Ariel
@sycoraxpine.bsky.social
Reader, amateur beekeeper, theatregoer, prof, chicken enthusiast, perpetually novice aerialist, feeder of two cats and one small (human) dragon
Reposted by Ariel
There’s a funny Politico story showing that the latest polling on AI shows 80-20 in favor of heavy regulations, an absolute slam dunk platform, but Dems are worried about not winning back mask-off tech CEO donors
www.politico.com/news/magazin...
www.politico.com/news/magazin...
December 29, 2025 at 1:55 PM
There’s a funny Politico story showing that the latest polling on AI shows 80-20 in favor of heavy regulations, an absolute slam dunk platform, but Dems are worried about not winning back mask-off tech CEO donors
www.politico.com/news/magazin...
www.politico.com/news/magazin...
Reposted by Ariel
Saw Bluesky described as where elder millennials go to retire from the internet, and immediately felt the peace that passes all understanding wash over me. None of have to struggle any longer. We completed our time.
December 29, 2025 at 2:30 AM
Saw Bluesky described as where elder millennials go to retire from the internet, and immediately felt the peace that passes all understanding wash over me. None of have to struggle any longer. We completed our time.
Reposted by Ariel
Of all the dirty tricks: juking USPS rules so that the postmark of mail-in ballots won't reflect the date they were put in the hands of the Postal Service, creating a pretext to throw out the votes.
December 30, 2025 at 2:25 AM
Of all the dirty tricks: juking USPS rules so that the postmark of mail-in ballots won't reflect the date they were put in the hands of the Postal Service, creating a pretext to throw out the votes.
Reposted by Ariel
You have a loud voice, a big following and your actions have consequences. I sincerely hope that you might open yourself up to being educated about all the reasons that those two maskers that you always see are brave and stalwart enough to be continuing to mask in public.
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December 29, 2025 at 12:30 PM
You have a loud voice, a big following and your actions have consequences. I sincerely hope that you might open yourself up to being educated about all the reasons that those two maskers that you always see are brave and stalwart enough to be continuing to mask in public.
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done more than most in this space and it seems like you did it because you genuinely care for these folks. Given this, I hope I’m right that this moment on your @weeklyshowpodcast.bsky.social was a moment where you said something unkind because you are uninformed, not because you are cruel.
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December 29, 2025 at 12:30 PM
done more than most in this space and it seems like you did it because you genuinely care for these folks. Given this, I hope I’m right that this moment on your @weeklyshowpodcast.bsky.social was a moment where you said something unkind because you are uninformed, not because you are cruel.
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sensible to adopt masking as on of the few reliable ways to protect oneself and others when entering and sharing public spaces. I want to give you the benefit of the doubt rather than condemn you outright given your history of meaningful advocacy for 9/11 survivors. You have
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December 29, 2025 at 12:30 PM
sensible to adopt masking as on of the few reliable ways to protect oneself and others when entering and sharing public spaces. I want to give you the benefit of the doubt rather than condemn you outright given your history of meaningful advocacy for 9/11 survivors. You have
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just think that, until governments enact good-sense measures against the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (I.e. air purifiers, better ventilation, routine testing, far UVC germicidal lights, development of post-exposure prophylaxis drugs and CURES for #LongCOVID), it is really
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December 29, 2025 at 12:30 PM
just think that, until governments enact good-sense measures against the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (I.e. air purifiers, better ventilation, routine testing, far UVC germicidal lights, development of post-exposure prophylaxis drugs and CURES for #LongCOVID), it is really
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body and drive immune dysregulation, hypercoagulation, oncogenic processes, nervous system dysfunction, cognitive decline and other terrible long-term effects. Furthermore, after hearing all the things that this virus drives, there are those of us who are perfectly healthy who
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December 29, 2025 at 12:30 PM
body and drive immune dysregulation, hypercoagulation, oncogenic processes, nervous system dysfunction, cognitive decline and other terrible long-term effects. Furthermore, after hearing all the things that this virus drives, there are those of us who are perfectly healthy who
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Reposted by Ariel
worsening of their symptoms. There are countless millions more who are immunocompromised or love someone who is and must therefore mask to protect themselves from a virus that continues to spread without mitigation due to its novel ability amongst viruses to persist in the
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December 29, 2025 at 12:30 PM
worsening of their symptoms. There are countless millions more who are immunocompromised or love someone who is and must therefore mask to protect themselves from a virus that continues to spread without mitigation due to its novel ability amongst viruses to persist in the
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Reposted by Ariel
Respectfully Jon Stewart, you were wrong on the @weeklyshowpodcast.bsky.social to mock people who mask. ICYMI: there are tens of millions of Americans who have been disabled by #LongCOVID and must do everything in their power to prevent further infections that make them vulnerable to further
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December 29, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Respectfully Jon Stewart, you were wrong on the @weeklyshowpodcast.bsky.social to mock people who mask. ICYMI: there are tens of millions of Americans who have been disabled by #LongCOVID and must do everything in their power to prevent further infections that make them vulnerable to further
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Reposted by Ariel
Infections in Canada this week are expected to result in 3,800 hospitalizations, 770 deaths (people who die at least 1 year earlier than they would without COVID) and 20,000 new long COVID cases serious enough to limit daily life activities.
