Scott Pryor

Tawny owl

Six weeks ago, I picked up a year-old tawny owl with a broken leg off the main road near our home and dropped him off at our nearest vet.

After a few days, I received one of the most bizarre phone calls I’ve ever had, asking “So when are you coming to pick up your owl?” 🧵

It’s a beautiful hypnotic installation and the artist’s name is Céleste Boursier-Mougenot.

SFA@30: The thirty greatest Super Furry Animals songs as voted for by fans Leon Barton It’s now thirty years since Wales’ greatest, most unique band released the ‘Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllantysiliogogogochynygofod (In Space)’ EP on the Ankst label. SFA quickly…

It's now thirty years since Wales' most brilliantly unique band Super Furry Animals released the 'Llanfairpg (In Space)' EP. To celebrate, Leon Barton enlisted the help of a selection of prominent Furry fans to compile the 30 greatest SFA songs

"During a period of major economic challenges for the UK’s higher education sector, the N8 statement highlights the unsustainable nature of the current publishing ecosystem and calls for alternatives that are financially viable, transparent, and aligned with the values of open research."

Just a week left! The only way to get a book is through the Crowdfund...

THANK YOU so much for all the support with this! So chuffed that people want to see Valleys communities represented 😍

Carpanini's Cardiff Arms Cafe, Treorchy

All purchase details www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/valleys-ph...

Amazing new exhibition at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery in Swansea: Tigers and Dragons, looking at Mother India and Mother Wales, and the colonial history, through the most astounding artworks. It's running for 6 months, so no excuse not to go! Amazing watching Nikhil Chopra do a live installation1/3

a dog is sitting in front of a sink with its eyes closed and says phew ! ALT: a dog is sitting in front of a sink with its eyes closed and says phew !

#Eurovision

Ministers reconsider changes to UK copyright law ahead of vote Exclusive: Proposals to introduce opt-out system of copyright rules no longer preferred option amid criticism from creative industries Ministers are rethinking changes to copyright law before a vote in parliament next week, in a further concession to artists, the Guardian has learned. A source close to Peter Kyle, the technology secretary, said proposals to introduce an opt-out system of copyright rules was no longer his preferred option but one of several being given consideration. Continue reading...

Ministers reconsider changes to UK copyright law ahead of vote

can't remember who I'm quoting here, but: the most disappointing moment of the 90s was hearing the rest of Spaceman by Babylon Zoo

Via Jennifer Lynch. Hollywood Forever Cemetery. That’s a hell of a gravestone.

AI bots are destroying Open Access There's a war going on on the Internet. AI companies with billions to burn are hard at work destroying the websites of libraries, archives, ...

There's a very demoralizing thread on the code4lib list where all the libraries describe how they're getting hammered by AI crawlers who behave basically like bot-nets trying to DDoS servers. (Along these lines: go-to-hellman.blogspot.com/2025/03/ai-b... ) 1/2

How to start a conversation with a cat in seven different countries...

7. Pss-pss-pss (England)
6. Kiss-kiss-kiss (Finland)
5. Pish-pish-pish (Iran)
4. Mee-mee-mee (Myanmar)
3. Minou-minou-minou (France)
2. Ming-ming-ming (Philippines)
1. What’s new pussycat, whoa, oh whoa (Wales)

Elicit: The AI Research Assistant Use AI to search, summarize, extract data from, and chat with over 125 million papers. Used by over 2 million researchers in academia and industry.

We now subscribe to @elicit.com - an advanced AI tool that allows you to use natural language to quickly and easily find and analyse journal articles.

Information on how to create an account so you can access all the features is available here: xerte.cardiff.ac.uk/play_22575

OPINION: A librarian's summary of, and response to, the Clarivate announcement - UKSG Siobhan Haimé takes a look at detail the Clarivate announcement and its practical (and possibly unintentional transformational) effects.

Like everyone else - I have some thoughts on the Clarivate announcement: tinyurl.com/35jxfnwc

Not just a change in the model, but a representation of a larger shift in the landscape, and the dangers of monopolies and market consolidation - threatening the core mission of libraries globally.

Digging Through the Stacks: A Library Music Primer How the rise of mass media catalyzed a unique, utilitarian subgenre.

Lovely Bandcamp article on Library Music - with tracks from Broadcast and Keith Mansfield :) daily.bandcamp.com/lists/librar...

Deadline: 7th March, 2025
Finding the Calm in the Chaos
This year's online WHELF Colloquium is ‘Finding the Calm in the Chaos’. We’d like to focus on how we are adapting to change to improve our services during what is a really challenging time.
whelf.ac.uk/whelf-colloq...

