Andy Leask
@andyleask.bsky.social
Writer, educator, gamer, nerd.
Head of English - lover of literature, games and coffee, with a penchant for dabbling in edtech.
https://www.rookerypublications.com/
Head of English - lover of literature, games and coffee, with a penchant for dabbling in edtech.
https://www.rookerypublications.com/
Highly recommend snagging a copy, it's great fun!
In honour of The Cunning Folks' favourite holiday, I've put 31 free copies of the game up on itch for anyone who would love to give it a go!
Now go cause some mischief and be sure to trick more than you treat! 🎃
emilygreymoore.itch.io/the-cunning-...
Now go cause some mischief and be sure to trick more than you treat! 🎃
emilygreymoore.itch.io/the-cunning-...
The Cunning Folk by Emily Greymoore
The Cunning Folk TTRPG: A Game of Mischief, Magic, and Revenge
emilygreymoore.itch.io
October 31, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Highly recommend snagging a copy, it's great fun!
Reposted by Andy Leask
Oh nooooo, Lindsey Halligan, this is not how any of this works
(15 screens into a Signal exchange) www.lawfaremedia.org/article/anna...
(15 screens into a Signal exchange) www.lawfaremedia.org/article/anna...
October 20, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Oh nooooo, Lindsey Halligan, this is not how any of this works
(15 screens into a Signal exchange) www.lawfaremedia.org/article/anna...
(15 screens into a Signal exchange) www.lawfaremedia.org/article/anna...
Reposted by Andy Leask
For years, there's been a massive over-emphasis on food miles, and a massive under-emphasis on food type.
By far and away the best dietary decision you can make, for environmental, humanitarian and public health purposes, is to cut out animal products.
By far and away the best dietary decision you can make, for environmental, humanitarian and public health purposes, is to cut out animal products.
Remember this, whenever someone says "alternative proteins - yuck!"
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Beef, pork, chicken: the world loves cheap meat. If people knew what really goes in it, that love affair would be over | Devi Sridhar
Antibiotic use in farming is now rampant. How meat is produced in China may mean the drugs you need here won’t work, says Prof Devi Sridhar, chair of global public health at the University of Edinburg...
www.theguardian.com
October 21, 2025 at 7:25 PM
For years, there's been a massive over-emphasis on food miles, and a massive under-emphasis on food type.
By far and away the best dietary decision you can make, for environmental, humanitarian and public health purposes, is to cut out animal products.
By far and away the best dietary decision you can make, for environmental, humanitarian and public health purposes, is to cut out animal products.
Reposted by Andy Leask
Keeping people in poverty is an expensive luxury.
My column on the false economies of austerity, which costs us all a fortune. Despite the government's claims, austerity continues under Labour. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
My column on the false economies of austerity, which costs us all a fortune. Despite the government's claims, austerity continues under Labour. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
It hurt when I crashed my bike into a pothole – and it taught me the true price of austerity | George Monbiot
Fixing that hole could have cost under £100; the cost of not doing so is limitless. My prang highlights the neoliberal folly of false economies, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
www.theguardian.com
October 4, 2025 at 6:24 AM
Keeping people in poverty is an expensive luxury.
My column on the false economies of austerity, which costs us all a fortune. Despite the government's claims, austerity continues under Labour. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
My column on the false economies of austerity, which costs us all a fortune. Despite the government's claims, austerity continues under Labour. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Andy Leask
Boosting this again because clinically vulnerable people do not stop being vulnerable when the Government wants to save money.
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/73...
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/73...
Petition: Fund NHS COVID boosters for Clinically Vulnerable people – keep covid boosters
'Protect the NHS' and 'Save Lives' by continuing to fund NHS COVID boosters for Clinically Vulnerable people, including most previously shielded as CEV, rather than limiting them to over-75s, care hom...
petition.parliament.uk
September 19, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Boosting this again because clinically vulnerable people do not stop being vulnerable when the Government wants to save money.
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/73...
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/73...
September 20, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Reposted by Andy Leask
In 25 years, every business school in the country will be doing case studies about how a long defunct company known as “Google” once had an unbeatable lock on online information retrieval and then started doing shit like this.
August 23, 2025 at 6:16 PM
In 25 years, every business school in the country will be doing case studies about how a long defunct company known as “Google” once had an unbeatable lock on online information retrieval and then started doing shit like this.
Reposted by Andy Leask
Reposting for friends across the pond
The Immeasurable Heaven has been out one month today, and I wanted to say a huge thank you for the support & love my weird tale from another galaxy has had so far.
