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Christine Kooi

@christinekooi.bsky.social

5.2K followers 390 following 3.2K posts

Reformation historian, immigrant, dochter van Nederlanders, birder (not necessarily in that order). Working on a book on the year 1572 in (mostly) Europe. Opinions all mine, and I speak only for myself.

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Political science 37%

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Christine Kooi @christinekooi.bsky.social · Nov 12

Happy to be in bluer skies. I'm working on a book titled "1572: A Year in the End of Christendom," about the working out of reformation in Europe in the later 16th cen. Any tidbits about 1572 that you come across in your research that you're willing to share are welcome.

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Christine Kooi @christinekooi.bsky.social · 10h

In my case today it was a sangria and a crabcake.

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Christine Kooi @christinekooi.bsky.social · 13h

Oy. Just bracing myself for what my university administrators will do.

Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 13h

After getting zero firm commitments to this point from the first nine invitees, the Trump administration is extending its proposed compact to all colleges. Expect some red-state publics to say yes.

Trump Offers All Colleges Preferential Funding Plan Rejected by MIT

The Trump administration is inviting all US colleges to participate in a compact — initially rejected by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — that would grant preferential federal funding in re...

www.bloomberg.com

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Reposted by Joanna Bryson, Anna O. Law, Marc Lynch , and 11 more Joanna Bryson, Anna O. Law, Marc Lynch, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Michael A. Clemens, Daniel W. Drezner, Robert C. Richards, Rebecca Tushnet, David R. Miller, Stacy D. VanDeveer, Christine Kooi, Michael D. McDonald, Aviel Roshwald, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 13h

After getting zero firm commitments to this point from the first nine invitees, the Trump administration is extending its proposed compact to all colleges. Expect some red-state publics to say yes.

Trump Offers All Colleges Preferential Funding Plan Rejected by MIT

www.bloomberg.com

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Christine Kooi @christinekooi.bsky.social · 14h

Which is a good reason never to use them.

Christine Kooi @christinekooi.bsky.social · 14h

"Never invent data." Words to live by.

Des Fitzgerald @desfitzgerald.bsky.social · 17h

Seeing people nonchalantly post stuff like makes me feel like I'm going crazy honestly.

A post from an academic on blue sky that says: "I'm learning about "prompt engineering" when asking LLMs to extract data. I now add this to all instructions:

Style
Be concise, analytic, and specific (cite page/figure if provided). If essential info is missing, keep going but flag Unclear and exact data needed. Never invent data.

#academicsky"

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Christine Kooi @christinekooi.bsky.social · 14h

Unfortunately Obama gives the impression this is all an armchair exercise, rather than a dire crisis affecting the lives of real people. Sometimes the man is too cool for his own good.

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Christine Kooi @christinekooi.bsky.social · 15h

Even worse, we wrote them down.

bleary @bleary.off-the-records.com · 18h

If anyone needs me I will be in the museum, lying down next to the bog bodies.

Did people really memorize phone numbers before cell phones, or is that just a movie thing?
2? Questions
I was watching some old shows from the 90s and noticed people would just dial numbers from memory - like they'd call their friends or family without looking anything up.
Made me wonder if that was actually normal back then? Did people genuinely have all their important numbers memorized, or did most folks keep a little address book or written list nearby?

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Christine Kooi @christinekooi.bsky.social · 15h

Source? Link?

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Christine Kooi @christinekooi.bsky.social · 16h

Trump has strayed pretty from his (nominally?) Presbyterian upbringing if he thinks good works will get him into heaven.

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 17h

“It either shows a lack of understanding about grace, or an admission he is not a Christian.”

FRANKLIN, TN Pastor Kevin Riggs reacts to Trump saying he won’t be going to Heaven 👇🏽

Video: www.instagram.com/reel/DPwDaHO...

