Lurkeylootoo #twinja
@lurkeyloo.bsky.social
#twinja, reader of fantasy, history and memoir, trekkie, foodie, liker of academic content/ interesting feeds, lover of cats and other creatures
Pinned
@selina3sticks.bsky.social need a book/ series recommendation. Craving Alice Hoffman/Deborah Harkness witchy, historic, descriptions of plants. That sort of thing. Read both of their big series.
Reposted by Lurkeylootoo #twinja
I grew up about 4 km from the fire in Hong Kong. I have no words for what happened, but I’m proud of Hongkongers for helping each other: building a real-time rescue map, donating essentials, and housing those suddenly homeless.
Hongkongers built their own SOS map as seven towers burned
When a fatal fire tore through seven high-rise towers in Hong Kong's Tai Po district, thousands of families were glued to a single webpage that offered updates far more quickly than official governmen...
www.abc.net.au
November 29, 2025 at 1:38 PM
I grew up about 4 km from the fire in Hong Kong. I have no words for what happened, but I’m proud of Hongkongers for helping each other: building a real-time rescue map, donating essentials, and housing those suddenly homeless.
Reposted by Lurkeylootoo #twinja
Since publishing our investigation into "Victoria Goldiee" at @thelocal.to, I've heard from editors from around the world who've had their own run-ins. A quick follow-up, plus a conversation with @cstarnino.bsky.social about journalism in a world of AI fakery. thelocal.to/fallout-from...
The Fallout From Our AI Freelancer Investigation | The Local
A conversation about the future of journalism in a world of “Victoria Goldiees.”
thelocal.to
November 29, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Since publishing our investigation into "Victoria Goldiee" at @thelocal.to, I've heard from editors from around the world who've had their own run-ins. A quick follow-up, plus a conversation with @cstarnino.bsky.social about journalism in a world of AI fakery. thelocal.to/fallout-from...
Reposted by Lurkeylootoo #twinja
The holiday shopping onslaught is upon us, and per Transfer Orbit tradition, I've rounded up a handful of special books, items, and other stuff to consider for the nerd-inclined person in your life.
You can read it here: transfer-orbit.ghost.io/nerd-holiday...
You can read it here: transfer-orbit.ghost.io/nerd-holiday...
November 26, 2025 at 5:27 PM
The holiday shopping onslaught is upon us, and per Transfer Orbit tradition, I've rounded up a handful of special books, items, and other stuff to consider for the nerd-inclined person in your life.
You can read it here: transfer-orbit.ghost.io/nerd-holiday...
You can read it here: transfer-orbit.ghost.io/nerd-holiday...
Reposted by Lurkeylootoo #twinja
This article by @jessgrose.bsky.social has very good advice on how to prevent norovirus and how to prevent it from spreading within your home. And again, masking is a great idea because it keeps you from inhaling aerosolized virus and from touching your face if you’ve touched contaminated surfaces.
How to Break the Norovirus Barf Cycle (Published 2019)
www.nytimes.com
November 29, 2025 at 2:22 PM
This article by @jessgrose.bsky.social has very good advice on how to prevent norovirus and how to prevent it from spreading within your home. And again, masking is a great idea because it keeps you from inhaling aerosolized virus and from touching your face if you’ve touched contaminated surfaces.
Reposted by Lurkeylootoo #twinja
NEW: The New York Times got a State Dept. cable telling diplomats to destroy visas that had been approved and printed to give to Afghans. And diplomats are told to do scheduled interviews but not grant visas. US shuts all legal entry routes for Afghans. Our story: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/28/u...
Trump Pauses All Asylum Applications and Halts Visas for Afghans
www.nytimes.com
November 29, 2025 at 4:02 AM
NEW: The New York Times got a State Dept. cable telling diplomats to destroy visas that had been approved and printed to give to Afghans. And diplomats are told to do scheduled interviews but not grant visas. US shuts all legal entry routes for Afghans. Our story: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/28/u...
Reposted by Lurkeylootoo #twinja
On international students:
November 29, 2025 at 1:17 PM
On international students:
Reposted by Lurkeylootoo #twinja
At this point, our intro comp/first-year English course has been so heavily revised, it no longer includes a novel, or "extended reading" of any kind, no "specialized" or "historical" reading, mostly in-class assignments, no research essay...and we are still seeing a 40-50% rate of AI misconduct.
November 28, 2025 at 11:31 PM
At this point, our intro comp/first-year English course has been so heavily revised, it no longer includes a novel, or "extended reading" of any kind, no "specialized" or "historical" reading, mostly in-class assignments, no research essay...and we are still seeing a 40-50% rate of AI misconduct.
Reposted by Lurkeylootoo #twinja
"Where are the Black photographers?" Deborah Willis on how she turned that question into an artistic mission.
'Reflections in Black' celebrates history of Black photography with expanded issue
"Where are the Black photographers?" Deborah Willis on how she turned that question into an artistic mission.
n.pr
November 29, 2025 at 12:58 PM
"Where are the Black photographers?" Deborah Willis on how she turned that question into an artistic mission.
Reposted by Lurkeylootoo #twinja
Veterans who have fought in foreign wars are coming home to work as private security personnel.
What happens when they bring war tactics to guard the local mall?
What happens when they bring war tactics to guard the local mall?
How a mercenary became a Minneapolis mall cop
After the George Floyd protests, a former military contractor named Nathan Seabrook brought the war home.
www.motherjones.com
November 29, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Veterans who have fought in foreign wars are coming home to work as private security personnel.
What happens when they bring war tactics to guard the local mall?
What happens when they bring war tactics to guard the local mall?
Reposted by Lurkeylootoo #twinja
We’ve compiled a list that includes important new books from local authors, suggestions on places to find products that will help you look and feel good, unique and interesting local clothing designers, and more. baltimorebeat.com/baltimore-be...
November 29, 2025 at 1:01 PM
We’ve compiled a list that includes important new books from local authors, suggestions on places to find products that will help you look and feel good, unique and interesting local clothing designers, and more. baltimorebeat.com/baltimore-be...
Reposted by Lurkeylootoo #twinja
Sadly, I assume the best ones have already been eaten
November 29, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Sadly, I assume the best ones have already been eaten
Reposted by Lurkeylootoo #twinja
They tried to overturn the 2020 US election. Now, they hold power in Trump’s Washington
They tried to overturn the 2020 US election. Now, they hold power in Trump’s Washington
Those who tried to overturn the 2020 election now occupy key federal roles, shaping rules and sowing doubt for 2026
www.theguardian.com
November 29, 2025 at 1:08 PM
They tried to overturn the 2020 US election. Now, they hold power in Trump’s Washington
Reposted by Lurkeylootoo #twinja
“Witkoff encouraged Ukrainian officials to try another tack: What good was a handful of missiles going to accomplish? Instead, he encouraged Ukraine to ask Trump for a 10-year tariff exemption. It would supercharge their economy, he said.”
Gift Link:
www.wsj.com/world/russia...
Gift Link:
www.wsj.com/world/russia...
Make Money Not War: Trump’s Real Plan for Peace in Ukraine
The Kremlin pitched the White House on peace through business. To Europe’s dismay, the president and his envoy are on board.
www.wsj.com
November 29, 2025 at 1:09 PM
“Witkoff encouraged Ukrainian officials to try another tack: What good was a handful of missiles going to accomplish? Instead, he encouraged Ukraine to ask Trump for a 10-year tariff exemption. It would supercharge their economy, he said.”
Gift Link:
www.wsj.com/world/russia...
Gift Link:
www.wsj.com/world/russia...
Reposted by Lurkeylootoo #twinja
🧵 UPDATE FOR MY BIRTHDAY:
Hi, so AI killed my career(s) and I'm still barely holding on. Some people tried to get me to start a fundraiser, but that felt weird, so I thought maybe if I was contributing something? So I started making shirts. Can you share this and maybe think about grabbing some?
Hi, so AI killed my career(s) and I'm still barely holding on. Some people tried to get me to start a fundraiser, but that felt weird, so I thought maybe if I was contributing something? So I started making shirts. Can you share this and maybe think about grabbing some?
