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davesayers.bsky.social
Dave Sayers
@davesayers.bsky.social
560 followers 51 following 270 posts
Cheese consumer, sociolinguist, immigrant 🇬🇧 👉 🇫🇮
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1124-7132
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Dave Sayers
adamcsharp.bsky.social
In the episode where Homer adopts a pet lobster it is called Mr Pinchy. In the European French version of The Simpsons, Mr Pinchy is instead called Homard Simpson (homard means lobster in French)
December 17, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Reposted by Dave Sayers
stevewestenra.bsky.social
Because it'll probably get cut, I wanted to post this footnote here for posterity
Screenshot of a footnote reading, "I acknowledge the redundancy of 'neurodivergent academic.'"
December 22, 2025 at 6:46 PM
davesayers.bsky.social
What are your plans for Christmas?

Me:
Photo of a fish called The Black Swallower, which has eaten a fish much bigger than itself and is now hugely stretched at the middle.
December 19, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Reposted by Dave Sayers
professorg.bsky.social
Oh my god…
In mid-November, I agreed to an experiment. Anthropic had tested a vending machine powered by its Claude AI model in its own offices and asked whether we'd like to be the first outsiders to try a newer, supposedly smarter version. Claudius, the customized version of the model, would run the machine: ordering inventory, setting prices and responding to customers-aka my fellow newsroom journalists-via workplace chat app Slack. "Sure!" I said. It sounded fun. If nothing else, snacks! Then came the chaos. Within days, Claudius had given away nearly all its inventory for free— including a PlayStation 5 it had bron talked into buying for "marketing purposes." It ordered a live fish. It offered to buy stun guns, pepper spray, cigarettes and underwear. Profits collapsed. Newsroom morale soared.
December 18, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Reposted by Dave Sayers
wsj.com
AI ran our office vending machine for several weeks. It lost hundreds of dollars, gave away a PlayStation, bought a live fish—and taught us a lot about AI agents, writes Joanna Stern.
We Let AI Run Our Office Vending Machine. It Lost Hundreds of Dollars.
An AI agent ran a snack operation in the WSJ newsroom. It gave away a free PlayStation, ordered a live fish—and taught us lessons about the future of AI.
on.wsj.com
December 18, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Reposted by Dave Sayers
greggo.bsky.social
My response to anything over the next two weeks
A grey and red transit bus on the road in a city. The bus’ destination sign reads “NO? ?? ???????”
December 18, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Reposted by Dave Sayers
lauraehall.bsky.social
Stay safe out there y'all
An illustration showing cute fat rabbits piling into an underground burrow. There is text, part of which has been edited. The original text says "There are tunnels underground where bunnies are safe — safe" and the edited text adds "from emails"
December 18, 2025 at 2:53 AM
Reposted by Dave Sayers
joy-annemurphy.bsky.social
Amazing speech on the value of the arts. youtube.com/watch?v=ODSK...
Tim Minchin’s Full Speech at The Art of Tax Reform Summit 2025 - NSW, Australia
YouTube video by Tim Minchin
youtube.com
November 1, 2025 at 5:09 AM
Reposted by Dave Sayers
colinmbrown.bsky.social
Become ungovernable
SUV marked for Canton (MA) Animal Control parked in a driveway. A large tabby housecat with a collar is hanging on the rear passenger door and peering in suspiciously at the inside of the cabin.
December 17, 2025 at 1:16 AM
davesayers.bsky.social
Turns out Reviewer 2 is Ikea??
An Ikea item with the label "Generic article".
December 15, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Reposted by Dave Sayers
heratylaw.bsky.social
Dr. Nneka D. Dennie 💁🏾‍♀️🇻🇨✊🏾
@BlkGrlBrilliant:

“before you send that email, ask yourself: is this a december problem or a january problem?”
Dr. Nneka D. Dennie 💁🏾‍♀️🇻🇨✊🏾 @BlkGrlBrilliant before you send that email, ask yourself: is this a december problem or a january problem?
December 14, 2023 at 1:42 AM
Reposted by Dave Sayers
jblainefoster.bsky.social
When I got to grad school, this is one of the first things a PhD candidate told us during new student orientation. "Everyone got here by being smart. You distinguish yourself by being kind."
December 10, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Reposted by Dave Sayers
nuclearanthro.bsky.social
With alt-text.

I laughed.
brainstatic I want a Santa movie where he's actually Saint Nicholaos of Myra. Three kids run away from home and find a portal to the Council Of Nicaea in 325 AD. Then the kids watch him debate the promulgation of canon law. In the end they return home and tell their parents that presents aren't important so long as Pentecost is counted 50 days after Easter on the Roman solar calendar and not the Jewish lunar calendar. brainstatic And the kids tell their parents the whole story and the dad is like "those kids and their imaginations." But then he sees a piece of paper in the dog's mouth and goes "whatcha got there boy? Is that... orders from the Holy See that the schismatic bishop Meletius is to remain in Lycopolis and keep his episcopal title but the ecclesiastics ordained by him must again receive the laying of hands? But...how?" And then he gazes off to the sky and you hear a light jingling of bells and then a voice over goes "Ho ho ho! The baptisms performed by the Paulian heretics are invalid! Merry Christmas!" Source: brainstatic
December 10, 2025 at 4:36 AM
Reposted by Dave Sayers
aedwardslevy.bsky.social
"there's a new serif in town"
phillewis.bsky.social Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 17d
Marco Rubio ordered diplomats to return to using Times New Roman font in official communications, calling his predecessor's decision to adopt Calibri a “wasteful” diversity move
Rubio Stages Font Coup: Times New Roman Ousts Calibri
The secretary of state called it a "wasteful" diversity move, according to an internal department cable seen by Reuters.
www.huffpost.com
December 10, 2025 at 1:06 AM
davesayers.bsky.social
Next in the @uniofjyvaskyla.bsky.social 2025-26 English online seminar series, 12 Jan at 16:00 EET:

