Lesley Pitman

I have a new TV remote control. To stop a programme you press the back button. To delete a recording you press the record button. The old remote control had stop and delete buttons. I had to search online to find this out. I think this is called enshittification.

And here we go. I never wrote this article, and yet it is cited here.

www.liberalbriefs.com/geopolitics/...

And of course, it sounds so plausible, I seriously checked whether I had forgotten it, or the footnote was slightly wrong.

#AIisnotresearch

The title is Trieste. Well worth reading.

Those who choose not to see. She is writing about the Holocaust.

are the majority.

because they do nothing but stand and watch what is going on around them as if they don’t see a thing, as if nothing is happening, as if there is nothing going on. They live according to the dictates of everyone’s laws, and when the wars end this serves them well. There are many bystanders. They

Home from my holiday in Trieste and Istria, but only half way through Daša Drndic’s Trieste. A tough but necessary read. It seems to be essentially about being a bystander in terrible times. She says this: For those on the sidelines there is no telling what they are thinking, whose side they are on,

Heading home from Trieste and Rovinj. Trieste is in Italy but feels Central European; Rovinj looks and speaks Italian, but is in Croatia. My holiday reading for the history, when I can bear it, is Trieste by Daša Drndić. A necessary and brilliant counter to all the tourist sites and gelato.

Just a random, anonymous, woman, apparently.

Archivist fired by Trump launches a national effort to strengthen democracy Colleen Shogan made history when she became the first woman to serve as Archivist of the United States in 2023. In February, President Trump fired her with no reason given. On Constitution Day,…

'Archivist fired by Trump launches a national effort to strengthen democracy': 'On Constitution Day, Shogan launched a national bipartisan effort called "More Perfect" to work on strengthening democracy' www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...

A shop sign for the Candy Bar Joyce, listing marshmallows, chocolates, giant and big candy, gummy and lollipops.

Currently following in the footsteps of James Joyce. Did he like his sweets?

An ancient, and well preserved, Roman amphitheater.

The map on my phone has gone rogue. I am looking for the nearest bus station. According to my phone, it is in Nuneaton. I am not in Nuneaton. In fact I have never been to Nuneaton. I am here. Is there an amphitheater in Nuneaton?

Congrats to Moldova!!! Russia threw everything to destabilize the election and failed spectacularly.

Democracy won 🙌🏼

Rachel Reeves pledges a library in every primary school in England Exclusive: Chancellor also set to unveil plans to get young people back into work in party conference speech

This is a very welcome development indeed IF the recurrent costs of funding school librarians is fully budgeted. ‘A pile of books is no more a library than a crowd of soldiers is an army’ to quote Gabriel Naudé who figured this out … 400 years ago… www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Rachel Reeves pledges a library in every primary school in England Exclusive: Chancellor also set to unveil plans to get young people back into work in party conference speech

Rachel Reeves pledges a library in every primary school in England www.theguardian.com/politics/202... good to hear more on this, will it include access to a librarian though? #LAB25

Maybe the most important political event today. If you aren’t sure why, look at a map. And cross all your fingers for a good result.

Oh good luck, Moldova.

Judging by today’s Wordle and yesterday’s Wordiply, we are finally running out of words for these games, and my streaks are history. Had to happen sometime. Kaffeeklatsch?

Dorset school urged to reinstate banned book about race to reading list Budmouth Academy in Weymouth removed The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas after complaint from parent

We don't need any of this book-banning crap being imported from Trump's America.
www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Really, do you laugh or cry? I am more qualified to be president than he is.

3 weeks from testing positive and almost 2 weeks from testing negative I think I am finally better, apart from a slight cough. Touching wood, as it was two steps forward and one back for a while. Covid is definitely out there, and to be avoided if at all possible. Really unpleasant.

we have gone from a world in which we were told not to cite wikipedia because it was unreliable to a world where wikipedia might be the only reliable source left on the internet and we all owe a lot to the pedantic nerds who got us there

Are there more examples, library land? #publib 📚

I would also like to know who big Penne is and why they have a chokehold on being the only GF pasta shape available on restaurants ever

@theguardian.com please sort this once and for all.

For anyone reading today’s Guardian Feast, orzo might look like rice but it is definitely not gluten free. Someone really needs to fix the allergen labelling as this keeps happening. @timlusher.bsky.social

A terrible idea. Just terrible. I wouldn’t even run a pilot. Libraries are open to everyone without judgement. Sadly, some communities feel judged by the police, with reason.

one of the common threads you will frequently find among devoted adult readers & writers is that as kids the librarian let them get away with reading whatever the fuck they wanted. so much of the scifi and fantasy I fell in love with as a kid was very much Not For Kids, but it made my brain light up

Taliban ban books written by women from Afghan universities The decree also outlaws the teaching of 18 subjects, including human rights and sexual harassment.

Taliban ban books written by women from Afghan universities

I, for one, am very grateful to President Trump for ending the war between Aber-Baysian and Albania.

Too many people had died. Both Aber-Baysianese and Albanianianians.