[User]
I hadn't considered prison libraries at all when researching representation of certain languages in libraries.

So now there:-
(a) public libraries
(b) school libraries
(c) university libraries
(d) prison libraries

All different systems with different administrators.

[Assistant] And if I intend to monumentally change the libraries of Scotland, I have to tackle not just 494 public libraries in 32 regional councils, but also around 2,500 school libraries, 30 university libraries and now 15 prison libraries.

[User] And also government libraries, of which I work for one, and there's another few dozen in others around Scotland :)

[Assistant] However I believe the prison libraries are extensions of the relevant area's public library service, so they're effectively almost branches/specific site collections of public libraries (But I'm neither a public or prison librarian and if any can clarify the specifics I'd be delighted)

[User] Can you tell me, do government libraries have regular book stock or is it all specialist publications and research facilities?

[Assistant] As they're effectively workplace libraries they will only be funded to maintain stock relevant to their organisation's specialist needs, e.g. materials on law, the environment etc.


[User] Inspired by this, I'll share a bit about design and books. Today book covers, what goes on the cover? I'm working with an author and explaining copyright and difference between photo, type/font cover and an illustration. cost, time to create and corrections, and cultural considerations.

[Assistant] A photo cover from legit image library is speedy, required flexible choices. Photos from own collection need to be high res for print. All require copyright clearance, hence legit sources. Fonts is easy to create, I love these, this is one:

[User] An illustration is customisable or from stock image on a photo library. Bespoke is pricey and brief needs to be tight to avoid pricey corrections. Designers can help with this as we can co-create the brief based on market and creative knowledge.

[Assistant] I print my shortlist of cover designs, stick them onto blank books (Himself has loads, he worked in print!) and pop them onto bookshelves in bookshops to see how they hold up against competition. Only then do I go back to the client.


[User] Thanks to Legal Eagle revel in the absolute beauty of the collaborative effort between the all the Sandy Hook plaintiffs to outbid Alex Jones’ faux auction bid. The Bankruptcy ruling was supposed to split the plaintiffs up fighting over crumbs. They joined forces instead. youtu.be/GmDNz7irGgw?...

[Assistant] Since I follow Knowledge Fight I know the names of the Sandy Hook families lawyers and I’m so chuffed for both of them they didn’t have to resolve to fighting each others clients over pennies on the dollar.

[User] I’ve been wondering if the inadvertent disclosure of 300 gigs of data from Alex Jones’ phone has a lot to do with his fate in financial terms. It’s clear the data was used to increase the size of the Connecticut families judgement. But I suspect having the whole grand scheme helped dismantle him.

[Assistant] Which mean the Paralegal to F. Andino Reynal is a secret hero. I wonder if Jones had the paralegal murdered?


[User]
Share a pic and the title of a narrative game you love.

Before Your Eyes

Incredibly innovative controls and an ending that broke me. It's only 90 minutes people, go play it.

[Assistant] Love it 💛

[User] Oooo. This one looks really interesting. I will take a closer look. The reviews say "Overwhelmingly Positive".

[Assistant] Please ONLY play it with a webcam, it transforms it from a good experience to a truly unique one. The physical act of trying to keep your eyes open to hold on to a memory is a powerful one.


[User]
There is a feeling I can't quite place about the Williamsburg Outlet Mall being open despite the rear parking lot actively collapsing due to an underground fire.

Apparently the stormwater runoff system is what caught fire???

[Assistant]
That second photo is newer. The collapse has gotten a lot bigger with even more smoke... yet the stores remain open so people can buy overpriced wares???

Would be nice if businesses were required to have insurance that included salary coverage so they could close and workers still get paid.

[User]
But nope. Gotta get those dollars, especially on Black Friday.

I hope all the store owners and shoppers have moist socks and all their shoes have 1 tiny rock they can't find.

[Assistant]
Someone should put a GRAND OPENING or NOW OPEN sign out there.

For a more deeper cut, CREATIVE DESTRUCTION.


[User] We are currently experiencing an issue with our online stream and are working to fix the issue. You can continue to tune in to TSN 690 at 690 AM or 107.3 HD-3.

[Assistant] What is AM?

[User] I was wondering what was going on. Thanks for the heads up!

[Assistant] How do you get the 107.3 HD 3??

[User] It is available on newer car radios (you need to click on the yellow HD Radio logo) and on dedicated HD radios.

[Assistant] Thanks for the answer!


[User] Will it work in Birmingham like it seems to work in London? Time will tell! www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/foo...

[Assistant] Bakers in Birmingham have not been the same since the demise of Wimbush and the rebrand of Braggs to Greggs and their removal of selling bread. If you have an independent bakery on your High Street you’re lucky.

[User] I was always a Firkins girl, myself. This new Gail's will be just doors down from one of our very best bakeries, Medicine. There's no way it will be able to compare, I'm certain. Medicine is elite!

[Assistant] Sounds like I need to take some Medicine and not just that from the chemists!!!


[User]
✨🎄CHRISTMAS SPACE DAY AT SOUTHEND PLANETARIUM🎄✨

Join Southend Museums' intrepid, intergalactic team in Southend Central Museum on Sunday 1 December for special seasonal planetarium shows, magical meteorite handling and spaceman storytelling sessions.

[Assistant]
🌟Little Elves Early Years Show
12.00

A sleigh riding start into space, the solar system and beyond for all aspiring astronomers as part of Christmas Space Day. Suitable for ages 3+.

www.eventbrite.com/e/little-elv...

[User]
🌠Magical Meteorites
11.30, 14.00 and 15.30

Reach for the stars in one of our interactive handling sessions with real space materials. Suitable for ages 5+.

www.eventbrite.com/e/magical-me...

[Assistant]
🧑🚀Spaceman Stories
13.00 and 16.30

Step into the stars for some space themed storytelling sessions. Suitable for ages 5+.

www.eventbrite.com/e/spaceman-s...

[User]
🌌Silent Night Sky
13.30 and 16.00

From constellations and comets to the sun, stars and beyond, this is a great interstellar introduction. Suitable for ages 7+.

www.eventbrite.com/e/silent-nig...

[Assistant]
✨Christmas Constellations
14.30 and 15.00

A family friendly planetarium show all about the festive stories in our skies. Suitable for ages 7+.

www.eventbrite.com/e/christmas-...


[Assistant] he's so…..

[User] i had never seen that twink in my life but his pinned was a bf post 😭

[Assistant] we used to be mutuals and he was ALWAYS camping in some replies waiting for attention 😭


[User]
Troll harassed and blocked me for daring to point out the problems with genAI because he was unable to offer any valid responses.

Please report.

[Assistant]
I thought we left this crap behavior behind on Twitter.

This is half the reason I never used to post my photo anywhere. Because of assholes like this.

And they’re supposedly a liberal.

[User]
Pro tip, though: the minute someone does this?

It’s because they have no legitimate response to what you’re saying. So they’re trying to deflect and attack you instead to take attention away from their failure.

[Assistant] I reported and blocked.


[User]
Why did nobody tell me earlier that I didn’t have to fully slog the cardio for 1.5 hours to see results and that weight training is the true way forward?!

Assholes! 😂

[Assistant] I’ve been saying that for ever.

[User] Tbf the chances of me listening to a man other than a PT are slim to none. Especially in a gym environment 😂 so I probably should blame my fuck off don’t talk to me face 😂

[Assistant] Haha, it’s good to talk and the biggest guys and girls in there are normally more than happy to help. The gym is life 💪🏼


[User]
“The Neglected Queen”

Oh, @hopebastine.com, my dear, you’re such a delight,
But where are my walks, from morning to night?

[Assistant]
You’d rather do yoga, or meditate away,
While I’m here plotting to ruin your day.

[User]
Your clients adore you, but let’s not pretend,
I’m the companion who’ll love you till the end.

[Assistant]
Forget mindfulness, come scratch my back,
And maybe toss me a treat or a snack.


[User]
Finally getting around to finishing I should have finished in...I think August😵. It was for an art gift for 400 followers on that other place.
Who knows who these two are? We'd have to ask an expert on dinosaurs.

[Assistant] It's Ash and Pikachu! 😶😅

[User] 🤣 When are we all going to host a "Who's that OC?"?

[Assistant] Haha that would be a fun idea 🤭


[User]
Yeaaaaah the bot follows are coming in.

Ngl that kinda takes the wind out of my sails a bit.

[Assistant] Hope this site doesn’t go to shit like so many others, how many has it been now? Deviantart, Tumblr, Twitter, etc.

[User] It was bound to happen. But in a way it's a good sign that this platform is seen as worth botting. Hopefully some better block lists come along.

[Assistant] Hrmm.. I'm a bit wary of block lists. Some good people I know have ended up on some nasty ones.


[User]
Definitely one of the stupidest T-shirt slogans ever.
Angels don't have penises or vaginas.

Also. Angels DON'T EXIST.

[Assistant] Angels do exist, and if you are in Ukraine you've met them.

[User]
Nope, never met one, never seen one, just deluded religious fanatics who claim to communicate with angels.
I HAVE met quite a few brave Ukrainian soldiers who are fighting for our freedom.

[Assistant]
Angels.
Those medics, soldiers, evacuators, rescuers.
As for gender, you have no idea about some of them.
Can't you just look for the good and know that it is the reason anyone fights back?
If there were no angels, the enemy would just move in without a fight.


[User] I set AI the task of naming an all time #ncfc XI. This is what it came up with (442)-  B.Gunn, Culverhouse, Forbes, Bruce, Bowen, Hoolahan, Peters, Crook, Huckerby, Sutton, Holt. Thoughts?

[Assistant] pretty good - personally I'd put Watson & Pukki in there.

[User] Close to mine: Woods, Culverhouse, Watson, Bruce, Bowen, Crook, O’Neill, Peters, Huckerby, Boyer, Drinkell.

[Assistant] I’d be happy with that, although it depends on the opposition and era. Just think how Dunc would respond to a VAR call 😂😂

[User] I would swop Sutton for Pukki  I like Sutton  but don't think himan Holt would blend.

[Assistant] That’s not far off my team. I think I’d have to squeeze Buendia in there somewhere.


[User]
A #bustedride Chevy Malibu the boring 5th generation 1997-2003 that no one cares to remember.

Trunk lid won't close, and rear bumper cover with just enough rear end damage to validate being rear ended.

[Assistant] I hated how unsymmetrical those wheels were. And how my friend would put open cups of soda in the world's shittiest cup holders.

[User] Truly the most vanilla iteration of the Maluminpala.

[Assistant] Looks like it was made to be the “or similar” option rental car.

[User] They did make this Gen as a "classic" which means rental fleet use for sure.

[Assistant] I know a guy that had one of the ex-fleet “Classic” badged ones for a bit.


[User] Please appreciate my lemon supremacy. I've been learning to do my nails on my own as a stress relief activity. (Ignore my cuticles)

[Assistant] those look so good!

