crystal
@cim.bsky.social
33 / f / chicago. mechanical engineer / product designer, speedrunner, vaguely leftist, queer / polyam / transfemme. @iscrystalme on Twitter
Pinned
crystal
@cim.bsky.social
· Apr 6
most drunk texts: blahhhhhhhh
me: the world is full of beauty and wonder and it is a joy to share it with those close to me
me: the world is full of beauty and wonder and it is a joy to share it with those close to me
Reposted by crystal
I really gotta stop trying to talk to centrist liberals on here and focus on what I do worst: vague posting about the boring minutiae of my life. I fixed a sink this morning! It's not really that hard.
December 28, 2025 at 4:40 PM
I really gotta stop trying to talk to centrist liberals on here and focus on what I do worst: vague posting about the boring minutiae of my life. I fixed a sink this morning! It's not really that hard.
came home to a sink that's just sort of spilling water slowly in any random direction when it's on and I think the 20 year old faucet might be cooked. could probably change and grease some o rings or something but it's really not worth fixing vs a new $60ish faucet
December 28, 2025 at 2:00 PM
came home to a sink that's just sort of spilling water slowly in any random direction when it's on and I think the 20 year old faucet might be cooked. could probably change and grease some o rings or something but it's really not worth fixing vs a new $60ish faucet
I have returned to the Chicago from whence I came. immediately getting back to my life of whimsy and nonsense every day, having not learned a thing at all from serious rest for a week
December 28, 2025 at 1:44 PM
I have returned to the Chicago from whence I came. immediately getting back to my life of whimsy and nonsense every day, having not learned a thing at all from serious rest for a week
people often have a misconception that generative AI knows what facts are, or checks its work, and since it's been explained a million times how this isn't the case, that means AI also will tell you that it's not the case. ask your AI-poisoned friends to ask their AI how AI checks their facts
December 27, 2025 at 4:46 AM
people often have a misconception that generative AI knows what facts are, or checks its work, and since it's been explained a million times how this isn't the case, that means AI also will tell you that it's not the case. ask your AI-poisoned friends to ask their AI how AI checks their facts
Reposted by crystal
I wish I had the words to describe just how valuable @kissane.myatproto.social‘s latest essay feels to me: www.wrecka.ge/landslide-a-...
Landslide; a ghost story
On March 27, 1964, a converted liberty ship named the SS Chena brought a shipment of supplies to the port of Valdez, Alaska. Valdez, which I need you to know is pronounced “valDEEZ,” sits at the end o...
www.wrecka.ge
December 24, 2025 at 3:16 PM
I wish I had the words to describe just how valuable @kissane.myatproto.social‘s latest essay feels to me: www.wrecka.ge/landslide-a-...
Reposted by crystal
and Tiny Tim, who was NOT mad, don't put it in the papers that he was mad,
December 24, 2025 at 3:13 AM
and Tiny Tim, who was NOT mad, don't put it in the papers that he was mad,
@chicagocta.bsky.social on the 77 westbound, bus 4049 drove off without stopping at a stop after the driver made eye contact with me. When I tried to wave at them as they drove away, they honked at me.
December 17, 2025 at 12:23 AM
@chicagocta.bsky.social on the 77 westbound, bus 4049 drove off without stopping at a stop after the driver made eye contact with me. When I tried to wave at them as they drove away, they honked at me.
Reposted by crystal
URGENT ACTION NEEDED:
Mayor Johnson's 2026 bond proposal defunds safe streets infrastructure by a whopping 70% – putting our communities in jeopardy by threatening the progress we've made in preventative infrastructure.
Email him and your alderperson today and tell them to reverse course!
Mayor Johnson's 2026 bond proposal defunds safe streets infrastructure by a whopping 70% – putting our communities in jeopardy by threatening the progress we've made in preventative infrastructure.
Email him and your alderperson today and tell them to reverse course!
Tell the city NO to 70% cuts to safe streets funding!
Mayor Johnson's bond proposal defunds safe streets infrastructure to the tune of 70% – directly putting our communities' safety in jeopardy. Take a moment to email him and your Alderperson to tell the...
betterstreetschicago.org
December 11, 2025 at 9:16 PM
URGENT ACTION NEEDED:
Mayor Johnson's 2026 bond proposal defunds safe streets infrastructure by a whopping 70% – putting our communities in jeopardy by threatening the progress we've made in preventative infrastructure.
Email him and your alderperson today and tell them to reverse course!
Mayor Johnson's 2026 bond proposal defunds safe streets infrastructure by a whopping 70% – putting our communities in jeopardy by threatening the progress we've made in preventative infrastructure.
