John Rickards
@johnrickards.bsky.social
Freelance editor, sometime writer, occasional trade journo and general dogsbody. Decent human being. Find me at johnrickards.com
Reposted by John Rickards
There’s a Turkish phrase about the upside of hitting rock bottom being that things can’t get any worse. It goes göte giren şemsiye açılmaz and it means “an umbrella up one’s ass cannot be opened”
February 10, 2025 at 5:26 PM
There’s a Turkish phrase about the upside of hitting rock bottom being that things can’t get any worse. It goes göte giren şemsiye açılmaz and it means “an umbrella up one’s ass cannot be opened”
Waitrose getting into the spirit of the times.
February 10, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Waitrose getting into the spirit of the times.
My god, this bullshit just never ends. (A perfectly solid one-line summary of most gen-AI output, come to that.)
Today, the UK government announced a proposal to change copyright law - for the benefit of AI companies - that would cause huge, irreversible harm to creators.
More info below, but most importantly here's what you can do (wherever you live):
1. Email your MP. Template letter in 🧵 👇
1/10
More info below, but most importantly here's what you can do (wherever you live):
1. Email your MP. Template letter in 🧵 👇
1/10
December 17, 2024 at 8:28 PM
My god, this bullshit just never ends. (A perfectly solid one-line summary of most gen-AI output, come to that.)
Reposted by John Rickards
At the American Shakespeare Center’s Blackfriars Conference, if you run over your time, you are literally forced to exit, pursued by a bear.
The bear can and will take your paper from you to shut you up.
The bear can and will take your paper from you to shut you up.
I could not tell you how often I have done readings with male writers who go way over the allotted time limit, biting into other people's reading time or making the event last way longer than it was supposed to.
But the worst ones are the ones who go: "I'll just read until someone stops me."
But the worst ones are the ones who go: "I'll just read until someone stops me."
Ending on time is a feminist act.
December 9, 2024 at 5:15 PM
At the American Shakespeare Center’s Blackfriars Conference, if you run over your time, you are literally forced to exit, pursued by a bear.
The bear can and will take your paper from you to shut you up.
The bear can and will take your paper from you to shut you up.
Reposted by John Rickards
the "an average person eats 3 spiders a year” factoid is actually just a statistical error. an average person eats 0 spiders per year. Spiders Georg, who lives in a cave & eats over 10,000 each day, is an outlier and should not have been counted
November 29, 2024 at 3:32 AM
the "an average person eats 3 spiders a year” factoid is actually just a statistical error. an average person eats 0 spiders per year. Spiders Georg, who lives in a cave & eats over 10,000 each day, is an outlier and should not have been counted
Minor gripe: phone’s on an office furniture spam list. Tapped “report junk”, which deletes msg & blocks. Get reply from O2: “our spam team will look into it. Pls reply with name or no. that sent the text”. … That’s not in the report? What *is*? And do it from memory, cos msg is deleted by reporting?
November 29, 2024 at 10:31 AM
Minor gripe: phone’s on an office furniture spam list. Tapped “report junk”, which deletes msg & blocks. Get reply from O2: “our spam team will look into it. Pls reply with name or no. that sent the text”. … That’s not in the report? What *is*? And do it from memory, cos msg is deleted by reporting?
Reposted by John Rickards
I've got no problem with people using their faith to guide their decisions, but a massive issue when they use it to make decisions about me. One day, I'll post about my beloved grandads final days, and why I've been a supporter of assisted dying (with strong safeguards) ever since.
Some have said the assisted dying debate has been "parliament at its best". I'm not so sure. Instead I think religion has quietly played a dominant role in the debate, distorted the conversation, with few believing MPs being straightforward about why. My piece for the i. inews.co.uk/opinion/mps-...
MPs are being dishonest about why they oppose assisted dying
For many, religious belief plays a part - and MPs should make clear when that is the case
inews.co.uk
November 29, 2024 at 10:08 AM
I've got no problem with people using their faith to guide their decisions, but a massive issue when they use it to make decisions about me. One day, I'll post about my beloved grandads final days, and why I've been a supporter of assisted dying (with strong safeguards) ever since.
