Heliomass
@heliomass.com
🇨🇦🇬🇧 ex-Londoner in Montreal. It’s an experience.
Transit / retro gaming / politics / cats
Runs mainly on Yorkshire Tea and root beer.
Blog: https://heliomass.com
Correspondent at @lonrec.bsky.social
Creator of @mtltransitstatusen.bsky.social
Transit / retro gaming / politics / cats
Runs mainly on Yorkshire Tea and root beer.
Blog: https://heliomass.com
Correspondent at @lonrec.bsky.social
Creator of @mtltransitstatusen.bsky.social
Yeah, this not good. Perhaps it would help if CEOs stopped ramming AI down the throats of engineers?
simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/6/tom…
#AI
simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/6/tom…
#AI
A quote from Tom Dale
I don't know why this week became the tipping point, but nearly every software engineer I've talked to is experiencing some degree of mental health crisis. [...] Many people assuming …
simonwillison.net
February 7, 2026 at 12:53 AM
Yeah, this not good. Perhaps it would help if CEOs stopped ramming AI down the throats of engineers?
simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/6/tom…
#AI
simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/6/tom…
#AI
Reposted by Heliomass
📖 “The UK's real hub airport” tomforth.co.uk/hubairports/
Interesting theory.
(Unrelated, but to my shame I’ve never tried Eccles cake)
#Manchester #Heathrow
Interesting theory.
(Unrelated, but to my shame I’ve never tried Eccles cake)
#Manchester #Heathrow
The UK's real hub airport
Six reasons why Heathrow is not the UK's hub airport.
tomforth.co.uk
February 6, 2026 at 1:35 PM
📖 “The UK's real hub airport” tomforth.co.uk/hubairports/
Interesting theory.
(Unrelated, but to my shame I’ve never tried Eccles cake)
#Manchester #Heathrow
Interesting theory.
(Unrelated, but to my shame I’ve never tried Eccles cake)
#Manchester #Heathrow
Reposted by Heliomass
Friday Reads for 6 February:
Friday Reads for 6 February
* Route for third Edinburgh tram line unveiled (BBC)
* Why Glasgow’s Metro plan might actually work!: Video (CityMoose)
* German train conductor dies after assault by fare dodger (RailTech)
* India (Finally) Finished its Impossible Bridge: Video (The B1M)
* The Hill of Hysteria: Why changing our street environment is so hard (Bridged2050)
londonreconnections.com
February 6, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Friday Reads for 6 February:
Reposted by Heliomass
How glamour, romance, & aesthetics are essential for an airship revival:
How glamour, romance, & aesthetics are essential for an airship revival
The Pragmatism of Luxury
londonreconnections.com
February 6, 2026 at 8:00 AM
How glamour, romance, & aesthetics are essential for an airship revival:
Reposted by Heliomass
🚆 Spotted an O-Train Line 1 train? Log it! 👀
Help RailFans track which LRVs are running in real time.
📍 Takes 10 seconds: tracker.railfans.ca
🔥 Track it. Report it. Build the fleet map!
Help RailFans track which LRVs are running in real time.
📍 Takes 10 seconds: tracker.railfans.ca
🔥 Track it. Report it. Build the fleet map!
February 5, 2026 at 8:02 PM
🚆 Spotted an O-Train Line 1 train? Log it! 👀
Help RailFans track which LRVs are running in real time.
📍 Takes 10 seconds: tracker.railfans.ca
🔥 Track it. Report it. Build the fleet map!
Help RailFans track which LRVs are running in real time.
📍 Takes 10 seconds: tracker.railfans.ca
🔥 Track it. Report it. Build the fleet map!
I found this interesting, because here in Montreal two underground REM stations in particular (McGill, Édouard Montpetit) have pretty incredible sound absorption + platform screen doors, making even reasonably crowded platforms very quiet.
/cc @ianvisits.co.uk
www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/pad...
/cc @ianvisits.co.uk
www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/pad...
Paddington could host TfL’s first sensory-friendly “quiet space” for travellers
Transport for London (TfL) is exploring how it can make journeys easier for passengers who find the city’s transport system overwhelming
www.ianvisits.co.uk
February 5, 2026 at 2:42 PM
I found this interesting, because here in Montreal two underground REM stations in particular (McGill, Édouard Montpetit) have pretty incredible sound absorption + platform screen doors, making even reasonably crowded platforms very quiet.
/cc @ianvisits.co.uk
www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/pad...
