Alison Smaalders
@vividwings.bsky.social
Archaeology major, currently working in P&C insurance. Gamer, LARPer, general nerd, cat lover. Occasionally known as Fun Fact. She/her.
Reposted by Alison Smaalders
Wow — Senators Van Hollen, Smith, Murphy, Sanders, Warren, Markey, Merkley, Heinrich have created an official internal "Fight Club."
They're challenging Schumer & Gillibrand's leadership, arguing the party is using an old, corporate-friendly playbook insufficient to take on Trump or win elections.
They're challenging Schumer & Gillibrand's leadership, arguing the party is using an old, corporate-friendly playbook insufficient to take on Trump or win elections.
Chuck Schumer Faces Pushback From a ‘Fight Club’ of Senate Democrats
www.nytimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:39 AM
Wow — Senators Van Hollen, Smith, Murphy, Sanders, Warren, Markey, Merkley, Heinrich have created an official internal "Fight Club."
They're challenging Schumer & Gillibrand's leadership, arguing the party is using an old, corporate-friendly playbook insufficient to take on Trump or win elections.
They're challenging Schumer & Gillibrand's leadership, arguing the party is using an old, corporate-friendly playbook insufficient to take on Trump or win elections.
Reposted by Alison Smaalders
"It is against the TOS to be talked into suicide by our LLM" is possibly the most evil tech bro thing I've ever read
Additionally, OpenAI argues its not liable because Raine, by using ChatGPT for self-harm, broke its terms of service
November 26, 2025 at 12:29 AM
"It is against the TOS to be talked into suicide by our LLM" is possibly the most evil tech bro thing I've ever read
Reposted by Alison Smaalders
I’m sure these two things have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with each other.
November 24, 2025 at 7:38 PM
I’m sure these two things have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with each other.
Reposted by Alison Smaalders
Reposted by Alison Smaalders
The new age method of battling against those racist, bigot, sexist online people is not to help them seek reason. It's to tell them to fuck off and make them feel isolated in their thinking to where they have no one to talk to. Maybe they will find a group but as long as it's way over there.
March 22, 2025 at 1:53 PM
The new age method of battling against those racist, bigot, sexist online people is not to help them seek reason. It's to tell them to fuck off and make them feel isolated in their thinking to where they have no one to talk to. Maybe they will find a group but as long as it's way over there.
Reposted by Alison Smaalders
my private memo is raising a lot of questions already answered by my private memo
In the memo, “Nvidia also responds to claims that the ‘current situation is analogous to historical accounting frauds (Enron, WorldCom, Lucent) that featured vendor financing and SPVs [special purpose vehicles.)’”
@barrons.com $NVDA
@firstadopter.bsky.social
www.barrons.com/articles/nvi...
@barrons.com $NVDA
@firstadopter.bsky.social
www.barrons.com/articles/nvi...
November 24, 2025 at 7:11 PM
my private memo is raising a lot of questions already answered by my private memo
Reposted by Alison Smaalders
I cannot imagine what could possibly go wrong in trying to court-martial an astronaut and pilot decorated multiple times for valor and exceptional service, who is also a sitting senator, for correctly making the point that service members are obliged not to follow unlawful orders
Hegseth is now threatening to recall Sen. Mark Kelly to active duty in order to court martial him.
November 24, 2025 at 6:45 PM
I cannot imagine what could possibly go wrong in trying to court-martial an astronaut and pilot decorated multiple times for valor and exceptional service, who is also a sitting senator, for correctly making the point that service members are obliged not to follow unlawful orders
Reposted by Alison Smaalders
YOU COME FOR ME LIKE THIS ON MY OWN FEED?!? *attempts to close cupboard over mountain of rustic pottery*
Twitter accounts are based in Russia. BlueSky accounts are based in homes with, frankly, too many books, plants, obsolete cables, and pieces of rustic pottery, that could do with a bit of a tidying up, to be honest.
November 23, 2025 at 10:12 PM
YOU COME FOR ME LIKE THIS ON MY OWN FEED?!? *attempts to close cupboard over mountain of rustic pottery*
Reposted by Alison Smaalders
Because people keep asking, the Story of The Lizard In That Dude's Leg. Some caveats:
1. This happened more than twenty years ago. There are no pictures. There was a small article in a local paper with, again, no pictures (I'm assuming that's what the producers of 9-1-1: LONE STAR found).
1. This happened more than twenty years ago. There are no pictures. There was a small article in a local paper with, again, no pictures (I'm assuming that's what the producers of 9-1-1: LONE STAR found).
