El
@turquoisespiff01.bsky.social
Perimenopausal autistic bookworm 🪱with a couple of bonus chronic conditions and oh the brain fog. LGBTQIA+ ally 🩷🏳️⚧️🩵🏳️🌈 (she/her)
Spouse makes many lovely things but sometimes it isn't immediately clear what they are!
Today, scrabbling through tiny bead bags, thought "I need a shallow tray". Prejudged this as a vitamin bottle tray. It did ok as that, but it's absolutely perfect in its new role.
Oh, and tis #TransAwarenessWeek
Today, scrabbling through tiny bead bags, thought "I need a shallow tray". Prejudged this as a vitamin bottle tray. It did ok as that, but it's absolutely perfect in its new role.
Oh, and tis #TransAwarenessWeek
November 15, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Spouse makes many lovely things but sometimes it isn't immediately clear what they are!
Today, scrabbling through tiny bead bags, thought "I need a shallow tray". Prejudged this as a vitamin bottle tray. It did ok as that, but it's absolutely perfect in its new role.
Oh, and tis #TransAwarenessWeek
Today, scrabbling through tiny bead bags, thought "I need a shallow tray". Prejudged this as a vitamin bottle tray. It did ok as that, but it's absolutely perfect in its new role.
Oh, and tis #TransAwarenessWeek
Son wants to get work in the Lakes again next year and rent with his girlfriend (who has job Mar-Nov). To rent they need proof of employment or a letter from their accountant if self-employed (+2 character refs each). They're currently looking at getting a cheap van to sleep in, in March :-(.
November 14, 2025 at 8:46 AM
Son wants to get work in the Lakes again next year and rent with his girlfriend (who has job Mar-Nov). To rent they need proof of employment or a letter from their accountant if self-employed (+2 character refs each). They're currently looking at getting a cheap van to sleep in, in March :-(.
Reposted by El
yes. this is the reason. the reason is not "it is always right". the reason is "it will always be better to have the BBC than to be relying on Musk, Truss and X for news".
November 14, 2025 at 7:58 AM
yes. this is the reason. the reason is not "it is always right". the reason is "it will always be better to have the BBC than to be relying on Musk, Truss and X for news".
Husband is going through an absolute treasure trove of paperwork from his parents' home, including beauties like this: A "furnishing undertakers" that prides itself on "removals from hospitals and asylums punctually executed"! Paperwork was rather exquisite in 1904.
November 13, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Husband is going through an absolute treasure trove of paperwork from his parents' home, including beauties like this: A "furnishing undertakers" that prides itself on "removals from hospitals and asylums punctually executed"! Paperwork was rather exquisite in 1904.
Reposted by El
This week is #TransAwarenessWeek.
Trans people have the same right to freedom, joy, safety, and healthcare as everyone else. But in the UK and across the world, their rights are under attack.
We need to stand up to transphobia and guarantee everyone’s dignity.
Trans people have the same right to freedom, joy, safety, and healthcare as everyone else. But in the UK and across the world, their rights are under attack.
We need to stand up to transphobia and guarantee everyone’s dignity.
November 13, 2025 at 5:43 PM
This week is #TransAwarenessWeek.
Trans people have the same right to freedom, joy, safety, and healthcare as everyone else. But in the UK and across the world, their rights are under attack.
We need to stand up to transphobia and guarantee everyone’s dignity.
Trans people have the same right to freedom, joy, safety, and healthcare as everyone else. But in the UK and across the world, their rights are under attack.
We need to stand up to transphobia and guarantee everyone’s dignity.
Buried in a thread response but it's something I feel strongly. I see so many brilliant people struggling with and being overwhelmed by admin so they can't do what they are actually great at. No-one but the accountants win.
Separate but related: the idea that people who are good at one thing will also be good at admin so don't need admin support is now pervasive, yet often detrimental. Some brilliant minds don't naturally administrate & time would be better used on what they do best. That's definitely true in academia.
November 13, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Buried in a thread response but it's something I feel strongly. I see so many brilliant people struggling with and being overwhelmed by admin so they can't do what they are actually great at. No-one but the accountants win.
Reposted by El
"If I have the chowder with the shellfish removed, can I get an extra slice of bread?"
"Can I get the lasagne only instead of mince and pasta sheets could I get a slice of turkey and a cup of tea?"
"Can I get the lasagne only instead of mince and pasta sheets could I get a slice of turkey and a cup of tea?"
November 12, 2025 at 2:36 PM
"If I have the chowder with the shellfish removed, can I get an extra slice of bread?"
"Can I get the lasagne only instead of mince and pasta sheets could I get a slice of turkey and a cup of tea?"
"Can I get the lasagne only instead of mince and pasta sheets could I get a slice of turkey and a cup of tea?"