/cc @ianvisits.co.uk
www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/pad...
Reposted by Heliomass
Oh dog, what now?
February 5, 2026 at 11:38 AM
Oh dog, what now?
Reposted by Heliomass
That‘s the spirit.
February 5, 2026 at 10:46 AM
That‘s the spirit.
Reposted by Heliomass
NEW: Abigail Spanberger this afternoon ordered that all state agencies leave ICE's 287(g) program.
This means that the state police (and some other agencies) will no longer be empowered to detain and arrest people for ICE.
Big, big move by the governor within weeks of coming into office.
This means that the state police (and some other agencies) will no longer be empowered to detain and arrest people for ICE.
Big, big move by the governor within weeks of coming into office.
Virginia’s New Governor Ends ICE Program. Local Contracts Remain, For Now. - Bolts
Abigail Spanberger left the 287(g) program, which empowered state law enforcement to detain immigrants. Will Democrats also bar local police and sheriffs from the program?
boltsmag.org
February 4, 2026 at 10:36 PM
NEW: Abigail Spanberger this afternoon ordered that all state agencies leave ICE's 287(g) program.
This means that the state police (and some other agencies) will no longer be empowered to detain and arrest people for ICE.
Big, big move by the governor within weeks of coming into office.
This means that the state police (and some other agencies) will no longer be empowered to detain and arrest people for ICE.
Big, big move by the governor within weeks of coming into office.
“New passport rules for Britons with dual citizenship” www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbWd0j…
Well this is annoying but important news for UK nationals with dual citizenship. Spread the word I guess, because I only found out about this by chance.
#UK
Well this is annoying but important news for UK nationals with dual citizenship. Spread the word I guess, because I only found out about this by chance.
#UK
February 5, 2026 at 12:44 AM
“New passport rules for Britons with dual citizenship” www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbWd0j…
Well this is annoying but important news for UK nationals with dual citizenship. Spread the word I guess, because I only found out about this by chance.
#UK
Well this is annoying but important news for UK nationals with dual citizenship. Spread the word I guess, because I only found out about this by chance.
#UK
Reposted by Heliomass
Reposted by Heliomass
"Grandma's iPad stopwatch apparently hasn't been stopped for four years I'm dying"
February 4, 2026 at 8:33 PM
"Grandma's iPad stopwatch apparently hasn't been stopped for four years I'm dying"
Reposted by Heliomass
It's rare to see how lobbyists operate. But the Epstein-Mandelson correspondence shows us what happens all the time: plutocrats and government ministers conspiring against the public interest. This is why all lobbying should be in the public domain, but despite Labour and Con promises, it's not. 🧵
February 2, 2026 at 8:20 AM
It's rare to see how lobbyists operate. But the Epstein-Mandelson correspondence shows us what happens all the time: plutocrats and government ministers conspiring against the public interest. This is why all lobbying should be in the public domain, but despite Labour and Con promises, it's not. 🧵
Reposted by Heliomass
Yeah we should strive for abundance
An abundance of doors on busses
An abundance of doors on busses
February 3, 2026 at 4:20 PM
Yeah we should strive for abundance
An abundance of doors on busses
An abundance of doors on busses
Reposted by Heliomass
@stewartprest.ca: This is an unambiguous and flagrant violation of Canadian sovereignty.
It is going to get worse, and Canadians who wish to see the country remain intact need to respond.
Make no mistake — Trump’s America is coming for Alberta.
#uspoli #canpoli #abpoli
It is going to get worse, and Canadians who wish to see the country remain intact need to respond.
Make no mistake — Trump’s America is coming for Alberta.
#uspoli #canpoli #abpoli
Trump’s America Comes for Alberta | The Tyee
The country must respond to this flagrant violation of Canadian sovereignty.
thetyee.ca
January 26, 2026 at 4:13 PM
@stewartprest.ca: This is an unambiguous and flagrant violation of Canadian sovereignty.
It is going to get worse, and Canadians who wish to see the country remain intact need to respond.
Make no mistake — Trump’s America is coming for Alberta.
#uspoli #canpoli #abpoli
It is going to get worse, and Canadians who wish to see the country remain intact need to respond.
Make no mistake — Trump’s America is coming for Alberta.
#uspoli #canpoli #abpoli
Reposted by Heliomass
Look at what changes under proportional representation.
Votes count in every region, regional monopolies lose their grip, and governing requires real majority support.
That is a healthier democracy than winner take all politics.
Votes count in every region, regional monopolies lose their grip, and governing requires real majority support.
