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mike

@vacantlot1.bsky.social
339 followers 501 following 1.2K posts

Over here from over there

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Reposted by mike
Moby Dick @mobydickatsea.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
all this is both foolish and unnecessary
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Jack Hurley @loudribs.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
SALTAIRE - I HAVE A WEIRD OFFER FOR YOU
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History and Heritage Yorkshire @handhyorkshire.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
🧵New York to York: The Remarkable Story of Bill Richmond: A Post for Black History Month. Bill Richmond (1763–1829) was born into slavery on Staten Island, New York. In 1777, British General Hugh Percy arranged his freedom and brought him to England, where he was educated in Yorkshire and
Bill Richmond (1763–1829) was a celebrated bare-knuckle pugilist. He was born into slavery in New York and spent most of his life in England, where he became a prominent sports figure and trainer. Image National Portrait Gallery CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
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THE NERVE @thenerve.news · 28/09/2026
“Same goes for the claims that these companies are already profitable… [essentially] the companies are claiming that they are so cool that their profitability can only be measured using a novel, secret form of mathematics.” www.thenerve.news/p/cory-docto...
thenerve.news
Cory Doctorow: AI’s big beasts aren’t really scared of their products. They’re scared of their competition
The US giants would love to stop battling each other and be protected from China – and they might have hit on just the narrative to make that possible, writes our tech columnist
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Modern Toss @moderntoss.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
#fuckmondays
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Costa Samaras @costasamaras.com · 26/09/2026
everything computer
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
DoorDash spent $1.4M trying to stop Zohran Mamdani from becoming mayor. This week's historic $131.5M enforcement action against DoorDash for underpaying NYC delivery workers shows why. Yet another reminder that the only thing that can beat organized money is organized people.
theintercept.com
DoorDash Spent $1.4 Million Trying to Stop Mamdani From Becoming Mayor. Now We Know Why.
In a wage-theft settlement, DoorDash now has to pay its workers around 100 times what it spent trying to beat Zohran Mam
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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
A weekend treat! Foodbanks across the UK are asking people to join them and @trusselluk.bsky.social and write to @andyburnham.bsky.social asking him to use the Autumn budget to reconnect Local Housing Allowance & rents. Because no one should have to choose between food & rent.
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the Mountain Goats @themountaingoats.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Jackie Jackson died two days ago. His death did not get the fanfare that the big celebrities get but I assure you he was no less than any of them: a titan astride the earth. In this thread, a few of the songs he played bass on. You know these songs. You know their bass parts. youtu.be/DKVB_CtU8XQ
youtu.be
Pressure Drop
YouTube video by Toots & The Maytals - Topic
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Alasdair Mackenzie @alasdairmackenzie.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
You know that saying about how the way they treat asylum seekers is the way they’d treat everyone else if they thought they could get away with it? Well,
The Tories said the reduced subsistence allowance would be loaded onto pre-paid card that would not allow cash withdrawals, and would "prevent spending" on alcohol, cigarettes, or gambling.
The party is yet to detail how its proposal would work, but shadow welfare secretary Helen Whately said it would be "a version" of the pre-paid Aspen card issued to asylum seekers living in government-funded accommodation.
These cards cannot be used to make contactless, telephone or internet payments, whilst asylum seekers whose applications have failed cannot withdraw cash.
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Boo!-per Lund @cooperlund.online · 22/09/2026
Damn, he had Sam Altman dead to rights in 2016
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Giles Wilkes @gilesyb.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
surely someone has pointed this out
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Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Using AI chatbots to address financial questions could risk large losses, with models from a range of providers giving wrong answers most of the time. The most popular AI models from ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Grok and Gemini provided wrong answers to financial queries 57% of the time on average.
ft.com
AI chatbots give wrong answers to financial queries ‘most of the time’
Report finds some chatbots ignored upcoming tax changes and hallucinated rules
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Emma Yeomans @yeomans.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
The RNLI has said the abuse of volunteers in Portsmouth has forced it to close the lifeboat station there and stop operating since September 10. Nearby stations have been providing cover to the area instead. One of the UK's largest coastal cities without a lifeboat because of the far-right.
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Jason Koebler @jasonkoebler.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
The court filing dug up by @kint.bsky.social is the most They Admit It i have ever seen in my life www.404media.co/doom-loop-op...
404media.co
‘Doom Loop’: OpenAI and Microsoft Admits LLMs Are Destroying the Web and Built on Theft
"Millions of people around the world will soon consider large models ‘hoovering up’ all their work to be an astonishing theft of unprecedented proportions."
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wrongtom @wrongtom.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Arguably the greatest song to be recorded 4 times by 3 iterations of a band under 3 different names and in 2 languages, and then remixed once before it reached number 2 (eventually scoring a number 1 when it was covered by my mate's little brother's band a decade and a half later)
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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Kent Live and Aberdeen Live among Reach titles closing amid hundreds more job losses. It's never-ending with that company (where I worked for a while - I left before about four rounds of redundancies in one year) If you have an independent local outlet near you, now is a vital time to support it.
pressgazette.co.uk
Reach to cut editorial team by further 160 jobs as key metric becomes 'active engaged time'
Proposal also includes closure of Kent Live, Aberdeen Live and Galway Beo websites.
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History and Heritage Yorkshire @handhyorkshire.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
🧵Lendal Tower is a Grade I listed 14th-century defensive tower on the east bank of the River Ouse in York. Built around 1300, it originally anchored a heavy iron chain stretched across the river to Barker Tower to control river traffic and defend the city. In 1616, it was converted into York’s
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Naomi Smith @pimlicat.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Grin and share it! www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/...
aljazeera.com
Hungary to amend anti-LGBTQ law to align with EU standards
A new bill will remove references to banning the 'promotion' of homosexuality.
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Jonn Elledge @jonnelledge.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
"Despite the sterling PR work done by films like Madagascar, hippos are not in fact soft and cuddly creatures, but aggressive and unpredictable and thus among the most dangerous animals in the world..." Also: some notes on South Edinburgh’s proposed suburban tram routes. I contain multitudes.
jonn.substack.com
Some notes on South America’s incest drug hippos
Also: some notes on South Edinburgh’s proposed suburban tram routes. I contain multitudes.
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Jason Thorne @jasonthorne.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
“The mark of a great city is in how it treats its ordinary spaces, not its special ones” (Aaron Renn). Under a bridge and along a highway embankment in Vilnius, Lithuania.
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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Public service announcements appearing on the Tube (spoof ofc)👌🏼
Main sign (blue, centre):
Notice to users of smart glasses
Everyone thinks you look like a massive nonce
The sign shows an icon of a pair of glasses with a camera lens on the frame and a wireless signal symbol above it.
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The Empty City @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
NEW Why holding a placard is a terrorist act, while causing disruption in a balaclava is not The mess caused by ministers and the police not taking terrorism law seriously By me at @prospectmagazine.co.uk www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/th...

