Mark Downie
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poppastring.com
Mark Downie
@poppastring.com
🧑🏾‍💻OSS Contributor (dasBlog)
🏢PM @ Microsoft (Visual Studio, Core AI)
🏀📖🎸
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poppastring.com/blog
Pinned
A starter pack If you're looking to follow folks from Microsoft's Core AI Developer Division.

go.bsky.app/JuyrK9N
Reposted by Mark Downie
I still can’t believe that this was improvised… what an incredible actor.
From the nextfuckinglevel community on Reddit: Michael Sheen's theatrical performance is in a league of its own
Explore this post and more from the nextfuckinglevel community
www.reddit.com
December 26, 2025 at 11:56 PM
Reposted by Mark Downie
Columbus Recreation and Parks is hosting two public open houses in January to hear input on the Linden Green Line, a linear park that will transform the path of an old rail line into public space for walking, biking, and other recreational uses!
December 26, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Reposted by Mark Downie
Breaking News from @theathletic.com: Michigan is said to be hiring Kyle Whittingham as its football coach after abruptly firing Sherrone Moore weeks ago.
Michigan, Kyle Whittingham agree to deal to make him Wolverines coach: Source
Whittingham, 66, stepped down Dec. 12 after 21 seasons at Utah but made it known that he wasn’t done coaching.
www.nytimes.com
December 26, 2025 at 10:59 PM
"This conversation may be monitored or recorded for quality and training purposes."

In hindsight, ‘training’ just means building a dataset for an LLM.
December 26, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Reposted by Mark Downie
A starter pack If you're looking to follow folks from Microsoft's Core AI Developer Division.

go.bsky.app/JuyrK9N
October 23, 2025 at 2:25 AM
I learned freedom riding the Midlands cuts by bike. I still explore cities by bike, on foot, and by car, always chasing that same spark of discovery waiting just around the next corner.

#UrbanExploration #biking #CanalHeritage

www.poppastring.com/blog/i-miss-...
I Miss Riding the Cuts
My brother gifted me a Diamond Back Ascent in the early 90s, I remember it was ...
www.poppastring.com
December 26, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Reposted by Mark Downie
I wrote about Pluribus and the dangers of writing exclusively for the fans. www.theatlantic.com/culture/2025...
The Importance of Critical Thinking in a Zombiefied World
Why romantasy is crucial to understanding Apple TV’s hit show “Pluribus”
www.theatlantic.com
December 23, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Reposted by Mark Downie
The Spurs haven't just beaten the Thunder this year, they've thoroughly dominated them, and have won every matchup the two teams have had this year.

Highlights ➡️ tinyurl.com/y2m9j8xm

#GoSpursGo | #ThunderUp | #NBAXmas | #NBA
December 25, 2025 at 11:40 PM
Reposted by Mark Downie
Didn’t know Cedric the Entertainer had a line of menswear or that Shaq is his first model.
I love that Shaq is on tv dressed as Santa’s bookie for Christmas.
December 25, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Reposted by Mark Downie
Lakers say Luka Dončić (lower left leg contusion) has been upgraded to probable for tonight’s game versus Houston.

Jaxson Hayes (left ankle soreness) has been downgraded to out.
December 25, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Merry Christmas
December 25, 2025 at 6:47 PM
More books for Christmas! ❄️

I am fascinated by the idea that we have so conveniently frozen constitutional meaning, so my wife got me "The originalism trap" by @audrelawdamercy.bsky.social

I was also blown away by the Elizabeth Catlett exhibit at the National Gallery of Art early this year!💗
December 25, 2025 at 1:58 AM
I was gifted a digital copy of "The Bright Ages" by @mekka.mekka-tech.com and I have not stopped talking about it. My wife got me physical copies for Christmas (in the hopes of shutting me up 🥰)!

Love the work of @profgabriele.com and @lollardfish.bsky.social
December 24, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Reposted by Mark Downie
the winning shot? play? serve? i'on't know but she did that. tv darts is outrageous to watch on the Ocho. the crowd loves this stuff
66 Year Old Deta Hedman is a World Champion For The First Time..👏🎯 #darts #worlddartschampionship
YouTube video by All-Round Darts
www.youtube.com
December 24, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Reposted by Mark Downie
The new Spectre.Console (and Spectre.Console.Cli) website is now live! 🎉

This is all courtesy of @philco.bsky.social, who has done an amazing job, just as he did with the previous website.

spectreconsole.net
Spectre.Console Documentation
Documentation for Spectre.Console and Spectre.CLI - rich console UI library and command-line application framework for .NET
spectreconsole.net
December 24, 2025 at 6:43 PM
A post from the archive 📫:
Debug managed Linux core dumps with Visual Studio


https://www.poppastring.com/blog/debug-managed-linux-core-dumps-with-visual-studio

#linux #dotnet #debugging #diagnostics
December 24, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Reposted by Mark Downie
Yes. That’s why I say “don’t stop commenting” on SCOTUS decisions and practices. It matters.
Check out the Kavanaugh FN 4; I think it's pretty clear that the Kavanaugh Stop thing has gotten to him:
December 24, 2025 at 2:12 AM
Reposted by Mark Downie
The two-game suspension for Steelers WR DK Metcalf has been upheld by an appeals officer jointly appointed by the NFL and NFLPA.

Metcalf is out for the rest of the regular season and sees $45M in future guarantees voided, including $25M that was fully guaranteed for 2026.
December 24, 2025 at 12:45 AM
Spurs are officially the OKC's kryptonite

This may be the first game of the season where OKC are being clearly outplayed.

#nba
December 24, 2025 at 3:45 AM
Denying the stay reins in executive overreach and helps clarify what “regular forces” means. It is not a workaround to federalize the Guard for routine law enforcement.

www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25p...
www.supremecourt.gov
December 23, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Jerzy Robinson has committed to South Carolina!
December 23, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Just published 🚀: I Miss Riding the Cuts


https://www.poppastring.com/blog/i-miss-riding-the-cuts

#musings
December 23, 2025 at 12:03 AM
Reposted by Mark Downie
It’s the “season of love and giving”…but this year, doesn’t it seem more like a “season of fear and taking”? Like many of you, I’ve been saddened by the human impact of draconian government budget cuts and how angry many housed Americans are at unhoused Americans.

🧵 1 of 9
December 21, 2025 at 2:51 AM
A post from the archive 📫:
The gift of time


https://www.poppastring.com/blog/the-gift-of-time

#musings
December 20, 2025 at 7:35 PM
The refs are not calling anything tonight. I guess everyone needs a night off.
December 20, 2025 at 4:56 AM