Mike

This is how we fix Universal Credit The basic rate of benefit support falls woefully short – Iain Porter, senior policy advisor at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, explains what needs to happen now.

🗣️ 'Benefits have never been set according to any logical calculation, like the cost of food and bills.'

For @theleaduk.bsky.social, Senior Policy Adviser @iainkporter.bsky.social makes the urgent case for an independent process to set Universal Credit levels 👇

https://bit.ly/3MkEaZp

Guaranteeing the essentials: How Britain could end crisis-level poverty With millions struggling to afford food, utilities and essentials, a protected minimum floor for benefits could provide a lifeline and reduce reliance on food banks.

With millions struggling to afford food, utilities and essentials, a protected minimum floor for benefits could provide a lifeline and reduce reliance on food banks. @kevingopal.bsky.social reports in the latest story in our End Child Poverty campaign.

This is a single-panel comic featuring a simple stick-figure character with messy dark hair and wide eyes. The character is sitting on the ground, smiling slightly, with a drink in a glass with a straw sitting next to them. Thought bubbles lead up to a large cloud above their head containing the text: "Weekends are indispensable in order to recover from being around loads of other people." The artist's name, "heyokyay," is written in the bottom right corner.

If you are reading this it is because I’m dead: here’s what I want to tell you about how to live | Carlos Hernández de Miguel Leaving this world in an age of lies and cruelty, my last message is simple: don’t give up on truth, says Spanish journalist Carlos Hernández de Miguel

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

constructivist-inspired banner in red and cream with black lettering bearing the legend STOP FORCING AI INTO FUCKING EVERYTHING - nobody asked for it everyone hates it

(from www.instagram.com/nobodyssweet...)

Two Major Studies, 125,000 Kids: The Social Media Panic Doesn’t Hold Up For years now, we’ve been repeatedly pointing out that the “social media is destroying kids” narrative, popularized by Jonathan Haidt and others, has been built on a foundation of…

www.techdirt.com/2026/01/21/t...

Everyone Knows Our Mad King’s Greenland Obsession Is Insane. Why Won’t Congress Stop It? Look, I know we’ve all gotten somewhat numb to the constant stream of unhinged pronouncements from the White House. At some point, the brain develops defense mechanisms. But every now and the…

The Mad King.
www.techdirt.com/2026/01/20/e...

Move Over Loneliness, Why Me-Time Can Be a Great Time Spending time alone can be a joy. Your personality and your motivation for spending time alone are key elements of the psychology of savoring rather than fearing solitude.

This blog post is based on Robert Coplan’s engaging new book about solitude, “The Joy of Solitude.”
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/livi...

Just fancy that! Time Person of the Year.

From the new Private Eye, out now.

This is a two-panel, black-and-white stick figure comic featuring two characters: a bald figure on the left and a figure with spiky hair on the right. Panel 1 The bald figure on the left speaks optimistically with his eyes closed in a happy, inverted-V shape. He holds one hand up near his face. Text: "We should finally recognise that most people aren't as stupid as we generally think!" Panel 2 The bald figure’s expression changes abruptly. His eyes are now wide open and staring blankly. He holds his arms out to the sides. The figure on the right continues to stare at him. Text: "They are actually considerably stupider." The artist's credit, "heyokyay," appears in the bottom right corner.

When AI and Secure Chat Meet, Users Deserve Strong Controls Over How Both Google and Apple are cramming new AI features into their phones and other devices, and neither company has offered clear ways to control which apps those AI systems can access. Recent issues

Google and Apple should add a device-level AI permission, just like it does for other potentially invasive privacy features, like location, to their phones. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...

The comic features a small, orange cartoon hamster. The hamster is thinking: “In a fair world a number of people would get a really good slap around the head.”

Good morning. ☕

This black-and-white comic by heyokyay features two stick figure characters sitting at a table. The character on the left is speaking with an expressive face and hand gesture. The character on the right is smiling calmly, resting their chin on one hand, looking content. The speech above them reads: “You need to be stinking rich, very healthy, super-sharp, madly in love, tremendously successful, ultra-attractive, hyper famous, mega talented, and strong as a bear, then everything is much less shitty.”

This four-panel black-and-white comic features a simple stick-figure character. Panel 1: The character looks distressed, holding one hand up while saying, "Why am I alone so much? I should be around people more." Panel 2: The character looks thoughtful, with one hand on their chin, saying, "No, wait a minute..." Panel 3: The character looks upset, shouting with wide eyes and raised arms, "People are insanely annoying!!" Panel 4: The character walks away smiling with a relaxed expression. A thought bubble above their head reads, "I'd almost forgotten." The bottom right corner is signed "heyokyay."

We will not tolerate aggressive, abusive or threatening behaviour…

From the new Private Eye, out now.

Log in via deer.social. It's an alternative front end for Bluesky that doesn't use the OSA crap.

GitHub - pluja/awesome-privacy: Awesome Privacy - A curated list of services and alternatives that respect your privacy because PRIVACY MATTERS. Awesome Privacy - A curated list of services and alternatives that respect your privacy because PRIVACY MATTERS. - pluja/awesome-privacy

List of free, open source and privacy respecting services and alternatives to privative services. github.com/pluja/awesom...

#opensource

Yeah, but how many years of posting did it take you to build to those 1.8k?

Although, it is quiet on here for the number of users they claim to have.

Selling your digital soul to use Bluesky's DMs is the law Opinion: Getting carded is one thing. A full strip search? Welcome to Britain

Bye-bye.

www.theregister.com/2025/07/21/o...

'Labubu' is a plush toy that is causing a frenzy. Here's its origin story Labubus are a global sensation — sparking long lines outside toy stores, selling out online within minutes, and listing for double or triple their original price on resale markets. Here's why.

www.npr.org/2025/06/18/g...

Sorry, too poor (and cheap) for the real thing.

This black-and-white comic by heyokyay features two stick figure characters having a conversation. On the left, a serious-looking stick figure wearing a top hat and holding a cane says angrily: “Because of your outrageous behaviour, you are no longer part of this society!” On the right, the second stick figure responds joyfully with arms raised and a big smile: “Yay!!” The stick figure with the hat replies: “That's exactly what I mean.” The comic has a minimalistic style with simple line art and expressive faces. The background is plain white.