Reposted by John Rickards
*orca feeling good about his new hat*
orcawear killer whale: too small you fucking DUMB ASS
orcawear killer whale: too small you fucking DUMB ASS
November 29, 2024 at 1:23 AM
*orca feeling good about his new hat*
orcawear killer whale: too small you fucking DUMB ASS
orcawear killer whale: too small you fucking DUMB ASS
Reposted by John Rickards
Not pleased that Bluesky's messing with the default order in which replies are displayed. It's only a small step to then having a fully algorithmic feed, which is what's shit about other places.
To reset your replies, go to:
- Settings
- Content and media
- Thread preferences
To reset your replies, go to:
- Settings
- Content and media
- Thread preferences
November 29, 2024 at 6:58 AM
Not pleased that Bluesky's messing with the default order in which replies are displayed. It's only a small step to then having a fully algorithmic feed, which is what's shit about other places.
To reset your replies, go to:
- Settings
- Content and media
- Thread preferences
To reset your replies, go to:
- Settings
- Content and media
- Thread preferences
Reposted by John Rickards
I am still confused about who buys this and how the design could ever get approved.
November 24, 2024 at 9:36 AM
I am still confused about who buys this and how the design could ever get approved.
Whoever could have foreseen, in a petrostate-hosted COP, that etc. etc.
Latest mitigation work programme draft is out, with the outstanding option on the development of a report settled.
The high-level messaging at the top has also changed, with the recognition of the impacts of climate change and the serious concern that 2023 was the warmest year on record removed
The high-level messaging at the top has also changed, with the recognition of the impacts of climate change and the serious concern that 2023 was the warmest year on record removed
November 22, 2024 at 12:32 PM
Whoever could have foreseen, in a petrostate-hosted COP, that etc. etc.
Reposted by John Rickards
Editor: You get that chicken painted on to the van?
Photographer: Sure did boss, real fuckin sexy just like you asked.
Editor: what
Photographer: Sure did boss, real fuckin sexy just like you asked.
Editor: what
pulled in the lane behind this and almost crashed my car
November 22, 2024 at 12:16 PM
Editor: You get that chicken painted on to the van?
Photographer: Sure did boss, real fuckin sexy just like you asked.
Editor: what
Photographer: Sure did boss, real fuckin sexy just like you asked.
Editor: what
Reposted by John Rickards
-Gaetz had to drop out because he liked 'em young
-So, Em Young was a bar to being AG?
-Oh no, Em wasn't involved in that. It was Bush that made Barr AG
-Then Gaetz hated Bush?
-Yes, that's why he had to drop out
-So, Em Young was a bar to being AG?
-Oh no, Em wasn't involved in that. It was Bush that made Barr AG
-Then Gaetz hated Bush?
-Yes, that's why he had to drop out
November 22, 2024 at 6:28 AM
-Gaetz had to drop out because he liked 'em young
-So, Em Young was a bar to being AG?
-Oh no, Em wasn't involved in that. It was Bush that made Barr AG
-Then Gaetz hated Bush?
-Yes, that's why he had to drop out
-So, Em Young was a bar to being AG?
-Oh no, Em wasn't involved in that. It was Bush that made Barr AG
-Then Gaetz hated Bush?
-Yes, that's why he had to drop out
Reposted by John Rickards
It's strange that ghost written novels are so accepted, if a celebrity said he was exhibiting a collection of paintings that turned out to be painted by someone else we'd all think he was having a breakdown.
November 18, 2024 at 6:41 PM
It's strange that ghost written novels are so accepted, if a celebrity said he was exhibiting a collection of paintings that turned out to be painted by someone else we'd all think he was having a breakdown.
Reposted by John Rickards
"okay! i've got all the sheep! hallo?! boss?? I HAVE ALL THE SHEEP!"
November 16, 2024 at 2:54 AM
"okay! i've got all the sheep! hallo?! boss?? I HAVE ALL THE SHEEP!"
Reposted by John Rickards
Well this is fucked. And good for @kibblesmith.com for kicking this to the curb. But this shit is insidious.
November 16, 2024 at 9:37 PM
Well this is fucked. And good for @kibblesmith.com for kicking this to the curb. But this shit is insidious.
Reposted by John Rickards
We're not a new release, but we're an important one, especially now. Proceeds go to the Chicago Abortion Fund. 🫀
cosmichorrormonthly.com/store/pre-or...
cosmichorrormonthly.com/store/pre-or...
