James O'Malley
@jamesomalley.co.uk
@Psythor on Twitter. Freelance writer covering politics/tech/nerd stuff.
Read my content: takes.jamesomalley.co.uk
Yes, I inevitably have a podcast too: abundancepod.com
Free the Postcode Address File!
Read my content: takes.jamesomalley.co.uk
Yes, I inevitably have a podcast too: abundancepod.com
Free the Postcode Address File!
Me, a sophisticated content consumer, most of the time: Wrestling is so dumb.
Me, in Mexico City last night: This is the greatest form of entertainment in the world.
Me, in Mexico City last night: This is the greatest form of entertainment in the world.
November 10, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Me, a sophisticated content consumer, most of the time: Wrestling is so dumb.
Me, in Mexico City last night: This is the greatest form of entertainment in the world.
Me, in Mexico City last night: This is the greatest form of entertainment in the world.
Hello from Mexico where today I saw the big Aztec Clock (which is neither Aztec or a clock), and stood in the room where Trotsky was murdered.
November 9, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Hello from Mexico where today I saw the big Aztec Clock (which is neither Aztec or a clock), and stood in the room where Trotsky was murdered.
Hello from Mexico City where, fascinatingly, there is a “metrobus” that is tram/train like with gated stations and raised platforms, but it’s… a long bus.
November 9, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Hello from Mexico City where, fascinatingly, there is a “metrobus” that is tram/train like with gated stations and raised platforms, but it’s… a long bus.
Just seal up that epistemic bubble. What could possibly go wrong?
November 9, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Just seal up that epistemic bubble. What could possibly go wrong?
Hello from Canada, where the pun on this shop only works in a Canadian accent.
November 7, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Hello from Canada, where the pun on this shop only works in a Canadian accent.
So you don’t want to break manifesto pledges on tax, but your pitch to the members who elected you was basically that you’ll make Downing Street do more left-pleasing things?
November 6, 2025 at 9:37 PM
So you don’t want to break manifesto pledges on tax, but your pitch to the members who elected you was basically that you’ll make Downing Street do more left-pleasing things?
Hello from Canada where this is basically the first thing I saw.
November 2, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Hello from Canada where this is basically the first thing I saw.
What a load of nonsense. It’s just a list of poor countries and a list of rich countries. Basically just a rebranded “noble savage” myth.
November 1, 2025 at 9:58 AM
What a load of nonsense. It’s just a list of poor countries and a list of rich countries. Basically just a rebranded “noble savage” myth.
This feels like it could be a moment a bit like when Spotify did its first deals with the major labels. The first significant deal between an AI company and a major label, as far as I can tell?
October 30, 2025 at 12:08 PM
This feels like it could be a moment a bit like when Spotify did its first deals with the major labels. The first significant deal between an AI company and a major label, as far as I can tell?
If this happens this will be very striking (and hopefully politically good for the government!), but net migration was ~200k before the "Boriswave" and people were still unhappy (hence Brexit).
So I wonder how low it "needs" to go to reduce the salience of the issue?
So I wonder how low it "needs" to go to reduce the salience of the issue?
October 29, 2025 at 1:47 PM
If this happens this will be very striking (and hopefully politically good for the government!), but net migration was ~200k before the "Boriswave" and people were still unhappy (hence Brexit).
So I wonder how low it "needs" to go to reduce the salience of the issue?
So I wonder how low it "needs" to go to reduce the salience of the issue?
Really feel like Downing Street should join Bluesky given that as far as I can scroll, every single response to this completely normal and anodyne post by the Prime Minister is basically racist.
October 29, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Really feel like Downing Street should join Bluesky given that as far as I can scroll, every single response to this completely normal and anodyne post by the Prime Minister is basically racist.
Seems a bit much to break out the live-blogging software for this. It's not a developing story, it has fully developed!
(Though I'm guessing the real reason they did it was to game the Google ranking, which prioritises live blogs, which is why every week Reach plc has ten Euromillions live blogs.)
(Though I'm guessing the real reason they did it was to game the Google ranking, which prioritises live blogs, which is why every week Reach plc has ten Euromillions live blogs.)
October 23, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Seems a bit much to break out the live-blogging software for this. It's not a developing story, it has fully developed!
