@smokey2001.bsky.social
“Affirmative consent is about autonomy, mutuality, reciprocity and respect”
It's time the law caught up with society on consent
Comment from the University of Otago: Most of us agree on the basics – communicate, don’t assume, writes Anna High
newsroom.co.nz
December 17, 2025 at 11:38 PM
“Affirmative consent is about autonomy, mutuality, reciprocity and respect”
“When you can't trust, how does society function?”
We are entering an era where trust is simply not possible. Video, audio, photography are all already under attack but now we can add citations, references, journals, media stories, research reports and all else besides.
When you can't trust, how does society function?
www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/5...
When you can't trust, how does society function?
www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/5...
Racist and antisemitic false information spreads online following Bondi Beach terrorism attack
A deepfake image depicting one of the victims is among a slew of false content spreading online.
www.rnz.co.nz
December 17, 2025 at 12:05 AM
“When you can't trust, how does society function?”
It’s great to be reminded that there are still good and brave people among us …
'Extraordinary act of bravery': Junior Isaako stopped violent attack, saved stabbed man's life
'Extraordinary act of bravery': Junior Isaako stopped violent attack, saved stabbed man's life
Junior Fa'amalosi Isaako was asleep at his home in Flaxmere, Hastings in June, when he was awoken by loud arguing.
www.rnz.co.nz
December 12, 2025 at 9:58 PM
It’s great to be reminded that there are still good and brave people among us …
This is astonishingly dystopian 🤯
There is no sight that more efficiently puts the lie to immigration “court” than the common sight of children “representing themselves.” Children too small to climb into the chair, children in pajamas who don’t know where they are, children not yet old enough to speak.
Three-year-old child forced to serve as her own attorney in Tucson immigration court
More than a dozen undocumented minors were forced to make their case in front of an immigration judge as the Trump administration ramps up removal proceedings.
coppercourier.com
December 8, 2025 at 12:05 AM
This is astonishingly dystopian 🤯
Now that’s clever!
Data centres are energy hungry but what if we could use their waste heat to heat our homes?
That's exactly what happens in places like Finland: Cities are tapping the vast amounts of waste heat generated by data centres, and feeding it into district-heating networks.
That's exactly what happens in places like Finland: Cities are tapping the vast amounts of waste heat generated by data centres, and feeding it into district-heating networks.
December 3, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Now that’s clever!
Words matter …
I really wish journalists would stop using the word "retribution" to describe Trump's efforts to criminalize opposition to him, as it treats his claim that his adversaries did something wrong in the first place.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/u...
November 26, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Words matter …
In this article, starting at para. 5, is a great explanation (by way of example) of how lying succeeds — by burying good-faith discourse with diversion and exacting costs in refuting the lies. It’s depressing but enlightening.
America Is Finally Starting to
See Trump for the Bullsh*t Artist He Is
He came to power through a relentless assault of lies. But the debt owed to the truth is coming due.
newrepublic.com
November 24, 2025 at 11:11 PM
In this article, starting at para. 5, is a great explanation (by way of example) of how lying succeeds — by burying good-faith discourse with diversion and exacting costs in refuting the lies. It’s depressing but enlightening.
Uh-oh. The whole thread is worth following 😬
Bellingcat’s contact email has always been a magnet for people with fairly unusual views; paranoid delusions, sprawling conspiracies, the works. But recently, the pattern has shifted, we’re seeing more and more emails clearly written with ChatGPT.
November 19, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Uh-oh. The whole thread is worth following 😬
Ghost tapping — new one to me, and quite unnerving. Good explanation of how it works.
November 19, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Ghost tapping — new one to me, and quite unnerving. Good explanation of how it works.
This would be a tragedy!
Vaccines based on mRNA can be tailored to target a cancer patient’s unique tumor mutations. But crumbling support for cancer and mRNA vaccine research has endangered this promising therapy
Personalized Cancer Vaccines Are Almost Here—But Federal Funding Cuts Could Derail Them
Vaccines based on mRNA can be tailored to target a cancer patient’s unique tumor mutations. But crumbling support for cancer and mRNA vaccine research has endangered this promising therapy
www.scientificamerican.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:44 PM
This would be a tragedy!
More great work from @icij.org 🔥
ICIJ’s latest investigation The #CoinLaundry is now live!
Tap the link to read how the crypto boom minted a shadow economy that thrives on crime — and left a trail of devastated victims.
Tap the link to read how the crypto boom minted a shadow economy that thrives on crime — and left a trail of devastated victims.
The Coin Laundry, a global cryptocurrency investigation
How the crypto boom minted a shadow economy that thrives on crime — and left a trail of devastated victims.
www.icij.org
November 17, 2025 at 10:59 AM
More great work from @icij.org 🔥
Reposted
10 years old and maybe never more relevant than in contemporary software development
www.commitstrip.com/en/2016/08/2...
www.commitstrip.com/en/2016/08/2...
November 10, 2025 at 9:11 PM
10 years old and maybe never more relevant than in contemporary software development
www.commitstrip.com/en/2016/08/2...
www.commitstrip.com/en/2016/08/2...