That is a healthier democracy than winner take all politics.
February 3, 2026 at 5:56 PM
Look at what changes under proportional representation.
Votes count in every region, regional monopolies lose their grip, and governing requires real majority support.
That is a healthier democracy than winner take all politics.
Votes count in every region, regional monopolies lose their grip, and governing requires real majority support.
That is a healthier democracy than winner take all politics.
Reposted by Heliomass
Absolutely...I no longer file my stories on X.. hope other journos follow suit. That's the way to kill X
and no I haven't put the Mandelson-Epstein-Reinaldo scoop on twitter
we journalists *can* make Bluesky the place to break news
we journalists *can* make Bluesky the place to break news
February 2, 2026 at 4:53 PM
Absolutely...I no longer file my stories on X.. hope other journos follow suit. That's the way to kill X
Reposted by Heliomass
I am not interested in being a person on Instagram, doing collaborative posts with people or filming myself talking to the camera. I want to be a person who fucks off away from the noise and works hard and writes better and better books for the rest of his life and then dies. Why is that not ok?
February 1, 2026 at 7:57 PM
I am not interested in being a person on Instagram, doing collaborative posts with people or filming myself talking to the camera. I want to be a person who fucks off away from the noise and works hard and writes better and better books for the rest of his life and then dies. Why is that not ok?
Reposted by Heliomass
Have you heard of “The Populist Playbook?”
A few years ago, I posted what I still consider one of my most important messages.
It was about “The Populist Playbook” that I’ve watched play out often over my 33+ years of city planning.
Since then, it’s only gotten worse.
Do the steps sound familiar?
A few years ago, I posted what I still consider one of my most important messages.
It was about “The Populist Playbook” that I’ve watched play out often over my 33+ years of city planning.
Since then, it’s only gotten worse.
Do the steps sound familiar?
November 8, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Have you heard of “The Populist Playbook?”
A few years ago, I posted what I still consider one of my most important messages.
It was about “The Populist Playbook” that I’ve watched play out often over my 33+ years of city planning.
Since then, it’s only gotten worse.
Do the steps sound familiar?
A few years ago, I posted what I still consider one of my most important messages.
It was about “The Populist Playbook” that I’ve watched play out often over my 33+ years of city planning.
Since then, it’s only gotten worse.
Do the steps sound familiar?
Reposted by Heliomass
Operation Save Dull Dog.
Time to get rid of the incriminating evidence, more like
February 2, 2026 at 7:25 PM
Operation Save Dull Dog.
Reposted by Heliomass
Bollards save lives AND bring immense joy and happiness to the world.
#WorldBollardAssociation
#WorldBollardAssociation
February 1, 2026 at 9:55 PM
Bollards save lives AND bring immense joy and happiness to the world.
#WorldBollardAssociation
#WorldBollardAssociation
Reposted by Heliomass
Early days of Wikipedia had serious discussion if DRM article would be named "Digital Restrictions Management," because it entails you no rights in the technical sense.
(I've tried to find the discussion but haven't, trust me we had it)
(I've tried to find the discussion but haven't, trust me we had it)
I could probably talk at length about how DRM and AI are the same scam, presented as inevitable by the tech industry while being entirely unfit for purpose.
DRM made me very mad when I was a tech editor, but at least it wasn't a plagiarism lie machine that cause people to kill themselves.
DRM made me very mad when I was a tech editor, but at least it wasn't a plagiarism lie machine that cause people to kill themselves.
February 2, 2026 at 8:03 PM
Early days of Wikipedia had serious discussion if DRM article would be named "Digital Restrictions Management," because it entails you no rights in the technical sense.
(I've tried to find the discussion but haven't, trust me we had it)
(I've tried to find the discussion but haven't, trust me we had it)
Reposted by Heliomass
Amazing coda here.
February 2, 2026 at 11:44 AM
Amazing coda here.
Reposted by Heliomass
Monday's Friday Reads for 2 February:
Monday's Friday Reads for 2 February
* Protest held against decision to fill in Queensbury Tunnel (BBC)
* The Class 230 battery trial (Diamond Geezer)
* Commuter train operated remotely thanks to Alstom / DB partnership (Rail Advent)
* The Messy Science of Escalator Etiquette: Video (Half As Interesting)
* Britain's nuclear powered ocean liner plans (Oceanliners Blog)
* Elevated high line urban
londonreconnections.com
February 2, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Monday's Friday Reads for 2 February: