Matthew Parkinson-Bennett
@matthewpb.bsky.social
Publisher, Little Island Books @littleislandbooks.bsky.social. The best new Irish writing for young readers.
Pinned
We are witnessing an experiment in whether people will ever tire of a trite joke
it's like the FIFA Peace Prize means nothing anymore
January 3, 2026 at 3:04 PM
We are witnessing an experiment in whether people will ever tire of a trite joke
Reposted by Matthew Parkinson-Bennett
Finding this rather perversely comforting, because at least we know this won’t inevitably be followed by more invasions or the outbreak of a world war
Unfortunately this is less unprecedented than people reacting right now might like. We prosecuted Hernández like a month after his presidency ended and Noriega was captured after we invaded while he was dictator there. That doesn't make it OK but it does make me skeptical there'll be consequences.
January 3, 2026 at 2:30 PM
Finding this rather perversely comforting, because at least we know this won’t inevitably be followed by more invasions or the outbreak of a world war
Reposted by Matthew Parkinson-Bennett
Unfortunately this is less unprecedented than people reacting right now might like. We prosecuted Hernández like a month after his presidency ended and Noriega was captured after we invaded while he was dictator there. That doesn't make it OK but it does make me skeptical there'll be consequences.
January 3, 2026 at 2:17 PM
Unfortunately this is less unprecedented than people reacting right now might like. We prosecuted Hernández like a month after his presidency ended and Noriega was captured after we invaded while he was dictator there. That doesn't make it OK but it does make me skeptical there'll be consequences.
Reposted by Matthew Parkinson-Bennett
Taylor Swift’s silence on the events in Venezuela is deafening.
January 3, 2026 at 2:15 PM
Taylor Swift’s silence on the events in Venezuela is deafening.
Reposted by Matthew Parkinson-Bennett
Perhaps now people will stop wishcasting about the US military refusing illegal orders. That's not a thing that happens. The 100% compliance rate with using civilian boats for target practice was a bit of a tell.
January 3, 2026 at 1:39 PM
Perhaps now people will stop wishcasting about the US military refusing illegal orders. That's not a thing that happens. The 100% compliance rate with using civilian boats for target practice was a bit of a tell.
Feel like this is a 9/11 scale catastrophe
January 3, 2026 at 9:47 AM
Feel like this is a 9/11 scale catastrophe
That Nobel Peace Prize has aged well
January 3, 2026 at 9:36 AM
That Nobel Peace Prize has aged well
Best man speech anecdote from my beloved and infamously impractical and chaotic cousin’s wedding: “One day he said to me, ‘By the way our bar of soap is running low.’ I said, ‘What do you fucking mean, *our* bar of soap?!?”
January 2, 2026 at 11:43 PM
Best man speech anecdote from my beloved and infamously impractical and chaotic cousin’s wedding: “One day he said to me, ‘By the way our bar of soap is running low.’ I said, ‘What do you fucking mean, *our* bar of soap?!?”
Status: warming to my theme
January 2, 2026 at 9:29 AM
Status: warming to my theme
I am getting sworn in at the mass grave of the 1916 leaders that’s overlooked by the sex offenders’ prison in Arbour Hill; and it’s got to be my own copy of Ulysses
congratulations! you have been elected mayor of your city
where are you being sworn in, and what book are you swearing on?
i'll go first: those weird electricity boxes on college green, and i'm swearing on a first edition of dracula
where are you being sworn in, and what book are you swearing on?
i'll go first: those weird electricity boxes on college green, and i'm swearing on a first edition of dracula
January 2, 2026 at 1:05 AM
I am getting sworn in at the mass grave of the 1916 leaders that’s overlooked by the sex offenders’ prison in Arbour Hill; and it’s got to be my own copy of Ulysses
Reposted by Matthew Parkinson-Bennett
Reposted by Matthew Parkinson-Bennett
2026 means it's a decade since the 2016 Democratic Primary. Posters be warned.
January 1, 2026 at 9:00 PM
2026 means it's a decade since the 2016 Democratic Primary. Posters be warned.
