Shona Cook
@shonacook.bsky.social
Swore I'd use the death of twitter to stop scrolling and start writing and yet here I am
Reposted by Shona Cook
Latest update from @britishlibrary.bsky.social says they are launching a new version of their main catalogue on Monday 8 December and around that time also launch an interim version of their Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue. Hooray!
www.bl.uk/stories/news...
www.bl.uk/stories/news...
Restoring our services – November 2025 update
In the coming weeks and months we will be restoring a number of key functions.
www.bl.uk
November 22, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Latest update from @britishlibrary.bsky.social says they are launching a new version of their main catalogue on Monday 8 December and around that time also launch an interim version of their Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue. Hooray!
www.bl.uk/stories/news...
www.bl.uk/stories/news...
Reposted by Shona Cook
UK immigration consultation. Designed terribly and probably intentionally to make it difficult to disagree, but worth doing if you do.
Here's the link if you would like to have a go:
Earned settlement
The government is consulting on how the current settlement system should be reformed and how those reforms should be implemented.
www.gov.uk
November 22, 2025 at 11:35 AM
UK immigration consultation. Designed terribly and probably intentionally to make it difficult to disagree, but worth doing if you do.
Reposted by Shona Cook
Farage can now be easily boxed in to a corner where his only ‘defence’ becomes: “Yes I spouted Kremlin propaganda & Putin worship but, unlike Nathan Gill, I didn’t need bribes to do it.”
It is, once again, a question of whether interviewers have the temerity to shut down his whining obfuscations.
It is, once again, a question of whether interviewers have the temerity to shut down his whining obfuscations.
November 22, 2025 at 11:04 AM
Farage can now be easily boxed in to a corner where his only ‘defence’ becomes: “Yes I spouted Kremlin propaganda & Putin worship but, unlike Nathan Gill, I didn’t need bribes to do it.”
It is, once again, a question of whether interviewers have the temerity to shut down his whining obfuscations.
It is, once again, a question of whether interviewers have the temerity to shut down his whining obfuscations.
Reposted by Shona Cook
Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll). Our cam once showed nearly empty landscape; now thousands of Mōlī (Laysan albatross) returnfor breeding season with black-footed albatross (ka’upu) in the mix.
Over 1 million more albatross will soon arrive at the world’s largest albatross colony.
🎥 Watch it LIVE!
Over 1 million more albatross will soon arrive at the world’s largest albatross colony.
🎥 Watch it LIVE!
November 19, 2025 at 1:24 AM
Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll). Our cam once showed nearly empty landscape; now thousands of Mōlī (Laysan albatross) returnfor breeding season with black-footed albatross (ka’upu) in the mix.
Over 1 million more albatross will soon arrive at the world’s largest albatross colony.
🎥 Watch it LIVE!
Over 1 million more albatross will soon arrive at the world’s largest albatross colony.
🎥 Watch it LIVE!
Reposted by Shona Cook
Consequences are not cancel culture. They're just a new concept for parts of society, who have never actually had to deal with them before.
When the papers start whining about “cancel culture” again, remember that these men are stepping down 1) voluntarily, and 2) because their jobs have no real impact on their wealth and power, and 3) BECAUSE OF THE RAPING.
#BREAKING: Former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers will immediately leave his role as an instructor at Harvard while the University investigates his ties to child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Dhruv T. Patel and Cam N. Srivastava report.
Dhruv T. Patel and Cam N. Srivastava report.
November 20, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Consequences are not cancel culture. They're just a new concept for parts of society, who have never actually had to deal with them before.
Reposted by Shona Cook
I do think British people need to understand that this is why Musk’s money is aiming at the UK now. The BBC and the NHS are trusted English-language sources that people in the US can access so the people who favour this disinformation would like to destroy them.
This does feel like a major crossing of the Rubicon – the world's best-funded and in many ways most powerful public health agency is now actively pushing disinformation.
I know there's a *lot* going on to care about at the moment, but this one really is significant, and matters well beyond the US.
I know there's a *lot* going on to care about at the moment, but this one really is significant, and matters well beyond the US.
