staring blankly into the abyss
@ianmosby.bsky.social
Settler historian of food, health and colonialism | hapless area man | amateur squirrel theorist | against fascism | sometimes make music: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/thrums/vast-spaces-without-reprieve
Pinned
Twin Rivers by Thrums
Stream and Save Twin Rivers - Distributed by DistroKid
distrokid.com
As part of my effort to make art and get off the internet, I recorded a new album of weirdo experimental ambient folk music. This one inspired by the sound of degrading cassette loops, thrift store guitars, and the work of artists like Grouper, Jim O'Rourke, Florist, Hana Stretton and Claire Rousay.
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The post even acknowledges that Microsoft cannot fully guarantee continuity of service if they are ordered by another country to suspend or halt operations in Canada
December 9, 2025 at 4:24 PM
The post even acknowledges that Microsoft cannot fully guarantee continuity of service if they are ordered by another country to suspend or halt operations in Canada
eLBoWs uP
Unclear how a $19 billion dependency on a US tech giant will "promote and protect Canada's digital sovereignty"
blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issue...
blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issue...
Microsoft Deepens Its Commitment to Canada with Landmark $19B AI Investment
Today, Microsoft is announcing the most important commitment in Microsoft Canada’s history. We’re adding to our investments – with a total of $19 billion CAD between 2023 and 2027, including more than...
blogs.microsoft.com
December 9, 2025 at 8:54 PM
eLBoWs uP
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Jimmy Fallon: ...so you'll just consume everything.
Artaxias, The Screeching Void From Beyond the Sun: ALL SHALL LIVE WITHIN MY MAW.
Fallon: That's so wild.
Artaxias, The Screeching Void From Beyond the Sun: ALL SHALL LIVE WITHIN MY MAW.
Fallon: That's so wild.
December 9, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Jimmy Fallon: ...so you'll just consume everything.
Artaxias, The Screeching Void From Beyond the Sun: ALL SHALL LIVE WITHIN MY MAW.
Fallon: That's so wild.
Artaxias, The Screeching Void From Beyond the Sun: ALL SHALL LIVE WITHIN MY MAW.
Fallon: That's so wild.
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The Librarian and Archivist Lament - a site is neither truly discoverable nor preserved unless you've really really put the work in (or work with those who have).
This has me reflecting on born digital history projects. In recent weeks, I tried to access a few fantastic ones—all less than a decade old—and was met with dead links.
With the death of the open internet and humanities funding more generally, what is going to happen to these projects?
With the death of the open internet and humanities funding more generally, what is going to happen to these projects?
Talking to somebody yesterday about a Cdn oral history archive that disappeared - turns out LLMs were scraping it so much it crashed their servers so it’s offline. Vile vulture technology.
December 9, 2025 at 4:16 PM
The Librarian and Archivist Lament - a site is neither truly discoverable nor preserved unless you've really really put the work in (or work with those who have).
This has me reflecting on born digital history projects. In recent weeks, I tried to access a few fantastic ones—all less than a decade old—and was met with dead links.
With the death of the open internet and humanities funding more generally, what is going to happen to these projects?
With the death of the open internet and humanities funding more generally, what is going to happen to these projects?
Talking to somebody yesterday about a Cdn oral history archive that disappeared - turns out LLMs were scraping it so much it crashed their servers so it’s offline. Vile vulture technology.
December 9, 2025 at 3:06 PM
This has me reflecting on born digital history projects. In recent weeks, I tried to access a few fantastic ones—all less than a decade old—and was met with dead links.
With the death of the open internet and humanities funding more generally, what is going to happen to these projects?
With the death of the open internet and humanities funding more generally, what is going to happen to these projects?
Reposted by staring blankly into the abyss
Talking to somebody yesterday about a Cdn oral history archive that disappeared - turns out LLMs were scraping it so much it crashed their servers so it’s offline. Vile vulture technology.
December 9, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Talking to somebody yesterday about a Cdn oral history archive that disappeared - turns out LLMs were scraping it so much it crashed their servers so it’s offline. Vile vulture technology.
There's a website I visit every day
Many times a day
To learn about new horrors
The specifics of American fascism
Plural genocides
Canada's unending failures
Innumerable atrocities
The New York Times
An unending chronological nightmare
I go there mostly for the jokes
And to stay in touch
Many times a day
To learn about new horrors
The specifics of American fascism
Plural genocides
Canada's unending failures
Innumerable atrocities
The New York Times
An unending chronological nightmare
I go there mostly for the jokes
And to stay in touch
December 9, 2025 at 1:55 PM
There's a website I visit every day
Many times a day
To learn about new horrors
The specifics of American fascism
Plural genocides
Canada's unending failures
Innumerable atrocities
The New York Times
An unending chronological nightmare
I go there mostly for the jokes
And to stay in touch
Many times a day
To learn about new horrors
The specifics of American fascism
Plural genocides
Canada's unending failures
Innumerable atrocities
The New York Times
An unending chronological nightmare
I go there mostly for the jokes
And to stay in touch
Reposted by staring blankly into the abyss
All of the ingenuity of corporate America has not produced an infant formula that is superior in nutrition and all the qualities that we want to the infant formula that God made, which is a refreshing can of Coke Zero
December 9, 2025 at 1:02 PM
All of the ingenuity of corporate America has not produced an infant formula that is superior in nutrition and all the qualities that we want to the infant formula that God made, which is a refreshing can of Coke Zero
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The ad agencies who are producing this sludge should be blacklisted by all of the unions representing human actors and human film industry trades. History will remember you as scabs to the human race.
