Nostr notes by

"Robot beats Usain Bolt" So? 'Hot air balloon ascends ...

2026-08-25T08:28:07Z

"Robot beats Usain Bolt"
So?
'Hot air balloon ascends higher than Olympic high jumper Gale Lark'
'Submarine can stay underwater longer than Karen Fish of Guildford'
'Lawn mower cuts grass quicker than Herbie Vorr when he's on all fours nibbling'
It's a *robot*. False equivalence.

Today's visual obsession: Arnold Böcklin's Die ...

2026-07-27T18:16:55Z

Today's visual obsession: Arnold Böcklin's Die Toteninsel (Isle of the Dead). Five variations painted between 1880 & 1886. The 4th was destroyed in Berlin during World War II. Only a b/w photo exists. A 6th 'lost' version (1901) attributed to Böcklin & his son, Carlo, came to light in 2022.
#art

We truly live in the thickest era of human evolution. You can ...

2026-07-22T10:55:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…gdpa
_________________________

We truly live in the thickest era of human evolution. You can forgive the ignorance of our ancestors because they had limited access to knowledge, but now the sheer volume of verified learning at our fingertips is unprecedented. Being so ignorant is a wilful act of self-defeating spite.

Helen of Troy was born from an egg as a result of her father ...

2026-07-22T10:41:33Z

Helen of Troy was born from an egg as a result of her father turning into a swan (or goose) and mating with her mother, who may have been either Leda or Nemesis.
And let's not forget the 6-headed, 12-footed Scylla, and the half-bird, half-human sirens.
I look forward to all the hiSToRICle aCCuraSSy.

"Burnham has appointed a minister for AI" Unless her name ...

2026-07-21T11:02:12Z

"Burnham has appointed a minister for AI"
Unless her name is Sarah Connor, you can get fucked.

Sorting out old stuff... Spot the kid who grew up before the ...

2026-07-16T10:05:20Z

Sorting out old stuff...
Spot the kid who grew up before the advent of home video.
Condensed, 45 min versions of #movies and #TV shows on record, often with narration to help bridge the missing bits.

#vinyl #cinema

New Swiss magazine with "Ohne KI" (No #AI) on the cover. ...

2026-07-11T08:01:32Z

New Swiss magazine with "Ohne KI" (No #AI) on the cover.
Nice to see some publishers openly resisting.

A sneak preview from Tim Burton's latest feature animation, ...

2026-07-06T12:21:01Z

A sneak preview from Tim Burton's latest feature animation, Corpse of the Living Doll.

The weather's not taking any prisoners this morning. This ...

2026-07-01T09:06:37Z

The weather's not taking any prisoners this morning. This fast-moving lightning storm just surged across the sky like a charging army.

#photography

I feel like I'm going mad sometimes. Sites like Facebook have ...

2026-06-30T09:24:50Z

I feel like I'm going mad sometimes. Sites like Facebook have turned into history-erasing machines. There are far too many posts now along the lines of: "I found this old photo of my great grandmother and decided to restore it with #AI".
With comments like: "Oh wow, she's so beautiful! You must be *so* proud!"

After almost two weeks of this heat, my brain has turned to ...

2026-06-28T14:02:47Z

After almost two weeks of this heat, my brain has turned to glitchy mush. Yesterday evening I struggled to put the lid back on a bottle of water and then realised why it wouldn't work - it was a Bic biro pen lid. I find my mislaid glasses in the fridge. I look for the spoon that's already in my hand.

And, yes, I know it's possible in theory to select ...

2026-06-26T08:34:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…hehj
_________________________

And, yes, I know it's possible in theory to select 'English (UK)' in many apps... However...

Nostr event nevent1qqsf2mcd6zeughtmjqqv57lz568jlkf6gnz0w6ttx27024m7jt9f79czyprjpa4pmll7n5kh6tzs36rx6w2eu5l68l9m9msquenw2pkthm2gcw2k368

2026-06-26T08:17:26Z

#LinkedIn email: "[Someone you worked with briefly 30 years ...