I listen to little new music – I don’t know how some of you keep up tbh – so I just have 3 favourite 2025 music things. But let me tell you, I listened the arse off each of them:
Blood Orange – the new thing he did
Sharon Van Etten – the new thing she did
Kamasi Washinton – the new thing he did
Blood Orange – the new thing he did
Sharon Van Etten – the new thing she did
Kamasi Washinton – the new thing he did
January 1, 2026 at 11:20 PM
I listen to little new music – I don’t know how some of you keep up tbh – so I just have 3 favourite 2025 music things. But let me tell you, I listened the arse off each of them:
Blood Orange – the new thing he did
Sharon Van Etten – the new thing she did
Kamasi Washinton – the new thing he did
Blood Orange – the new thing he did
Sharon Van Etten – the new thing she did
Kamasi Washinton – the new thing he did
The most Dublin thing about me is that I like Fontaines DC but I can’t stop calling them DiFontaines
January 1, 2026 at 10:58 PM
The most Dublin thing about me is that I like Fontaines DC but I can’t stop calling them DiFontaines
Reposted by Matthew Parkinson-Bennett
subscriptions >>> shop.viz.co.uk/viz351bs
January 1, 2026 at 10:31 PM
subscriptions >>> shop.viz.co.uk/viz351bs
Hand-made, resolable, Spanish leather boots are about the most socialist-coded items of clothing I can think of
January 1, 2026 at 9:19 PM
Hand-made, resolable, Spanish leather boots are about the most socialist-coded items of clothing I can think of
It’s weird that people who for a long time wanted US influence out of Europe are furious to discover that the withdrawal of US influence will require Europe to do some stuff in order ti stand on its own feet
January 1, 2026 at 8:27 PM
It’s weird that people who for a long time wanted US influence out of Europe are furious to discover that the withdrawal of US influence will require Europe to do some stuff in order ti stand on its own feet
Does the mayor actually have the power to do this?
Mamdani: "The cost of childcare will no longer discourage young adults from starting a family, because we will deliver universal childcare for the many by taxing the wealthiest few"
January 1, 2026 at 8:03 PM
Does the mayor actually have the power to do this?
Reposted by Matthew Parkinson-Bennett
Yeah I have said this before but one thing that happens in middle age is you realise life is actually quite hard for most people. Would have liked to understand this at 18 tbh.
January 1, 2026 at 1:15 PM
Yeah I have said this before but one thing that happens in middle age is you realise life is actually quite hard for most people. Would have liked to understand this at 18 tbh.
Reposted by Matthew Parkinson-Bennett
the US playing catch-up from a 5 or 10 year lead on fundamental tech is like a fever dream that ought to have been impossible
December 30, 2025 at 11:25 PM
the US playing catch-up from a 5 or 10 year lead on fundamental tech is like a fever dream that ought to have been impossible
Going to my cousin’s wedding tomorrow and it suddenly struck me that a baby I held in my arms is getting married. But I’m a millennial!! I’m young!!!
a group of women are walking down a sidewalk and one of them is saying `` i 'm beautiful '' .
ALT: a group of women are walking down a sidewalk and one of them is saying `` i 'm beautiful '' .
media.tenor.com
January 1, 2026 at 5:42 PM
Going to my cousin’s wedding tomorrow and it suddenly struck me that a baby I held in my arms is getting married. But I’m a millennial!! I’m young!!!
I see that an album is being promoted as “human made” and therefore part of the anti-AI resistance. You’re not supposed to use AI to make your album! You don’t get to take credit for it!
January 1, 2026 at 12:17 PM
I see that an album is being promoted as “human made” and therefore part of the anti-AI resistance. You’re not supposed to use AI to make your album! You don’t get to take credit for it!
Reposted by Matthew Parkinson-Bennett
One trillion of AI investment is riding on this being legal
So we just accept this then? This is a legitimate use of technology going forward? This vile individual's account is just prompt after prompt asking Al to alter real-life images of women. The law needs to catch up with technology now - because we can't trust these tech companies to police themselves
January 1, 2026 at 11:34 AM
One trillion of AI investment is riding on this being legal