It made me cry a little

The more AI infests gaming and everyday tech, the more I think of that line from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy about how the marketing division of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation was defined as "a bunch of mindless jerks who were first against the wall when the revolution came."

oooooooh bloody HELL www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

It's a lovely 6th Day of Christmas at my true love's house, and you are six horrible geese

My goodness, 1990 was a bad year for music #TOTP

Absolutely nobody asked for this BUT English Anglican cathedrals that have burned down, fallen over, and sank into the swamp: a thread.

Did you know that different painkillers work best on different sources of pain? Inflammation: Ibuprofen Fever: Paracetamol Billionaires: Guillotine Hope that helps!

Linking antisemitic murders to the war on Gaza is really dangerous. It legitimises them when they are terrorist attacks. Likewise, linking "resistance" to Israel's actions to terrorism is really dangerous. Israel and Jewish people are not synonymous.

This is Millie. She just learned how to sled. Hopes you brought a second land frisbee, because she will not be taking turns. 13/10 (TT: millietheredlab)

A knight has been spotted in Summertown. (We have the best readers). A Clarion correspondent wrote in to report the sighting, saying “He was having a little difficulty with the pelican crossing when I caught up with him. Pressing the button is tricky when you’re wearing metal gauntlets."

—I’ve been asked to baptise the King of Spain’s daughter —Infanta? —No, holy water as usual. Weird thing to ask honestly

This entire weekend

Why would you have a recycling challenge on a knitting show where you cut garments up and sew them together rather than just unravelling them and reusing the yarn? Also, why am I still watching #TheGameOfWool?

Turns out a lot of Robin Ince's books are in the sale here, if anyone wants to support him cosmicshambles.myshopify.com/search?q=rob...

I have been thinking a lot about Diana Wynne Jones lately, thanks to the brilliant @eightdaysofdiana.bsky.social. I was just thinking (apropos of a car reference in Black Maria, which I'm currently reading) about how I always picture Tom's kettle-shaped car as a Citroën 2CV.

This is very sad, but huge respect to @robinince.bsky.social for choosing to continue to stand up against injustice.

1988 Christmas #TOTP. Eddi Reader appears to have decided not to even bother lipsyncing and is peeling a satsuma instead.

This is so amazing I am seriously tempted to stump up the cost of transatlantic shipping...

How to support someone with a disability: - If they've told you they need to eat/drink/take breaks at set times, let them do that. DO NOT argue/insist that it does not work for the team or cannot be accommodated in the schedule. This is what a "reasonable accommodation" looks like.

I'd tell you my joke about the Sirens if you take that wax out of your ears.

We are reliably informed that the former Primate of All England had a house in West Oxfordshire, but that no application for a primate licence was ever lodged.

my one very sincere piece of business advice to universities: it takes *a lot* of indignities to kill the goodwill of people who choose to work at universities but managing to do so is not something to be proud of

This is an astounding thing for the leader of a Labour Party who has just witnessed the Tory government crash the UK out of the EU, let Covid rip, and starve people under austerity to say!

Complete lack of joined-up thinking here, and reading to the end, my inescapable conclusion is, in this aspect of its remit at least, the Environment Agency is wholly unfit for purpose. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

In my view, the crime is the waste of custard and apple crumble. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

♥️

Also, it should go without saying, but in the media it no longer does, but trans girls are not boys. They are girls.

I'm in this photo and I don't like it.

Self-ID for left handed to be ended. Will now require a ten year wait and the opinion of three psychologists. Firstline treatments to include breaking all the fingers on the left hand with a mallet. NHS to offer sinister hand amputation to persistent cases. Move praised by charity Right Matters

Hey Wes, I can save you the trouble. The reason a lot of people are struggling with their mental health in the UK is it fucking sucks here. Aside from usual late-stage capitalism stuff, everything that could be cool about living here has been systematically made worse by people like you, you cunt.

I'm disappointed in the Girl Guides and the WI for caving to this, but I'm *furious* with the transphobes and the supreme court and the EHRC and the government for causing this situation, when even trans inclusive institutions are throwing people out.

Any trans people struggling with the news from Girl Guides and Women’s Institute… Can I send you a @polari.press book to lift your spirits? DM me and I’ll see what I can do. 💜

My mental health declined pretty badly last wk but some of you asked for more photos like the hunt-the-tiny-owl one I made & I wanted to try to make an advent calendar so:some lovely things that fell off trees & this time a tiny deer stag to find. Do let me know if you enjoy this & I'll make more 🦌

✨ A few years back I stood outside Wells Cathedral for a full day and photographed the impact of the light on the front facade. I was amazed at the outcome - at how a single entity could morph and change under the changing light. 🌅 #thread

For those keeping score, the answer is "Environment Agency being useless" with a side order of "it's easier to go after law abiding companies than go after criminals" www.circularonline.co.uk/news/fly-tip...

Woe, woe and thrice woe for anyone at Rightmove who's trying to use this week's web analytics for commercial analysis...

Out of interest, I had a look on Rightmove to see what kind of houses were on sale for more than £2m in my (expensive) area of the country. Either massive country houses with grounds and swimming pools, or massive North Oxford houses in a small number of very well-heeled roads.

If "sapphic sci-fi cosy mystery" wasn't tempting enough, how about "sapphic sci-fi cosy mystery with FREE KNITTING PATTERN"? (Also, the first book was terrific so I fully expect this to be too - so looking forward to it!)

CHATGPT: I understand where you're coming from. You worked really hard to get here, and now it's time to enjoy the fruit of your labors. ISILDUR: So I should keep it? Elrond says I shouldn't CHATGPT: The ring is precious. Sometimes friends don't have your best interests at heart. ISILDUR: true

What book would you recommend to someone learning about neurodiversity for the first time? We’re updating our Space for Reading at the Weston Library and this time, the theme is Neurodiversity. Share your book recommendations here: https://forms.office.com/e/bRHBxTXBSY

A 39-year old man from the Guildford area has been arrested in connection with the Kidlington fly tip, following investigations by the Environment Agency and the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit. EA director Anna Burns called it “the first step in delivering justice for residents”.

I don't wear jewellery, but the wren necklace is so beautiful it makes me wish I did. If you do wear jewellery (and can afford it, obvs), you should definitely get one.

I suspect tracking down Professor Biscuit was much easier than finding his human equivalent would have been... www.chronicle.com/blognetwork/...

They're also responsible for one of the best emails I've ever received, when the college office sent out a plea for sightings of Professor Biscuit while conveniently forgetting to mention that he was a cat...(I won't comment on how often a similar email might have gone out about human Professors...)

If you use GMail, AI (Gemini) was turned on yesterday by default and now scans all of your content for machine learning. To turn off, go to Settings>General and scroll down. Uncheck the box for "Smart features." There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.

The Clarion, always here for the important news in Oxford.

Walter de Staplecat, Simpkin IV, Teabag, Balthasar and Benny D Cat take the stage as we meet the college cats of Oxford. And, of course, Magdalen’s Ozymandias. Read on for our photo special. (Includes a cat map.) oxfordclarion.uk/college-cats...

“Are the fae open source?” is such a terrifying question in so many ways.