Andrew Forbes

J.M. — The Ampersand Review Issue No. 9: Winter 2026

Grateful for this careful read of Field Work by JM of @theampersandreview.bsky.social

"Forbes weaves fact, analysis, and association into an elegant discourse"

theampersandreview.ca/book-reviews...

@pressassembly.bsky.social

I still have a copy of that S&S with Bell on the cover. Buying their annual guide used to be a spring ritual.

A pile of electronic junk (mostly charging cables and earphones), a motley selection of baseball cards, and a long-expired pouch of Big League Chew gum.

Cleaned out the drawer in my bedside table.

A volleyball game. Two teams of young men stand on opposite sides of the net awaiting the serve.

Volleyball tournament, Saturday morning, Toronto Metropolitan University.

Rest assured they'll certainly institute a universal basic income so that humanity can finally realize the fruit of all that hard work: endless leisure time! These are clearly the people to steer us into that glorious future. I mean, look at their track records; they clearly value human lives first!

"Why don't people like us?" COME ON.

They're gleefully plotting the end of good things for everyone but themselves.

WE CAN CHOOSE A DIFFERENT WORLD, one that doesn't assume the rise of these stupid LLMs and the dorks who control it. If you can't link AI to fascism, ubiquitous techno-surveillance, climate change, poverty, racism, enshittification, etc. I honestly don't know what to tell you.

Tech CEOs Confused by Why Everybody Hates AI So Much With public sentiment on AI resoundly negative, the tech CEOs pushing the new tech only seem to be doubling down.

jesus christ, it's bc it comes at the expense of human happiness and creativity, and is being forced down our throats, and it's very not good at the things it purports to be able to do, and these charisma-averse, longevity-obsessed ghouls keep telling us its inevitable

futurism.com/future-socie...

lol weed league

Yeah, this is a classic for a reason

Honus Wagner was born on this date in 1874.

In his honour, I present this photo of him at Labatt Park in London, Ont., for a Pittsburgh Pirates exhibition game on Aug. 29, 1941.

The photo was uncovered from the London Free Press archives by Stephen Harding and David Mendham.

Those women -- among the very best in their field on the planet -- have had to fight for more, and make greater sacrifices, than any of those boys partying in their safe, cloistered space with that disgraced, status-seeking, ass-kissing FBI director.

Ski tracks disappearing into the distance bracketed by trees limbs heavy with snow.

Beautiful snowy morning on the trail.

Brad Marchand looking weepy with an Olympic silver medal hanging around his neck while Sidney Crosby, awaiting his silver medal, looks mad as hell. Both are members of Canada's Olympic men's hockey team who totally outplayed the Americans but the US snuck in that goal in overtime and oop I was at sadness but now I'm right back there with Sid

Marchand has progressed to sadness while Sid is clearly still in the anger stage

And here comes the sadness

Well now I'm mad

THIS IS A LOT OF DRAMA FOR A QUIET SUNDAY MORNING

That was so many men

Okay, breathe. 🇨🇦🏒

Yup, Senators fan, but I can cheer enthusiastically against Brady Tkachuk when the situation demands it.

a man wearing a canada jersey and a beanie is laughing ALT: a man wearing a canada jersey and a beanie is laughing

Respectfully disagree

Do not like.

Sounds amazing. Likely needs some field research, though.

Good luck with it!

Pal, it would be irresponsible NOT to do it!

Baseball sabbatical!

Maybe Skenes' success has upped the pressure and expectations for Nutting? Still, he oughtta sell and let someone else take a shot.

Their Spring Training park in Bradenton is lovely too. They're among the more aesthetically gifted clubs.

With luck the Buccos will one day have an owner serious about competing (hopefully before Skenes walks) and they'll play some consequential games at PNC Park. Imagine a World Series game there? Perfection.

Thanks, Dan. Great photos. Nothing prettier than a Pirates game on a sunny afternoon.

That's awkwardly worded, so how's this:

Maz was an exemplar of that, regardless of anything else he may have represented.

Game 7 of the World Series, bottom of the ninth, tie game – it’s the kind of opportunity every player dreams about.

On Oct. 13, 1960, Bill Mazeroski made that dream come true for the @pirates.com.