Rob Wickings
@conojito.bsky.social
š¤ 57
š„ 115
š 259
Writer, Reading. www.excusesandhalftruths.com
I feel like my task bar is having a pop.
about 9 hours ago
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In which I wibble on about
#supergirl
for the best part of 1800 words. Not the movie. I haven't seen that yet. It'd be a dick move to form an opinion on something you haven't seen yet. Right?
wp.me/pjmMI-JDJ
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All You Need Is A Girl And A GodāLessons In Immortality And Empathy from Supergirl
We have always told stories about beings more powerful than ourselves. Myths and legends of heavenly hosts and mountain-dwelling deities, offering promises of eternal bliss if you do as they say, uā¦
https://wp.me/pjmMI-JDJ
1 day ago
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Oh good, we've triggered the Smellygraph.
add a skeleton here at some point
1 day ago
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reposted by
Rob Wickings
Jillian Bost
4 days ago
New micro horror fiction up!
fiftywordstories.com/2026/07/01/j...
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JILLIAN BOST: The Death of Him
Henry wonāt stay in the vault, no matter what Arthur does. He tries to bribe Henry with poems of praise, flowers, a candlelight vigil on his marble mantle. But Henry wants more. āIāll keep you warmā¦
https://fiftywordstories.com/2026/07/01/jillian-bost-the-death-of-him/?fbclid=IwdGRjcASyTRdjbGNrBLJNEWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHtzdPiS6i7BeVDb7ZE8Zn0Gcy2IlOVOffeV-8EPS1BX56gZ_ecNLiesVl9r7_aem_coVVyyzd9-OFngBPYPp0Uw
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Here we are, then.
youtu.be/x2rXMZyxwRY...
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Neil Finn - Last Day of June
https://youtu.be/x2rXMZyxwRY?is=-99bEWX0ygbTUWB4
5 days ago
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Dude's right, goddammit.
add a skeleton here at some point
8 days ago
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Fresh Swipes for the content mill! Good politics, bad self-defence and Midnight Chicken. Tum Fun!
excusesandhalftruths.com/2026/06/27/t...
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The Swipe Volume 4 Chapter 23
Well, itās not like we werenāt warned. As our life slides to a gently liquifiying halt thanks to the red temperature alert (including conferences both pro- and anti-net zero, because the sun doesnāā¦
http://excusesandhalftruths.com/2026/06/27/the-swipe-volume-4-chapter-23/
8 days ago
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Incredible. I have been playing up to now. This is the realest of deals.
add a skeleton here at some point
8 days ago
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reposted by
Rob Wickings
Jo | RazorwireRose
11 days ago
ADHD pals listen up! We hear a lot about anti-depressants causing issues with heat - but if youāre on a stimulant medication youāre likely to be struggling right now. Hydration is SUPER important. If youāre struggling to keep on top of drinking your water (because the dopamine just isnāt it) tryā¦
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Normally I would complain about my dim, aggressively air-conditioned workplace. Not today.
12 days ago
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It has been 48 hours since I held my hands out, palms up, under a paper towel dispenser in a public loo for ten seconds. Please let me know if I can stop the cringing.
14 days ago
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A swerve away from the usual Swipe. Let's talk Saturday morning telly, past and present. This is what they want!
wp.me/pjmMI-JCu
#saturdaykitchen
#tiswas
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Today Is Saturday, Watch And Smile
I have a very solid ritual upon which my whole Saturday revolves. The first step is, of course, compiling and scheduling this here newsletter, setting it up and ready for a 10am drop. That deadlineā¦
https://wp.me/pjmMI-JCu
15 days ago
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Totally. The media studies modules in my degree (1986, Communication and Media Production) continue to serve me well. Bullshit is easy to spot and skewer if you have the tools in place to do so.
add a skeleton here at some point
20 days ago
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In which yer boi sneers at football and AI yet gets unreasonably excited about a 1970s basketball advert. Try the fish!