Recent events in England now reveal the practical difference between terrorists and protesters. It would seem that terrorists peacefully hold placards and get immediately arrested, while protesters wear black uniforms and balaclavas and disrupt infrastructure and do not get arrested.

How did we get into this mess? How have we placed ourselves in the position where terrorism legislation is used to detain and prosecute peaceful protesters, while those adopting the terror tactics of private armies seem to be free to do as they wish?

The reason is that for some time British politicians have not taken terrorism legislation seriously, and that ministers have got into the habit of misusing terror laws for easy targets.
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Netpol @netpol.org · 11/09/2026
Police forces all over the country are about to impose "anti-mask zones" at demonstrations, which means if you counter-protest against the far-right but need to wear a mask for health reasons or to avoid doxxing by so-called "auditors", your risk of arrest just increased www.itv.com/news/meridia...
itv.com
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RSPB Science @rspbscience.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
“Migratory birds making their epic journeys do not recognise borders & we urgently need more co-ordinated, global action for nature that builds on the vital work of the BirdLife Partnership The need to conserve and restore key habitats at scale across international flyways has never been greater”
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Holly 🇺🇦🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸 @mxhollyclara.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Well this has gained traction. You can make a one-off donation to the RNLI here rnli.org/support-us/g...
rnli.org
Make a One-Off Donation - Donations To The RNLI
Thank you for deciding to make a vital donation. Your kindness gives our courageous lifesavers everything they need to keep others and themselves safe.
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History and Heritage Yorkshire @handhyorkshire.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
🧵The impressive pediment of Todmorden Town Hall tells the story of a town caught between two historic counties. Designed by John Gibson and completed in 1875, the building once stood directly across the boundary between Lancashire and Yorkshire. At the centre of the
The impressive pediment of Todmorden Town Hall tells the story of a town caught between two historic counties. Designed by John Gibson and completed in 1875, the building once stood directly across the boundary between Lancashire and Yorkshire. Image Tim Green CC BY 2.0
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History and Heritage Yorkshire @handhyorkshire.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
🧵Cardinal Thomas Wolsey became Archbishop of York in 1514, but for sixteen years he never visited his northern province, remaining largely occupied with affairs at Henry VIII’s court. It was only after his dramatic fall from power in 1529 that he finally travelled north
The Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of St Peter in York otherwise known as York Minster.  While the first recorded church on this site dates back to 627, the present cathedral took roughly 250 years to construct. Building began in 1220 under Archbishop Walter de Gray and was officially completed and consecrated in 1472. Image: Amkazi CC BY-SA 4.0
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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
New PISA data out England is now top ten in all three areas (reading, maths, science) and the second highest performing country outside of east Asia (after Estonia). This is a huge public policy success.
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mike @vacantlot1.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Morning #swans
A family of ten mute swans, two parents and eight adolescents, swimming in a line on the Leeds-Liverpool canal.
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Katie Martin @katie0martin.ft.com · 02/09/2026
YASSS what's the Norwegian for 'pervert glasses'?
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Bandcamp @bandcamp.com · 01/09/2026
Fans have paid artists $168.7 million on Bandcamp Fridays. On Bandcamp Friday, we waive our revenue share for 24 hours so more money from every purchase goes directly to artists and labels. The next one is September 4. Start building your wishlist now: bit.ly/4x6nzKg
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Gilbert White @gilbertwhite.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
1777: Til now the whole month of Aug: has been dry and pleasant. The evenings begin to feel chilly.
