Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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Greg Pak @gregpak.net · 1h

The NBC Asian America crew regularly covered so many of my films, comics, and books over the years. One of the very few big, mainstream venues to give a damn. This is a kick in the teeth.

Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 2h

NBC News has reportedly eliminated its NBC BLK, NBC Asian America, NBC Latino and NBC OUT teams

NBC News’ 150 Layoffs Gut Black, Latino, Asian American and LGBTQ+ Diversity Teams

The cuts affected teams across the NBC News operation and came as the network no longer needed to support two different news operations. MSNBC has begun growing its own newsroom, hiring swaths of tale...

www.thewrap.com

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Jean Ketterling @jeanketterling.bsky.social · 23h

Amidst the Steam & itch.io deplatforming, I've managed to miss the fact that S-209, "An Act to restrict young persons’ online access to pornographic material" has been making its way through the Senate (where it was introduced). You can read and follow the meetings here: www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en...

S-209 (45-1) - LEGISinfo - Parliament of Canada

www.parl.ca

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Brendan Keogh @brkeogh.bsky.social · 1d

Visa and Mastercard have the opportunity to do something really funny.

Matt Burgess (WIRED) @mattburgess1.bsky.social · 1d

Oh good, ChatGPT is getting "erotica for verified adults" later this year

We made ChatGPT pretty restrictive to make sure we were being careful with mental health issues. We realize this made it less useful/enjoyable to many users who had no mental health problems, but given the seriousness of the issue we wanted to get this right.

Now that we have been able to mitigate the serious mental health issues and have new tools, we are going to be able to safely relax the restrictions in most cases.

In a few weeks, we plan to put out a new version of ChatGPT that allows people to have a personality that behaves more like what people liked about 4o (we hope it will be better!). If you want your ChatGPT to respond in a very human-like way, or use a ton of emoji, or act like a friend, ChatGPT should do it (but only if you want it, not because we are usage-maxxing).

In December, as we roll out age-gating more fully and as part of our “treat adult users like adults” principle, we will allow even more, like erotica for verified adults.

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Pam Wishbow @pamwishbow.bsky.social · 1d

I love when someone addresses the convention slop and Swell is my favorite complainer youtu.be/HNjBhHlDBgI?...

we need to talk about convention slop

YouTube video by Swell Entertainment

youtu.be

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Benjamin BOO! @geekworlds.bsky.social · 1d

I contributed an essay, a response, and a reply to this fun new book edited by Martin Lund. Out in January!

Comics is…: Debating the Subject of Comics Studies

This book brings together comics scholars from different disciplines to debate and discuss the foundations of Comics Studies in a thought-provoking way.

link.springer.com

Benjamin BOO! @geekworlds.bsky.social · 1d

Incidentally, we usually use the term “EDI” in Canada, as if there were any question about whose homework Poilievre is copying for this political slop.

Clare Blackwood @clareblackwood.bsky.social · 1d

"Restore the merit principle," I scream, having apparently developed selective amnesia about losing my job based on a complete and total lack of merit

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Tom Flood @tomflood.bsky.social · 4d

PSA: People on bikes aren’t swerving to annoy drivers, they’re just trying not to die or destroy their mode of transportation.
This is generally what the bike portion looks like of our “shared” roads. Glorious.

broken up piece of road next to the sidewalk.

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Comfortably Numb @numb.comfortab.ly · 4d

They're literally installing Racism Dial bsky.app/profile/numb...

Comfortably Numb @numb.comfortab.ly · Jan 15

vox populi

Altman: thanks a lot for these! some common requests:

AGI (a little patience please)
GPT-5
better voice mode
higher rate limits
better GPTs
better reasoning
control over degree of wokeness/behavior
video
personalization
better browsing
'sign in with openai
open source

Quoting:
what would you like openai to build/fix in 2024?

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David Milner @davemilbo.bsky.social · 5d

Here's a great Shot debut from David Rayfield. "Writing has nothing to fear from AI – just from those who support it"

Writing has nothing to fear from AI - just from those who support it - The Shot

“We’re seeing a year-on-year decline on text,” said Facebook VP for Europe, Middle East and Africa, Nicola Mendelsohn, in a...

theshot.net.au

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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 6d

Lol the Nobels can't even acknowledge women's contribution to discovery. But sure let's acknowledge The Machines.

Headline from an article in Nature this week that states "Prizes must recognize machine contributions to discovery. The future of science will be written by humans and machines together. Awards should reflect that reality."

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Benjamin BOO! @geekworlds.bsky.social · 6d

Finally.

Mr. Autumn Man Walking Down Street With Cup Of Coffee, Wearing Sweater Over Plaid Collared Shirt

BOSTON—The twigs and acorns crunching pleasurably beneath his boots, Mr. Autumn Man Dennis Clemons, 32, reportedly strolled down Massachusetts Avenue on Wednesday wearing a gray sweater over a plaid c...

theonion.com

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SexyAlexWattsEsq @alexwattsesq.bsky.social · 6d

Why are all the bad things "here to stay" and all the things I love up for constant debate until they're eroded out of life altogether?