Reposted by Christine Kooi

John McCafferty @jdmccafferty.bsky.social · 16h

13 Oct 1605: d. Theodore Beza, very important #French reformation theologian at #Geneva #otd (BM)

St Edmund Campion tried, but failed, to engage with him

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Reposted by Christine Kooi, Jon Dean

Des Fitzgerald @desfitzgerald.bsky.social · 17h

Seeing people nonchalantly post stuff like makes me feel like I'm going crazy honestly.

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Reposted by Christine Kooi

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 17h

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Reposted by Christian Odendahl, Andrew Scott, Elizabeth Stokoe , and 10 more Christian Odendahl, Andrew Scott, Elizabeth Stokoe, Sibylle Gollac, Göran Bolin, Christine Kooi, Bessma Momani, Michael H. Whitworth, Julia M. Wright, Raúl Pacheco-Vega, Judith Jesch, Evan Roberts, David Darmofal

bleary @bleary.off-the-records.com · 18h

If anyone needs me I will be in the museum, lying down next to the bog bodies.

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Christine Kooi @christinekooi.bsky.social · 19h

Any screws?

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Reposted by Christine Kooi, Michael H. Whitworth, Fiona Moore , and 1 more Christine Kooi, Michael H. Whitworth, Fiona Moore, Gail Marshall

Andrea Kaston Tange @aktange.bsky.social · 1d

My latest: "Numerous studies show that majors in the humanities—typically, in departments of English, history, philosophy, religious studies, classics and languages—lead students to employment and life satisfaction outcomes as positive as those for majors traditionally championed as 'practical.'”

Counterpoint | Minnesota humanities graduates thrive in meaningful careers

"The stereotype of the underemployed history major is simply not true," professor Andrea Kaston Tange writes.

www.startribune.com

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Christine Kooi @christinekooi.bsky.social · 1d

Comic-book philosophy.

Christine Kooi @christinekooi.bsky.social · 1d

No idea. But I suspect if you scratch the surface of any average Christian you might not find much theological knowledge or commitment.

Christine Kooi @christinekooi.bsky.social · 1d

As a Catholic priest he should.

Christine Kooi @christinekooi.bsky.social · 2d

That is an impressive use of Catholic eucharistic theology right there.

Rich Raho @richraho.bsky.social · 2d

Chicago priest Fr. Larry Dowling describes procession to ICE facility: “No one had the courage to speak directly to us. No one from Homeland Security could stand in the presence of the Monstrance holding the Blessed Sacrament. No wonder. Evil is repelled, recoils in the presence of Christ.”

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Christine Kooi @christinekooi.bsky.social · 2d

An always timely fresco, alas.

Emily Wood @ebwood.bsky.social · Feb 2

Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Allegory of Bad Government, 1338–40, Palazzo Pubblico, Siena

At the centre of the dais sits Tyrannia, with the appearence of a demon, with horns and fangs. The figure of Tyranny has flowing woman's hair, a cloak with gold embroidery and precious stones, a gold cup in her hand and a goat, the traditional symbol of lust, at her feet. Below is the vanquised Justitia: the scales are broken and scattered around her on the ground. Around Tyranny's throne are gathered the Vices. (Taken from the Web Gallery of Art’s description of the fresco.)

Christine Kooi @christinekooi.bsky.social · 2d

This is why it's vital to resist the narrative of the "inevitability" of genAI.

Derek Powazek @fraying.bsky.social · 2d

The destruction of truth and substitution of a chosen narrative is a core element of fascism. Look at what generative AI is already doing to information systems - spreading lies at scale and causing people to doubt actual facts.

The nazis WISH they had such a tool back then.

Christine Kooi @christinekooi.bsky.social · 2d

THANK YOU.

Christine Kooi @christinekooi.bsky.social · 2d

It has honestly never even occurred to me to use AI to grade student work.

John Warner @biblioracle.bsky.social · 3d

I strongly urge everyone to not just read this warning from @marcwatkins.bsky.social, but heed it, and be vocal and forceful pushing back against using AI to grade student writing. This must be anathema if we're going to have a world where learning means something. substack.com/inbox/post/1...