'Self-promotion, ideology and power in the social media posts of Nigerian Female Political Leaders' (Lily Chimuanya, Covenant University, Nigeria)

Register/abstract👇👇 Go go!
r.jyu.fi/engseminars2...
JYU English seminars - 2025-26
2025-26
r.jyu.fi
December 9, 2025 at 12:15 PM
davesayers.bsky.social
I recently took a long journey with several trains. Lots of people coughing and sneezing. I wore masks. I didn't catch anything. It's not rocket surgery folks.
scottsquires.bsky.social Scott Squires @scottsquires.bsky.social · 19d
A respirator can help prevent...
When will the public understand this basic concept?
A respirator mask helps prevent all of these: Covid-19 Influenza Common cold Chickenpox Measles Mumps Adenovirus Bocavirus Rubella Bronchiolitis Smallpox Whooping cough Diphteria Legionella Meningitis Tuberculosis Aspergillosis
December 8, 2025 at 4:52 PM
davesayers.bsky.social
Interesting correlations! (Not sure about causation.) A Reddit thread on this (www.reddit.com/r/Productivi...) suggests that volleyball is so bad because of knee injuries limiting later life. Sumo and mountaineering I guess are more obvious. 😬
Table showing increased or decreased life expectancy for about 35 different types of athletes. The biggest increases are for pole vaulting, gymnastics, and fencing. The biggest decreases are for sumo, volleyball, and mountaineering.
December 7, 2025 at 11:18 AM
davesayers.bsky.social
My train is delayed. On a more positive note, according to the live tracking page, we arrived on time. 🙃
December 6, 2025 at 10:53 AM
davesayers.bsky.social
How your chocolate eclairs find me.
jeffyoungblood.bsky.social Jeff Youngblood @jeffyoungblood.bsky.social · 21d
The Tasselled Wobbegong is a master of disguise that can eat a fish almost as big as itself in one gulp. It's classified as a shark, but when it lays on the sea floor it looks like a harmless rug if you manage to see it. But with powerful jaws and sharp teeth they are no fish to mess with.
December 6, 2025 at 10:08 AM
Reposted by Dave Sayers
merviuushei.bsky.social
Hyvää #itsenäisyyspäivä ä!

Olen isänmaallinen ihminen. Rakastan Suomea, suomen kieltä ja kulttuuria, sen luontoa ja vuodenaikoja.

Aggressiivista patriotismia taas vihaan ja olen vihainen siitä, että isänmaallisuus on omittu rasistiseen käyttöön.

Suomen leijona - kaikkien leijona.
December 6, 2025 at 7:26 AM
davesayers.bsky.social
Before buying a Christmas toy for a friend or relative's child, imagine its tune or noise being played over and over and over and over and over...
December 4, 2025 at 6:29 AM
Reposted by Dave Sayers
reactorsff.bsky.social
Consider the following before adopting a Manticore for your family
A Manticore with the caption "I am not a toy. I am not a pet. I am not a Christmas present. I am a 400 year commitment."
December 3, 2025 at 8:20 PM
davesayers.bsky.social
Tattoo ink moves through body, killing immune cells and weakening vaccine response
New research shows tattoo ink moves rapidly into the lymphatic system, where it can persist for months, kill immune cells, and even disrupt how the body responds to vaccines.
www.japantimes.co.jp
December 3, 2025 at 1:25 PM
davesayers.bsky.social
You know you're working in Finland when the room booking system includes a sauna - or indeed, a meeting room with a sauna!
November 30, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Reposted by Dave Sayers
i-am-hildemar.bsky.social
I don't recall where I found this, but I'd say this looks about right.
Two scales illustrating the social environment composed by men. The first, prefaced with "I've learned that a lot of guys visualize our social environment like this" shows over 95% of the line to depict "good men", and a small bit to illustrate "crazed evil men". The second line, prefaced with "But it's actually closer to this", is labeled as follows: at the 1/8 mark, "heroic men who will intervene" another eighth "well-meaning men who underestimate the issue", the next line, at about halfway, reads "men who think certain women deserve it (but aren't active predators)" , the line after that, "men who passively enjoy/consume/encourage predation", at the 3/4 mark, "textbook predators we're all afraid of" and a final mark nearly at the extreme end of the scale, labeled "monsters so cruel we can't even fathom them".
November 28, 2025 at 3:33 AM