Jay Cockburn
@jaycockburn.bsky.social
I write and make podcasts about cities and the people in them.
Producer: Lately & City Space at the Globe and Mail
Write for Canada's National Observer, The Green Line, The Local, Toronto Star,
Former BBC News. He/him.
Producer: Lately & City Space at the Globe and Mail
Write for Canada's National Observer, The Green Line, The Local, Toronto Star,
Former BBC News. He/him.
Pinned
Jay Cockburn
@jaycockburn.bsky.social
· Mar 4
I had so much fun making this episode of City Space. It's about a Calgary that might-have-been, but also about how power uses beauty and architecture to express itself.
Plus you can hear me acting as a 1900s English landscape architect.
Plus you can hear me acting as a 1900s English landscape architect.
Wild that an inanimate object just did that
Elementary school student struck by car in Bowie
Elementary school student struck by car in Bowie
An elementary school student was hit by a car while walking home from school in Bowie on Friday.
wtop.com
November 22, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Wild that an inanimate object just did that
The CEO of the games company that is pivoting to be "AI-first" doesn't understand how to use ChatGPT or what it really does at all.
www.pcgamer.com/games/after-...
www.pcgamer.com/games/after-...
Krafton CEO says, well, yes, he did consult with ChatGPT on the Subnautica 2 mess, and also deleted some of those queries, but he had a good reason: He didn't want OpenAI finding out about it
Changhan Kim said during testimony that he used ChatGPT "like Google Search."
www.pcgamer.com
November 20, 2025 at 9:22 PM
The CEO of the games company that is pivoting to be "AI-first" doesn't understand how to use ChatGPT or what it really does at all.
www.pcgamer.com/games/after-...
www.pcgamer.com/games/after-...
Can't get arrested for hate crimes if you don't call hate a hate crime
November 20, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Can't get arrested for hate crimes if you don't call hate a hate crime
There are folks writing LinkedIn posts about how to tailor ChatGPT so that it doesn't use em-dashes or other hacky phrases when they could just write the god damn email themselves in a few seconds
November 20, 2025 at 6:01 PM
There are folks writing LinkedIn posts about how to tailor ChatGPT so that it doesn't use em-dashes or other hacky phrases when they could just write the god damn email themselves in a few seconds
I'm beginning to think that the writers who run this whole show are unimaginative hacks. This stuff is too on the nose.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
COP30 evacuated after fire breaks out
Thousands of people are attending the UN climate talks in Brazil.
www.bbc.com
November 20, 2025 at 5:56 PM
I'm beginning to think that the writers who run this whole show are unimaginative hacks. This stuff is too on the nose.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Be like Grambo
“I want their morale as low as possible because a team with low morale is ineffective.”
Meet the veteran who chases ICE on a scooter
Meet the veteran who chases ICE on a scooter
Meet the veteran who chases ICE on a scooter
Clifford “Buzz” Grambo patrols the streets of Baltimore to keep his neighbors safe—and make federal agents uncomfortable.
www.motherjones.com
November 20, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Be like Grambo
Reposted by Jay Cockburn
Spoiler alert: my answer is NO.
In the Globe and Mail, @vassb.bsky.social asks the basic question: Should we just let big tech companies insist that consent to use data for AI training is part and parcel of using their service?
www.theglobeandmail.com/business/com...
www.theglobeandmail.com/business/com...
Opinion: With AI, you are now the product: The hidden costs of staying online
More platforms are tying data surveillance for AI training as a condition to use services. Canada needs to reject this
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Spoiler alert: my answer is NO.
As soon as a kid opens up a Windows computer or an iPad they have access to an LLM whether you want it or not because its baked into software and operating systems.
It doesn't have to be wrapped in a teddy bear to be harmful, the stories of AI telling teens to kill themselves should be enough.
It doesn't have to be wrapped in a teddy bear to be harmful, the stories of AI telling teens to kill themselves should be enough.
Is this the least objectionable use of AI we've encountered in the past couple of days? www.cnn.com/2025/11/19/t...
Sales of AI-enabled teddy bear suspended after it gave advice on BDSM sex and where to find knives | CNN Business
Sales of an artificial intelligence-enabled plush toy have been suspended after it was found that it engaged in conversation around sexually explicit topics and offered potentially dangerous advice.
www.cnn.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:45 PM
As soon as a kid opens up a Windows computer or an iPad they have access to an LLM whether you want it or not because its baked into software and operating systems.
It doesn't have to be wrapped in a teddy bear to be harmful, the stories of AI telling teens to kill themselves should be enough.
It doesn't have to be wrapped in a teddy bear to be harmful, the stories of AI telling teens to kill themselves should be enough.
Urbanist policy is popular at the ballot, but when it comes to putting it into practice the discourse is distorted by people who actually have time to turn up and complain.