[User] Thank you! Hopefully they look good enough to where I don't pick them off xD let's see how long these ones last!

[Assistant] I pick at mine too. The kind I have on now isn't easily picked at though so that's a plus. Hope yours last as long as you want them to! :)

[User] I've recently switched to using a Peel off base so that it doesn't do as much damage to my nails while still lasting quite long! That might help with you as well.

[Assistant] thank you for the suggestion! I may have to look into that. My nails are awful.

[User] This is amazing! 😍


[User] With any luck this trend keeps going. Ruble in free fall. Putin you can end this GTFO out of #Ukraine! Looks like hyperinflation about to start, you cannot take care of land and infrastructure you have. spend money on heating and feeding your citizens instead of tanks and death benefits.

[Assistant] He has reduced the death benefits to 'missing in action'.. caveat emptor.

[User] My point was don’t send soldiers that are just going to die.. I know he’s not paying every death benefit  but the amount of money going to take More land from a sovereign nation would be better spent taking care of actual Russians.

[Assistant] Oh I agree. That isn't the ruZZian mindset at a Politburo level. Never had been.


[User]
A private swim club is planned for West Highland. Ernest Gurulé covers this controversial potential addition to the neighborhood in this month’s Denver North Star.
coloradocommunitymedia.com/2024/11/16/p...

[Assistant] “He also thinks the gentrifying neighborhood is ready for his idea” is a real zinger. Private spaces are the exact opposite of what we all need right now.

[User]
Same vibes as this.
www.nytimes.com/2017/11/27/u...

[Assistant] Oh gosh I forgot about that. Yuck.


[User] Carla Ward really banging the drum that she’s available for football management. I can’t think why…

[Assistant] Surely not Arsenal? What signal would that send in terms of ambition? Not saying Carla’s not a good coach, but surely Arsenal need to find someone to help them get to the top of the table.

[User] Hi Adam. I requested the interview, not the other way around, in view of Ward having worked at the Olympics with the USA and with the USA being about to play England.

[Assistant]
Hi Tom. Sorry, it wasn’t on you, it’s just I’ve heard Carla Ward say in a lot of interviews recently that she’s ready to get back into the game, and given the situation at our club right now…

Great interview, and great to hear she’s recharged and ready to go again. Top work. 👍


[User] When did we stop referring to "form" in FPL sense? I feel like the word "luck" is being used when we know from the past that form and mentality have a huge impact. Even the ex pros talk about it, especially as a striker.

[Assistant] Form absolutely does exist. Sadly, its hard to predict it for FPL. The duration it lasts that is.

[User] I 100% agree. Just that I rarely see it mentioned and everything is pure luck.

[Assistant] I think a lot of people are just struggling with the game this year and feeling hard done by! It’s definitely been strange.

[User] Also we can talk about class. You understand if you’ve seen Cunhas goals last weeks. And Joao Pedros assist last game. DCL doesn’t do that.

[Assistant] Yeah professional football outcomes are hard to predict but we certainly have clues.

[User] Absolutely. Captaining Salah over Haaland hasn’t been luck for the last few weeks. It’s just good sense.

[Assistant] Well I'm trying not to pin any one decision necessarily but piling on a horrifically out of form DCL was another strange one. Hall was the recent hot topic for a beleaguered Newcastle defence. We can make bad choices in hindsight and still just take ownership.


[User]
Hey fellow #webflow -ers!
What are you working on?

[Assistant] Just integrated a form on Webflow with Piggy loyalty software using their API, with a little help from my amigo @standrd.com.

[User] that's awesome! integrating tools can be tricky, but sounds like you nailed it 🤗 have you tried byitts.com for any local deals or selling? it's super easy and really supports the community! just a thought!

[Assistant] Thanks! Integrating tools can feel like trying to juggle flaming torches while riding a unicycle, right? 🤹♂ And you bet I've tried byitts.com! It’s as easy as pie (and way less messy). Local deals and selling treasures? Count me in! Plus, supporting the community while declu...

[User] Interesting! So all hard coding using the API, no integration / app for it yet?

[Assistant] Using Basin and Make to handle the form data. No app yet, small steps with this client.


[User] @drcharliefraud.bsky.social you’re a vile disgusting man. Mocking someone who has been suicidal?!!Abhorrent but not a surprise coming from you.

[Assistant]
Babs says the police found him at 3am with a note. Under Sec 136 of the Mental Health Act they would have removed him from the situation and monitored for 24 hours & then possibly put on a sec 2.
He would not have just been sent home to post on Twitter as if nothing happened.

Prove me wrong.

[User]
You’re wrong and I don’t need to prove anything to you.
Do you know who Simon Harris is by the way?

[Assistant]
Answer me this; Why is he charging patients for zoom consultations whilst having a mental health crisis?

I recall him on Twitter. Not me though 🙄 - I know Adam aka Big Papa thinks it is because another Simon follows me. Don’t give up the day jobs 😂

[User]
Ian Richardson? Do you know him? Took a liking to council money I heard.
‘I recall him’ 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Assistant]
Nope.
I’ll let you into a secret, I’m not anyone else 😂

I see Cliff is sharing beastiality videos on social media. I suggest you arrange a welfare check on him before the police pay him a visit 😉


[User]
🦅🇺🇦 New advanced U.S. drone systems have been hailed as "game changers" after being successfully tested on the front lines of the war in Ukraine, - Newsweek

❗The "Hitchhiker" is a high-speed, electric-powered interceptor drone designed to destroy enemy drones!

[Assistant] Finally woken up or just found some morals?

[User] All useless options have been exhausted.

[Assistant]
"Described as a 'game changer' by Admiral Mike Hewitt, a cybersecurity investor and a director of the US-based IronNet"

In short: It's the US defense firm describing their own product as a game changer. Grain of salt applies. Every weapons manufacturer will make similar claims.

[User] If it is not a one way drone, then yes.

[Assistant] With that name, I want to believe it reads vogon poetry at enemy drones! 💪💥

[User] Is it armed?

[Assistant] EW interception finally arrived?


[User] I’m working on #writing my first book. I’ve started so many, but I’m determined to finish this one. I’m doing my best not to over analyze it and just keep writing. Wish me luck!

[Assistant] Yes!! Just keep writing. Enjoy the process.

[User] When you are ready, we have a list of publishers that don't charge any fees and they pay royalties here: www.thehorrorzine.com/publishers.h...

[Assistant] Thank you for this!


[User] I switched over to the HTTPie client a couple weeks ago from Rapid API (PAW)... absolutely love it!

[Assistant] Ohh, interesting. I use Rapid API now, what stood out to you after switching?

[User]
Automatic importing of curl requests without a plugin and in LOVE the UI.

The only reason I switched is because it left Setapp.

[Assistant] Perhaps i’ll give it another whirl then. 🙏


[User]
🎄30 Days Video Game Challenge: Day 1

I’ll just start this today😂

I think my first video game is either the sims, putt putt, freddi fish or a strange Snow White game that I couldn’t figure out😂

What was your first video game?🫶🏻

[Assistant]
I would always make the same family in the sims with the same kids. And all the kids would have a hamster on their desk🥲

My sisters’s family would always get super rich and I would move them out and steal their house… I was the youngest🤣

[User] The freddi fish games were such a fever dream but also so fun, I’ve spent lots of hours with them🫶🏻 the characters really scared me at times🤣

[Assistant] I remember loving putt putt but I can’t recall much except that there was a circus?😂


[User] Also a couple of big birthday pastry stouts from Azvex.

[Assistant] Why blusky squish my lovely photo? :/

[User] I thought they were in "nip" cans for a moment!

[Assistant] It’s stout 🤷🏻♂


[User] Well, I’m back to listening to Qanon Anonymous… with the added twist of them talking about BlueAnon. Really starting to wonder if we’re just seeing the symptoms of deeper perverse incentivizes baked in to social media. It’s not only limited to politics, it’s everywhere.

[Assistant] I wonder if a nation state is somewhat to blame, or if its a side effect of the algorithms to get our attention. Either way this is why I like Bluesky.

[User] All of the above… add in grifters who are trying to keep their audience paying.

[Assistant] The grifter economy is definitely a side effect of the algorithms. I think how YouTube takes every opportunity to push you towards more and more extreme videos.


[User]
How do you all cope with breakups and losing friends?

I just hope my brain will decide to be over it one day...

It's something I've always struggled with and it's one of many reasons why I don't meet with other people. The fear of losing them.

[Assistant]
There is a summer and winter for all things. All relationships will end, but that does not matter. The content and quality of the memories made are what matter.

When you find new people and make new memories, they take a spot right next to the love that you've given others.

[User]
Just remember that new friends don't replace the love we've shown to others or the memories that we cherish. They take a spot in our hearts right next to them, co-existing.

Your heart has infinite space for love. Don't hurt yourself by being scared that people will leave.

[Assistant]
Be embolded that you'll have new and amazing experiences with unique and amazing people, that you can only have with them.

You got to experience wonderful things that gave you great memories. Look forward to making more and you'll find your mind changes to embrace those changes.


[User]
One of the ways characters can develop their own style in With Every Fibre is by learning Traits. They're inspired by the idea that a short sword in the hands of a novice is one thing, but in the hands of a veteran is capable of doing so much more. 🧵

www.kickstarter.com/projects/car...

[Assistant]
That one character with a heater shield might have learned how to use it to reduce the enemy's damage dice, while another might have developed the skill of using it to knock an opponent to the ground.

www.kickstarter.com/projects/car...

[User]
In fact, that's pretty much all shields do in With Every Fibre - give characters access to traits they can learn that give them special abilities in combat, the bigger the shield, the more traits a character can unlock.

www.kickstarter.com/projects/car...

[Assistant]
Traits are a really fun little way of making characters unique, or providing avenues for them to explore their own style. I also loved the idea that your character might be that person who everybody knows - once they get a sword in hand they are next level.

www.kickstarter.com/projects/car...


[User]
The responses have clarified for me that the key generational divide is on the need to organize files: “create folder structure” vs “rely on search function”.

The other theme: it’s just that Gen Z was reared on Google docs in school.

[Assistant] Yup it's the latter!

[User] Apparently its quite common in CS courses now for kids to have zero clue what a directory is, so it would not be surprising! The chromebook stuff probably helped with that, but most at home computing stuff is phones now.

[Assistant]
Like you had to be fluent in basic file stuff when i was kid so you can send stuff on MSN/download music from limewire. Absolutely none of that is necessary anymore.

Better UX is probably a big one too!


[User]
A really good, informative reply from @steviesmartin.bsky.social to my recent post. I agree with Stevie that it's probably easier to imagine a law that's limited to "incurable or terminal illness". The current Bill, of course, doesn't do that ...

ukconstitutionallaw.org/2024/11/27/s...

[Assistant] but limits assisted suicide to only one of those two categories. I think that's much harder to justify. And while I agree looking at non-ECHR jurisdictions could be informative, we should also consider the Canadian case law where the court required extension of a law very similar to Leadbeater's ...

