Neil Polowin
@neilpolowin.bsky.social
Product of Canada. Carleton University and Bentley University alum. He/him.
Reposted by Neil Polowin
Open AI loses copyright case in Germany.
Judge Elke Schwager summarized the case saying that if you want to build something and need components, "then you purchase them and do not use the property of others."
Judge Elke Schwager summarized the case saying that if you want to build something and need components, "then you purchase them and do not use the property of others."
Blow for OpenAI in Germany as court rules song lyrics used illegally
A German court ruled on Tuesday that OpenAI violated copyright on nine popular songs in a lawsuit that marked another attempt to prevent the free use of artists' content online. The Munich Regional Co...
www.yahoo.com
November 14, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Open AI loses copyright case in Germany.
Judge Elke Schwager summarized the case saying that if you want to build something and need components, "then you purchase them and do not use the property of others."
Judge Elke Schwager summarized the case saying that if you want to build something and need components, "then you purchase them and do not use the property of others."
Heat vision for the win!
November 13, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Heat vision for the win!
Reposted by Neil Polowin
UPDATE: Canada has announced that it has lost its measles elimination status.
This is a direct result of the increase in anti-vax disinformation, which has caused large, sustained outbreaks in the country over the last year.
This is a direct result of the increase in anti-vax disinformation, which has caused large, sustained outbreaks in the country over the last year.
November 10, 2025 at 6:19 PM
UPDATE: Canada has announced that it has lost its measles elimination status.
This is a direct result of the increase in anti-vax disinformation, which has caused large, sustained outbreaks in the country over the last year.
This is a direct result of the increase in anti-vax disinformation, which has caused large, sustained outbreaks in the country over the last year.
Like I needed any more reasons to loathe the advertising industry. It's almost like studios, networks, and streamers *want* people to pirate stuff.
variety.com/2025/tv/news...
variety.com/2025/tv/news...
Big Streamers Bet on Increasingly Aggressive ‘Pause Ads’ to Stop Viewers in Their Tracks
Big streamers are placing more focus on aggressive "pause ads" that pop on screen after a viewer calls for a halt in the action.
variety.com
November 10, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Like I needed any more reasons to loathe the advertising industry. It's almost like studios, networks, and streamers *want* people to pirate stuff.
variety.com/2025/tv/news...
variety.com/2025/tv/news...
Reposted by Neil Polowin
This is a great piece from Ted Aivalis with a reminder that making it through winter requires each of us to help out city workers and do our part to prepare for the weather.
substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Winter Isn’t the Problem. Pretending It’s a Surprise Is.
Before the first flake hits the ground, CUPE Local 416 crews are already preparing.
substack.com
November 9, 2025 at 8:18 PM
This is a great piece from Ted Aivalis with a reminder that making it through winter requires each of us to help out city workers and do our part to prepare for the weather.
substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Can confirm, the recent documentary 'When We Went MAD!: The Unauthorized Story of MAD Magazine' is two hours very well-spent. (I figure "unauthorized" is there just for legal reasons because interviewees include loads of writers, artists, and editors from the Usual Gang of Idiots.)
November 10, 2025 at 12:24 AM
Can confirm, the recent documentary 'When We Went MAD!: The Unauthorized Story of MAD Magazine' is two hours very well-spent. (I figure "unauthorized" is there just for legal reasons because interviewees include loads of writers, artists, and editors from the Usual Gang of Idiots.)
Reposted by Neil Polowin
Many city halls are deep in budget-time. Some are pushing austerity ideologies, and are ignoring the difference between costs and cost-savers/value creators. Citizens, PAY ATTENTION, and never forget that the TRUTH about a city’s REAL aspirations isn’t found in its visions. It’s found in its budget.
November 9, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Many city halls are deep in budget-time. Some are pushing austerity ideologies, and are ignoring the difference between costs and cost-savers/value creators. Citizens, PAY ATTENTION, and never forget that the TRUTH about a city’s REAL aspirations isn’t found in its visions. It’s found in its budget.
Reposted by Neil Polowin
Reposted by Neil Polowin
The Clash’s Paul Simonon, running into some young street musicians, will make your day. 💕 🎸
@theclash.com @faroutmagazine.co.uk
@theclash.com @faroutmagazine.co.uk
November 9, 2025 at 12:12 AM
The Clash’s Paul Simonon, running into some young street musicians, will make your day. 💕 🎸
@theclash.com @faroutmagazine.co.uk
@theclash.com @faroutmagazine.co.uk
Not the final cover, but a new Absolute-sized collection by Darwyn Cooke to look forward to next year.