The CDC website now disseminates disinformation about vaccines, claiming erroneously that infant vaccines might cause autism, when we know conclusively that they do not. It is difficult to overstate just how dangerous this is. www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safe...
November 20, 2025 at 2:14 PM
I do think British people need to understand that this is why Musk’s money is aiming at the UK now. The BBC and the NHS are trusted English-language sources that people in the US can access so the people who favour this disinformation would like to destroy them.
Reposted by Shona Cook
Thread 🧵 👇🏼
The Covid inquiry’s findings are shocking but unsurprising now, so the main thing it left me thinking is that without a vaccine we wd’ve been utterly screwed. & if you worked round the clock to make a thing that saved millions of lives globally, to see that legacy trashed by anti-vaxxers…
November 20, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Thread 🧵 👇🏼
Harvested Swiss Chard from the raised bed and so glad I've finally found at least two recipes that both use it and are delicious. This time last year I was staring at the bucket going 'I grew this mostly for the colourful stems, what do I *do* with it?' then hid it in the freezer
November 20, 2025 at 11:07 AM
Harvested Swiss Chard from the raised bed and so glad I've finally found at least two recipes that both use it and are delicious. This time last year I was staring at the bucket going 'I grew this mostly for the colourful stems, what do I *do* with it?' then hid it in the freezer
Reposted by Shona Cook
I really hate it when scientists keep saying that “we need to rebuild trust in science,” because it implies that scientists are to blame for the mistrust rather than the millions of dollars of dark money that have funded political attacks on science in order to advance a far right agenda.
November 19, 2025 at 9:48 PM
I really hate it when scientists keep saying that “we need to rebuild trust in science,” because it implies that scientists are to blame for the mistrust rather than the millions of dollars of dark money that have funded political attacks on science in order to advance a far right agenda.
Reposted by Shona Cook
This is a "reindeer cyclone", a defensive behavior that has been observed in herds of reindeer, even in captivity.
The fawns and older animals are at the center, the strongest animal in the outer lanes.
The point is to confuse the brains of predators accustomed to stalking a single outlier.
The fawns and older animals are at the center, the strongest animal in the outer lanes.
The point is to confuse the brains of predators accustomed to stalking a single outlier.
February 24, 2025 at 11:47 PM
This is a "reindeer cyclone", a defensive behavior that has been observed in herds of reindeer, even in captivity.
The fawns and older animals are at the center, the strongest animal in the outer lanes.
The point is to confuse the brains of predators accustomed to stalking a single outlier.
The fawns and older animals are at the center, the strongest animal in the outer lanes.
The point is to confuse the brains of predators accustomed to stalking a single outlier.
Reposted by Shona Cook
This 2nd episode is going to be on Radio 4 at 9.30 - I’ve been told that KC would rather we do not listen to it, so please do if you can.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...?
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...?
BBC Radio 4 - Shadow World, Anatomy of a Cancellation, 2. The Words
This time we hear from Kate Clanchy’s critics.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 19, 2025 at 9:01 AM
This 2nd episode is going to be on Radio 4 at 9.30 - I’ve been told that KC would rather we do not listen to it, so please do if you can.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...?
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...?
Reposted by Shona Cook
Directing to you all to this piece from 2021 in advance of the BBC and the Times maliciously raking up and rewriting painful history this week
www.theguardian.com/books/2021/a...
www.theguardian.com/books/2021/a...
Pointing out racism in books is not an ‘attack’ – it’s a call for industry reform | Monisha Rajesh
I was called aggressive for criticising passages in Kate Clanchy’s memoir. But the real problem lies deep in the overwhelmingly white world of publishing
www.theguardian.com
November 4, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Directing to you all to this piece from 2021 in advance of the BBC and the Times maliciously raking up and rewriting painful history this week
www.theguardian.com/books/2021/a...
www.theguardian.com/books/2021/a...
Reposted by Shona Cook
The scale of the damage at the British Library is difficult to fathom from the outside. Working in the wreckage of the hack has made me even less sanguine about the digital age into which we have leapt feet first.
