
The Washington Post Deployed Its Disastrous AI-Generated Podcasts Even After Internal Tests Showed It Was Failing Miserably
Semafor reported that the Washington Post launched its controversial AI podcast feature despite knowing it was severely flawed.
futurism.com
December 15, 2025 at 6:21 PM
“Internal tests found that the AI was generating podcasts riddled with errors and bias, with anywhere between 68 and 84 percent of the scripts deemed unpublishable by evaluators across three rounds of testing.”
Reposted by Veronica
Hating trans kids comes from Gavin Newsom's heart. Good to know it's not even a cynical political brain calculation but actual hatred and transphobia
Ahh so he’s just openly admitting his absolutely abysmal and transphobic views on trans people in sports are just fully made without listening to any actual facts on the issues, just shit he’s made up based on fear mongering. Cool cool. But did you know he’s the best on trans? He said so!
December 14, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Hating trans kids comes from Gavin Newsom's heart. Good to know it's not even a cynical political brain calculation but actual hatred and transphobia
Reposted by Veronica
I am about 30 followers from 60k. I don't feel like I am missing anything after I stopped posting on Twitter/X. No one except social media managers is obligated to post on it. And I am especially tired of white men lecturing everyone else on how they should spend their time online.
December 15, 2025 at 6:27 PM
I am about 30 followers from 60k. I don't feel like I am missing anything after I stopped posting on Twitter/X. No one except social media managers is obligated to post on it. And I am especially tired of white men lecturing everyone else on how they should spend their time online.
Reposted by Veronica
The American culture of victim blaming is so pervasive and bleeds into so many things, including people like Matty Y telling thousands of users who chose to leave large followings and online communities that it is their responsibility to keep dealing with trolls, bigots, bots, harassers, and worse.
December 15, 2025 at 6:24 PM
The American culture of victim blaming is so pervasive and bleeds into so many things, including people like Matty Y telling thousands of users who chose to leave large followings and online communities that it is their responsibility to keep dealing with trolls, bigots, bots, harassers, and worse.
Reposted by Veronica
New from me for @theintercept.com: As public support for the death penalty fell to the lowest level in 50 years, the US is poised to execute 48 people in 2025 -- the highest amount in 15 years. FL drove the surge in executions. I wrote about @deathpenaltyinfo.org's report, which was released today.
Despite Declining Support for the Death Penalty, Executions Nearly Doubled in 2025, Report Says
Fewer Americans support capital punishment. Fewer courts are handing out death sentences. And we’ve got way more executions in 2025.
theintercept.com
December 15, 2025 at 5:08 PM
New from me for @theintercept.com: As public support for the death penalty fell to the lowest level in 50 years, the US is poised to execute 48 people in 2025 -- the highest amount in 15 years. FL drove the surge in executions. I wrote about @deathpenaltyinfo.org's report, which was released today.
Reposted by Veronica
Part of the reason why people like Matty Y keep insisting that leftists and folks from marginalized identities return to X — a platform which actively harasses, abuses, and mistreats them — is because American culture overly focuses on individual efforts over systemic changes and greater regulation.
December 15, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Part of the reason why people like Matty Y keep insisting that leftists and folks from marginalized identities return to X — a platform which actively harasses, abuses, and mistreats them — is because American culture overly focuses on individual efforts over systemic changes and greater regulation.
Reposted by Veronica
“We have loans, a business, employees,” she said. “How do we leave all this? How do we uproot children who grew up here?”
“This is not just a policy change,” said Porez Luxama, president of Life of Hope, a Brooklyn nonprofit that assists Haitian immigrants. “It is an earthquake in people’s lives.”
“This is not just a policy change,” said Porez Luxama, president of Life of Hope, a Brooklyn nonprofit that assists Haitian immigrants. “It is an earthquake in people’s lives.”
As the U.S. Moves to End Haiti’s TPS, Families Brace for the Unthinkable - Documented
The decision to end Temporary Protected Status for Haiti has left thousands of families facing the prospect of returning to a country engulfed by violence and political collapse.
documentedny.com
December 15, 2025 at 6:14 PM
“We have loans, a business, employees,” she said. “How do we leave all this? How do we uproot children who grew up here?”
“This is not just a policy change,” said Porez Luxama, president of Life of Hope, a Brooklyn nonprofit that assists Haitian immigrants. “It is an earthquake in people’s lives.”
“This is not just a policy change,” said Porez Luxama, president of Life of Hope, a Brooklyn nonprofit that assists Haitian immigrants. “It is an earthquake in people’s lives.”