Barb the Birb
@barbthebirb.bsky.social
Bird & word nerd. Devotedly rhotic.
Reposted by Barb the Birb
I never ever want to hear one more word about how linguists who don’t worship this man are somehow inferior scholars. I always knew he was anti-black because of the way he talked about sociolinguistics; he’s consistently argued that considering what actual human beings do is a waste of time.
/6 No, when society tells you to shun someone, be SKEPTICAL. Like Noam Chomsky. Noam Chomsky KNEW that it’s the dark forces of American imperialism that don’t want him to listen to a famous child rapist teach him about black people being inferior.
February 2, 2026 at 4:20 AM
I never ever want to hear one more word about how linguists who don’t worship this man are somehow inferior scholars. I always knew he was anti-black because of the way he talked about sociolinguistics; he’s consistently argued that considering what actual human beings do is a waste of time.
Reposted by Barb the Birb
Thinkinge of askinge Chat GPT a questioun about your plannes, thoughtes, ideas? Trye a tarot deck ynstead. Cheaper, bettir for the environment, bettir resultes, not evil.
January 31, 2026 at 8:48 PM
Thinkinge of askinge Chat GPT a questioun about your plannes, thoughtes, ideas? Trye a tarot deck ynstead. Cheaper, bettir for the environment, bettir resultes, not evil.
Reposted by Barb the Birb
It’s insane how out of touch this administration is.
Folks can’t afford to buy one damn home, let alone 12.
Here’s an idea—let’s stop the foreign adventurism and end tax breaks for billionaires.
Folks can’t afford to buy one damn home, let alone 12.
Here’s an idea—let’s stop the foreign adventurism and end tax breaks for billionaires.
Bessent: "Someone, maybe your parents for their retirement have bought 5, 10, 12 homes."
January 20, 2026 at 6:35 PM
It’s insane how out of touch this administration is.
Folks can’t afford to buy one damn home, let alone 12.
Here’s an idea—let’s stop the foreign adventurism and end tax breaks for billionaires.
Folks can’t afford to buy one damn home, let alone 12.
Here’s an idea—let’s stop the foreign adventurism and end tax breaks for billionaires.
Reposted by Barb the Birb
It was the Dunning of tymes. It was the Kruger of tymes.
January 18, 2026 at 4:31 AM
It was the Dunning of tymes. It was the Kruger of tymes.
Reposted by Barb the Birb
Sat next to a guy at a bar (in AZ) who said Denver would riot if we lost such a close game. I laughed. Denver fans are the best. We’re used to being an underdog and losing tough games. We cry in our beer and say “next year.” He conceded my point. #GoBroncos
FWIW, that was one of the most respectful fan environments I’ve seen. So many Broncos and Bills talking and tailgating together, not taunting each other. Appreciation for Josh and Bo. A combined chant about the Chiefs best left in the bathroom where it happened. Mutual respect.
January 18, 2026 at 6:16 PM
Sat next to a guy at a bar (in AZ) who said Denver would riot if we lost such a close game. I laughed. Denver fans are the best. We’re used to being an underdog and losing tough games. We cry in our beer and say “next year.” He conceded my point. #GoBroncos
Reposted by Barb the Birb
Do you know Zoom & other companies are encouraging discrimination against employees for things like "pausing too long" or not sounding sufficiently "charismatic"? Read all about our dystopian present in my new paper, out today in JASA!
(Seriously, read it. It's important)
doi.org/10.1121/10.0...
(Seriously, read it. It's important)
doi.org/10.1121/10.0...
Socially prescriptive speech technologies: Linguistic, technical, and ethical issues
Speech technology tools can be powerful and transformative for individuals, businesses, and governments. Socially prescriptive speech technology (SPST) systems
doi.org
December 3, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Do you know Zoom & other companies are encouraging discrimination against employees for things like "pausing too long" or not sounding sufficiently "charismatic"? Read all about our dystopian present in my new paper, out today in JASA!
(Seriously, read it. It's important)
doi.org/10.1121/10.0...
(Seriously, read it. It's important)
doi.org/10.1121/10.0...
Reposted by Barb the Birb
Sen. Faith Winter welcomed me into her home one Saturday to discuss a monumental vote the day before. She and other women had banded together to oust a man who’d harassed them.
“We walked in, didn't have the votes, and ended up with 52. We listened to each other and the stories changed minds.”
RIP
“We walked in, didn't have the votes, and ended up with 52. We listened to each other and the stories changed minds.”
RIP
November 27, 2025 at 5:35 AM
Sen. Faith Winter welcomed me into her home one Saturday to discuss a monumental vote the day before. She and other women had banded together to oust a man who’d harassed them.
“We walked in, didn't have the votes, and ended up with 52. We listened to each other and the stories changed minds.”
RIP
“We walked in, didn't have the votes, and ended up with 52. We listened to each other and the stories changed minds.”