McDonald's has released an AI-generated Christmas ad
The studio behind it says they 'hardly slept' for several weeks while writing AI prompts and refining the shots — 'AI didn't make this film. We did'
Comments have been turned off on YouTube
The studio behind it says they 'hardly slept' for several weeks while writing AI prompts and refining the shots — 'AI didn't make this film. We did'
Comments have been turned off on YouTube
December 8, 2025 at 11:07 PM
The ad agencies who are producing this sludge should be blacklisted by all of the unions representing human actors and human film industry trades. History will remember you as scabs to the human race.
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A guide on how (and why) to quit Spotify. “I am extremely glad I [switched away from Spotify]; it’s been a minute since I’ve felt something approaching genuine delight in discovering a new tech service.” (via @choire.bsky.social) [bloodinthemachine.com]
How to quit Spotify
This Black Friday, here’s a guide to finding the best Spotify alternative
www.bloodinthemachine.com
December 8, 2025 at 9:36 PM
A guide on how (and why) to quit Spotify. “I am extremely glad I [switched away from Spotify]; it’s been a minute since I’ve felt something approaching genuine delight in discovering a new tech service.” (via @choire.bsky.social) [bloodinthemachine.com]
The pandemic taught us that a more humane world is possible through income support programs like CERB, the creation of pedestrian & cycling infrastructure, the normalization of flexible work, & in countless even smaller ways.
The dismantling of those possibilities ever since has been radicalizing.
The dismantling of those possibilities ever since has been radicalizing.
Carney says back-to-office plan for federal civil servants coming soon nationalnewswatch.com/2025/12/08/c...
Carney says back-to-office plan for federal civil servants coming soon
National Newswatch: Canada's most comprehensive site for political news and views.
nationalnewswatch.com
December 8, 2025 at 6:50 PM
The pandemic taught us that a more humane world is possible through income support programs like CERB, the creation of pedestrian & cycling infrastructure, the normalization of flexible work, & in countless even smaller ways.
The dismantling of those possibilities ever since has been radicalizing.
The dismantling of those possibilities ever since has been radicalizing.
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www.cbc.ca/news/indigen... Congratulations to the Senators who have taken this important step towards justice and reconciliation. Now the House of Commons must follow their example
Senate unanimously passes bill to eliminate Indian Act's 2nd-generation cut-off | CBC News
The Senate voted unanimously Thursday to advance Bill S-2 with an amendment calling for the removal of the second-generation cut-off from the Indian Act, where children are not eligible for Indian sta...
www.cbc.ca
December 6, 2025 at 6:25 PM
www.cbc.ca/news/indigen... Congratulations to the Senators who have taken this important step towards justice and reconciliation. Now the House of Commons must follow their example
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Israel hunted a 70 year old lady down with a gun drone and then hoovered above to make sure she bled out next to her dying son. They both join almost 1,000 Palestinians Israel has massacred or maimed in its genocide during the "ceasefire".
www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12...
www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12...
Israeli drone chases and kills elderly woman in Gaza as attacks continue
At least seven Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks as military pushes deeper beyond truce demarcation line.
www.aljazeera.com
December 8, 2025 at 3:24 AM
Israel hunted a 70 year old lady down with a gun drone and then hoovered above to make sure she bled out next to her dying son. They both join almost 1,000 Palestinians Israel has massacred or maimed in its genocide during the "ceasefire".
www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12...
www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12...
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If some guy stole my shit and made millions off it while wiping out my job prospects, and you, as my friend, bought that guy's cheap mass market replica of my shit, you and i would for obvious reasons have a problem. It being a massive company, not a guy, actually makes it even more of a problem.
December 8, 2025 at 5:14 AM
If some guy stole my shit and made millions off it while wiping out my job prospects, and you, as my friend, bought that guy's cheap mass market replica of my shit, you and i would for obvious reasons have a problem. It being a massive company, not a guy, actually makes it even more of a problem.
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The future is building a humanoid robot at great cost to replace hiring a guy to hand out water bottles, then hiring a guy to remote control the robot handing out water bottles.
can't stop watching this clip of a tesla Optimus teleoperator taking his headset off before properly logging out the robot
December 8, 2025 at 11:46 AM
The future is building a humanoid robot at great cost to replace hiring a guy to hand out water bottles, then hiring a guy to remote control the robot handing out water bottles.