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Film Stories @filmstories.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Thousands of creative jobs are going at some of the world’s most respected games studios – because Microsoft can’t stop burning money on AI. filmstories.co.uk/news/ai-is-k...
filmstories.co.uk
AI is killing creative jobs, just not in the way tech firms advertised
Thousands of creative jobs are going at some of the world’s most respected games studios - because Microsoft can’t stop burning money on AI.
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North East Bylines @northeastbylines.co.uk · 29/08/2026
The tramway, which carries visitors between the town, pier and beach, first opened to the public on 28 June, 1884 | Stuart Arnold
northeastbylines.co.uk
Historic cliff tramway re-opening in Saltburn ahead of August bank holiday weekend
The tramway, which carries visitors between the town, pier and beach, first opened to the public on 28 June, 1884
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Ed Conway @edconway.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
✍️ Want to understand the bonkers nature of the modern economy? Take a ride with me on the 30,000 mile journey the cod in a fish finger takes between being caught off the coast of Scotland and consumed in a British home 🤯 Promise I'm not making this up👇 edconway.substack.com/p/the-30000-...
edconway.substack.com
The 30,000-mile fish finger
There’s a good chance the cod on your child’s plate has been around the world and back. Not that you’d learn any of that from the label...
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Tara Shoe @tarashoe.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
born to eat flowers, forced to quietly harness agentic systems for workflow optimization
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Yorkshire Dales National Park @yorkshiredales.org.uk · 26/08/2026
World-class cycling returns to the Dales on Saturday 5 September as Stage 4 of the Tour of Britain rolls into the region, covering 179km from Helmsley to Leyburn. Timings and road closure info is here 👇 ow.ly/wnrg50ZFf6Q 📍 Peloton arrival in Hebden: 12.54pm to 1.16pm.
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Neil Mackay @neilmackay.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Be warned: this shit is coming to Britain unless we get American Big Tech out of our culture, media and politics. We need an unassailable firewall between us and these mad bastards
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Forming @formingsound.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
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Cab Davidson @gnomeicide.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Tuna used to be plentiful in the north sea. But no, you're not misremembering, there are no traditional recipes on the east coast. We didn't used to eat it. We just killed it. Sad thread on why. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
First bluefin tuna caught and landed in Yorkshire since 1960s
A crew from Whitby lands two of the migratory species weighing over 300kg each in as many days.
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Ryan Moulton @moultano.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
There is actually only one true spreadsheet person. The rest of us are just posers. www.thisiscolossal.com/2017/12/tats...
thisiscolossal.com
Meet Tatsuo Horiuchi, the 77-Year-Old Artist Who 'Paints' Japanese Landscapes With Excel
For over 15 years, Japanese artist Tatsuo Horiuchi has rendered the subtle details of mountains, cherry blossoms, and dense forests with the most unlikely tool: Microsoft Excel. The 77-year-old illust...
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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
For some reason this press release doesn't mention a key piece of info: West Midlands Combined Authority has actually just purchased National Express' operations in WM. Thousands of staff and buses now under public ownership, not franchising. They're still going for the franchise model, though...
gov.uk
Prime Minister supports West Midlands to take public control of local bus network
Government and local leaders join forces to keep vital bus services running for millions of people across the West Midlands.
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Hourly Cosmos @hourlycosmos.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Vredefort Crater - Landsat 8 - From Aster Cowart (terrasabaea.bsky.social) - flic.kr/p/2iZB9fd
Landsat 8 mosaic of South Africa's Vredefort Crater, the largest and third oldest confirmed impact structure on the Earth's surface. This image is a four frame cloud-free mosaic of Landsat images collected in June/July 2019.