2026-06-25T16:50:19Z

#LinkedIn email: "[Someone you worked with briefly 30 years ago] just solved a LinkedIn puzzle game. Think you can beat their score?"

It's like someone phoning you and saying:
'Hi, do you remember Tony?'
'Tony who?'
'You worked with him for a summer when you left school. That Tony.'
'Erm. Ok. Tony. Yes, vaguely.'
'Well, I'm calling to say he just completed a crossword.'
'O...kay? And?'
'That's it, really. I thought you might want to know, in case you wanted to do one too'

Oh no. I'm going to search Netscape and AltaVista for ways to ...

2026-06-24T11:55:40Z

Oh no.
I'm going to search Netscape and AltaVista for ways to help. I'll set up funding pages on MySpace and Friends Reunited. And I'll video a charity appeal on Betamax, convert it to Laserdisc, then send out copies that can only be watched on 3D-Ready TVs. I'll page you with more details ASAP.

#AI

Just wow. I Googled to see if 18th century artist Henry Fuseli ...

2026-06-24T08:20:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…p7ql
_________________________

Just wow.
I Googled to see if 18th century artist Henry Fuseli had ever painted Orpheus and Eurydice, and AI overview said: "It appears you may be blending the tragic Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice with the distinct, spiraling noodle known as fusilli"

It seems that everywhere I turn at the moment I encounter a book ...

2026-06-24T08:12:23Z

It seems that everywhere I turn at the moment I encounter a book (e.g., Murakami), film (Cocteau), music (Stravinsky, Monteverdi), painting, or whatever, that has some connection to Orpheus and his descent to the underworld in search of Eurydice.

"Andy Burnham is on his way to Downing Street to fulfill his ...

2026-06-22T13:03:52Z

"Andy Burnham is on his way to Downing Street to fulfill his Midsummer destiny..."

The White House vs. Isengard in Lord of the Rings. ...

2026-06-20T19:46:40Z

The White House vs. Isengard in Lord of the Rings.

Congratulations to Andy Burnham for winning The Masked Singer. ...

2026-06-19T06:38:54Z

Congratulations to Andy Burnham for winning The Masked Singer.

Always had a fondness for Hockney's early work. Perhaps ...

2026-06-12T20:55:50Z

Always had a fondness for Hockney's early work. Perhaps because his northern British suburban imagery was so familiar to me.

The problems with gigs: 1. Human crowds. 2. Getting home ...

2026-06-08T07:41:52Z

The problems with gigs:
1. Human crowds.
2. Getting home afterwards.
but mainly
3. Advance booking. Gigs rarely coincide with my concurrent obsession. So, if I'm bingeing avant-garde jazz, attending a rock gig is jarring; when listening to glitchy electronica, it's harder to appreciate a requiem.

Just rewatched Lord of the Rings. I'd forgotten that ...

2026-06-07T12:54:12Z

Just rewatched Lord of the Rings. I'd forgotten that Sauron's seeing-stone is called Palantir. So, democracy-sceptic, demon-believing Peter Thiel names his company (and models its logo?) after a device that allows an all-seeing evil eye to "broadcast propaganda" and control what people can and can't see in the service of malevolence... And the UK gov thought: "Yes, let's hire that company to look after our defence, policing, financial and health systems"?
https://www.reuters.com/technology/uk-lawmakers-call-palantirs-role-public-sector-an-unacceptable-weakness-2026-06-02/

"Grandpa, what did it feel like living through the ...

2026-06-04T11:19:26Z

"Grandpa, what did it feel like living through the 2020s?"

People: "There's no such thing as a stupid question" ...

2026-05-27T10:58:37Z

People: "There's no such thing as a stupid question"
Me: "Is the UK outside?", "Does the moon own a lawnmower?", "When counting 1, 2, 3... Does hen come next?", "Have you ever been murdered?", "Do you need to take off your head when you sit down?", "Is a flerm half a blerf, or is it a Kenneth?"

