Darby Lyons
@darbylyons.bsky.social
Retired English teacher, poet. Book and music lover. Midwesterner, kind of (Army brat, IYKYK), with Appalachian roots. MFA, Sewanee School of Letters. Senior editorial assistant, Cincinnati Review.
Pinned
Darby Lyons
@darbylyons.bsky.social
· Jan 16
The latest thing is just too stupid to even comment on.
What in the HELL?
Meta has patented AI that can run a dead person's account, continuing to post and chat on their behalf
It can message and video call by replicating a user's online behavior using their past data
It can message and video call by replicating a user's online behavior using their past data
February 17, 2026 at 12:40 AM
What in the HELL?
I had brunch with a former student today. Mid-conversation, she told me today's her 50th birthday.😳
an elderly man in a pink jacket is standing in a kitchen with his arms outstretched and shouting .
Alt: Redd Foxx standing in a kitchen with his arms outstretched and shouting OH LAWD GEEZUS HELP ME PLS!
media.tenor.com
February 16, 2026 at 9:11 PM
I had brunch with a former student today. Mid-conversation, she told me today's her 50th birthday.😳
Reposted by Darby Lyons
So when thousands of women (and children) were being duplicated--including in non-consensual AI porn--it was no big deal. But it took "only a 15-sec clip" of these two famous white men to draw outrage and fear. Gotcha. Cool cool.
It took only a 15-second clip of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt duking it out on a crumbling rooftop — made by A.I. with a two-sentence prompt and the click of a button — to draw swift outrage, and sizable fear, from Hollywood.
"It’s nothing short of terrifying," one scriptwriter said.
"It’s nothing short of terrifying," one scriptwriter said.
Why an A.I. Video of Tom Cruise Battling Brad Pitt Spooked Hollywood
A 15-second clip created by an artificial intelligence tool owned by the Chinese technology company ByteDance appears more cinematic than anything so far.
nyti.ms
February 16, 2026 at 8:36 PM
So when thousands of women (and children) were being duplicated--including in non-consensual AI porn--it was no big deal. But it took "only a 15-sec clip" of these two famous white men to draw outrage and fear. Gotcha. Cool cool.
"These are the reluctant activists, the ones forced to take action because once you see this violence in real life and realize that it’s really truly happening right outside your door, there’s no other role to have, no matter who you voted for or what political party you belong to.”
Teachers have been on the frontlines in Minneapolis, helping children and families afraid or unable to leave their homes. While ICE is allegedly departing, the damage lingers. I wrote about the impact of ICE on educators @npquarterly.bsky.social
nonprofitquarterly.org/how-do-you-t...
nonprofitquarterly.org/how-do-you-t...
‘How Do You Teach a Child Who Has Been Pepper-Sprayed?’—The Impact of ICE on Educators | Nonprofit Quarterly | Civic News. Empowering Nonprofits. Advancing Justice.
What is the toll the ICE surge in Minneapolis has taken on educators, from losing students to witnessing violence, and how can those in other states help and prepare?
nonprofitquarterly.org
February 16, 2026 at 7:32 PM
"These are the reluctant activists, the ones forced to take action because once you see this violence in real life and realize that it’s really truly happening right outside your door, there’s no other role to have, no matter who you voted for or what political party you belong to.”
Hi, Maine friends... I hope you fire spineless Susan. I also hope you replace her with Janet, not the Nazi tattoo/racist/misogynist reddit comments guy. Sigh.
February 16, 2026 at 7:22 PM
Hi, Maine friends... I hope you fire spineless Susan. I also hope you replace her with Janet, not the Nazi tattoo/racist/misogynist reddit comments guy. Sigh.
Reposted by Darby Lyons
HELLO I WAS A QUEER TEEN IN THE 1990s AND THE ARGUMENTS AGAINST SOCIAL TRANSITION NOW ARE INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM THE ARGUMENTS AGAINST "LETTING" US BE (at the time, for me) GAY OR LESBIAN THEN.
