When Rodri and Marata sang a political song about Gibraltar in Euro 2024, they were suspended for the next game. Will the Argentinian team face the same for unveiling a political flag? Consistency #FIFA or corruption? Or will there be another investigation by #UEFA into FIFA's conduct and bias?

Consider #football, world #politics and #religion, and now places like #BookTok, are we sliding into modern tribalism too far? Elements of #fanaticism have always been there, but we never predicted it would be part of reading and books. Sure, tribalism is part of who we are. But is it a good part?

#FIFA inspired me! For the first time in my life, I have not watched a single minute of the World Cup. And it's inspired me to not buy one single piece of merchandise. Well done #FIFA for corrupting the beautiful game. You should feel proud.

If only other #publishers did this, it would be the beginning of something important: www.404media.co/patreon-clou...

Maine is in absolute outrage! Protesters took over Senator Susan Collins’ office chanting "VOTE HER OUT" after an ICE thug brutally executed a 26-year-old Colombian man. We demand immediate accountability for this state-sponsored murder! Enough is enough!

This morning in Biddeford, Maine, a 26-year-old man said goodbye to his wife and daughter and left for work. Moments later he was dead, shot in the head by ICE agents, the second man ICE has killed in six days. ICE is killing our neighbors. ICE cannot be reformed. Abolish ICE.

There's a bigger question here about how businesses can churn out #AIwriting, such as short stories and now novels, when Tech companies said this couldn't happen. And if people can't see the difference with AI, is human #writing dead, or at least on life support? What can we do to save human #art?

Question: As a new #writer, what would you give up to preserve your unique 'voice' and writing talents? Would you give up ebook versions of your stories, and even foreign markets? These are the sacrifices we need to consider in view of the Great #AI Robbery.

Great job 👏

Just sharing this again at a time of what's happening in Australia. In Event Horizon Sam Neill requested that the Australian flag on his character's uniform remove the Union Flag from the corner & for it to be replaced with the Aboriginal flag, the way he thought it should look in 2047

Only one-fifth want the Reform UK leader to win.

not saying anything new, but if these folks actually believed in genAI writing, they'd disclose it, tout it, and build their own audiences elsewhere and leave others be. hiding and sneaking it to markets who want no part of it doesn't prove you're good at writing. just proves you're good at fraud.

What’s that, Dale? You want to give me an unconditional personal gift of £5million to do whatever I want with? Sure! I just need to fill out a form. If I didn’t declare it that would be silly.

I'm sure the pitch I was just sent was AI-generated. Vague yet faintly grandiose. Professional yet slightly chummy. Writers, if you're ever considering pitching to an editor using AI: don't. I can tell you that I was INFURIATED by it. A waste of my time and an insult to my professionalism.

Oh that’s happened here too! Some of our more rancid “churches” used to have book and cd burning events. Possibly still do though there’s so much crazy shit going on they seem almost quaint.

There is now a world where in politics a clown must compete with a joker for the heart of a seaside town. Only in the 21st century has politics sunk that low. There's a saying here: if you vote for a clown the circus is sure to follow #Clacton #Farage #Binface

NEW - Greens won’t stand in Clacton. So it is Nigel Farage versus Count Binface.

Farage versus Binface is absolute the summer we deserve

The lovely thing about Binface standing, is he's instantly stolen all the media attention. And there's nothing Farage can do to undermine or discredit him, without acknowledging that he's a genuine threat... which is an admission all of its own. Whatever happens, this has made me happy :)

Infantino looking up bylaws that allow FIFA to reverse R16 results

The #WorldCup isn't pure theatre, by the way. That's just sporting hyperbole (otherwise known as bollocks). Pure theatre is Ibsen, if you will. Shakespeare. Miller and so on. The World Cup is sporting ineptitude, or a corrupt circus that hasn't sorted itself out since 2015. And probably never will.

Interesting position #USsoccer finds itself in. If they field Balogun and the CAS finds that #FIFA broke the rules and allowed the US to field an ineligible player, US automatically forfeits the game. If they don't and FIFA are seen to have broken the rules, FIFA are fined but US keeps their pride.