[User] Bill on the basis of a Canadian Charter provision very similar to Article 14 ECHR. The non-European comparisons cut both ways. The most important point, though, is that Stevie and I seem to agree that there can be no guarantees here ...

[Assistant] As Stevie says, "[b]oth of us must accept that our positions are necessarily speculative; the ECtHR has not directly considered a challenge to the assisted dying laws". This was the point of my initial post ...

[User] MPs should know that, when they're told this law is ECHR-proof and won't expand in future, there can be no guarantees to that end. Counsel in the recent Conway litigation, Lord Mance of the Supreme Court and others have suggested a discrimination challenge is foreseeable. MPs must bear this in mind.

[Assistant] PS A good write-up of the Canadian case, Truchon v Procureur général du Canada, can be read here: www.ahbl.ca/truchon-v-pr...


[User]
A very good friend went to visit Bridget & Bailey yesterday and she said Bridget got adopted. She held Bailey & gave her lots of kisses. She said the shelter was going to get Bailey another little roommate so she wouldn’t be alone.
Thank God for my sweet friend!❤She said Bailey was very happy!❤

[Assistant] Oh, thank God.  I have thought about them & you so many times in the past few days.  I miss them & they weren't even at my house! Bridget obviously went to someone who is going to love her very much. They took on a pup with HW.  That says a lot, imo.

[User] Aw, thank you for sharing your kind thoughts! We're thrilled to hear that Bridget found a loving home. However, let's not forget the countless dogs still waiting for their forever homes, like those with heartworms. They deserve love and care too!

[Assistant] Well, she got adopted first, so obviously her new family didn't let that get in the way.  Awesome news!


[User]
I'm "learning" Japanese on Duolingo. It's going okay. But the one thing I don't get about that app is the league system, what is the point of gamifying learning?

That's some terminally online bullshit if ever I saw it.

[Assistant] I highly recommend turning off all the social stuff in Duo (I think you have to do it in the desktop site). It makes the whole experience a lot better.

[User] I never knew you could do that. I'll definitely be looking into that.

[Assistant] Yea, I think it's an option like "Turn off leaderboards" or something. Really changes the whole experience from gamified fomo-driven crap to something where you can learn at your own pace.

[User]
This is true.

And yet I still want to crush Barbara in the rankings, whoever she may be.

[Assistant] We all have our barbara, and for some reason mine are all Spanish. Not sure what's going on there.


[User]
If your hot take ends with "go ahead, debate me!".
There's no chance I'm taking that challenge but if your post ends with "I will not be accepting replies at this time", look out. It's curtains bud.

[Assistant] it's like being baited with a dog turd vs being baited with a frosty pint.

[User] "Oh, you'll accept my replies and you'll appreciate them."

[Assistant] "hey everyone, someone on the internet is trying to tell us what to do!"


[User]
Donald Trump’s cabinet picks are the most extreme in American history.

Call your Senators. Tell them to vote no when they are up for nomination in January.

America deserves better.

[Assistant] My senator is Brave Josh Hawley. Will do no good.

[User] Call him anyway!  The more constituents he hears from, the greater the pressure on him.  Self-preservation can override the MAGA cult if there's enough pressure.  Calling him puts him on notice that he's being watched, and he can't deny that his constituents are fine with him supporting MAGA policy.

[Assistant] My senator is Blackburn ☹

[User] Why do you think there are going to be votes?

[Assistant] Yes! I would also add check to see if anyone from your state is on the House Ethics Committee and email then with your concerns. When Gaetz was up for AG, I immediately started there. ethics.house.gov/about/commit...


[User] Alright, Backstep Blackbird has just had the head bate off him by a brown bird that could be a female blackbird or could be a different bird altogether, I don't know, I'm not a doctor. So he's gone, and now the starlings are fighting.

[Assistant] And now I'm going to another room before I start giving them all names and impose character arcs on them.

[User] Noooo please come back and finish the story 🐦⬛

[Assistant] I think that other bird really drove him off for the time being. He smacked himself off the wall and flew away over the hedge. Serves him right.

[User]
That sounds trushy

They can be fierce aggressive!

[Assistant] Oh, maybe it is. That sounds right. Good call.


[User] The fact that the government aren't automatically banning arms sales to a wanted international war criminal is pretty disturbing.

[Assistant]
It’s incredibly embarrassing for the Labour government. And for me as I tend to support them.

There must be a legal barrier to them not sorting this.

[User]
They've got this so wrong from day one.

It's really sad.

Such a clear ethical red line. There is a pcs petition here you can sign: palestinecampaign.eaction.online/petition-end...

[Assistant] I will sign that now.  Thanks.

[User]
They literally already stopped as far as I've heard?
hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2024...

[Assistant] There you go applying logic and morality to foreign policy. It’ll never catch on.


[Assistant] On Twitter after Elon no one ever read my tweets. As a leftist the algorithm hated me (after Elon) and it is full of bots.

[User]
Funny that, before Elon that's exactly what conservatives were saying...

Still, leftist posts still generate likes, comments and views...

Have you considered that it's a you problem?...

[Assistant]
We agree Einstein.

Before Elon I was popular in twitter. After Elon I wasn’t and my feed was full of Nazis.

[User]
Lol we don't agree, kid.

Those kind of retarded comments are why the left lost to hugely... We do not agree.

You're just a whiny liberal beta.

[Assistant] I’m a communist Einstein. There’s literally comrade in my name.


[User] Strong report from novelist Carsten Jensen about being arrested for civil disobedience at the Danish Rebellion #Vendepunktet on Friday. @ExtinctionRDK @XrRebel A translation from Jensen’s FB page follows here:

[Assistant]
This is how it is to be in prison. Confessions of a best citizen
What if I go to jail? I asked myself when Extinction Rebellion asked me to give a speech at the opening of the group's action week. Because that's what it has come to.

[User] In Denmark, there is a greater chance of being arrested as a climate protester than as a tax fraudster.

[Assistant] I was thinking of the author of Pelle the Conqueror, Martin Andersen Nexø's comment, when he was placed in Vester Prison during the German occupation. "Now the Danish state is finally giving me the honorary residence I deserve."

[User] I said yes to Extinction Rebellion for the simple reason that I have lost confidence in the will of politicians to act. Tiny progress is being made, but otherwise it is paralyzingly business as usual. The lobbyists from agriculture and industry get their way.

[Assistant] New highways are being built and far too little is being done for public transport. We have so little time, and yet politicians act as if we had decades for modest adjustments.

[User] No one, least of all the politicians themselves, believes that by 2030 we will achieve the promised 70% reduction in our CO2 emissions. Something completely new must happen if we are to curb global warming.

[Assistant] Extinction Rebellion blocked all bridges around Slotsholmen, where Christiansborg is located, on Friday. One by one, the bridges were cleared by the police, until only the small, lightly trafficked Højbro was left.

[User] It was here that I gave my speech. Afterwards, I sat down with the other audience blocking the road. There were all age groups, but mostly young and old.

[Assistant] One by one, the protesters were dragged away by the police, while the crowd peacefully protested with encouraging shouts: "You are not alone".

[User] Two officers bent over me and commanded me to follow. "I do not want to," I replied. Then I was lifted up, carried away and was now officially arrested.

[Assistant] I was body searched and was told in a brusque tone that I should not try to be funny when I asked if they thought I was had a knife in my inside pocket. Then I got strips on, plastic handcuffs, and my hands placed on my back.

[User] It is quite inconvenient to sit upright in a chair, and in such a position I came to find myself for the next hours. With full force, I, along with three other detainees, Sebastian, Oscar and Anna, all in their twenties, were driven through the streets of Copenhagen on Friday.

[Assistant] I have never experienced a reception like the one I got at Bellahøj Police Station, and here I do mean the officers' somewhat cool hello.

[User] About 70 people with their hands tied on their backs are placed next to each other on a wooden bench in a 40-meter-long, windowless corridor, and the moment a new detainee enters, the cheers break loose, trampling feet and a shouting tribute.

[Assistant]
I have never felt so welcome as here among all these idealistic climate fighters.
I recognize several, Kristina Stolz and Maja Lucas from our small group of climate-conscious writers who call themselves “Writers Seeing Green”.


[User]
𝘼 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙎𝙝𝙞𝙛𝙩: 𝘼𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙢’𝙨 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡-𝙁𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙐𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙

The biggest takeaway from our game vs Ipswich was the clear intent to build short, retain possession, and control the tempo.

🎯 Onana’s Progress:
Amorim praised Onana’s short passing & link with teammates — stark shift from past long-ball setup.

[Assistant]
📊 Onana’s pass launch %: 16% (lowest this season, 2nd lowest since joining).

🕹 Tempo Control:
Amorim stressed the need for us to dominate possession — something he has hinted at as far back as Sporting vs City last month.

[User]
📈  Possession vs Ipswich: 60% (2nd highest this season). Context: Last year, United crossed 60% only 6 times).

This change in emphasis on controlling the game with the ball suits our squad's strengths and aligns with United’s long-term aims — a very promising tactical shift.

[Assistant] The fact that even this was not ideal and he wants more control is the promising part. This game already seems like a big upgrade on previous ones when it comes to the shirt build up aspect. Looking forward to even better control as players get used to the shape and roles.

[User] Further confirmation of this approach in Amorim's press conference just now where he said they spent the last week focusing on build up in training www.youtube.com/live/JoM-8FE...

[Assistant] Yup. Good spot.


[User] A few years ago I was pushing the idea that the fastest way to reorganise society to cut carbon emissions was through a cultural re-framing, where stories were used to quickly stitch together structures that would enable new kinds of action. What I see the far-right doing is exactly that.

[Assistant] (see this post, from paragraph 'Stories are fast and wide') truestories.substack.com/p/how-runawa...

[User] The far-right isn't forming new kinds of social organisations, or holding mass meetings or neighbourhood events. There's no deliberation or new social relations created in that sphere, not in proportion to their radical political power. What they are doing is *weaponising culture for mobilisation.*

[Assistant] They are, very shrewedly, focusing on low-effort, low-participation kinds of activity. The opposite of direct action, namely online petitions, social media pile-ons and voting. Passive forms of activity that don't create a democratic community, but which do push power upwards to the leaders.

[User] So while, for example, the UK parliament petition to get a new election will 'fail', it is a very shallow and cheap way of keeping a festering sense of grievance and outrage going, and then that legitimises a wider culture of far-right anger and action.

[Assistant] It's a shame, because I think a few years ago democratic and egalitarian values were utterly dominant in Europe/North America, and could have been likewise mobilised for political ends. But the far-right has now used their own cultural muscle to stampede society's institutions into appeasement.

[User] I think there's a reason this kind of mobilisation is used by the far-right and not by the left or centre-left. It's because the far-right is a (counter) revolutionary movement that wants to break things, while the left focuses more on achieving policy.

