Philip O'Connor

Starmer and hardline governments risk creating ‘hierarchy of people’ by constraining human rights Human rights official says politicians are playing into the hands of the populist right as they seek to tackle migration

This is the point, not the by-product.

Epic @johanjohansson.bsky.social , epic.

As I like to say, ad nauseam and/or infinitum: If you want to irritate your readers, do it (a) on purpose and (2) for a reason.

Why was a genocide apologist honoured in Dublin?

Calling for the "destruction, in whole or in part, of a religious group" is incitement to genocide.

This. Is. EXTRAORDINARY.

If they don't make you dance to one of your own indie band creations, I will be forced to consider a boycott of something or other ...

It's basically a racist cult, with everyone saying and doing whatever they think the leader expects of them. Pathetic people.

Trump's lackeys are such deeply, deeply awful people. The absolute worst of humanity, poisoned to the point where they can no longer feel compassion, or anything else.

Crypto Leaders Call For Infusion Of 20 Million Dopes To Stabilize Market BOSTON—Stressing that the move would help keep digital currencies liquid through the coming year, crypto leaders called for an infusion of 20 million dopes Thursday to stabilize the market. “We’re cal...

Crypto Leaders Call For Infusion Of 20 Million Dopes To Stabilize Market

a white puzzle with the letters w and i written on it ALT: a white puzzle with the letters w and i written on it

I just donated to #Wikipedia because it feels like one of the most important parts of the web, especially now when trust and clarity are harder to find. Open knowledge matters and I hope that if a few of us drop a little cash once in a while helps keep it free for all.
#OpenKnowledge #HumbleBrag

2024 Eurovision winner hands back trophy due to Israel’s participation Nemo won 2024’s Eurovision on behalf of Switzerland.

The winner of the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest has handed back their trophy because of Israel’s continued participation.

Nemo won the 2024 edition on behalf of Switzerland but today said that they “no longer feels this trophy belongs on my shelf”.
jrnl.ie/6901023

The best and the bribest.

”Ministern pratar alltid om mig som kriminell” THORD ERIKSSON Fritt fram att uttala sig om somalier som problem

Jag delar inte regeringens, socialdemokratins och en lång rad opinionsbildares syn på asylsökande. Och jag noterar att argumenten från den sidan hela tiden är beroende av lögner, halvsanningar, borttappade fakta och orimliga slutsatser om orsakssamband.
www.aftonbladet.se/kultur/a/JO1...

One thing that rankles with me - slightly - about nepo baby discourse, is that seemingly 90% of successful actors in the UK have a massive structural advantage simply from being born rich. To obsess over the 1% who also have famous parents as if THAT'S the problem, misses the forest for the trees.

Can we do the same, but for politicians?
Getting them off Twitter, Facebook and TikTok would be a hell of a start.

Once again - boycott everyone who works for ICE, as well as their family members. Don't serve them, don't help them, don't acknowledge them. Make it impossible for them to live in their communities.
The only antidote to fascism is solidarity - like everyone else, they can choose one or the other.

Lol

Japanese Short Forms with Maeve O'Sullivan - Irish Writers Centre 4-week online writing course looking at Japanese poetry forms with Maeve O'Sullivan. Starts Tuesday 12 January 2026, 6.30pm - 8.30pm.

Announcing my upcoming online workshop in #haiku and related forms @irishwriterscentre.bsky.social. It will run (in the evenings) for four weeks from Monday 12th January. All likes / shares / mentions much appreciated! 🙏🏻 irishwriterscentre.ie/courses/japa...

This is how the Irish minister for justice chooses to mark International Human Rights Day

Ah lads

Jimmy Goebels doing his utmost to live up to the nickname, and clearly Fianna Fáil are happy to have him run point as they try desperately to win the fash vote.

This taser news is highly alarming, it would radically change the face of policing in Ireland, and not for the better.