This crater, which initially measured 300 km (190 mi) across, has been heavily eroded in the 2 billion years since its formation. The crater is a type known as a peak-ring crater. These form only during the largest impacts, when the material deep under the impact rebounds upwards, then outwards to form a circular ring of mountains around the crater's center. The rocks at the center have been uplifted by as much as 25 km relative to their original position deep beneath the Earth.

Our modern view of the crater exposes the general structure of the crater at a level roughly 2-3 km below the original crater. The crater also sits on a slight regional tilt, meaning much of the crater's southern half lies under younger sediments. Vredefort's peak ring has survived largely intact, as it is composed of extremely hard quartzite rocks. In the peak ring, these rocks dip steeply into the surface. However, traveling north away from the crater's center, these rocks flatten out and begin to slope gently back towards the surface, following the bowl shape of the original crater. These rocks outcrop again at the surface around the top 1/4 of the image.

Image Credit: USGS / Justin Cowart
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If you didn't vote Dem, you helped make this: @airbagmoments.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Wealth taxes don't work, according to billionaire-owned media.
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Peter Jukes @peterjukes.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
I’ve had some media attacks in the past, and thank goodness I’ve managed to contain suicidal thoughts since my late 30s. But this - including Novara, Guardian and Channel 4 News by the end — would have probably finished me off
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Bennett Tomlin @bft.wtf · 13/08/2026
In the United States the streets are actually strewn with gold; all you have to do is stoop and pick it up. I did not even have to stoop down to pick up the gold. In 1920 it was actually tossed into my lap; not by the pennyweight and with a teaspoon, but in large lumps and with a steam shovel.
"Go and make a fortune and then come back,"—had urged my elders—just like that and just as if amassing a fortune in America was something which could not be helped. "You can't miss it,"—they had insisted to overcome my hesitancy. "In the United States the streets are actually strewn with gold; all you have to do is stoop and pick it up." The events of later years showed that there was more truth than poetry in my elder's forecast. In fact, it has been my experience that I did not even have to stoop down to pick up the gold. In 1920 it was actually tossed into my lap; not by the pennyweight and with a teaspoon, but in large lumps and with a steam shovel.

Charles Ponzi. The Rise of Mr Ponzi (p. 9). (Function). Kindle Edition.
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Henning @geohenning.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
A new video emerged which seems to show a surface rupture in Yatsushiro, Japan following the M6.8 earthquake in July! Exact location of the video would be 32°30'04.0"N 130°38'29.9"E. Absolutely wild. Only the second ever video of a surface rupture forming after the 2025 Myanmar video! ⚒️🧪 #geology
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