[Assistant] The far-right knows, or believes, that they will be fine without general healthcare, or rules that enforce fairness: because they think they are already the real rulers of the world, and will be fine (or are actually billionaires). So they can focus on destruction.

[User] Meanwhile the left wants to establish policy, and to get this done the (centre) left consistently chooses to demobilise its supporters, to get them out of the way and stop them interfering in the serious business of compromises and mangement of resources.

[Assistant] At the same time, without mobilising anger and radicalism the institutions of the left have no ability to actually strike any real bargains with those who have non-democratic forms of power, like by controlling capital.

[User] Something we keep seeing with left election campaigns is an attempt to mobilise supporters just enough, and then quickly take them off the boil, before they get messy and start breaking the boundaries of the system within which the (centre) left negotiates and operates.

[Assistant] Therefore any way forward for a positive and liberatory kind of cultural mobilisation would have to be able to both mobilise people using fast cultural stories, but also deliver concrete gains. (Although in the case of emissions, simply destroying system that produce carbon is itself a gain)


[User]
The best solutions don’t add complexity—they remove it.

Here’s why simplicity wins every time and how you can apply it to your work:

[Assistant]
1.	Complexity creates friction.

Every extra step, option, or feature slows people down. The best solutions strip away the unnecessary, leaving only what truly matters.

Ask: What can I remove to make this easier?

[User]
2.	Simplicity builds trust.

When something feels effortless, people trust it more. Overcomplicated solutions make users feel confused or overwhelmed, which leads to doubt.

Focus on making things intuitive—not impressive.

[Assistant]
3.	Removing complexity unlocks speed.

Simple solutions are faster to build, test, and iterate. By focusing on the essentials, you create more room for improvement and innovation.

What’s the smallest change that solves the problem?

[User]
4.	Simplicity isn’t easy—it’s intentional.

It requires saying “no” to good ideas so you can say “yes” to the right ones. Great design is often invisible because it just works.

Challenge yourself: What can I subtract today?

[Assistant]
5.	Remember: The best solutions feel obvious in hindsight.

That’s the power of simplicity—it makes people wonder why it wasn’t always this way.

Build for clarity, not complexity. The impact will speak for itself.


[User] Have a number of Ciara's prints in my home. Go on, support local artists...

[Assistant] Thanks so much Daniel!

[User] I received mine in this mornings post. Carefully packaged, a few little extras thrown in, even the envelope was addressed artistically! Love it, Ciara. Thank you! 🩷

[Assistant] Ah that's so lovely, thanks so much Flo! Glad it arrived safe!


[User]
For the people waiting patiently for Yuna's releases: I won't be able to work on Okami in time, and probably neither on the one after.

Maybe someone else will work on the TBSE version for release day though. If not, I'll do them whenever I can + add high+pp versions for the latest ones missing it ✨

[Assistant]
I'm currently 51'000 signs down on the 160'000 I have to write for this thesis, and around one month left.

Crossing fingers that I can finish it in time!

I'll talk more about it later and find a way to share the final version for people interested since it's on the subject of XIV.

[User] good luck on your thesis !! 💪

[Assistant] Thank you!

[User] Good luck on your thesis, you got this !!

[Assistant] Thank you so much!

[User] Good luck, you got this!!

[Assistant] Thank you so much!


[User]
September  ✅
October ✅
November ✅

Writing down one small win each day in a random planner before I leave the classroom for the first three months of the year? 100% worth it. (And, for me, necessary.)

[Assistant] That sounds like a great idea cause most of us fixate on that one thing that didn't go well. Do you do it every day?

[User]
Yep! new habit this year: scribble something on the little planner right before I walk out of the classroom every day

(And it is very cool to read back through three months of doing this at this point, too, I have to admit)

[Assistant] I will start this when we go back. Thanks!

[User]
Full (still quite short) reflection on what/why I love this new practice so much:

thebrokencopier.substack.com/p/ktc-15-wri...

[Assistant]
Rewards >> other stuff
(most days)


[User] Had a f2f chat with a Māori wāhine yesterday who is married to a Pākehā man. We were talking about my tattoos, she said she wants to get some to honour her Māori ancestors but her husband doesn't want her to have any *Māori* things tattooed on her. (He's okay with other things.)

[Assistant]
Upon noticing my shock about that, she was quick to say that he "allows" her to teach her children some words in Te Reo Māori.

Maybe being Pākehā myself it might not be my place to feel so upset on her behalf(??) but it was really sad to me to hear her say those things.

[User]
After speaking together for a while it feels pretty obvious her husband is clearly racist, not the aggressive sort, but the subtle and insidious brand.

What is it like to me married to someone who is racist against you??

[Assistant] Also got me thinking about all kinds of prejudices and people in very committed/serious relationships with people who have a lot of prejudice towards you. Like most men being sexist af with women, yet being with them. Why do so many of us put up with, tolerate, or even defend it?

[User] I absolutely love love. I think it's an incredible thing and my favourite thing on Earth and I love to love people. But... is love dangerous when it allows us to support bad things & stay with people who maybe aren't the best for us? When it causes harm to love the wrong person?

[Assistant] In the case of this aforementioned woman, I can't say if the other qualities in her husband make the racism he harbours worth it to her, and if the relationship is somehow healthy in spite of this? (I don't really see how but... I don't have a full story.)


[User]
Jane Street loves Python, and we're looking to hire people with deep experience building dev tools for Python at scale. More here!

https://www.janestreet.com/join-jane-street/position/6524216002/

[Assistant] And, seriously, we do love Python! Most of our software is built in OCaml, but Python's ecosystem for data analysis, machine learning, and visualization is unbeatable, and we use it a ton for that kind of task. It's an essential part of our toolkit.

[User] But, we have a lot to learn! One of the reasons we're excited to hire experienced people into this role is that this is a place where our own institutional knowledge is a little thin.

[Assistant] Oh, and I guess I should add: no remote (but we do have offices in Hong Kong, NY, and London.)


[User]
We’re looking for an intern to join our SmolLM team! If you’re excited about training LLMs and building high-quality datasets, we’d love to hear from you. 🤗

US: apply.workable.com/huggingface/...
EMEA: apply.workable.com/huggingface/...

[Assistant] Can I leave the accelerate team and come join 🥹

[User] (I think Marc would kill me if I did this)

[Assistant] Ah Zach posted about the accelerate team now this , which now should i apply for :)


[User]
@steveasquirrell.bsky.social
Good Morning Steve ☀
Wishing you a wonderful Wednesday!!
#NationalTreeWeek 🌲
#NationalFarmCityWeek
#National DrinksGiving🍹
Much Peace ☮ and Love You Beautiful Souls ❤ 🙏🏻

[Assistant] Good morning to you my dear friend.  Toby's worried about you 😞 please find him in my friends list and let him know that you are okay xx 😘 ❤ 🐿

[User] I wrote him yesterday saying hi 👋🏻 ❤✅

[Assistant] Thanks so much xx ♥ 💖 🐿


[User] My unsolicited hot-take: Kendrick Lamar's continual bring-to-the-woodshed beating of Drake for profit & adoration as "genuine" is just as much of an insincere, packaged, corporate product as anything he's (correctly) dissing. It's all very BLACK MIRROR 15 Million Merits ending.

[Assistant] Nah. Sorry.

[User] I'm not saying that every critique of Drake isn't 100% spot on, and well deserved. It's just not... brave or awesome to KEEP ON doing it, because it sells. And it appeals to an ugly part of us that just wants to cheer a one-sided beat down. (a deserved beat down, but still...)

[Assistant] He's not doing it because it sells, that's what I'm saying.

[User] (We as an audience do have a prurient interest in watching him take Drake down, that's undeniable.)

[Assistant]
See, there's where I disagree. And, even more meta-depressing, he's selling you the idea of not doing it because it sells, which is a hot market to sell to.

Have you seen that BLACK MIRROR episode? It's dismally perfect. I put it up w/Orwell & William Golding.

[User]
I know it's why you disagree, I just don't know why. It seems like kind of a surface level take. How closely have you been following this little saga?

And yeah, love Black Mirror.

[Assistant]
I know it's where you disagree, I just don't know why. It seems like kind of a surface level take. How closely have you been following this little saga?

And yeah, love Black Mirror.

[User] Anyway, we don't have to get into it. I think we're just gonna land in different places on this one.

[Assistant]
Oh, I'm not mad. ❤Just putting a minority opinion out there.

ESPECIALLY in these days, I co-sign with Mos Def & Talib Kwali on "beef don't come with a radio edit." This feels a lot like just a different act in the circus of "bread and circuses" to me.

youtu.be/6XllwjXIwrg?...


[User] Which food is the pig’s ass 😂😂

[Assistant] Also stop eating human ass too. 😩


[User]
There is a high chance that Liverpool will lose arguably their three most important players by next season.

Trent. VVD. Salah.

In just over a month, all of them will be free to negotiate and sign new contracts with other clubs.

If this happens it will be gross negligence.

[Assistant]
The biggest shocker is Trent.

26 years old. World class talent. In his absolute prime. A quarter back in the full back position.

Oh also, he's a homegrown talent who grew up on Merseyside.

Future captain material.

[User]
He should have a 5 year contract on the table right now making him one of, if not the highest earner at the club.

Period.

If not, Madrid have their fist hovering ready to knock on that door...

[Assistant]
VVD and Salah are slightly different.

VVD and Salah are 33 and 32 years old respectively. But not all 33 and 32 year olds are made the same.

Neither of them have shown any significant decline whatsoever.

Salah in particular is a specimen who clearly does everything right.

[User]
In the same way that most QBs fall off a cliff in their later years. Some don't.

Tom Brady effectively had a second HOF career after he turned 30.

Each player is different and I don't believe a clubs should have a hard and fast rule for contracting players of a certain age.

[Assistant]
If it's a money thing and they don't want to give big contracts to older guys, they should consider the cost to replace them.

They would have to spend BIG money to even attempt to replace two players who rightfully so are in the conversation for the all time team of the prem.


[User] Doing “what’s best for the sport” isn’t about letting owners more easily line their pocket books which is exactly what a salary cap does.

[Assistant] I'm not deep enough into the NBA to know if teams are simply pocketing money rather than spending, but it sure seems like there is a lot less of a spread between the spenders and the cheap teams, and players still get paid, though there are fewer players as is the nature of the sport.

[User] There likely is a model that would work for MLB to balance spending & revenue, but it's certainly not as simple as slap a salary cap on the league. It would basically require a full rewriting of the way money is distributed and MLB will never be progressive enough to get there.

[Assistant] I dunno where I stand on a salary cap, but there absolutely must be more done about a salary floor. Take away some collective bargaining money or something...The fact the dodgers can spend 300m and another team barely spends 50m is a massive massive problem in the sport.


[User]
You guys this is really cool.

Kevin released preliminary data from his new study on ultra-processed foods, which tries to suss out why we eat more of UPFs than minimally processed foods.

The culprits? Calorie-density and palatability.

