In #NatureRestoration forums I’ve heard the aim, “Ensure that biodiversity gets the same standing in public, media & politics as climate” which strikes me as: 1. Setting the bar very low. 2. Identifying #ClimateAction allies as competitors. Sport gets massive media coverage. Set that as the bar!!

In a big change for Octocon, in 2026 the event will be in cork. I am looking forward to this, I think it is a nice venue. 2025.octocon.com/announcing-o...

Every accusation is a confession a out what they have done or want to do.

James Bond is fictional. Bond villains are real. That’s the tagline. For the book, and for today’s reality.

And in the end, he was Milkshake Duck all along. It’s always the ones you suspect the most.

More books have just come available at the book table. Thank you @shaunalawless.bsky.social ! #Octocon #Octocon2025 #Fantasy #IrishMythology

It cannot be made clearer. If you continue to support the Harry Potter franchise in any way, you are directly funding the removal of trans people's human rights in the UK.

A great thing about getting a vaccine is that I can now justify a couch day.

It is silly how excited to see the first signs of the new bus routes in my area.

I had not realised that route 123 was going to be replaced as part of Phase 7. That route was a major route for me for a long time. The new 73 seems to be following a similar route, but hard to say on the big map. www.dublinbus.ie/news/phase-7...

Apparently I was still on the voting register at an address I moved out of in 2010(maybe 2009). It was a move within the DCC area and I moved in that area again in 2013… the council did not clean up its own records.

Everything you need to know about the western press: Reuters called its own camera a “Hamas camera” because Israel called it a “Hamas camera” after they bombed the Reuters camera.

Tik Tok really wanting to cause some trouble

remember folks, we cant have gun restrictions because if we do the federal government will occupy our streets, imprison people without due process, ship dissidents to foreign gulags and things of that nature

We don’t see it, because it’s happening in a distant data centre, but imagine if you had to fully charge your phone every time you asked ChatGPT a question.

There's a REALLY quick and easy survey for the public consultation on the Basic Income for the Arts scheme - it only takes a few seconds, anyone can fill it in, and it could make a huge difference to arts workers in Ireland. Take a few ticks to places a few ticks here: ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/run...

After years of renovations the central hotel is starting to appear from behind its scaffolding. I wonder how much of the charm will remain.

Just watched this weeks game changer, I really need a link to the Jacob Wysocki video essay that was answer A!

I will not vote for any party that doesn’t firmly and unequivocally commit to building universal social housing by a state agency. If your party’s housing plan involves tinkering around the edges of planning/incentives/regulations or relies on developers or “the market”, you won’t get a vote from me

The business meeting is ongoing, but many decisions made I agree with and some I disagree with. Glad to have been able to vote.

Headline in a Scottish newspaper today: CONVICTED US FELON TO ARRIVE IN SCOTLAND

Do you like Linux and doing awesome things? If so, why not check out this job HEAnet are hiring for? heanet.bamboohr.com/careers/164 - Linux SysAdmin on our Systems team, managing server fleets and applications for Ireland R&E.

There are few things better at poking a hole in my belief in my intelligence than an episode of Only Connect. I do love it so!

Alex Warren is playing in the Iveagh Gardens this evening. Not a great night for an open air concert.

I didn't "lift myself up by my bootstraps" because that's impossible. I got a lot of help from my family. I got Pell Grants and scholarships for college. I got disability when I was basically dying with cancer at 19. I've had help from lots of people over the years. I am here because of others.

There are just a few hours left in this sale! Get the audiobook for my Nebula-winning novel for just seven bucks.

Catching up with game changer. Rulette was a little slow, and I admit I was not giving it a high rating, and then the rules kept going and it was so good, and I laughed so hard I think I hurt myself. Emergent behaviour of game changer is always chaos!

Good evening out with friend at a comedy show. Josh Johnson was pretty good, as was to be expected.

Trans women are women. Pass it on.

Trying to do some clean up when it is this humid is not great.

So many friends have escaped to the Aland Islands for Eurocon, and I am sat here in office counting the minutes until it gets to 4pm. I am very jealous, and I hope they all have a great time.

Not much planned for tomorrow, so will try and settle In with a good book.

Today is not going to be great. Working on far too little sleep and threats of high temperatures. At least today I am working in a building with some active cooling, though not full A/C.

Today, 20 years ago, I walked into Thomas St Local Office to start my civil service career. It has been an adventure and I look forward to the next 20 years.

Remember to subscribe to our #newsletter if you want to keep up to date with #Octocon2025. Guest, programme, and other announcements straight to your inbox. #Octocon #Fantasy #Scifi #ReadingCommunity #ScifiConvention #Fandom #Cosplay #Cosplayers

If something happened in America, it's American history. That includes the parts people don't want to think about. "Knowing we stole land from Native Americans/stole people for the slave trade/stole property from incarcerated Japanese citizens makes me feel icky" is not a counterpoint to reality.

The old Bewleys on Westmoreland St is revealed as the TGI material is removed ahead of the build out of the new restaurant (Popeyes I think). They had better do as good a job protecting the old fixtures and fittings.

Bad weather means more people get in cars, and so my Bus journey home was 50% longer!

Sunday was spent doing some gardening. Cutting back some overgrowth and then clearing out some moss build up…. Tired now…

Really incredible story unraveling in this thread, where Amazon and other sites have seemingly been able to sell an academic textbook that was withdrawn in 2021 and never actually printed or published, without the knowledge of the press, editors or contributors. Something has gone deeply wrong!

#notallmentbutenoughofthem We need men to talk to the men in thier lives about consent and not let rape jokes be the only time they talk about Sexual Assult. www.msn.com/en-ie/news/w...

Something to be said about Seattle Worldcon: They said they would get a deeper explanation out. They did. It contained what they said plus clear actions they would take to rectify the issue. I think the initial act was boneheaded. I have quibbles with their correction but am broadly happy with it.

The thing that makes quitting Facebook hard for me is the various memories that it reminds me of. For example five years ago today is when I got the conditional offer to work In New York. It is a probably the phone call that had the biggest impact on my life.

Why does finding out who the new pope is feel like a worldwide gender reveal party.

Yeah the two failure modes here are "I was a little too generous to someone who didn't really need it and I got tricked" and "I didn't give money to someone who really needed it" I know which one I'd prefer

In light of this news, I've made the difficult decision to withdraw from the convention. LLMs are devastating to both the arts and the environment, and I cannot support their use. If you were hoping to see me there, I'll still be in Seattle that weekend. Feel free to give me a shout.

Watching the latest kerfuffle about LLMs play out and, lookit: They're *garbage*. They're environmentally disastrous plagiarism machines benefiting no one except the shitty billionaires who stand to lose fucktons of money if they don't get you hooked on 'em. There's no excuse to use them. Do better.