Rachel

the first mambo was too powerful. not fit to be performed by the public. the second mambo was even worse. it took them several iterations to create a suitable mambo

What’s Lithuanian for bait and switch?

None of those words are in the Bible

Should David and Ed Miliband retrospectively be denied citizenship because Ralph should have been sent “back” (to Belgium? to Poland?)

Saw this pic of a taiwan blue magpie and thought it was a bird in jeans

AI Chatbot Obviously Trying To Wind Down Conversation With Boring Human

AI Chatbot Obviously Trying To Wind Down Conversation With Boring Human https://theonion.com/ai-chatbot-obviously-trying-to-wind-down-conversation-w-1850146151/

Various models wearing jumpers and t-shirts featuring a cycling Santa design

Far too early to be talking about Christmas jumpers, I realise, but for those planning ahead: Cycling Santa Christmas jumpers and t-shirts davewalkershop.com/christmas-co...

"Thank Heavens Reeves froze the thresholds," says the median voter in 2029 as they walk past the derelict sports centre and down the empty high street to cast their vote.

Note that if it's happening in the Fediverse it is ABSOLUTELY DEFINITELY happening here on Bsky.

Above all it’s offensive that we should deliberately try to reduce the number of *successful* asylum claims. We are still a wealthy country. We welcome a (shamefully) tiny share of the world‘s refugees. It should be an honour & pleasure to welcome people who need sanctuary. Shame on Labour. /end

The other reason is that the Home Office simply doesn’t have the resources to process each person‘s asylum claim several times over. It struggles to process the cases it‘s got. Delays are colossal. These proposals will hugely increase bureaucracy and cost, as well as the effects on people’s lives 4/

One reason is that people who’ve fled for their lives need security and permanency to rebuild their lives. The last thing they need is unending anxiety about being sent back to what they escaped. This will cause huge stress, damage to mental health, harm to children, difficulties in integrating 3/

We don’t make most people (again, with exceptions for those committing offences) re-apply for asylum on a regular basis or make their status ‘permanently temporary‘, so to speak, for two good reasons 2/

To explain briefly: at the moment people successful in their asylum claims get permission to stay in the UK for 5 years, then have to apply for permanent residency. At that point a review of their status is done, but it’s rare not to succeed at that point unless they‘ve committed an offence 1/

A History of the World in 47 Borders by Jonn Elledge signed & dedicated edition. DISPATCHES PRE-CHRISTMAS Only available to order until 5 December. Jonn will sign and dedicate all the books at Backstory and they will be dispatched to arrive by Christmas. People have been drawing lines on maps for as long ...

Last night at a fashionable media party (tm) someone introduced me to their dad, for whom she'd bought a copy of 47 Borders and got me to sign it. Happy smiles all round! Aww.

If a dad YOU know would like a signed book this Christmas, then the lovely people at Backstory Balham can help:

For crying out loud @zarahsultana.bsky.social

Yeah, the wild is not meant to be as in the sense of ‘Stratford Westfield on a Sunday afternoon is wild’

Florence Pugh wearing an olive green dress with brown hair.

Pews of the same color.

florence pew: thread

How do we, as a society, let companies get away with this behaviour?

let’s all acknowledge that slopaganda is an excellent word for this sort of thing

Speaking of the Pro-Cathedral, my favourite funny story about my Dublin granny.

Before he died leaving her a widow with five young children in England during the war, Granpa had given her a fur coat which was her prized possession. Nobody in the family had ever had a fur coat before...

After the

Oh wow @reuters.com got the photo here:

Blow for OpenAI in Germany as court rules song lyrics used illegally A German court ruled on Tuesday that OpenAI violated copyright on nine popular songs in a lawsuit that marked another attempt to prevent the free use of artists' content online. The Munich Regional Co...

Open AI loses copyright case in Germany.

Judge Elke Schwager summarized the case saying that if you want to build something and need components, "then you purchase them and do not use the property of others."

I’ve said this before but I’d love to know what would happen if a celebrity on a gameshow named a controversial charity, like an anti-abortion charity, or Mermaids, or one that helps small boat refugees.

Sex ed should be mandatory and all students regardless of gender should study periods, childbirth, PCOS, and endometriosis.

True, that’s fair

*cough* Calvin *splutter* Robinson

My neck, my back
Don't message me on slack

Picture of shark sculpture by MICA student Mayali Geyling.

Picture of shark sculpture by MICA student Mayali Geyling.

Are you located in the DC-Baltimore-Philadelphia-New York corridor?

Have you always wanted to have your very own 11 foot long papier-mâché hammerhead shark?

Now available for free!

Perfect for museums, community centers, or your living room!

Save this lovely creature from imminent destruction!