(Though I'm guessing the real reason they did it was to game the Google ranking, which prioritises live blogs, which is why every week Reach plc has ten Euromillions live blogs.)
(Though I'm guessing the real reason they did it was to game the Google ranking, which prioritises live blogs, which is why every week Reach plc has ten Euromillions live blogs.)
We can argue about the merits of generative video more broadly (I have mixed feelings!), but this is such a stupid criticism.
Aside from the fact the water problem is massively overstated... What's the impact of this versus... a real human and a camera crew? Is that a fight humans can really win?
Aside from the fact the water problem is massively overstated... What's the impact of this versus... a real human and a camera crew? Is that a fight humans can really win?
October 21, 2025 at 12:46 PM
We can argue about the merits of generative video more broadly (I have mixed feelings!), but this is such a stupid criticism.
Aside from the fact the water problem is massively overstated... What's the impact of this versus... a real human and a camera crew? Is that a fight humans can really win?
Aside from the fact the water problem is massively overstated... What's the impact of this versus... a real human and a camera crew? Is that a fight humans can really win?
Films: We need to hack a keycard, obtained by seducing one of the guards. We then need to drop in from the skylight after jumping from a plane, and dodge all of the lasers and traps, carefully switching the jewels for fakes that weigh the same to avoid tripping the alarm.
Real life:
Real life:
October 19, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Films: We need to hack a keycard, obtained by seducing one of the guards. We then need to drop in from the skylight after jumping from a plane, and dodge all of the lasers and traps, carefully switching the jewels for fakes that weigh the same to avoid tripping the alarm.
Real life:
Real life:
2300 likes on a legacy media brand promoting a story that is… not true.
Who needs AI slop and fake news?
Who needs AI slop and fake news?
October 17, 2025 at 5:42 PM
2300 likes on a legacy media brand promoting a story that is… not true.
Who needs AI slop and fake news?
Who needs AI slop and fake news?
Finally a rare opportunity to hear miserable old John Gray explain why liberalism is bad.
October 17, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Finally a rare opportunity to hear miserable old John Gray explain why liberalism is bad.
Congratulations to the New York Times headline writer on getting a new job.
October 16, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Congratulations to the New York Times headline writer on getting a new job.
Imagine reading this expecting to learn... anything.
October 16, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Imagine reading this expecting to learn... anything.
What I find strange about this (and many critiques of the 'abundance' view) is that they basically *always* concede the YIMBYs are right on substance – 'Of course we need to build homes and infrastructure!', but can't just say so, because the author wants (further) left-wing people to like them.
October 15, 2025 at 10:17 AM
What I find strange about this (and many critiques of the 'abundance' view) is that they basically *always* concede the YIMBYs are right on substance – 'Of course we need to build homes and infrastructure!', but can't just say so, because the author wants (further) left-wing people to like them.
"Yep, that's me. You're probably wondering how I ended up this situation."
October 13, 2025 at 4:23 PM
"Yep, that's me. You're probably wondering how I ended up this situation."
Idea: We should have a dense new-town in Wiltshire that is laid out *exactly* like Stonehenge.
The render in the second picture doesn't quite capture it, but imagine something like it but where the buildings are positioned and shaped like the stones.
The render in the second picture doesn't quite capture it, but imagine something like it but where the buildings are positioned and shaped like the stones.
October 12, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Idea: We should have a dense new-town in Wiltshire that is laid out *exactly* like Stonehenge.
The render in the second picture doesn't quite capture it, but imagine something like it but where the buildings are positioned and shaped like the stones.
The render in the second picture doesn't quite capture it, but imagine something like it but where the buildings are positioned and shaped like the stones.
It's almost exactly four years since Tim Shipman's notorious "Boris Johnson squats like a giant toad" tweet.
Seems like important context given how we often talk as though the next election – four years away – is a done deal.
Seems like important context given how we often talk as though the next election – four years away – is a done deal.
October 12, 2025 at 9:10 AM
It's almost exactly four years since Tim Shipman's notorious "Boris Johnson squats like a giant toad" tweet.
Seems like important context given how we often talk as though the next election – four years away – is a done deal.
Seems like important context given how we often talk as though the next election – four years away – is a done deal.
These pathetic snowflakes getting offended by art.
October 11, 2025 at 11:28 PM
These pathetic snowflakes getting offended by art.