They all rest on the belief that it's inherently better to be straight (then)/cis (now) and that's BS.
They all rest on the belief that it's inherently better to be straight (then)/cis (now) and that's BS.
Hilary Cass here arguing for children to be prevented from being known by a preferred name or getting a haircut in case it encourages them to continue later in life to transition.
Hilary Cass acts like gender variant children should have the transness hazed out of them.
Hilary Cass acts like gender variant children should have the transness hazed out of them.
February 16, 2026 at 6:32 PM
HELLO I WAS A QUEER TEEN IN THE 1990s AND THE ARGUMENTS AGAINST SOCIAL TRANSITION NOW ARE INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM THE ARGUMENTS AGAINST "LETTING" US BE (at the time, for me) GAY OR LESBIAN THEN.
They all rest on the belief that it's inherently better to be straight (then)/cis (now) and that's BS.
They all rest on the belief that it's inherently better to be straight (then)/cis (now) and that's BS.
Master of the craft.
Robert Duvall, the legendary character actor who specialized in playing rugged, complicated men, has died. He was 95. 🕊️
www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv...
www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv...
February 16, 2026 at 6:52 PM
Master of the craft.
Reposted by Darby Lyons
Writing is thinking.
Not a product, not content, not an inefficient task that impedes workflow.
Remove writing, remove thinking. Remove thinking, remove ...
Not a product, not content, not an inefficient task that impedes workflow.
Remove writing, remove thinking. Remove thinking, remove ...
February 16, 2026 at 5:08 PM
Writing is thinking.
Not a product, not content, not an inefficient task that impedes workflow.
Remove writing, remove thinking. Remove thinking, remove ...
Not a product, not content, not an inefficient task that impedes workflow.
Remove writing, remove thinking. Remove thinking, remove ...
My favorite Valentines.❤️
(aka Dad &Mom)
(aka Dad &Mom)
February 16, 2026 at 1:19 AM
My favorite Valentines.❤️
(aka Dad &Mom)
(aka Dad &Mom)
Reposted by Darby Lyons
March 4th at Urban Artifact in Cincy: Featured poets Karen George, Donelle Dreese, Nancy Jentsch, & Taunja Thomson will read from their collaborative collection, Delight is a Field (Ashanti Arts). Come in! There’s an open mic! #PoetryatArtifact
February 16, 2026 at 12:15 AM
March 4th at Urban Artifact in Cincy: Featured poets Karen George, Donelle Dreese, Nancy Jentsch, & Taunja Thomson will read from their collaborative collection, Delight is a Field (Ashanti Arts). Come in! There’s an open mic! #PoetryatArtifact
Reposted by Darby Lyons
"OpenAI researchers reveal that large language models will always produce plausible but false outputs, even with perfect data, due to fundamental statistical and computational limits."
This isn't a dead canary in the coal mine, it's a miner. AI doesn't work.
www.computerworld.com/article/4059...
This isn't a dead canary in the coal mine, it's a miner. AI doesn't work.
www.computerworld.com/article/4059...
OpenAI admits AI hallucinations are mathematically inevitable, not just engineering flaws
In a landmark study, OpenAI researchers reveal that large language models will always produce plausible but false outputs, even with perfect data, due to fundamental statistical and computational limi...
www.computerworld.com
February 15, 2026 at 9:33 PM
"OpenAI researchers reveal that large language models will always produce plausible but false outputs, even with perfect data, due to fundamental statistical and computational limits."
This isn't a dead canary in the coal mine, it's a miner. AI doesn't work.
www.computerworld.com/article/4059...
This isn't a dead canary in the coal mine, it's a miner. AI doesn't work.
www.computerworld.com/article/4059...
Reposted by Darby Lyons
February 15, 2026 at 12:30 PM
Reposted by Darby Lyons
This is a poem I wrote in response to the events in Minneapolis. I'm honored that Stone Circle Review shared it.