Email him and your alderperson today and tell them to reverse course!
finally finished installing some cool light fixtures today. the right one needed a 0-10 dimmer which pushed finishing it back a week but now everything looks bright and good (or dim and good, for when you want it to be)
December 13, 2025 at 9:01 PM
finally finished installing some cool light fixtures today. the right one needed a 0-10 dimmer which pushed finishing it back a week but now everything looks bright and good (or dim and good, for when you want it to be)
the problem with robotic vacuum cleaners is that vacuuming is easy and fun to do, so why would I spend almost as much time making sure everything is clear for a robot to do it when I could just whip around for ten minutes with the vroom vroom machine
December 12, 2025 at 11:58 PM
the problem with robotic vacuum cleaners is that vacuuming is easy and fun to do, so why would I spend almost as much time making sure everything is clear for a robot to do it when I could just whip around for ten minutes with the vroom vroom machine
Reposted by crystal
man, the collective grief from older trans people at the violent death of the world we briefly hoped was coming, a world in which trans children would be recognised, loved, and helped...
yeah.
yeah.
December 11, 2025 at 9:42 AM
man, the collective grief from older trans people at the violent death of the world we briefly hoped was coming, a world in which trans children would be recognised, loved, and helped...
yeah.
yeah.
Reposted by crystal
Everyone hates this shit so much. It’s a bipartisan issue. AI sucks. It’s intrusive. It isn’t magical nor is it changing the world other than in the amount of money being wasted on it. Consumers are increasingly offended by its presence
"The most terrible time of the year"
McDonald’s pulls AI-generated Christmas advert in the Netherlands. The advert, titled "the most terrible time of the year," depicts Christmas chaos, with Santa caught in a traffic jam and a present-laden cyclist slipping in the snow
u.afp.com/S7sF
McDonald’s pulls AI-generated Christmas advert in the Netherlands. The advert, titled "the most terrible time of the year," depicts Christmas chaos, with Santa caught in a traffic jam and a present-laden cyclist slipping in the snow
u.afp.com/S7sF
December 11, 2025 at 7:26 AM
Everyone hates this shit so much. It’s a bipartisan issue. AI sucks. It’s intrusive. It isn’t magical nor is it changing the world other than in the amount of money being wasted on it. Consumers are increasingly offended by its presence
Reposted by crystal
A reminder that you don't need to understand everything you see
October 30, 2025 at 7:28 PM
A reminder that you don't need to understand everything you see
Reposted by crystal
The bartender at our local brewery said her monthly premium is going from $450 to $1250. Per month. This is more than the increase those of us with employer insurance see when we grumble about premium increases and I need such folks to understand. It is literally unaffordable.
People are going to die because of the pending insurance premium hikes. I know the terrain of discourse is inconsistent and goes through a tumble cycle every 24 hours, but I really think we need to hone in on this reality and drive it home for people.
December 10, 2025 at 3:01 AM
The bartender at our local brewery said her monthly premium is going from $450 to $1250. Per month. This is more than the increase those of us with employer insurance see when we grumble about premium increases and I need such folks to understand. It is literally unaffordable.
need a service that goes in and edits all my post-breakup social media content to be retroactively less embarassing
December 8, 2025 at 7:40 PM
need a service that goes in and edits all my post-breakup social media content to be retroactively less embarassing
sometimes I get in at like 9:20 and I'm like "wow I am the absolute latest person here", but then when I get in at 8:40 I'm the first one around
December 8, 2025 at 3:14 PM
sometimes I get in at like 9:20 and I'm like "wow I am the absolute latest person here", but then when I get in at 8:40 I'm the first one around
Reposted by crystal
This is so common though! So many people just believe that Someone Will Sort It All Out and that there's ultimately a Boss Of Everything who sort of keeps things in line. They genuinely don't know that politics is real and not just a game they play.
December 5, 2025 at 3:39 PM
This is so common though! So many people just believe that Someone Will Sort It All Out and that there's ultimately a Boss Of Everything who sort of keeps things in line. They genuinely don't know that politics is real and not just a game they play.
Reposted by crystal
it's wild how the positive use cases are like "save 5 minutes reading a long doc" and "write a generic email faster" and the negative use cases are "get encouraged to dive deeper in psychosis, misogyny, or suicidal thoughts" and we're still on the fence about overall value
New from 404 Media: ChatGPT told a violent stalker to continue running his misogynistic and threat-filled podcast despite the “haters,” and to visit more gyms to find women. The man stalked women in multiple states, including touching and following from work
www.404media.co/chatgpt-spot...
www.404media.co/chatgpt-spot...
