The Almighty Julie It was desperately sad to hear the news of Julie Pritchard’s passing. For those who don’t know, Julie produced the legendary Forest fanzine ‘Brian’ back in the day.

davidmarples.substack.com/p/the-almigh...
If you’re a Forest fan of a certain age you will have bought a copy of Brian, the mother of all #nffc fanzines. @marpsdavid.bsky.social finds the words to pay a wonderful tribute to Julie who was the driving force behind it. Off now to find my back copies.

NEW on Wonkhe: A new report claims EDI investment undermines free speech. Syra Shakir and Sean Walton assess the evidence and find it wanting buff.ly/XHlMMHR

FIFA president Gianni Infantino and his UEFA counterpart Aleksander Ceferin have been accused of “aiding war crimes” and “crimes against humanity in the occupied Palestinian territory” in a complaint filed at the International Criminal Court.

More from @dansheldon.bsky.social

bit.ly/4s0FYG4

INTRODUCTION

Modern-Day Oracles or Bullshit Machines?

Jevin West (@jevinwest.bsky.social) and I have spent the last eight months developing the course on large language models (LLMs) that we think every college freshman needs to take.

thebullshitmachines.com

Andrew Weatherall Presents: Music's Not For Everyone 2nd January 2020 Playing Ambient, New Age, Indian Classical. Techno-punk legend Andrew Weatherall plays his favourites past and present; ranging from contemporary indie bands to the pounding 909s of early acid house.

6 years ago I abandoned work and listened to this masterpiece again www.nts.live/shows/andrew...

Normalize laughing derisively in men's faces when they deserve it.

FIFA claim of a ‘World Cup for everyone’ doesn’t align with immigrant soccer fans, like me The melting pot I grew up in had one constant: soccer was the thread that weaved so many of us together.

Ahead of this summer's World Cup, FIFA has consistently claimed that the tournament is "for everyone."

But as @melanieanzidei.bsky.social writes from personal experience, immigrant communities across the United States are increasingly feeling shut out of soccer's biggest show.

‘Enemies of Italy’? Meloni’s rebuke of Olympics protesters shows ‘repressive’ drift, say critics Opposition parties condemn security laws as ‘violation of the constitutional right to demonstrate’

The Olympics have a track record of leaving democratic spaces more authoritarian in their wake. The Milano Cortina 2026 Games are no exception. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni calls Olympics protesters “enemies of Italy & Italians” condoning intense repression. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...

‘In the end, you feel blank’: India’s female workers watching hours of abusive content to train AI Women in rural communities describe trauma of moderating violent and pornographic content for global tech companies

Must read. We all know the cognitive damage and other harms done to users of genAI, but here is behind the scenes reporting on the psychological costs and trauma to workers from vulnerable communities in places like India who are paid pennies to do AI “training” data annotation.

In our latest report on the ground at the Winter Olympics, Matt Rendell introduces the Utopiads - a four day sustainable alternative to the Games.🧵

youtu.be/XUFOXqI0wjo

Ukrainian competitor displays images of athletes killed in war on Winter Olympics helmet Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych has trained the Winter Olympics in a helmet with images of compatriots killed during the war in his country

Ukrainian Olympian Vladyslav Heraskevych wears helmet at the Winter Olympics with images of Ukrainian athletes killed during the war. International Olympic Committee has reportedly contacted Ukrainian Olympics officials about it. Will the IOC erase these athletes? www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/f...

Winter Olympian Gus Kenworthy says he has received death threats over anti-ICE protest British freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy says he has received death threats in the wake of a social media post that targeted ICE last week

British Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy says he has received death threats & messages hoping that he breaks his neck after posting an image showing him urinating the words “f*ck ICE” in the snow. He doubled down, calling ICE “absolutely evil and awful and terrifying” www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/f...

Spectrum, by Sonic Boom 0 track album

spaceagerecordings.bandcamp.com/album/spectrum

Cassette of Sonic Boom’s 1990 debut album, Spectrum

Now playing: Sonic Boom’s debut long player, Spectrum
#cassunday

AI Is Hollowing Out Higher Education Olivia Guest & Iris van Rooij urge teachers and scholars to reject tools that commodify learning, deskill students, and promote illiteracy.

"..the collective strategy of AI companies threatens to deskill precisely those people who are essential for society to function. What value, after all, is there in automating art, thinking, or reading – especially in educational and academic settings? None"
www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/a...

