For what is apparently the 10,001st post on Skepchick (and my own 3,000th), it's a HAPPY STORY of how scientists have shown that Dolly Parton is substantially improving literacy rates around the world through her Imagination Library 🧪 skepchick.org/2026/02/stud...

Hypothesis History is written by the victors Conclusion War Aims In The Second World War by Victor Rothwell A Short History Of France by Victor Duray Budapest: Between East And West by Victor Sebastyen Handbook On Historical Books by Victor P. Hamilton and, of course, Victor Hugo (& his mate Les)

“Protect your lifelong health by protecting yourself from COVID-19, no matter your age or health history.” Hear that? Everyone is vulnerable—not just immunocompromised etc. people. It was knowing disinformation to tell people that only the chronically ill are vulnerable to COVID.

So it turns out Matt Goodwin's Reform campaign manager was a holocaust-denying Nazi who said he would "never touch a Jewish woman.” When do we start seeing all the coverage of the antisemitism crisis in Reform UK? www.jewishnews.co.uk/reform-uk-su...

@aiannucci.bsky.social good ep today, merci. I heard the half hour version, it was followed by an ad for the Political Thinking podcast which featured "..tired of.. those pre-rehearsed sound bites" Surely pre-rehearsal is just thinking. Rehearsal is the thing before saying the thing..

How dare Farage say ‘we need an attitudinal change to work’ that’s so insulting to hard working folks struggling to make ends meet!

The research shows otherwise. People are more productive away from the constant distractions of a workplace.

These numbers speak for themselves. Over a three-year span, a surgical device (without AI) was reported to the FDA seven times for malfunctioning and once for causing injury (unconfirmed). Since AI was added in 2021 there have been at least 100 reports of malfunctions and adverse patient events.

@profaliceroberts.bsky.social Starting my binge of DFB S13.. first ep, the skate park, and the choice made in early 80s not to record when filled in. It's going to be worse for a similar exercise in another 50yrs. Digitisation along with inherent media failure, lost backups, format obselesence.. 1/3

@aiannucci.bsky.social vaguely surprised you didn't manage to work in an IKEA Starmer gag today..

Very very interesting thesis indeed. thedreydossier.substack.com/p/trump-isnt...

I don't think folk give sufficient attention to the absolute customs nightmare Santa faces each year, making sure his carnets are accurate for the items he is bringing in to each jurisdiction, intending to give away. /1

1. Like everyone else in the biodefense community, I've been watching H5N1 like a hawk since long before SARS-CoV-2 emerged. H5N1 could easily undergo reassortment with another influenza strain to create a reassortant virus with a significant CFR and efficient human transmission.

An important post

We find ourselves again at a #BandcampFriday! Might I recommend.. johnhackett.bandcamp.com The recent #JohnHackettBand album Red Institution is now available as a digital download, as is John's first solo rock album, 2005's Checking Out Of London. 1/4

If Happy Days were made today, it would be nostalgic for 2005

I find myself in need of bits of work, if anyone knows of or hears of things. Full time permanent positions, alas, are not for me, more contract/project/etc are the things that work better with all the streams of things I do The last year has seen me doing.. /more..

This Saturday (25th Oct) I'll be opening for the fabulous @boohewerdine.bsky.social at @thelanternsheff.bsky.social <3 Tix - www.ticketsource.co.uk/thelanternsh... :-)

On Sat 8th Nov I'll be playing with @cathwarr.bsky.social & Mark Beltane at @knutsfordtheatre.bsky.social Tix - wegottickets.com/event/669239/ If you're within reach, do come!

Those near #Brighton #Hove, #JohnHackettBand are playing The Brunswick tonight (Sat 18th)! I would note that new Rush drummer #AnikaNilles was on our guitarist #NickFletcher's last couple of albums Steve Hackett calls Nick "the best jazz-rock guitarist in the country" Do come! #prog #livemusic

We had a silly conversation last band practice.. www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/1748... There are Gnome Gnomes, Gnomes UnGnomes, and UnGnome UnGnomes..

