this Labour Government has largely presided over the sharpest uptick in racial, religious, and LGBT+ violence in my lifetime and it's hard to really stress just how much Labour actively chose this

I don't think it's a good idea to legally privilege someone else's discomfort over another person's rights.

And sadly, there will be no #CrypticSunday Replacement Stream Service because my body's been on the blink again and I'm afraid I don't think I'm up to it. If you're in need of some bank holiday fun, though, plenty of puzzles have gone up on MyCrossword this week, and you should go solve some!

Oh, we'll absolutely be doing this celebratory puzzle on the #CrypticSunday Replacement Stream Service at noon, along with some of yesterday's bumper crop of crosswords - @davidjsiron.bsky.social, @duncanjwitham.bsky.social and (time-allowing) @rkempley.bsky.social. www.twitch.tv/pantherapuzz...

Well wishes your way, of course, and if folks have nothing better to do with their own long weekends, they can pop round mine at noon for a #CrypticSunday Replacement Stream Service feat. @andrewt.net, Ozpiper, Baz and maybe a puzzle from yesterday if I have the time: www.twitch.tv/pantherapuzz...

Technically I'm indisposed, but I'm also stubborn and (already) bored, so there will be a #CrypticSunday Replacement Stream Service come noon. I might just stick to the two puzzles by @evilflea.bsky.social & @duncanjwitham.bsky.social, though; we'll see how we go. www.twitch.tv/pantherapuzz...

The bad news is that I had to spend the day in various hospital waiting rooms; the good news is that I've caught up with so, *so* many of the crosswords that I've been meaning to do, plus I helped a fellow patient complete the Times Quick Cryptic, much to his delight. So, you know, silver linings.

With the stage-sharing part of @humanitygame.bsky.social shutting down at the end of the month (boo!), I've been playing it again to tidy up my wips: partly to achieve my old goal of having a stage for every background and partly so I can finally answer a long-forgotten question about my stage names

I’m sorry, I know it’s a minor point, but crack dens are traditionally indoor establishments. What the scaremongering Labour minister is describing here is a crack paddock.

Probably should have given a few minutes warning, but I've just started! www.twitch.tv/pantherapuzz...

I threatened this on Sunday, but here's some (belated) confirmation - I'm going to stream my solve of this live on Twitch tomorrow, starting ~2pm. I'll also be saving the vod to upload later, like I've done with my previous Inquisitor solves, so folks can watch my unedited floundering at any time...

Inspired by @cranberryfez.bsky.social's recommending of Fossil's debut, the #CrypticSunday Replacement Stream Service will feature puzzles by folks who are new to me, including @bendrobinson.bsky.social & @fimjishwick.bsky.social (maybe Kempley too?). See you at noon! www.twitch.tv/pantherapuzz...

When it arrived this morning, Lionel very happily posed with @unchcrosswords.com issue 2... and then he realised it had Catnip in it, so he's had his nose stuck in it ever since. *ba-dum-tish*

This is also why people react so badly to self-described centrists making pronouns in bio jokes, you're providing rhetorical space for this radicalisation.

I appreciate a lot of us will think "they've always been like this" but the utter moral decay on the right in the last few years has been notable. A shift from love the sinner, hate the sin fig leaf to "yeah, kill she/her, haha, pronouns in bio."

There will be a #CrypticSunday Replacement Stream Service, otherwise I wouldn't know what to do with myself come noon, but I am nowhere near organised enough to tell you what I'll be tackling then. Anything from the past week of MyCrossword puzzles is fair game! twitch.tv/pantherapuzzles

Delighted to discover that there actually is at least one family of pangrammatic mini grid fills that uses SKIBIDI, and that it honestly comes off comparatively well against its kin from the dregs of Chambers...

me, a week ago: look, i love the process of making thematically-dense grids, but it's tricky, time-consuming and sometimes sisyphean. this time i think i'll do a perimeter nina with a handful of optional bonus entries instead me, now: aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Rannygazoo, let's have a tune! Specifically, one you could bookend thus: Colin? He runs a lab, right? (6) All the bad stuff you've been caught doing online! (6) When I count three, you can solve on MyCrossword, but be warned - afterwards, you may need a lie-down! mycrossword.co.uk/cryptic/2895

BBC News: "the government believe refugees are deliberately bringing their children to avoid deportation" As opposed to doing what with their children??

The way Labour are talking about migrants validates far right narratives of dehumanisation *at a time of far right riots and racist violence*. The leadership group responsible needs to be removed right now as a matter of public safety. This is simply a factual description of the situation before us.

If you're planning on dabbling in the occult this Halloween, you might get something out of my latest exercise in Mini grid filling. Granted, that "something" might be "a dreadful pun", but still... Checks sides of sofa, presumably wanting money (7) mycrossword.co.uk/mini/162

You thought you could escape York through the #CrypticSunday Replacement Stream Service? Think again - come 12pm, I'll be tackling the Platypus @henriwords.com curated for the event! Plus: puzzles from @evilflea.bsky.social & @cranberryfez.bsky.social, then maybe a fourth? twitch.tv/pantherapuzzles

I'm pleased to report that Lionel has got his paws on the wonderful @unchcrosswords.com - we had the pleasure of testing the very clever barred puzzle "Unch #1" by @cranberryfez.bsky.social that appears in the middle of the magazine, and now he gets to show it off to little Louie!