POEM 309: "Breaking" by Grant Clauser (@grantclauser.bsky.social)
"Pipes leaking. Cold
creeping in where the insulation’s old,
and more things waiting
broken in the garage and shed,
bedrock cracking under the foundation
and the kidnapping "
stonecirclereview.com/breaking/
#Poem #PoetryCommunity
"Pipes leaking. Cold
creeping in where the insulation’s old,
and more things waiting
broken in the garage and shed,
bedrock cracking under the foundation
and the kidnapping "
stonecirclereview.com/breaking/
#Poem #PoetryCommunity
February 14, 2026 at 3:39 PM
This is a poem I wrote in response to the events in Minneapolis. I'm honored that Stone Circle Review shared it.
Valentine's Day phone conversation with my mom:
Me: Did you and Dad give each other Valentines?
Mom: Yes, we did. And he gave me a grout cleaner.
Me & Mom: *simultaneously burst out laughing*
Mom: but it has a long handle, so it's really nice.
*more laughter*
That's 68 years of marriage, y'all 😍
Me: Did you and Dad give each other Valentines?
Mom: Yes, we did. And he gave me a grout cleaner.
Me & Mom: *simultaneously burst out laughing*
Mom: but it has a long handle, so it's really nice.
*more laughter*
That's 68 years of marriage, y'all 😍
February 14, 2026 at 3:32 PM
Valentine's Day phone conversation with my mom:
Me: Did you and Dad give each other Valentines?
Mom: Yes, we did. And he gave me a grout cleaner.
Me & Mom: *simultaneously burst out laughing*
Mom: but it has a long handle, so it's really nice.
*more laughter*
That's 68 years of marriage, y'all 😍
Me: Did you and Dad give each other Valentines?
Mom: Yes, we did. And he gave me a grout cleaner.
Me & Mom: *simultaneously burst out laughing*
Mom: but it has a long handle, so it's really nice.
*more laughter*
That's 68 years of marriage, y'all 😍
💕A thread of favorite love poems.
Happy Valentine's Day 💕
Happy Valentine's Day 💕
February 14, 2026 at 1:54 PM
💕A thread of favorite love poems.
Happy Valentine's Day 💕
Happy Valentine's Day 💕
My friend has been making tiny watercolor paintings and decided to give a bunch away as Valentine gifts to the residents of my parents' retirement community apartment building. A fun afternoon chatting with them all as they picked out art to take home.😍
February 13, 2026 at 11:33 PM
My friend has been making tiny watercolor paintings and decided to give a bunch away as Valentine gifts to the residents of my parents' retirement community apartment building. A fun afternoon chatting with them all as they picked out art to take home.😍
I just cleaned out my junk drawer, which seems like an oxymoron, but boy, do I feel a sense of accomplishment! Plus, I found our AKC papers for the dog that joined our family in 1965 and was our beloved pup till her death in 1981.
February 13, 2026 at 5:32 PM
I just cleaned out my junk drawer, which seems like an oxymoron, but boy, do I feel a sense of accomplishment! Plus, I found our AKC papers for the dog that joined our family in 1965 and was our beloved pup till her death in 1981.
Reposted by Darby Lyons
"He had a Nazi tattoo, sure, but..." and "If one can get a Nazi tattoo innocently..." in a single paragraph is wild.
incredible how white men are given the benefit of the doubt when anything coming from marginalized groups are treated with utmost suspicion and distorted beyond recognition
February 13, 2026 at 2:18 PM
"He had a Nazi tattoo, sure, but..." and "If one can get a Nazi tattoo innocently..." in a single paragraph is wild.
Ohio Republicans are destroying our state.
Commentary: Ohio Republican state Rep. Jamie Callender’s proposal to withhold public school funds from districts that stand up for themselves is dangerous not just on the voucher issue: It would remove districts' ability to challenge unconstitutional laws ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/02/12/o...
Ohio Republican threatens public school funding for local districts that stand up for themselves • Ohio Capital Journal
Ohio Republican state Rep. Jamie Callender’s proposal to withhold public school funds for districts that stand up for themselves is dangerous because it is not just about vouchers. It would remove…
ohiocapitaljournal.com
February 12, 2026 at 11:48 PM
Ohio Republicans are destroying our state.