wp.me/pjmMI-JCl
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The Swipe Volume 4 Chapter 22
World Cup 2026 is a go! The world gathers in celebration of its greatest sport, nation joining with nation in a spirit of unity, community and mutual understanding. You know, of course, that your Sā¦
https://wp.me/pjmMI-JCl
22 days ago
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New glasses, bad decisions and your own personal Rothko. The Swipe loves you, stop resisting.
wp.me/pjmMI-JBX
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The Swipe Volume 4 Chapter 21
New glasses this week, following a big change in prescription and a catastrophic fail of the old framesāone of the hinges simply gave up and fell apart, an example of fatigue I can only empathise wā¦
https://wp.me/pjmMI-JBX
29 days ago
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reposted by
Rob Wickings
ĪĪĪĪĪ£ ΤΔĪΧĪĪĪ£ā¢
about 1 month ago
Anthony Hurd (American, born 1975) Weāre Not Going Anywhere, 2025 Acrylic on canvas (76.2 Ć 61 cm) Private collection
#art
#painting
#artist
#BlueSkyArt
#PrideMonth
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If you really want to flip the table, add Tom Hollander to the mix.
add a skeleton here at some point
about 1 month ago
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reposted by
Rob Wickings
Kieran (but fruitier)
about 1 month ago
Every year for Pride, I repost Hue. I made him to send love and comfort to those who feel Pride isnāt for them because they arenāt out. You matter, you are valid, and itās ok if you arenāt ready yet. Coming out is not a requirement for being part of this community. Happy Pride š
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Oh look, it me doing writings.
www.tumblr.com/skullgrind/8...
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Reblog by @skullgrind Ā· 1 image
š¬ 1Ā Ā š 171Ā Ā ā¤ļø 344Ā Ā·Ā Carlos PrunĆ©s Ćlvarez (1937-2017), ''Macabro'', #15, 1975
https://www.tumblr.com/skullgrind/818193281858125824?source=share
about 1 month ago
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reposted by
Rob Wickings
Coach Gowron
about 1 month ago
We often treat every activity as if it is something to be bested, an achievement to be unlocked. If singing brings you joy, sing for the joy of it, not because it is a skill you must master, must exploit. We should do more things for the glory of it, not the profit of it.
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In which we mourn a sporting landscape which does not feature bionic athletes and low-gravity high jumps.
excusesandhalftruths.com/2026/05/30/t...
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The Swipe Volume 4 Chapter 20
I was deeply amused by the Enhanced Games last week, an event which served as a crazed mirror image of modern athletics competition. It was put together to prove a pointāthat allowing athletes the ā¦
http://excusesandhalftruths.com/2026/05/30/the-swipe-volume-4-chapter-20/
about 1 month ago
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reposted by
Rob Wickings
Mike Galsworthy
about 1 month ago
š„ 97,500!š„ This Rejoin petition is so close to completion. Letās tip it over the 100,000 mark to force the government to respond. Given the party in power now realises they need the pro-EU base - are they really going to refuse a debate in parliament on this? Letās find out! Sign and share!
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Petition: Apply to Rejoin the EU as soon as possible to increase growth in the UK
We believe Brexit's not working. The OBR judges that the UK economy is smaller and trade is weaker because of Brexit, and it will just get worse. 10 years after the Brexit vote, let's apply to rejoin ...
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/749128
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You're gonna need an ocean of calamine lotion. This week's Swipe will scratch that itch!
wp.me/pjmMI-JAJ
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The Swipe Volume 4 Chapter 18
International members of the Readership may have noticed their British friends complaining with more than usual intensity about the weather this weekāin particular how following a lovely warm spellā¦
https://wp.me/pjmMI-JAJ
about 2 months ago
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reposted by
Rob Wickings
Charlie Jane "Lessons in Magic and Disaster" Anders š³ļøāā§
about 2 months ago
If Democrats want to win elections, they need to start talking more about what a good boy my cat is. That's what ordinary people want to hear about. Stop with all the policy proposals and slogans, just... tell everyone that Dr Sassy is a very good cat.
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Dick Advocaat sounds like a terrible euphemism, ain't gonna lie.
