Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

John Bull

@garius.bsky.social

29K followers 1.1K following 24K posts

He/Him. Author. Historian (inc of obscure Military Holy Orders). Strategy streamer. Tech/Transport Strategist. Editor of @lonrec. Orient fan. Business/Writing: [email protected]. Agent: @pastpreservers.bsky.social

Posts Replies Media Videos

Pinned

John Bull @garius.bsky.social · Mar 10

The latest in my history of home computers is live. Covers the era of Commodore, Atari and Jack Tramiel.

He was a brutal manager. But also an Auschwitz survivor, and that shaped him, and his legit drive to build a better world.

This warning from him hit home, right now.

every.to/the-crazy-on...

One day in 1982, Michael Tomczyk, who had led the project to develop the Commodore 64, found himself sitting in Jack Tramiel’s office. Tomcyzk had just returned from a trade show in Hanover, Germany. During the course of their conversation, Tomczyk mentioned how impressed he’d been with the Autobahn highway network on the way there.

"I built that road," Tramiel told him matter-of-factly.

“Jack went on to explain that during World War II as a teenager he had been selected to work on the road gangs,” Tomczyk remembered. “He said that it was one way to survive, because they had to feed the people that did that kind of hard labor, or they wouldn't work. ‘We built good roads,’ he said.”

Tramiel had never hidden the horrors in his past. He was proud that he had helped build a better future through Commodore and Atari. However, the longer he lived, the more concerned he became that people would forget what that future had cost. And that which is forgotten can be repeated.

"You know," Tramiel said once, "it's hard to believe it really happened. But it can happen again. In America. Americans like to make rules, and that scares me. If you have too many rules you get locked in a system. It's the system that says this one dies and that one doesn't, not the people. That's why I don't hate the German people. Individuals, yes. Rules, yes. But not all Germans.

Reposted by John Bull

Dr Alex Fitzpatrick

@animalarchaeology.com

📷 I swear, I’m almost done posting all of my photos I recently got developed! But here’s some more from my trip last October to Edinburgh.

📸: Pentax 17
🎞️: Same Same But Different

#lomography #photography #edinburgh

A photo of a statue depicting a man in robes sat with a large book on his knee. Multiple older buildings are in the background.

A photo of narrow red shed with the words ‘Waverly Cafe’ on the side, stood in front of the entrance to a park.

Several tall, older looking buildings which block most of the sky.

The Edinburgh skyline taken from a bridge.

February 8, 2026 at 9:33 AM

Reposted by John Bull

wunk

@wunk.bsky.social

Disappointing to see artists with `🚫 NO AI` in their bio, openly against Generated AI imagery, suddenly excusing AI-generated code now. Using similar rhetoric that tech-bros would use to excuse their GenAI "Art".

ginyoagoldie @ginyoagoldie.bsky.social · 5h

The site is vibecoded btw i just wanted to make that clear. I am no means in any way a traditional programmer, i had just wanted to make animation more accessible n intuitive

ginyoagoldie @ginyoagoldie.bsky.social · 17h

i made a website you can animate on!
a bit buggy.. but it works.. lmk what yall think!
ginyo.space/celstomp

February 8, 2026 at 4:39 AM

John Bull

@garius.bsky.social

No stream today!

Super Bowl party later, so need to not blow through my brain's socialness budget too early.

Back tomorrow with Umamasume!

February 8, 2026 at 9:27 AM

Reposted by John Bull

Professor Claire Jowitt

@clairejowitt.bsky.social

Cover reveal for Richard Frohock's fab new 🏴‍☠️ book!
Piracy Mythmaking in the Eighteenth Century
Criminality, Human Nature, & Civil Government from @routledgehistory.bsky.social will be published 21/5/26!
www.routledge.com/Piracy-Mythm...

February 8, 2026 at 8:06 AM

Reposted by John Bull

Cold War Conversations Podcast

@coldwarpod.bsky.social

NEW EPISODE - Chasing Rogue #Nukes

Listen here 🎧 coldwarconversations.com/episode442/

#coldwar #spies #Espionage #intelligence #undercover @pinstripedline @SecretsAndSpies @spyhistorian @CIA

February 8, 2026 at 9:05 AM

Reposted by John Bull

Richard Ovenden

@richove.bsky.social

Bravo Fiona!

Art UK @artukdotorg.bsky.social · 1h

Gwen John: Strange Beauties is now open at National Museum Cardiff 🎨

We spoke to Fiona McLees, Senior Art on Paper Conservator who has been preparing John's works 👉 https://artuk.org/discover/stories/being-fiona-mclees-senior-art-on-paper-conservator-at-amgueddfa-cymru-museum-wales

📷 Museum Wales

Fiona McLees at work in the conservation studio

Sketch of a cloaked figure with a hood, drawn in loose, flowing lines on paper.

