“It’s just a tool, it’s just a tool—!” sure yeah, a shovel is also just a tool, but if you’re asking me to dig my own grave with it, I’d say I have damn good right to have an issue with the tool usage and context.

Spending Australian Christmas the traditional way: covered in mosquito bites

I see there’s a post about microplastics going around with a photo of drinking straws, so here is my semi-regular reminder that the 3 biggest sources of microplastics are tires (45%), synthetic clothing particles (35%) and paint (~10%). Lay article attached:

The fuck I wasn’t

JFC (This is from a press release in the News section of the America First Legal (Stephen Miller's firm) website; don't want to link to it)

The only "problem" AI solves is the problem of having to employ humans. What a shit decision on their part.

French publishing house Harlequin decided to use AI translation instead of human translations. All their freelance translators (some of whom had been working with Harlequin for +30y!!!) were told they would no longer receive work from Harlequin

Two men. My @smh cartoon.

Look man I don’t think the people being poisoned by data centers really care if you remove the generated assets before shipping, and I don’t really care if you “only” use the machine that stole my shit and convinced teens to off themselves for internal PowerPoints. Cool motive. Still bullshit tho.

Ahmed al Ahmed, the man who tackled one of the Bondi killers, became an Australian citizen 3 years ago. His deed was "his way of conveying his gratitude for staying in Australia, for being granted citizenship." He took 5 bullets, and fears he'll lose his left arm. www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...

Rob Reiner — who was found dead along with his wife, Michele — cofounded the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which led the fight against California's Prop. 8. From @theadvocatebr.bsky.social:

Reminder that pearl clutching Pauline Hanson's One Nation party secretly sought millions of dollars in political donations from the NRA to weaken Australia’s strict gun laws.

Elon's little serfs are quite literally begging journalists to come back because every publicly available source of data shows people have fled the platform and young people won't use it. They are literally begging regular people to come back. Don't do it! It is a website by and for actual Nazis!

this field biologist does a great job highlighting the insidiousness of AI editing these one-click AI edit buttons are incredibly appealing to many photographers, amateurs and professionals alike, and are framed as innocuous this is worth sharing and educating people about

Dick Van Dyke is 100 years old tomorrow. I hope he's making the most of his finally night of Lego building.

this has become a very important video to me

This is such a great resource, please consider it for the writers and writer-adjacent people in your life

"I asked chatgpt--" Shut the fuck up. I asked the Lady of the Lake, and she said you are unworthy of the sword Excalibur. You will never be king.

Cover Reveal Countdown #9: The Black Cat Detectives is NOT an alien abduction story! ⚡️📚💙 ☕️💀📚 🌈📚 🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛ #WritingCommunity #CatSky @crookedlanebooks.bsky.social

“Anti-trans activist and Binary Australia spokesperson Kirralie Smith has been ordered to pay $95,000 in fines and issue a public apology after she was found to have vilified two trans women earlier this year.” Look, it’s possible to hold transphobes accountable for abusing trans people.

@profanity.accountant please tell me how much I’m swearing on here, I should probably make sure I’m safe for children

‘Tis officially the season! You can now answer, “Let’s circle back in the New Year,” to any work or personal agenda item you want to postpone with a clear conscious.

one of the coolest things about ChatGPT is how you can actually just never use it. you can fill your whole entire life with simply not once using it. it's incredible.

this is how you lose the dish war

PRINCE OF FORTUNE IS OUT IN THE UK JUST SO YOU KNOW 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 #booksky #fantasy #YAbooks #lgbtBooks

I opened this app, and there was a picture of the BEST PIGEON and then the whole feed RELOADED and I will NEVER see that pigeon again will I 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

EVERYONEEEEEEEEEE THE BOYFRIEND FROM #GHOSTSAUSTRALIA IS THE SPOONBOY FROM THE MATRIXXXXXXXX THIS IS AMAZINGGGGGG why is nobody TALKING ABOUT THISSSSSSS

Hi writers! I’m looking to assign a couple of features for Slate before the end of the year. If you have anything in mind that you think would be a fit please send me a pitch! Jenée.Desmond- [email protected] or dm me. RTs are appreciated so this can reach more people. Thanks!

Write something. Write it today. Write your heart out. Write something weird that only you would think of. Your enemies will not topple to your silence. Write your future and live it.

Joy sparks joy

The teenager who served me today at my local supermarket remembered me as the crazy chicken lady who was about to go pick up baby chicks last time she served me and demanded to know how they were and see photos and this is why self-checkouts just don’t suit everyone

This is a great piece from Mel Saward on some of the First Nations books that should have appeared on RN's Top 100 Books of the 21st Century.

Eternally trying to remind myself of this.

It is both the first birthday of Prince of Fortune AND the paperback release day so obviously, I had to make a cake #booksky

You’re welcome!

Aaaaand we have ten instances of the word Champagne. All have to go, since ... this world has no France and therefore no Champagne region. I love revising. It isn't annoying at all.

Really, really want to use the phrase "a stranger in a strange land" in this thing I'm writing but am forcing myself not to since that's decidedly biblical and this is second-world fantasy. Am I gritting my teeth? Who can say #writing

Can I please just be clear that I talked about hieroglyphs on rolling pins in THIS MONTH's newsletter: it isn't something I talk about ... every month. That would be a bit weird, I think. Also here are some cookies made with said rolling pin.

New #WriterBeware blog post: Did your contract require your publisher to register your copyright? Don't assume they did. writerbeware.blog/2025/08/29/i...

While we were out at WorldCon, our latest episode dropped! Check out Episode 19: Unfortunately... You Need a Suitcase Full of Skills with @lisatirrenoauthor.bsky.social!

Here's a preview of Friday's episode, with @lisatirrenoauthor.bsky.social. We chat about coming to writing from journalism, gamifying rejections, and so much more! #WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast

My latest podcast interview is out! Many thanks to Daniel Midgley and the #BecauseLanguage podcast for welcoming me to the show to talk about conscious language and the very real challenges in using it. 📚 #AmEditing #WritingCommunity #Edibuddies #ConsciousLanguage #ConsciousStyleGuide

The world is very bad, but I found a squirrel that looks like Napoleon

;)

Give this person a marketing award

🌈 QUEERPIT RETURNS! 🌈 Happy #PrideMonth friends! The #QueerPit Board is thrilled to share that QueerPit returns on August 15th to *both* Twitter and BlueSky. This is a pitch event for authors who identify in the LGBTQIA+ community. Follow us, and more details to come! queerpit.wordpress.com