'Accept cookies/confirm choices'. If you don't offer ...

2026-05-23T07:08:03Z

'Accept cookies/confirm choices'.
If you don't offer a 'reject/decline all' option from the outset, I'm not going through pages & pages of your 300 vendors selecting & deselecting as appropriate. Nor am I just going to agree to all out of resigned apathy. I simply don't use your site/app. Fuck off.

Good books, not necessarily in the right order, and with some ...

2026-05-19T08:57:43Z

Good books, not necessarily in the right order, and with some glaring omissions.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/ng-interactive/2026/may/12/the-100-best-novels-of-all-time

All tech bros: According to our #AI assistant, MeMeMe™️, ...

2026-05-15T08:56:02Z

All tech bros: According to our #AI assistant, MeMeMe™️, Jesus explicitly said that we should be allowed to do whatever we want, even if that means annhilating all life on earth (you can't make omelette without breaking eggs). And that anyone who tries to regulate us should be stoned to death.

If you believe that #Reform is a solution to, well, anything, I ...

2026-05-08T07:48:54Z

If you believe that #Reform is a solution to, well, anything, I have a splinter from the true cross I'd like to sell you.
I hope you won't think this presumptuous of me, but have you ever considered attending a course that teaches rudimentary reasoning skills, you gullible fucking lack-wit?

🧵A somewhat niche thread. Film posters inadvertently ...

2026-05-06T08:42:52Z

🧵A somewhat niche thread. Film posters inadvertently photographed by postwar town planners.
I found most in the Manchester Archives+ and Manchester Libraries archives.
#1: Dr. No

#cinema #socialhistory

Couldn't resist. ...

2026-04-15T15:24:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…3zgt
_________________________

Couldn't resist.

If you have a prosthetic, implant, hearing aid or pacemaker, ...

2026-04-15T14:17:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…837h
_________________________

If you have a prosthetic, implant, hearing aid or pacemaker, please approach them with caution. Get distracted for even a second and they'll swipe it, patch it into a faulty R5 unit or landspeeder, then sell it back to you at 10 times the price.

If anyone is in the Whitehaven area, could you pop over to the ...

2026-04-15T14:04:13Z

If anyone is in the Whitehaven area, could you pop over to the Jawas and ask if they have any secondhand droids for sale, thanks.

Wes Streeting looks like a marionette from a cancelled Gerry ...

2026-04-15T08:04:16Z

Wes Streeting looks like a marionette from a cancelled Gerry Anderson series, or a possessed Edwardian ventriloquist dummy.
See also: Lindsey Graham and Mike Johnson.
Maybe there's a cabal of evil, living puppet/dolls taking over the world? We should look into it.

People hear music in the song of spring birds. Not me. ...

2026-04-15T07:28:24Z

People hear music in the song of spring birds. Not me.
There's one bird that just shrieks out a single, unchanging 'ARGH!' every 20 seconds. Another makes a high-pitched, honking clown nose sound. And don't start me on blackbirds: 'Hi! Hello? Hi there! Hi! Can you hear me? Hi! Hello! Hey! Hi there!'

A very merry fuck Orbán into oblivion to all those who ...

2026-04-12T19:31:44Z

A very merry fuck Orbán into oblivion to all those who celebrate.
#Hungary

Flowers and mountains. Photoed on Wednesday in Montreux. ...

2026-04-10T14:50:11Z

Flowers and mountains. Photoed on Wednesday in Montreux.

#photography

Sudden military presence in Switzerland over the past few days. ...

2026-04-10T08:56:47Z

Sudden military presence in Switzerland over the past few days. Lots of army transports on the autobahns; pairs of fighters flying in formation.
Just sayin.

Happy Eater ...

2026-04-05T07:56:35Z

Happy Eater

How autie brains sometimes work &/or process information. A: ...