RIP
Reposted by Barb the Birb
To quote Professor Henry Jones to Indiana Jones: “You left just as you were becoming interesting.”
November 22, 2025 at 3:41 AM
To quote Professor Henry Jones to Indiana Jones: “You left just as you were becoming interesting.”
Reposted by Barb the Birb
Underfunded Schools Forced To Cut Past Tense From Language Programs
Underfunded Schools Forced To Cut Past Tense From Language Programs
WASHINGTON—Faced with ongoing budget crises, underfunded schools nationwide are increasingly left with no option but to cut the past tense—a grammatical construction traditionally used to relate all a...
theonion.com
October 23, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Underfunded Schools Forced To Cut Past Tense From Language Programs
Reposted by Barb the Birb
We won!! We won!!
AVELO is quitting Bradley Airport in CT!!!
We protested! We wrote to the CT Airport Authority (CAA)!
It worked!
@maddow.msnbc.com
@ruwmi.bsky.social @in-slwm.bsky.social @ezralevin.bsky.social @leahgreenberg.bsky.social @sarahdohl.bsky.social
www.masslive.com/westernmass/...
AVELO is quitting Bradley Airport in CT!!!
We protested! We wrote to the CT Airport Authority (CAA)!
It worked!
@maddow.msnbc.com
@ruwmi.bsky.social @in-slwm.bsky.social @ezralevin.bsky.social @leahgreenberg.bsky.social @sarahdohl.bsky.social
www.masslive.com/westernmass/...
Avelo quits Bradley after seeking free rent, losing tax subsidy, ICE protest
Both protesters and Connecticut's attorney general had targeted Avelo Airlines because it runs deportation planes for ICE.
www.masslive.com
October 23, 2025 at 8:12 PM
We won!! We won!!
AVELO is quitting Bradley Airport in CT!!!
We protested! We wrote to the CT Airport Authority (CAA)!
It worked!
@maddow.msnbc.com
@ruwmi.bsky.social @in-slwm.bsky.social @ezralevin.bsky.social @leahgreenberg.bsky.social @sarahdohl.bsky.social
www.masslive.com/westernmass/...
AVELO is quitting Bradley Airport in CT!!!
We protested! We wrote to the CT Airport Authority (CAA)!
It worked!
@maddow.msnbc.com
@ruwmi.bsky.social @in-slwm.bsky.social @ezralevin.bsky.social @leahgreenberg.bsky.social @sarahdohl.bsky.social
www.masslive.com/westernmass/...
Reposted by Barb the Birb
The fact they jumped straight to AI actors modeled after women when, if I’m not mistaken, male actors are a higher labor cost kind of says it all doesn’t it,
Like… it's kind of right there, no?
October 5, 2025 at 12:02 PM
The fact they jumped straight to AI actors modeled after women when, if I’m not mistaken, male actors are a higher labor cost kind of says it all doesn’t it,
Reposted by Barb the Birb
Time to dance!🕺 💃
August 9, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Time to dance!🕺 💃
Reposted by Barb the Birb
Hi, I’m a PhD level expert and I know many PhD level experts. They’re mostly great at what they do, but also great at admitting what they don’t know, and finding the right resources to fill in those gaps. One problem with these systems is they are not designed to own up to their limitations.
OpenAI releases the newest version of the AI model that powers its popular ChatGPT chatbot, with CEO Sam Altman promoting it as like having a “team of Ph.D. level experts in your pocket.”
OpenAI releases GPT-5, calling it a ‘team of Ph.D. level experts in your pocket’
OpenAI says its latest version of the popular AI model is better at coding, more accurate and less deceptive than previous versions.
nbcnews.to
August 7, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Hi, I’m a PhD level expert and I know many PhD level experts. They’re mostly great at what they do, but also great at admitting what they don’t know, and finding the right resources to fill in those gaps. One problem with these systems is they are not designed to own up to their limitations.
Reposted by Barb the Birb
111 Years Ago Today: War Declared By All
August 5, 2025 at 6:00 PM
111 Years Ago Today: War Declared By All
Reposted by Barb the Birb
Mark and Melissa saw the humanity in everyone. Let’s honor them by doing the same.
June 28, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Mark and Melissa saw the humanity in everyone. Let’s honor them by doing the same.
Reposted by Barb the Birb
Boom.
A government ban on Hungary’s Pride parade backfired Saturday as over 100,000 people marched through Budapest, far more than usual
PM Viktor Orban warned people to stay away, threatening “clear legal consequences.” But the warnings only turned a modest event into a mass rally against his government
PM Viktor Orban warned people to stay away, threatening “clear legal consequences.” But the warnings only turned a modest event into a mass rally against his government
June 28, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Boom.
Reposted by Barb the Birb
Periodic reminder that the people going after trans children don't actually care who's trans or not.
The real goal is to keep your eye elsewhere.
LBJ called it: give folks someone to hate in order to pick their pockets.
That's why these terms are interchangeable.