A lot of my students grew up using Chromebooks, iPads and smartphones. They are brilliant at making video presentations and elaborate slide decks but the number of basic tech questions I get is wild. (My 12yo similarly incompetent when it comes to understanding how computers actually work.)
For a while, they said if you needed tech help, ask a 10yo. But current 10-20yos didn't have to explore and click around and futz with things to get them to work, so if it's not immediately obvious, they can't do it.
Basically if you're 30-50 you're just doing tech support for everyone forever.
Basically if you're 30-50 you're just doing tech support for everyone forever.
What we say is their kids know the tech of a phone. If it’s not on the phone they struggle
December 8, 2025 at 1:38 PM
A lot of my students grew up using Chromebooks, iPads and smartphones. They are brilliant at making video presentations and elaborate slide decks but the number of basic tech questions I get is wild. (My 12yo similarly incompetent when it comes to understanding how computers actually work.)
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Good on Penn Jillette. Having to come to terms with your entire political identity and philosophy being wrong is not easy and most people could never do it.
December 7, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Good on Penn Jillette. Having to come to terms with your entire political identity and philosophy being wrong is not easy and most people could never do it.
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'You shouldn't criticize Mark Carney because that's how you get Pierre Poilievre' is...exactly how you get Pierre Poilievre.
Thank you for your attention to this matter!
Thank you for your attention to this matter!
December 7, 2025 at 3:16 PM
'You shouldn't criticize Mark Carney because that's how you get Pierre Poilievre' is...exactly how you get Pierre Poilievre.
Thank you for your attention to this matter!
Thank you for your attention to this matter!
The UK Labour party is despicable. Just a moral vacuum.
December 7, 2025 at 4:41 PM
The UK Labour party is despicable. Just a moral vacuum.
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My sense now is that a conversation we need to be having across various technological regimes is what intentional opting out looks like in a social form where opting in to various tools is compulsory or coerced.
December 7, 2025 at 3:03 PM
My sense now is that a conversation we need to be having across various technological regimes is what intentional opting out looks like in a social form where opting in to various tools is compulsory or coerced.
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We published our AI policy yesterday. It affirms our commitment to human-made writing, photography and illustrations. #journalism #localnews You can read more here: thetyee.ca/Tyeenews/202...
The Tyee Has a New AI Policy | The Tyee
Long story short: We’re mostly taking a pass on the robots.
thetyee.ca
December 6, 2025 at 6:07 PM
We published our AI policy yesterday. It affirms our commitment to human-made writing, photography and illustrations. #journalism #localnews You can read more here: thetyee.ca/Tyeenews/202...
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This is horrific and exactly what those of us in Black studies, gender studies, women’s studies have been warning our colleagues in the sciences about. Their seeming neutrality will not save them.
Heartbreaking. The University of Nebraska will terminate its entire Earth science department.
One of the country's most successful and respected geology & climate programs: gone.
When ideologues & politicians are threatened by the very act of studying climate change, I wonder: who of us is next?
One of the country's most successful and respected geology & climate programs: gone.
When ideologues & politicians are threatened by the very act of studying climate change, I wonder: who of us is next?
It's over.
Despite the fact that the academic council recommended against it, despite the fact that the program brought in more tuition than it cost, and despite the fact that Nebraskans need & deserve this expertise, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences will be cut.
www.dailynebraskan.com/news/adminis...
Despite the fact that the academic council recommended against it, despite the fact that the program brought in more tuition than it cost, and despite the fact that Nebraskans need & deserve this expertise, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences will be cut.
www.dailynebraskan.com/news/adminis...
December 7, 2025 at 5:13 AM
This is horrific and exactly what those of us in Black studies, gender studies, women’s studies have been warning our colleagues in the sciences about. Their seeming neutrality will not save them.
Watching Heat (1995) for the first time since it came out and enjoy how there is no attempt to explain why half the main characters have Jersey/New York accents in California.
December 7, 2025 at 4:22 AM
Watching Heat (1995) for the first time since it came out and enjoy how there is no attempt to explain why half the main characters have Jersey/New York accents in California.
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Seriously I think this is the sell. When we say “this is how it’s done” it sounds prescriptive, people hate that. “You will like how it feels” is the winning message
Blocking weirdos is the one feature this app absolutely excels at. Two clicks & annoying strangers disappear forever. Unprecedented feeling.
I cannot stress enough that is some rando responds to something you reposted trying to draw you into a “but have you considered” discussion of it, they are not acting in good faith, and you just block. Please, embrace the blue sky way. block. block. block.
December 6, 2025 at 11:53 PM
Seriously I think this is the sell. When we say “this is how it’s done” it sounds prescriptive, people hate that. “You will like how it feels” is the winning message
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i generally agree, which is why i think ms. villalba should die
December 6, 2025 at 10:45 PM
i generally agree, which is why i think ms. villalba should die