Today's poem:
"Catastrophe is Next to Godliness" by Franny Choi
Phew, this poem. It hits right in the center of my soul...
"Catastrophe is Next to Godliness" by Franny Choi
Phew, this poem. It hits right in the center of my soul...
February 12, 2026 at 2:13 PM
Today's poem:
"Catastrophe is Next to Godliness" by Franny Choi
Phew, this poem. It hits right in the center of my soul...
"Catastrophe is Next to Godliness" by Franny Choi
Phew, this poem. It hits right in the center of my soul...
Today's poem is one from All These Ghosts, by Silas House. Small but mighty.
February 12, 2026 at 2:18 AM
Today's poem is one from All These Ghosts, by Silas House. Small but mighty.
Reposted by Darby Lyons
The chances of this passing the Senate (i.e., nuking legis. filibuster for it) are slim to none, they're pushing this more for the talking points to delegitimize their midterm loss. But this isn't just very bad policy. It's utterly impractical in the sense that it'd cause total unworkable chaos.
Breaking: House passes new version of SAVE Act, worst voter suppression bill considered by Congress. Could disenfranchise:
-21 million Americans w/out access to citizenship papers
-69 mil married women who took partner’s name
-21 mil w/out valid drivers license
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
-21 million Americans w/out access to citizenship papers
-69 mil married women who took partner’s name
-21 mil w/out valid drivers license
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
The GOP’s “show us your papers” bill Is the latest effort to help Trump take over elections
“If the SAVE Act were to pass, it would be the worst voter suppression law that Congress has ever enacted"
www.motherjones.com
February 12, 2026 at 12:08 AM
The chances of this passing the Senate (i.e., nuking legis. filibuster for it) are slim to none, they're pushing this more for the talking points to delegitimize their midterm loss. But this isn't just very bad policy. It's utterly impractical in the sense that it'd cause total unworkable chaos.
Reposted by Darby Lyons
even if this is a good faith decision with no outside pressure, the timing isn’t great!
February 12, 2026 at 12:29 AM
even if this is a good faith decision with no outside pressure, the timing isn’t great!
Reposted by Darby Lyons
Every photo from Minneapolis looks like this. Cops decked out with guns and full tac gear facing off against people in bathrobes, parkas, and sweatpants armed only with whistles and cell phones.
Yet every verified MAGA chode on X dutifully calls it a riot or violent insurrection.
Yet every verified MAGA chode on X dutifully calls it a riot or violent insurrection.
February 11, 2026 at 11:50 PM
Every photo from Minneapolis looks like this. Cops decked out with guns and full tac gear facing off against people in bathrobes, parkas, and sweatpants armed only with whistles and cell phones.
Yet every verified MAGA chode on X dutifully calls it a riot or violent insurrection.
Yet every verified MAGA chode on X dutifully calls it a riot or violent insurrection.
Reposted by Darby Lyons
This makes me so sad and SO angry. His family is basically broke because of the cost of his cancer treatment.
Cancer Sucks. American healthcare sucks. RIP James. I am thinking of his wife and kids tonight.
Here’s a lovely article from Dave Holmes for all us of a certain age who are sad today.
Cancer Sucks. American healthcare sucks. RIP James. I am thinking of his wife and kids tonight.
Here’s a lovely article from Dave Holmes for all us of a certain age who are sad today.
February 11, 2026 at 10:54 PM
This makes me so sad and SO angry. His family is basically broke because of the cost of his cancer treatment.
Cancer Sucks. American healthcare sucks. RIP James. I am thinking of his wife and kids tonight.
Here’s a lovely article from Dave Holmes for all us of a certain age who are sad today.
Cancer Sucks. American healthcare sucks. RIP James. I am thinking of his wife and kids tonight.
Here’s a lovely article from Dave Holmes for all us of a certain age who are sad today.