The real goal is to keep your eye elsewhere.
LBJ called it: give folks someone to hate in order to pick their pockets.
That's why these terms are interchangeable.
As an interpretive guide for public statements regarding trans people and their participation in society, I always replace "trans" with "Jewish" to see how it reads.
Guess what?
IT ALWAYS READS LIKE UNACCEPTABLE SEGREGATIONIST BULLSHIT.
Oh! It also works beautifully with "Black" as a substitute.
Guess what?
IT ALWAYS READS LIKE UNACCEPTABLE SEGREGATIONIST BULLSHIT.
Oh! It also works beautifully with "Black" as a substitute.
May 29, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Periodic reminder that the people going after trans children don't actually care who's trans or not.
The real goal is to keep your eye elsewhere.
LBJ called it: give folks someone to hate in order to pick their pockets.
That's why these terms are interchangeable.
The real goal is to keep your eye elsewhere.
LBJ called it: give folks someone to hate in order to pick their pockets.
That's why these terms are interchangeable.
Reposted by Barb the Birb
It's funny cos last week the power went out in the whole of Spain and Portugal at once - like in a movie where disaster ensues, planes fall out of the sky, cars crash into each other, people blockade themselves into supermarkets etc - but in reality nothing much happened. People helped each other.
For the last few days, I've been amusing myself watching the survivalist and prepper stuff on YT.
I've arrived at one conclusion:
We are living in the dumbest, most frightened timeline in history. And there are people out there who exploit that ignorance and fear to the absolute maximum.
I've arrived at one conclusion:
We are living in the dumbest, most frightened timeline in history. And there are people out there who exploit that ignorance and fear to the absolute maximum.
May 7, 2025 at 11:04 PM
It's funny cos last week the power went out in the whole of Spain and Portugal at once - like in a movie where disaster ensues, planes fall out of the sky, cars crash into each other, people blockade themselves into supermarkets etc - but in reality nothing much happened. People helped each other.
Opportunity for the Rockies to call someone "up from the minors" 😈
May 8, 2025 at 2:37 AM
Opportunity for the Rockies to call someone "up from the minors" 😈
Reposted by Barb the Birb
The same day the National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden announced more than 100 layoffs, this popped into my feed: France announces €100 million to attract researchers.
May 6, 2025 at 2:06 PM
The same day the National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden announced more than 100 layoffs, this popped into my feed: France announces €100 million to attract researchers.
Reposted by Barb the Birb
One of our most beautiful birds! The Rose-breasted Grosbeak. My best photo. #worstbirdpic
May 6, 2025 at 2:43 PM
One of our most beautiful birds! The Rose-breasted Grosbeak. My best photo. #worstbirdpic
Reposted by Barb the Birb
Crazy thought but what if we made an AI model that can say “I don’t know” instead of constantly making stuff up www.wired.com/story/google...
‘You Can’t Lick a Badger Twice’: Google Failures Highlight a Fundamental AI Flaw
Google’s AI Overviews feature credible-sounding explanations for completely made-up idioms.
www.wired.com
April 24, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Crazy thought but what if we made an AI model that can say “I don’t know” instead of constantly making stuff up www.wired.com/story/google...
Reposted by Barb the Birb
This whole thread (detailing Elon's magical thinking in the earnings call) is worth a read, but this is the point that had me shaking my head.
The best way to be a good driver in a blizzards is NOT TO DRIVE IN A BLIZZARD IF YOU CAN AT ALL HELP IT.
The best way to be a good driver in a blizzards is NOT TO DRIVE IN A BLIZZARD IF YOU CAN AT ALL HELP IT.
"you could be a good driver in California but not in a blizzard in Manhattan"
Musk admitting that his "general solution to self-driving" is in fact not general
Musk admitting that his "general solution to self-driving" is in fact not general
April 23, 2025 at 2:36 PM
This whole thread (detailing Elon's magical thinking in the earnings call) is worth a read, but this is the point that had me shaking my head.
The best way to be a good driver in a blizzards is NOT TO DRIVE IN A BLIZZARD IF YOU CAN AT ALL HELP IT.
The best way to be a good driver in a blizzards is NOT TO DRIVE IN A BLIZZARD IF YOU CAN AT ALL HELP IT.
Reposted by Barb the Birb
That's crazy. It's almost as if opinions are not fixed to proportions of the population to be captured by one party or another, but mutable things that can be shaped over time
April 23, 2025 at 2:54 PM
That's crazy. It's almost as if opinions are not fixed to proportions of the population to be captured by one party or another, but mutable things that can be shaped over time
Reposted by Barb the Birb
Over 40 of us at the #TeslaTakedown @teslatakedown.com today in Littleton CO. We're making a difference. Auf Wiedersehen, Elon!
April 23, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Over 40 of us at the #TeslaTakedown @teslatakedown.com today in Littleton CO. We're making a difference. Auf Wiedersehen, Elon!