Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Troy Goodfellow @troyg.bsky.social · 14m

I am seriously considering this offer for when I decide to set up my newsletter about which dogs are best.

(preview: It's a tie. They are all the best.)

John Bull @garius.bsky.social · 33m

Should add really that if you're a smol newsletter bean who would dearly love to NOT be on Substack, then I will happily roll (and manage) a Ghost install for you for cost + a small maintenance fee.

I'll talk you through setting up your own mailgun and stripe. Do that and you keep ALL your revenue.

John Bull @garius.bsky.social · 35m

Okay, Ghost V6 integrated with Tinybird for analytics is pretty damn filthy.

Been running @theupfront.media on Ghost for a while as part of our "No Nazi platforms" stack. Very happy with it (and with our Germany-based email hosting instead of Google Business)

The technology you use is a choice.

Reposted by Troy Goodfellow

John Bull @garius.bsky.social · 33m

Should add really that if you're a smol newsletter bean who would dearly love to NOT be on Substack, then I will happily roll (and manage) a Ghost install for you for cost + a small maintenance fee.

I'll talk you through setting up your own mailgun and stripe. Do that and you keep ALL your revenue.

John Bull @garius.bsky.social · 35m

Okay, Ghost V6 integrated with Tinybird for analytics is pretty damn filthy.

Been running @theupfront.media on Ghost for a while as part of our "No Nazi platforms" stack. Very happy with it (and with our Germany-based email hosting instead of Google Business)

The technology you use is a choice.

In many instances, the choice of platform or technology that a publisher makes can no longer be seen as neutral. Nowhere is that more clear than in journalism in the 2020s.

We are proud that The Up Front and all of our supporting digital infrastructure (like our email servers, data storage and collaboration tools) are either self-hosted and managed, or use trusted third parties who have policies that align with our values.

We reject platforms and technologies where our use would represent tacit support for — or tolerance of — the views of their owners or major funders where we disagree fundamentally with those views and the impact they have on the world.

We’re very selective in the socials we operate: we’re on Bluesky as our network of choice and use its atproto as our commenting system, curating a community of thoughtful feedback on our work and elevating other voices. We also have a LinkedIn page, because we understand its importance for our industry audience.

Perhaps more importantly, we don’t use toxic socials like Instagram, Facebook, Threads or X, which drive really unproductive behaviour in media outlets, journalists, readers and companies.

We choose our technical backend and partners carefully, selecting independent European vendors rather than US-based Big Tech, for ethical reasons, for data privacy, and because we care about supporting the good parts of the digital sector in the same way we know our subscribers care about supporting the good parts of the media sector.

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Marchettus @marchettus.bsky.social · 58m

The $19.95 price is so sweet. Like, I 100% would repackage McCormick mix at that margin.

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Troy Goodfellow @troyg.bsky.social · 56m

Sometimes a Murdoch's Mysteries episode will be your standard "handsome copper solves crime with female coroner and rookie constable" formula show, and sometimes it's a fever dream about Emma Goldman as a key witness to a foul misdeed.

I am not a regular viewer, but, when I travel, it's comfort TV.

Maximillius @maximillius.bsky.social · 2h

Stumbling across reruns of this show at like 1am after an SNF game was a delight, optimal content:viewing experience match

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Troy Goodfellow @troyg.bsky.social · 1h

lol wtf

Faine Greenwood @faineg.bsky.social · 1h

The MAGAs are selling “Border Blend” taco seasoning that they claim will “close the border on bland meals” - “because when it comes to flavor, we're all about building walls — delicious ones, that is.”

patriotdepot.com/products/bor...

Introducing the Border Blend Taco Mexican Seasoning - because who needs an open border when you've got flavor this good? Crafted with a blend of authentic spices and herbs, this seasoning brings the bold taste of Mexican street food right to your kitchen, without any of the political drama.
This blend packs a punch that'll make your taste buds sing. Whether you're whipping up tacos, burritos, or nachos, just sprinkle it on your favorite dish and let the flavor do the talking.
So close the border on bland meals and let the Border Blend Taco Mexican Seasoning spice up your life. Because when it comes to flavor, we're all about building walls — delicious ones, that is.

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The Athletic @theathletic.com · 2h

Teams to be shut out in their first three home games to begin a season, in NHL history:

◽️ 2025-26 New York Rangers

End of list.

H/T vzmercogliano on X

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Steve Saidemonster @smsaideman.bsky.social · 2h

Interesting to see that the International Studies Association's planning for conferences now seems to be focused on alternating Vancouver/Toronto to avoid the US hellscape.
I get it and Vancouver will mean Whistler in March.
But Toronto is not lovely in March.