December 22, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Infections in Canada this week are expected to result in 3,800 hospitalizations, 770 deaths (people who die at least 1 year earlier than they would without COVID) and 20,000 new long COVID cases serious enough to limit daily life activities.
It is bullying, and of a sort that many who consider themselves progressive and caring are completely fine with, because cognitive dissonance is incredibly powerful. It’s easier to bully than to think that your actions are not completely in sync with your values and work through that discomfort.
Enough with the mask bullying. I mask because I understand aerosol transmission, because our governments all declared the pandemic over before cleaning indoor air, because I’m not OK with multiple reinfections of a new virus, because vulnerable people deserve access to society.
#oneofthetwo
#oneofthetwo
December 29, 2025 at 9:16 PM
It is bullying, and of a sort that many who consider themselves progressive and caring are completely fine with, because cognitive dissonance is incredibly powerful. It’s easier to bully than to think that your actions are not completely in sync with your values and work through that discomfort.
Reposted by Ariel
don't want to get super deep on Jon Stewart mask discourse but one of the main takeaways from 9/11 first responder fallout was that more people should be wearing more respiratory PPE more often than they think they should.
it's disappointing to see him culture punching over it.
it's disappointing to see him culture punching over it.
December 29, 2025 at 2:53 PM
don't want to get super deep on Jon Stewart mask discourse but one of the main takeaways from 9/11 first responder fallout was that more people should be wearing more respiratory PPE more often than they think they should.
it's disappointing to see him culture punching over it.
it's disappointing to see him culture punching over it.
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“My employees don’t feel safe to discuss their health issues with me, let’s publicly make fun of them for that!”
December 29, 2025 at 2:43 PM
“My employees don’t feel safe to discuss their health issues with me, let’s publicly make fun of them for that!”
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so i guess i’ll just be out here, on my little skiff, masked up and watching you and your friends watch me at the function, jon. your face is bare and i can see you smile to yourself before you pretend to care.
you ask, “are you sick?”
no. i just can’t trust you anymore.
you ask, “are you sick?”
no. i just can’t trust you anymore.
December 29, 2025 at 12:49 AM
so i guess i’ll just be out here, on my little skiff, masked up and watching you and your friends watch me at the function, jon. your face is bare and i can see you smile to yourself before you pretend to care.
you ask, “are you sick?”
no. i just can’t trust you anymore.
you ask, “are you sick?”
no. i just can’t trust you anymore.
Reposted by Ariel
but each time another such door closes, i am pushed a little further from shore. i’m a little less a part of the world.
when you casually jettison people for their nonconformity, there’s less we can do together—and less i can be part of whatever change people say they want to make to our culture.
when you casually jettison people for their nonconformity, there’s less we can do together—and less i can be part of whatever change people say they want to make to our culture.