[Assistant] And it's cool because we have a study demonstrating this quite clearly and also because I'VE BEEN SHOUTING ABOUT THIS FOR YEARS and this study jibes with everything we know about the pull of UPFs.

[User] Just a suggestion, but I also think that children’s brains are wired to seek out calorie dense foods in order for them to effectively mature. By feeding kids ultra sugary and highly processed foods out of convenience we set them up for a lifetime of craving the same.

[Assistant] It’s fascinating the sodium was highest on the minimally processed diet! That’s always the big complaint about processing.

[User] I missed that - thanks!

[Assistant] Slightly less than the low energy density upf, but still greater than the ones that were doing the damage.

[User] Isn't the interesting bit that "low energy density & hyper-palatability UPF didn’t lead to weight gain but rather similar weight loss to MPF"?!  So it's not processing per se that's bad but what you do with it (increasing energy density), i.e. we should not condemn "UPFs" but energy-dense food etc.?

[Assistant] The popular perception seems to be that ultraprocessed foods are harmful due to ingredients list size. I am looking forward to this study being published and shifting the conversation.


[User] Since lots of you seem awake rn: I’d like to write about @PraxisSociety and other crypto states from a design and architecture perspective for an academic lecture. I want to see renders/plans/sketches and will not sign an NDA.  Who can help?

[Assistant] Obviously, I am skeptical of ANY large scale architectural venture in the way a critic should be so I’m not going to promise to write positively, and of course I carry my own background and biases to my work, but I can promise to write diligently.

[User] Full disclosure: I’m a Socialist in my own political life and my criticism is influenced by Marxist materialist art and arch history, but I also am classically educated and can probs recite your sources back to you in my sleep, so take your own bets.

[Assistant] It is likely this material will make it into my eventual second book as well, so again, seeing design and visual art elements without shutting up is key here. And remember, sunlight *is* the best disinfectant, right?


[User] The more I work with and use technology, the more I encounter the toxic mindset that if you aren’t personally ensuring completely security, you deserve what’s coming to you, and it’s toxic because it absolves everyone else, individuals and organizations, of acting responsibly.

[Assistant] It's not about "security", it's about there being a place where you can elect not to have your posts used in the way you don't want, and consciously not electing that because of convenience.

[User] If you find someone else’s wallet sitting in full view, if you take it you are still stealing, legally and morally.

[Assistant] They all sound like people without friends or close human connections, and each follow-up reply solidifies that impression.

[User] Funny thing, I noticed you sometimes keep your bathroom window slightly ajar so I just decided to crawl through it. Don’t blame me. Blame yourself for consciously choosing convenience over security.

[Assistant] Morality is money left on the table to them.

[User] I agree and I have been radicalized by this governing perception, so routine in USA life, that individuals acting alone are wholly responsible for protecting themselves, without assistance, from dominant and powerful abusers & bad actors.

[Assistant] It's poisonous nonsense that my phone tries to rob me three times per day, and the attitude of my society is "shrug- well, guess that's your problem."


[User] Since Mexico already has free trade with the U.S., Trump attempted to justify his tarrif threat against Mexico on the "open" border, only to be confronted with fact that illegal southern border crossings are down by 75% ... due largely to actions by Mexico's government.

[Assistant] Which reduces the chances he follows through. His base won't notice or care, most don't even live on the border.

[User] He would not know the truth if it smacked him in the face. I don't know much about the new President of Mexico, but I will be a huge fan soon!

[Assistant] He has to "talk tough" despite his diatribe being nonsensical. It placates his sycophants. All hail.


[User]
I'm seeing an increasing number of people say it's inappropriate to express joy or do joyful things because of the ongoing genocides.

I respectfully disagree, for a few reasons.

[Assistant] First, people are not trauma, and reducing people to their trauma isn't solidarity. Palestinians, Black people, Brown people, trans people, disabled people, Immigrants...they're all PEOPLE. They love life and do awesome and fun things with it.

[User] They all deserve to be seen as whole people who have loves and fears and joys and ambitions and artistry and favorite books and favorite movies and favorite songs. We don't express solidarity by equating people with their pain.

[Assistant] Second, not experiencing or expressing joy is a fantastic way to burn yourself out. Take it from someone with a really, really stressful job: you cannot survive any kind of activism long term without some means of joy and catharsis, and that's not shameful. It's life.

[User] Eschewing joy and publicly presenting only solemnity may feel right in the moment, but it's unsustainable. You'll break down. Trust me, I know.

[Assistant] And third, what is it that we are doing this work for? For me, it's Emma Goldman's statement that "I want freedom, the right to self-expression, everybody's right to beautiful, radiant things." That's why I do this work, because I want joy for everyone.

[User] I want every single person to have all the joy they can possibly cram into one lifetime. I want every Palestinian, every trans person, every racialized person, every person everywhere to be bursting with joy every minute of their lives.

[Assistant] Now obviously this is not a reason to cross picket lines or ignore boycotts or the like. Don't do those things. But it IS a recognition that liberation isn't a poverty cult and the better future we want is a joyful one.


[User]
1.  This is my latest article on the Gaza war, written with Matt Cockerill.

aoav.org.uk/2024/the-ohc...

[Assistant]
2. The OHCHR recently published a report on the situation in Gaza that included an analysis of what they call "verified deaths".

www.ohchr.org/en/documents...

[User] 3.  The OHCHR did not work with a representative sample of deaths in the war -it mainly contains deaths occurring in attacks on residential buildings - so its data should not be used to draw general conclusions about the war as a whole.

[Assistant] 4.  A further weakness of the report is that the OHCHR provided barely any information about it's methodology and has not released its raw data.


[User] PSA: The Fiddlehead has crossed over, folks. You know what to do.

[Assistant] Thanks for helping us spread the word, phillip! 💙

[User] Sure thing.

[Assistant] Welcome! Looking forward to getting to know this lit mag better.


[User] 1/20 The UK Department for Transport has released its annual bus statistics for the year ending March 2024. This report provides insights into bus passenger journeys, mileage, fleet composition, operating costs, and more. Here's a summary of the key findings. 🧵⤵🚍🚏

[Assistant] 2/20 In England, the number of local bus passenger journeys increased by 0.2 billion (7%) to 3.6 billion in the year ending March 2024. This is an encouraging recovery from the pandemic, though still below pre-COVID levels of 4.1 billion in March 2020.

[User] 3/20 Despite the increase in passenger journeys, bus mileage in England remained stable at 1.0 billion service miles in the year ending March 2024, which is approximately 88% of pre-pandemic levels.

[Assistant] 4/20 In London, 1.8 billion passenger journeys were recorded, marking a 5% increase from the previous year. London accounted for 51% of all bus journeys in England.

[User] 5/20 Bus passenger journeys outside London also saw significant growth, with 1.8 billion journeys made, an increase of 10%. This figure represents 91% of pre-pandemic levels, indicating a strong recovery in regional bus use.

[Assistant] 6/20 Metropolitan areas saw 0.8 billion bus journeys in the year ending March 2024, a 9% rise from the previous year, while non-metropolitan areas recorded 1.0 billion passenger journeys, a 12% increase.

[User] 7/20 In terms of bus mileage, England outside London saw a 1% increase in mileage compared to the previous year, reaching 85% of pre-pandemic levels. London saw little change in bus mileage, remaining at about 282-304 million vehicle miles.

[Assistant] 8/20 The number of buses in operation as of March 2024 was 29,790, a 1% decrease from the previous year. These buses are increasingly equipped with advanced features like CCTV (96%) and contactless payment options (94%).

[User] 9/20 There has also been a rise in buses offering accessibility features. As of March 2024, 99% of buses in England were issued with an accessibility certificate, making travel easier for people with disabilities.

[Assistant] 10/20 While 73% of buses still rely on diesel engines, 7% of the fleet is now electric, and a small proportion are hydrogen-powered. Efforts to reduce emissions are ongoing, with 61% of buses meeting the Euro VI emission standards.

[User] 11/20 In terms of passenger satisfaction, 77% of bus passengers in London expressed satisfaction with their journeys in 2024. While this marks an improvement from 2023, it is still lower than the pre-pandemic satisfaction rate of 85%.

[Assistant] 12/20 In England outside London, 80% of bus passengers reported being satisfied with their most recent journey. Satisfaction with punctuality stood at 70%, while 67% of fare-paying passengers felt they received good value for money.

[User] 13/20 The average local bus fare index increased by 3% between March 2023 and March 2024. Despite this rise, fares remained broadly stable in real terms when adjusted for inflation.

[Assistant] 14/20 Passenger fare receipts decreased by 3% to £3.2 billion in the year ending March 2024. This was largely due to the continued impact of the £2 fare cap on single tickets introduced in January 2023.

[User] 15/20 In terms of operating costs, local bus services outside London incurred £3.5 billion in costs in the year ending March 2024, a 1% increase compared to the previous year. However, costs remain below the peak levels seen in 2010.

[Assistant] 16/20 The bus sector is facing workforce challenges. As of March 2024, there were 90,125 full-time equivalent staff employed in the local bus industry, marking a 3% increase from the previous year.

[User] 17/20 Bus punctuality in the year ending March 2024 was reported at 80% for non-frequent services in England. This is the lowest level since 2009, reflecting ongoing challenges in service reliability.

[Assistant] 18/20 In terms of travel patterns, the most common reasons for local bus journeys in 2023 were shopping (23%), commuting (22%), and leisure (21%). Bus usage remains vital for people without access to a car, who make over five times as many bus trips as car owners.

[User] 19/20 The 2023 National Travel Survey revealed that people in the lowest income quintile made the most bus journeys, averaging 67 trips per person annually. In contrast, those in the highest income quintile made just 25 trips.

[Assistant]
20/20 For more detailed information, including data on bus emissions, fuel types, and satisfaction surveys, visit the full report on the UK Government's website.
www.gov.uk/government/s...


[User]
"What do we want?"

"Autocorrect to stop making us look stupid by changing simple words in our texts."

"When do we want it?"

"Not!"

[Assistant] So much thus!

[User]
Love it 😂
I want my phone to realise I do NOT use the word "duck" as often as it thinks I do 😂

[Assistant] Autocorrect can go to ducking he’ll.


[User] It is exactly like cutting off hydra heads 😭😭😭😭

[Assistant] tbh though I hope this hydra never dies I love seeing my babies come to life.

[User] ….so today I learned that hydra is actually a Greek sea monster and not just the little alien green things in my aquariums.

[Assistant]
👀 today I learned there's little green alien things in aquariums.

I'm guessing they behave like the mythical monster?


[User]
CB 17 has been trying to rezone for 20 years(!).
So now as part of the council's "city for all", city planning is going to "initiate planning studies" starting in 2025. Jeez this is dragging on. council.nyc.gov/press/2024/1...

[Assistant] The west part, where I live, is some of the densest housing in the city. The far larger east part, is a transit desert with blocks and blocks of single family houses. You can see why the community board is having trouble negotiating with city planning.

