If you ever run into a Greek myth that feels misogynistic even by Ancient Greek standards - esp. slandering Athena - it's probably the version written by Ovid, who was the Andrew Tate of the burgeoning Roman Empire. That includes the origins of Medusa (she was just born a monster in prior versions)

Streisand Effect! I choose you!

Man, who would have thought it's easier to knock back an entire flat cleaning first thing on a weekend than to stagger it over multiple evenings during the working wee- *furtive whisperings* I have been informed by my people that this is in fact Common Sense. This will be duly noted. As you were.

Life is walking back from a D&D sesh slightly sideways to stop and have a chat with a random hawaiian shirted beardy chap called Kev for a time about the technological impact of electronic music from the 70s, with specific reference to the work of Hawkwind

Auditions done. Feel good about them, think I've got a solid chance this time around. Trying not to get hopes up, but...

Audition for next musical theatre production tomorrow. Feeling strangely calm about it. Quite excited, in fact. Waiting for the other shoe to drop and for me to suddenly decide no one needs to hear my outrageous attempt at a Yorkshire accent.

WAR DON'T SEX CRIMES HIDE CRIMES

Today's hangover is brought to you by poor life choices, albiet ones that were tremendous fun at the time. Mneeeeeurgh.

Last week has demonstrated that I can have someone in my own space for more than a day and it can, in fact, go ok. This is something I once thought myself incapable of, due to my assorted anxieties and idiosyncracies. I am very happy to have made progress in bettering myself in this way.

I wish every creative in this world the same freedom and joy that Brian May had when he got Eddie Van Halen and his mates in a studio for a couple of days to jam out on the Star Fleet sessions for pure shits and giggles

I need to get off this idea that my interests and me expressing enthusiasm for my interests only arouses contempt in the people around me. Its a notion that preventing me from opening up to people in my life who genuinely dig me and what I am about.

Whew, my life has gotten busy recently. Feel like I've barely stopped to catch my breath. Definitely not complaining though. Things are getting done good and proper and I'm rather pleased about it all. Just need to persist.

🚨 It looks like the UK government is gearing up to upend copyright law in favour of AI companies, legalising the theft of their work. This is despite creatives' huge protests, and despite previous proposals being roundly rejected by the public. Please spread the word. 🧵 1/4

I am getting my Oooh Mr Darcy on

On a coach with theatre peeps and the under-17 cohort to London to see Hercules the Musical. They are on the 25th verse of "Wheels on the Bus". It's heartening to know the classics are persisting, but my brain is not long for this plane of existence

Turns out bots are loud on social media but can't actually vote. Fantastic news to wake up to. More of this, please. Well done @greenparty.org.uk.

Saw a kinky take on Bronte and broke my gig fast in spectular fashion with Avatar. Also made banana pancakes and had many glasses of Riesling. Best. Valentines Day weekend. Ever.

Thinking about this wisdom and taking it to heart on this particular day. (via Manigarm on The Other Place)

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

Anyone who uses "woke" as a pejorative is unworthy of consideration in both thought and action.

Really quite enjoying the last few long weekends of London cultural junkets. Feel like I've had some proper adventures and experiences. Been rather wonderful, really.

> puts Agatha Christie's Poirot on Netflix > yes, all thirteen seasons of David Suchet godliness sans ad bullshit, I am happy Andy > SUPERLATIVE intro plays > Skip Intro buttons DARES to show its damned and godless presence > out, damned spot > out, I say

STOP MURDERING YOUR OWN CITIZENS IN BROAD FUCKING DAYLIGHT, AMERICA.

TIL The Muppets are canon to Meet the Feebles. I... need to unpack the full implications of this.

TikTok is now under US ownership and their new ToS reads like a guide to giving fascists everything they need to put you on a list. They’re collecting information about immigration status, citizenship, sexual orientation, whether you’re trans or non binary and physical or mental disabilities.

Holy Freakin Hungus, I never expected The Dark Eye to get a commercial re-release in my lifetime. I am WELL down for this.

Just had an old friend from my college and uni days touch base after years of following me on the socials with a view on instructing me in the matter of LPAs. Being the one-stop law shop for my friendship group past and present is a great feeling, one I will never tire of.

Lovely day of celebrating my Mum's 75th via a surprise appearence. Was lots of fun in particular to catch up with my cousins after many years, especially when we get to swap tales from our respective eras of Internet brainrot.

Found me a new Friday after-work pinball lair filled with vintage classics, one in particular that rewards persistance and punishes the insolent.

Where are these organised gangs of wine moms They seem rad as fuck and I wanna hang out and seditiously romp with them

Proper lovely weekend of high culture and happytimes. I may be giving Big Projects a rest for the first half of the year, but I think I'm going to have a lot going on in the meantime.

Make this go viral. Labour MP Louise Haigh.

Literally the only non-satirical use of phrenology I will countenance is the use of the Story Select function in The Dark Eye, the mid-90s Myst-like based on the works of Edgar Allen Poe

I've had Tom Cardy on repeat in my head all day and GYYYYAAAAGH

You will not regret watching all of this. Not for one second.

Yeah, this is the year I'm removing myself from Twitter for good - not just locking my accounts and ceasing posting, but scrubbing my presence and deleting my accounts entirely. Musk can have his AI nude-deepfakes playground, I want nothing more to do with it.

Heading back to Salisbury after day of post-party chill. Appreciate not having to be back in the office on the 2nd for a change, actually gives me time for a bit more of an administrative reassembly.

Rung in the New Year in dancy trancy fashion. Feeling nice and reset.

This is literally shit Douglas Adams and Red Dwarf both predicted and mocked without mercy.

Restive Christmas break on the IoW accomplished, as was a jaunt up to London to poke around some lovely old ruins and share an excellent meal on the banks of the Thames. Time for a day of gentle domestic accomplishment whilst remaining nicely ensconced in the Cheese Void.

Today I learned that Timmy Mallett has gotten involved in my Dad's Men's Sheds charity. Good on him, and good on my Dad. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without me reciting the Captain Samuel Vimes "Boots" Theory of Socio-Economic Unfairness to my attentive Dad.

Sailor Jerrys and the Magnificent Seven. Its beginning to look a lot like the festive season.

Ditch the Birdsite.

Klaus is a genderswapped Hallmark movie, in this essay I will

Right, work is DONE baby. Off to the IoW to spend xmas with the parents, something that has proved an exceptional restorative in recent years. And boy howdy after everything I crammed into this year do I need some proper downtime.

So in the UK, they'll arrest you for supporting Palestine, and now we find they'll also arrest you for supporting those who support Palestine. If you hold a Free Greta sign, will they arrest you for supporting someone who supports those who support Palestine? British Matryoshka doll-ass fascism.

I have a list of xmas celebratory endeavours. #1 is rock out to the spirit of 80s rock and pop punk in the manner of a dirty rampant stopout. That has been crossed off with gusto and style.

At a mate's gig, casually participating in lewd urinal banter with total strangers in the gents like it was the most natural thing I've been chasing this level of easy social banter for the best part of thirty-eight years. Totally worth it.