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Harini Calamur

@calamur.bsky.social
427 followers 230 following 233 posts

Writes on media, technology & India. Occasionally ragas, books & democracy. Always ideas. Blogger since 2003. Main slave to a Judgmental Hound 🐾 calamur.org/gargi X.com/calamur www.linkedin.com/in/calamur

PostsRepliesMedia
Harini Calamur @calamur.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Cornell University: the “gift” that never stops giving. 😑 If Cornell had taken the warning signs around fraternity culture seriously years ago, would Jane Doe have been spared what happened in 2024? edition.cnn.com/2018/09/07/u...
edition.cnn.com
No evidence Cornell fraternity held alleged ‘pig roast’ contest | CNN
Cornell University has clarified a statement from earlier this year, saying it did not find evidence that a fraternity held a contest for new members in which they’d earn points for sleeping with wome...
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Harini Calamur @calamur.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
😂😂 THE HAIR. Pike’s hair is no longer hair. It is structural engineering.
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Carole with an e @crwright.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Our neighbor, Mexico, seems to care about the food their people eat. Wish that were so here.
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Harini Calamur @calamur.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Economist has written a newbie blog, in pretty English Could AIs become conscious? economist.com/leaders/2026... from The Economist
economist.com
Could AIs become conscious?
Even if they don’t, they might be treated as such—to humanity’s great cost
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Harini Calamur @calamur.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
🤬 Group kills teen to harvest organs for Rs 2 crore, lured him with Rs 100 indianexpress.com/article/indi...
indianexpress.com
Group kills teen to harvest organs for Rs 2 crore, lured him with Rs 100
Police said the accused, including three juveniles, had removed an organ from the victim's body after killing him. However, after they failed to find a buyer, they disposed of the body part, they adde...
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Hirschers 🌳🦌🎭🦉 @herrhilfreich.eurosky.social · 12/08/2026
Das Pfötchen mit dem Perlenohrring - Johannes Leckelimeer, 1665
Das Bild zeigt einen braun-weißen Hund, der in einer ungewöhnlich menschlich wirkenden Porträtpose dargestellt ist. Sein Körper ist seitlich ausgerichtet, während er den Kopf über die Schulter zurückdreht und den Betrachter mit großen, leicht zur Seite gerichteten Augen ansieht. Auf dem Kopf trägt der Hund ein weißes, turbanartig gebundenes Tuch. An einem Ohr hängt ein auffälliger, großer Perlenohrring. Der helle Hintergrund und das weiche Licht sorgen dafür, dass sich das Gesicht des Hundes deutlich vom restlichen Bild abhebt.
Die Gestaltung erinnert deutlich an Johannes Vermeers berühmtes Gemälde „Das Mädchen mit dem Perlenohrring“ aus dem 17. Jahrhundert. Wie bei Vermeer ist die dargestellte Figur im Halbprofil zu sehen und wendet den Kopf über die Schulter zum Betrachter zurück. Dadurch entsteht in beiden Bildern der Eindruck eines spontanen, kurzen Blickkontakts. Eine weitere auffällige Parallele ist die Kopfbedeckung: Der weiße Stoff des Hundes übernimmt die Funktion des Turbans, den das Mädchen in Vermeers Gemälde trägt. Das wichtigste verbindende Element ist jedoch der große Perlenohrring, der in beiden Darstellungen sofort ins Auge fällt und zum zentralen Erkennungsmerkmal wird.
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Harini Calamur @calamur.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Savarkar and Jinnah. Two atheists. Who built long term political movements based on “we are special. And discriminated.” The problem isn’t the kanwar yatra. It’s a patronising state indianexpress.com/article/opin...
indianexpress.com
The problem isn’t the kanwar yatra. It’s a patronising state
To use the kanwariyas' devotion as an excuse for exclusion and targeting minorities, to deify them with floral symbolism, is to act in bad faith
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Harini Calamur @calamur.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
😭 Woman farmer wails as over 100 trees felled for power tower in Kallakurichi www.thehindu.com/news/nationa...
thehindu.com
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Harini Calamur @calamur.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
🙈😈 The boyfriend is not using an AI assistant. The AI assistant is using a boyfriend as its human interface. #AI www.wired.com/story/this-a...
wired.com
This AI Assistant Wants to Make Up for Your Boyfriend’s Incompetence
An ad for Orchid suggests the AI agent can fix relationship problems by simply doing everything for inconsiderate partners.
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Timnit Gebru @timnitgebru.blacksky.app · 30/07/2026
"As Japanese financial newspaper Nikkei Asia found in a recent investigation, just five US tech giants — Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, and Oracle — are hiding an estimated $1.65 trillion in debt that doesn’t appear on balance sheets. futurism.com/artificial-i...
futurism.com
AI Companies Are Trying to Hide a Staggering Amount of Debt
AI companies are pouring tens of billions of dollars into enormous data centers. They're being built on top of a mountain of hidden debt.
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👻👹 boo-rit 👹👻 @britculpsapp.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
christ if that’s not a metaphor for our times
reuters: 

Sunken Nazi warships resurface as water levels drop
Scuttled German WW2 warships have reemerged from the Danube in drought-hit Europe.
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Jophin Mathai @jofmat.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
As I see Gen Z fearlessly take to the streets in India, I also see each of them become ‘a small republic of unconquered spirit’, as @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social puts it. There are no guarantees, but oh—the joy of witnessing these republics!
Resistance is first of all a matter of principle and a way to live, to make yourself one small republic of unconquered spirit. You hope for results, but you don't depend on them.