Sunset over a refinery in Port Talbot, UK

Sunset over Port Talbot.

Save The Prince Charles Cinema The iconic Prince Charles Cinema in London’s West End future is under serious threat! We are beyond disappointed that our landlords Zedwell LSQ Ltd and their ultimate parent company Criterion Capital...

#SaveThePCC

Some of you may have read about the situation regarding our new landlord wishing to add a new redevelopment break clause, with only 6 months notice to our lease.

For now, we're simply asking you all to share & sign the petition below;

you.38degrees.org.uk/p/princechar...

‘Our industry should be appalled’: Brassic creator laments lack of working class people in TV and film Danny Brocklehurst’s much loved comedy drama raised the bar – now he is calling for greater representation across the industry Leaning on the bar of The Crow’s Nest pub in the northern town of Hawley, Danny Brocklehurst has something to say. “I think…

‘Our industry should be appalled’: Brassic creator laments lack of working class people in TV and film

kyle_maclachlan Forty-two years ago, for reasons beyond my comprehension, David Lynch plucked me out of obscurity to star in his first and last big budget movie. He clearly saw something in me that even I didn't recognize. I owe my entire career, and life really, to his vision. What I saw in him was an enigmatic and intuitive man with a creative ocean bursting forth inside of him. He was in touch with something the rest of us wish we could get to. Our friendship blossomed on Blue Velvet and then Twin Peaks and I always found him to be the most authentically alive person I'd ever met. David was in tune with the universe and his own imagination on a level that seemed to be the best version of human. He was not interested in answers because he understood that questions are the drive that make us who we are. They are our breath. While the world has lost a remarkable artist, l've lost a dear friend who imagined a future for me and allowed me to travel in worlds I could never have conceived on my own. I can see him now, standing up to greet me in his backyard, with a warm smile and big hug and that Great Plains honk of a voice. We'd talk coffee, the joy of the unexpected, the beauty of the world, and laugh. His love for me and mine for him came out of the cosmic fate of two people who saw the best things about themselves in each other. I will miss him more than the limits of my language can tell and my heart can bear. My world is that much fuller because I knew him and that much emptier now that he's gone. David, I remain forever changed, and forever your Kale. Thank you for everything.

This is a beautiful tribute.

A list of the five best phrases I've come across for strong winds:

5. Blowing half a pelican (Danish)
4. Blowing hats and hay (Norwegian)
3. Blowing a hoolie (Scots)
2. Wind so strong it could blow a pig on to its hind legs (Estonian)
1. It’s only wind when the sheep no longer have curls (German)

Having a hundred people receive an emergency alert in the middle of the Lord’s Prayer at our eldest’s Christmas concert this evening was QUITE the moment.

Blueksy Mentions are now in Altmetric. It's been 84 years meme #AcademicSky #HigherEd #MedSky #HMSky #Altmetrics #Medlibs #Metascience

BLUESKY MEGA-THREAD

Altmetric is thrilled and also LITERALLY RELIEVED to officially announce:

We are now tracking research attention as it happens on Bluesky!

We have been picking up posts on the site since late Oct.

Our team is on Bluesky all day answering questions.

Let's get into it!

Can't wait :)

Alex's deadline is Saturday. If you've ever shared an 'oh no' comic - especially if you shared this doctored one with a fourth panel added! rude! - then chuck them a quick donation for their horrible, horrible legal battle.

Sending you massive hugs. xx

Action Intent Links | Bluesky Authors, websites, and apps can use action intent links to implement "Share on Bluesky" buttons, or similar in-app actions. Logged-in users will be directed to the corresponding action view in the Blu...

We strongly suggest that academic publishers and other platforms that host research rapidly implement a Share to Bluesky button for their articles. Here's how:

docs.bsky.app/docs/advance...

#AcademicSky #HigherEd #Altmetrics

A cover of Herr Dumpidump by Roger Hargreaves that says "Herr Dumpidump by Roger Hargreaves" and with an illustration of Herr Dumpidump looking especially dumpidumpish (forgive me but I can't stop repeating the word dumpidump... DUMPIDUMP!)

My six favourite European Mr Men character names...

6. Mr Muddle in Spain = Don Confuso
5. Mr Topsy-Turvy in Germany = Herr Kuddelmuddel
4. Mr Bounce in France = Monsieur Bing
3. Mr Dizzy in Portugal = Senhor Bobo
2. Mr Greedy in Sweden = Gubben Glufs Glufs
1. Mr Bump in Norway = Herr Dumpidump

If you're seeing "Invalid Handle" on your profile, this should resolve on its own — thanks for your patience!! 🦋