I have been not-a-student for one full month. [*nervous twitch begins*]

I’m convinced ghost story writer Oliver Onions remains under-appreciated due to his chosen pen name. His real, full name was George Oliver Onions. As if 'George’ was the awkward bit.

I guess we can thank Bangor’s Debating & Political Society for prompting Reform to reveal that they intend to govern in the same Trumpian, thin-skinned way that would cause them to tank the economy of a small city because some students were mean to them.

(1) Curious how 2-3 hrs/day commute helps work-life balance. (2) I can’t think of a more productive state than being as far as possible from meetings or co-workers asking how [project competing for attention with the one I’m working on] is going. (3) That said, this cat is REALLY bothering me today!

Suddenly flash of Orlando (1992): Archduke Harry: I am England. And you are mine. Orlando: I see. On what grounds? Archduke Harry: That I adore you.

In my case, it was over 10 years ago. My daughter seemed shocked my chin wasn't the same shape as my beard.

This and the hung-over meeting. Epic episode.

I did that once. Just once.

Yes this. The harms of social media are real! So are the harms of blanket bans.

Sir Ian McKellen performing a monologue from Shakespeare’s Sir Thomas More on the Stephen Colbert show. Never have I heard this monologue performed with such a keen sense of prescience. Nor have I ever been in this exact historical moment.TY Sir Ian, for reaching us once again. #Pinks #ProudBlue

Last week: hyperfocus, oodles of extra hours, so productive. Now struggling. This inconsistency is exhausting.

Plymouth based? Like #ttrpg s? Come join Roleplay@, Feb 21st at the Rees Centre for a free gaming evening! bookwhen.com/charactercre...

Chortling at ‘Set against the frozen, conspiratorial world of 1750s Paris...’. Thanks, PatGPT.

The government gutting free health care, education, arts and heritage: sorry lads, we need this money to preserve British values.

I know some people had snow instead, but I swear it’s been raining for about a month now in Dorset. I love winter weather (it keeps the humans indoors, not mutilating nature), but c'mon, weather, getting a bit same-y.

Timeless wisdom from an 800-year-old AI. #StarTrek #ParamountPlus #StarfleetAcademy

Well, look at that inverted text. Love it! (Show off!)

A reminder to the news media: “conflicting accounts” is what you say BEFORE the incontrovertible video evidence appears. After that, your job is to ask why one side is lying, not to repeat the lie and pretend no one knows the truth.

Get your ideas down, distraction-free. What is the Zerowriter? (Not sponsored.)

@waistcoatrich.bsky.social youtu.be/fmmwxnPqFh0

Try this link: modiphius.net/en-us/blogs/...

Message from school that the parents of Year 13 (Upper 6th in old money) will now receive an email at the end of the day if our full-grown adult offspring miss a class or similar, so that we can encourage them. They must then rectify the situation (presumably via TARDIS) by the following lunchtime.

Córy Doctorow with another verbal bullseye: pluralistic.net/2026/01/13/n...

Wow, sure would be pretty crazy if a ton of experts in the artificial intelligence field relentlessly warned everyone about this state of affairs being inevitable over and over for years.

I assume they’re all narrated by Brian Blessed.

On my to-read list for this year: Ulysses. (Yes, I know the rest of you have read it.) I last tried in 1984, but a rugby teacher stopped me (vicarious bibliophobia, I assume).

At a time when multiple federal departments run by Donald Trump have posted Nazi slogans or imagery or songs in the last week—with the total number of incidents being impossible to count just on one hand—Trump is now demanding lists of Jews from U.S. institutions. Time to wake the fuck up, all.

Neo-Victorian reads? I haven’t even got through all the Victorian ones, yet!

Anyone from Dubai with sufficient cash can have whatever he wants for his horses, damn the consequences, and he can house his staff as illegally as he pleases, but one acre for our dwindling wildlife is unthinkable.

Why is Hugh always floating around at the back of photos? Strange lad. Anyway, if 'likely' = better than evens, yes, interested!

Funnily enough, ‘eccentric’. It turned up in an ‘O’-level text (yes, I'm that old), and someone thought they’d lob it across the classroom at me in some pejorative manner. Aw, bless.

I see *Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade* is on, a film made in a simpler age when Nazis were generally understood to be the bad guys.

Very early memory seeing these (so early, I'm not sure it wasn't a past life).

My novel ‘The Ice Maiden’ is now available as a paperback on Amazon. 🌈🌈💗🥰 When Claire is sent to Novosibirsk to catalogue artefacts she believes that the Ice Maiden, A Bronze Age Princess whose remains were found in the Altai mountains, has compelled her to undertake an impossible task.

Definitely on the Mount Rushmore of TTRPGs.

I remember 1st edition way (waaaaaaay) back. One of us was playing a mattress. (It may have been me.)

It’s a big one! The 200th episode of #ContinuingConversations with my cohost Michael Dismuke and our special guest, John Freeman! #LLAP youtu.be/ukdG3Af4D8w?...

It should be on the editors that if they send a manuscript our for review, they have done a basic quality check that the refs exist. If not, editorial rejection, full stop.

The big question is this: Can you (will you) sue the AI company/companies which are responsible for these fabrications, which undoubtedly damage your reputation as a scholar in your field? Real accountability, I think it’s over due!

And what happens if the quotations from the fake paper you never wrote are damaging to your research or reputation? This is horrifying... #AcademicSky

I'm suspicious of those who don't aim to haunt a bookshop or a library. If the afterlife isn't the point you tackle the eternal 'to be read' pile I'm not sure we can ever call ourselves friends. If I am not allowed to read as a ghost there will be much trouble. – #DAKilroy #Books

I assume 'desperately seeking storytellers' doesn’t stretch to contacting people with storytelling degrees.

Plan: School asks for draft personal statements by Dec 15 to give feedback. School to forward UCAS form early Jan; portfolio request deadlines in Feb. However: School simply forwarded daughter’s UCAS form. Result: Colleges now requesting portfolios in Jan. Xmas now cancelled. Thank you, school.

Attended an open day 7 weeks ago. Daughter tried to apply via UCAS, but apparently they’ve cancelled the course. 7.5-hour round trip. Who thinks I should invoice them for the petrol? Who thinks I should name them?

Just spilled Dr Pepper all over my keyboard. Incredibly, this is a first. No 'Electric Dreams’-style sentience yet, but it’s worth some bump in productivity, surely?

Such a privilege and joy to see my research on the weaponization of the PhD being used by the ABC to understand the treatment of women in our doctoral programmes. It was tough - dark - research. I am so thankful it has been useful... #skyphd - www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...

It hasn’t happened for a couple of decades, but if I ever attend another interview where they’re clearly going through the motions, I swear I’ll invoice them a consultancy fee plus travel expenses. Not even kidding.

Are you interested in my work... well, here you go! Come explore Gothic theologies with me :)