@solarisbooks.bsky.social
@locusmag.bsky.social
@aptshadow.bsky.social
@nerdsofafeather.bsky.social
@frasierarmitage.bsky.social
@solarisbooks.bsky.social
@locusmag.bsky.social
@aptshadow.bsky.social
@nerdsofafeather.bsky.social
@frasierarmitage.bsky.social
August 18, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Reposting for friends across the pond
This was a hoot! @tomtoner.bsky.social was great as always and the chat brought tons of brilliant ideas to bear. It's available to watch now, check it out. We're planning a part two, and I'm also thinking about how to adapt it for school...
Today's interactive world building workshop with @tomtoner.bsky.social will be wildly imaginative and loads of fun!
7pm UK / 2pm ET / 11am PT
youtube.com/live/Vrc8zEf...
2/5
7pm UK / 2pm ET / 11am PT
youtube.com/live/Vrc8zEf...
2/5
Extreme Wildcard Worldbuilding Workshop, with Tom Toner (ItR Special Episode 10:2)
Join us Inside the Rookery with for a special worldbuilding workshop with author Tom Toner.
For more on his most recent book, check here: https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/The-Immeasurable-Hea...
youtube.com
August 16, 2025 at 10:54 PM
This was a hoot! @tomtoner.bsky.social was great as always and the chat brought tons of brilliant ideas to bear. It's available to watch now, check it out. We're planning a part two, and I'm also thinking about how to adapt it for school...
Reposted by Andy Leask
That was an absolute hoot! We've built a really interesting world in an hour, and you can watch the process on YouTube now!
We're going to schedule a follow up soon, watch this space!
We're going to schedule a follow up soon, watch this space!
Today's interactive world building workshop with @tomtoner.bsky.social will be wildly imaginative and loads of fun!
7pm UK / 2pm ET / 11am PT
youtube.com/live/Vrc8zEf...
2/5
7pm UK / 2pm ET / 11am PT
youtube.com/live/Vrc8zEf...
2/5
Extreme Wildcard Worldbuilding Workshop, with Tom Toner (ItR Special Episode 10:2)
Join us Inside the Rookery with for a special worldbuilding workshop with author Tom Toner.
For more on his most recent book, check here: https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/The-Immeasurable-Hea...
youtube.com
August 16, 2025 at 7:14 PM
That was an absolute hoot! We've built a really interesting world in an hour, and you can watch the process on YouTube now!
We're going to schedule a follow up soon, watch this space!
We're going to schedule a follow up soon, watch this space!
Fun times ahead for the Rookery, starting with an interactive Worldbuilding workshop tonight! CA caw!
Ca-caw! An exciting few weeks lined up for Inside the Rookery:
Today - Extreme Wildcard Worldbuilding with @tomtoner.bsky.social
23 Aug - Of Dread, Decay and Doom with @jendiagammon.bsky.social
30 Aug - Realism with @verasimila.bsky.social
6 Sep - Live from @tabletopscot.bsky.social
1/5
Today - Extreme Wildcard Worldbuilding with @tomtoner.bsky.social
23 Aug - Of Dread, Decay and Doom with @jendiagammon.bsky.social
30 Aug - Realism with @verasimila.bsky.social
6 Sep - Live from @tabletopscot.bsky.social
1/5
August 16, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Fun times ahead for the Rookery, starting with an interactive Worldbuilding workshop tonight! CA caw!
Reposted by Andy Leask
And thou mayest aske thyself, 'How do Ich werke thys?'
And thou mayest aske thyself, 'Wher ys that large destrier?'
And thou mayest telle thyself, 'Thys nys not my beautiful castle!'
And thou mayest telle thyself, 'Thys nys not my swift goshawk!'
And thou mayest aske thyself, 'Wher ys that large destrier?'
And thou mayest telle thyself, 'Thys nys not my beautiful castle!'
And thou mayest telle thyself, 'Thys nys not my swift goshawk!'
August 13, 2025 at 6:13 PM
And thou mayest aske thyself, 'How do Ich werke thys?'
And thou mayest aske thyself, 'Wher ys that large destrier?'
And thou mayest telle thyself, 'Thys nys not my beautiful castle!'
And thou mayest telle thyself, 'Thys nys not my swift goshawk!'
And thou mayest aske thyself, 'Wher ys that large destrier?'
And thou mayest telle thyself, 'Thys nys not my beautiful castle!'
And thou mayest telle thyself, 'Thys nys not my swift goshawk!'