(or in Toronto's case, who have the time and moral vacancy to make AI anti-bus lane influencers)
(or in Toronto's case, who have the time and moral vacancy to make AI anti-bus lane influencers)
In bike-friendly Copenhagen, the Social Democrats' candidate for mayor tried to win over drivers by calling for more car parking.
In elections this week, she was trounced. For the first time in 122 years, a Social Democrat won't lead Copenhagen. The new mayor is a socialist from the Green Left.
In elections this week, she was trounced. For the first time in 122 years, a Social Democrat won't lead Copenhagen. The new mayor is a socialist from the Green Left.
Danish Premier’s Party Loses Century-Long Hold on Copenhagen
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s Social Democrats suffered a major setback in local elections held across the country, losing the capital after more than a century in power.
www.bloomberg.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Urbanist policy is popular at the ballot, but when it comes to putting it into practice the discourse is distorted by people who actually have time to turn up and complain.
(or in Toronto's case, who have the time and moral vacancy to make AI anti-bus lane influencers)
(or in Toronto's case, who have the time and moral vacancy to make AI anti-bus lane influencers)
Outer Worlds 2 is like, OK as a game.
But the radio stations have no right to be this good. I've had a doo-wop song about bubblegum flavoured cigarettes stuck in my head for days.
youtu.be/lv21iffgmYU?...
But the radio stations have no right to be this good. I've had a doo-wop song about bubblegum flavoured cigarettes stuck in my head for days.
youtu.be/lv21iffgmYU?...
The Outer Worlds 2 OST - Bubblegum Slims Song
YouTube video by FlareHazard
youtu.be
November 20, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Outer Worlds 2 is like, OK as a game.
But the radio stations have no right to be this good. I've had a doo-wop song about bubblegum flavoured cigarettes stuck in my head for days.
youtu.be/lv21iffgmYU?...
But the radio stations have no right to be this good. I've had a doo-wop song about bubblegum flavoured cigarettes stuck in my head for days.
youtu.be/lv21iffgmYU?...
This is such a great, ultimately sad story by Nick. Some uncomfortable truths for big name pubs in here.
A few months ago @thelocal.to got a promising pitch from a writer with bylines in whole bunch of reputable publications—The Cut, The Guardian, Dwell, Architectural Digest, etc. Then I started investigating. Here's a story about fabulists in journalism's AI slop era. thelocal.to/investigatin...
Investigating a Possible Scammer in Journalism’s AI Era | The Local
A suspicious pitch from a freelancer led editor Nicholas Hune-Brown to dig into their past work. By the end, four publications, including The Guardian and Dwell, had removed articles from their sites.
thelocal.to
November 19, 2025 at 3:38 PM
This is such a great, ultimately sad story by Nick. Some uncomfortable truths for big name pubs in here.
It was probably on the same server as the epstein files
The lawsuit says that people detained at the ICE facility are being held in abhorrent, “inhumane” conditions. Despite a request for surveillance video, a DHS report says footage has been “irretrievably destroyed.” @jasonkoebler.bsky.social reports.
Story: www.404media.co/two-weeks-of...
Story: www.404media.co/two-weeks-of...
November 18, 2025 at 9:04 PM
It was probably on the same server as the epstein files
If you'll allow me to be earnest for a second: one of the things that really sucks about being a cancer survivor is that for a significant chunk of your life you'ill be confronted with your mortality every 6 months via checkup scans. Waiting for results is hell, even if bad news is very unlikely.
November 17, 2025 at 4:50 PM
If you'll allow me to be earnest for a second: one of the things that really sucks about being a cancer survivor is that for a significant chunk of your life you'ill be confronted with your mortality every 6 months via checkup scans. Waiting for results is hell, even if bad news is very unlikely.
I love this so much. My rebellion against slop and capitalism is to write slowly, be creative, and take a day off every week. It's putting my phone away and not always being online.
We haven't been living in this hyper-available, attention-monetized way for very long, you don’t have to do it.
We haven't been living in this hyper-available, attention-monetized way for very long, you don’t have to do it.
‘dear rax, the VP at my day job is an AI true believer and it fills me with despair — is hope lost?’
www.patreon.com/posts/143594...
www.patreon.com/posts/143594...
November 17, 2025 at 2:45 PM
I love this so much. My rebellion against slop and capitalism is to write slowly, be creative, and take a day off every week. It's putting my phone away and not always being online.
We haven't been living in this hyper-available, attention-monetized way for very long, you don’t have to do it.
We haven't been living in this hyper-available, attention-monetized way for very long, you don’t have to do it.
Great so as well as having no-AI clauses inserted into the contracts I sign while I'm alive I have to put one in my will now.
No! Full stop! There were medieval peasants less credulous than this!