I’ve written a piece on the curious lack of media and political interest in the issues faced by our national @britishlibrary.bsky.social. This is strange given we live in a world where ideas, knowledge and research are a long-term source of innovation and insight
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
The British library is in crisis: why does nobody care?
The widespread indifference to the British Library's crippling cyberattack demonstrates a perilous failure to value the knowledge infrastructure vital for national prosperity
www.cityam.com
November 18, 2025 at 2:26 PM
The scale of the damage at the British Library is difficult to fathom from the outside. Working in the wreckage of the hack has made me even less sanguine about the digital age into which we have leapt feet first.
Reposted by Shona Cook
Have been thinking about “immigration has been tearing this country apart.” Surely I’m not the only person to think that it isn’t true, but inflamed rhetoric about immigration by politicians is what is tearing this country apart and so statements like that only makes it worse.
November 18, 2025 at 6:37 AM
Have been thinking about “immigration has been tearing this country apart.” Surely I’m not the only person to think that it isn’t true, but inflamed rhetoric about immigration by politicians is what is tearing this country apart and so statements like that only makes it worse.
Reposted by Shona Cook
the enemy of my enemy is not my friend but watching them smack each other in the nuts is still very funny
June 5, 2025 at 6:25 PM
the enemy of my enemy is not my friend but watching them smack each other in the nuts is still very funny
Top Five Documentary Genres:
1. Wild animals are beautiful & fascinating but if you drop your guard will kill you
2. Mountains/Volcanoes AB&FBIYDYGWKY
3. Solidarity movement with excellent soundtrack overcomes something horrific
4. Machines do cool stuff (esp steam/hydraulics)
5. Sink holes
1. Wild animals are beautiful & fascinating but if you drop your guard will kill you
2. Mountains/Volcanoes AB&FBIYDYGWKY
3. Solidarity movement with excellent soundtrack overcomes something horrific
4. Machines do cool stuff (esp steam/hydraulics)
5. Sink holes
Top Five Documentary Genres
1. World’s greatest filmmaker, just having a chat
2. This everyday thing / person is way weirder than you thought
3. Students get pissed off, change the world
4. Now that I’m in jail I may as well tell you how I did that crime
5. Animals fuck and eat each other
1. World’s greatest filmmaker, just having a chat
2. This everyday thing / person is way weirder than you thought
3. Students get pissed off, change the world
4. Now that I’m in jail I may as well tell you how I did that crime
5. Animals fuck and eat each other
Top Five Favourite Documentary Genres
1. Oh wait, it was a Ponzi Scheme all along.
2. Terrible U.S. sportsperson is metaphor for entire country.
3. Unknown crackpot was greatest person who ever lived.
4. Old alcoholics talk about famous old alcoholic.
5. Nature is cute but evil.
1. Oh wait, it was a Ponzi Scheme all along.
2. Terrible U.S. sportsperson is metaphor for entire country.
3. Unknown crackpot was greatest person who ever lived.
4. Old alcoholics talk about famous old alcoholic.
5. Nature is cute but evil.
November 17, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Top Five Documentary Genres:
1. Wild animals are beautiful & fascinating but if you drop your guard will kill you
2. Mountains/Volcanoes AB&FBIYDYGWKY
3. Solidarity movement with excellent soundtrack overcomes something horrific
4. Machines do cool stuff (esp steam/hydraulics)
5. Sink holes
1. Wild animals are beautiful & fascinating but if you drop your guard will kill you
2. Mountains/Volcanoes AB&FBIYDYGWKY
3. Solidarity movement with excellent soundtrack overcomes something horrific
4. Machines do cool stuff (esp steam/hydraulics)
5. Sink holes
Reposted by Shona Cook
Windows is all "I can help you write that!"
With all due respect, you can't even open the window I want open when I click on that window in Windows. I'm good.
With all due respect, you can't even open the window I want open when I click on that window in Windows. I'm good.
November 16, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Windows is all "I can help you write that!"
With all due respect, you can't even open the window I want open when I click on that window in Windows. I'm good.
With all due respect, you can't even open the window I want open when I click on that window in Windows. I'm good.