Wondering why people love Chaz Brenchley's Crater School books? Try book #1 at 25% off in the Smashwords July sale: www.smashwords.com/b...

"Norway is imposing a near ban on the use of generative AI tools by elementary school pupils while also restricting their ​use in the education of older children to prevent a ‌negative impact on learning" Sometimes, good policymaking is incredibly simple. www.reuters.com/technology/n...

Mmmm. Anyone else noticing the similarities between the current #WorldCup2026 and the 1936 Berlin Olympics?

'There can be no question that the treatment of the Iranian squad by the US authorities (and Fifa’s abandonment of the Iranians) has been a modern sporting scandal.' Mark Brown, via The National archive.is/MmsfZ

He stood by his oath, despite the consequences! A true patriot!

Honestly, the US team should feel ashamed that they need #FIFA to bail them out. This is not a good day for the #US team at all. But it is one more step towards the end of the World Cup as a tournament. Maybe not a bad thing to rip it up and do something else. Likewise with #FIFA.

It's unfortunate for the World Cup winners that the tournament is meaningless while #FIFA manages the competition. There will always be a doubt about the legitimacy of their victory while it is run like this. Where there are obvious doubts over decisions in-game. And after games. #corruptioninsport

Not sure why people are surprised by #FIFA 's antics during the World Cup. Yes, they are corrupt. They've always been corrupt. Not much more than a cartel. The sooner national footballing bodies do something, the better it will be for football. #Football owes FIFA nothing. FIFA owes everything.

Have we become better at selling books to readers than we have at creating entirely new book lovers?, asks @goldsborobooks.bsky.social's David Headley 👇

We have the same discussion over and over again, we really do.

You know what's weird? Such is the persuasive force of the language that one has to suppress the impulse to respond with a polite no thank you. Generative AI truly is the smiler with the knife

Well. Just finished. Brilliant and oddly beautiful and unexpected. Wow.

Thought for the week, month, year maybe #writers #books #publishing #future: www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3lP...

This is quite interesting. In a complete reversal of say 15-20 years ago, there's not a single male member on this panel. Given that young male reader numbers have fallen off a cliff, it's quite startling. #Publishing needs to find a balance again. It's called #diversity.

Our first panellists! #MPConf 🚀 Discussing how to reach underserved & new readers: Sabah_K Simon SchustercUK | Sofia Akel, Free Books Campaign | Georgina Carr GLL_UK | Fiona Razvi, Wimbledon BookFest | Annabel Robinson FMcMAssociates

ICYMI: E-book platform Rakuten Kobo was forced to reject 45% of submissions to its platform last year, after a slew of AI-generated books were uploaded. 👇

Believe it or not crap #writingtip no.6: When writing in the midst of a heatwave, focus on cold water, flowing rivers, serene lakes, or adventures in the chilliest corners of the earth, to keep that writing-brain cool. Remember, that in heatwaves, even volcanoes wave a white flag.

This evening I will attempt to #write for one solid hour during 34c temperatures. There will be risk to life and limb, and imagination, but I feel it must be done, just so I can say, "I wrote in a heatwave." If this is to be my last post, know then that I was stupid.

When a business self-censors or selectively censors customer feedback on products they sell, you can no longer trust them. #Amazon must either shut all reviews on their site from now on, or allow customers to review Vance's new book, or they will lose my business.

There's a story somewhere here about a gardener with years of experience and qualifications spending an eternity treating a pond for algae while around them the world burns. Think #Brazil meets #SilentRunning. #strangerthanfiction #story

They’re calling it the quote on British politics that ended the need for all other quotes

#FridayFeeling when, as a #writer, and you've had two or three whacks at the pinata, and a sentence, paragraph or even chapter reads like velvet. Everything works and you're the god or goddess of the page once more. Live for those moments.

Big shout-out to @itvx.com and ITVStudios for generously including posters of movies in their #Blu-ray collection, as part of the Blu-ray cover itself (inside cover). So few studios do this. But so simple. So effective.