Framed artwork showing the backs of two women sitting

Conservator delicately restoring a small painting under a microscope

February 8, 2026 at 9:06 AM

John Bull

@garius.bsky.social

Me: why does that name seem famili-

Ohhhhhh wait the guty who kept stealing my threads across multiple platforms. Then got angry when he got publicly called out for it and claimed he was "doing me a favour". Yeah fuck that guy. 😆

Eileen Clancy 🧿 @clancyny.bsky.social · 9h

If you have a LARGE follower count, pls know that Scott Horton is a chronic thief of posts. He also gets things very wrong and won't take posts down. No matter how nicely you ask.

Please unfollow him and do not repost.

Although he steals everything, Horton was recently verified by Bluesky.

Rev. Deral "FreeLink" Fenderson @fendersonia.bsky.social · 5d

Check the words. Check the time stamps.

Fucking clown shit.

February 8, 2026 at 1:47 AM

John Bull

@garius.bsky.social

"Transformation"

Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 11h

Breaking — Will Lewis out at the Washington Post. He just sent this email to staff (shared with me by staffer):

All - after two years of transformation at The Washington Post, now is the right time for me to step aside. I want to thank Jeff Bezos for his support and leadership throughout my tenure as CEO and Publisher. The institution could not have a better owner.

During my tenure, difficult decisions have been taken in order to ensure the sustainable future of The Post so it can for many years ahead publish high-quality nonpartisan news to millions of customers each day.

With gratitude, Will

February 8, 2026 at 1:43 AM

John Bull

@garius.bsky.social

I assumed this was a comedy sketch at forst but no? Apparently not. Blink 1939 i guess.

Mr. Friendship @birdrespecter.bsky.social · 9h

Now that being a pedophile is openly accepted on the right, MAGA rappers are switching to pop punk

February 8, 2026 at 1:41 AM

John Bull

@garius.bsky.social

The winner of tonight's battle for the #fluffyFort is...

Black kitty curled up sleeping in a fluffy donut

February 8, 2026 at 12:34 AM

Reposted by John Bull

Kendra, normal version

@kendrawcandraw.bsky.social

I've been working on this book for four years and it kicks ass imo! It is coming out July 2026 so gird your fucking loins. I tried to do a money spread with the pages and it didn't work

Selfie of the author holding up a big ass stack of paper (physical proof of Real Hero Shit Harder Than It Looks) next to their head for scale

February 6, 2026 at 5:57 PM

Reposted by John Bull

dan sinker

@dansinker.com

at this point when someone gets on substack I just assume that they know and don't care.

Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 17h

o rly

February 7, 2026 at 5:12 PM

Reposted by John Bull

Devin Heroux

@devinheroux.bsky.social

So wonderful to see the raw emotion from Valerie Maltais as she receives her bronze medal.

At her fifth Olympics, 16 years after her debut, she wins her first individual medal.

What a moment for her.

February 7, 2026 at 4:41 PM

John Bull

@garius.bsky.social

That is a morning of basing complete.

20 small minis on a cutting mat, all with painted and textured bases.

February 7, 2026 at 12:55 PM

Reposted by John Bull

Mike Trinder

@chthonicionic.bsky.social

After that program was made he added a larger scale railway that went right past the back of the house. This is me, petrified, driving one of his engines

Me a long long time ago at the helm of a steam train leaving the station outside Bob Symes house. My dad is sat behind me helping. This was, I think, my dad’s 65th birthday party

February 7, 2026 at 12:04 PM

Reposted by John Bull

John Bull

@garius.bsky.social

NERD CHALLENGE!

Name the man, AND the episode he's working on #doctorWho #whovians

a man with proper seventies hair working on models for a dr who episode.

February 7, 2026 at 10:48 AM

Reposted by John Bull

John Bull

@garius.bsky.social

#lifeGoals

Bob Symes riding a small steam train in his garden

February 7, 2026 at 10:32 AM

Reposted by John Bull

John Bull

@garius.bsky.social

"there was no autism in my day" etc. etc.

bob symes perched next to his model railway controlling it with a radio controller

February 7, 2026 at 10:30 AM

Reposted by John Bull

John Bull

@garius.bsky.social

Find someone who looks at you the way Bob Symes looks at a see-saw signal.

bob symes, looking imperiously beardy, gazing lovingly at model railways furniture.

February 7, 2026 at 10:28 AM

Reposted by John Bull

John Bull

@garius.bsky.social

"This is an MG from 1947. I had a car like this, and I wish I still had it. Unfortunately I wrote mine off at Silverstone, some time ago."

Bob Symes. Absolute boss.

Immediately after this, he fucks off behind the country house to play with radio controlled cars.