Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

OtterForce

@otterforce.bsky.social

510 followers 430 following 880 posts

#ActuallyAutistic parent, #photographer, web designer, #WordPress fan, and paid bookworm. From rural #NY.

Love #LEGO, #VideoGames, #mycology, #camping, #writing, #books (particularly #SciFi)

🖤🩶🤍💚🤍🩶🖤

Advocate, accomplice, and agitator. ✊🏼

Posts Replies Media Videos

Pinned

OtterForce @otterforce.bsky.social · Jun 29

An #Introduction: I'm an #ActuallyAutistic father of two who helps authors manage their #WordPress websites, live events, and newsletters. I love to read #scifi, play #videogames (currently #Diablo4 and #FFXIV), take #photos of #fungi, #flowers, and #insects, and attend #concerts when possible.

1/2

Reposted by OtterForce

Bill Grueskin

@bgrueskin.bsky.social

Kyle Kingsbury is not a journalist. He is not an op-ed writer.

He is a computer safety researcher.

And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.

In under 1600 words.

aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...

I Want You to Understand Chicago
Politics Chicago
2025-11-08

I want you to understand what it is like to live in Chicago during this time.

Every day my phone buzzes. It is a neighborhood group: four people were kidnapped at the corner drugstore. A friend a mile away sends a Slack message: she was at the scene when masked men assaulted and abducted two people on the street. A plumber working on my pipes is distraught, and I find out that two of his employees were kidnapped that morning. A week later it happens again.

An email arrives. Agents with guns have chased a teacher into the school where she works. They did not have a warrant. They dragged her away, ignoring her and her colleagues’ pleas to show proof of her documentation. That evening I stand a few feet from the parents of Rayito de Sol and listen to them describe, with anguish, how good Ms. Diana was to their children. What it is like to have strangers with guns traumatize your kids. For a teacher to hide a three-year-old child for fear they might be killed. How their relatives will no longer leave the house. I hear the pain and fury in their voices, and I wonder who will be next.

Understand what it is to pray in Chicago. On September 19th, Reverend David Black, lead pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Chicago, was praying outside the ICE detention center in Broadview when a DHS agent shot him in the head with pepper balls. Pepper balls are never supposed to be fired at the head because they can seriously injure, or even kill. “We could hear them laughing as they were shooting us from the roof,” Black recalled. He is not the only member of the clergy ICE has assaulted. Methodist pastor Hannah Kardon was violently arrested on October 17th, and Baptist pastor Michael Woolf was shot with pepper balls on November 1st.

Understand what it is to sleep in Chicago. On the night of September 30th, federal agents rappelled from a Black Hawk helicopter to execute a raid on an apartment building on the South Sho…

November 9, 2025 at 8:49 PM

OtterForce

@otterforce.bsky.social

Still a vibe…

Can catch the full track at www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCzP4...

#Music #Tra#Musico#Tranceg#NowPlaying

November 13, 2025 at 8:22 PM

Reposted by OtterForce

John

@postcards2025.bsky.social

The evening walk amid the dying Autumn #lichfield #photo #shotoniphone #nighttime #photographersofbluesky

November 12, 2025 at 12:12 AM

Reposted by OtterForce

Margot Foley

@mfoley25.bsky.social

one of our many awesome sea stacks at low tide.
#ColorADay #BlueTue
#RockinTuesday
#TidesOutTuesday
#EastCoastkin
#WestCoastKin
#Oregon #PNW
#Nature #Photography

a scenic view of the beach in Bandon on a clear day. The central feature is a large, tall sea stack, which is part of a series of offshore rock formations along the coastline. The rock stands on a sandy beach, with smaller rock formations and tide pools visible in the foreground. The sky is a vibrant blue with wispy clouds.

