Mark Oswin

I notice the free speech warriors weren’t up in arms when hook-handed cleric Abu Hamza was done for inciting violence. What was it about hook-handed cleric Abu Hamza that stopped them defending his free speech?

*the 10% most belligerent stripy bastards are immune to wasp-fonzy

Last month, while being bothered by wasps at a picnic table, a woman told me that clicking my fingers at them would make them go away. After testing this thoroughly I’m happy to report that it works in 90% of cases* and also makes me look like a wasp-banishing Fonz. Recommend.

North Bridge Media has sponsored a Fringe Award w/Neurodiverse Review and the shortlist is out! It's for comedy writing in any Fringe category by d/Deaf, disabled or neurodivergent writers. Here's the fantastic shortlist - all great shows: (1/2)

The ongoing whipped up nonsense about asylum seekers in hotels is a rare example of very angry consensus.

The racists don’t want people in hotels, the government don’t want people in hotels and the people in the hotels don’t want to be in hotels.

Everyone agrees.

Just let people work

(Don't worry Bluesky celebrities - you can still unlike this if you accidentally hit "like" while scrolling past, just like last time I mentioned this)

Poster for the animated kids movie Grand Prix of Europe, featuring the animal characters and general animated racing car mayhem.

Grand Prix of Europe opens in UK cinemas this Friday. Positive reviews are already coming in for this fun, fast-paced rodent racing movie - which features a stellar cast (Gemma Arterton, Thomas Brodie-Sanger, Hatley Atwell, Lenny Henry) and smatterings of general script-polishy nonsense by me.

The LLMentalist Effect: how chat-based Large Language Models rep… The new era of tech seems to be built on superstitious behaviour

Oh, this is very, very good - how LLMs use the same techniques as psychics.

softwarecrisis.dev/letters/llme...

made a handy little novel title generator for you

Post from "The Rundown" July 18 at 5:30 PM · DuckDuckGo has introduced a new feature allowing users to filter out AI-generated images from search results, addressing growing concerns over synthetic content overwhelming authentic visuals online. The filter can be activated through a dropdown in the Images tab, search settings, or by using a dedicated AI-free domain: noai.duckduckgo.com. The system relies on curated blocklists, including uBlockOrigin’s Huge AI Blocklist, to detect and suppress AI-generated imagery. While not perfect, it significantly reduces synthetic content visibility. This move sets DuckDuckGo apart from competitors like Google and Bing by giving users direct control over their exposure to AI-generated material. Source: TechCrunch

DuckDuckGo has added a feature to filter out AI images from search results.

Read my open letter with @laylamoran.bsky.social regarding #Gaza ⬇️

Fucking genius!

Please don't plug keyboards or other devices into random USB ports, ok?

YouTube video by abcglobus CARDIACS - Recorded Live at the TOWN AND COUNTRY CLUB, London. 25 March 1988

The video in question, if you like Cardiacs and want to learn to hate Lucozade: www.youtube.com/watch?v=KidL...

Hey YouTube, if you actively want me to stop me ever buying Lucozade ever, the best way to do it would be to interrupt the limited-time Cardiacs video I'm trying to watch every two ACTUAL MINUTES asking if I can let you see me, let you see me Cherry fucking Hill.

7-zark-7 (the Casey Kasem-voiced robot from 'Battle of the Planets') operates a computer console. Although, I note now that it isn't wearing any underpants, so might not be a safer choice after all.

Sadly, the BBC rejected my proposal that they should replace all the Wallace & Torode segments from the new Masterchef with a quick animated summary by 7-zark-7.

SO regret I won’t get the chance to let Mecha-hitler take control of my steering wheel.

All I really remember is Ned’s Atomic Dustbin playing “Kill Your Television” about eight times.

I'm currently at a housing conference & it's a slightly out of body experience politically, given the vibe here is thrilled with getting £39bn + basically all they asked for in spending review. Not that govt isn't in deep trouble elsewhere but it's a striking eg of how easily the popular stuff...

If I knew how to quote post to a thread, I’d post this as a reply to me complaining about Northern city transport links last week, and say something smug like “Well well well…”

YouTube video by The Daily Show Carole Cadwalladr - Broligarchs, AI, and a Techno-Authoritarian Surveillance State | The Daily Show

“They are building a techno-authoritarian surveillance state. We can see that happening in real time. This is huge amounts of data on every single person in America that can and will be used in opaque & unaccountable ways—and it is terrifying.”

Must watch interview with @carolecadwalla.bsky.social.

When you receive the email you’ve been dreading, about how your outstanding royalties will now *not* be honoured by your ex-publisher’s new shiny identity, they try to reassure you by saying this person or that person on the board is “working for free” and “not taking a salary”… >>

Can’t come soon enough. A train to get me from Leeds to Liverpool for 9am next week will take three and half hours. That’s insane when Leeds to London takes just over two. Connecting Northern cities should be a massive priority.

A four panel meme, featuring John Connor talking to The Terminator, from Terminator 2 John: Wait a second, you’re saying you’re from the future? Terminator: Great question! Thanks so much for asking. Let’s think about the answer…hmm! The current year is 1983. Working backwards logically, I’m from the year 1965, which is 300 years in the future. Anything else you’d like to know? John - stares blankly Terminator: I’m sorry, I can see that was not the right answer. I actually came from the year 829392 AD, which is 10 years in the past from this year, which is 3

I am begging for a Hollywood movie or TV writer to make something that features realistic 'artificial intelligence'

Cinema film 'GRAND PRIXE OF EUROPE' The cinema adventure for the whole family featuring Europa-Park's favourites Ed & Edda

Hey fans of animated movies that I wrote additional material and dialogue polish on - have a look at the trailer to this animated movie that I wrote additional material and dialogue polish on… www.grand-prix-of-europe.com/en/

My mate Cussie makes the paper…!

If there’s a job going to travel back in time to Roman-occupied Judea in 0AD to explain the concepts of both railways and public ownership to Jesus and then gauge his opinion on them, I’m declaring my availability.

Hm. The government focussing on the number one concern of Leave voters just ahead of a major reset with the EU… I wonder what it could all mean…?

How much blue and yellow smoke inhalation is a fatal amount? #lufc

I was once sat with Colin Baker while he complained about the choice of puddings at Maida Vale. I said he could dip his twix in my yoghurt and he replied, “Oh dear boy, let’s not go there…”