Fortuna Desperata
@fortunadesperata.bsky.social
Formerly posting as Mondegreen.
🏴 Midlander but trying to learn 🏴, reluctantly 🇬🇧, 🇪🇺 by commitment, citizen of the 🌍... Depressive 🌧️ but never giving up hope: "Keep your mind in hell and despair not."
🏴 Midlander but trying to learn 🏴, reluctantly 🇬🇧, 🇪🇺 by commitment, citizen of the 🌍... Depressive 🌧️ but never giving up hope: "Keep your mind in hell and despair not."
Reposted by Fortuna Desperata
putin's most impressive accomplishment is getting europe to cheer for German rearmament
❗️🇩🇪German defense company Rheinmetall plans to soon produce 1.5 million 155mm shells per year — more than the entire 🇺🇸American industry combined.
January 27, 2026 at 7:55 PM
putin's most impressive accomplishment is getting europe to cheer for German rearmament
Reposted by Fortuna Desperata
Re-reading this after many years (inspired by @davidallengreen.bsky.social). When the 2nd edition I own was published in 1937, things were obviously much worse than when it was first published in 1935, but what was happening just a few years later was still unimaginable. And here we are again.
February 2, 2026 at 1:00 AM
Re-reading this after many years (inspired by @davidallengreen.bsky.social). When the 2nd edition I own was published in 1937, things were obviously much worse than when it was first published in 1935, but what was happening just a few years later was still unimaginable. And here we are again.
Reposted by Fortuna Desperata
The powerful front page of the reformist newspaper Sazandegi features the names of 3,000 individuals who, according to government reports, were killed during the protests in Iran. #Iran #IranProtests2026
February 1, 2026 at 11:28 PM
The powerful front page of the reformist newspaper Sazandegi features the names of 3,000 individuals who, according to government reports, were killed during the protests in Iran. #Iran #IranProtests2026
The Happy Man loses his tree 🌳😕
open.substack.com/pub/thestree...
open.substack.com/pub/thestree...
179. Happy Man Tree
An emotive blast from the past with a curious name.
open.substack.com
February 1, 2026 at 10:38 PM
The Happy Man loses his tree 🌳😕
open.substack.com/pub/thestree...
open.substack.com/pub/thestree...
While in 🇬🇧 it's mostly about Andy & Mandy...
In much of Europe, they're focusing on Epstein's deep ties with Moscow and his Russian intelligence service handlers, the strange five-year gap in the life of Melania Knauss when she appears to have frequently been in Moscow, and Epstein's other foreign intelligence service ties.
February 1, 2026 at 10:34 PM
While in 🇬🇧 it's mostly about Andy & Mandy...
Reposted by Fortuna Desperata
You have good researchers. Get out of their way, and they will do good research. It's Arts & Humanities, so you don't need to decide who gets to use the supercollider. You know you've got "research culture" right when people stop talking about research culture and just talk about their research.
February 1, 2026 at 9:31 PM
You have good researchers. Get out of their way, and they will do good research. It's Arts & Humanities, so you don't need to decide who gets to use the supercollider. You know you've got "research culture" right when people stop talking about research culture and just talk about their research.
Reposted by Fortuna Desperata
A bit of discussion here about top down management of university research. When I was Dean of Arts and Humanities I was told to come up with a research strategy. My strategy of “Encourage Excellence in All Its Forms” was very well received in the Faculty.
February 1, 2026 at 9:17 PM
A bit of discussion here about top down management of university research. When I was Dean of Arts and Humanities I was told to come up with a research strategy. My strategy of “Encourage Excellence in All Its Forms” was very well received in the Faculty.
Reposted by Fortuna Desperata
As a woman, I have been groped multiple times while trying to get served at a bar when you're all squished together in a way that likely wouldn't happen in a queue where it's more visible. For that reason alone I'm pro queue.
A lot of people (men) across my social media feeds (even LinkedIn) are disproportionately annoyed about that article in the Guardian about people standing in single-file queues at bars saying THIS WILL NOT STAND, but um.... it seems quite good?
February 1, 2026 at 7:22 PM
As a woman, I have been groped multiple times while trying to get served at a bar when you're all squished together in a way that likely wouldn't happen in a queue where it's more visible. For that reason alone I'm pro queue.
Reposted by Fortuna Desperata
Today is the Feast of Candlemas, though tomorrow is the day itself. Exactly half way between the Solstice and the Equinox, and the day our tiny tin Mexican Nativity scene comes down.