Stuff, from The Internet
tylerfromtheinternet.com
September 28, 2025 at 6:32 PM
🧵 UPDATE FOR MY BIRTHDAY:
Hi, so AI killed my career(s) and I'm still barely holding on. Some people tried to get me to start a fundraiser, but that felt weird, so I thought maybe if I was contributing something? So I started making shirts. Can you share this and maybe think about grabbing some?
Hi, so AI killed my career(s) and I'm still barely holding on. Some people tried to get me to start a fundraiser, but that felt weird, so I thought maybe if I was contributing something? So I started making shirts. Can you share this and maybe think about grabbing some?
Reposted by Lurkeylootoo #twinja
Earlier this month, the ITK denounced the federal government for not renewing funding to eliminate the disease in Inuit
TB outbreak hits Labrador weeks after ITK decried funding loss
Health officials in Newfoundland and Labrador have declared an outbreak of tuberculosis (TB) within the...
www.aptnnews.ca
November 28, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Earlier this month, the ITK denounced the federal government for not renewing funding to eliminate the disease in Inuit
Reposted by Lurkeylootoo #twinja
...and close with this, which you will almost certainly have seen before, but which always bears reposting: how this particular Mitford sister responded to some of the invitations she received
November 28, 2025 at 9:21 AM
...and close with this, which you will almost certainly have seen before, but which always bears reposting: how this particular Mitford sister responded to some of the invitations she received
Reposted by Lurkeylootoo #twinja
It’s the 72nd anniversary of the death of Frank Olson, who’d been spiked with LSD as part of the CIA’s remarkably named Operation Midnight Climax, part of Project MKUltra. I haven’t had time to write about this myself but...
'Midnight Climax': The CIA mixed LSD and sex at this SF house
There's a house on Telegraph Hill where the CIA secretly gave men LSD and then watched, through a one-way mirror, as the men had sex with sex workers. The experiment lasted 10 years.
www.sfgate.com
November 28, 2025 at 9:15 AM
It’s the 72nd anniversary of the death of Frank Olson, who’d been spiked with LSD as part of the CIA’s remarkably named Operation Midnight Climax, part of Project MKUltra. I haven’t had time to write about this myself but...
Reposted by Lurkeylootoo #twinja
It’s the 305th anniversary of Ann Bonney and Mary Read being convicted of piracy, which must mean it’s time for me to shamelessly repost my thread about pirates from September, in which they get a mention
It’s International Talk Like a Pirate Day, so here are some things you didn’t* know about pirates (*unless you already did), and which I didn’t know until I read my niece’s Masters dissertation a while back. Firstly – remarkably – pirate ships were democracies with a pretty flat management structure
November 28, 2025 at 9:14 AM
It’s the 305th anniversary of Ann Bonney and Mary Read being convicted of piracy, which must mean it’s time for me to shamelessly repost my thread about pirates from September, in which they get a mention
Reposted by Lurkeylootoo #twinja
Raine family lead lawyer, Jay Edelson: OpenAI “abjectly ignore all of the damning facts we have put forward: how GPT-4o was rushed to market without full testing. That OpenAI twice changed its Model Spec to require ChatGPT to engage in self-harm discussions."
1/
1/
November 28, 2025 at 6:19 AM
Raine family lead lawyer, Jay Edelson: OpenAI “abjectly ignore all of the damning facts we have put forward: how GPT-4o was rushed to market without full testing. That OpenAI twice changed its Model Spec to require ChatGPT to engage in self-harm discussions."
1/
1/
Reposted by Lurkeylootoo #twinja
If you need a link to forward to people who believe that LLMs ("AI") will do historical research in the future this might be it! After a description of parts of what research is S. Davies explains why this cannot be done by "AI". Just one quote:
"If you ask gen AI to give you a ...
"If you ask gen AI to give you a ...
A while back I coined the phrase "ecocide-plagiarism machines" for LLM-based genAI.
A better term is "ecocide-plagiarism-psychosis machines."
3/3
buttondown.com/surekhadavie...