September 30, 2024 at 4:01 PM
Because people keep asking, the Story of The Lizard In That Dude's Leg. Some caveats:
1. This happened more than twenty years ago. There are no pictures. There was a small article in a local paper with, again, no pictures (I'm assuming that's what the producers of 9-1-1: LONE STAR found).
1. This happened more than twenty years ago. There are no pictures. There was a small article in a local paper with, again, no pictures (I'm assuming that's what the producers of 9-1-1: LONE STAR found).
Reposted by Alison Smaalders
There is a post circulating on Bluesky encouraging the moving of a frozen turkey straight into a pot of hot oil. We are combating this misinformation the best way we know how - through the power of dance music.
November 23, 2025 at 1:31 PM
There is a post circulating on Bluesky encouraging the moving of a frozen turkey straight into a pot of hot oil. We are combating this misinformation the best way we know how - through the power of dance music.
Reposted by Alison Smaalders
Well, we've found the song for the Vatican City's first Eurovision entry
He said "Amen" straight into the drop
Lmao Pope Leo threw a rave for an archbishop's 75th birthday this is kind of incredible
Lmao Pope Leo threw a rave for an archbishop's 75th birthday this is kind of incredible
November 21, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Well, we've found the song for the Vatican City's first Eurovision entry
Reposted by Alison Smaalders
"Greeks living in Afghanistan were Buddhist 500 years before China and a thousand years before Southeast Asia" is one of those things that sounds made up but is in fact true
November 20, 2025 at 3:25 PM
"Greeks living in Afghanistan were Buddhist 500 years before China and a thousand years before Southeast Asia" is one of those things that sounds made up but is in fact true
Reposted by Alison Smaalders
Cervical Cancer Vaccine Push Has Saved 1.4 Million Lives: Gavi www.barrons.com/news/cervica... via @barrons.com
Cervical Cancer Vaccine Push Has Saved 1.4 Million Lives: Gavi
A three-year campaign to bring vaccines against human papillomavirus (HPV) to low-income countries has prevented 1.4 million cervical cancer deaths, the vaccine alliance Gavi said Monday.
www.barrons.com
November 21, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Cervical Cancer Vaccine Push Has Saved 1.4 Million Lives: Gavi www.barrons.com/news/cervica... via @barrons.com
Reposted by Alison Smaalders
made this for your sharing convenience
November 21, 2025 at 4:53 PM
made this for your sharing convenience
Reposted by Alison Smaalders
Outside of Chicago, on the grounds of a former armory, decades ago an alliance of various orgs began restoring the prairie, and at Midewin Tallgrass Prairie they imported bison to roam the prairie once more. I love to visit my very large bi sons 💚🦬
November 21, 2025 at 3:08 AM
Outside of Chicago, on the grounds of a former armory, decades ago an alliance of various orgs began restoring the prairie, and at Midewin Tallgrass Prairie they imported bison to roam the prairie once more. I love to visit my very large bi sons 💚🦬
Reposted by Alison Smaalders
Unpopular opinion: I'd like journalists to go back to doing reporting, and leave the big "think pieces" to people who have PhDs and can distinguish between historical/scientific fact and a bumper-sticker.
This is an Ezra Klein subtweet not limited at all to Ezra Klein.
This is an Ezra Klein subtweet not limited at all to Ezra Klein.
November 21, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Unpopular opinion: I'd like journalists to go back to doing reporting, and leave the big "think pieces" to people who have PhDs and can distinguish between historical/scientific fact and a bumper-sticker.
This is an Ezra Klein subtweet not limited at all to Ezra Klein.
This is an Ezra Klein subtweet not limited at all to Ezra Klein.
Reposted by Alison Smaalders
@sbworkersunited.org have launched the biggest open-ended strike in Starbucks history, fighting for fair wages and against unfair labor practices. We all need to stand in solidarity with striking workers. DON'T BUY STARBUCKS FOR THE DURATION OF THE STRIKE. #NoContractNoCoffee
November 21, 2025 at 4:48 PM
@sbworkersunited.org have launched the biggest open-ended strike in Starbucks history, fighting for fair wages and against unfair labor practices. We all need to stand in solidarity with striking workers. DON'T BUY STARBUCKS FOR THE DURATION OF THE STRIKE. #NoContractNoCoffee
Reposted by Alison Smaalders
It’s widely known (and, I think, pretty uncontroversial) that learning requires effort — specifically, if you don’t have to work at getting the knowledge, it won’t stick.
Even if an LLM could be trusted to give you correct information 100% of the time, it would be an inferior method of learning it.
Even if an LLM could be trusted to give you correct information 100% of the time, it would be an inferior method of learning it.
