Simon HB
@norock.bsky.social
I'm gonna try hard this time not to touch the ground
Reposted by Simon HB
But... it *is* slop, and Windows 11 is becoming a pain in the neck because it's embedded.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says people should move beyond calling AI 'slop'
"We need to get beyond the arguments of slop vs sophistication and develop a new equilibrium ... that accounts for humans being equipped with these new cognitive amplifier tools as we relate to each other"
"We need to get beyond the arguments of slop vs sophistication and develop a new equilibrium ... that accounts for humans being equipped with these new cognitive amplifier tools as we relate to each other"
January 4, 2026 at 5:38 PM
But... it *is* slop, and Windows 11 is becoming a pain in the neck because it's embedded.
The Atlantic has trouble accepting that trans people are who they say they are, but quite happy to embrace Men Who Marry An Abacus as a thing
The prospect of AI replacing humans in relationships sounds like a nightmare to many—still, a growing community is building a life with large language models. Amogh Dimri spoke with members of the AI-romance community:
The People Who Marry Chatbots
A growing community is building a life with large language models.
bit.ly
January 4, 2026 at 6:16 PM
The Atlantic has trouble accepting that trans people are who they say they are, but quite happy to embrace Men Who Marry An Abacus as a thing
Reposted by Simon HB
There was a drunk lassie in the chippy earlier crying about Maduro and as she left she said "I can't believe they've done this he was only inaugurated the other day" and I can only conclude that she has Maduro confused with Mamdani???? Fuckin hell hen.
January 3, 2026 at 10:26 PM
There was a drunk lassie in the chippy earlier crying about Maduro and as she left she said "I can't believe they've done this he was only inaugurated the other day" and I can only conclude that she has Maduro confused with Mamdani???? Fuckin hell hen.
Reposted by Simon HB
Bad news, Kubrick - the Blue Danube waltz just got a new default visual.
My friends in Austria sent this and I can't stop watching...wait for the end. 🤗💜
January 4, 2026 at 2:30 PM
Bad news, Kubrick - the Blue Danube waltz just got a new default visual.
Live footage of Starmer turning a corner www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSwo...
January 4, 2026 at 4:16 PM
Live footage of Starmer turning a corner www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSwo...
I don't know if there will be any publishers for much longer, but there's a cracking book to be had in the dance/politics crossover - this, YMCA, May (obviously) and whatever the fuck that was at the Reform conference this year; Gove at the raves; attacking disco as a proxy racism...
No matter how dumb things seem, they can apparently always be dumber:
"Mr. Maduro's regular public dancing and other displays of nonchalance in recent weeks helped persuade some on the Trump team that the Venezuelan president was mocking them and trying to call what he believed to be a bluff"
"Mr. Maduro's regular public dancing and other displays of nonchalance in recent weeks helped persuade some on the Trump team that the Venezuelan president was mocking them and trying to call what he believed to be a bluff"
January 4, 2026 at 12:48 PM
I don't know if there will be any publishers for much longer, but there's a cracking book to be had in the dance/politics crossover - this, YMCA, May (obviously) and whatever the fuck that was at the Reform conference this year; Gove at the raves; attacking disco as a proxy racism...
The Marty Supreme thing @shawndra-ra-ra-ra.bsky.social & I were talking about and I fear it might simply be young people don't really think of the post-war half of the 20th century as lots of discrete chunks of time, much as *most* audiences wouldn't blink if Mozart was used on a film set in 1725
When films use music that would not exist in set time period. Why the late 80s Cold War tunes during mid-century 1950s Marty Supreme? 1800s Beethoven during 1600s discovery of the Americas in The New World? Marie Antoinette listening to Bow Wow Wow…
January 4, 2026 at 11:38 AM
The Marty Supreme thing @shawndra-ra-ra-ra.bsky.social & I were talking about and I fear it might simply be young people don't really think of the post-war half of the 20th century as lots of discrete chunks of time, much as *most* audiences wouldn't blink if Mozart was used on a film set in 1725
Jack Spratt could eat no fat;
His wife could eat no lean;
They compromised by just drinking a gallon of gravy each.
His wife could eat no lean;
They compromised by just drinking a gallon of gravy each.
I hate soggy cake, mum hates jam, sister hates jelly. We compromised by just having a pint of double cream each instead of a trifle. Delicious. Would do again.
January 4, 2026 at 11:25 AM
Jack Spratt could eat no fat;
His wife could eat no lean;
They compromised by just drinking a gallon of gravy each.
His wife could eat no lean;
They compromised by just drinking a gallon of gravy each.
Reposted by Simon HB
Could an empire in decline do THIS? *launches deeply unpopular invasion cementing status as lunatic-led pariah state, its not clear what kind of move i was trying to do*
January 3, 2026 at 6:59 PM
Could an empire in decline do THIS? *launches deeply unpopular invasion cementing status as lunatic-led pariah state, its not clear what kind of move i was trying to do*
Is this canon? Surely Tucker becoming a PE Teacher can't be canonical? www.ghfun.co.uk/Hornchurch.htm
Grange Hill Fun
www.ghfun.co.uk
January 4, 2026 at 11:18 AM
Is this canon? Surely Tucker becoming a PE Teacher can't be canonical? www.ghfun.co.uk/Hornchurch.htm
Reposted by Simon HB
What the fuck is this headline
Nicolas Maduro's heavy-handed rule in Venezuela is finally ended by Trump reut.rs/3YWbo3K
Nicolas Maduro's heavy-handed rule in Venezuela is finally ended by Trump
Nicolas Maduro ruled Venezuela with a heavy hand for more than 12 years, presiding over deep economic and social crises and resisting pressure from domestic opponents and foreign governments for political change.
