Mal Franks
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merseymal.com
Mal Franks
@merseymal.com
2K followers 1.4K following 3K posts
Data Analyst since 2023. IT Supervisor/SysAdmin 1997-2023. Computer tinkerer/gamer since 1982. Console gamer since 1977. Tea drinker since 1974. He/him.

Loves telly, music, comics, movies, games and tea.
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merseymal.com
Mal Franks @merseymal.com · Oct 17
That time when I caught the 3rd Doctor breaking and entering in my street.
A black and red curtain sticking out of a window looking like one of the capes that Jon Pertwee wore as the 3rd Doctor, though it could have equally applied to Dracula, in which case he probably got stuck and his body turned to ash when the Sun came up...
Reposted by Mal Franks
samfr.bsky.social
I think it's very important that Rupert Lowe's "Million Nonce March" gets widespread media coverage. Critical to amplify diverse voices.
emmavj.bsky.social Emma Jacobs @emmavj.bsky.social · 10h
We go live to the Protect our girls crew, unsure what they are doing
January 10, 2026 at 2:05 PM
Reposted by Mal Franks
bloody-disgusting.com
We are sad to learn that T.K. Carter has passed away at the age of 69. Carter is best known in the horror world for playing the character Nauls in John Carpenter's The Thing (1982). His credits also include Space Jam, Punky Brewster, Ski Patrol, and Tony Scott's Domino.
January 10, 2026 at 5:10 PM
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iucounu.bsky.social
If people quit the Titanic the iceberg wins - so I’m staying
January 10, 2026 at 3:13 PM
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robinince.bsky.social
Something happy - a squirrel eating a bounteous flower like me eating a big meringue
Squirrel branch flower More squirrel branch flower Squirrel meets my eye
January 10, 2026 at 3:14 PM
merseymal.com
Very good book. Can't wait for the sequel!
jamesbluecat.bsky.social James Alistair Henry @jamesbluecat.bsky.social · 9d
Oh gawd it's January, which means my book is coming out in paperback on the 29th! Waterstones are doing an exclusive edition with red edges, a prequel chapter AND the first chapter of the sequel, The Hoard and can be pre-ordered THUSLY: www.waterstones.com/book/pagans/...
Cover of exclusive Pagans edition for Waterstones
January 10, 2026 at 9:56 AM
Reposted by Mal Franks
jamesbluecat.bsky.social
Oh gawd it's January, which means my book is coming out in paperback on the 29th! Waterstones are doing an exclusive edition with red edges, a prequel chapter AND the first chapter of the sequel, The Hoard and can be pre-ordered THUSLY: www.waterstones.com/book/pagans/...
Cover of exclusive Pagans edition for Waterstones
January 1, 2026 at 9:20 PM
merseymal.com
Absolute clown show www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Zarah Sultana’s Your Party membership launch may be ‘criminal’ matter for police, ICO says
Information watchdog says party’s data controller should consider ‘taking further action’ over unauthorised portal
www.theguardian.com
January 10, 2026 at 9:52 AM
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itsjoels.bsky.social
FUCK OFF.
Two smug cunts moaning about earning six figures.
January 10, 2026 at 8:31 AM
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normanrecords.com
REISSUED TODAY: 'Face The Music' by Electric Light Orchestra

Come back on ELO and carry on playing…

Reissue of a symphonic pop-rock treat from ‘75.

www.normanrecords.com/records/2129...
January 9, 2026 at 10:24 AM
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waltydunlop.bsky.social
<Jaw drops>

Extraordinary find!
filmisfabulous.bsky.social filmisfabulous! @filmisfabulous.bsky.social · 1d
Rare Silent Movie

Nitrate films were sought-after by private collectors, as demonstrated by the recent recovery of a rare silent movie:

The Servant Girl’s Legacy (1914)

The movie contains the earliest surviving film performance by Oliver ‘Babe’ Hardy.
January 9, 2026 at 10:26 AM
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mrtom.uk
After a lot of consideration this week, in order to protect my community I've blocked X/Twitter links on my Discord server. My honest advice would be that if you have a server you should do the same too
"I've fully blocked all Twitter/X links on this server* due to the ongoing issues with the site. I don't hide my dislike of X and its owner, but I did not think I would have to take this step. However, the UK is one of the countries that operates under the basis of strict liability in criminal law, meaning you do not have to show intention or knowledge of what you were doing was illegal to be convicted of an offense. People in this country can, and have been convicted for "just" viewing CSAM so in my view I have to take this step in order to: 1) Reduce the risk of any member of this server from accidentally viewing CSAM or other sexual assault material 2) Reduce the risk of any member of this server from being arrested/losing their career due to accidentally viewing CSAM Despite talk of X potentially being blocked in this country, our government is taking a very wishy-washy "wait and see, its Ofcom's call" approach to the issue, however I do not expect them to show the same courtesy to us should it come to that. Thanks for your understanding."
January 9, 2026 at 10:31 AM
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bencollins.bsky.social
The amount of shit I got for this segment at the time was astronomical, and it was all from people who now stalk CVS employees to get them fired for insufficient online sadness.