2026-04-01T09:10:20Z

How autie brains sometimes work &/or process information.
A: Have you seen that Jack Nicholson film?
B: Which one?
A: The one with the frustratingly unidentifiable wallpaper.

Throw #adhd into the mix and you can lose hours/days/weeks to researching minutia.
#autism #asd #audhd

The Wicker Nan. ...

2026-03-31T11:04:18Z

The Wicker Nan.

Apropos of nothing, here are some Macbethian witches. ...

2026-03-27T11:08:52Z

Apropos of nothing, here are some Macbethian witches.

"Prince William keen to build 'strong & ...

2026-03-23T14:49:43Z

"Prince William keen to build 'strong & meaningful' bond with Church... [because i) the PR dept hopes it'll be seen as a repentant gesture to atone for Andrew. ii) If we stop believing in gods, the ancient royal claim that god sanctioned their very existence isn't worth shit]"

https://bbc.com/news/articles/cx230em8jg7o

Aliens: "We don't understand why 8.2 billion humans are ...

2026-03-21T19:41:41Z

Aliens: "We don't understand why 8.2 billion humans are just standing by while a tiny (tiny!!) fraction of narcissistic, flagrantly benighted terrestrial fucknuggets ruin the planet and risk the future of the species. It makes no sense."

The town mayor is in another phase of pitching. Busy couple of ...

2026-03-20T14:10:43Z

The town mayor is in another phase of pitching.
Busy couple of weeks.
Keep your fingers crossed.

#scarfolk

I keep meaning to post something, but I've run out of ...

2026-03-16T18:00:19Z

I keep meaning to post something, but I've run out of opinions. I don't seem able to formulate any new ones. And god knows how many times I've recycled all my old opinions; I never got around to updating them.

Just spotted. The sheer, staggering anarchy of Swiss graffiti. ...

2026-03-02T11:29:07Z

Just spotted.
The sheer, staggering anarchy of Swiss graffiti.

"The free version of the new #AI app FuKLIFE can take your ...

2026-02-12T10:11:30Z

"The free version of the new #AI app FuKLIFE can take your daily walk, or attend a concert, for you. But subscribers can also send FuKLIFE on holiday in their stead. The app's clever algorithm sends AI-generated photos of the moments you might have experienced and tells you how you feel about them."

Took the bins out and found myself inside a huge pint of ...

2026-02-11T10:20:03Z

Took the bins out and found myself inside a huge pint of freshly-poured ale.

Nostr event nevent1qqsynlyc7vd3gl55k560zdplzfr3fk2myp6gytk3t3cumxu0adwf0egzyprjpa4pmll7n5kh6tzs36rx6w2eu5l68l9m9msquenw2pkthm2gcf9lvwh

2026-01-28T09:52:44Z

RE: https://flipboard.com/@independent/uk-politics-o7qj2rmtz/-/a-3dcNmDj9QEazFBSPeYT7Tw%3Aa%3A1855170754-%2F0

"We're going to train people how to not think for themselves, and in doing so deny them the opportunity to learn new skills."
It's like the medieval church. "Don't bother learning Latin yourself. No need to read the bible; just trust the priests."
Trust the Machine.
The Machine will provide.

#AI

quoting
note1d9t…ljvt

Free AI training to be offered to every adult in the UK
[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/courses-secretary-of-state-elon-musk-liz-kendall-change-b2908967.html?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub ](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/courses-secretary-of-state-elon-musk-liz-kendall-change-b2908967.html?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub )

Posted into UK Politics [@uk-politics-Independent](https://flipboard.com/@independent/uk-politics-o7qj2rmtz )

People often invoke George Orwell when discussing the grim state ...

2026-01-21T15:40:45Z

People often invoke George Orwell when discussing the grim state of the world, but Hans Christian Andersen, with his story about a vain, gullible emperor, and the townsfolk who are too afraid to challenge his stupidity, doesn't get the credit he's due.

#Davos #WEF

We had freezing fog overnight. It's too cold (or rather I ...