reut.rs
January 3, 2026 at 2:10 PM
What the fuck is this headline
Nice bit of nominative determinism here - check the name of the woman accused of foraging www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Leicestershire officer committed gross misconduct over mushroom foraging report
Former PC Christopher Vickers was found to have committed gross misconduct over how he issued and recorded a community resolution report.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 3, 2026 at 2:16 PM
Nice bit of nominative determinism here - check the name of the woman accused of foraging www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Remember, don't flush Keir Starmer announcements on global politics as they can get stuck in the sewers and cause plumbing issues; please just bin them instead.
January 3, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Remember, don't flush Keir Starmer announcements on global politics as they can get stuck in the sewers and cause plumbing issues; please just bin them instead.
Looks like a shot from CorrieDale has leaked
January 3, 2026 at 12:49 PM
Looks like a shot from CorrieDale has leaked
Reposted by Simon HB
I feel like I haven’t even been properly lied to about the purposes of this war
January 3, 2026 at 9:13 AM
I feel like I haven’t even been properly lied to about the purposes of this war
The NC&E has improved its photo archive features, though, and this week brings us "Great Brington residents toast Princess Diana's birthday in June 1991 (a young Jo Whiley second from right)" (Presumably this was while she was working on The Word?)
January 3, 2026 at 12:41 PM
The NC&E has improved its photo archive features, though, and this week brings us "Great Brington residents toast Princess Diana's birthday in June 1991 (a young Jo Whiley second from right)" (Presumably this was while she was working on The Word?)
The Northampton Chronic had a big interview with Mark Arnull, West Northants Council's main character for its New Year edition. This is good, and depending on your pov, either Reform keeping their promise to be open or Arnull pushing his personal brand. But...
January 3, 2026 at 12:31 PM
The Northampton Chronic had a big interview with Mark Arnull, West Northants Council's main character for its New Year edition. This is good, and depending on your pov, either Reform keeping their promise to be open or Arnull pushing his personal brand. But...
Today's FT has some artful juxtaposition on the front page
January 3, 2026 at 11:28 AM
Today's FT has some artful juxtaposition on the front page
Reposted by Simon HB
My new year’s resolution was to give up performing stunts from cowboy movies but I’ve already fallen off the wagon.
January 3, 2026 at 11:20 AM
My new year’s resolution was to give up performing stunts from cowboy movies but I’ve already fallen off the wagon.
Some a-grade photo library work here from the Northants BBC News pages www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
South Midlands mayor plan 'in deadlock', say Northamptonshire leaders
Northamptonshire remains frozen out of a plan for a South Midlands combined authority and mayor.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 3, 2026 at 10:22 AM
Some a-grade photo library work here from the Northants BBC News pages www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Simon HB
Reposted by Simon HB
100 years ago today, one of the only surviving recordings of the BBC in the 1920s - via America…
2 Jan 1926, Jean Lensen’s band were live from Ciro’s Club, Leicester Square, recorded by a US radio station. Listen:
youtu.be/K-MoA5qczHs?...
(pic via Andrew Barker, rec via Jonathan Holmes)
2 Jan 1926, Jean Lensen’s band were live from Ciro’s Club, Leicester Square, recorded by a US radio station. Listen:
youtu.be/K-MoA5qczHs?...
(pic via Andrew Barker, rec via Jonathan Holmes)
January 2, 2026 at 2:25 PM
100 years ago today, one of the only surviving recordings of the BBC in the 1920s - via America…
2 Jan 1926, Jean Lensen’s band were live from Ciro’s Club, Leicester Square, recorded by a US radio station. Listen:
youtu.be/K-MoA5qczHs?...
(pic via Andrew Barker, rec via Jonathan Holmes)
2 Jan 1926, Jean Lensen’s band were live from Ciro’s Club, Leicester Square, recorded by a US radio station. Listen:
youtu.be/K-MoA5qczHs?...
(pic via Andrew Barker, rec via Jonathan Holmes)
Reposted by Simon HB
The copyright protection that Labour intends to remove from artists is the one that also protects people from having their holiday snaps turned into porn on twitter. If it is fair game for generative AI to slopify books, films and music, then your personal photos will also be fair game.
January 2, 2026 at 12:37 PM
The copyright protection that Labour intends to remove from artists is the one that also protects people from having their holiday snaps turned into porn on twitter. If it is fair game for generative AI to slopify books, films and music, then your personal photos will also be fair game.
I know he tried to slip it out when everyone was trying to squeeze some joy out of New Year, but given the attention Trump sending troops in was given, I'd have expected to see a bit more coverage of the climbdown news.sky.com/story/trump-...
Trump issues warning as National Guard troops withdrawn from US cities
The deployment of the National Guard has been a controversial calling card of the Trump administration throughout 2025 - and the president has indicated 2026 could see further such orders.
news.sky.com
January 2, 2026 at 11:46 AM
I know he tried to slip it out when everyone was trying to squeeze some joy out of New Year, but given the attention Trump sending troops in was given, I'd have expected to see a bit more coverage of the climbdown news.sky.com/story/trump-...