Reposted by El
A reminder that Streeting is making 18,000 NHS staff redundant without any clear business case or purpose
November 12, 2025 at 8:47 AM
A reminder that Streeting is making 18,000 NHS staff redundant without any clear business case or purpose
Reposted by El
If I were a doctor with a massive house, I would definitely name it Bedside Manor
November 11, 2025 at 6:02 PM
If I were a doctor with a massive house, I would definitely name it Bedside Manor
Son works as an outdoor instructor and most staff have to leave in November. He was repeatedly asked to apply for next year and told the job was his if he wanted it. Today he got a message to say he has no job next year. Too late to apply elsewhere. I feel a mix of furious and sad on his behalf.
November 11, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Son works as an outdoor instructor and most staff have to leave in November. He was repeatedly asked to apply for next year and told the job was his if he wanted it. Today he got a message to say he has no job next year. Too late to apply elsewhere. I feel a mix of furious and sad on his behalf.
Looking forward to when the mainstream media picks up and publicises this story.
🔴'BBC Bias’ Memo Was Authored by Lobbyist Tied to Pro-Trump Tech Giants
The leaked memo that fuelled Trump’s attack on the BBC was written by a lobbyist at a firm paid by US tech giants tied to the President, reports @nafeez.bsky.social
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/11/b...
The leaked memo that fuelled Trump’s attack on the BBC was written by a lobbyist at a firm paid by US tech giants tied to the President, reports @nafeez.bsky.social
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/11/b...
'BBC Bias' Memo Was Authored by Lobbyist Tied to Pro-Trump Tech Giants
The leaked memo that fuelled Trump’s attack on the BBC was written by a lobbyist at a firm paid by US tech giants tied to the President
bylinetimes.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Looking forward to when the mainstream media picks up and publicises this story.
Reposted by El
Sorry, am I genuinely being asked to believe that the BBC is biased in favour of trans people?
I cannot remember the last time a trans person was given a voice on the BBC. It's as if they don't exist. They are talked about on the BBC, not talked to.
This entire debate is just fucking stupid.
I cannot remember the last time a trans person was given a voice on the BBC. It's as if they don't exist. They are talked about on the BBC, not talked to.
This entire debate is just fucking stupid.
November 11, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Sorry, am I genuinely being asked to believe that the BBC is biased in favour of trans people?
I cannot remember the last time a trans person was given a voice on the BBC. It's as if they don't exist. They are talked about on the BBC, not talked to.
This entire debate is just fucking stupid.
I cannot remember the last time a trans person was given a voice on the BBC. It's as if they don't exist. They are talked about on the BBC, not talked to.
This entire debate is just fucking stupid.
Reposted by El
'people who are multilingual are half as likely to show signs of accelerated biological ageing than are those who speak just one language.'
Good thing that schools, universities and governments are so actively promoting modern languages then, isn't it? 1/2
Good thing that schools, universities and governments are so actively promoting modern languages then, isn't it? 1/2
Want a younger brain? Learn another language
A vast study suggests that being multilingual can slow down cognitive ageing.
www.nature.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:58 AM
'people who are multilingual are half as likely to show signs of accelerated biological ageing than are those who speak just one language.'
Good thing that schools, universities and governments are so actively promoting modern languages then, isn't it? 1/2
Good thing that schools, universities and governments are so actively promoting modern languages then, isn't it? 1/2
Reposted by El
One nice detail that can easily be lost in this graph - even right wingers trust the BBC more than the right wing tabloids
Here’s the same data, but with trust broken down by political views (circles are trust among people on the left, +s the right).
It’s not just that the BBC is widely consumed — it also has solid trust on both left & right, whereas trust in the biggest US media brands is hugely polarised.
It’s not just that the BBC is widely consumed — it also has solid trust on both left & right, whereas trust in the biggest US media brands is hugely polarised.
November 10, 2025 at 5:40 PM
One nice detail that can easily be lost in this graph - even right wingers trust the BBC more than the right wing tabloids
Challenging day again so I am having a cuppa and watching Hamza's Hidden Wild Isles. Yet another fantastic piece of broadcasting from the BBC. They do so much right it would be tragic to lose them.
November 10, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Challenging day again so I am having a cuppa and watching Hamza's Hidden Wild Isles. Yet another fantastic piece of broadcasting from the BBC. They do so much right it would be tragic to lose them.
Reposted by El
Did you know that from 15th October to 10th November, and at other festive periods, traders without license - like supermarkets - can sell fireworks? 💥
Fireworks are dangerous explosives, they should not be marketed like toys in the same spot as the sweets and crisps.
Fireworks are dangerous explosives, they should not be marketed like toys in the same spot as the sweets and crisps.
November 10, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Did you know that from 15th October to 10th November, and at other festive periods, traders without license - like supermarkets - can sell fireworks? 💥
Fireworks are dangerous explosives, they should not be marketed like toys in the same spot as the sweets and crisps.
Fireworks are dangerous explosives, they should not be marketed like toys in the same spot as the sweets and crisps.
Reposted by El
Just to get this straight in my head, we've gone from "BBC badly edited a piece about Trump, but was accurate overall", to the "BBC isn't transphobic enough and is all woke", and we're still arguing, regardless of the myriad of issues with the BBC, whether there's a genuine right wing attack on it?