2026-01-20T10:07:28Z

We had freezing fog overnight.
It's too cold (or rather I couldn't be bothered) to go outside, so here are some pictures I made earlier during similar weather.

#photography

It's like a remake of Big, but in place of Hanks's Josh ...

2026-01-19T13:50:55Z

It's like a remake of Big, but in place of Hanks's Josh Baskin, Veruca Salt has taken the lead role.
America: remove this deranged infant without delay. He doesn't care about either US citizens or non-US citizens. His destabilisation of the planet is a purely narcissistic endeavour.

The centre of Bern is, let's say, quiet on Sunday ...

2026-01-19T09:12:19Z

The centre of Bern is, let's say, *quiet* on Sunday afternoons; more so than most European capital cities, I would have thought.

#photography #silentSunday

When I moved to Switzerland, I discovered he was a local. He ...

2026-01-12T12:22:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…wvnw
_________________________

When I moved to Switzerland, I discovered he was a local. He built an 'ancient mysteries' theme park, which soon failed, but the buildings still stand. I took some photos a couple of years ago.

Däniken's 'paleo-contact' claims of extraterrestrial ...

2026-01-12T12:20:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…4t9a
_________________________

Däniken's 'paleo-contact' claims of extraterrestrial influences on early human development, attracted a dedicated following, despite his earlier convictions for theft, fraud and embezzlement (and robust debunking of his theories). Films, soundtracks, and even prog concept albums followed his books.

🧵 Erich von Däniken is dead, aged 90. Many of my generation ...

2026-01-12T12:17:32Z

🧵 Erich von Däniken is dead, aged 90. Many of my generation will remember him as a proponent of the pseudoscientific 'ancient aliens' theory, just one of the many sensationalist supernatural topics that flooded culture in the 1970s.
I've had this book since I was a little kid.

#ancientaliens

Taking a quick walk this afternoon, I bumped into some ...

2026-01-11T17:51:04Z

Taking a quick walk this afternoon, I bumped into some 'rebels', who asked if I could help them destroy the local shield generator. I said I'd love to, but I had to get back in time for the last bus. Public transport on the forest moon of Endor is notoriously unreliable.

Some US opposition interviewees seem stunned, as if they ...

2026-01-08T15:05:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…mx9a
_________________________

Some US opposition interviewees seem stunned, as if they haven't grasped this is happening in America, right now, rather than in some distant foreign land. Deer in the headlights.
'This sort of thing shouldn't be happening'
'Someone should do something about it'
Yes & yes. And that someone is you.

US citizens: If those in power corrupt or remove the legal ...

2026-01-08T14:44:21Z

US citizens: If those in power corrupt or remove the legal mechanisms designed to protect your rights, and the ability to hold those in power to account, it stands to reason that you don't have to abide by the law to remove those in power.
You are falling to a noxious totalitarian regime. Right now.

Work in progress. I'm slightly obsessed with ...

2026-01-01T13:56:41Z

Work in progress.
I'm slightly obsessed with turn-of-the-(19th)century theatre/pantomime/circus playbills at the moment, so I'm re-creating posters and ads for more recent productions (and products) in that style.

#graphics #movies #davidlynch #victorian

A selection of images created in 2025. i. Paint sketches #art ...

2025-12-30T16:49:50Z

A selection of images created in 2025.
i. Paint sketches

#art

The last time I saw The Trial by Orson Welles it was on VHS; the ...

2025-12-30T10:35:20Z

The last time I saw The Trial by Orson Welles it was on VHS; the teenage me probably taped a late-night TV broadcast of a cropped, substandard print.
I saw it again last night. Wow. Every frame is a work of art, not least due to cinematographer Edmond Richard.
Here's a short 🧵of frames.

#cinema

8am. The Christmas demons have arrived... Good morning. ...

2025-12-19T08:38:50Z

8am.
The Christmas demons have arrived...
Good morning.

#photography #landscape

If you want to know how Google #AI Overview is doing, it just ...