I love this painting for its expressions.
I love this painting for its expressions.
February 1, 2026 at 4:23 PM
Today is the Feast of Candlemas, though tomorrow is the day itself. Exactly half way between the Solstice and the Equinox, and the day our tiny tin Mexican Nativity scene comes down.
I love this painting for its expressions.
I love this painting for its expressions.
Reposted by Fortuna Desperata
“ from being a great power marching to victory, Russia is a “declining power” making tiny advances at a shockingly high cost.”
Hi everyone, just sent out my free weekend update. First a note of thanks--readers donated enough last week to Come Back Alive that the Ukrainians could have shot down up to 10 Russian attack drones terrorizing Ukrainian cities. That is amazing and worthy of note. open.substack.com/pub/phillips...
Weekend Update #170: Russian Advances Are Slower Than The Battle Of The Somme
Trump And Putin Together, Different Examples
open.substack.com
February 1, 2026 at 1:18 PM
“ from being a great power marching to victory, Russia is a “declining power” making tiny advances at a shockingly high cost.”
Lovely afternoon in Exeter, but my train is very late and the connecting service has been cancelled owing to 'a shortage of train crew'. Lots of cancellations due to flooding, as well. Hoping to get home to the Midlands tonight...
February 1, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Lovely afternoon in Exeter, but my train is very late and the connecting service has been cancelled owing to 'a shortage of train crew'. Lots of cancellations due to flooding, as well. Hoping to get home to the Midlands tonight...
"Attempts to displace Palestinians are not the work of a few ‘rotten apples’ but a systemic approach taken by the Israeli parliament, government, army, and judicial systems who work hand in glove with the settler movement. "
And it seems the link on this post doesn’t work. Here it is again actionnetwork.org/forms/tell-t...
February 1, 2026 at 2:35 PM
"Attempts to displace Palestinians are not the work of a few ‘rotten apples’ but a systemic approach taken by the Israeli parliament, government, army, and judicial systems who work hand in glove with the settler movement. "
Reposted by Fortuna Desperata
"The British conversation about 'elites’ is fraught, inconsistent, and full of hypocrisy.”
(A quote from Fantastic Kingdom)
(A quote from Fantastic Kingdom)
once spoke at some poncy private conference at Soho Farmhouse with Matt Goodwin and can confirm he looked pleased as punch to be there, so I think he can spare us all the theatrics
February 1, 2026 at 1:45 PM
"The British conversation about 'elites’ is fraught, inconsistent, and full of hypocrisy.”
(A quote from Fantastic Kingdom)
(A quote from Fantastic Kingdom)
Reposted by Fortuna Desperata
Dressed For The Woods, 2013 by UK sculptor Nicola Hicks #WomensArt #Imbolc
February 1, 2026 at 12:46 PM
Dressed For The Woods, 2013 by UK sculptor Nicola Hicks #WomensArt #Imbolc
Reposted by Fortuna Desperata
She came from Greece and she brought a brolly
She studied Europe at Manchester Poly
(Well, after they changed the name
I said, it'll never be the same)
Want to live like Gorton people....
She studied Europe at Manchester Poly
(Well, after they changed the name
I said, it'll never be the same)
Want to live like Gorton people....
February 1, 2026 at 10:16 AM
She came from Greece and she brought a brolly
She studied Europe at Manchester Poly
(Well, after they changed the name
I said, it'll never be the same)
Want to live like Gorton people....
She studied Europe at Manchester Poly
(Well, after they changed the name
I said, it'll never be the same)
Want to live like Gorton people....
Reposted by Fortuna Desperata
13/ If Europe wants to build systems that are independent of US big tech it should promote interoperable open source infrastructure rather than specific companies.
This open source infra can then also be used by the rest of the world and Americans who don’t like big tech either
This open source infra can then also be used by the rest of the world and Americans who don’t like big tech either
February 1, 2026 at 12:28 PM
13/ If Europe wants to build systems that are independent of US big tech it should promote interoperable open source infrastructure rather than specific companies.