November 12, 2025 at 12:49 AM

Reposted by OtterForce

Rural Indexing Project

@ruralindexing.bsky.social

Turret
Oquawka, IL

November 12, 2025 at 12:50 AM

OtterForce

@otterforce.bsky.social

The ABC's of undermining #capitalism:
Agitation, Base building & #Community empowerment

WHAT: Virtual discussion w/ Author & Organizer Roderick Strugglass (Roderick Douglass)

WHEN: Nov 17th, 12pm-1pm EST

WHERE: https//:tinyurl.com/rosczoom

*NO REGISTRATION NECESSARY*

FREE, OPEN TO ALL

November 12, 2025 at 12:59 AM

OtterForce

@otterforce.bsky.social

For more information, visit www.resourcesforsocialchange....

www.resourcesforsocialchange.org

November 12, 2025 at 12:57 AM

OtterForce

@otterforce.bsky.social

A little nostalgia for this week's #AlphabetChallenge. It's #WeekTForTelevision

#Disney #CRT #M43 #Technology #Vintage #Olympus #EastCoastKin

A red and yellow CRT television with Mickey Mouse ears on top as speakers atop a matching red Disney branded DVD/VHS combo player on a light wooden cabinet with a small drawer. The television's dark, powered-off screen reflects the room behind. Yellow rounded feet support both devices. The left side features a window with white trim letting in diffused daylight, while wooden wall paneling in warm brown tones fills the background. A horizontal wooden beam crosses the right side. In the lower left corner, a dark blue plastic bag or tarp is partially visible. Fine dust particles float in the air, caught in the natural light streaming through the window, creating a hazy atmosphere throughout the scene.

November 11, 2025 at 11:29 PM

Reposted by OtterForce

Sparty®

@young-spartacus.bsky.social

'Bay-utiful View 2'

I posted a shot of St. Paul's Bay from atop Lindos Acropolis in Rhodes about a month ago.
Here's Joanne's sneaky candid shot of me shooting it!

Sparty 💙🥰

#EastCoastKin #Photography #Travel #Nature #Art #BlueSkyMonday #MountainMonday #ColorADay #PinkMon #MeetTheArtist #Portrait

A photograph of a man standing on a rugged, sun-drenched cliffside, his back to the viewer, engrossed in capturing the breathtaking coastal vista with his camera. The scene is dominated by a vast expanse of deep blue sea that stretches to the horizon under a brilliant, cloud-streaked sky. The man, wearing a light grey t-shirt, dark blue denim shorts, and dark slip-on navy shoes, has a patterned backpack slung over his shoulders. He is positioned on a weathered, multi-layered rock formation, which forms a natural observation point high above the water.
The cliff face drops sharply down to the tumultuous, white-capped waves below. The sunlight illuminates the scene, casting a warm glow on the rocks and the man. The sky is a vibrant cerulean, with scattered wisps of white clouds adding texture and depth.
In the distance, a small, rocky island or promontory juts out from the sea, its dark, craggy silhouette contrasting against the bright water and sky. The water around this landmass appears choppy, with white foam visible at its base. The overall atmosphere is one of serene exploration and appreciation for the natural beauty of the landscape. The photograph captures a moment of quiet contemplation and the act of preserving a memory through photography. The composition draws the eye from the foreground, where the man stands, out to the expansive and dramatic seascape beyond, creating a sense of scale and wonder.

November 10, 2025 at 12:21 PM

Reposted by OtterForce

Sparty®

@young-spartacus.bsky.social

'Bathroom Botanicals'

One of our Spider Plants has begun flowering - its petals are stunning.

Happy Mondays 🪇

Sparty 💙🌼

#EastCoastKin #Photography #Art #BlueSkyMonday #MinimalMonday #BloomScrolling #thelittlethings
#PhotographersofBluesky #BlueSkyPhotography #Nature #MacroMonday #Flowers

This is a macro photograph of a single, delicate white flower of Anthericum or a spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum), positioned slightly off-center in the frame. The flower is the main subject, captured with a shallow depth of field that blurs the background and foreground elements, drawing the viewer's eye to the intricate details of the blossom itself.
The flower has six narrow, elongated petals, or perianth segments, which are a translucent white and covered in a fine layer of water droplets, catching the light and adding a sparkling texture. These petals are arranged radially around a central point, curving slightly outwards and downwards at their tips. The surface of the petals has a subtle, almost velvety texture visible in the high-resolution detail.
From the centre of the flower, six bright yellow-orange anthers extend on thin, white filaments, creating a star-like pattern. The anthers are plump and vibrant, providing a strong contrast against the pale petals. The central part of the flower also shows a faint green hue at the base of the petals and filaments.
Above the main flower, several other buds and spent blossoms are visible on a thin, green stem. Two of the buds are still tightly closed, appearing as small, pale green or off-white teardrop shapes. Another, higher up, appears to be a faded, withered blossom, its petals shriveled and brownish, indicating the life cycle of the plant.
To the left of the flower, a large, out-of-focus leaf or stem rises vertically through the frame, its surface a smooth, pale green with a visible central vein. The background is a soft, deep blue-grey, completely blurred into a smooth wash of colour that provides a cool, muted backdrop, allowing the bright, detailed flower to stand out prominently. The lighting is soft and even, highlighting the delicate features of the plant without casting harsh shadows. The overall mood is one of tranquility and natural beauty, with a focus on the fine details of the botanical subject.