2025-12-18T13:27:31Z

If you want to know how Google #AI Overview is doing, it just identified wallpaper on the kitchen wall of a derelict, slum-clearance house in 1960s Manchester as "rare, valuable Chinese silk fabric from the early Qing dynasty."

Me, reading online auction listings that claim the item is ...

2025-12-16T12:20:00Z

Me, reading online auction listings that claim the item is 'rare', 'original', 'an antique', 'in mint condition', 'a 1st pressing', 'a 1st edition,' 'definitely not a reproduction.'
Them: 'Super-rare 1953 original'
[Ask The Seller A Question]
Me: 'Why is 'Reproduction 1991' printed at the bottom?'

Music auto-tagging has become a pain since AI. Even if I switch ...

2025-12-14T09:34:05Z

Music auto-tagging has become a pain since AI. Even if I switch it off, my albums are constantly updated with the most ludicrous imagery. This supposedly represents Bach's St Matthew Passion. AI is like irreparable cognitive impairment resulting from severe brain trauma. 'hEre'S PASsionATe mAtthEw'

#ai #aislop

- I select the replacement option online, but get error messages. ...

2025-12-12T11:12:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…4g89
_________________________

- I select the replacement option online, but get error messages. Refund is the only working option.
- Printing out the return slip directly from the site doesn't work, so I have to create a PDF copy and email it to myself.
- I print out the return slip, but the barcode doesn't work.

Enshittification indeed.

ps- To clarify, neither Cory nor his publisher are to blame for this fuckup. It came from an online retailer, no doubt run by flawed AI (is there any other kind?)

2/2

Cory Doctorow (npub1fdr…lvhs)

It's almost a joke. Enshittification by @npub1fdr…lvhs. - I ...

2025-12-12T11:11:20Z

It's almost a joke. Enshittification by
Cory Doctorow (npub1fdr…lvhs).

- I order the book, but it doesn't ship for weeks, despite being 'In Stock'. The expected delivery date is changed to May 26, even though the book is still allegedly 'In Stock'.
- It suddenly arrives. The postman doesn't ring the bell; it's left outside.
- I find that the book is damaged by a strip of paper that's irreparably glued to the cover.
- Other pages are stuck together or crushed.

1/2

#NowPlaying #soundtrack #minimalism ...

2025-11-27T12:47:49Z

#NowPlaying

#soundtrack #minimalism

Me (every morning): "Today I will listen to something upbeat ...

2025-11-26T12:19:33Z

Me (every morning): "Today I will listen to something upbeat & uplifting!.."

1 hour later...
I select an album by an East European or Scandi composer known for their bleak, plaintive &/or atonal works with titles like 'Requiem for Hope', 'Lament', 'Death of the Sky' & 'His Last Winter'.

#NowPlaying

Somebody posted an old photo in a Facebook local group and asked ...

2025-11-25T13:43:43Z

Somebody posted an old photo in a Facebook local group and asked if anyone could clean it up. Well-meaning people turned to #AI. Lots of responders seemed happy with the results, but this is how you destroy historical records.

Nostr event nevent1qqs8vwjqkzl28fk2l7pmxcftqgcj0xnqhpf0ufpppuapdyll7sj4zuqzyprjpa4pmll7n5kh6tzs36rx6w2eu5l68l9m9msquenw2pkthm2gckh2kgc

2025-11-20T11:15:56Z

#AI

"Peter Thiel dumps entire Nvidia stake, slashes Tesla ...

2025-11-17T13:04:04Z

"Peter Thiel dumps entire Nvidia stake, slashes Tesla holdings amid bubble fears"

Struggling to understand what all this means? Maybe you relied too often on (inaccurate &/or biased) #AI summaries, rather than using your little grey cells.
I could draw a picture of it for you, if you'd like, but, to make up for all the graphic work I've lost to AI, my fee went up.

https://ca.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/peter-thiel-dumps-entire-nvidia-stake-slashes-tesla-holdings-amid-bubble-fears-4320129

Classic #ADHD day: - Sit down to write next book chapter. - Get ...