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
November 21, 2025 at 12:49 PM
It’s widely known (and, I think, pretty uncontroversial) that learning requires effort — specifically, if you don’t have to work at getting the knowledge, it won’t stick.
Even if an LLM could be trusted to give you correct information 100% of the time, it would be an inferior method of learning it.
Even if an LLM could be trusted to give you correct information 100% of the time, it would be an inferior method of learning it.
Reposted by Alison Smaalders
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
November 21, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Reposted by Alison Smaalders
They lied about it. All of it. A thug cop shot an unarmed woman five times without justification, boasted about it to his colleagues, and then this administration tried cover it all up by arresting her and charging her with felonies.
Absolutely incredible; after shooting Marimar Martinez 5 times and arresting her on claims that she rammed them and pulled a gun, prosecutors have now moved to dismiss ALL criminal charges against her and her codefendant.
New: the govt has moved to dismiss its assault case against Marimar Martinez and Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz, two people accused of "box[ing] in" a Border Patrol vehicle in Chicago on Oct. 4.
One agent shot Martinez, with evidence presented to the court that he later bragged about in text messages.
One agent shot Martinez, with evidence presented to the court that he later bragged about in text messages.
November 20, 2025 at 6:24 PM
They lied about it. All of it. A thug cop shot an unarmed woman five times without justification, boasted about it to his colleagues, and then this administration tried cover it all up by arresting her and charging her with felonies.
Reposted by Alison Smaalders
If you listen to Silicon Valley types talk about AI platforms, they’re obsessed with discussing whether it’s “uncensored” or not; what they’re talking about is whether they can make nonconsensual porn, not all of which is from images of people who are adults. Musk is moving Grok that way rapidly.
This is a nuts story. An AI chatbot and image platform left millions of images exposed. They show what people are actually using the AI for: taking random women's yearbook, graduation, and social media photos and making super realistic hardcore porn with them
www.404media.co/ai-porn-secr...
www.404media.co/ai-porn-secr...
Massive Leak Shows Erotic Chatbot Users Turned Women’s Yearbook Pictures Into AI Porn
Chatbot roleplay and image generator platform SecretDesires.ai left cloud storage containers of nearly two million of images and videos exposed, including photos and full names of women from social me...
www.404media.co
November 21, 2025 at 12:33 AM
If you listen to Silicon Valley types talk about AI platforms, they’re obsessed with discussing whether it’s “uncensored” or not; what they’re talking about is whether they can make nonconsensual porn, not all of which is from images of people who are adults. Musk is moving Grok that way rapidly.
Reposted by Alison Smaalders
ICE’s Detention Center outside Chicago was sued on October 30 for allegedly abusing detainees. One day later, a "system crash" lost all video footage that could have shown how detainees were being treated. trib.al/QwT3aqI
November 21, 2025 at 12:12 AM
ICE’s Detention Center outside Chicago was sued on October 30 for allegedly abusing detainees. One day later, a "system crash" lost all video footage that could have shown how detainees were being treated. trib.al/QwT3aqI
Reposted by Alison Smaalders
Today is the day to repost this meme about International Men's Day, one of the most unironically wholesome memes that has ever been made.
Shoutout to all my fellow champs, chiefs, and kings. ✊
Shoutout to all my fellow champs, chiefs, and kings. ✊
November 19, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Today is the day to repost this meme about International Men's Day, one of the most unironically wholesome memes that has ever been made.
Shoutout to all my fellow champs, chiefs, and kings. ✊
Shoutout to all my fellow champs, chiefs, and kings. ✊
Reposted by Alison Smaalders
From mid-November on, before you send an email ask yourself if this is really a 2025 problem
November 17, 2025 at 10:27 AM
From mid-November on, before you send an email ask yourself if this is really a 2025 problem
Reposted by Alison Smaalders
Back in the day, the datacenter LiveJournal was hosted in had the requisite emergency power off button in the event of fire suppression systems becoming necessary. It was placed on the wall right next to the exit door ... where it looked precisely like a button to open an automatic door.
This is where @oggie.bsky.social and @kingfox.bsky.social gather in a dark corner of a virtual bar and reminisce about the time a guy unplugged the wrong thing to plug in a vacuum cleaner.
every time I see people whining about the internet and single points of failure and “remember when” I laugh and LAUGH. folks. did you know that at one point sufficient rain in northern Virginia could take half the internet down? the infrastructure is way more robust and resilient than it used to be.
November 19, 2025 at 5:28 AM
Back in the day, the datacenter LiveJournal was hosted in had the requisite emergency power off button in the event of fire suppression systems becoming necessary. It was placed on the wall right next to the exit door ... where it looked precisely like a button to open an automatic door.