ChatGPT Told a Violent Stalker to Embrace the 'Haters,' Indictment Says
A newly filed indictment claims a wannabe influencer used ChatGPT as his "therapist" and "best friend" in his pursuit of the "wife type," while harassing women so aggressively they had to miss work a...
www.404media.co
December 3, 2025 at 6:17 PM
it's wild how the positive use cases are like "save 5 minutes reading a long doc" and "write a generic email faster" and the negative use cases are "get encouraged to dive deeper in psychosis, misogyny, or suicidal thoughts" and we're still on the fence about overall value
Reposted by crystal
a sign people really want a feature and find it good is when companies make turning it off a 12 part process (firefox), require registry modifications (microsoft) or contact support to reveal the real off switch instead of their two decoy toggles (google) so they can claim people don't turn it off 📈
firefox AI and slop disablers from tumblr for the people from local hero mckitterick. Tried it on my end and the browser is significantly faster now
(copy paste-able in the alt text)
(copy paste-able in the alt text)
December 2, 2025 at 10:20 AM
a sign people really want a feature and find it good is when companies make turning it off a 12 part process (firefox), require registry modifications (microsoft) or contact support to reveal the real off switch instead of their two decoy toggles (google) so they can claim people don't turn it off 📈
Reposted by crystal
Have you ever said 'soooo good'. 'there's two of them'. 'regular type'. 'burninate'. Referring to your place of employment as your 'jorb'. 'I have a crush on every boy'. Getting the 'jibblies'.
December 2, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Have you ever said 'soooo good'. 'there's two of them'. 'regular type'. 'burninate'. Referring to your place of employment as your 'jorb'. 'I have a crush on every boy'. Getting the 'jibblies'.
Reposted by crystal
Recently, my partner was shocked to discover "I will do it 9 times" was a homestar thing they picked up, and they picked it up *last year*. Via me. I even showed them where I got it from!
HSR has such a unique ability to slip into your language center that it transcends time and space
HSR has such a unique ability to slip into your language center that it transcends time and space
you truly don't want to know how much of your modern lexicon was created by homestar runner, even if you never watched it it inspired all your favorite quirked up white boy comedy shows and podcasts
(A couple days ago my roommate and I were trying to figure out why the phrase “crapfully yours” was in our heads and initially guessed it was an ancient foamy thing. It was not, it was homestar runner, but it’s been re-engaging the old internet video circuitry in my brain, which there’s too much of)
December 2, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Recently, my partner was shocked to discover "I will do it 9 times" was a homestar thing they picked up, and they picked it up *last year*. Via me. I even showed them where I got it from!
HSR has such a unique ability to slip into your language center that it transcends time and space
HSR has such a unique ability to slip into your language center that it transcends time and space
Reposted by crystal
she went to state legislators, TPUSA and conservative media outlets within a few hours of getting her grade, if you can’t identify the bad faith that can be seen from space, you need to get your eyes checked
a lot of people debating the merits of that dogshit essay meanwhile the girl’s mom is retweeting demands to ban all trans people from teaching at any level. it’s forest for the trees shit
December 1, 2025 at 7:20 PM
she went to state legislators, TPUSA and conservative media outlets within a few hours of getting her grade, if you can’t identify the bad faith that can be seen from space, you need to get your eyes checked
trying to decide if I should get a refurb iPod Touch or if I should get like an iPhone 12 mini that I just never put a SIM card or social media apps onto. I just want a smaller device that can get my Apple Music stuff saved locally which I'll never put the scrolling apps onto
December 1, 2025 at 3:31 PM
trying to decide if I should get a refurb iPod Touch or if I should get like an iPhone 12 mini that I just never put a SIM card or social media apps onto. I just want a smaller device that can get my Apple Music stuff saved locally which I'll never put the scrolling apps onto
Reposted by crystal
Sure, they've made an environmentally catastrophic mass hallucination disinformation plagiarism Clippy that will destabilize the world, but also their other goal is to replace human workers entirely and let us humans starve. A boycott of AI is the most important boycott of your entire life.
"All of this falls apart if humans don't adopt the tech. This is why you've seen Meta cram its lame chatbots into WhatsApp and Instagram. This is why Notepad and Paint now have useless Copilot buttons on Windows. This is why Google Gemini wants to "help you" read and reply to your emails."
Analysis: OpenAI is a loss-making machine, how can it survive?
Don't call it a bubble! Loss-making monster OpenAI is on the hook for $1.4 trillion (with a T) in compute commitments. How can this go on?
www.windowscentral.com
November 30, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Sure, they've made an environmentally catastrophic mass hallucination disinformation plagiarism Clippy that will destabilize the world, but also their other goal is to replace human workers entirely and let us humans starve. A boycott of AI is the most important boycott of your entire life.