2025-11-06T13:34:17Z

Classic #ADHD day:
- Sit down to write next book chapter.
- Get distracted by something entirely unconnected:
- Namely, researching an ancestor in the 1500s.
- Stumble across a mystery of potentially international importance.
- Realise there may be a book in it.

Result: 2 unfinished books.

Four vintage 'found photos' I came across recently that ...

2025-11-05T12:20:02Z

Four vintage 'found photos' I came across recently that invite further explanation.

🧵I've posted them before, but here's my thread of ...

2025-10-31T09:47:45Z

🧵I've posted them before, but here's my thread of horror/kids' TV double-bill cinema posters. Happy Halloween...
#halloween #cinema #graphicdesign #poster

"An ex-Intel CEO’s mission to build a Christian AI: ...

2025-10-28T13:42:11Z

"An ex-Intel CEO’s mission to build a Christian AI: ‘hasten the coming of Christ’s return’"

Everyone thought the future would be Orwellian, but between this guy and the US in general right now, it turns out it's actually early George Lucas.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/oct/28/patrick-gelsinger-christian-ai-gloo-silicon-valley

I've reached that age where I hear younger people on ...

2025-10-27T13:33:18Z

I've reached that age where I hear younger people on podcasts/radio say things like 'I'd never heard of George Harrison, but apparently he was in a famous old band'; 'My granddad watched Spielberg films when was a boy'; 'Found this at my gran's. Not sure what it is; it says 'VHS' on the back'; 'According to Wikipedia, Hitchcock was a film director in the olden days. I tried watching one. OMG, it was sooo slow and boring. Nothing happens!'

The Repair Shop with Werner Herzog: Guest: "Stunning work, ...

2025-10-16T10:02:20Z

The Repair Shop with Werner Herzog:
Guest: "Stunning work, thank you"
WH: "How do you feel seeing this object, a symbol of your dead wife? Though constructed of crude, worthless materials, it has been resurrected like some cheap miracle, mocking your grief and dead wife, now condemned to oblivion."

#NowPlaying Living Time by Bill Evans and George Russell. Like ...

2025-10-14T08:31:03Z

#NowPlaying Living Time by Bill Evans and George Russell.
Like someone spiked the BBC Concert Orchestra with an amphetamine/LSD cocktail then locked them in a dark hall full of wild, starving apex predators.
An overlooked #jazz classic.

There was a guy in the 60s called John Cura who took 250k ...

2025-10-13T08:35:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…d9ge
_________________________

There was a guy in the 60s called John Cura who took 250k 'tele-snaps', up to 80s shots per programme, which he sold to actors/directors. In some cases, his shots are all that remain of lost TV episodes from series such as Doctor Who.

Or just their favourite TV shows. ...

2025-10-13T08:33:40Z

In reply to nevent1q…er74
_________________________

Or just their favourite TV shows.

Sports events... ...

2025-10-13T08:30:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…03vk
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Sports events...

Favourite music stars... ...

2025-10-13T08:25:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…tzwc
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Favourite music stars...

Political moments... ...

2025-10-13T08:24:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…6muv
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Political moments...

Royal events... ...

2025-10-13T08:22:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…lp6y
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Royal events...

Some broadcasts attracted particular attention, such as the moon ...

2025-10-13T08:20:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…eq84
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Some broadcasts attracted particular attention, such as the moon landing...

🧵Thread. I collect photos that people took of their TV screens ...

2025-10-13T08:18:48Z

🧵Thread. I collect photos that people took of their TV screens (in the days before home video) because they wanted to capture a historical moment, or at least something of personal significance.

On one of the Facebook groups I follow, someone is posting #AI ...

