Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Ash McAllan

cécile @haraiva.bsky.social · 1d

been having the music/games 'industry' parallel on the mind all the way through games week, and that always leads back to me thinking about steve albini being essentially my standard for the kind of person i want to be in a scene/community. heres a little something from a reddit ama he did ages ago

Connections don't mean shit. I've never had any connections that weren't a natural outgrowth of doing things I was doing anyway. Additionally, the people you might make connections with who work in the industry and value connections themselves, all those people are clueless assholes with no clout anyhow. You can tell because they think they can get somewhere with connections and spend their energy trying to make connections rather than being good at things, and being good at things is the only thing that earns you clout or connections.

It's a myth that you can get anywhere in music through connections. The guy on the other end of the connection has to be into what you're doing, and if you're doing it publicly and he's receptive, he probably hears about it on his own.

Don't worry about anything but making music you like. Everything else is bullshit.

3 36 190

Reposted by Ash McAllan

david goldfarb @locust9.bsky.social · 1d

death by meme

javier grillo-marxuach @okbjgm.bsky.social · 1d

the degree to which i feel like i am living in the pre-title montage of a post-apocalyptic movie cannot be overstated.

Eric Reinhart @eric-reinhart.com · 1d

This is an alarming compression of the planetary destruction timeline: with the massive growth of the AI bubble, data centers are expected to consume up to 12% of total US electricity by 2028, up from 4.4% in 2023.
www.cnn.com/2025/10/13/t...

1 10

Reposted by Ash McAllan

Jack de Quidt @notquitereal.bsky.social · 1d

there are four key texts as far as i'm concerned and they are The Sims, Dwarf Fortress, Caves of Qud, and Crusader Kings 3. lots of other seminal games out there but you play those four and you've unlocked the magical door

Sex on The App Store 🔞 @bucklerparry.bsky.social · 1d

caves of qud is probably the best game ever idk, it's just the best one

5 25 250

Ash McAllan @acegiak.bsky.social · 2d

The idea of waking up feeling refreshed means you have to have slept long enough you're not tired, but not so long you're hungry, and dumping enough cortisol into your brain to make you not feel still tired but not so much it makes you grumpy. Like trying to thread a needle. A wonder it ever happens

1

Ash McAllan @acegiak.bsky.social · 3d

Also @paulczege.bsky.social is my goto point of reference for solo ttrpgs and his The Ink That Bleeds is the text to read -about- solo rpgs

2 3 11

Ash McAllan @acegiak.bsky.social · 3d

Ex Novo 🗺️ - @sharkbombs.bsky.social & @konstantinosd.bsky.social ocial
Quiet Year 🗺️ (tweak for solo) - @lackingceremony.bsky.social ceremony.bsky.social
Royal Cartographer 🗺️ - @albi13.bsky.social

1 7

Ash McAllan @acegiak.bsky.social · 3d

Notorious 🚀 - @alwayscheckers.bsky.social
The Zone 🍄 - @raphdamico.bsky.social
Wanderhome🕯️ - @jdragsky.bsky.social
Koriko: A Magical Year 🕯️- J Harrison

1 6

Ash McAllan @acegiak.bsky.social · 3d

Thousand Year Old Vampire - @timhutchings.bsky.social
Alone Amongst The Stars 🚀 - @noroadhome.itch.io
Ironsworn ⚔️ & Ironsworn:Starforged 🚀 - @shawntomkin.bsky.social
Princess With a Cursed Sword ⚔️ & Princess With a Cursed Dick 🔞 - @cyborgurl.bsky.social
The Beast 🔞 - Sontowska & Węgrzynowicz

1 1 8

Reposted by Ash McAllan

Leon Thomas @renegadecut.bsky.social · 5d

Easily one of the best YouTube videos of 2025. You are going to want to see this.

AdequateEmily @adequateemily.bsky.social · 13d

NEW VIDEO! I Saw the TV Glow: CRT Memories and Fuzzy Genders! Featuring music by @mollynoise.bsky.social, and featuring Molly, @leftatlondon.com, @alicebedard.bsky.social, @bugsmaytrix.bsky.social, @melodynosurname.bsky.social, @katelynburns.com, and @boundo.bsky.social. Enjoy!

youtu.be/64ppfdw1dBQ

I Saw the TV Glow: CRT Memories and Fuzzy Genders | AdequateEmily

YouTube video by AdequateEmily

youtu.be

16 53

Reposted by Ash McAllan

eviŁrooster @evilrooster.bsky.social · 3d

I am actually speechless at the power of this imagery and the effect it will have on anyone who has ever taken their Catholicism remotely seriously.

Rich Raho @richraho.bsky.social · 3d

Chicago priest Fr. Larry Dowling describes procession to ICE facility: “No one had the courage to speak directly to us. No one from Homeland Security could stand in the presence of the Monstrance holding the Blessed Sacrament. No wonder. Evil is repelled, recoils in the presence of Christ.”

5 33 150

Reposted by Ash McAllan

Jay Gunn/Wilson @gunnwriter.bsky.social · 5d

Saw this (credit where credit is due).

3 59 330

Reposted by Ash McAllan

Ash McAllan @acegiak.bsky.social · 6d

Since learning that I'm being laid off so many lovely people have offered support, saying "let me know what I can do". So I wrote a zine:

Things You Can Do For Your Depressed ADHD/Autistic Friend While She Looks For Work

PDF here: bit.ly/TYCDFYDAAFWS...
On itch for $0 here: bit.ly/TYCDFYDAAFWS...