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
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Dick Advocaat returns to CuraƧao job in time for World Cup 2026 adventure
Dick Advocaat will lead CuraƧao to their first World Cup and become the oldest manager in the tournamentās history
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/12/dick-advocaat-returns-curacao-world-cup-2026-adventure
about 2 months ago
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He did, and you should absolutely get reading.
add a skeleton here at some point
about 2 months ago
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Full Fat Funsies with extra cheese and a side of frickles. Enjoy this week's heaping portion of Swipery!
wp.me/pjmMI-JAh
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The Swipe Volume 4 Chapter 17
We have a beeās nest in the garden. It looks like we had one hidden in the base of an old raised bed that a badger or fox discovered and dug out (badgers looooove bee larvae). An emergency evacuatiā¦
https://wp.me/pjmMI-JAh
about 2 months ago
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Caversham Centre/Caversham Park Village/Caversham Heights.
add a skeleton here at some point
2 months ago
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Happy Light Jacket Day!
wp.me/pjmMI-JzB
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The Swipe Volume 4 Chapter 15
Itās become clear to me as I slip towards The Big Birthday that nothing is more important than the pursuit and discovery of joy. Even in the simplest of moments, I find myself aware of how every moā¦
https://wp.me/pjmMI-JzB
2 months ago
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House Beast Shenanigans, new ways with Heinz Sandwich Spread and how to find how far you've come. A fully-packed Swipe this week, crack the crust and dig in!
wp.me/pjmMI-Jzd
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The Swipe Volume 4 Chapter 14
Itās early. House Beast Millie was not taking no for an answer when it came to rousing one of us to get her breakfastāat 5am she was stomping up and down the bed, shoving her nose in our faces. I tā¦
https://wp.me/pjmMI-Jzd
3 months ago
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Press the button, follow the rules and groove along with Big Mama Thornton. Shake it!
excusesandhalftruths.com/2026/04/11/t...
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http://excusesandhalftruths.com/2026/04/11/the-swipe-volume-4-chapter-13/
3 months ago
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Happy Eggmas, ya filthy animals.
wp.me/pjmMI-Jyw
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The Swipe Volume 4 Chapter 12
I ascribe to no religion, have no faith other than the sure and certain belief in the essential goodness of humanityāyes, even in the face of all evidence to the contrary. However, Iāll embrace a rā¦
https://wp.me/pjmMI-Jyw
3 months ago
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Bye-bye Metaverse, hello spring. Magic coffees and iced buns all round!
wp.me/pjmMI-Jyc
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The Swipe Volume 4 Chapter 11
Weāve turned a corner, Readership. The Spring Equinox was on the 20th, while the 25th was Lady Day, in old calendars the starting point of the New Year. Our windowsills are filled with seed trays, ā¦
https://wp.me/pjmMI-Jyc
3 months ago
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Gladly. Happy birthday!
add a skeleton here at some point
3 months ago
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Different kinds of covers, and cautionary tales on gambling and the patient/therapist relationship. Also, Aunt Meg's gravy. So much nourishment!
wp.me/pjmMI-JxK
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The Swipe Volume 4 Chapter 10
It feels like everywhere you turn, service providers are jamming AI into your crevices and expecting you to be happy about it. Grammarly were caught in shenanigans this week with the whole author mā¦
https://wp.me/pjmMI-JxK
4 months ago
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reposted by
Rob Wickings
Reading Writers
4 months ago
Our modest little write-up of Novelists' Day:
readingwriters.wordpress.com/2026/03/16/n...
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In which I seriously overthink a minor detail in one of the most divisive films of 2026.
wp.me/pjmMI-JxJ
4 months ago
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An opportunity for you to spend a little money on me. Capitalism ahoy!
wp.me/pjmMI-Jx0
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The Swipe Volume 4 Chapter 8
Great news for all readers! I have finally got my sorry ass in gear and stuck some new writing up in place where you lucky sorts can read it. Poems For Monoliths is a novelette comprising six interā¦
https://wp.me/pjmMI-Jx0
4 months ago
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It's true, I have indeed committed crimes against literature this day.
add a skeleton here at some point
4 months ago
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Fire Horses, Pancakes and the wisdom of Ed and Tim. Get your skates on, it's Swipe Time!
excusesandhalftruths.com/2026/02/21/t...
