All this is to say that, as a reader, I find this focus on debuts as this big sink-or-swim thing for writers Not The Best Thing. What happened to the idea that a writer could debut relatively quietly and then gradually build a career as their writing skills matured?

This caught my eye. Adopting any far right policy, makes a party far right. That’s it. There’s a saying about if 11 ppl sit down for dinner with a Nazi, then there are 12 Nazis. This idea you can pick up far right policies & not be far right is such a denial of history & fact.

Didn't someone yesterday just post that obviously we aren't living under fascism because we could still post whatever we want on bluesky?

Ok, putting on training wheels for this conversation. The main reason historians don't really like the notion of a "fall" of the Roman Empire anymore is because the transition between the Western Roman Empire and its barbarian successor states was far more orderly than people imagine

Patreon is currenlty a large income source as I try to get this whole "writing regularly" thing off the ground (had mental health crisis in family, now slowly digging myself out. With my fingernails hahhaha sob)

billboard seen in London.

Both my books, Pivot and Klopp Actually, are available to purchase signed and direct from me via my website - lauralexx.co.uk/books They would make wonderful Christmas presents for your loved one and support an author (me) directly, which makes a HUGE difference. Hope they appeal!

So over the last few months I have been working on miniatures for the board game Diplomacy, and they’re now all finally finished. #Diplomacy #miniature #painting #miniaturepainting #craft #tabletop

The kids’ evolution apps we do are free & ad-free. Clades Solo lets you play Clades & Clades Prehistoric on your devices. It includes a new way to play, and you can play the two decks together or separately. Featuring Karen Lewis’s lovely art. #kidsgame #evolution www.ideategames.org/Clades/

Voices in the Global South say that AI computing (whose producers remain principally in the Global North) is evolving as a new form of extractive colonialism. Some Indigenous people say it is time to question limitless technological innovation with its heavy environmental and social costs.

Bluesky has finally, quietly posted a position for a one-year remote contract Policy Lead, Trust & Safety position. Trans people who qualify, apply here: jobs.gem.com/bluesky/am9i... We need someone competent in this role if this place is going to survive.

IT GETS BETTER.

#Afghanistan: New rules in #Herat force women to wear a burqa in public health facilities, limiting access to healthcare. Our teams report a 28 per cent drop in urgent admissions at the MSF-supported pediatric unit in Herat regional hospital. ow.ly/t54U50XrVtX

Periodic reminder I have books. You can buy them. Still the only nonfiction book on love, sex, gender, H. P. Lovecraft, and the Mythos he helped create. www.amazon.com/dp/1614980888/

I literally published a SciFi story about this exact thing: www.southernfriedscience.com/the-day-they...

Gee whizz! My article on Twilight 2000 in the Journal of American studies is now the most read piece over the last 3 months, despite it only being available for a couple of weeks. That's kind of terrifying! Thanks so much to everyone who's taken the time to engage with it! doi.org/10.1017/S002...

I tell you, it's a plot by aliens to destroy our planet.

Conditions are turning colder this week, with multiple snow and ice warnings in place 🧊 Wednesday to Friday will be the coldest part of the week, and this period has the greatest potential for impactful weather. Find out more ⤵️ www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/new...

I'm looking forward to this.

Up at dawn this morning and out walking the hound in the freezing sunshine.

😂

And there it goes! After separating from its Falcon 9 rocket, #CopernicusEU Sentinel-6B is now flying solo under the care of @operations.esa.int. We’re waiting to receive its first signal 📡 @eumetsat.int @euspa.bsky.social @ec.europa.eu @climate.noaa.gov @cnes.fr

"Powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4o model by default...tests repeatedly showed that the AI toy dropped its guardrails the longer a conversation went on, until hitting rock bottom on incredibly disturbing topics."

My #SuperlativeCannedGoo tweet from the old place is making rounds again. Support co-op cranberry growers!

Satellites currently picking up anomalous heat signatures from two Texan data centres as ChatGPT is prompted to generate 50,000 emails, all in lower case with random grammatical errors.

In these busiest shopping weeks of the year, with everyone under horrible pressure over money, job security etc, try to be nice to retail staff (who likely have unreasonable sales targets from HQ to make up for a lousy retail year). Far too many stressed customers will behave appallingly right now.

The Terror Beneath is just £12.50 in Osprey's winter sale www.ospreypublishing.com/uk/terror-be...

Can't come and visit the Museum? Why not make your own artefacts with our "Things to Make and Do" page! maryrose.org/things-to-ma... #Museum30 #Making

For no reason whatsoever, reposting my essay, "A bear called Paddington: who gets to be human? buttondown.com/surekhadavie...

Love this so much. 💜

Be the ancestor you wish you had if you lived in 2100.

Our forthcoming Lands of #RuneQuest: Sartar book has a section on Creating Duck Adventurers, with art by Ossi Hiekkala @ossihiekkala.bsky.social. There's also more Duck art coming by Mark Smiley. Ducks, Ducks, and More Ducks.

OMG what the hell. This is just cruel Jewelry often has a value beyond the practical, it's often a reminder of loved ones. Could this timeline be a little less reminiscent of 1930ies Germany?

Why is it important to include references to slavery on blue plaques, National Trust properties, etc? Because otherwise people are convinced that somehow those lovely houses were gifted to certain British families by the fairies, and don't think about where the money came from.

subscriptions >>> shop.viz.co.uk/viz345bs

Taps run dry as water crisis forces Iran to consider evacuating its capital www.nbcnews.com/world/iran/i...

Running my first #DCC game for the boy (14yr) and his pals. Looking for suggestions for a fun funnel adventure?

Popping in to Bluesky on this fine morning to say that "fountain pen drama" that so many people are referencing relates to Ferris Wheel Press (FWP). Countless people asked for comments on their JKR collab, founder ignored all questions wrt the LGBTQIA+ community. (mini-thread)

My favourite year for oppressed literary masculinity was 2023 when the number of women on the Booker shortlist was smaller than the number of men named Paul

Saw it on the distant mountains earlier. I'm sure I can see Schiehallion

The Global Framework on Chemicals Fund is now accepting project proposals! Grants up to $800K are available for projects (up to three years) developing innovative, scalable solutions that prevent harm from hazardous chemicals and waste. Apply by 15 Dec: https://ow.ly/mcV150XryGV

Today, November 16th, is the anniversary of the first newspaper report detailing a sighting of Mothman. It appeared in the Point Pleasant Register as front page news in 1966. Was the sighting down to out of place migrating herons? Or cranes? Or was it something else?

Focus groups ruin everything.

#DRAGONMEET PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT A load of new TTRPGs have just gone up. If you couldn’t get tickets for a game you wanted first time around, take another look now - before all of these book out as well! (Yeh, two of them just happen to be mine.)

At Dragonmeet I'll be running T&T at the Rebellion booth in the morning and hanging out for a bit. I'll also be on the T&T seminar at 12.30 with @loottheroom.bsky.social Afterwards catch me around the floor. I'll pay a visit to the Osprey booth if you want a signed book.

Looking at you lot.

Update on shit show.

Mans said i lost the family business… and my livelihood but i cannot vote for that woman 🙂‍↔️

"YouTuber" and "arrested" are the best words to see in a headline