🤣🤣🤣
November 7, 2025 at 6:08 AM
🤣🤣🤣
Reposted
For children and teens, heart and blood vessel complications of Covid overshadow the very rare and short-term risk of vaccinations, a new report from nearly 14 million kids
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
November 5, 2025 at 12:48 AM
For children and teens, heart and blood vessel complications of Covid overshadow the very rare and short-term risk of vaccinations, a new report from nearly 14 million kids
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Reposted
So @pbump.com has (understandably, when posts go viral) turned off comments on his post about Claude telling him that the demolition of East Wing is "fiction." But just noting I had a similar experience in writing about Charlie Kirk. Here's Claude scolding me for "killing your credibility."
October 30, 2025 at 4:24 PM
So @pbump.com has (understandably, when posts go viral) turned off comments on his post about Claude telling him that the demolition of East Wing is "fiction." But just noting I had a similar experience in writing about Charlie Kirk. Here's Claude scolding me for "killing your credibility."
Reposted
I use Claude (an AI) to scan my posts for spelling and grammar errors. On the most recent post (about the East Wing, link below), I got a really amazing addendum.
www.pbump.net/o/yes-most-a...
www.pbump.net/o/yes-most-a...
October 30, 2025 at 3:03 PM
I use Claude (an AI) to scan my posts for spelling and grammar errors. On the most recent post (about the East Wing, link below), I got a really amazing addendum.
www.pbump.net/o/yes-most-a...
www.pbump.net/o/yes-most-a...
This 🧵 thread is very worthwhile following 🙏🏻
JD Vance claims that diversity weakens unions, as people end up distrusting each other and not organizing.
Let me tell you two menswear stories related to this claim. 🧵
Let me tell you two menswear stories related to this claim. 🧵
October 30, 2025 at 5:31 PM
This 🧵 thread is very worthwhile following 🙏🏻
Only in Dunedin!
Only in Dunedin do 20% of motorists have a chainsaw at hand when driving.
October 23, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Only in Dunedin!
Reposted
The kindness of strangers: a gang of scary-looking youths stepped in to save me from being mugged
The kindness of strangers: a gang of scary-looking youths stepped in to save me from being mugged
I was having some trouble getting the car door to open when I suddenly felt hands around my neck. A voice behind me said ‘give me your purse’
www.theguardian.com
October 19, 2025 at 2:35 PM
The kindness of strangers: a gang of scary-looking youths stepped in to save me from being mugged
@theguardian.com has an occasional column called “Kindness of Strangers” where individuals recount an incident where a stranger helped them in a time of need. It’s a genuinely uplifting and inspiring antidote to what’s happening. And a reminder that people largely are genuinely good.
October 19, 2025 at 11:26 PM
@theguardian.com has an occasional column called “Kindness of Strangers” where individuals recount an incident where a stranger helped them in a time of need. It’s a genuinely uplifting and inspiring antidote to what’s happening. And a reminder that people largely are genuinely good.
Reposted
And this is just a small sample of the scams and the grift!
October 4, 2025 at 10:45 PM
And this is just a small sample of the scams and the grift!
To use an old analogy, they’re totally failing “to call a spade a spade”. USA journalists need to look to their British or Australian counterparts to learn how to speak “truth to power”
The Mainstream Media Is Catastrophically Failing To Meet The Moment
Earlier today we wrote about Trump’s extraordinary admission that he was basing military deployment decisions on old Fox News footage and lies from his advisors. But there’s an even mor…
www.techdirt.com
October 1, 2025 at 11:31 PM
To use an old analogy, they’re totally failing “to call a spade a spade”. USA journalists need to look to their British or Australian counterparts to learn how to speak “truth to power”
Reposted
A large, rigorous study published in JAMA last year found no association between autism and #acetaminophen use in pregnancy after accounting for heritability.
Read this new interview with the study’s senior author about the findings. #paracetamol
ja.ma/4gIJ4tI
Read this new interview with the study’s senior author about the findings. #paracetamol
ja.ma/4gIJ4tI
Study Author on Acetaminophen Use in Pregnancy
This Medical News article is an interview with epidemiologist Brian Lee, PhD, about his study on acetaminophen use during pregnancy and children’s risk of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders...
ja.ma
September 29, 2025 at 3:26 PM
A large, rigorous study published in JAMA last year found no association between autism and #acetaminophen use in pregnancy after accounting for heritability.
Read this new interview with the study’s senior author about the findings. #paracetamol
ja.ma/4gIJ4tI
Read this new interview with the study’s senior author about the findings. #paracetamol
ja.ma/4gIJ4tI
🤣🤣🤣
September 27, 2025 at 11:49 PM
🤣🤣🤣
A useful reminder…
If you have functioning organ systems, you are *detoxing* all day. Every day.
Liver
Kidneys
Lungs
GI tract
You’re all good, boo.
Stop buying into conspiracies and claims from wellness profiteers who don’t know basic science.
Liver
Kidneys
Lungs
GI tract
You’re all good, boo.
Stop buying into conspiracies and claims from wellness profiteers who don’t know basic science.
September 27, 2025 at 6:11 AM
A useful reminder…