Oooh maybe we could be @scalzi.com's neighbour.... www.realtor.com/realestatean...

I strongly recall a trailer for a movie where some town either transported somewhere else, or the rest of the world disappeared; there was a shot of a car about to drive off border. But I can't remember what it was. Anyone?

That feeling when you open your e-mail to find a message from your bank suggesting you link your account to LLMs. That's a huge no from me (and I replied to say as much).

A lot is better than 40 years ago. But a lot is worse than 10 years ago, which may be why we have so much nostalgia. (And some things were better 40 years ago - kids had more freedom, for instance.)

Constantine@ajaxsinger.bsky.social · 13h ago

Food, man. Food is so much better than it was in 1986. All of it. Poor-people food, restaurant food, fresh food, frozen food. Food is just a hell of a lot better.

lawsky, is this a smart thing to publicly post before filing a response to a lawsuit? openai.com/index/apple-...

Oh, I get it now -- the Eschaton dispersed all the AI people because they were too focused on LLMs, right @cstross.bsky.social?

... i just can't. the corruption is open at all levels in the US gov't. and the longer it continues, the harder it will be to stop. i'm not even sure it can be anymore

Cached US #KindleBookGiveaway, courtesy of @princejvstin.com: 10 copies of The MidnightFront (Dark Arts Book 1), by @davidmack.pro, which I *have* but *haven't read yet*, so if you read it please let me know what you think... First giveaway for this author!

Today's not-very-subskeet: I would have paid good money to see Will Stencil in the same room attempting to discuss Boots Theory with @terryandrob.bsky.social. WIlly boy wouldn't've lasted five minutes. 😄

Folks I won’t tell you not to feel your feelings, but this is rage bait. He’s talking about expanding beyond politics into things like live sports.

The Verge@theverge.com · 2d ago

Bluesky's new CEO Toni Schneider on the platform's reputation for being a liberal bubble: "Yes, we definitely want that to change. It is already changing. It certainly wasn’t designed to attract one specific group of people."

Just because he was capable of warmth doesn't absolve all his actual filth and evil. Good riddance

Leo Enright@ollopa11.bsky.social · 2d ago

I am saddened by the tone of commentary in this place about my former BBC colleague. The level of vitriol seems more suited to the other place. I worked with Rod at the Today programme. He took no prisoners, but he was witty and personally capable of genuine warmth. My sympathy to his family.

Edmonton folks: do you know the identity of these two people who *stole a cat from a store that adopts out animals for local rescues and this kitty was about to go to her forever home* www.reddit.com/r/Edmonton/c...

From the Edmonton community on Reddit: Cat Stolen from Whyte Ave Pet Valu

Explore this post and more from the Edmonton community

reddit.com

I thought it was just the politician but no, the telegraph went with the headline "Move over Ireland, there is a new worst country in Europe" I knew they were a crap paper but I hadn't realised they were this pathetic level of crap.

Des Fitzgerald@desfitzgerald.bsky.social · 2d ago

I think we're generally much too chill about how mainstream and normal this weird, obsessive anti-Irish stuff is in the UK. #speirgorm

If you still have your absentee ballot, you must return it to your local clerk’s office or ballot drop box before 8 pm tonight! Do not mail it. Let’s go win!

Just a reminder to avoid HP merch, especially in Edinburgh. It's tacky and you know better.

Ed Fortune@edfortune.com · last yr.

It's also worth pointing out that there seems to be a LOT of Wizarding World overstock knocking about. Pop into one of those tourist trap / cheap tat shops, and you'll see a lot this stuff. I'm not saying the Harry Potter brand is becoming connected to money laundering, but blimey is it sus.

I do not understand the love for Babylon 5.

I have an AIB business account. It comes with a debit card. Today, I needed to pay some import duties. It said I needed down install their Authenticator app. I did so. It asked for my registration # and PAC. I gave both. It gave a login error. I called the phone number the app said to call.

There are 48 people on the Defiant. Two hundred years later, there are 8,000 descendants from that group. I suspect there is some inbreeding going on.

Ooooh DS9 S5E22, "Children of Time," the episode written by @aptshadow.bsky.social!

It has been raining small amounts, starting last night. I am *deeply* happy for this. And it looks like there will continue to be small amounts of rain throughout the next few days.

Cached US #KindleBookGiveaway: 6 copies of Tigana, by @guygavrielkay.bsky.social, which I *have* and *have read* and *did enjoy* although it was quite a downer... It was the first Kay book I read after the Fionavar Tapestry.

There is still one copy of this available! www.amazon.com/kindle/redeem/?t=GS2HSHFBVHUGUS4 #KindleBookGiveaway

Sean Eric Fagan@kithrup.bsky.social · 3d ago

Cached US #KindleBookGiveaway: 10 copies of The Indestructibles (book 1 of the eponymous series) by @matthewphillion.bsky.social, which I *have* and *have read* and *have given out before* and highly recommend. This is one of my favorite YA-ish superhero prose series.

#HeadsUp: As noted by @taldragon.bsky.social and the author, @cheriepriest.com, Grave Reservations (Booking Agents Book 1) is on US ebook sale for $2. I enjoyed both these books, and want more, and have gotten some for random giveaway.

High Priestess, Low Patience@cheriepriest.com · 2d ago

Heads up folks! My Seattle mystery about a psychic travel agent slash karaoke queen is a special price for August! For just $1.99 you can grab the ebook from all the usual suspects - just click here and check the right-hand column here for links: 👇 www.simonandschuster.com/books/Grave-...

this is not a comment on any one incident or person but just one time, I'd love for someone "addicted to AI/dopamine" to come out with their struggles before the general public caught onto them using the thing

@leekvs.bsky.social you're all over this, right?

Gillian Branstetter@gbbranstetter.bsky.social · 2d ago

An initiative on the ballot in Washington state in November would require all athletes seeking to play girl's sports from kindergarten to high school to undergo "genetic screening, a testosterone-levels test, or an examination of their reproductive anatomy" before they can play

i think the party of sick freaks who want to inspect kid's private parts should be branded as such

Gillian Branstetter@gbbranstetter.bsky.social · 2d ago

An initiative on the ballot in Washington state in November would require all athletes seeking to play girl's sports from kindergarten to high school to undergo "genetic screening, a testosterone-levels test, or an examination of their reproductive anatomy" before they can play

#HeadsUp: Uprooted by @naominovik.bsky.social is on US ebook sale for $3. This is a retelling of Bluebeard, and I got some for random giveaway.

#HeadsUp: as spotted by @galatfemme.bsky.social, Bloom by @delilahsdawson.bsky.social is on US ebook sale for $2. I got a copy for myself, and some for random giveaway.

#HeadsUp: as noted by @maxgladstone.bsky.social, some of the Craft books are on US ebook sale. I got some copies of Three Parts Dead ($2.50 on amazon, $3 elsehwere) for random giveaway.

Max Gladstone@maxgladstone.bsky.social · 2d ago

Want a deal on some books? In honor of the Craft Wars being up for the Hugo Award, these are $2.99 in ebook for a limited time, on all retailers: THREE PARTS DEAD (bookshop.org/p/books/thre...) TWO SERPENTS RISE (bookshop.org/p/books/two-...) DEAD COUNTRY (bookshop.org/p/books/dead...)

Alas, finished our rewatch of Gravity Falls, and we've recently rewatched Owl House. Gonna need something else to fill the slot.