Sam
@samdeane.bsky.social
I don’t do drama or tea and I don’t like cats - no, not even yours. I like France, colour, sun, podcasts, language, wit, cities, NYT games, #TheArchers, walking, baking, knitting, dogs, general snark. If I want your advice I’ll ask for it.
Pinned
Sam
@samdeane.bsky.social
· Nov 18
You're not going to believe what I'm about to tell you - The Oatmeal
This is a comic about the backfire effect.
theoatmeal.com
For many years this was my pinned tweet so probably right it should be here too. If you read this and think ‘yeah, I get that - I’m going to bear that mind’ we’ll probably get on theoatmeal.com/comics/believe
If you don't want vaccines for yourself, have at it - I think you're a selfish idiot, but whatever. When ONE MAN'S unscientific prejudiced lunacy affects this many people and we are powerless to do anything about it, you have to conclude the system is broken beyond repair
In terms of what cures are being lost:
- Epstein-Barr virus is perhaps the major trigger for multiple sclerosis
- herpes simplex virus causes cold sores, genital herpes, infections in babies, deadly meningitis
- shingles virus causes an intensely painful disease
- Epstein-Barr virus is perhaps the major trigger for multiple sclerosis
- herpes simplex virus causes cold sores, genital herpes, infections in babies, deadly meningitis
- shingles virus causes an intensely painful disease
February 13, 2026 at 8:09 AM
If you don't want vaccines for yourself, have at it - I think you're a selfish idiot, but whatever. When ONE MAN'S unscientific prejudiced lunacy affects this many people and we are powerless to do anything about it, you have to conclude the system is broken beyond repair
What strikes me hate-doing NYT Connections every day is that how, when I get a group, I have no idea at all what their idea of how difficult it is. Yellow could just as easily be 'flavours of donuts in the editor's local café' as 'primary colours'
February 13, 2026 at 7:58 AM
What strikes me hate-doing NYT Connections every day is that how, when I get a group, I have no idea at all what their idea of how difficult it is. Yellow could just as easily be 'flavours of donuts in the editor's local café' as 'primary colours'
Post a tree you photographed
February 12, 2026 at 9:25 PM
Post a tree you photographed
Please help me out, Bluesky. A US television programme I might have seen (ie not horror or sci-fi or anything scary - possibly a sitcom) where a little streetwise girl, I think called Olivia, is adopted (or almost) by a main character. I think Olivia is Latina. It's driving me MAD
February 12, 2026 at 9:10 PM
Please help me out, Bluesky. A US television programme I might have seen (ie not horror or sci-fi or anything scary - possibly a sitcom) where a little streetwise girl, I think called Olivia, is adopted (or almost) by a main character. I think Olivia is Latina. It's driving me MAD
I know it makes for copy and podcasts and social media attention and whatnot but how I long for the concept of 'I don't like it, but that doesn't make it inherently BAD, it just makes it my opinion' to take root once more
February 12, 2026 at 5:54 PM
I know it makes for copy and podcasts and social media attention and whatnot but how I long for the concept of 'I don't like it, but that doesn't make it inherently BAD, it just makes it my opinion' to take root once more
Reposted by Sam
Today's column. On the abyss. www.thetimes.com/article/c7f8...
February 12, 2026 at 5:42 PM
Today's column. On the abyss. www.thetimes.com/article/c7f8...
Someone at work has just called ChatGPT ‘spicy autocorrect’ and I am DYING
February 12, 2026 at 1:44 PM
Someone at work has just called ChatGPT ‘spicy autocorrect’ and I am DYING
Anyway, I finished the socks yesterday. Did the first one in November so only took me 3 months to make its pair
February 12, 2026 at 7:42 AM
Anyway, I finished the socks yesterday. Did the first one in November so only took me 3 months to make its pair
Oh thank GOD it’s going to rain today because I feared this accursèd drought would never end
February 12, 2026 at 7:12 AM
Oh thank GOD it’s going to rain today because I feared this accursèd drought would never end
Clean, ironed bed linen. Clean pyjamas. Silk pillowcase. New book.
Off you fuck, Wednesday
Off you fuck, Wednesday
February 11, 2026 at 10:02 PM
Clean, ironed bed linen. Clean pyjamas. Silk pillowcase. New book.
Off you fuck, Wednesday
Off you fuck, Wednesday
Introduce yourself with the name your parents almost gave you:
Fleur
Apparently my father was having none of it. Left to my own devices I'd probably choose Marianne which isn't without precedent, as my great-grandmother was Mary Anne
Fleur
Apparently my father was having none of it. Left to my own devices I'd probably choose Marianne which isn't without precedent, as my great-grandmother was Mary Anne
Introduce yourself with the name your parents almost gave you:
Wilfred. It’s why I use it.
Although I do joke sometimes that I’m named for my *mum’s* favourite gay WWI poet, if I were named for my *dad’s* it would be Siegfried.
Wilfred. It’s why I use it.
Although I do joke sometimes that I’m named for my *mum’s* favourite gay WWI poet, if I were named for my *dad’s* it would be Siegfried.
