Shane Liesegang, SJ
@sjml.bsky.social
🎭 theater kid turned 🎮 game dev turned ✝️ Jesuit [scholastic/deacon]
past: skyrim, fallout, god of war, novitiate, philosophy/political econ, refugee aid (🇱🇧🇮🇶🇯🇴🇸🇾), theology, starfield, migrant care (🇵🇭)
present: theology in Boston
https://shaneliesegang.com
past: skyrim, fallout, god of war, novitiate, philosophy/political econ, refugee aid (🇱🇧🇮🇶🇯🇴🇸🇾), theology, starfield, migrant care (🇵🇭)
present: theology in Boston
https://shaneliesegang.com
Pinned
Shane Liesegang, SJ
@sjml.bsky.social
· Feb 3
I'm increasingly skeptical that "another birdsite" is the answer but there's so many people I can only keep in touch with on the social, so here we are. My old feed was a mix of lefty politics, tech/games, and religion. Trying to find more of the same, but now with migration/refugee stuff thrown in.
Headline roller coaster here of “awww BOOO yeah ok hope they find something wait WTF”
November 13, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Headline roller coaster here of “awww BOOO yeah ok hope they find something wait WTF”
Reposted by Shane Liesegang, SJ
I want to very gently say something, and I hope nobody will be mad: If somebody on the internet says something that is NOT about politics and NOT about how terrible everything is, it’s a kindness not to reflexively make a comment (in jest or not) that brings it back to those things.
November 13, 2025 at 2:10 AM
I want to very gently say something, and I hope nobody will be mad: If somebody on the internet says something that is NOT about politics and NOT about how terrible everything is, it’s a kindness not to reflexively make a comment (in jest or not) that brings it back to those things.
Reposted by Shane Liesegang, SJ
Leo wants us to have this. The Holy Father knows how to give good things to his children
November 13, 2025 at 4:16 AM
Leo wants us to have this. The Holy Father knows how to give good things to his children
Reposted by Shane Liesegang, SJ
Please note the photo credit: "Vatican Dicastery for Communication" 😎
November 13, 2025 at 4:15 AM
Please note the photo credit: "Vatican Dicastery for Communication" 😎
I spend enough time feeling disheartened by the hierarchy that when the USCCB seems to be waking up and finding their voice, I'm gonna celebrate it.
BREAKING: At Pope Leo XIV’s urging, U.S. Catholic bishops just delivered the strongest rebuke of a sitting president in Church history — condemning Trump-Vance raids as “inhumane” and “dehumanizing” in a 216–5 vote.
NEW: At Pope Leo’s Urging, Bishops Issue Historic Rebuke of Trump’s Raids
Nearly all U.S. Catholic bishops united in Baltimore to denounce the Trump administration’s “inhumane” deportation campaign — a near-unanimous, unprecedented moral stand against a sitting president.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
November 13, 2025 at 4:11 AM
I spend enough time feeling disheartened by the hierarchy that when the USCCB seems to be waking up and finding their voice, I'm gonna celebrate it.
Reposted by Shane Liesegang, SJ
BREAKING: At Pope Leo XIV’s urging, U.S. Catholic bishops just delivered the strongest rebuke of a sitting president in Church history — condemning Trump-Vance raids as “inhumane” and “dehumanizing” in a 216–5 vote.
NEW: At Pope Leo’s Urging, Bishops Issue Historic Rebuke of Trump’s Raids
Nearly all U.S. Catholic bishops united in Baltimore to denounce the Trump administration’s “inhumane” deportation campaign — a near-unanimous, unprecedented moral stand against a sitting president.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:21 AM
BREAKING: At Pope Leo XIV’s urging, U.S. Catholic bishops just delivered the strongest rebuke of a sitting president in Church history — condemning Trump-Vance raids as “inhumane” and “dehumanizing” in a 216–5 vote.
these things are always simpler than they want you to think
November 12, 2025 at 9:49 PM
these things are always simpler than they want you to think
Reposted by Shane Liesegang, SJ
The value of reading history is you know that in 1860 there were abolitionists who were so demoralized that they thought chattel slavery would be permanent. 5 years later those still alive had lived to see its end.
November 12, 2025 at 8:05 PM
The value of reading history is you know that in 1860 there were abolitionists who were so demoralized that they thought chattel slavery would be permanent. 5 years later those still alive had lived to see its end.
Reposted by Shane Liesegang, SJ
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, women led pro-temperance and anti-gambling activism because men would do this constantly - frequently leaving their wives and children with no money for food, fuel, or rent.