ASEPTIC AND FAINTLY SADISTIC Anthology - Cosmic Horror Monthly
Are you sure something’s wrong? Or are you just hysterical? Aseptic and Faintly Sadistic is rage-made-art, an unsettling meditation that […]
cosmichorrormonthly.com
November 15, 2024 at 4:59 PM
We're not a new release, but we're an important one, especially now. Proceeds go to the Chicago Abortion Fund. 🫀
cosmichorrormonthly.com/store/pre-or...
cosmichorrormonthly.com/store/pre-or...
Reposted by John Rickards
Potential snag in the "drill, baby, drill"-our-way-to-permanent-prosperity plan: The law of supply and demand.
Nobody ever said the clean energy transition won't be messy.
Lower demand leading to excess supply leading to lower prices... But the fundamental trends are clear.
www.reuters.com/business/ene...
Lower demand leading to excess supply leading to lower prices... But the fundamental trends are clear.
www.reuters.com/business/ene...
World faces oil surplus in 2025 on weak demand, IEA says
Global oil supply will exceed demand in 2025 even if OPEC+ cuts remain in place, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Thursday, as rising production from the United States and other outside producers outpaces sluggish demand.
www.reuters.com
November 15, 2024 at 6:12 PM
Potential snag in the "drill, baby, drill"-our-way-to-permanent-prosperity plan: The law of supply and demand.
To everyone sharing the MS Word experiences post, it's not Gen AI at all AFAIK. "Connected experiences" is a dreadful term, but it's spellchecking, transcription/text-to-speech, machine translation, etc. that pushes/pulls data from another MS service. Full list: learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/micros...
learn.microsoft.com
November 15, 2024 at 6:26 PM
To everyone sharing the MS Word experiences post, it's not Gen AI at all AFAIK. "Connected experiences" is a dreadful term, but it's spellchecking, transcription/text-to-speech, machine translation, etc. that pushes/pulls data from another MS service. Full list: learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/micros...
Reposted by John Rickards
Today, I will be showing you how to make a deliciously comforting beef ragu.
November 15, 2024 at 3:06 PM
Today, I will be showing you how to make a deliciously comforting beef ragu.
Though graffiti-editing vigilantes still aren't top of my all-time favourites, as this archive gold dust from my local paper shows.
November 15, 2024 at 1:37 PM
Though graffiti-editing vigilantes still aren't top of my all-time favourites, as this archive gold dust from my local paper shows.
re the last repost, 2 weeks ago I started a part-time job proofreading clerical docs at my local hospital (hedging vs the vagaries of freelancing w/o needing to actually stop freelancing), and every day I pass by graffiti calling for: "Sex socks now!" I'm never less than curious what prompted it.
November 15, 2024 at 1:29 PM
re the last repost, 2 weeks ago I started a part-time job proofreading clerical docs at my local hospital (hedging vs the vagaries of freelancing w/o needing to actually stop freelancing), and every day I pass by graffiti calling for: "Sex socks now!" I'm never less than curious what prompted it.
Reposted by John Rickards
Many commentators say that vigilante groups are never the answer. But they clearly don't know about the masked Ecuadorian trio named “Acción Ortográfica Quito,” who roam the streets at night with a singular purpose: to correct all the spelling and grammar mistakes they find in graffiti.
November 15, 2024 at 12:56 PM
Many commentators say that vigilante groups are never the answer. But they clearly don't know about the masked Ecuadorian trio named “Acción Ortográfica Quito,” who roam the streets at night with a singular purpose: to correct all the spelling and grammar mistakes they find in graffiti.
This remains one of the finest and most earwormy renditions of a very old song. m.youtube.com/watch?v=7CxX...
October 14, 2023 at 9:47 PM
This remains one of the finest and most earwormy renditions of a very old song. m.youtube.com/watch?v=7CxX...
Reposted by John Rickards
It isn't normal for questions about a medical treatment that haven't produced any evidence to contradict the mainstream consensus to result in halting that treatment and I don't think we say it enough.
The Reason Gender-Affirming Care is Controversial is Base Prejudice — Assigned
Viewed as medicine, the treatments are remarkable only in their ability to
give hope to patients with no other evidence-based treatment.
www.assignedmedia.org
October 3, 2023 at 2:52 PM
It isn't normal for questions about a medical treatment that haven't produced any evidence to contradict the mainstream consensus to result in halting that treatment and I don't think we say it enough.