"Frightening" Dan McDaid @danmcdaid.bsky.social · 6d

Blum too. At least find a new way to say "it's here to stay" jfc

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Benjamin BOO! @geekworlds.bsky.social · 7d

During the last election, Ford made a big deal of the need for strong, stable leadership in a time of uncertainty and chaos. My dude! The uncertainty and chaos is coming from inside the house!

Matt Elliott @graphicmatt.com · 7d

Myers says this is another issue that highlights the need for Toronto to look at becoming a charter city. "Whether it's speed cameras, whether it's bike lanes, whether it's blue bins, we can't seem to make a decision without Doug Ford running interference because someone got in his ear."

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Jason Koebler @jasonkoebler.bsky.social · 7d

if you work for a publication that does this and have any idea how much $$$ your outlet makes from affiliate sale commissions on prime day, DM or signal me: jason.404

also interested if you are a journalist who is asked to do these deal roundups as part of your job

Karl Bode @karlbode.com · 7d

twice a year the entire U.S. press becomes a marketing extension of a single billionaire-owned retailer, and nobody in any position of editorial power thinks it's weird or gross

photo of Google News search results for Amazon Prime Day (the second this year)

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Dan Seljak @anotherglassbox.bsky.social · 8d

I do, actually, find it aggravating when people suggest this city is fundamentally broken. It has issues, but what they need are practical and considered solutions applied by those who love this city, its complexity, and its contradictions.

In other words, one rule above all:

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Natalia Cecire @ncecire.bsky.social · 10d

"The proposed 'compact' for unis is similar in a key respect to this govt’s actions across many areas of law & policy...replacing the regularity & fairness of law w highly discretionary systems that ensure all sorts of entities & institutions will face the govt...as supplicants in need of largesse."

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 10d

for any UVA folks that follow me you should circulate this among your networks balkin.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-...

Balkinization: The Art of Replacing the Law with the Deal

A group blog on constitutional law, theory, and politics

balkin.blogspot.com

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Jag Villani @jagvillani.bsky.social · 13d

Ottcity did the Spiderman meme with an attempt at a pedestrian detour!

A picture of detour signs indicating that one should walk in three different directions layered on top of the Spiderman meme showing several Spidermen pointing in different directions.

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flyingrodent @flyingrodent.bsky.social · 13d

You’ll recall that the selling point for organising our societies like this is that this is the best, fairest and most efficient way to determine value and allocate resources

BBC News (UK) ₺
@BBCNews• •1h
Musk becomes world's first half-trillionaire

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Benjamin BOO! @geekworlds.bsky.social · 13d

“With the release of Sora 2 it is maddening to remember all of the completely insane copyright lawsuits … in which powerful companies … sued powerless people who were often their own fans for minor infractions or use of copyrighted characters that would almost certainly be fair use.”

OpenAI’s Sora 2 Copyright Infringement Machine Features Nazi SpongeBobs and Criminal Pikachus

The main use of Sora appears to generate brainrot of major beloved copyrighted characters, to say nothing of the millions of articles, images, and videos OpenAI has scraped.

www.404media.co

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Alanna Smith @alannawrites.bsky.social · 14d

The language of non-consent around AI is really telling. "It's too late to be scared." "It's here whether we want it or not." "You'll have to learn to work with it." "You can't fight the inevitable."

All just variations of "you're not allowed to say no." Creepy technology made by creepy people.

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 14d

‘It’s too late to be scared’: readers on the controversial rise of AI ‘actors’

The birth of AI ‘actor’ Tilly Norwood has caused a backlash in Hollywood and has sparked conversation from Guardian readers

www.theguardian.com

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 14d

Petition to save speed cameras in Ontario: www.change.org/p/stop-premi...

Sign the Petition

Stop Premier Ford from cutting speed safety cameras in Ontario

www.change.org

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Benjamin BOO! @geekworlds.bsky.social · 17d

Making tofu at home really is that wet-the-dry/dry-the-wet meme in action.

Tofu-making equipment.

A can of kidney beans with a bright yellow label sits precariously on top of a tofu press, a beige plastic container with slits for liquid to escape. It’s sitting on top of a metal rack inside a glass baking dish half-full of whey, and the whole thing is on a light-grey stone kitchen counter.

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Dr. Suzanne Scott @iheartfatapollo.bsky.social · 17d

Still looking for respondents! If you have ever purchased makeup or beauty products in any way related to a fan object, please consider taking a few minutes to fill this out this brief survey: utexas.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Dr. Suzanne Scott @iheartfatapollo.bsky.social · 27d

Have you ever purchased makeup or beauty projects based on your fandom? If you are 18 years or older, please fill out this 10 minute survey for a research project on embodied fan identities. Share widely! Contact with any questions: [email protected]. utexas.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

A flyer that reads "Do you own any fandom-related makeup or beauty products? If you are 18 or older, please consider answering a few questions about it by filling out this 10 min survey to support a research project on fan identities and embodiment" followed by a QR code.

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C. L. Polk @clpolk.blacksky.app · 17d

have fun! don’t monetize it!

Krista D. Ball: Canada's Snarky Potato @kristadb1.bsky.social · 17d

Canadian news is giving you permission to have a hobby.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak-_...

The benefits of hobbies

YouTube video by CTV News

www.youtube.com

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Benjamin BOO! @geekworlds.bsky.social · 17d

(“Long-form” for me being 13 pages.)