November 12, 2025 at 1:56 PM
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, women led pro-temperance and anti-gambling activism because men would do this constantly - frequently leaving their wives and children with no money for food, fuel, or rent.
a monstrously bad idea on social, ecological, pastoral, and mental health grounds, and while I would need to do some legwork to provide exact anathemas, I feel pretty confident is heretical in a deep, foundational way
Meet chatbot Jesus: How churches are using AI to save souls
Chatbots answer prayers and algorithms write sermons.
www.axios.com
November 12, 2025 at 1:45 PM
a monstrously bad idea on social, ecological, pastoral, and mental health grounds, and while I would need to do some legwork to provide exact anathemas, I feel pretty confident is heretical in a deep, foundational way
this is obviously stupid at many different levels but also there's no way any Pre-K student is "good at math;" at best we could say they are good at arithmetic, but that means very little as it's the thing computers are exceedingly good at already
(or at least they were before LLMs)
(or at least they were before LLMs)
I think the belief by the powerful that "people will put up with many things if you are excellent at math" is incredibly revealing in terms of understanding How We Got Here
November 12, 2025 at 4:03 AM
this is obviously stupid at many different levels but also there's no way any Pre-K student is "good at math;" at best we could say they are good at arithmetic, but that means very little as it's the thing computers are exceedingly good at already
(or at least they were before LLMs)
(or at least they were before LLMs)
I know canned food drives are all the rage and have the fun visual of filling up a box but the reality of these things is that food banks are VERY GOOD at stretching dollars, know where to find deals, and can even negotiate better prices on large purchases so really, the best thing you can give is $
spoke with the executive director of my local food bank today and got this really incredible line: "if you donate 1 can of green beans, we can give away 1 can of green beans. but if you donate a dollar, we can give away 6 cans of green beans"
November 11, 2025 at 9:24 PM
I know canned food drives are all the rage and have the fun visual of filling up a box but the reality of these things is that food banks are VERY GOOD at stretching dollars, know where to find deals, and can even negotiate better prices on large purchases so really, the best thing you can give is $
Reposted by Shane Liesegang, SJ
spoke with the executive director of my local food bank today and got this really incredible line: "if you donate 1 can of green beans, we can give away 1 can of green beans. but if you donate a dollar, we can give away 6 cans of green beans"
November 10, 2025 at 7:32 PM
spoke with the executive director of my local food bank today and got this really incredible line: "if you donate 1 can of green beans, we can give away 1 can of green beans. but if you donate a dollar, we can give away 6 cans of green beans"
I remember being very proud of having acclimated to living in the tropics last year, but wondered openly how I would fare coming back to Boston.
WELP today is the first day of real cold (34F) and I am a HUGE BABY ABOUT IT
WELP today is the first day of real cold (34F) and I am a HUGE BABY ABOUT IT
November 11, 2025 at 6:43 PM
I remember being very proud of having acclimated to living in the tropics last year, but wondered openly how I would fare coming back to Boston.
WELP today is the first day of real cold (34F) and I am a HUGE BABY ABOUT IT
WELP today is the first day of real cold (34F) and I am a HUGE BABY ABOUT IT
Can’t find it now but someone pointed out how the aesthetics of SUCCESSION showed how utterly bland these people’s lives were. Unimaginable financial resources and just existing in drab featureless rooms. Travel the world to sit in another identical gray box with boring furniture and generic snacks.
there's a moment in PARADISE LOST where Satan arrives in Eden and realizes Hell isn't a place; it's a thing he carries within him and it'll follow him wherever he goes. and i think about that when i see these awful rich men whose monstrous wealth has enriched them not at all
“whatever club he’s invited to join has been devalued by the invitation”
November 11, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Can’t find it now but someone pointed out how the aesthetics of SUCCESSION showed how utterly bland these people’s lives were. Unimaginable financial resources and just existing in drab featureless rooms. Travel the world to sit in another identical gray box with boring furniture and generic snacks.
Reposted by Shane Liesegang, SJ
there's a moment in PARADISE LOST where Satan arrives in Eden and realizes Hell isn't a place; it's a thing he carries within him and it'll follow him wherever he goes. and i think about that when i see these awful rich men whose monstrous wealth has enriched them not at all
“whatever club he’s invited to join has been devalued by the invitation”
November 11, 2025 at 6:31 AM
there's a moment in PARADISE LOST where Satan arrives in Eden and realizes Hell isn't a place; it's a thing he carries within him and it'll follow him wherever he goes. and i think about that when i see these awful rich men whose monstrous wealth has enriched them not at all
the twin apotheoses of Cartesian dualism
It's kind of fascinating to me that two of the prime obsessions of the 21st century science are "meat without mind" and "mind without meat"
If people want to do this, we need to learn how to make a bunch of enzymes at scale and it may actually not be possible for cheaper than real meat for a long time
November 11, 2025 at 12:16 PM
the twin apotheoses of Cartesian dualism
A Camaldolese monk once told me that inside all of us, there is a gap, longing to be filled. Weirdly, it's very easy to fill the gap: sex, drugs, consumerism, food, etc. But it drains too quickly; need something real to fill it, but real means humanity and humility and is thus unachievable for some.
This applies to a lot of rich powerful people, who clearly cannot understand affection, love or joy, and just try to fill the black hole where their souls should be with infinite money, and it’s never ever going to be enough.
November 11, 2025 at 1:16 AM
A Camaldolese monk once told me that inside all of us, there is a gap, longing to be filled. Weirdly, it's very easy to fill the gap: sex, drugs, consumerism, food, etc. But it drains too quickly; need something real to fill it, but real means humanity and humility and is thus unachievable for some.
my (not super fancy/expensive but I like it) watch that I got right before entering the Jesuits has finally started breaking down so I took it to a repair shop; the guy nodded appreciatively and said “this is good watch” in a light eastern european accent and I felt so good for having chosen wisely
November 10, 2025 at 6:35 PM
my (not super fancy/expensive but I like it) watch that I got right before entering the Jesuits has finally started breaking down so I took it to a repair shop; the guy nodded appreciatively and said “this is good watch” in a light eastern european accent and I felt so good for having chosen wisely
Reposted by Shane Liesegang, SJ
We are out here fighting over whether we should keep burning the atmosphere or if people should have enough food to eat, and meanwhile the spiders are learning to cooperate. You do not want the spiders to cooperate.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/s...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/s...
Stinking, Spongy, Dark, Huge: A Spider Web Unlike Any Seen Before
www.nytimes.com
November 10, 2025 at 6:08 PM
We are out here fighting over whether we should keep burning the atmosphere or if people should have enough food to eat, and meanwhile the spiders are learning to cooperate. You do not want the spiders to cooperate.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/s...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/s...
cosign; please more people watch this show I know it's on a streaming service that you probably don't have but it also has For All Mankind and Acapulco and other fun stuff check it out and then talk to me about Pluribus plz
PLURIBUS
IS FUN
IS FUN
November 10, 2025 at 6:28 PM
cosign; please more people watch this show I know it's on a streaming service that you probably don't have but it also has For All Mankind and Acapulco and other fun stuff check it out and then talk to me about Pluribus plz
Reposted by Shane Liesegang, SJ
I can’t believe we’re back to medieval level conflicts like “local authorities deny catholic prisoners the Eucharist, bishop arrives, Papal sanction may follow”
Chicago Auxiliary Bishop José María Garcia-Maldonado at ICE detention facility: “Being here is an act of holiness…soon we will seek access to the facility to bring the Eucharist to our brothers and sisters; if they say no again, we will keep praying.”
November 1, 2025 at 6:56 PM
I can’t believe we’re back to medieval level conflicts like “local authorities deny catholic prisoners the Eucharist, bishop arrives, Papal sanction may follow”
Reposted by Shane Liesegang, SJ
The Pope out here guest lecturing in the iSchools.
November 7, 2025 at 5:39 PM
The Pope out here guest lecturing in the iSchools.
only a little ways into Pluribus but this is the kind of screen that basically guarantees I will want to watch the rest of it
![A bunch of cars parked outside the Very Large Array. subtitles say "[astronomers clamoring]"](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:sbbklyrrb5xfb43mfhypi2f7/bafkreibrtfclubrq7t2bgepd7th5dobllapyqxj57hzkddmn4a4szmavdq@jpeg)
November 7, 2025 at 6:02 PM
only a little ways into Pluribus but this is the kind of screen that basically guarantees I will want to watch the rest of it
Having won GOTY at (the predecessor of) TGA and the same thing at the GDC awards, I can tell you the one that was from fellow developers meant *much* more to me.
(who knows what will happen with GDC now, but the point remains)
(also awards in general are kinda dumb, but I get it)
(who knows what will happen with GDC now, but the point remains)
(also awards in general are kinda dumb, but I get it)
A note about the TGAs worth remembering as this Future Class story unfolds: it’s a marketing beat, consumer-facing, and voted on by media/influencers. Developers are, by design, not included or considered in the structure. Which feels bad! www.polygon.com/explained/49...
How The Game Awards voting works
It’s the press and fans, not game devs, who vote on The Game Awards
www.polygon.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Having won GOTY at (the predecessor of) TGA and the same thing at the GDC awards, I can tell you the one that was from fellow developers meant *much* more to me.
(who knows what will happen with GDC now, but the point remains)
(also awards in general are kinda dumb, but I get it)
(who knows what will happen with GDC now, but the point remains)
(also awards in general are kinda dumb, but I get it)