November 10, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Just to get this straight in my head, we've gone from "BBC badly edited a piece about Trump, but was accurate overall", to the "BBC isn't transphobic enough and is all woke", and we're still arguing, regardless of the myriad of issues with the BBC, whether there's a genuine right wing attack on it?
Reposted by El
A single shared source of truth is essential for a functioning democracy.
Without it you’re left with fragmentation, polarisation and a perpetual culture war where the discourse focuses on what divides us rather than what we have in common.
My column from last week: www.ft.com/content/5060...
Without it you’re left with fragmentation, polarisation and a perpetual culture war where the discourse focuses on what divides us rather than what we have in common.
My column from last week: www.ft.com/content/5060...
Why American-style polarisation is spreading across the west
New research shows how incentives in the modern media ecosystem help explain rising division and negativity
www.ft.com
November 10, 2025 at 1:43 PM
A single shared source of truth is essential for a functioning democracy.
Without it you’re left with fragmentation, polarisation and a perpetual culture war where the discourse focuses on what divides us rather than what we have in common.
My column from last week: www.ft.com/content/5060...
Without it you’re left with fragmentation, polarisation and a perpetual culture war where the discourse focuses on what divides us rather than what we have in common.
My column from last week: www.ft.com/content/5060...
Reposted by El
Quick thread on the BBC and the political and societal significance of recent developments:
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
November 10, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Quick thread on the BBC and the political and societal significance of recent developments:
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
Reposted by El
Thought for the day:
On Bluesky, it's "nice" to "Like", but it's (more) effective to Repost. Be effective. (You can also be nice).
On Bluesky, it's "nice" to "Like", but it's (more) effective to Repost. Be effective. (You can also be nice).
November 10, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Thought for the day:
On Bluesky, it's "nice" to "Like", but it's (more) effective to Repost. Be effective. (You can also be nice).
On Bluesky, it's "nice" to "Like", but it's (more) effective to Repost. Be effective. (You can also be nice).
Reposted by El
This is horrific:
“n the past three months, a mosque was set alight in East Sussex; in Merseyside the windows of a mosque were shot with an air gun while children were inside; in Greater Manchester, a paving slab was thrown at a window; and in Glasgow, a window was smashed with a metal pole.”
“n the past three months, a mosque was set alight in East Sussex; in Merseyside the windows of a mosque were shot with an air gun while children were inside; in Greater Manchester, a paving slab was thrown at a window; and in Glasgow, a window was smashed with a metal pole.”
November 7, 2025 at 1:22 PM
This is horrific:
“n the past three months, a mosque was set alight in East Sussex; in Merseyside the windows of a mosque were shot with an air gun while children were inside; in Greater Manchester, a paving slab was thrown at a window; and in Glasgow, a window was smashed with a metal pole.”
“n the past three months, a mosque was set alight in East Sussex; in Merseyside the windows of a mosque were shot with an air gun while children were inside; in Greater Manchester, a paving slab was thrown at a window; and in Glasgow, a window was smashed with a metal pole.”
Reposted by El
“in the future ai will provide the world with so much money that no-one will need to work and everyone will have what they need but RIGHT NOW i personally should not have to pay any taxes to pay for food for starving children” - every ai ceo
November 6, 2025 at 10:53 PM
“in the future ai will provide the world with so much money that no-one will need to work and everyone will have what they need but RIGHT NOW i personally should not have to pay any taxes to pay for food for starving children” - every ai ceo
Well, I hated that ending to #celebritytraitors and I am fuming that Alan got the sympathy of the faithful (brilliant) idiots with his crocodile tears. Joe, you were cheated.
November 6, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Well, I hated that ending to #celebritytraitors and I am fuming that Alan got the sympathy of the faithful (brilliant) idiots with his crocodile tears. Joe, you were cheated.
Work colleague to me today.
"You won't like this because it's AI. I got my friend this brilliant birthday present: I told them some things about her and gave a picture of her and it's written me a book to give her".
She's right. I don't like it.
"You won't like this because it's AI. I got my friend this brilliant birthday present: I told them some things about her and gave a picture of her and it's written me a book to give her".
She's right. I don't like it.
November 6, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Work colleague to me today.
"You won't like this because it's AI. I got my friend this brilliant birthday present: I told them some things about her and gave a picture of her and it's written me a book to give her".
She's right. I don't like it.
"You won't like this because it's AI. I got my friend this brilliant birthday present: I told them some things about her and gave a picture of her and it's written me a book to give her".
She's right. I don't like it.
Reposted by El
Vital piece of investigative reporting from Sky. They've uncovered the X algorithm which feeds users extremist right wing material from the moment they join the site. It is a far-right radicalisation engine, by design.
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
Elon Musk is boosting the British right - and this shows how
Elon Musk is boosting the British right - and this shows how
news.sky.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:23 AM
Vital piece of investigative reporting from Sky. They've uncovered the X algorithm which feeds users extremist right wing material from the moment they join the site. It is a far-right radicalisation engine, by design.
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...