8 22

Ash McAllan @acegiak.bsky.social · 5d

Holy shit

red holy fool 👺 @makapatag.bsky.social · Jul 14

GOD OBLITERATING VAJRA is a Buddhapunk Dark Fantasy Wuxia web serial set in the Utter Islands: the last island continent of the planet, built upon the body of a tortured god. Demons have escaped hell, ghosts refuse to be reincarnated, and demon chakravartins rule.

www.royalroad.com/fiction/1044...

Akazha beating down Raxri for BOOK 2 OF GOD OBLITERATING VAJRA: THE GLOAM EXORCIST

3

Ash McAllan @acegiak.bsky.social · 6d

Since learning that I'm being laid off so many lovely people have offered support, saying "let me know what I can do". So I wrote a zine:

Things You Can Do For Your Depressed ADHD/Autistic Friend While She Looks For Work

PDF here: bit.ly/TYCDFYDAAFWS...
On itch for $0 here: bit.ly/TYCDFYDAAFWS...

8 22

Ash McAllan @acegiak.bsky.social · 7d

It really struggled with the marketing not matching the actual gameplay at launch

1

Ash McAllan @acegiak.bsky.social · 7d

But also Microsoft basically nuked Xbox and all its games investment this year so they would have more cash on hand to pour into AI so you can blame that nonsense bubble for a bunch of this year's layoffs too.

1 2

Ash McAllan @acegiak.bsky.social · 7d

... But it was single player? With 4 player coop as an option but it was always fully playable solo. That's why we introduced the machine companion, cause solo players sometimes felt lonely. Maybe grab it on sale and see if it actually is what you hoped.

1 1

Ash McAllan @acegiak.bsky.social · 7d

Dune sold crazy well and they still had massive layoffs including shutting down the entire Outsiders studio. The games are good but investors have poured way too much cash into them during development demanding the games become the next Fortnite or CS:GO so good & popular isn't enough to pay it back

2 3

Ash McAllan @acegiak.bsky.social · 7d

Just saw a friend dip her cheese tomato lettuce croissant into her hot chocolate and I will need the whole day to recover.

5 20

Reposted by Ash McAllan

Anna Brandberg @annabrandberg.bsky.social · 7d

Ash is incredible. So incredible, in fact, that after we'd worked together I decided I wanted to keep her and now she's stuck with me for life. Any studio would be lucky to have her. In fact, dear reader, that could be you, but you playin'.

1 1 2

Reposted by Ash McAllan

Ash McAllan @acegiak.bsky.social · 7d

Welp, Im a casualty from last weeks Stockholm Gamedev Bloodbath
10+yrs makin stuff, "an unstoppable creative force" & "patient, clear, & deft at design"
Here for creative leadership, game design, narrative, & good-trouble-making roles so reach out if you need me
linkedin.com/in/acegiak & acegiak.net

Generation Zero Cover Image featuring A person with dog robot companion firing a rocket launcher at a giant bipedal robot.

Cover image of Game Of Thrones: Tale Of Crows featuring 3 dioramas of the frozen north and the wall of ice

Cover image of City Of Red Waters featuring cedar trees in a red bayou

11 52 89

Ash McAllan @acegiak.bsky.social · 7d

Welp, Im a casualty from last weeks Stockholm Gamedev Bloodbath
10+yrs makin stuff, "an unstoppable creative force" & "patient, clear, & deft at design"
Here for creative leadership, game design, narrative, & good-trouble-making roles so reach out if you need me
linkedin.com/in/acegiak & acegiak.net

11 52 89

Reposted by Ash McAllan

Sismrnoth @sismrnoth.bsky.social · 8d

Ursula K Le Guin being right again here.
www.ursulakleguin.com/some-assumpt...

Immature people crave and demand moral certainty: This is bad, this is good. Kids and adolescents struggle to find a sure moral foothold in this bewildering world; they long to feel they’re on the winning side, or at least a member of the team. To them, heroic fantasy may offer a vision of moral clarity. Unfortunately, the pretended Battle Between (unquestioned) Good and (unexamined) Evil obscures instead of clarifying, serving as a mere excuse for violence — as brainless, useless, and base as aggressive war in the real world.

1 27 89

Ash McAllan @acegiak.bsky.social · 15d

Hickory is a Spider. She just keeps having to do Slide stuff because our crew is insane

1 3

Reposted by Ash McAllan

Stellaween? @antlervel.vet · 15d

A script you can use if you’re not good at speaking on the spot.

I'm calling to demand that Senator Schumer not allow Donald Trump to take away access to transgender health care for anyone, let alone people with federal or state health insurance.
Trans healthcare is lifesaving medicine. It is not cosmetic or frivolous; it is miraculous and it is vital.
It is not something trans people can just go without.
[You can add a personal anecdote here-how it has helped you or someone you love, how long you've been receiving trans healthcare, etc.J Trans people are also over twice as likely to live in poverty, which means they are often receiving this care through government-funded programs. They simply cannot afford it otherwise. If this care is lost, trans American lives will be lost too. This is the truth.
If none of this stirs the Senator's compassion, please understand that trans people are, as a group, politically active, and they are rarely Republicans. The Senator should understand that if he caves and allows Trump to do this to us, it would be a betrayal of his constituents at an unforgivable level. If he caves, I will never vote for a Democrat again. I will not vote for a Democrat for president, for senator, for dogcatcher. This is a promise.

10 1.1K 1.7K