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The Swipe Volume 4 Chapter 7
Busy old week for the religious calendar. Tuesday marked the Lunar New Year and Shrove Tuesday, better known to food fans as an excuse to hoover up all the duck pancakes they can. It was also the sā¦
http://excusesandhalftruths.com/2026/02/21/the-swipe-volume-4-chapter-7/
4 months ago
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A Ninth Art-heavy Swipe this week, but if that ain't your jam we have Tetris, Dada-cubist funk and a most excellent hat. Righteous!
wp.me/pjmMI-JvO
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The Swipe Volume 4 Chapter 5
C and I rejoined our local library. It took five minutes, was all done online and feels like a sensible thing to do. I grew up in libraries, pretty much. They were where my love of SF and fantasy wā¦
https://wp.me/pjmMI-JvO
5 months ago
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Loving the science-fictional vibes of the
#winterolympics
opening. Everyone emerging through Stargates, Harkonnen vibes on the Brazilian team...
5 months ago
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70s SF two ways, the best way to protest against tyranny and a poem which acts like a machine. Fret not, pet, The Swipe has got you covered for all eventualities.
wp.me/pjmMI-Jvl
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The Swipe Volume 4 Chapter 4
Apparently I have a doppelgƤnger. Two separate pals on two separate occasions have sworn, hand on heart, that they have seen a fella with not just my physical appearance but gait and stance stridinā¦
https://wp.me/pjmMI-Jvl
5 months ago
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Hostile caramel, sparkly prog and sonic cathedrals. Let's get it on!
wp.me/pjmMI-JuK
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The Swipe Volume 4 Chapter 3
Iām under both the clock and the gun a bit this week, so letās jump straight into the serious business. Enjoy links on dangerous caramel, drone metal, skronky jazz and a Disney movie you really neeā¦
https://wp.me/pjmMI-JuK
5 months ago
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Pockets for all!
excusesandhalftruths.com/2026/01/17/p...
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Pockets
Cover image by beasturnchen on Pixabay I have a little ritual I have to enact before I leave the house. A simpler version of the old Catholic mnemonic ā spectacles, testicles, wallet and watch. Thiā¦
http://excusesandhalftruths.com/2026/01/17/pockets/
6 months ago
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Make some Middle English noise, pasta for breakfast and MTV your way. Time to boss 2026.
excusesandhalftruths.com/2026/01/10/t...
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The Swipe Volume 4 Chapter 2
Hands up who had āactual flippinā blizzard, ICE murder in Minnesota and a potential annexation of Greenlandā on their scorecards for the first week of 2026. The soap opera of life in the second quaā¦
http://excusesandhalftruths.com/2026/01/10/the-swipe-volume-4-chapter-2/
6 months ago
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excusesandhalftruths.com/2026/01/03/t...
In which I embrace my grumpy old man status.
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The Swipe Volume 4 Chapter 1
So here we are again. The start of a new yearādepending of course on your calendar of choice. Yet again we were lured past midnight on New Yearās Eve by the promise of big fireworks (Caversham, youā¦
http://excusesandhalftruths.com/2026/01/03/the-swipe-volume-4-chapter-1/
6 months ago
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Rob's theory towards a three-part version of Christmas, Betwixtmas and after.
excusesandhalftruths.com/2025/12/27/t...
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The Three Parts Of Christmas
It all happens so quickly. One minute youāre rushing around and over-thinking, the panic rising like a bubble of acidic bile, convincing yourself that you havenāt done enough, itāll never be enoughā¦
http://excusesandhalftruths.com/2025/12/27/the-three-parts-of-christmas/
6 months ago
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A prang, a playlist, a little bit of Paradise. Have some Swipe, my lovelies.
excusesandhalftruths.com/2025/12/06/t...
7 months ago
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Your attention please. Due to entirely avoidable circumstances and poor choice of approach angle round a tree, I have had to speak to car insurance people. On the phone. On the PHONE. I am now accepting thoughts, prayers and commiserations for my emotional damage. The car will recover. I may not.
7 months ago
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