December 29, 2025 at 12:49 AM
but each time another such door closes, i am pushed a little further from shore. i’m a little less a part of the world.
when you casually jettison people for their nonconformity, there’s less we can do together—and less i can be part of whatever change people say they want to make to our culture.
when you casually jettison people for their nonconformity, there’s less we can do together—and less i can be part of whatever change people say they want to make to our culture.
Reposted by Ariel
i’m increasingly comfortable knowing that people, writ large, don’t understand my decisions or believe my experiences. i know the longer i hold on to what i believe in, the more people will turn away from me.
December 29, 2025 at 12:49 AM
i’m increasingly comfortable knowing that people, writ large, don’t understand my decisions or believe my experiences. i know the longer i hold on to what i believe in, the more people will turn away from me.
Reposted by Ariel
but it makes me wonder—how many people have enriched my life but wouldn’t piss on me if i was on fire? how many people whose lessons changed my life think i’m a joke at best?
what does it mean when you can generally assume that the institutions and public figures who raised you also deride you?
what does it mean when you can generally assume that the institutions and public figures who raised you also deride you?
December 29, 2025 at 12:49 AM
but it makes me wonder—how many people have enriched my life but wouldn’t piss on me if i was on fire? how many people whose lessons changed my life think i’m a joke at best?
what does it mean when you can generally assume that the institutions and public figures who raised you also deride you?
what does it mean when you can generally assume that the institutions and public figures who raised you also deride you?
Reposted by Ariel
i’ve been thinking about that stewart/pod saves clip about the masks ever since i watched it. it’s been a long time since jon stewart meant anything to me, but as someone who was in college for dubya 1, his tenure on the daily show was meaningful for me.
December 29, 2025 at 12:49 AM
i’ve been thinking about that stewart/pod saves clip about the masks ever since i watched it. it’s been a long time since jon stewart meant anything to me, but as someone who was in college for dubya 1, his tenure on the daily show was meaningful for me.
Reposted by Ariel
Disappointed to see Jon Stewart & co joke about masking in public. I do it for my medically fragile daughter (Batten Disease). People not masking properly led to her getting pneumonia, which led to her being on life support, which led to me getting price quotes on her cremation just in case.
December 29, 2025 at 3:31 AM
Disappointed to see Jon Stewart & co joke about masking in public. I do it for my medically fragile daughter (Batten Disease). People not masking properly led to her getting pneumonia, which led to her being on life support, which led to me getting price quotes on her cremation just in case.
Reposted by Ariel
Wrote about how disappointing it is that Jon Stewart punched down on people masking at @motherjones.com, when people should mind their own business and leave mask wearers be. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Hey Jon Stewart, jokes about wearing masks aren't funny
Critics of the Daily Show host say he's a hypocrite.
www.motherjones.com
December 29, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Wrote about how disappointing it is that Jon Stewart punched down on people masking at @motherjones.com, when people should mind their own business and leave mask wearers be. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Ariel
Starting a plagiarism detection software company called GANDALF.
December 29, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Starting a plagiarism detection software company called GANDALF.
Reposted by Ariel
Trump guys on Twitter are using Grok to “hunt” daycares in their nearest city to see if there are kids in them and, if there are, if they’re Somali.
December 29, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Trump guys on Twitter are using Grok to “hunt” daycares in their nearest city to see if there are kids in them and, if there are, if they’re Somali.
Reposted by Ariel
As someone who has to review minutes for multiple committees, I can affirmatively state that AI for meeting transcription is not accurate, edits to the minutes now take up more committee time, and it is much worse than having a person prepare accurate minutes.
December 28, 2025 at 8:01 PM
As someone who has to review minutes for multiple committees, I can affirmatively state that AI for meeting transcription is not accurate, edits to the minutes now take up more committee time, and it is much worse than having a person prepare accurate minutes.
More evidence that tech bros have never met a cultural text they didn’t radically misunderstand (in a way that allows them to identify with the archvillain).
Famously Sauron is known for never allowing his home to he penetrated by intruders.
Sauron is appearing on the scene as concerns rise about crime among the most wealthy.
December 29, 2025 at 12:58 PM
More evidence that tech bros have never met a cultural text they didn’t radically misunderstand (in a way that allows them to identify with the archvillain).