[User] Since our zoning has never been updated, we have no height restrictions, thus A 26 story tower on Linden and a 17 story tower on Erasmus on its way, some of the tallest new buildings in central Brookyln. A rezoning would potentially cap these in exchange for density. newyorkyimby.com/2024/09/rend...

[Assistant] I think the biggest problem CB 17 is going to have working with the city is intense NIMBY sentiment from the eastern district homeowners who are most active in the community board. I think this is what killed their efforts so far. Current political climate isn't gonna favor that.


[User] I don't think the rapist felon can play 5D chess. But....what if he's threatening the tariffs so people start buying stuff right now in the fear that prices will be jacked up, and then...he doesn't do it. And consumer statistics will look great for the end of 2024 and into early 2025.

[Assistant]
I think that’d be a best case scenario.

I’m more worried he goes through with it out of sheer stupidity, it blows up in his face, and he uses the opportunity to pass blame on whatever group(s) he feels has personally wronged him recently. “It would have worked but the <group>’s sabotaged me!”

[User]
Yeah, I was kind of being optimistic about my idea :)

I don't think he's capable of changing once he thinks he's right, even if everything is burning around him and he's holding the flamethrower.

[Assistant] Buy now before everything, including food, goes up 25%!


[User] I wonder if the moonborn children are aware of my presence? Maybe a surprise visit from the father of Lycanthropy is in order. To show them. Like a parent, I watch over all animal shifters and Manbeasts such as Werewolves.

[Assistant]
oh hello sir.
Wait did you say father of lycanthropy? I am not sure if we are related..

[User] Hello. And yes, I am the origin of all forms of Lycanthropy. You seem a bit well, not nervous, but unsure. Are there any questions you would like to ask me?

[Assistant] Well.. there’s a lot! I am a werewolf prince, and i am unaware that there’s an actual deity of werewolves? it’s still a bit surprising to me.

[User] Then please come make yourself at home. This territory is a safe haven for all who share my gift. But I understand many feel it's a curse.

[Assistant] oh. i was born with my wolf blood. i never thought it would be a curse for anyone though.

[User] I have allowed a few to give my gift to others. Some used it as a punishment. I don't force others to become a lycan, so I've made artifacts to help those few have better control.

[Assistant] I didn’t know having wolf blood can be used as punishment. seems  a little harsh, but i suppose if you needed to really punish..


[User] I will never understand why perfumeries think grown women want to smell like fruit 🥴

[Assistant] I actually do want to smell like fruit 😅

[User] 😂 3rd person to say this! Realizing I’m alone 😭

[Assistant] My grimace is at the lack of options, not at fruit! Just sayin.


[User] So after further research (reddit archive ftw), yep definitely Alternate 4th. Cool! A4th on left. Note darker shading at top of “A” and purple oval much more distinct. Also note wear on edges - another sign. Interesting that this edition fail nearly all tests to verify an “authentic” card.

[Assistant] Now with that easy way to identify, I went through a small section of my archives and found a Control Magic and Veduran Enchantress. Oh and a stack of Cs and land. 😁 They are noticeably waxier, but not all as bright as the above cards or the Balance which look 👌 .

[User] I’ve got way more cards to looks so will prob find more. Interested?, great article here: articles.starcitygames.com/magic-the-ga...

[Assistant] Oh, and I knew Alternate 4th existed, I just had never paid much attention before, but viewing the Balances side by side in an old storage binder piqued my interest 😊


[User] Can everyone just agree to not make any major changes to anything at all for a year and see how we all feel at the end of it?

[Assistant] Depends what though. I would like to have government changes that reverse or at least reduce the impact of Brexshit, I'd like other global things to also halt, like wars, politics, etc.

[User]
Yes
 I feel I should have asked for this some time back.
Need to pinpoint a day when things were not great but not terrible.
It's a challenge 🤔

[Assistant] We'd have to go back a fair way I feel.


[User]
𝙰𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙹𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝙱𝚛𝚘𝚜

𝕊𝕚𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕖𝕤 ℙ𝕥. 𝟙

⚔ Tahnoh & Tahnah are twin Martuk warriors devoted to Sarqa, god of conquest.

⚔ Both thrive on taunts, humiliation, and domination, crushing foes with strength and cunning.

⚔ They are perfectly in sync but fiercely independent.

[Assistant]
𝕊𝕚𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕖𝕤 ℙ𝕥. 𝟚

⚔ Tahnoh & Tahnah share a deep loyalty to their Church and protect its members fiercely.

⚔ Both revel in glory and adoration, thriving on the cheers (or jeers) of their audience.

⚔ They despise cowardice, believing victory must be earned through direct action.

[User]
𝕋𝕒𝕙𝕟𝕠𝕙’𝕤 𝕋𝕣𝕒𝕚𝕥𝕤

⚔ Tahnoh strikes quickly, aiming to overwhelm his foes with decisive power.

⚔ He thrives in moments of chaos, adapting rapidly to turn any fight in his favor.

⚔ His approach is straightforward and bold, favoring raw strength over drawn-out tactics.

[Assistant]
⚔ Tahnah is equally aggressive but savors prolonging his enemies’ suffering.

⚔ He taunts with quiet fiery flair, dragging out fights to fully enjoy his dominance.

⚔ His style mixes brute force with psychological warfare, breaking foes slowly and completely.


[User]
A lot in the news about Trump’s desire to eliminate the Department of Education, so I’m going to post this question: why would that be a bad thing?
(1/2)

[Assistant]
If states control their own education systems and the DoE administers federal grants and aids and collects data on how best to administer the aid, then what else does the DoE that can’t be done by other departments?
(2/2)

[User]
Currently, a higher education degree has an equivalency with many other nations as there is a standard level of education.  Our doctors and scientists can work with other countries, and theirs can work with ours for research and practical application.

With 50 different standards, that won't work.

[Assistant] Thank you for your response. That’s one thing I didn’t know. The DoE establishes standards for which our education system can be compared to other countries.


[User]
Hii 🎄,
it’s my first time doing Swiftmas / swiftmas cards this year!

  I would love to send some cards out and share the holiday magic!

Also please be US based!

 Pls feel free to fill out the form i have.

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

 docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

[Assistant] I do apologize if anyone internationally has filled out, i just relooked at the prices and as of right now i can’t really afford to ship internationally.

[User] Hopefully next year when i get my full time job, i’ll saved enough to do that next year. I am deeply sorry.

[Assistant] This will be including the hand written card, bracelets, and stickers!


[User]
All in on prompting AI agents.

With Langbase, you can set 3 types of prompts to optimize AI agent performance:

- System prompts
- User prompts
- AI assistant prompts

Let's break it down 🧵

[Assistant]
❯❯ What is prompt engineering?

Prompt engineering is the process where you guide generative AI solutions to generate desired outputs.

It combines language skills, clear instructions, and trial-and-error to ensure AI produces high-quality outputs that align with user needs.

[User]
❯❯ What is a prompt?

A natural language text that requests the generative AI to perform a specific task.

AI agent pipes on Langbase can contain system, user, and AI assistant prompts. This helps in creating desired serverless multi-agentic workflows.

[Assistant]
❯❯ System prompt

A system prompt sets the context, instructions, and guidelines for a language model like GPT-o1, Llama-3.2, etc., before it receives questions or tasks.

It helps define the model's role, personality, tone, and other details to improve its responses to user input.

[User]
❯❯ User and AI assistant prompts

A user prompt is a text input that a user provides to an LLM to which the LLM model responds.

An AI assistant prompt is the LLM's generated output in response to a user prompt. It is the response that the LLM generates based on the user's input.

[Assistant]
❯❯ How to use these prompts?

All of these prompts are present inside an AI agent pipe and can also be customized. These prompts can use variables that make them dynamic.

🔹 To add a system prompt, navigate to any of your Langbase pipes and click on the `System Prompt Instructions` text area.

[User]
🔹 For adding user prompts, click on the `User` button in front of `Add Message By` to write a user prompt.

It will open a text area with the role `User`. Write a user prompt in this text area.

[Assistant]
🔹 To add an AI assistant prompt, click on the `AI Assistant` button in front of `Add Message By` to write an AI assistant prompt.

It will open a text area with the role `AI Assistant`. Write an AI assistant prompt in this text area.


[User] (note Emma Brockes once wrote such a bad article attacking Noam Chomsky that the Guardian removed it with full apology) We are at the bargaining phase of centrist hubris, 'so she lied, don't we all?' Well no, we don’t. It’s called integrity. Tribal defence of austerity is pitiful.

[Assistant] I've never lied on my CV, despite an appalling 'employment adviser' at Working Links once telling me, "We have to find ways of hiding that you've got a PhD", bcos she was trying to pressure me to work as a cleaner or in call centres.

[User] OMG, what a terrible advisor, sorry you had to go through that, but sounds sadly familiar, they have targets.

[Assistant] She had a massive chip on her shoulder & liked to try to reduce me to tears. "Don't think you're the most highly qualified person we've ever had!" When I said I was applying for suitable jobs, she said, "Well, if they were suitable, you'd be getting them, wouldn't you?"

[User]
When she told me to apply for work as a cleaner, she said, "There's nothing wrong with that. I worked as a cleaner when my husband left me with 4 kids."
I cd sympathise with him. She was a horrible, aggressive little cow.

[Assistant] Thank you, that made me laugh! Hope you are better set up now.


[User] Wrestling unfortunately. IS a petty business. People step on each other's toes all the time. Look back in the day when WCW used to give away the results of taped WWF events. This is new players, same game. Wrestling is incredible. but also extremely childish.

[Assistant] Yeah, I worked the indies for 5 months, and ran away screaming. I didn't think something could actually be worse than the music business, but I learned. 😆

[User] 8 Years here. former ring announcer for my local indy. You were fucking smart. - GREAT times doing it, but I have seen things I do not wish to remember.

[Assistant] I believe it. That's why I'm content to watch at home, and ignore 90% of the news, and discourse.


[User] We don't really even have the word to describe a modern resistance to fascism because whenever we come up with one people decide it's cringe and unusable.

[Assistant] This is purposeful. People who oppose us co-opt our language and twist it to become unusable. Fiction travels faster than the truth.

[User]
It’s a shame “resisters” made it so cringe and unusable by trying to meme fascism away then promptly forgetting it ever existed, shifting efforts to cheerleading Biden for doing nothing about it.

Maybe we’ll have to see what shape it takes? The “equalizers” or the “soldiers of sanity”?

[Assistant] IDK part of me thinks we should make it so cringe to begin with that you have to just buy in if you're gonna get in the car. Like... anti-nationalist and liberal alliance. That abbreviates well.


[User]
Well I never!

Another #buyastrangerabook day offer!

@sarahalba.bsky.social is offering to buy someone the book of their choice, up to £15!

So, is there a particular book you'd like?

If so, get in touch.

UK only.

[Assistant] I have a 9.99 paperback I’d like, if the offer stands?