November 8, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Not the final cover, but a new Absolute-sized collection by Darwyn Cooke to look forward to next year.
Reposted by Neil Polowin
Hi Bluesky 👋
Small life update: I’m at the centre of a multimillion dollar lawsuit in Alberta launched by a failed candidate for Jason Kenney’s UCP
It may be the longest and most expensive media trial in Canadian history
I’m ready to go public about it and I want to share more details with you 🧵
Small life update: I’m at the centre of a multimillion dollar lawsuit in Alberta launched by a failed candidate for Jason Kenney’s UCP
It may be the longest and most expensive media trial in Canadian history
I’m ready to go public about it and I want to share more details with you 🧵
November 7, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Hi Bluesky 👋
Small life update: I’m at the centre of a multimillion dollar lawsuit in Alberta launched by a failed candidate for Jason Kenney’s UCP
It may be the longest and most expensive media trial in Canadian history
I’m ready to go public about it and I want to share more details with you 🧵
Small life update: I’m at the centre of a multimillion dollar lawsuit in Alberta launched by a failed candidate for Jason Kenney’s UCP
It may be the longest and most expensive media trial in Canadian history
I’m ready to go public about it and I want to share more details with you 🧵
Annual reminder to people in sub-freezing winter climes to winterize any outdoor water faucets to prevent your pipes from freezing. (Close the inner taps and open the outer ones to drain the lines.)
And get your COVID and flu vaccines to protect yourselves, too!
And get your COVID and flu vaccines to protect yourselves, too!
November 7, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Annual reminder to people in sub-freezing winter climes to winterize any outdoor water faucets to prevent your pipes from freezing. (Close the inner taps and open the outer ones to drain the lines.)
And get your COVID and flu vaccines to protect yourselves, too!
And get your COVID and flu vaccines to protect yourselves, too!
Hoopla: Time to find something new!
Also Hoopla: You cannot borrow any more titles this month.
Mixed messages, Hoopla. Mixed messages.
Also Hoopla: You cannot borrow any more titles this month.
Mixed messages, Hoopla. Mixed messages.
November 6, 2025 at 3:19 AM
Hoopla: Time to find something new!
Also Hoopla: You cannot borrow any more titles this month.
Mixed messages, Hoopla. Mixed messages.
Also Hoopla: You cannot borrow any more titles this month.
Mixed messages, Hoopla. Mixed messages.
Reposted by Neil Polowin
Canada is creating a task force to monitor the safety of U.S. food imports after RFK Jr. cut 3,500 FDA staff. Weaker U.S. standards require increased monitoring and diligence for Canada, generating trade barriers and consumer distrust, resulting in economic damage for U.S. producers and farmers.
CFIA monitoring U.S. move away from science-based decision making, documents show
The ‘U.S. Risk Task Team’ will keep an eye on the impact of regulatory changes on food imports
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Canada is creating a task force to monitor the safety of U.S. food imports after RFK Jr. cut 3,500 FDA staff. Weaker U.S. standards require increased monitoring and diligence for Canada, generating trade barriers and consumer distrust, resulting in economic damage for U.S. producers and farmers.
Well, that's a new one, for me at least. Just received a scam "$489.99 USD will be autopaid within 12 hours... Dear Customer,Thank you for your order with PayPal" calendar notification sent to me (and a raft of other targets) as a Google Meet invitation.
November 5, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Well, that's a new one, for me at least. Just received a scam "$489.99 USD will be autopaid within 12 hours... Dear Customer,Thank you for your order with PayPal" calendar notification sent to me (and a raft of other targets) as a Google Meet invitation.
New bookcases and shelving are now fully assembled. Weird how the instructions always leave out the final, most labour-intensive step of moving and consolidating books from every other room (and basement) into their new home.
November 4, 2025 at 4:50 PM
New bookcases and shelving are now fully assembled. Weird how the instructions always leave out the final, most labour-intensive step of moving and consolidating books from every other room (and basement) into their new home.
Yeah, this resonates.
Found this interesting 🧵 while searching for something else.
"EIGARNIK EFFECT.
Instagram, YouTube, and Netflix exploit it to trigger anxiety, depression, and ADHD-like symptoms.
[...]
A Soviet woman discovered it in a 1920s Berlin café..."
Full 🧵
threadreaderapp.com/thread/19400...
