good news: I found a man who mentioned a book in response to my “read anything interesting lately?” screener question bad news: he mentioned a book he was gifted, but had not read

I saw screen caps from this but I hadn't realised it was from a new Phoebe Bridgers video where she's playing a ren-faire Galadriel. Excellent stuff: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KXn...

Looking for something to read while you hide from the blazing day star? How about two fantasy novellas about people's complex connections with the world from me & @r-emrys.bsky.social via @wtpress.bsky.social andrewknighton.com/walking-a-wo...

Along with the prior repost of UK being halfway to net zero and Australia getting free electricity from renewables there are a lot of these quiet victories going on. The fossil fuel industry is in full thrash and thunder trying to assert how irreplaceable it is but inch by inch we’re getting there.

Just clearing out the AIbot junk in one of my mailboxes and I got this: "I recently came across your book, Legend: Blackdog (Gods of the Caravan Road Book 1) on Smashwords..." Does someone who uses Smashwords want to do a quick check and make sure some arsehole hasn't pirated Blackdog to post there?

We just had a mist come up the valley and knock 6 degrees off the temperature! It's down below 20. I'll take it.

You might have been your last giant.

I don't know whether this is a conspiracy theory or just looking the modern world through a mythic lens, but the World Cup is functionally the Holy Grail.

The “universal” part is the bit they particularly hate btw. Conservatives are very concerned with “the free rider” problem, “why should someone get a free ride when I work hard?” Removing “Universal” from the name stops that.

Good thing it's not overly hot or I might get a bit tetchy over the fact I bought a little air conditioning unit last week but it has been sitting in the local Yodel depot for the last 36 hours and there's no sign of that changing any time soon.

Going sickos.gif over the thunderstorm warning that just popped up on my phone.

Really hope someone on team Burnham has understood the point this thread is making. Really doubt it.

As you boil in the heat, never forget that all those people who for decades have deliberately and maliciously disrupted efforts to tackle climate change are probably sitting comfortable in their large air conditioned houses. Houses funded on the back of lies/misinformation they helped propagate.

Not now, tiny particle that could erase the universe at any moment

Here's a joke that only works if you understand rudimentary Welsh and Mandarin, also it's not funny. Have you noticed that politics is bad? Here's a picture I drew, please give me attention. Here's a creature I live with, they deserve attention too. I overuse "also". Also I forgot to mention my boo-

Happy birthday to the heatwave of 1976 which began today 50 years ago, peaking at 35.9°C. If a comparable heatwave happened in the current climate it would be 3-4°C hotter, peaking at 38-39°C. And the actual forecast is for temperatures of 38-39°C in the next few days with a red heatwave warning.

Folks! Click through and marvel at this eidolon folio in all its glory!

Putting on long sleeves and trousers before going out because the horseflies don't care that it's baking out there.

Keir Starmer presumably expected to go back to life as a human rights lawyer eventually and wanted to make his work easier by removing as many human rights as possible.

Bless you, Welsh rain.

The theory that “electable” means “work to appease right-wing bigots under the assumption that majorities agree with them, at least partially, and they prioritize it when voting” has been tried. It has failed. Try something else.

Good riddance to Keir Starmer. He was elected leader on a progressive platform that he dumped immediately to adopt a conservative, authoritarian leadership and premiership. A man who stands for nothing except power for no purpose. I'm not convinced Andy Burnham will be better, mind.

WELL THERE WE GO ANOTHER COMPLETELY CHILL NORMAL SUMMER AHEAD OF US FOR THE BRITISH ISLES

Starmer is refusing to allow debate time for the Early Day Motion about the EHRC ‘guidance’, despite it being signed by over 140 MPs. If we get 100,000 signatures on this petition we can force a debate.

Donkey* time. *Not a donkey.

Baby times.

I drove 230 miles to and from a birthday party this evening and it was a lot of driving but so nice to see friends I've not glimpsed in decades.

So close! A single buttercup marrs the award because I forgot which was which out of innocent and criminal. I solved the daily #CluesBySam, Jun 20th 2026 (Hard), in less than 11 minutes 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟨🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩 cluesbysam.com

I just got mentioned on a blog about favourite comedians, by someone who booked me for gigs about ten years ago. Absolutely using this quote: "Ali Hancock has a mind as wonderfully strange as Kate Bush."

This week's random sketches:

Congratulations to Andrew Knighton, whose novella, 'Walking a Wounded Land', is a finalist for this year's British Fantasy Awards. wizardstowerpress.co...

I’m tired of endless nonsense about fiscal rules as if they’re divine but also as if politics is just about balancing the books. Balancing the books is temporal and politics should be about values and, you know, actually improving things for people. I say this as a decades long investment wanker.

The worst part of being a cat must be when you get something gross on you and you're like "I guess the only way to get this off is to lick it."

Wellety wellety wellety guess who is contributing to the Welsh folkloric fiction anthology I kept yelling about when it kickstarted: www.kickstarter.com/projects/191...

i truly cannot tell you how proud and excited i am to say that the marielda soundtrack, in a really extraordinary form, will be coming to vinyl in collaboration with @lostincult.co.uk

8. You know what we could do? Fund some amazing third spaces and stop punishing trans kids for existing. Feed kids who don’t get decent meals at home. Start creating a world for kids to grow into rather than a future they know they’ll struggle to fix. Controversial, I know.

Accurate.

It's that time of year again! The best drawing software available is 50% percent off! And unlike other drawing programs when you buy CSP you actually own it! This deal only last 5 days so get it while you can! Get a free trial today using my affiliate link🔽 www.jdoqocy.com/click-101256...

Wellety wellety wellety guess who is contributing to the Welsh folkloric fiction anthology I kept yelling about when it kickstarted: www.kickstarter.com/projects/191...

"Ben owns a farm. He employs 100 workers. His total payroll is $10 million/year. One day, he buys a mule, which provides the worker who uses it with a modest 10% productivity gain. Ben fires 99 of his workers and purchases 99 mules, expecting a 1,000% productivity gain..."

Your periodic reminder that people are *more* abusive online when they're using their "real names" than when they're using a persistent pseudonym and this effect has been replicated in literally every study that has ever been done

Pirate Advice, with Shiva Matimbres

Celeriac looks revolting but its mouthfeel is a thousand times worse. Like eating a semi-calcified sponge riddled with chunks of polystyrene. People try to mitigate this by mashing it but that is like somebody has taken the above and mashed it. Revolting.

CALL FOR COVER ARTISTS Myself and @thunderstormbooks.bsky.social are seeking a cover artist. Professional payment. Anyone welcome to submit. Details here: www.briankeene.com/news/call-fo...

After a week away the Creature is glad to have at least one of her humans back.

You really get the feeling that the Labour leadership would desperately like to lose the next General Election now if possible, but will settle for three years if they must.

Fundamental attribution error is an interesting cognitive bias. Suppose you are having the world's shittiest day. Your spouse just died in a fire that also took your home, you just got diagnosed with cancer, etc. You're sitting in a hospital waiting room.

i assume banning kids from social media will be accompanied by a huge investment in teen-friendly communtiy spaces (like youth clubs) and social activities? No? Huh.

oh yeah, in terms of good news- I haven't seen anyone talking about this??? In short- worst case scenario of 4C warming by 2100 is no longer possible, new worst-case is 2.8C now DOES NOT MEAN we just relax- the only way we got here is through hard work- but it means THE HARD WORK IS WORKING