Reposted by Shona Cook
Traitors on the inside, Trump on the outside ... who’d want to run the BBC now? Actually, I would
This week’s column by Stewart Lee
www.thenerve.news/p/stewart-le...
This week’s column by Stewart Lee
www.thenerve.news/p/stewart-le...
November 16, 2025 at 10:22 AM
Traitors on the inside, Trump on the outside ... who’d want to run the BBC now? Actually, I would
This week’s column by Stewart Lee
www.thenerve.news/p/stewart-le...
This week’s column by Stewart Lee
www.thenerve.news/p/stewart-le...
Bought 4 DVDs in the charity shop, watched 3 this evening: Practical Magic; Drive; and Starship Troopers. A lot of death. Very different vibes
November 15, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Bought 4 DVDs in the charity shop, watched 3 this evening: Practical Magic; Drive; and Starship Troopers. A lot of death. Very different vibes
Reposted by Shona Cook
Yet again we’re being warned that if we ask billionaires to pay their fair share of tax they might leave. So it’s definitely worth trying.
November 15, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Yet again we’re being warned that if we ask billionaires to pay their fair share of tax they might leave. So it’s definitely worth trying.
Reposted by Shona Cook
Not a half-baked gesture at all. Tidal has much better quality and pays artists four times as much as Spotify.
I just switched from Spotify to Tidal as a half-baked ethical gesture and maybe this is some sort of aural placebo effect but the difference in sound quality is startling, as though Spotify plays everything through a sock. Or am I just imagining this
November 10, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Not a half-baked gesture at all. Tidal has much better quality and pays artists four times as much as Spotify.
Weather app: 0% chance of rain.
Window: raining.
Feel we'd got to where weather prediction was reliably accurate and then it started deteriorating again.
Is this climate change making patterns harder to interpret or data analytics being outsourced to a shit algorithm?
My soggy laundry wants to know
Window: raining.
Feel we'd got to where weather prediction was reliably accurate and then it started deteriorating again.
Is this climate change making patterns harder to interpret or data analytics being outsourced to a shit algorithm?
My soggy laundry wants to know
November 15, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Weather app: 0% chance of rain.
Window: raining.
Feel we'd got to where weather prediction was reliably accurate and then it started deteriorating again.
Is this climate change making patterns harder to interpret or data analytics being outsourced to a shit algorithm?
My soggy laundry wants to know
Window: raining.
Feel we'd got to where weather prediction was reliably accurate and then it started deteriorating again.
Is this climate change making patterns harder to interpret or data analytics being outsourced to a shit algorithm?
My soggy laundry wants to know
Reposted by Shona Cook
Government’s last chance to keep control of digital
Digital sovereignty isn’t optional anymore. We sold our water to foreign billionaires. Now we’re handing them our health data
By Philip O'Brien
@yorkshirebylines.co.uk
Digital sovereignty isn’t optional anymore. We sold our water to foreign billionaires. Now we’re handing them our health data
By Philip O'Brien
@yorkshirebylines.co.uk
Government’s last chance to keep control of digital
Digital sovereignty isn’t optional anymore. We sold our water to foreign billionaires. Now we’re handing them our health data
yorkshirebylines.co.uk
November 15, 2025 at 7:43 AM
Government’s last chance to keep control of digital
Digital sovereignty isn’t optional anymore. We sold our water to foreign billionaires. Now we’re handing them our health data
By Philip O'Brien
@yorkshirebylines.co.uk
Digital sovereignty isn’t optional anymore. We sold our water to foreign billionaires. Now we’re handing them our health data
By Philip O'Brien
@yorkshirebylines.co.uk
Reposted by Shona Cook
Farage, Boris Johnson & Rees-Mogg apparently plotting assaults on UK democracy with Bannon, who was reporting back to Epstein. Nothing to see here, newspaper folk…
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Emails highlight Jeffrey Epstein and Steve Bannon relationship
New documents show the pair discussing travel arrangements and UK politics in messages from 2018.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 15, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Farage, Boris Johnson & Rees-Mogg apparently plotting assaults on UK democracy with Bannon, who was reporting back to Epstein. Nothing to see here, newspaper folk…
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...