Sigh. Thanks Google

1/ Next read for me is “Gambling Man”. It’s rather timely actually. Yesterday US announced the “AI Manhattan Project” as it’s billed - Project Stargate which promises to invest up to $500 billion into AI power core in the US. The man who was made the CEO of the project is the subject of this book.

1/ My second read this year (one I am thoroughly enjoying so far) is “Impossible Man” by Patchen Barss. It’s a biography of Roger Penrose, one of UK’s (and the World’s of course) greatest scientists of the last century.

Forgot to crosspost to here too. #1 New Year, New Books. Starting as we mean to go on. “Allies at War” by Tim Bouverie focuses on the interpersonal and intergovernmental relationships between the leaders of the nations that were playing the key roles in World War II.

Okay people. I am making a list. What are the books you are looking forward to the most in 2025? Thanks

Merry Christmas gang. Eat well, be merry and treat every being with respect and love. 🌲🧀🍷

Feliz Navidad ya filthy animals. Have the bestest of time, share food and love with your favourite people. 🌲

Read #52 for me this year was “Supremacy” by @parmy.bsky.social about the battle for AI supremacy between Sam Altman, Demis Hassabis and a few other key characters. I read a lot on AI this year and I must say - this was one of the best and the FT BOTY award was deserved.

Opened this app for the first time in weeks to find 200 new followers… thank you, whoever put me on a starter pack I assume ❤️ Welcome, I post mostly about books, history, occasionally Manchester United (rip), Ukraine, Eastern European politics and London.

Read #51 for me this year is “An Ordinary Youth” by W. Kempowski. It’s an account of growing up in Rostock during the 1930s, watching the rise of Nazism all around. It’s imbued with carefree simplicity of youth and a discomfiting exploration of life, politics and war puncturing carefree youth.

Not a word of a lie, I am getting roasted for the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree by my Eastern European fam and friends. We take that shit way more seriously.

“Everything was forever until it was no more” Syria is just a reminder to the west that dictatorships fall

Well lads. The time is nigh. The bots are now here.

Someone sitting at a desk "thought the rocket belonged in the room with the children" Oksana Maksymchuk

The search function on twitter has been rendered absolutely bloody unusable. It used to be one of the best parts of that social media site - a good directory is a huge part that contributes to discovery and intermingling. They’re now removing timestamps too. A masterclass in making product worse.

Next up for me is “Russia Starts Here” by Howard Amos which attempts to answer some questions about Russia, it’s character and it’s people by speaking and investigating simple, common lives in the poor Pskov region that borders Estonia and Latvia.

Reposting as now rather topical

Saying "I'm just going to have a really quick shower" and then proceeding to stand under the water for 35 minutes like a homicide detective trying to wash the filth of the city off of their soul.

Russian chaos agents are simultaneously running in Syria, Ukraine and Georgia. Let them run. Now is the time to push on. They’re stretched and can’t allocate resources everywhere. 🇺🇦 🇬🇪 ✊🏼

Made some chips with my lunch. The gf be like:

Entered a fancy cheese shop. They sell brains here too apparently. Result, I was missing mine!

Speaking of stunning covers: “Islamesque” by Diana Darke. From @hurstpublishers.bsky.social

I think people seriously underestimate the reaction of the public in the western countries to this.

Howard Zinn’s History of the United States is one of the best general histories of a state I have ever read.

I am ready to get hurt again #ManUtd

My Wordle today is 🖕🏼 Wordle 1,254 4/6 ⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜ ⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜ 🟩⬜🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Is there a word for the one who loves nothing better than reading on the sofa whilst the weather is frightful outside, with the fake youtube fireplace on and tea in the other hand? Cheers 👋

I’m sorry I will be calling bookself police on this picture… What the actual??

Playing the favourite childhood game is a special feeling. The best kind of nostalgia.

Charity Shop treasure #Cartoon #History

DO NOT show this to my gf

The problem with appeasement is you eventually run out of other people’s countries.

Excuse me @politico.eu I would very much like to report a problem with your cover. Baltic states and Finland are not in Putin’s shadow now, and will never be in the future. 🇱🇹 🇱🇻 🇪🇪 🇫🇮

@adammolina.com good to have you rep BlueSky for the second pod in a row. Get the rest of the guys in, it’s nice here but we need more chill tech content 👨🏼‍💻

Anyone else shocked to open a reply section of a post and the replies are relevant to the post and not just AI bots? That’s ptsd.

Buy all banned books as presents

Things are going well

On this day in 1963, we lost C. S. Lewis, Aldous Huxley and JFK in the space of 8 hours

Things are going well

I am 58 years old in music terms. 👴

The United Kingdom is an insanely complex& contradictory constitutional construct which most people beyond its borders (and plenty of people within them) will never understand. (Sent from a desk covered in books and papers, typed with hands shaking from exhaustion, trying to make sense of it all.)

Children’s and teens roundup – the best new picture books and novels

Wordle 1,252 5/6 🟨⬜⬜🟨⬜ ⬜🟨🟨🟨⬜ ⬜🟩🟩🟩⬜ ⬜🟩🟩🟩⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Today’s one was fun

I’m just a chill guy. Reading lots of books. Enjoying the peace. Drinking lots of tea. Just chill guy things

Nah man, if this sudden cold snap came in 2016 there would be all sorts of BEAST FROM THE EAST 😱 headlines and front pages but we’ve lowkey gone through so many unprecedented times in last 5 years that nobody gives a shit anymore

“Wine comes in at the mouth And love comes in at the eye; That's all we shall know for truth Before we grow old and die. I lift the glass to my mouth, I look at you, and I sigh.” -William Butler Yeats

Let’s band together for books, shall we?

Having a sides-only Thanksgiving this year. No turkey, just carbs and gravy. Modern problems require modern solutions.

Nice. Wordle 1,250 3/6 ⬜⬜🟨🟨⬜ ⬜🟩⬜⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Sunlight going, going, gone. 5pm.