A better term is "ecocide-plagiarism-psychosis machines."
3/3
buttondown.com/surekhadavie...
Basement adventures showed me why ChatGPT can only ever be garbage.
In The British Library. Photo by Surekha Davies. Hallo readers, First, a news flash: Join me for a virtual book launch for HUMANS: A MONSTROUS HISTORY...
buttondown.com
November 28, 2025 at 8:01 AM
If you need a link to forward to people who believe that LLMs ("AI") will do historical research in the future this might be it! After a description of parts of what research is S. Davies explains why this cannot be done by "AI". Just one quote:
"If you ask gen AI to give you a ...
"If you ask gen AI to give you a ...
Reposted by Lurkeylootoo #twinja
They also didn't stop changing after domestication! In Poland, cat body size decreased from the Neolithic to the medieval period, in contrast to European wildcats, whose size remained stable over time.
🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
Cats became our companions way later than you think
In true feline style, cats took their time in deciding when and where to join us on the sofa.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 28, 2025 at 1:28 PM
They also didn't stop changing after domestication! In Poland, cat body size decreased from the Neolithic to the medieval period, in contrast to European wildcats, whose size remained stable over time.
🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
Reposted by Lurkeylootoo #twinja
Reading letters from the Princess Liselotte of Palantine, the German sister-in-law of Louis XIV, and it's wild because she had this super informal writing style that almost sounds like modern texts
Like at one point she goes "wish to god my son didn't love holding chunks of bread like a peasant"
Like at one point she goes "wish to god my son didn't love holding chunks of bread like a peasant"
November 28, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Reading letters from the Princess Liselotte of Palantine, the German sister-in-law of Louis XIV, and it's wild because she had this super informal writing style that almost sounds like modern texts
Like at one point she goes "wish to god my son didn't love holding chunks of bread like a peasant"
Like at one point she goes "wish to god my son didn't love holding chunks of bread like a peasant"
Reposted by Lurkeylootoo #twinja
This is Uno. He's here to let you know The Farmer's Dog is giving your dog a free box of fresh food today! The meals are pre-portioned for your dog's specific needs and delivered right to your door. Get your FREE first box below! (While supplies last. Terms apply) #ad
bit.ly/3p3SABm
bit.ly/3p3SABm
November 28, 2025 at 1:46 PM
This is Uno. He's here to let you know The Farmer's Dog is giving your dog a free box of fresh food today! The meals are pre-portioned for your dog's specific needs and delivered right to your door. Get your FREE first box below! (While supplies last. Terms apply) #ad
bit.ly/3p3SABm
bit.ly/3p3SABm
Reposted by Lurkeylootoo #twinja
HELLO IT'S BLACK FRIDAY
Instead of a sale this year I'm giving 10% of Black Friday weekend sales to @distributeaid.org for their harm reduction toolkits that provide safe injection supplies to trans people taking hormones.
nora.jewelry
#bsnm
Instead of a sale this year I'm giving 10% of Black Friday weekend sales to @distributeaid.org for their harm reduction toolkits that provide safe injection supplies to trans people taking hormones.
nora.jewelry
#bsnm
November 28, 2025 at 1:48 PM
HELLO IT'S BLACK FRIDAY
Instead of a sale this year I'm giving 10% of Black Friday weekend sales to @distributeaid.org for their harm reduction toolkits that provide safe injection supplies to trans people taking hormones.
nora.jewelry
#bsnm
Instead of a sale this year I'm giving 10% of Black Friday weekend sales to @distributeaid.org for their harm reduction toolkits that provide safe injection supplies to trans people taking hormones.
nora.jewelry
#bsnm
Reposted by Lurkeylootoo #twinja
Obligatory Black Friday Post
Analog calendars are really hot right now.
Analog calendars are really hot right now.
Blue Heron Farm 2026
Spend an entire year with the goofballs at Blue Heron Farm. Sure, it's mostly goats, but you should see what they get up to.
www.lulu.com
November 28, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Obligatory Black Friday Post
Analog calendars are really hot right now.
Analog calendars are really hot right now.