- Rebecca Solnit, ‘Hope in the Dark’
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Harini Calamur @calamur.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Why ? Mohan Bhagwat: Knowledge on Hindu gods should be part of school textbooks indianexpress.com/article/indi...
indianexpress.com
Mohan Bhagwat: Knowledge on Hindu gods should be part of school textbooks
BJP veteran Murli Manohar Joshi, who had a day earlier, expressed concern over the students’ protests and handling of the youth, was also present at the event.
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Silicology @silicology.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
bsky.app/profile/scro... In India, our children will be made to do cow dung cancer research or learn from the sermons of godmen and babas, while ministers' children study abroad in Ivy League colleges.
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Hari Kunzru @harikunzru.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
The $400m flying bribe has shelves of fake books, some titled “Library”.
Karoline Leavitt inthe $400m flying bribe slash natsec nightmareA shelf of fake books, some titled “Library”
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Harini Calamur @calamur.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Amazon built an internal leaderboard to track employee AI usage. Employees did what humans always do when a metric becomes the goal. They gamed it. Technology evolves. Dashboards get prettier. Babudom survives. calamur.org/gargi/2026/0...
calamur.org
Average employees v/s AI powered babudom - A PoV
Amazon’s AI leaderboard was shut down after employees gamed it. A reminder that bureaucracy can turn even artificial intelligence into another compliance ritual.
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Harini Calamur @calamur.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Amazon built an internal leaderboard to track employee AI usage. Employees did what humans always do when a metric becomes the goal. They gamed it. Technology evolves. Dashboards get prettier. Babudom survives. calamur.org/gargi/2026/0...
calamur.org
Average employees v/s AI powered babudom - A PoV
Amazon’s AI leaderboard was shut down after employees gamed it. A reminder that bureaucracy can turn even artificial intelligence into another compliance ritual.
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MANJUL @manjultoons.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
#cartoon #CockroachJantaParty #Blocked Linktr.ee/MANJULtoons
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Freethinkers United For Change @freethinkersunite.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
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Harini Calamur @calamur.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
AI did not create our loneliness. It entered a vacuum already waiting for something to fill it. New piece on the blog. On the loneliness economy, conversational AI, and what happens when humans accept simulation as a substitute for presence. calamur.org/gargi/2026/0...
calamur.org
AI, Loneliness, and the Danger of Endless Conversation - A PoV AI, Loneliness, and Endless Conversation
AI can offer comfort, especially to the lonely or vulnerable. But when conversation becomes constant, persuasive and unbounded, simulation can begin to replace presence.
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thedelhiwalla.bsky.social @thedelhiwalla.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
Strait of Hormuz, Somewhere in Delhi
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Harini Calamur @calamur.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
The web is not being taken over by AI. It is being flooded by cheap production and filtered by increasingly powerful gatekeepers. www.fastcompany.com/91535495/dea...
fastcompany.com
Is the ‘dead internet’ theory coming true? New Stanford research calculates exactly how far we are—and it’s alarming
More than a third of websites published now are at least partially AI-generated, says the study.
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Harini Calamur @calamur.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
AI has a brain the size of a planet and the judgment of an infant. It is eager, confident, and fast. It does not know what not to do. Judgment is what failure teaches. AI has never failed. It has only been corrected. #ai open.substack.com/pub/calamur/...
open.substack.com
The AI in the Room
What AI can do, what it cannot, and who has to stay in charge.
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Fancied Facts @fanciedfacts.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
4,400-year-old terracotta board from the Lothal site in Gujarat, India, possibly an early chess game
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Rohini Lakshané @aldebaran14.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
We Mysoreans are very adventurous. There is a fresh beverage shop here that sells coconut and sugarcane drinks. Its name is Mr CoCane. 👀 The largest hardware shop in town is named Mr Knobs.
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Harini Calamur @calamur.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
AI has a brain the size of a planet and the judgment of an infant. It is eager, confident, and fast. It does not know what not to do. Judgment is what failure teaches. AI has never failed. It has only been corrected. #ai open.substack.com/pub/calamur/...
open.substack.com
The AI in the Room
What AI can do, what it cannot, and who has to stay in charge.
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Joan López i Casanoves @joanlopezphoto.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
📍 Carrer de la Carassa, el Born, barri de Sant Pere, Santa Caterina i la Ribera, districte de Ciutat Vella, #Barcelona 📸 Fujifilm X-T5 📷 Fujinon XF 35mm F2 R WR ⚙️ ISO 125 - f/2 - Shutter 1/320 🖌️ Capture One Pro #StreetPhotography #photography #storytelling #BarcelonaStreets #photoreel
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Harini Calamur @calamur.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
Emily hart . Right (MAGA) wing influencer. But “she” was AI. Nano-banana AI influencer. Personality: generated. Politics: generated. Audience: very real. Jokes write themselves. www.wired.com/story/ai-gen...
wired.com
This Scammer Used an AI-Generated MAGA Girl to Grift ‘Super Dumb’ Men
A med student says he’s made thousands of dollars selling photos and videos of a young conservative woman he created using generative tools. He’s not alone.
