‘Real friendships felt mythical to me’: On autism, reading and growing up

I’ve written a new piece: Why Are Artists Leaving Spotify? A Guide for Listeners. Low payouts, AI slop, Daniel Ek’s €600m weapons investment — the “Spotify exodus” is real, and listeners have choices. Read here... www.jonwilks.online/blog/why-art...

Really interesting piece by Jon Wilks - I’ve recently cancelled my Spotify subscription and moved platforms. While other streaming services are by no means perfect, at least my money isn’t directly funding causes I disagree with. Recommend this to any artists/listeners thinking of ditching Spotify!👇

I know all the news is terrible right now, but it really is wretched to see our brilliant city museum targeted by thieves. www.devonlive.com/news/devon-n...

Absolutely DELIGHTED to tell you that #thedaddy has been nominated for this year’s MERCURY PRIZE!!!!!! About time, Dad! You total BELTER! 🐟🐟🐟👑👑👑🕺🏻🕺🏻🕺🏻🌟🌟🌟 Congratulations team: Ben Seal, Liz, Chris Salt, Kairen Kemp, Jon Wilks, Tim Youster and Dan Macdonald! #transformmethenintoafish

When asked who her patient was apologising to, Hoyland shrugged and responded: “Her teeth, I suppose.”

this iconic advertising copywriter named Kathy Hepinstall Parks died over the weekend and I wanted to share something from her website I thought Bluesky would like

Glad to see BBC News picking up this story about AI generated music being released on real artists’ Spotify/YouTube pages. So odd and really quite disturbing!! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Stop doing this! Whoever is paying @timeshighered.bsky.social‬ for story after story is also funding environmental vandalism on a catastrophic scale. This isn't journalism, it's naive ethical bankruptcy - and intellectually and pedagogically obtuse.

🎉 40,000 women have signed - and we’re not stopping here. We’re united in rejecting discrimination against the trans and non-binary community. We refuse to let our voices be used to divide. This is our moment — and we’re heading for 50,000...and beyond! 🚀💥 📢 Here’s how you can help us get there...

Lottie Fitzgerald, 35, from Southsea, has developed a strong attachment to a blue studio pottery mug she was given last Christmas. She reports that she is beginning to feel intensely anxious about the effect on other mugs that she owns.

The sinister weirdness of GenAI continues… Phenomenal folk musician Emily Portman has had A WHOLE ALBUM OF AI MUSIC released under her name without her knowledge - with plausible song titles & even cover art, all AI generated without her consent and attributed to her on streaming platforms! 1/2

What is the charge? Walking a path? A succulent salt path?

sorry I know it's not "ha ha" funny but finding Labour's conference clusterfuck hysterical, like a cross parent going "well in that case NO ONE can have women"

duolingo recently declared they are now an AI-first company. well, here at The Museum of English Rural Life, we pride ourselves in being EI-first. EI EI O

Just when you thought it couldn't possibly get any worse.

STATEMENT FROM ENGLISH FOLK DANCE AND SONG SOCIETY

Well it’s 8:30 on May Day and I already have Hal-an-Tow stuck in my head …

Sometimes I feel mildly comforted when Google’s compulsory AI overview is wildly wrong; this is a sung line from The Knight of Burning Pestle that I am trying to find the origin for!

Shells By Nicolas Robert b. #otd 18 Apr 1614

In light of this, I want to share some resources on trans people in the medieval and early modern period, for anyone who might be interested. There is a thriving field of research into the lives, identities, and experiences of trans people globally before the advent of modern medicine (a 🧵)

Actually, his message was "It's certainly [BUY A CAR] not going to [ESSENTIAL PILLS FOR PREGNANT PEOPLE] be a walk in [BIO-OIL] the park, [JOIN THE MAILING LIST] but if we [MORE LIKE THIS] get it right [GO DADDY DOMAINS CHEAP] the opportu [1 WEIRD TRICK] nity is massive [ACCEPT UPDATES?]"

Love to refuse a prompt. static1.squarespace.com/static/53a4b...

The phrase "trapped on disability benefits", which I've seen used several times this week, is quite like "wheelchair-bound". Both phrases take something that can be a means of liberation and describe it as a prison.

Absolutely gorgeous concert in Crediton tonight from Lady Maisery!! What a delight, such beautiful and complex harmonies - and amazing to finally see the group who were my first proper introduction to folk music! #FolkSky #FolkMusic #LadyMaisery

As promised, my 2nd podcast - huge thanks to the wonderful Mia Thornton for including me in her Instrumental podcast, conversations about the genres that get left of out of Black British music. I’m in the Folk episode (E04). Listen on @bbciplayer.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p...

Abortions are relatively easy to procure in the uk, but did you know they are still technically illegal, and you are technically getting an exception to the law? It’s past time to change the law.

It's Student Volunteering Week! 🎉 This academic year, Special Collections has been working with four fantastic student volunteers on exhibitions and collections care. Find out more about what they've been working on in our brand new blog! ➡️ bit.ly/4hzZwfO #StudentVolunteeringWeek #Archives

This is huge. My petition got approved. It challenges the UK government to the lift the Puberty Blocker ban on the grounds that it contradicts article 8 of The United Nations Convention On The Rights Of The Child. Please sign and Repost ✊️🏳️‍⚧️ petition.parliament.uk/petitions/70...

Loved using Special Collections materials to write this blog post celebrating the birthdays of Baring-Gould and Child! So cool to be able to work from Baring-Gould’s personal copies of the Child ballads!! Give it a read if you’re interested ☺️

Enormously behind the times, but gosh isn’t this a beautiful album - A Pocket of Wind Resistance, Karine Polwart and Pippa Murphy. Was privileged to see Karine at Sidmouth Folk Fest last summer, utterly spellbinding, and I LOVE the use of spoken word on this album ❤️ open.spotify.com/album/0U4vDH...

This is old news, but the absence of the Bodleian Ballads website is reeeeeally starting to affect my research abilities 😔 Massively appreciating the wayback machine for at least keeping access open, but consistently finding that the exact pages I need haven’t been archived … help!

This is a vital, engaging, thought-provoking and, for me, shocking, piece about falling through the cracks of the UK’s failing mental health system… really really urge everyone to read. @scouttzofiya.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

🌟To round off the year, some of my new discoveries and favourites of 2024!🌟 Books: Noreen Masud, A Flat Place Djuna Barnes, Ladies Almanack Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend (yes, really!) Music: Ani DiFranco The Roches Indigo Girls Films: The Red Shoes The Holdovers Young Woman and the Sea

Loving Janice Burns and Jon Doran’s new album, Great Joy to the New - delightfully festive folky music, and a refreshing antidote to the same 10 xmas songs that circulate all day at my retail job!! open.spotify.com/album/0RXC8D...

I have finally finished knitting my scarf - just as the stormy weather starts to improve! Typical!

As a result of the Bodleian Folk archives being no longer available from today, I'd like to try to get an idea of how many of us use it, how, and how often. It's such a vital resource for so many of us. I've set up an email at [email protected] for this so please do feed back

Have just been informed by google that the wikipedia entry for the Chevy Chase ballad is a page I “visit often.” Feeling slightly attacked… is google asking someone to stage an intervention?!

Today’s rabbit hole: started reading ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore,’ was derailed by the mention of a hobby horse in Act 1 Scene 3 and am now deep into researching hobby horses in early modern drama … recommendations welcome!

A dull weekend turned extremely enjoyable with thanks to @mattquinnmusic.bsky.social’s ‘In the Roud’ podcast - very interesting listening whilst tidying the stockroom at work! Highly recommended to any folkies looking to learn more in depth about trad songs!! :)