Today's links The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Criticizing AI: My speech for U Washington's Neuroscience, AI and Society lecture series. Hey look at this: Delights to delectate. Object permanence: Pac Man ghost algorithms; The US wrote Spain's copyright law; Illinois makes prisoners rent their cells; "Urban Transport Without the Hot Air"; "Ministry for the Future": Canada sues Google; In defense of 230; NYPD racist murder postmortem; Student debt trap; "That makes me smart." Upcoming appearances: Where to find me. Recent appearances: Where I've been. Latest books: You keep readin' em, I'll keep writin' 'em. Upcoming books: Like I said, I'll keep writin' 'em. Colophon: All the rest. The staring red eye of HAL 9000 from Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey. In the center is the poop emoji from the cover of the US edition of 'Enshittification,' with angry eyebrows and a black, grawlix-scrawled bar over its mouth. The poop emoji's eyes have also been replaced with the HAL eye. The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Criticizing AI (permalink) Last night, I gave a speech for the University of Washington's "Neuroscience, AI and Society" lecture series, through the university's Computational Neuroscience Center. It was called "The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Criticizing AI," and it's based on the manuscript for my next book, "The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI," which will be out from Farrar, Straus and Giroux next June: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/future-tense-neuroscience-ai-and-society-with-cory-doctorow-tickets-1735371255139 The talk was sold out, but here's the text of my lecture. I'm very grateful to UW for the opportunity, and for a lovely visit to Seattle! == I'm a science fiction writer, which means that my job is to make up futuristic parables about our current techno-social arrangements to interrogate not just what a gadget does, but who it does it for, and who it does it to. What I don't do is predict the future. No one can predict the future, wh…

Today's links The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Criticizing AI: My speech for U Washington's Neuroscience, AI and Society lecture series. Hey look at this: Delights to delectate. Object permanence: Pac Man ghost algorithms; The US wrote Spain's copyright law; Illinois makes prisoners rent their cells; "Urban Transport Without the Hot Air"; "Ministry for the Future": Canada sues Google; In defense of 230; NYPD racist murder postmortem; Student debt trap; "That makes me smart." Upcoming appearances: Where to find me. Recent appearances: Where I've been. Latest books: You keep readin' em, I'll keep writin' 'em. Upcoming books: Like I said, I'll keep writin' 'em. Colophon: All the rest. The staring red eye of HAL 9000 from Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey. In the center is the poop emoji from the cover of the US edition of 'Enshittification,' with angry eyebrows and a black, grawlix-scrawled bar over its mouth. The poop emoji's eyes have also been replaced with the HAL eye. The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Criticizing AI (permalink) Last night, I gave a speech for the University of Washington's "Neuroscience, AI and Society" lecture series, through the university's Computational Neuroscience Center. It was called "The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Criticizing AI," and it's based on the manuscript for my next book, "The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI," which will be out from Farrar, Straus and Giroux next June: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/future-tense-neuroscience-ai-and-society-with-cory-doctorow-tickets-1735371255139 The talk was sold out, but here's the text of my lecture. I'm very grateful to UW for the opportunity, and for a lovely visit to Seattle! == I'm a science fiction writer, which means that my job is to make up futuristic parables about our current techno-social arrangements to interrogate not just what a gadget does, but who it does it for, and who it does it to. What I don't do is predict the future. No one can predict the future, wh…

Here's an incredibly good explanation for how/why finance bubbles form.

Best thing I ever did was cancel my subscription.

Abusive Men Describe the Benefits of Violence - BWSS In a broader context, structural relationships of inequalities in politics, religion, media and discriminatory cultural norms perpetuate violence against girls and women

Otroligt intressant: misshandlande män beskriver själva vad de vinner på sitt beteende.
- makt i relationen, hon säger inte emot, säger inte nej till sex, sköter allt i hushållet utan att bråka
- hon vågar inte lämna, hon tror att hon är svag och dålig www.bwss.org/abusive-men-...

NEW:

Hotels across US, Canada & Mexico hiked prices during the FIFA World Cup in 2026, with an analysis by The Athletic revealing average increase of over 300 per cent per night around opening matches in the 16 host cities.

Report: nytimes.com/athletic/68757…

Make the Epstein Files Great Again

I am available to debate Minister Patrick O'Donovan directly on his plan for internet regulation, if he would like to defend it.

If someone is daft enough to be "tricked" into eating a vegan burger or sausage then I have no sympathy for them. Also, lots of those veggie products are delicious so maybe it'll expand their limited palate.