Our governments should be focusing on better vaccine solutions, reusable plastic free masks which are already in existence and clean air. They are doing none of this because facial surveillance seems to be the priority.

Sat 4th Oct sees Angel Snow return to #Sheffield, this time to @thelanternsheff.bsky.social Expect an evening of bluesy #Americana infused immersive songs <3 The evening will be opened with a set from Sheffield artist Teah Lewis tix - ticketsource.co.uk/thelanternsh... #livemusic 1/2

Canada is on the verge of adopting a national standard requiring N95s in healthcare—and your voice can help make it happen.

Having just watched a report on the increasing number of people turning to AI agents for relationship advice, we can't be far away (if not already there) from a significant slice of voters asking ChatGPT/Grok/Siri/Whatever to tell them for whom they should vote. Take a moment to think about that.

..her mocking smile says it all.. #SuzanneVega

It’s obvious what Trump’s doing, the huge short, disaster capitalism on a big scale. Why? Also obvious, huge profits for him and his billionaire associates. How do I know? It’s happened here twice. Meanwhile, CEOs build compounds because civil war is guaranteed. youtu.be/BTSnojxvnEM

Gen Z and Millennials: In ten years when we’re still without a cure and you’re caring for your parents, remember what he did.

Do you know of the history of riots in the USA? What's hampering them and why they are not happening now? The more I try to understand the what and the why, the more confused I am. They are attacking civil rights from all sides, yet people only think of peaceful demonstrations.

A pleasing review of the new John Hackett Band out next Friday :-)

Heather Findlay will be at @thelanternsheff.bsky.social #Sheffield on Fri 28th Mar for the launch of her new album, "Wildflower" @robyngair.bsky.social will open the evening An intimate show in the gorgeous setting of Sheffield's oldest working theatre! See www.ticketsource.co.uk/thelanternsh...

Del Scott Miller will be at Sheffield's Lantern Theatre on Fri 4th April 2025 launching his new EP, "How The Night Gets In" Songs of love, loss & the underdog, filtered through the gentle cynicism of his native Yorkshire The night will be opened by Lofter see www.ticketsource.co.uk/.../del-scot...

Please will the opposition point out to Labour that there are over 3.1 million people suffering #Longcovid due to lack of airborne mitigations and UKHSA not following the WHO guidance. I feel this is morally wrong, failing to prevent and failing to even mention it. This has greatly increased the 🧵

I'm tech'ing a conference today, and very impressed that the refreshments table has milk jugs for both left- and right-handed folk Literally catering for everyone

First John Hackett Band gig of the year.. I've added keys to the right, and a new chapeau for when we play bits of @stevehacketthq.bsky.social's Voyage Of The Acolyte - or when I need to impersonate a dome of St Basil's

One of the lessons that I learned from Covid is that a lot of people really struggle with the fact that their reality has been upended. They long for what WAS and struggle with what IS and we're experiencing that right now with Trump. Every moment litigating what could have been is denying what IS

Very pleased this is on its way now :-) It was a fairly long road to get it finished, but lovely that it's being released with a gig on home turf! We're playing around the UK through the year, so if you fancy an evening of the ol' progressive music, we'll probably be somewhere close..

According to a former editor of JAMA, we need more studies on whether or not vaccines cause autism. What mistakes does he make? 🧵

Nick Battle nearly got fired for his edit of R.E.M.’s ‘It’s The End Of The World As We Know It’ He's had his songs recorded by Cliff, Michael Ball, & Engelbert Humperdinck He's promoted Take That, Clannad, & Paul Hardcastle, tho' not on the same bill! 1/2

After playing a fictional member of the Resistance a long time ago, I never could have imagined it ever happening in real life, but here we are.

You first.

Incredible. After years of accusations about “pharma shills” from antivaxxers, MAHA types, etc., someone actually took a massive cash bribe from Pfizer, and it was Donald Trump, not your community pediatrician.

This looks like good news..

I mentioned to someone that I did Kipling's poetry for A level "Was it hard?" 'It was Rudyard..'

‘Cybertruck Man’ a cartoon in defiance of Musk #political #cartoonist #cybertruck #elon #musk #democracy #tiananmen