This gives the impression that he was helping. He was not.

Dehumanisation as policy. It ignores people's actual lives and experiences in favour of some sick idea that migrants are just resources to be used and discarded at will. It is incredible how Labour has become, in practice, the most anti-immigration government in decades. news.sky.com/story/shaban...

Paws crossed we can pull off a nice, smooth raid like proper Twitch streamers do... I'll definitely be tackling @davidjsiron.bsky.social's latest, and then depending on what time's left I think either a handful of minis or the Gennaro from earlier in the week? We'll see how things go!

So now that it’s confirmed that none of the messages on the bullets were pro-trans, maybe we should have a national conversation about how multiple newspapers repeated a lie about us on their front pages hours after doubts had already been cast over it?

It's not quite right to say that my first mini took me three months to set, but it's not wrong either. Paging @cranberryfez.bsky.social & @charliemethven.bsky.social, who I know both tried to do this, and for everyone else: Demonstrate way of filling empty spliff (4,3) mycrossword.co.uk/mini/122

It's really fucked up the news media at large is searching so hard for humanity in machines, while systematically denying humanity to Palestinians, trans people, immigrants, and other persecuted people

This #CrypticSunday Replacement Stream Service looks to be a proper menagerie, with puzzles from @heroncrosswords.bsky.social, 🦡 Meles & @catnipxword.bsky.social on the table. Dunno if all these critters are good for the furniture, but let's find out together at noon: twitch.tv/pantherapuzzles

Forest Shuffle is a fun game with lots of cute animals and an intricate ruleset that lets you do things to make everyone else at the table groan simultaneously. Highly recommended.

I've uploaded the raw vod of me solving @cranberryfez.bsky.social's recent Inquisitor, Circle Line/Central Line, with the assistance of the #CrypticSunday peanut gallery, so if you're curious about advanced cryptic shenanigans and have ~105 mins to spare, enjoy! www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r1i...

I am not sure I am digging the internet of 2025

People always joke about the Prime Minister being a human rights lawyer, but what we all forget is that sometimes you're an expert in human rights in order to argue *against* them.

Let's live a little dangerously for this #CrypticSunday Replacement Stream Service and tackle @cranberryfez.bsky.social's Inquisitor "Circle Line/Central Line" together! I'll likely start a shade before noon so I can ensure it's all set up properly, so see you then... www.twitch.tv/pantherapuzz...

Okay, I know pretty much everyone else here has given up on Word Grid by this point, but it's only now that I have finally achieved what I've been wanting to...

Me: nah, I don't think I have room for another word game in my life Also me: whaddya mean two of my unicorns have been stolen since this morning. this will not stand. everything else is now on hold while i work through every single word that starts with r

So the government’s reviewer pf terrorism legislation thinks that foreign intelligence is behind people fighting against racism, misogyny and transphobia and this is the real issue. It’s giving conspiracy theory and fascism.

There are *so* many fine crosswords available that I really can't squeeze them all into a #CrypticSunday Replacement Stream Service. Still, come noon I'll be going for MyCrossword puzzles by @tpgrammar.bsky.social, @adamleepotter.bsky.social & @longyfan.bsky.social: www.twitch.tv/pantherapuzz...

@wyrd.systems Dug out the picture, dated November 17th 2019!

It might be a little late, but my new puzzle's chock full of the fabulous @americandialect.org's Words of the Year 2024, including: Term for hedonist, with origins in (briefly) relevant album (4) Though unprepared, attempt decent (albeit half-hearted) fight back (6) mycrossword.co.uk/cryptic/2372

Some of those new crosswords just so happen to be destinations on the #CrypticSunday Replacement Stream Service - specifically, the MyCrossword puzzles by Ouroboros, @henriwords.com & @coot.bsky.social. We'll set off on our cruciverbal excursion around noon, from: www.twitch.tv/pantherapuzzles

Look, I know jumbos are a significant time investment, and this one will have you consulting Chambers, Google and Wiktionary in equal measure, but it's gooooood, damn it, and you should try it. (also I forgot about 51a when I was writing my review despite it being arguably my favourite? oops)

It won't be long until the #CrypticSunday Replacement Stream Service departs - we'll be stopping by @guineverecryptic.bsky.social's Indy debut from yesterday, plus MyCrossword puzzles by Ouroboros, Henri, and maybe even Cheeseman if I have the time. See you at noon: twitch.tv/pantherapuzzles

We've just tested the technology and it seems to be cooperating, so paws crossed it'll all go smoothly! Won't be long before we tackle the latest MyCrossword puzzles by @postmarkcryptic.bsky.social and Henri...

Any port in a storm? Well, the #CrypticSunday Replacement Stream Service is relatively weatherproof, and it can offer puzzles by Ozpiper, Henri & Ouroboros (yes I know the Henri has ~*shenanigans*~ that's part of the appeal). See you at noon round my place: www.twitch.tv/pantherapuzz...

Show us the last four albums you listened to. #last4albums

While I can't offer birthday cake, I can provide a #CrypticSunday Replacement Stream Service, which looks like it'll feature puzzles by Henri, Longyfan & @cranberryfez.bsky.social in his Blancheflower hat. Just pop on over to my place at noon to join the (probable) fun: www.twitch.tv/pantherapuzz...