Reposted by Andy Leask
Disgraceful.
BREAKING & EXCLUSIVE from @heraldscotland.bsky.social
16 Glasgow secondaries will have no library staff whatsoever when schools reopen tomorrow
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2538717...
16 Glasgow secondaries will have no library staff whatsoever when schools reopen tomorrow
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2538717...
Sixteen Glasgow secondaries will have no library staff as new school year begins
The development comes as proposals to scrap all school librarians in Glasgow are being considered.
www.heraldscotland.com
August 13, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Disgraceful.
Had a lot of fun playing in this, today. Something a bit different from @lawhammer.bsky.social . Available on VOD until the end of the festival.
#edfringe #D&D #TTRPG
#edfringe #D&D #TTRPG
Ca-caw!
Today 2 of our Rooks joined the lovely folks at @urbanarcanegames.bsky.social for Ashes of Verdant Light, a D&D actual play in association with Climate Change Theatre Action. You can stream it until the end of the Festival. We had bags of fun, check it out!
ticketpass.org/event/EXSCBK...
Today 2 of our Rooks joined the lovely folks at @urbanarcanegames.bsky.social for Ashes of Verdant Light, a D&D actual play in association with Climate Change Theatre Action. You can stream it until the end of the Festival. We had bags of fun, check it out!
ticketpass.org/event/EXSCBK...
August 6, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Had a lot of fun playing in this, today. Something a bit different from @lawhammer.bsky.social . Available on VOD until the end of the festival.
#edfringe #D&D #TTRPG
#edfringe #D&D #TTRPG
Reposted by Andy Leask
Exactly this. Stop trying to define an ‘authentic’ masculinity, it doesn’t exist. The theorisation of gender happens in the service of the critique of gender/s, not in order to establish a taxonomy. (Incidentally, this is why essentialist transphobes calling themselves ‘gender critical’ is a joke.)
the reason we don’t have discourse about a crisis of femininity is that any attempt to construct one would collapse under the absurdity of its outmoded gender essentialism, suggesting that masculinity is not so much in crisis as the uncritical belief that masculinity even exists is itself the crisis
August 3, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Exactly this. Stop trying to define an ‘authentic’ masculinity, it doesn’t exist. The theorisation of gender happens in the service of the critique of gender/s, not in order to establish a taxonomy. (Incidentally, this is why essentialist transphobes calling themselves ‘gender critical’ is a joke.)
Reposted by Andy Leask
Boundless is going under, it’ll cease trading by end of day. Archna has emailed Neem Tree Press authors about this but not Unbound ones :/
Authors, a couple staff members are working hard to get reversions, subcontracts, and files to us—if you need them email NOW before the lights go off
Authors, a couple staff members are working hard to get reversions, subcontracts, and files to us—if you need them email NOW before the lights go off
So, this Unbound/Boundless fiasco. I was going to be polite about it, but after this morning’s email: no
August 1, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Boundless is going under, it’ll cease trading by end of day. Archna has emailed Neem Tree Press authors about this but not Unbound ones :/
Authors, a couple staff members are working hard to get reversions, subcontracts, and files to us—if you need them email NOW before the lights go off
Authors, a couple staff members are working hard to get reversions, subcontracts, and files to us—if you need them email NOW before the lights go off
Reposted by Andy Leask
1 in 3 doctors were born overseas.
1 in 2 builders were born overseas.
1 in 6 nurses were born overseas.
1 in 4 transport workers were born overseas.
1 in 7 UK business founders were born overseas.
1 in 5 university academics were born overseas.
The UK would be screwed without them.
1 in 2 builders were born overseas.
1 in 6 nurses were born overseas.
1 in 4 transport workers were born overseas.
1 in 7 UK business founders were born overseas.
1 in 5 university academics were born overseas.
The UK would be screwed without them.
August 1, 2025 at 8:40 AM
1 in 3 doctors were born overseas.
1 in 2 builders were born overseas.
1 in 6 nurses were born overseas.
1 in 4 transport workers were born overseas.
1 in 7 UK business founders were born overseas.
1 in 5 university academics were born overseas.
The UK would be screwed without them.
1 in 2 builders were born overseas.
1 in 6 nurses were born overseas.
1 in 4 transport workers were born overseas.
1 in 7 UK business founders were born overseas.
1 in 5 university academics were born overseas.
The UK would be screwed without them.
Reposted by Andy Leask
'you can generate a different ending every time you view a movie!'
'you can have endless text conversations with NPCs in games!'