Trust Sociology Ruins Everything · Episode

“In sociology, we might think of trust in terms of social networks and ties. We might even think about trust in institutions.”

@dmwilliams.bsky.social, author of Who Do We Trust, interviewed for Sociology Ruins Everything:
open.spotify.com/episode/4cIJ...

The Olympics Are a Show of Global Harmony. The World Is Anything But.

Mayhem in Milano. The Milan-Cortina Games are being staged in the most fractious political moment in the recent history of the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee has tried to portray the Games as politically neutral, but sports are politics by other means www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/w...

Winter Olympics Team GB skier targets ICE with graphic message written in snow Team GB skier Gus Kenworthy has launched a blistering attack on US Immigration and Custom Enforcement officers including a message written in the snow

Wow! Team GB skier Gus Kenworthy urinated the words “Fuck Ice” on the snow just before the start of the 2026 Winter Olympics. “Innocent people have been murdered, & enough is enough. We can’t wait around while ICE continues to operate with unchecked power" he said www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/f...

Every future Olympic host stopped and to speak to take questions from the media in Milan this week, except one. The next one; the one which has been badly embarrassed by revelations in the Epstein Files. Story about strange LA 2028 chairman Casey Wasserman’s strange visit to the Milan Olympics.

Photo of NTU staff and students making zines and badges at the Pavilion, Clifton Campus

Photograph of NTU staff and students making zines, badges and stickers at Clifton Campus

An enriching couple of hours earlier, making zines, badges and stickers with NTU staff and students at the School of Science and Technology Winter Warmer event.

Dave Hindley is fundraising on behalf of Surfers Against Sewage This February, I'm undertaking the Run 47 Miles challenge to support Surfers Against Sewage, and I really could do with your help. By participating, I'm not only endeavouring to boost my own health d...

All the details are here. Shares, likes, donations (however small) are all massively appreciated socialsync.app/fundraiser/c...

Crap run selfie

Another unbecoming selfie whilst out running, fundraising for @sascampaigns.bsky.social 9 miles so far this week. 38 remaining. #surfersagainstsewage #47miles #protectourwaters

Bull's eye by @pbsportswriter.bsky.social for @playthegame-org.bsky.social. In private, many football and finance executives will agree that a disaster is brewing. But no-one dares speak out - yet - for fear of precipitating a crisis which will come to pass anyway.

Selfie taken whilst out running this afternoon (wearing my Surfers Against Sewage fundraising t-shirt). My first run in months …

4.5 miles chalked off. Just another 42.5 to go. Raising funds for @sascampaigns.bsky.social socialsync.app/fundraiser/c...

I hate this. I hate that scholars and teachers are supposed to be digital fraud experts. I hate that this part of their job description is becoming larger and larger. I hate the widening distrust. I hate a culture that aggressively devalues the curiosity and humility required for ongoing learning.

When journalists frame sports boycotts as a simple yes/no question, they fail their democratic role.

My comment on the boycott debate and the media’s responsibility is now available in English via @playthegame-org.bsky.social

👉 www.playthegame.org/news/sports-...

To avoid accusations of AI cheating, college students are turning to AI Students are taking new measures, such as dumbing down their work, spying on themselves and using AI “humanizer” programs, to beat accusations of cheating with artificial intelligence.

Students are taking new measures, such as dumbing down their work, spying on themselves and using AI “humanizer” programs, to beat accusations of cheating with artificial intelligence.

Why not train people how to use critical thinking so that they can critically evaluate the AI slop that is produced or the dis/misinformation on social media?

Donate to Support University of Sheffield striking staff!, organized by Mark Pendleton I'm the branch treasurer for the University of Sheffield University and… Mark Pendleton needs your support for Support University of Sheffield striking staff!

Members of the administration at the University of Sheffield are threatening to lock out members of @sheffielducu.bsky.social who do not reschedule teaching lost to recent strike action. It's an incredibly damaging choice and a horrible precedent to set if it moves through.

‘Fascism is here now’: the US athletes pushing back on Trump’s America World Series winner Sean Doolittle, Super Bowl champion Doug Baldwin and college star McKenzie Forbes have strong opinions on a troubled era

“How could you not be upset? I mean, no matter where you land on the political spectrum, I would hope that human decency would consider the human toll of these situations."

- former Seahawk Doug Baldwin Jr.

www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/j...