2025-10-11T17:23:09Z

On one of the Facebook groups I follow, someone is posting #AI animations. Many of the replies are along the lines of "Wow, you're so talented. Awesome work!"
And the poster is thanking them with great humility, as if touched by their kind words.
One genuine artist made a disparaging remark about AI and was promptly berated for his cynical attack on the humble, 'talented' AI creator because "things are difficult enough as it is right now for creative people".
We're beyond the looking glass.

"Name 20 female authors you admire 1 per day" I never ...

2025-10-09T12:05:57Z

"Name 20 female authors you admire 1 per day"

I never have the patience for these '1 per day' things, but here's my 20:
Colette; Edith Wharton; Donna Tartt; Olga Tokarczuk; Patricia Highsmith; Margaret Atwood; Virginia Woolf; Joan Didion; Zadie Smith; Dorothy Parker; Iris Murdoch; Mary Shelley; Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; Hilary Mantel; Elizabeth Strout; Angela Carter; Susanna Clarke; Fran Lebowitz; Sally Rooney; Svetlana Alexievich; Doris Lessing; Gwendoline Riley; Anna Funder; Karen Armstrong

"We get it; the clock is ticking. That's why we're ...

2025-10-03T07:30:31Z

"We get it; the clock is ticking. That's why we're burning through vital, vanishing natural resources to work out why all the vital natural resources are vanishing so quickly..."

We used to think the future would be a warless, disease-free, ...

2025-09-26T07:53:54Z

We used to think the future would be a warless, disease-free, gleaming utopia, but it turned out to be more like the plot of a zero-budget, straight-to-VHS, B-movie horror sci-fi that's so awful it doesn't even possess a so-bad-it's-funny-and-cool kind of charm.

I wish all the other Richard Littlers would give out their ...

2025-09-25T07:46:04Z

I wish all the other Richard Littlers would give out their correct email addresses. In the past few years I've had receipts/invoices for monthly shipments of wine in Essex, a house purchase in Florida, mortgage in Wales, watch in Sheffield, & the latest, an Australian NGO tax return.
I'm also the member of a neighbourhood watch group 4000 miles away from where I live. And I've been on a family's mailing list for god knows long, despite me mailing the group to tell them I'm not a family member.

"Tylenol tempteth demons into thy soul to curseth thee with ...

2025-09-23T08:10:06Z

"Tylenol tempteth demons into thy soul to curseth thee with the Goblin Autism Pox. Verily, a forest spirit hath told me so in dreams"
#ASD #Autism #paracetamol

Great juxtaposition. You can't get much more English than ...

2025-09-19T07:40:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…n4kw
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Great juxtaposition. You can't get much more English than this.

Classic #Audhd morning. -Someone rang the doorbell a few times. I ...

2025-09-19T07:30:24Z

Classic #Audhd morning.

-Someone rang the doorbell a few times. I didn't answer. I wasn't sure what they expected of me.

-Fractured (broke?) my toe last night. It's black this morning. Went for a run anyway because: Routine.

-Sat down to work. Got distracted by 1930s pharmacy/chemist trade mags.

Does anybody remember what it was like to get a work commission? ...

2025-09-08T11:11:53Z

Does anybody remember what it was like to get a work commission? Like in the olden days. When you tell people now that you're a graphic designer/illustrator, they look at you like you said 'town crier' or 'wheelwright' or 'candlemaker' or 'galley rower'.
When you tell people you're trying to sell one novel and are writing another, they look at you like you've just told them you soil yourself because you enjoy it.

Websites: "Verify you're a human... No, try again... No, ...

2025-09-04T09:05:05Z

Websites: "Verify you're a human... No, try again... No, try again... You must verify you're a real person."

The same websites: "You can only make a complaint via Billy, our AI assistant, who will connect you to one of our customer support operatives, Misha, who seems to be an attractive human but is in fact a bot"

The things you can find online... A complete, open matte 35mm ...

2025-09-03T11:31:15Z

The things you can find online...
A complete, open matte 35mm print of The Shining.
Below: The standard widescreen release vs the uncropped, open matte print.
#cinema