'you can summarize a novel, you don't have to read it!'
the pitches for genAI really reveal how much the people behind it just... hate art.
like. *hate* art. deeply.
'you can have endless text conversations with NPCs in games!'
'you can summarize a novel, you don't have to read it!'
the pitches for genAI really reveal how much the people behind it just... hate art.
like. *hate* art. deeply.
June 6, 2025 at 7:10 PM
'you can generate a different ending every time you view a movie!'
'you can have endless text conversations with NPCs in games!'
'you can summarize a novel, you don't have to read it!'
the pitches for genAI really reveal how much the people behind it just... hate art.
like. *hate* art. deeply.
'you can have endless text conversations with NPCs in games!'
'you can summarize a novel, you don't have to read it!'
the pitches for genAI really reveal how much the people behind it just... hate art.
like. *hate* art. deeply.
Reposted by Andy Leask
Must link you to this and please ensure you scroll down to see the shoes in question
www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbea...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbea...
Katy Perry 'saddened' by blackface claims about her shoe range
The singer has removed two shoes from her range after complaints were made online about racism.
www.bbc.co.uk
July 29, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Must link you to this and please ensure you scroll down to see the shoes in question
www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbea...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbea...
Reposted by Andy Leask
The Courier reports on Sandie Peggie's racist posts, where she used the term "p*kis" and said that, following devistating floods, Pakistan looked like a "giant bowl of coco pops".
Sandie Peggie is supported in her case by Sex Matters.
www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/politics/...
Sandie Peggie is supported in her case by Sex Matters.
www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/politics/...
EXCLUSIVE: NHS Fife nurse Sandie Peggie mocked victims of Pakistan floods in series of racist posts
The offensive messages, detailed below, emerged in an evidence bundle seen by The Courier at the tribunal in Dundee.
www.thecourier.co.uk
July 28, 2025 at 1:40 PM
The Courier reports on Sandie Peggie's racist posts, where she used the term "p*kis" and said that, following devistating floods, Pakistan looked like a "giant bowl of coco pops".
Sandie Peggie is supported in her case by Sex Matters.
www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/politics/...
Sandie Peggie is supported in her case by Sex Matters.
www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/politics/...
Reposted by Andy Leask
The BBC News website has pages & pages of coverage related to farmers protesting inheritance tax, including events where only a few hundred turn out.
In London yesterday 100,000 people marched for trans rights, and nothing.
Imagine if it was 100,000 anti immigrant activists, they'd cover that.
In London yesterday 100,000 people marched for trans rights, and nothing.
Imagine if it was 100,000 anti immigrant activists, they'd cover that.
July 27, 2025 at 9:38 AM
The BBC News website has pages & pages of coverage related to farmers protesting inheritance tax, including events where only a few hundred turn out.
In London yesterday 100,000 people marched for trans rights, and nothing.
Imagine if it was 100,000 anti immigrant activists, they'd cover that.
In London yesterday 100,000 people marched for trans rights, and nothing.
Imagine if it was 100,000 anti immigrant activists, they'd cover that.
Reposted by Andy Leask
Spot on from Jon.
We don’t make much that would fall under “adult content”, but I think it is very wrong for payment processors to seize moral control of what can be sold.
‘Adult content’ has long been the canary in the coal mine. And it is wrong and dangerous for art and creators to be attacked this way.
‘Adult content’ has long been the canary in the coal mine. And it is wrong and dangerous for art and creators to be attacked this way.
July 24, 2025 at 9:17 AM
Spot on from Jon.
Reposted by Andy Leask
I phoned PayPal on +44203 901 7000. The advisor hadn't heard of the itch.io case. We discussed the best ways to have a complaint go up the hierarchy. I was also advised to email EuropeanServices@PayPal.com
I'd advise phoning ASAP, insist the advisor escalate the complaint, and email as well.
I'd advise phoning ASAP, insist the advisor escalate the complaint, and email as well.
July 24, 2025 at 11:52 AM
I phoned PayPal on +44203 901 7000. The advisor hadn't heard of the itch.io case. We discussed the best ways to have a complaint go up the hierarchy. I was also advised to email EuropeanServices@PayPal.com
I'd advise phoning ASAP, insist the advisor escalate the complaint, and email as well.
I'd advise phoning ASAP, insist the advisor escalate the complaint, and email as well.
Reposted by Andy Leask
Embed With Games is now available in this little ebook bundle for a limited time, pay what you want
July 24, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Embed With Games is now available in this little ebook bundle for a limited time, pay what you want