AMAZING

There's a part in the book "Careless People" where the author beats Zuck at Settlers of Catan, and he is absolutely wrecked by it. Someone pulls her aside to explain everyone else has been letting him win for years. I think about this a lot re: why tech bros think everyone will love AI chatbots.

OMG! 35 years a Norman McLaren fan, how did I never see this before? It is now mentally filed with Leslie Halliwell’s tale of programming a McLaren short at the Rex in Cambridge during the Teddy Boy era, which I dearly hope is at least partly true.

I'd be sadder if it hadn't been a recycling-centre for hard-right talking-points for years...

35! Well now I feel old. I saw it in the cinema (UK) opening weekend. The early 90s were great for gangster movies, but NEW JACK CITY, much more than Miller’s Crossing evoked the 1930s films that I loved. Serious Cagney power central performance from Stipes.

Accurate.

After it was pointed out to me a couple of decades ago, I have been my own internal copy editor on ‘begs the question’, correcting as I write. But the new meaning is logical and intuitive and the old meaning is silly. Perhaps I should just commit, unapologetically to the new meaning.

Is there any kind of class action lawsuit being done for this? They can't just get away with this, right?

NEW: A Reform UK activist who campaigns with top party figures joined the racist rioters in Glasgow on Tuesday and has claimed that “Jews" are trying "to dilute our Protestant stock and shatter the Union”, The National can reveal.

A lot of news right now but Democracy for Sale's latest scoop deserves attention Josh Simons is being tipped as Burnham's chief of staff But even PR firm he hired to discredit journalists says he's not telling the truth about Labour Together scandal democracyforsale.substack.com/p/wrong-in-n...

That's a pogrom. She's describing a pogrom

The BBC will be giddy to see a 4% ratings rise for Today. Below I see many fellow ex-listeners. And those still listening with duty and horror because of the ‘agenda setting’ place it’s long held in the news day. Well it’s Musk & co’s agenda now, ‘centre’-washed and amplified.

Terrible headline. Had he merely asked a woman if he could kiss her, I suspect this would not have ended up in court. But consequences for train sex pests are excellent and overdue. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I am in awe. But also a little scared of that wiring.

What's your favorite movie from each decade of your life? Let’s break this down: first, the easy comfort rewatch. 70s - The Lady Vanishes 80s - Desperately Seeking Susan/Jumping Jack Flash 90s - Tremors 00s - Sandra Bullock/Queen Latifah rom/com 10s - RED/Easy A 20s - Cocaine Bear has potential

Oh man, this one really hurts. Thank you for Giles, and then for decades of playing oily bastards who were nothing like Giles and clearly having a ball with that. www.bbc.com/news/article...

WOULD WATCH

“Content” also insidiously shifts significance and validity to the platform, not the substance — content is contained, what defines content is the existence and form of the container

How to Union

On this: I’m a tall Brown woman with a strong jawline. A whole white woman accused me of being a man in a public toilet the other day. I didn’t correct her because my being trans or cis was not the point. The point was she felt entirely comfortable and confident doing that to someone in a TOILET.

Howard Hawks directing Marilyn Monroe and George Winslow in GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (1953)

How have I reached this ripe age as a film fan with none of these films being on my radar? Now I want to watch all the versions!

My favorite artifact in the "you don't need AI to do art" discourse is, of course, screenwriter Dan O'Bannon's sketch of the facehugger to explain it to Giger.

“Please stop. I don’t want an AI summary of my Google search. I don’t want an AI summary of the text message from my friend at work. I don’t want an AI summary of the email I’m about to read. Please just stop.” 💯

Perhaps my favourite film from the big de Toth retrospective the EIFF did in the 90s (1994??).

One of the icons of his generation, and of 20th century music. RIP. www.theguardian.com/music/2026/m...

headline clearly indicates @theguardian.com still sees us as insects on a stick

This! Even if you support this cruel, unnecessary nonsense, anyone with more than three braincells to rub together can surely see that it is unworkable in practice. Clearly not enough politicians have worked the sharp end in service sector jobs.

Lol. He's got more chance of becoming Tory PM. And we'd all be happier if he made that his ambition.

This is literally how the chain of "THE KISS (1896) was the 1st movie to be censored" went: -IT WAS CENSORED BY THE POPE -It was censored -It caused a stir -Terry Ramsaye 1926 -cites and selectively quotes a single 1896 article -the 1896 article was both taken out of context and satire

RIP #MichaelKeating 'the funny one' and my instantly favourite in Blake's 7 when I was a kid. Rewatching as an adult you see his ingenious performance bringing an edge of reality to things, his cleverness, and often being the conscience of the gang.

Not all the writers served him well, but Keating’s performance as Vila will always be the anchor at the centre of Blake’s 7. He is the only cast member in every episode. He is the only indispensable element. He is why it works as noir in space.

Raising a glass of space Vimto to Michael Keating RIP.

Oozing back and just kind of being accepted is a longstanding and highly successful tactic for awful men. This is your friendly reminder that it only works if we let it. Block that waste of space.

University President: Good afternoon Class of 2026! Please put your hands together for this year’s graduation speaker, MOLOCH!!

Absolutely. Why are people citing things they haven’t actually read? It’s appalling scholarship and unacceptable academic practice. If we catch a student doing it, it’s a conduct case.

This. And with an eye to this and the Labour news of the last couple if days, Manchester now needs to be particularly alert.

The James Bond franchise is currently trapped in the Bond villan lair. I fear he won’t survive this time.

Ah Brexit, it’s going to be great for business because it’s going to ‘cut red tape’, they said. It’s definitely not going to cripple the ability of small businesses to trade in areas that were previously simple.

crucial context: Peter Mandelson was sacked from the first New Labour government for having a £373,000 *loan* (not a gift) from a Labour colleague (Geoffrey Robinson) to buy a house

Well that’s enough political news coverage for me for one day. Dear Westminster press pack, I know you’ve been bored recently. And miss the endless Tory backstabby leadership psychodrama. I get it. You’re excited. But could you all try to look a bit less like you’re about to come in your pants.

Whatever the issue is, whatever the industry, the answer is NEVER make it more like getting a flight!

So Wesley has the numbers, but they attend a different parliament?

I gasped! A medieval notebook with several wax 'pages' was found in a German latrine!! Incredible rare find, text not yet translated, but they're working on it! Previous owner must have been so upset. Look at these amazing photos: www.lwl.org/pressemittei...

I want to see this film happen. If you do too, please support the crowdfunder.

One good thing you can say about the UK is that we're spoilt for metaphors