"EIGARNIK EFFECT.
Instagram, YouTube, and Netflix exploit it to trigger anxiety, depression, and ADHD-like symptoms.
[...]
A Soviet woman discovered it in a 1920s Berlin café..."
Full 🧵
threadreaderapp.com/thread/19400...
November 4, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Yeah, this resonates.
Reposted by Neil Polowin
🆄🅽🆂🅰🅵🅴 🅸🅽 🆃🅷🅴 🆆🅾🆁🅺🅿🅻🅰🅲🅴
how the CBC forced me to resign over COVID
and why we’re all worse off for it—especially our kids
a 🧵
(on the occasion of my son’s [5th] and the CBC’s [89th] shared birthday, nov. 2)
👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
[links to referenced articles in ALT text]
how the CBC forced me to resign over COVID
and why we’re all worse off for it—especially our kids
a 🧵
(on the occasion of my son’s [5th] and the CBC’s [89th] shared birthday, nov. 2)
👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
[links to referenced articles in ALT text]
November 2, 2025 at 2:49 PM
🆄🅽🆂🅰🅵🅴 🅸🅽 🆃🅷🅴 🆆🅾🆁🅺🅿🅻🅰🅲🅴
how the CBC forced me to resign over COVID
and why we’re all worse off for it—especially our kids
a 🧵
(on the occasion of my son’s [5th] and the CBC’s [89th] shared birthday, nov. 2)
👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
[links to referenced articles in ALT text]
how the CBC forced me to resign over COVID
and why we’re all worse off for it—especially our kids
a 🧵
(on the occasion of my son’s [5th] and the CBC’s [89th] shared birthday, nov. 2)
👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
[links to referenced articles in ALT text]
We need a re-launch of the Inside the Actors Studio series but exclusively with character actors and "hey, it's that guy/gal" actors instead of the usual parade of A-listers.
On the other site, an 18-year-old Zohran canvasser described the legendary Wallace Shawn as "the actor who plays Dr. Sturgis on Young Sheldon" which is honestly adorable
November 3, 2025 at 11:33 AM
We need a re-launch of the Inside the Actors Studio series but exclusively with character actors and "hey, it's that guy/gal" actors instead of the usual parade of A-listers.
Bait and switch.
What the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group promised Ottawa residents versus what OSEG actually delivered:
October 31, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Bait and switch.
Same, but MuchMusic. 🇨🇦
Remember when MTV had music *and* was also relevant?
2000+ Generations: “No.”
80s-90s Generations: *mutters incoherently*
2000+ Generations: “No.”
80s-90s Generations: *mutters incoherently*
MTV has cancelled “Ridiculousness” after 14 years, TMZ reports
October 31, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Same, but MuchMusic. 🇨🇦
An excellent articulation from my municipal Councillor of the challenges of public-private partnerships, and the need to watch against risk and costs being offloaded to the public side. Thanks, @lainejohnson.bsky.social for your stance on this.
Why I'm voting against Lansdowne 2.0
youtu.be/qzpGjx4dBCk?...
youtu.be/qzpGjx4dBCk?...
Why I'm voting against Lansdowne 2 0
YouTube video by College Ward 8
youtu.be
October 30, 2025 at 5:06 PM
An excellent articulation from my municipal Councillor of the challenges of public-private partnerships, and the need to watch against risk and costs being offloaded to the public side. Thanks, @lainejohnson.bsky.social for your stance on this.
Reposted by Neil Polowin
I used to tell my kids that Santa wouldn't be able to bring them very much if there wasn't room for anything new. We'd then have a clear out led by them. If your kids have things they've grown too old for, think about having that sort out now.
October 28, 2025 at 4:49 AM
I used to tell my kids that Santa wouldn't be able to bring them very much if there wasn't room for anything new. We'd then have a clear out led by them. If your kids have things they've grown too old for, think about having that sort out now.
I finished binging Star Trek: Strange New Worlds S3 and Tales of the Walking Dead from 2022 this week. I really had not been expecting a Last of Us-inspired zombie episode from the former and a Groundhog Day-esque time loop story from the latter (with Parker Posey, no less).
October 26, 2025 at 10:53 AM
I finished binging Star Trek: Strange New Worlds S3 and Tales of the Walking Dead from 2022 this week. I really had not been expecting a Last of Us-inspired zombie episode from the former and a Groundhog Day-esque time loop story from the latter (with Parker Posey, no less).