November 10, 2025 at 1:10 PM

Reposted by OtterForce

jamelle

@jamellebouie.net

made a video on the filibuster — its history and why it's bad — for my youtube channel. check it out!

What's the deal with the filibuster?

YouTube video by Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie

www.youtube.com

November 11, 2025 at 8:21 PM

OtterForce

@otterforce.bsky.social

A little something for #ColorADay #BlueTue

#M43 #RuralLife #Appalachia #PlantPhotography #Olympus

Delicate grass seed heads rise sharply in focus against a soft, blurred background. The foreground features two prominent golden-brown seed stalks with fine, feathery structures catching warm sunlight—one tall and dense on the left, another slender and ascending toward the center. Bright yellow-green grass blades emerge from the lower left and right edges. Behind them, numerous out-of-focus tan and cream-colored seed heads create a hazy middle ground. The background reveals indistinct mountain shapes in muted gray-brown tones beneath a pale blue sky that gradients from deeper blue at the top to lighter tones near the horizon. The shallow depth of field isolates the sharp foreground detail while dissolving the background into soft bokeh.

November 11, 2025 at 6:53 PM

Reposted by OtterForce

Robyn

@handcranked.bsky.social

Fuzzy

I've been neglecting #BNWmacro so here's a phone photo I took this week because the light was hitting these pods just right.

#Stunday
#EastCoastKin #PhotographersUnited #PhotographersOfBluesky #photography
#ArtYear
#MobilePhotography

A dramatic black and white macro of two nasturtium pods glowing in the light. They look very fuzzy. The background is nearly black.

November 10, 2025 at 4:25 AM

OtterForce

@otterforce.bsky.social

A part of the stone wall (I believe up near the parking lot) at #WatkinsGlen.

#RockinTuesday #LichenSubscribe #Moss #Trees #Rocks #Stone #EastCoastKin #MobilePhotography

A close-up view of a dry-stacked stone wall with flat, irregular gray-to-charcoal stones fitted horizontally without mortar. Vibrant green moss fills the shadowed crevices between stones, while pale lichen dots sunlit surfaces. The wall angles from lower left to upper right, with deep shadows accentuating the dimensional stacking. Bright natural light from the right illuminates textured stone faces, creating strong contrast. Out-of-focus yellow-green foliage and blue sky appear in the background right, with small fern fronds emerging from wall gaps in the lower right corner.

November 11, 2025 at 5:49 PM

Reposted by OtterForce

Kingfisher & Wombat

@tkingfisher.com

I would just live my life so that Joyce Carol Oates does not feel the need to destroy me.

November 11, 2025 at 5:56 AM

OtterForce

@otterforce.bsky.social

#Cookies and milk time!

Homemade dollhouse cookies on a red ceramic plate with a Welch’s jelly jar full of milk behind it. The cup has a smiling green long-necked dinosaur on it. The lighting is warm and cozy.

November 11, 2025 at 4:01 AM

OtterForce

@otterforce.bsky.social

#FirstSnow of the year!

#Snow #Winter #WesternNY #ClassicMono #BlackAndWhite #EastCoastKin

A monochromatic winter night scene viewed from beneath a darkened overhang. Snow blankets the ground, vegetation, and tree branches throughout the residential street. In the foreground, rounded shrubs appear heavily frosted with thick white layers. A street lamp left of center creates a bright starburst, illuminating the snow-covered pavement below. On the right, a two-story house with two dark upper windows stands beside a mature tree completely outlined in white frost. Power lines cross horizontally through the frame, and additional houses appear in the background among snow-covered evergreens.

November 10, 2025 at 8:29 PM

Reposted by OtterForce

𝙲𝚑𝚞𝚛𝚌𝚑 𝚂𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝙸𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚜

@churchstreetimages.com

I had been keeping my eye on this burning bush and sure enough there was one rainy morning where it was ready for #Stunday.
#photography #plants #nature