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Troy Goodfellow @troyg.bsky.social · 2h

Doesn't he invent ballistics analysis?

Troy Goodfellow @troyg.bsky.social · 2h

An adequate Canadian police procedural set in turn of the century Toronto, full of primitive forensics and moments like Nikolai Tesla helping solve a crime and Winston Churchill accused of murder. Also an episode with a secret Canadian spy dirigible.

It does not take itself seriously.

Amanda🍁🦫 @realamandalive.com · 3h

A CBC podcast about Murdoch Mysteries hosted by Jason Mewes? Right on!

Inside Murdoch Mysteries with Jason Mewes: with guest stars Yannick Bisson and Countess Luann

YouTube video by CBC

youtu.be

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Luke Plunkett @lukeplunkett.com · 6h

kids teacher just sent this home as part of an assignment he's doing and i want to smash every computer at the school

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rahaeli @rahaeli.bsky.social · 12h

Gavin Newsom is a shitheel who should never be president, but the legislation he vetoed was unconstitutional, poorly written, both underinclusive and overexclusive, a severe privacy infringement for adults, and would have done nothing but cost California lots of money in court (to lose)

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Iron Spike @ironspike.bsky.social · 14h

Have you ever been so fucking delighted by a username/icon set that it made you follow a total stranger

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Brendan Keogh @brkeogh.bsky.social · 17h

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

Matt Burgess (WIRED) @mattburgess1.bsky.social · 21h

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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Troy Goodfellow @troyg.bsky.social · 13h

I thought we’d see a little more action in this Oilers/Rangers game. Fairly tame through 50 minutes.

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Janel Comeau 🍁 @verybadllama.bsky.social · 16h

the landlord interviewed in this article is the owner of Granville Hall here in Halifax, a “student accommodation” not affiliated with any university, which charges nearly $1200/month to *share a bedroom* with a stranger

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Janel Comeau 🍁 @verybadllama.bsky.social · 16h

I could pay the finest scientists and engineers in the world to spend the rest of their lives pushing the limits of nanotechnology and still not be able to produce a violin small enough for these landlords

www.theglobeandmail.com/business/art...

‘If there is no demand, we can’t operate’: Small landlords ponder future after foreign student cuts

The case for investing in student housing isn’t as obvious as it once was as the federal cap on international students enters its second year

www.theglobeandmail.com

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James Kelleher @jameskelleher.pilcrow.ie · 1d

Next time somebody asks me what Bluesky is like, I'll send them this

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Troy Goodfellow @troyg.bsky.social · 1d

Where's my big budget Sertorius biopic?

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Troy Goodfellow @troyg.bsky.social · 1d

It's this Yemeni chicken dish, and this looks very easy and tasty.

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Troy Goodfellow @troyg.bsky.social · 1d

Watching a cooking video that has only the sounds of cooking - no voiceover, no music - so I wasn't sure my audio was working at all at first.

Very disorienting.

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Crusader Kings @crusaderkings.com · 1d

Join us tomorrow at 2PM CEST for our next All Under Heaven dev diary! We'll be giving a detailed look into how expanding Crusader Kings III to include all of Asia affects performance, and what we've done to address it.

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Troy Goodfellow @troyg.bsky.social · 1d

Three hours sleep. Let’s see how this goes.

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Veronica Schanoes @schanoes.bsky.social · 1d

But if you dismiss all of them as too old to be interesting or fun or relevant, I will think exactly the same about you as I think about someone saying that nothing written these days can hold a candle to the classics. Both positions are just ridiculous and suggest you’re a lousy reader.

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Veronica Schanoes @schanoes.bsky.social · 1d

Many classics of literature are interesting and worth engaging with, and many are dull, just like everything else, and here’s the key thing: which are which is going to vary from person to person.

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Troy Goodfellow @troyg.bsky.social · 1d

FWIW, the 2026 Stratford ( Ontario) festival has Midsummer’s Night Dream, Othello and The Tempest for its Shakespeare offerings, plus Death of a Salesman, Waiting for Godot, Guys and Dolls, Something Rotten and a new Canadian play.

Murderer’s Row of theater there.

Troy Goodfellow @troyg.bsky.social · 1d

Some of Shakespeare’s surviving plays are not very good, and we do audiences a disservice by pretending that “Troilus and Cressida” is worthwhile just because he also wrote “Hamlet”.

Rachel Feder @rachelfeder.bsky.social · 2d

Tell me your most unhinged literary opinion, as a little treat

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