If you can access BBC iPlayer, I recommend watching the Val McDermid In Her Own Words documentary as soon as you possibly can. However well you think you know Val and her work, you will learn things that astonish you.

Bit of good news...

If you want people to feel that their day to day lives are improving then make sure that local government is properly funded. You could call it “the pothole theory of everything”.

At some point a random cybersecurity founder just shows up in the comments and butts in with the most obviously ChatGPT generated argument I've ever seen. Apparently the dude just saw the discussion and was like "hold up, I think my plagiarism toaster could provide some valuable insight here". 2/2

I don't think I've ever encountered AI use more egregious than today. I was having a friendly debate about the future of AI cyberattacks with Rob Joyce (ex NSA director of cybersecurity and White House NatSec Advisor), so someone I have massive respect for and like to have challenge my views. 1/2

If you read my stuff, you know I regularly go on about the Far Right being an interconnected, global threat that transcends borders.

It’s baby octopus season 🐙🦑 Saw this little guy last night with the Salish Sea School in Anacortes, WA as part of their free community dock walk I volunteer as an interpreter for. We can tell it is a giant pacific octopus from the single line of chromatophores on each arm.

sand bird is born

Moevember 2025 Day 16: Tetsu-Moe #Simpsons #TheSimpsons #moevember

Kane-D'OH! youtu.be/0SWt6OQ4Nl4?...

“Legend of the Moe-Man”, Panel 015 #simpsons #TheSimpsons #comics

100% said this and feel free to quote me on it. Also @jackiekashian.bsky.social is a fantastic comedian and you should see her when she comes to your town.

Reminder that the only time he took off the Pope hat before accepting a jersey was when he was given a Cubs jersey.

The cubs jersey is now a class 2 relic. Imagine giving the Catholic archbishop of Glasgow a rangers strip, and him having to accept it with smiles.

It is very funny that this Pope is just going to get jerseys from now on. Everyone decided that's what this Pope likes and that is it. It's like if your grandmother got you a puzzle for Christmas one year and you said you liked it so your entire extended family is like "oh that's the puzzle kid"

here come the hotstepper

All of this, also an obsession with controversialism over substance on large parts of political coverage such that the best writing often appears in blogs and newsletters

This is genuinely horrifying. The plan includes removing IDLTR, seizing refugees' jewellery and valuables, and "include requiring judges to prioritise public safety over... the risk that they would face “inhuman” treatment if returned to their home country."

Monmouth underwater today due to Storm Claudia. Snow coming to the UK next week.

This is brilliant.

Just made this. I’m a widely respected intellectual, you know

MPs can’t even fix their own workplace. And they have failed to do so for more than a decade as it crumbles around them. There is no solution in sight. Political metaphors don’t come more heavy-handed than that.

There's a maxim that if you give every 'psychosomatic' illness ten years, an organic cause will be found. (and warning to reply guys, this is my specialty)

HOLY SHIT. They found the genes for fibromyalgia - and it's *not* autoimmune, it's the central nervous system. It's very cool to see some progress made on the thing that's ruined my life since late teenage years!

It’s been a pleasure working with Lex and everyone in the politics vertical at Teen Vogue. I’m heartbroken that my column, Disability Visibility, is gone. Teen Vogue was one of the few places that published disabled journalists regularly. I just spent the last 2 months working on my next column

"Freedom from fact" - A great way to frame this!

this goes right along with my theory that the AI obsession in *users* is often bc… 1. they were never educated (esp "ipad generation") & don't know how computers work 2. our tools and services are all SO AWFUL NOW, degraded at best, actively user-hostile at worst

Are there any Greater Glasgow nerr types on here who would be interested in joining the #Bruhammer posse for some #BloodBowl in the near future? Starting a league soon as a break from our Necromunda campaign and curious to see if any new faces fancy tossing the tabletop pigskin. (Not a euphemism)

Wading through some long lost Welsh kingdom ✨

Hey more of you might get this joke these days

Check the x axis. The younger the person, the more cool they are with other races. Starts going down about 1970, or age 55. (This is America, but I would expect similar things in the UK).

⚒️🧪 The Wandan mud volcano in southern Taiwan erupted again yesterday (12/11/25)! The eruption occurred at 3 vents. Sadly one vent was under a house. This is its 11th eruption in the last ~3 years, most recently in June 2025. Video courtesy of my friends 陳玉意 and 張寶惠. Best with sound on.

This sadly was only a matter of time. The first large scale AI orchestrated cyber attack.

I went to visit my old colleagues at @energycities.bsky.social today and they pointed out that my high vis vest suits my job perfectly.

A new post. I think I am not the only person feeling this way. It's personal enough that I've limited discussion and will limit discussion on this post.

Space Captain: Captain of Space by @chrisbaldie.bsky.social is simply wonderful! Glad that I picked up the collected edition - going to read it again this weekend for sure!

The space captain, captain from space book has arrived this week. Super keen to have a read, I was hooked from the first free chapter.

New Season of Sirius Business, a Grimdark Future Web Comic by Pierre Mortel! Read more comics, including all three previous seasons of Sirius Business, on our website! www.onepagerules.com/news/new-sea...

A friend of mine job hunting this year eventually concluded that the only way to get a job in her sector now is to get friends/contacts to vouch for you specifically. Any open advertised job is basically so overwhelmed by assisted applicants it's impossible to stand out

This is going to be a particular problem for public sector recruitment where recruiting friends of friends causes quite a few problems

And it's not the only idea Dbrand has, either

That’s the sound of far right coin being heaped up ready to make a bid.

The BBC, quite consciously, sets out to demean and belittle trans people. This is both morally contemptible and in breach of its Charter obligations. We've made it super easy for you to write to the BBC and tell it to stop. Please use - and share with your networks. goodlaw.social/2j5q

My most woke opinion is that "woke" at root is a beautiful concept: active socio-political consciousness in the context of the Black American liberation struggle. And the way it's been turned into a sneering pejorative is one of the ugliest things I've ever seen in Western political discourse.

This is what I worked on all summer: an 80-page Dan Dare graphic novella (the first of three), in collab with the incomparable @marclaming.bsky.social, @b7media.bsky.social, and The Dan Dare Corp. If you’re at @thoughtbubbleuk.bsky.social, free prints at B7’s booth! And go say hi to Marc, too

Maybe my actual most woke - or at least most hippy - opinion is that we need to be softer with each other and we need to lift each other up. We learn critique on the left and that can be valuable but then we bring it to relationships with our comrades and that can suck. More hugs more praise.

Aaaaa you did an amazing job So as for the eyes, the illusion isn’t perfect, essentially 4 of the eyestalks are puppeteering the 4 ‘human limbs’. 6 are still visible outside the body and the one on the face is the 11th central eye :)

Aiya the Baeholder Finished up this "totally not a beholder using an illusion disguise" figure by @twingoddessminis.bsky.social of @dawnellenhodgson.bsky.social's avatar. Tried a sponge tap technique for the pupils. Afraid to ask where the 11th eye is. #miniaturepainting #dnd #fantasy #beholder

Within the margin of error of The Crazification Factor.

Some hot and spicy offerings for ya.