Cheering on political violence is both evil and not new, an outgrowth of an internet intentionally dismantled years ago.
September 16, 2025 at 12:56 AM
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simonpegg.bsky.social
January 9, 2026 at 8:21 AM
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digitalfoundry.bsky.social
DLSS 4.5, Dynamic Multi Frame Generation, path-traced Pragmata, G-Sync Pulsar and much more Nvidia stuff! Everything we went hands-on with: www.digitalfoundry.net/news/2026/01...
Nvidia Hands-On at CES: DLSS 4.5, Path-Traced Pragmata
Dynamic Frame Generation, RTX Remix Logic, more.
www.digitalfoundry.net
January 7, 2026 at 6:01 PM
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super-deluxe.bsky.social
#PaulDraper has re-recorded 11 #Mansun tracks for 'Mansun Retold' which is available on CD, vinyl and as a 2CD+blu-ray set with a Dolby Atmos Mix > bit.ly/49cT8cB
January 7, 2026 at 4:39 PM
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super-deluxe.bsky.social
#KimWilde's hit-packed 1988 album 'Close' gets a 2CD+DVD deluxe edition release, in March, with vinyl formats also available. More > bit.ly/4jy2KIM
January 7, 2026 at 4:52 PM
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super-deluxe.bsky.social
Thank you to Martin Belam at the @theguardian.com for including a mention of the 2026 SDE Reissue Preview in the "What else we’ve been reading" section of today's 'First Edition' newsletter 🙏 Link here > bit.ly/45FTg1O
January 7, 2026 at 8:42 PM
merseymal.com
Skulls for the Skull Throne #TheTraitors
January 7, 2026 at 8:51 PM
Reposted by Mal Franks
leaguexboardgames.bsky.social
New Year/New Board Game!
We kick off 2026 with a game that is based on the "thrill" of buying tat on auction websites...
Yes, we are playing "The eBay Electronic Auction Game" this Sunday 11th JAN @ 5pm
Join Paul, @ashens.bsky.social & @oliverharper.bsky.social for madcap card collecting nonsense!
January 7, 2026 at 4:17 PM
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christinamartin.bsky.social
Viz letter. It does irritate me when people say "if we had lost the war we'd all be speaking German by now" I'm currently taking night classes in German and it would have saved me a lot of time and money.
January 7, 2026 at 7:47 PM
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stereogum.com
“debuts”
January 7, 2026 at 7:49 PM
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stephenkb.bsky.social
It is genuinely one of the funniest bits of memory-holing the extent to which, other than a handful of dyed-in-the-wool Jenrickites, everyone to the right of Nick Clegg in British politics has forgotten that Badenoch inherited a party on the up in both the polls and local elections.
thomasig.bsky.social Thomas I-G @thomasig.bsky.social · 3d
"Moving up quite impressively"

Lol.
January 7, 2026 at 4:57 PM
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rincewind.run
Discworld QOTD, from Snuff
It always embarrassed Samuel Vimes when civilians tried to speak to him in what they thought was “policeman.” If it came to that, he hated thinking of them as civilians. What was a policeman, if not a civilian with a uniform and a badge? But they tended to use the term these days as a way of describing people who were not policemen. It was a dangerous habit: once policemen stopped being civilians the only other thing they could be was soldiers.
January 7, 2026 at 7:14 PM
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seanwrite.bsky.social
Andrew Bodnar has died at 71. A longtime bassist in Graham Parker’s band The Rumour, Bodnar also played the reggae-influenced bassline on Elvis Costello’s “Watching the Detectives” and co-wrote Nick Lowe’s “I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass”. #RIPAndrewBodnar m.youtube.com/watch?v=BDbU...
Nick Lowe - “I Love The Sound of Breaking Glass” (Official Music Video)
YouTube video by Yep Roc Records
m.youtube.com
January 6, 2026 at 7:01 PM
Reposted by Mal Franks
jonnelledge.bsky.social
I have accidentally trained the instagram algorithm to give me endless posts about dying dogs and honestly I'd rather it was fascism
January 6, 2026 at 9:51 PM