This open source infra can then also be used by the rest of the world and Americans who don’t like big tech either
This open source infra can then also be used by the rest of the world and Americans who don’t like big tech either
Reposted by Fortuna Desperata
Two loosely connected things: I think also only a certain school of software dev prizes automation over craft. In almost every other area of life it's clear that doing something frequently, with attention and care, makes you better at it, while outsourcing it gives you time but decreases skills BUT
February 1, 2026 at 10:28 AM
Two loosely connected things: I think also only a certain school of software dev prizes automation over craft. In almost every other area of life it's clear that doing something frequently, with attention and care, makes you better at it, while outsourcing it gives you time but decreases skills BUT
Reposted by Fortuna Desperata
for reasons that seem surprising to me, may people seem surprised at that Anthropic research which shows that not doing something makes you worse at it. I mean, who knew? Who knew that giving a task to a machine wasn't a substitute for practice?
February 1, 2026 at 10:30 AM
for reasons that seem surprising to me, may people seem surprised at that Anthropic research which shows that not doing something makes you worse at it. I mean, who knew? Who knew that giving a task to a machine wasn't a substitute for practice?
Reposted by Fortuna Desperata
The other thing is the frankly laughable idea that we need to improve our understanding of consciousness in order to verify that probability machines talking to one another in English are not creating consciousness. Of course they aren't!! Why would they be? Why are these claims taken seriously?
February 1, 2026 at 10:31 AM
The other thing is the frankly laughable idea that we need to improve our understanding of consciousness in order to verify that probability machines talking to one another in English are not creating consciousness. Of course they aren't!! Why would they be? Why are these claims taken seriously?
Reposted by Fortuna Desperata
History - East German Stasi 1950 - 1990:
In the DDR, the Stasi built a vast network of citizen informants who monitored neighbors, coworkers, and even family. Everyday life became a web of fear, secrecy, and betrayal, enabling total state control through ordinary people’s surveillance.
#DHS #ICE
In the DDR, the Stasi built a vast network of citizen informants who monitored neighbors, coworkers, and even family. Everyday life became a web of fear, secrecy, and betrayal, enabling total state control through ordinary people’s surveillance.
#DHS #ICE
January 31, 2026 at 11:07 PM
🐌 ⌛ 😉
Ὀψὲ θεῶν ἀλέουσι μύλοι, ἀλέουσι δὲ λεπτά.
"The millstones of the gods grind late, but they grind fine."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mills_o...
Ὀψὲ θεῶν ἀλέουσι μύλοι, ἀλέουσι δὲ λεπτά.
"The millstones of the gods grind late, but they grind fine."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mills_o...
January 31, 2026 at 11:42 PM
🐌 ⌛ 😉
Ὀψὲ θεῶν ἀλέουσι μύλοι, ἀλέουσι δὲ λεπτά.
"The millstones of the gods grind late, but they grind fine."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mills_o...
Ὀψὲ θεῶν ἀλέουσι μύλοι, ἀλέουσι δὲ λεπτά.
"The millstones of the gods grind late, but they grind fine."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mills_o...
She looks like a piece of furniture that has come to life, like in Ravel & Colette's 'L'Enfant et les Sortilèges'. And those dolls 😮
January 31, 2026 at 11:33 PM
She looks like a piece of furniture that has come to life, like in Ravel & Colette's 'L'Enfant et les Sortilèges'. And those dolls 😮
Reposted by Fortuna Desperata
Dottie Farnsworth, circa 1890. She was one of a team of female track cyclists known as the Big Five -- which included herself, Lizzie Glaw, Helen Baldwin, May Allen, and Tillie Anderson -- that traveled the U.S., racing in fierce competitions against each other and other women.
January 31, 2026 at 8:12 AM
Dottie Farnsworth, circa 1890. She was one of a team of female track cyclists known as the Big Five -- which included herself, Lizzie Glaw, Helen Baldwin, May Allen, and Tillie Anderson -- that traveled the U.S., racing in fierce competitions against each other and other women.
Timeline cleanse, needed after the last one...
Other work by the Ladybird artists.
‘Cat among ferns’
Artist: CF Tunnicliffe
‘Cat among ferns’
Artist: CF Tunnicliffe
January 31, 2026 at 8:59 AM
Timeline cleanse, needed after the last one...
Reposted by Fortuna Desperata
This is a man. In UK law only men can rape.
That thing that never happens has happened again.
www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater...
That thing that never happens has happened again.
www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater...
Shameless TikToker raped woman 'at least 10 times' in horrific attacks
Jennifer O’Brien has been jailed for 17 years
www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk
January 31, 2026 at 8:22 AM
This is a man. In UK law only men can rape.
That thing that never happens has happened again.
www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater...
That thing that never happens has happened again.
www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater...