Will Mawhood
@viljamsmauhuds.bsky.social
Person who says 'no, you're thinking of the Balkans' a lot. Also Deep Baltic editor, and occasional writer of stuff. Ik pa laikam arī tulkotājs.
Pinned
Learning Latvian as a native English-speaker - Will Mawhood
YouTube video by Valodu māja - House of Languages
www.youtube.com
My talk about learning Latvian as a native speaker of English - discussed: why streets have no beginnings in English, the mysteries of the letter "ķ", is Latvian very literal or is English just weird, and much else...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XQi...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XQi...
Reposted by Will Mawhood
#nowplaying In anticipation of Wednesday... @iammilliam.bsky.social 🙏💙
November 23, 2025 at 11:47 AM
#nowplaying In anticipation of Wednesday... @iammilliam.bsky.social 🙏💙
Reposted by Will Mawhood
To add to this - it's not like the public is being well served by broadcast news moving at the pace of 24 hour scrolling and the politically obsessed - it just means every election large numbers of people end up googling 'what is austerity?' 'What is brownfield?' etc. etc.
This is bizarre. Like the editor of the guardian or mail or any other paper complaining repeatedly about the front page lead they decided to run with.
Very good example of what's wrong with broadcast news - they've given up deciding for themselves what is or isn't news and what the priorities are
Very good example of what's wrong with broadcast news - they've given up deciding for themselves what is or isn't news and what the priorities are
It’s a sign of how insane the news cycle is these days that this historic failure of government policy got just one day of news coverage this week.
Not saying that’s right or wrong, but it’s astonishing how quickly the agenda moves on these days.
Not saying that’s right or wrong, but it’s astonishing how quickly the agenda moves on these days.
November 23, 2025 at 12:33 PM
To add to this - it's not like the public is being well served by broadcast news moving at the pace of 24 hour scrolling and the politically obsessed - it just means every election large numbers of people end up googling 'what is austerity?' 'What is brownfield?' etc. etc.
Reposted by Will Mawhood
A wildcard contender in the 'what does GH in English spelling stand for?' game.
November 23, 2025 at 1:15 PM
A wildcard contender in the 'what does GH in English spelling stand for?' game.
My talk about learning Latvian as a native speaker of English - discussed: why streets have no beginnings in English, the mysteries of the letter "ķ", is Latvian very literal or is English just weird, and much else...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XQi...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XQi...
Learning Latvian as a native English-speaker - Will Mawhood
YouTube video by Valodu māja - House of Languages
www.youtube.com
November 21, 2025 at 9:11 PM
My talk about learning Latvian as a native speaker of English - discussed: why streets have no beginnings in English, the mysteries of the letter "ķ", is Latvian very literal or is English just weird, and much else...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XQi...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XQi...
Reposted by Will Mawhood
"Estonia’s interesting, because just as you say a lot of that religious, ethnic diversity is much less present. And it’s very present in northern Greece – northern Greece really has everything I’m talking about in terms of Eastern Europe"
#DBarchives
deepbaltic.com/2024/12/15/g...
#DBarchives
deepbaltic.com/2024/12/15/g...
Goodbye Eastern Europe? An Interview with Jacob Mikanowski
"That’s what I’m pushing again – to say: no, this is a unique and uniquely rich human landscape that has had also some of the most extreme experiences in all of human history"
deepbaltic.com
November 21, 2025 at 7:45 AM
"Estonia’s interesting, because just as you say a lot of that religious, ethnic diversity is much less present. And it’s very present in northern Greece – northern Greece really has everything I’m talking about in terms of Eastern Europe"
#DBarchives
deepbaltic.com/2024/12/15/g...
#DBarchives
deepbaltic.com/2024/12/15/g...
Reposted by Will Mawhood
I hate how every nation is living down to its stereotype because I’m trained to look for complexity in things, yet the USA is run by a caricature of crony capitalism that Soviet propaganda would consider too unsubtle, Russia is run by a Bond villain, the UK is speedrunning Children of Men, etc.
November 19, 2025 at 3:07 PM
I hate how every nation is living down to its stereotype because I’m trained to look for complexity in things, yet the USA is run by a caricature of crony capitalism that Soviet propaganda would consider too unsubtle, Russia is run by a Bond villain, the UK is speedrunning Children of Men, etc.
Reposted by Will Mawhood
LLMs give people with delusional belief systems a way to organise those beliefs. The model fills in gaps, supplies connective tissue, and wraps the madness in formal language.
It doesn't make the claims more credible to us, it just tidies them up.
It doesn't make the claims more credible to us, it just tidies them up.
November 19, 2025 at 2:22 PM
LLMs give people with delusional belief systems a way to organise those beliefs. The model fills in gaps, supplies connective tissue, and wraps the madness in formal language.
It doesn't make the claims more credible to us, it just tidies them up.
It doesn't make the claims more credible to us, it just tidies them up.
Reposted by Will Mawhood
18. novembris ir īpaša diena ne vien latviešiem, bet arī lībiešiem. Piecus gadus pēc Latvijas valsts dibināšanas šajā pašā datumā pirmo reizi mastā tika pacelts lībiešu karogs. Tas notika Mazirbes mācītājmuižā. Kopš tā laika šī diena lībiešiem ir divtik svarīga.
🖥️ youtu.be/Bos5IRGBZhg
🖥️ youtu.be/Bos5IRGBZhg
November 17, 2025 at 4:09 PM
18. novembris ir īpaša diena ne vien latviešiem, bet arī lībiešiem. Piecus gadus pēc Latvijas valsts dibināšanas šajā pašā datumā pirmo reizi mastā tika pacelts lībiešu karogs. Tas notika Mazirbes mācītājmuižā. Kopš tā laika šī diena lībiešiem ir divtik svarīga.
🖥️ youtu.be/Bos5IRGBZhg
🖥️ youtu.be/Bos5IRGBZhg
Reposted by Will Mawhood
in the 1980s Soviet vets of the failed Afghan war formed “clubs” that became very violent mafia groups in the 90s. Putin is now creating a supercharged version of this. Russia is experiencing a flood of damaged men being dumped into an already atomized and low-trust society
November 17, 2025 at 2:48 PM
in the 1980s Soviet vets of the failed Afghan war formed “clubs” that became very violent mafia groups in the 90s. Putin is now creating a supercharged version of this. Russia is experiencing a flood of damaged men being dumped into an already atomized and low-trust society
Plugging this one more time - this eve in Riga, would be lovely to see you there. We will discuss "untranslatable" words in Latvian and English, and much more of great interest.
facebook.com/events/s/lea...
facebook.com/events/s/lea...
Learning Latvian as a native English-speaker
Event in Riga, Latvia by Valodu māja - House of Languages on Friday, November 14 2025
facebook.com
November 14, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Plugging this one more time - this eve in Riga, would be lovely to see you there. We will discuss "untranslatable" words in Latvian and English, and much more of great interest.
facebook.com/events/s/lea...
facebook.com/events/s/lea...
Reposted by Will Mawhood
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was once Europe's largest state. Much of its population spoke Ruthenian, the elite were increasingly switching to Polish. Lithuanian was still not a literary language - but many Lithuanians believed it to be a form of Latin.
deepbaltic.com/2025/11/11/h...
deepbaltic.com/2025/11/11/h...
How Latin Became the Literary Language of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
"In the 15th century a story first appears that the Lithuanians were descended from a group of Roman soldiers who were blown off course after leaving Britain in 55 BC"
deepbaltic.com
November 11, 2025 at 6:50 AM
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was once Europe's largest state. Much of its population spoke Ruthenian, the elite were increasingly switching to Polish. Lithuanian was still not a literary language - but many Lithuanians believed it to be a form of Latin.
deepbaltic.com/2025/11/11/h...
deepbaltic.com/2025/11/11/h...
Reposted by Will Mawhood
Mēs zinām, ka reizēm klausīties ir ērtāk. 🙌
Tādēļ tagad mūsu pētījumus ne vien rakstām, bet arī stāstām.
👉🏻 open.spotify.com/show/5VX6ucc...
Tādēļ tagad mūsu pētījumus ne vien rakstām, bet arī stāstām.
👉🏻 open.spotify.com/show/5VX6ucc...
November 10, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Mēs zinām, ka reizēm klausīties ir ērtāk. 🙌
Tādēļ tagad mūsu pētījumus ne vien rakstām, bet arī stāstām.
👉🏻 open.spotify.com/show/5VX6ucc...
Tādēļ tagad mūsu pētījumus ne vien rakstām, bet arī stāstām.
👉🏻 open.spotify.com/show/5VX6ucc...
Reposted by Will Mawhood
Maybe Keir should demand the heads of major US news networks any time they imply Britain is on the brink of civil war or that we live under sharia law. Or does it not work both ways?
November 10, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Maybe Keir should demand the heads of major US news networks any time they imply Britain is on the brink of civil war or that we live under sharia law. Or does it not work both ways?
Reposted by Will Mawhood
BBC really burying the lede there
November 7, 2025 at 12:07 PM
BBC really burying the lede there
I'm giving a talk! At the lovely Valodu Māja bookshop in Riga next Fri. (Hopefully interesting/entertaining) observations about some of the differences between English and Latvian - time for questions/discussion too. Would be a pleasure to see you there
www.facebook.com/events/20630...
www.facebook.com/events/20630...
Learning Latvian as a native English-speaker
Event in Riga, Latvia by Valodu māja - House of Languages on Friday, November 14 2025
www.facebook.com
November 6, 2025 at 5:25 AM
I'm giving a talk! At the lovely Valodu Māja bookshop in Riga next Fri. (Hopefully interesting/entertaining) observations about some of the differences between English and Latvian - time for questions/discussion too. Would be a pleasure to see you there
www.facebook.com/events/20630...
www.facebook.com/events/20630...
Reposted by Will Mawhood
Some good news - Latvia REMAINS a party to the Istanbul Convention. For now. Facing unprecedented civil society mobilisation, and after the president refused to sign the withdrawal law, the parliament voted to postpone the decision on the Istanbul Convention until after the October 2026 elections.
November 5, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Some good news - Latvia REMAINS a party to the Istanbul Convention. For now. Facing unprecedented civil society mobilisation, and after the president refused to sign the withdrawal law, the parliament voted to postpone the decision on the Istanbul Convention until after the October 2026 elections.
Reposted by Will Mawhood
🔴 Valsts prezidents Edgars Rinkēvičs Saeimā pieņemto likumu "Par izstāšanos no Eiropas Padomes Konvencijas par vardarbības pret sievietēm un vardarbības ģimenē novēršanu un apkarošanu" nodos otrreizējai caurlūkošanai Saeimā.
November 3, 2025 at 3:00 PM
🔴 Valsts prezidents Edgars Rinkēvičs Saeimā pieņemto likumu "Par izstāšanos no Eiropas Padomes Konvencijas par vardarbības pret sievietēm un vardarbības ģimenē novēršanu un apkarošanu" nodos otrreizējai caurlūkošanai Saeimā.
Reposted by Will Mawhood
After receiving a petition signed by more than 62,000 citizens President Edgars Rinkēvičs has exercised his constitutional right to return the law on Latvia’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention to the Parliament for reconsideration.
Big protests in support of Convention planned on Nov 6.
Big protests in support of Convention planned on Nov 6.
November 3, 2025 at 4:41 PM
After receiving a petition signed by more than 62,000 citizens President Edgars Rinkēvičs has exercised his constitutional right to return the law on Latvia’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention to the Parliament for reconsideration.
Big protests in support of Convention planned on Nov 6.
Big protests in support of Convention planned on Nov 6.
Reposted by Will Mawhood
I toured farmhouse brewers in Latgale in eastern Latvia back in May, but the region is also home to traditional moonshine.
"The powers that have controlled Latgale have stretched their authority out from different capitals, but they’ve been united by their desire to stamp out the covert alcohol production that has so long characterised the region"
deepbaltic.com/2022/12/13/i...
deepbaltic.com/2022/12/13/i...
In Search of Šmakovka: a Latvian Region's Four Moonshine Museums
Latgalian homebrew is known by many names, and its history reveals many of the things that set this region apart
deepbaltic.com
November 3, 2025 at 1:07 PM
I toured farmhouse brewers in Latgale in eastern Latvia back in May, but the region is also home to traditional moonshine.
Reposted by Will Mawhood
A great summary of the current and historical political scene in 🇭🇺 from @vsquare.bsky.social. This gets into why Orbán was popular and why he might be nervous for the 2026 elections.
vsquare.org/the-era-of-o...
vsquare.org/the-era-of-o...
The Era of Orbánism as an Exportable Model May Be Ending - VSquare.org
Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán’s once-admired “illiberal model” is faltering — plagued by economic crisis, voter frustration, and collapsing governance. With the 2026 election looming, his future — and the...
vsquare.org
November 2, 2025 at 4:53 PM
A great summary of the current and historical political scene in 🇭🇺 from @vsquare.bsky.social. This gets into why Orbán was popular and why he might be nervous for the 2026 elections.
vsquare.org/the-era-of-o...
vsquare.org/the-era-of-o...
Reposted by Will Mawhood
Grok appears to have started offering this false account about eye-witnesses by generating its view from false rumours on X. It began by saying there wasn't evidence then picked up rumour and misinformation and amplified it
x.com/grok/status/...
x.com/grok/status/...
November 3, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Grok appears to have started offering this false account about eye-witnesses by generating its view from false rumours on X. It began by saying there wasn't evidence then picked up rumour and misinformation and amplified it
x.com/grok/status/...
x.com/grok/status/...
Reposted by Will Mawhood
Konservatīvie politiķi: "Tas jau tikai Rīgas liberastu burbulis."
Realitāte:
Realitāte:
November 3, 2025 at 4:36 AM
Konservatīvie politiķi: "Tas jau tikai Rīgas liberastu burbulis."
Realitāte:
Realitāte:
Reposted by Will Mawhood
Full credit to Politico for continuing to employ a guy who usually does slightly off Disney characters on ice cream vans as their artist-in-residence.
October 29, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Full credit to Politico for continuing to employ a guy who usually does slightly off Disney characters on ice cream vans as their artist-in-residence.