Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Paul McGhee @pmcghee.bsky.social · 8h

Best opportunity so far to mute America

Maq @maqusan.bsky.social · 18h

lol. lmao, even.

The top 20 accounts blocked in the last 24 hours. They're almost entirely US government accounts. And they're catching block numbers that would easily put them in the all-time top blocked list, just in the first day.

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Paul McGhee @pmcghee.bsky.social · 11h

I hope they'll bring it over on a long-ship to Pevensey.

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Paul McGhee @pmcghee.bsky.social · 11h

The silicon elves
Burned too bright for their wizards
They sleep now and dream.

#statefulagents
#haiku

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Paul McGhee @pmcghee.bsky.social · 17h

It's desperate bollocks, isn't it?

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Paul McGhee @pmcghee.bsky.social · 18h

Reading "Empire of AI" by Karen Hao, I'm flaggergasted by Elon Musk's logic. "We don't need to worry about climate change because it won't kill ALL of humanity, but AGI might."

Also Peter Theil's Antichrist obsession.

These people are simply lunatics and should be locked up for their own good.

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Paul McGhee @pmcghee.bsky.social · 2d

"Dominic Cummings floats misinformation for his masters to cause maximum trouble" seems to be the simplest summary of it.

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Paul McGhee @pmcghee.bsky.social · 3d

Went to Dungeness today. Derek Jarman's cottage more suburban street than liminal idyll, IMHO. The rest of the area was much more interesting.

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Paul McGhee @pmcghee.bsky.social · 3d

Loving these structures in Hastings - three-storey sheds for storing the different nets and tackle the fishermen needed to catch the different types of fish arriving off the coast in three different seasons.

A cluster of very tall timber framed sheds, painted with black weatherproofing and a larger shed of the same structure with blue signs advertising fish and shellfish for sale.

Paul McGhee @pmcghee.bsky.social · 4d

Shame we didn't have this in 2015/16.

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Paul McGhee @pmcghee.bsky.social · 5d

TIL: John Betjeman owned Henry James' morning suit and later passed it on to John Wells. Apparently, Betjeman was exactly the same size as James. I find this utterly charming.

#ReduceReuseRecycle

Paul McGhee @pmcghee.bsky.social · 5d

Important work.

Joumana Medlej @majnouna.com · 5d

That’s what I call an afternoon well spent! Even if I did spend much of it trying not to step on the robin, who is basically a feathered cat.
I need a cuppa.
#indigo

Indigo dyeing in progress with blue papers starting to hang off the tree

Our ancient apple tree festooned with sheets of paper in various shades of blue

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Paul McGhee @pmcghee.bsky.social · 5d

I look forward to East Anglia being festooned with English flags to celebrate this great National occasion.

Paul McGhee @pmcghee.bsky.social · 5d

Sorry, can't be distracted from my current obsession - pioneering Egyptian nationalists in the Waft party and their textile artistic heritage :-)

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Paul McGhee @pmcghee.bsky.social · 5d

Brilliant!

Reposted by Paul McGhee

Joumana Medlej @majnouna.com · 7d

This is a ridiculously stunning colour to come from mulberries.

Silk and linen thread dyed a rich purple-red

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Paul McGhee @pmcghee.bsky.social · 7d

They will have the best desktop accessories

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Paul McGhee @pmcghee.bsky.social · 8d

It's not just the salaries. It's all the additional support staff, housing and relocation expense, lab kit and endless ego-massaging needed. Best they stay at home and sort out their own country.

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Paul McGhee @pmcghee.bsky.social · 8d

Gonna de-clutter, paint my table white and head down to the garden centre.

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Paul McGhee @pmcghee.bsky.social · 8d

Only one of these is a world-leading AI company. Don't you wish you were smart, 30, wore tight black t-shirts. Would you like an office with white desks, healthy plants and silvery laptops? This workplace aesthetic is so ..... LinkedIn ...init?

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Paul McGhee @pmcghee.bsky.social · 8d

UK Universities can't really afford Americans though. We'd need to sack about three locals to take one in.

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Paul McGhee @pmcghee.bsky.social · 8d

Bruce going deep this morning

#BruceSterling @bruces.bsky.social · 8d

*This generated pseudo-stencil is going to fall apart because a system of tokens and pixels has no direct connection to the physics of cutting shaped holes in cardboard

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Paul McGhee @pmcghee.bsky.social · 8d

I think we've reached Peak Insincerity.

Paul McGhee @pmcghee.bsky.social · 9d

I think it might look better the other way up, but hard to say with that design.

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Paul McGhee @pmcghee.bsky.social · 9d

Just added extra supporting brackets so the rail can carry all 13kg of my new tapestry!

A large heavy Egyptian tapestry dangles precariously from a rail made from chrome plated water pipe. Held up by shower curtain rings and loops of double strength hemp yarn

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Paul McGhee @pmcghee.bsky.social · 10d

Yes. I can't think of anything comparable, except maybe some of those early 20th Century Scandinavian creations.