November 14, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Great so as well as having no-AI clauses inserted into the contracts I sign while I'm alive I have to put one in my will now.
It's so clear that Trump and co assume that everyone is as morally empty as they are. They think Democrats might be opposed to paedophiles being prosecuted because they're Democrats... and that might get them to shut up about his own involvement.
www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...
www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...
Trump calls for probe into Epstein’s ties with Bill Clinton, other Democrats
Trump asks Justice Department to also investigate former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and prominent Democratic donor Reid Hoffman
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 14, 2025 at 5:45 PM
It's so clear that Trump and co assume that everyone is as morally empty as they are. They think Democrats might be opposed to paedophiles being prosecuted because they're Democrats... and that might get them to shut up about his own involvement.
www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...
www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...
This is awesome but its also the wards that need it the least. I'd be thrilled to see a store open on my street.
But the suburban wards where folks have to drive to pick up milk and eggs are the ones who actually need this! The arguments against have been so detached from reality.
But the suburban wards where folks have to drive to pick up milk and eggs are the ones who actually need this! The arguments against have been so detached from reality.
Mayor Olivia Chow's motion to allow neighbourhood corner stores in all wards in the Old Toronto & East York Community Council area CARRIES 25-1.
November 13, 2025 at 11:10 PM
This is awesome but its also the wards that need it the least. I'd be thrilled to see a store open on my street.
But the suburban wards where folks have to drive to pick up milk and eggs are the ones who actually need this! The arguments against have been so detached from reality.
But the suburban wards where folks have to drive to pick up milk and eggs are the ones who actually need this! The arguments against have been so detached from reality.
Do these people hear themselves
Councillor Shan moves to exclude three streets in his ward. He worries the retail spaces created won't just be small shops selling ice cream to locals, but things like "beef patties that are so popular that people from the 905 will come to get it." That'll just add to traffic problems, he says.
November 13, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Do these people hear themselves
Windows 11 users... just how bad is the AI bloat? My current laptop is nearing its end of life and I should really upgrade but I know it probably means also moving over to 11 and I just... don't want to.
November 13, 2025 at 1:13 PM
Windows 11 users... just how bad is the AI bloat? My current laptop is nearing its end of life and I should really upgrade but I know it probably means also moving over to 11 and I just... don't want to.
Gonna try this next time I'm accused of murder
Unlocked | Up to the U.S. to decide if it violated international law with Caribbean boat strikes, says Anand
www.hilltimes.com/story/2025/1...
www.hilltimes.com/story/2025/1...
Up to the U.S. to decide if it violated international law with Caribbean boat strikes, says Anand
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand broke with tradition as she seemingly asserted that Canada's top diplomat doesn't weigh in on a foreign country's adherence to international law.
www.hilltimes.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:31 AM
Gonna try this next time I'm accused of murder
Reposted by Jay Cockburn
Well, it's a little clearer now why billionaires are so invested in technology that produces better written emails.
November 12, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Well, it's a little clearer now why billionaires are so invested in technology that produces better written emails.
The thing that stops me biking all through winter is just not knowing if the city will have actually cleared the bike lanes. In theory they do, but in reality half the time the road plough has pushed snow into the bike lane, there are patches of ice... it ends up being too dangerous.
I biked almost all of last winter BUT this week saw the first real snow in Toronto, a Canadian city that has a learning disability when it comes to snow so I've been using the TTC, but it's supposed to be relatively clear tomorrow and I'll be back on my bike
Communicating winter cycling is a balancing act.
Explaining to people in milder climates that winter is a big deal here. We can’t “just bike through the snow”.
But also explaining to Canadians that it’s not that different from other things we do in winter (requiring clothing, plowing, etc.).
Explaining to people in milder climates that winter is a big deal here. We can’t “just bike through the snow”.
But also explaining to Canadians that it’s not that different from other things we do in winter (requiring clothing, plowing, etc.).
November 12, 2025 at 7:22 PM
The thing that stops me biking all through winter is just not knowing if the city will have actually cleared the bike lanes. In theory they do, but in reality half the time the road plough has pushed snow into the bike lane, there are patches of ice... it ends up being too dangerous.
Sometimes in Canada things are just sponsored by a food.
Not the company that makes the food. Just the food.
For example: Milk.
Not the company that makes the food. Just the food.
For example: Milk.
November 11, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Sometimes in Canada things are just sponsored by a food.
Not the company that makes the food. Just the food.
For example: Milk.
Not the company that makes the food. Just the food.
For example: Milk.
Someone needs to go to Bushwick and tell them all yop doing monotone comedy music on TikTok and IG reels. There are enough of them now.
November 10, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Someone needs to go to Bushwick and tell them all yop doing monotone comedy music on TikTok and IG reels. There are enough of them now.