Introduce yourself with the name your parents almost gave you:
Chad, if I'd been a boy (after Chad Hannah, a character in a book).
As it was, I was named after a school friend of my mother's who died (possibly suicide?) very young.
Chad, if I'd been a boy (after Chad Hannah, a character in a book).
As it was, I was named after a school friend of my mother's who died (possibly suicide?) very young.
February 11, 2026 at 8:44 PM
Introduce yourself with the name your parents almost gave you:
Fleur
Apparently my father was having none of it. Left to my own devices I'd probably choose Marianne which isn't without precedent, as my great-grandmother was Mary Anne
Fleur
Apparently my father was having none of it. Left to my own devices I'd probably choose Marianne which isn't without precedent, as my great-grandmother was Mary Anne
Earlier today, Useless Colleague announces he can't write a response and can I do it 'because I don't know anything about it - it's urgent'. I drop everything and write what I think were 500 pretty OK words except one bit I asked for help with. He's now looked at it and says it's not what they want
February 11, 2026 at 8:37 PM
Earlier today, Useless Colleague announces he can't write a response and can I do it 'because I don't know anything about it - it's urgent'. I drop everything and write what I think were 500 pretty OK words except one bit I asked for help with. He's now looked at it and says it's not what they want
Looking for something to watch I went back to For All Mankind. But for obvious reasons I'm not entirely in the mood for something quite so USA! USA! USA!
February 11, 2026 at 7:31 PM
Looking for something to watch I went back to For All Mankind. But for obvious reasons I'm not entirely in the mood for something quite so USA! USA! USA!
Made a point at work that nobody else had made but felt compelled to preface it with ‘just to point out the obvious’, and now having a little ponder about whether any male colleague would have felt similarly compelled
February 11, 2026 at 11:19 AM
Made a point at work that nobody else had made but felt compelled to preface it with ‘just to point out the obvious’, and now having a little ponder about whether any male colleague would have felt similarly compelled
I'm bingeing Small Prophets and obviously it's brilliant etc but it's also kind of breaking my heart
February 10, 2026 at 8:24 PM
I'm bingeing Small Prophets and obviously it's brilliant etc but it's also kind of breaking my heart
Not saying it HAS been a day but if I roll my eyes any harder I’ll send my contact lenses into orbit
February 10, 2026 at 5:33 PM
Not saying it HAS been a day but if I roll my eyes any harder I’ll send my contact lenses into orbit
I’m being forced to learn about ChatGPT when I could be knitting a sock and, frankly, I’m quite resentful
February 10, 2026 at 3:41 PM
I’m being forced to learn about ChatGPT when I could be knitting a sock and, frankly, I’m quite resentful
For the first time since I started this job I know more about something than some others in my team and, safe to say, they do NOT like it up ‘em
February 10, 2026 at 2:53 PM
For the first time since I started this job I know more about something than some others in my team and, safe to say, they do NOT like it up ‘em
Not lost on me that @trientertainment.bsky.social discussing how popular female desire and romance is in books right now while I’m listening to the Pope’s autobiography. I appear to be quite the outlier
February 10, 2026 at 1:44 PM
Not lost on me that @trientertainment.bsky.social discussing how popular female desire and romance is in books right now while I’m listening to the Pope’s autobiography. I appear to be quite the outlier
Ended up having to go to the supermarket just to ensure I have my daily ration of wellbeing almonds*
*packet of chocolate florentines
*packet of chocolate florentines
February 10, 2026 at 1:33 PM
Ended up having to go to the supermarket just to ensure I have my daily ration of wellbeing almonds*
*packet of chocolate florentines
*packet of chocolate florentines
Doing the hoovering in my lunch break to take my mind off the fact I have no chocolate biscuits left
February 10, 2026 at 12:29 PM
Doing the hoovering in my lunch break to take my mind off the fact I have no chocolate biscuits left
Shops ask if you want to opt out of Mothers'/Fathers' Day mailings but never Valentine's Day, which is the one that really pokes me right in the gut
February 9, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Shops ask if you want to opt out of Mothers'/Fathers' Day mailings but never Valentine's Day, which is the one that really pokes me right in the gut
No Quizzy Monday tonight because of bloody SPORT which really hurts my feelings
February 9, 2026 at 5:46 PM
No Quizzy Monday tonight because of bloody SPORT which really hurts my feelings
Despite being a nailed-on atheist I’m listening to the audiobook of Pope Francis’ autobiography. And I can’t help thinking if he really was an example that others followed to the letter we might all be better off
February 9, 2026 at 2:44 PM
Despite being a nailed-on atheist I’m listening to the audiobook of Pope Francis’ autobiography. And I can’t help thinking if he really was an example that others followed to the letter we might all be better off
bluesky-map.theo.io I’m a bit too close to football people for my liking, but otherwise…
Bluesky Map
Interactive map of 3.4 million Bluesky users, visualised by their follower pattern.
bluesky-map.theo.io
February 9, 2026 at 9:46 AM
bluesky-map.theo.io I’m a bit too close to football people for my liking, but otherwise…