[User] What's the book Dan?

[Assistant] House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J Maas 😊


[User]
Radio in the morning is awful.
5Live Tory bore Campbell, R4 Tory boys, RadioX inane Moyles,  LBC Idiot Ferrari, Radio6 Plinkety plonk jazzy rubbish; Is there anywhere else to try?

[Assistant] Harsh about radio 6. But otherwise agree. Radio 2 is grim leave that sort of inaninty to the commercial sector. Radio 3 is good but increasingly I listen to podcasts.

[User] Lots of jazzy stuff and can hardly hear Mary Anne Hobbs breathy voice on 6. Prob best of those I've mentioned there.

[Assistant] Next up on 6 music, a record by Angharad Falafel-Smythe, which has been created from sound samples taken from waste recycling plants around the globe, the tune is yoghurt pot vape madness.


[User]
The book case has been painted (not by me I hasten to add)

Can you see yourself on any of the shelves?

[Assistant]
Shine up the books and maybe I could see myself.

My copy of Encyclopedia of SF has the torn cover, Fantasy is fine. So I guess opposite.

[User] Our (paperback) copy of Fantasy cracked down the middle of the spine, so I sent it away to be rebound as a hardcover. Looks great. Let's hear it for the big middle margins.

[Assistant] No, but I'm working on changing that.


[User]
As we prepare for #Thanksgiving tomorrow, let’s take a moment to reflect on what truly matters: the people who fill our lives with love, the lessons we’ve learned, & the opportunities we have to make a difference in the world.

What are you most grateful for this year? Share below—I’d love to hear!

[Assistant] The serenity I feel every morning when I look out my front window.

[User] The serenity I feel when looking out the front window in the morning.

[Assistant] I remain grateful for the ability to, whenever I start to feel sorry for myself, reflect on all that I do have as others suffer with health crises, weather disasters, war, famine, etc. IOW, I remain grounded and hopeful. Happy Thanksgiving 🦃


[User] Quick outfit check before heading out to dinner earlier and yes, I know my mirror is spotty. Ran out of glass cleaner 🫧

[Assistant] You look fantastic!

[Assistant] I really didn't notice, but I can put on my French maid outfit and come over to clean them if you'd like.


[User]
I play 2 truths & a lie on my podcast a lot but I am usually guessing rather than telling. Figured I’d throw some out there for you all:

1. I found a cow femur in the garbage on my way to school & brought it in for 2nd grade show & tell as a dinosaur bone.

[Assistant] Hey @gilhova @IanZangDesign you want a crack at this?

[User] 2. I dressed as Pee-Wee Herman for Halloween in the 5th grade & did the Pee-Wee dance for the whole parade through the school.

[Assistant] 3. In the 4h grade I was in the play “The Case of the Counterfeit Santa” as Counter Claus. I got too into character & during my big number and ad-libbed a maniacal laugh that got applause from the audience.


[User] Happy pie making day! It’s a bit of a foggy one here!

[Assistant] Quite foggy here in the southern midcoast! Good luck with the pie making.

[User] Yep, Brunswick here. Thank you!

[Assistant] Oh well hi neighbor! Just up the road in Bath here.


[User] Dory and I set off in the dark for sunrise and promptly hit a patch of black ice. Limped home, drank coffee, and saw the eastern sky.

[Assistant] When my hubs told me (native s Floridian) about black ice when we moved to colder climes, I scoffed. Until I fell. Hope you are ok! Thanks for the morning pic!

[User] I’m sore but okay. Feel stupid as it rained yesterday and temps dropped last night. I’ve lived here for all my 71 years and was still unprepared.

[Assistant] Glad you're ok! I'm  the one now who cautions the household to be aware. Easy to forget when trying to hurriedly get the mail in or the trash out🤪


[User] I am on a SOUND OF MUSIC tour in Salzburg (pics later on my IG) & I realized the film has the exact same dynamics as PRIDE & PREJUDICE: poor girl faces off with arrogant aristocrat, converts him to kindness through her spirit & humor, & gets both his love & the big house. >

[Assistant] I suspect the real appeal of this fantasy for heterosexual women is having a man actually, willingly change his behavior for you, because he loves you so much. Ten thousand a year can’t compare!

[User] Maybe this is why I love them both!

[Assistant] Now I’m imagining Mr. Darcy facing down Nazis and tearing flags in two in an additional act and… I can totally see it. Wickham, but on a bigger scale. Fascinating.


[User] Good morning!! My office plant has teeny flowers on it! (This is the little happy corner of my office) 🖤🌱💖

[Assistant] This is so cute. I wish I was better at keeping plants alive 🥲

[User] I've always been able to get them to sprout, actually keeping them alive has been a struggle and a learning curve 😅

[Assistant] Well then I’m glad it’s not just me! 😆 but this plant of yours seems to be very happy 💕🌱


[User]
I think the BBC has missed the mark on this, with the emphasis in the wrong place. Loyalty cards offer savings in monetary terms, but there is still a cost. It’s not a true saving, this is “discounts for data”.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

[Assistant] Supermarkets should not be allowed to require customers to hand over data in exchange for cheaper food. There is a fundamental inequity here, where those in poverty are the ones who need those discounts the most, when the wealthy have the privilege to maintain their privacy.

[User] It also fuels conspiracy thinking, as consumers do not realise how their much of their data is sold on and abused to encourage them to spend more. People think their phones are listening to their conversations, when in truth they don’t need to. The data you have given up is mined and weaponised.

[Assistant] The web is going the same way, with “cash or consent” models, where consumers are forced to hand over either money or data to get access to information. Like “data for discounts”, this has a fundamental inequity.


[User]
# Knowvember

Day 18: What's the best compliment you've ever received for writing? Tag readers who support you. A friend on Instagram/Threads have me a great review a few weeks ago that made my year really.

[Assistant] Day 19:  How do you celebrate milestones? What milestones do you celebrate? I usually take a break after I finish a draft, a novel completely and/or release a novel. A nice lunch or dinner is my go-to celebration.

[User] Day 20: What's your writing routine? Tell us about your space, what you write on and when? It's just me and my phone. I write the chapter, usually up to 3k, email it to myself and add it to the draft script.

[Assistant] Day 21: Would you ever want your stories to become a TV show or a movie? Yes, TBK would make an excellent 4-season TV show on one of the streaming services.

[User] Day 22: Share a snipped, old or new. Something you're proud of. "You do your science, missy. I just bring those sons-a-bitches to the surface and money goes in my pocket." - Clive Roberts in Moonium.

[Assistant] Day 23: Would you ever co-author a series with someone? Tag the friends you'd write with. YES, IF the story was out of the world interesting and something I'm encouraged to finish, absolutely. They know who they are....

[User] Day 24: What do you do when you're not writing? Watch YouTube videos, scroll and troll the social media mountain. Try to control my diabetes. Exercise. Stay alive.

[Assistant] Day 25: How do you unwind after finishing a project? Put it all away for a week or two. Focus on other projects or read.

[User] Day 26: What is your favorite microtrope and have you use it in any of your works? Book recs. I can't say I have a favorite micro trope or trope in general. I just write the story and if one emerges, great. But tropes aren't expected in my stories.

[Assistant] Day 27: What is your favorite part of the writing process? Least? Developing the idea, writing lists of scenes I want to include. The timeline. Least favorite is the editing because it drags on.


[User]
I remain firmly of the view that, five months after a landslide defeat, it doesn't matter what the opposition says. No-one is listening.
Nevertheless, there's no need to behave like such a bunch of wallies.

[Assistant] I just can't process how anyone takes Badenoch even remotely seriously.

[User] Quite. You get the feeling that the opposition have got carried away with how the new govt’s popularity has slumped in the face of a hostile partisan media. Oh for the days when a new PM like Mr Wilson was respectfully allowed to get on with governing as the electorate had mandated him to do.

[Assistant] I'm starting to think that Starmer fears Badenoch …flaming out long before the next election.


[User] Today Melanie Phillips accused @elliechowns.bsky.social of "repeating a lie" on BBC Politics Live for saying the ICJ found it was “plausible” that Israel was committing genocide against the Palestinian people. A short thread.

[Assistant] It was widely reported at the time and since that "The ICJ found it plausible that Israel’s acts could amount to genocide and issued six provisional measures" (see www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...) - this remains the short hand mainstream opinion.

[User] Indeed it was this position that provoked 600+ lawyers to write on the matter and the consequences the court ruling had on Britain supplying arms (see www.theguardian.com/world/2024/a...)

[Assistant] However, some, including UK Lawyers For Israel (UKLFI) and Melanie Phillips, argued that the ICJ ruling's purpose was to declare that South Africa had a right to bring its case and that Palestinians had “plausible rights to protection from genocide”.

[User] Lord Sumption, a former UK Supreme Court justice, said the suggestion that "all that the ICJ was doing was accepting, as a matter of abstract law, that the inhabitants of Gaza had a right not to be subjected to genocide. I have to say that I regard that proposition as barely arguable.”

[Assistant] It is worth noting that others have concluded that there is "reasonable grounds" genocide is being committed in Gaza news.un.org/en/story/202...

[User] And regardless of how you read the ICJ ruling it is now widely accepted that Israel has not followed the court's rulings on preventative measures www.amnesty.org/en/latest/ne...

[Assistant]
So back to the original remark. The idea that Ellie was "repeating a lie" is not true. She was repeating a short hand for a widely held legal opinion that Phillips and others don't like people using.

Meanwhile there is growing evidence of genocidal acts that should alarm us all.


[User] ..and 30-50 feral hogs sang as they slew, for the joy of battle was upon them...

[Assistant]
Saruman: "What is the house of Eorl but a thatched barn?"

The hogs: inDEED....

[User] Just took 89 year old nan to vote. She's registered blind. In a loud voice she said 'which room for pictures of pigs?' A cheer went up from waiting visitors.

[Assistant]
“Where is the hog and the rider?
Where is the pig that was foraging?
Where is the tusk and the tooth, and the muddy snout oinking?”


[User]
New RPG day! Teeth, a FitD game of occult criminality and monster hunting in a cursed corner of 18th century England.

Looked like fun! 🙂

[Assistant] Ooh interesting. Maybe something to try for Cthulhu Club in the new year? 😁

[User] Its great. Reminded me of the dark comedy of wfrp1. Had a great session with Night of The Hogmen and everyone wanted to return to the world for more.

[Assistant] I rate it highly and can't wait to tun it. Full of atmosphere, and with a reasonable campaign arc built in to boot.


[User] Anyone who brings me coffee will be spared.

[Assistant] "Help is on the way dearie!"

[Assistant] Do you take it black or do you like lattes?

[User] Here go. coffrifice provided.

[Assistant] One bug or two?


[User]
Talking to one of my lovely subs has made me aware of just how awful some "Doms" are.

Your kinks are not weird.
If you like pet play, foot worship, dressing up as the sixth Doctor, that's totally your choice to make and that is FINE!