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Mrs. Betty Bowers @mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
With so much awful news, here is something to brighten your day:
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Lindsay Beyerstein @beyerstein.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
The Access of Evil
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womensartbluesky.bsky.social @womensartbluesky.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
Photographer Chantal Pinzi's photogragraphic series of women skateboarders around the world, including in India #WomensArt
Photograph of a young Indian girl in a white dress mid skateboard jump at a skate park
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public health guy @publichealthguy1.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
this account is run by a human at NASA JPL who only posts real images with their receipts. it only has 11k followers compared to the 200k the ai slop space account has
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Harini Calamur @calamur.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
#Trump’s feed: raging about Indians (and Chinese) taking over California’s tech jobs. India is “a hell hole’ India should ask Ambassador Gor for an explanation.
Trump rant.
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Harini Calamur @calamur.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
About time.
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blueanimallover.bsky.social @blueanimallover.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
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Harini Calamur @calamur.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
My life :)
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RB Kollannur @arby-k.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
The universe, as seen from Earth. Largest-ever 3D map of the universe shows 47 million galaxies, from the Milky Way to 'cosmic noon' — Space photo of the week www.livescience.com/space/cosmol...
livescience.com
Largest-ever 3D map of the universe shows 47 million galaxies, from the Milky Way to 'cosmic noon'
The largest 3D map of the universe, created based on data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, shows 47 million galaxies in stunning detail.
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Harini Calamur @calamur.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
Karma. Empires eventually choke on the blood and tears they spill overseas. The US is not an exception.
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Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
‘Once operational, the centre will need 473 Mega Watt of electricity per day. […] This is expected to generate 8 kiloliters of mineral rich wastewater which is usually discharged to avoid damaging equipment.’ #BomSky #IndiaSky
hindustantimes.com
Amazon seeks environment nod to establish data centre near Taloja
The company has applied to the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) for an environmental clearance | Mumbai news
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Harini Calamur @calamur.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
❤️
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Harini Calamur @calamur.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
The North-South divide was the slogan, not the real objection to the Women’s Reservation Bill. The real objection was the absence of an OBC sub-quota. Say that. Don’t package it as regional solidarity. #india #womensquota www.thehindu.com/news/nationa...
thehindu.com
Constitution Amendment Bill, part of delimitation package, defeated
United Opposition defeats women's quota Constitutional Amendment Bill by 68 votes, failing to achieve necessary two-thirds majority.
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Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Child: I know your name. Mamdani. Obama: What’s his first name? Child: Mayor.
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Harini Calamur @calamur.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Madness of King Donald.
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Harini Calamur @calamur.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
YouTube just banned a Pro-Iran channel that mocked Donald Trump. With LEGO dolls and rap music. Platform policy. Not censorship. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who watches the watchmen? calamur.org/gargi/2026/0...
calamur.org
Authorised Speech - A PoV Authorised Speech: Censorship, Platforms, and Power
Who controls online speech — governments, platforms, regulators, or billionaires? A sharp look at censorship, content moderation, and authorised speech.
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Lizard @lizardky.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
Saving for "State your mood in one image" threads.
A street corner, with a sign reading "Play Area & Cholera Burial Ground".
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Jasmine 🌌🔭 @astrojaz.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
CHRISTINA KOCH GREETING HER DOG AFTER RETURNING FROM THE MOON IM GONNA CRYYY 😭😭😭
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Allison Gill @muellershewrote.com · 13/04/2026
I’ll have what Hungary’s having.
media.tenor.com
an elderly woman is sitting at a table in a restaurant and looking at the camera .
ALT: an elderly woman is sitting at a table in a restaurant and looking at the camera .
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Harini Calamur @calamur.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
My X.com it taken over by hackers. @calamur is not valid anymore. X.com can’t help. Please do not click any links sent from that account.  see you on other social networks.
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Jon Cooper @joncooper-us.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
Oh, yeah, that was the Obama Iran deal.
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Harini Calamur @calamur.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
Same action. Different label. Depends entirely on who holds power. When governments restrict speech, we call it censorship. When platforms, regulators, or billionaires do it, we call it moderation, compliance, or policy. My new piece calamur.org/gargi/2026/0...
calamur.org
Authorised Speech - A PoV Authorised Speech: Censorship, Platforms, and Power
Who controls online speech — governments, platforms, regulators, or billionaires? A sharp look at censorship, content moderation, and authorised speech.
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