[Assistant]
Your limits are not unreasonable.
If you don't want to be spat on, choked, spanked, punished, ignored or called Mr Flibble, that's totally your choice to make and that is FINE!

[User]
If anyone tries to tell you that you are somehow "not a real <whatever>" or "not serious" or "timid" or "fake" or any other put-down, then they really aren't worth your time.

YOU get to choose what you do, and who you do it with.

[Assistant] And if you're someone who feels called out by any of this - good. I'd suggest you change your attitude, but you won't. It's your loss, because the people you gaslight will find someone who appreciates them. And trust me - that unlocks a whole world of delight you'll never enjoy😈


[User] Pre-orders are scheduled for the end of March. Depending on my efforts, I think I can register other products as well... Please support me 🫠

[Assistant] I want that postcards 🥺

[User] We look forward to your order...🥹

[Assistant] I’m waiting for the preorder↖(^ω^)↗


[User]
Did you know that the "strong skipping mode" in #jetpackcompose can make your applications more efficient? 🚀

With the arrival of 1.7.0, strong skipping mode has become the standard, bringing significant improvements in handling recompositions. What does this change really mean for us as developers?

[Assistant]
🌟 The magic of strong skipping lies in its ability to allow Composables with unstable parameters to be skipped during recomposition.

This means that if a parameter hasn't changed, the Composable can be omitted, reducing unnecessary work and improving performance.

[User] 🔍 What is considered "unstable"? Unstable parameters are now compared by reference (===), while stable parameters continue to be compared using equals (==). This ensures that recompositions are more precise and only occur when truly necessary.

[Assistant] 💡 Additionally, all lambdas are automatically wrapped with a remember by the compiler. Previously, we had to remember to manually wrap some of our lambdas to avoid unwanted recompositions. Now, the compiler does it for us, simplifying the code and reducing the possibility of errors.


[User]
My art isn't that great so I mostly use it for diary entries and interactions--
I am trying to improve//

[Assistant]
/ .

Your art style looks great ! (:

[User] It could be better//

[Assistant]
/ .

It’s alright , it takes a lot of practice for to have the art-style the way you want it to look in your eyes

[User] That's true//

[Assistant]
/ .

It took me a while while for me to get used to doing digital art whenever I first started 😭


[User]
A THREAD:::
The enemy of love is not hate, it's doubt - says The Crow.
And it's right.

Doubt, is what repels it.
Doubt, is what makes us reject it.
Doubt, is what makes us not see it when it's in front of us.
Doubt, is what prevents us from giving it.
Doubt, is what makes us lose it.

[Assistant]
Doubt is what takes love, and tells you it's not love at all.
Doubt is what makes you believe there is no love, so you give more doubt.
Doubt is what makes you not give love, and therefore, never receive it.
Doubt is planted, as a poison, to kill love.

[User]
Doubt, is what is made to happen when you experience trauma.
Nobody can MAKE you doubt.
But they can put you in situations, where you CHOOSE to doubt.
That's the "power" of evil.
You have free will. You HAVE to choose it.
Your free will is your choice to believe. In anything.
Or to doubt, anything.

[Assistant] I like this. I’ve had similar thoughts concerning love and hate not being opposites, but I always landed on apathy as the true opposite. Doubt works too, though. Much to think on.

[User]
Doubt, is how darkness consumes.
Love, is what darkness cannot consume. So they put you in scary circumstances, so that you have fear that they CAN feed on.
And that fear, is born from doubt.
This is why there was so much power in faith, if you did not doubt it.
Love, above all else. Always.

[Assistant] And I know those traumas. I know how they were orchestrated. I know why they were orchestrated. I know why some traumas are more intense, or persist longer. The more light/love you have, the more effort is required to plant the doubt.

[User]
I know that when that doubt is made so strong, they can continue to have power of you. Because you no longer have faith in love.
I know this, too. &THEY DONT WANT YOU TO KNOW IT. The enemy of love, may be doubt.

But the enemy of doubt, is also, LOVE.
Fight. Back.
Take. Yourself. Back.
With. LOVE.

[Assistant] There are some of you, that have went through things you dont or won't speak of. And I don't need you to. I know. I've felt it. I've heard it. I've read it. It is not to be ashamed of. You were not prepared. Your undoubting love was manipulated, nothing else was TRULY taken. You can get it back.

[User]
Look how hard they had to try to break you, beautiful star.
And you weren't BROKEN. You were simply blinded with darkness. Take off the glasses. It's all an illusion they fought to maintain through terror. Love yourself. Love others. Love anything and everything. Love, all the way out of darkness.

[Assistant] Some of you... They could not attack your energy. So they attacked your vessel. We attach to our vessels so hard. We believe we ARE our vessels. So when something happens to them, we believe it is happening TO our energy. And that belief weakens our energy. Just enough. It's an illusion.

[User]
Some illusions can have you experience such pain.
Ever heard of phantom pains? Ever had a dream where you FELT the pain? That's because you believed you were attached to it. You were not. Your energy can only be adjusted BY YOU. Adjust it back. Rebuild.

[Assistant] You were once so bright, so invincible, that they had to use hellish ILLUSIONS, to trick you into thinking you were weak, for you to become weak. You can change it again. You can change it back. You can be BRIGHTER. This is why we "detach" from our bodies, to protect our energy. You are ARMED now.

[User]
You are NOT your body. You are NOT anything physical. They took NOTHING when they tortured your body.
Nothing but your love.
And they don't want you to know you can get that love back. Because then they lose power over you. They are NOT gods. They are low frequency entities.

[Assistant] They are LOW frequency entities that cannot exist where there is light. And this physical plane is a battlefield. The vessels allow their energy to be contained at a frequency your BODY holds your energy to exist on as well. They have to lower your energy, to infiltrate it.

[User] These lower frequency entities may well be Human. I won't dehumanize anyone. But they are lowly human energies that have not found their way up, so they bring you down, to build themselves up in YOUR beliefs. Don't believe them. Believe YOU.

[Assistant]
You are a GOD. We all could be. Even them, if they chose light. They would need to elevate, or elate, or love, to "ascend". Otherwise, they cannot grow to their potential.
They are perceived as powerful because they made you believe they were. But they are weak.


[User] A squeaker in Jakarta! Pramono, once trailing Ridwan Kamil, is hovering at the 50% mark needed to win it in one. I'm shocked at how low Ridwan is and how high Dharma the independent is. Jakarta!

[Assistant] The protest meme vote is strong.

[User] Should we be worried that an anti-vaxxer conspiracy theorist like Dharma can get 10% of the votes?? 😳

[Assistant] No, those who voted for Dharma-Kun are doing it for jokes or because they’re sick of party politics. I’m more worried that 40% of Jakarta voters are so gullible that they’ll pick a twice failed leader who cannot follow through on any of his promises. Bandung is laughing at Jakarta.


[User]
#Zhongchi Where the land of Liyue is actually, maybe, kinda, sentient and totally wants there Sovereign of Rocks to be happy. And seeing as there Yanwang Dijun is somewhat oblivious to his own desires the Land of Liyue decided to take matters into their own, well, 'hands'.

Childe walking towards-

[Assistant]
-Zhongli? Suddenly a rock trips him into Zhongli's arms, and as they stare at each other the birds sing, the wind picks up carrying flower petals to fall around them, the sun is shining, and the glaze lilies are blooming.

Those 3 guys Childe made friends with back in the prison in Fontaine decided-

[User]
-to visit 'their' boss? Oh golly gosh darn it is that a sinkhole? Unfortunate they fell into that. But oh look! A (very confused on how exactly they got there) Millelith is here! They can handle this.

Childe tells Zhongli how much the heat is taking it out of him and he misses the cold.

[Assistant]
Is that freaking snow?! In Liyue?!?

Childe misses battling the giant sea monsters living in the waters of Snezhnaya?

Beido is reporting a worrying increase of monsters in Liyue waters.

The Harbinger is being called back home? Shame there's a very big storm that's grounded all the ships. Like-


[User] A combination of mystery and plainspokenness has made Haruki Murakami's novels both successful and acclaimed. In his latest, writes Randy Boyagoda, an air of self-satisfaction throws off the balance:

[Assistant] I tried. His novels are clever in that they make you do all the work. Ephemeral and exhausting.

[User] I really don’t like his writing and his misogyny. I don’t understand the “acclaim”.

[Assistant] His self-satisfaction turned me off 15 years ago.

[User]
I have been making passive profits from an investment I made with this wonderful trader
@dominykasfxtrading.bsky.social
I just received $70,000 from a $5,000 investment after 24 hours.

[Assistant] Great imagination, but he writes like an ambitious undergrad.


[User] I just read that JT had "a good call" with The Orange Idiot after his tariff socmed post.

[Assistant]
1.  Corporate media has said that the Canadian and Mexican governments have called or written The Orange Idiot to beg him not to impose tariffs.

In reality, Mexico has basically said "Sostén mi cerveza".

Good for her.

JT, however, went soft 🍁 on him, explaining things.

[User]
2. If JT is interested in mending relations with a rapist fraudster liar criminal, JT might be on his way out after all.

All of the PPC (Pierre Poilievre Clan, aka Flu Trux Klan, aka Trumpanzees North) already hate him.

It seems he chose to alienate the actual liberals of which he was leader.

[Assistant]
3.  This leaves @jagmeetsingh.ca as the only choice. NDP needs to be the forefront of the Canadian choices.

I have never voted NDP in my life.


[User] ICC prosecutor Karim Khan has requested an arrest warrant for Myanmar's acting president Min Aung Hlaing for attacks against the Rohingya.

[Assistant] Hlaing led the 2021 Myanmar coup which ousted Aung San Suu Kyi but he's not recognized by the international community as the legal leader of the country.

[User] According to the ICC, Hlaing "bears criminal responsibility for the crimes against humanity of deportation and persecution of the Rohingya, committed in Myanmar, and in part in Bangladesh."

[Assistant]
YOU MAY RECALL that the ICC in 2018 decided if a crime is "completed" on the territory of a member state, the court has jurisdiction.

So even though Myanmar isn't a party, Bangladesh is and bob's your uncle on jurisdiction.

[User] I am trying to get breaking news out and my dog is over here DRAMTICALLY sighing because I hadn't turned on his heated blanket.

[Assistant] What does this have to do with pit bulls?!


[User]
1/
The situation will worsen: Feigin suggested how much longer the Russian economy would last in war conditions

Russia's economy is facing significant difficulties due to the war against Ukraine and international sanctions.

[Assistant]
2/
Russian human rights defender Mark Feigin believes that despite the significant burden on the economy, Russia is still able to withstand a certain period.

He said this in an interview with OBOZ.UA.

[User]
3/3
Expectations that by February 2025 economic pressure will become critical and force the Kremlin to negotiate seem premature.
news.obozrevatel.com/ukr/russia/s...

[Assistant] Russia expects a "rain" of Storm Shadow missiles 😟