Excellent interview with Patrick Leavy of the Tech Rebel Alliance about quitting Big Tech—whether it's Facebook, Instagram, Google, or WhatsApp.
I did this a few years ago with WhatsApp and got a ton of grief from friends (and still do on occasion). Nevertheless, worth it.
youtu.be/qJY8JUSJ8Xk?...
Ready or Not 2: Diminished Returns (2026) isn’t a legacy sequel, but it’s just as tired and cynical. One scene of violence is utterly misjudged and should’ve been trimmed.
Not total dogshite… but close.
boxd.it/dWPBtR
A key takeaway from this trial was that Meta knew it was harming young users and continued to do so anyway.
Unless social media is properly regulated, we need to stop using these toxic companies’ products.
www.contrariannews.org/p/for-meta-t...
Someone in a semi-professional setting today told moi to, “ping them a WhatsApp and they’d get back to me ASAP”.
I smiled through my disdain.
No, that won’t be happening. EVER.
Perfectionism is rigid—fuelled by anxiety and relentless self-criticism.
Ouch, right?
As someone who’s burned out (thanks, in part, to work pressures and how I handled them), this article on why ‘good enough’ should be your goal really resonated with moi.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
🍿 Favourite first-time watches in 2026! 🍿
March, ordered by preference:
🎬 A Hidden Life (Malick, 2019)
🎬 New York, New York (Scorsese, 1977)
🎬 Dead of Winter (Kirk, 2025)
🎬 Days of Thunder (Scott, 1990)
I’m hoping this rewatch of a magnificent Tony Scott film results in:
a) An article on Bruce’s best Die Hard sequel that wasn’t a Die Hard sequel.
or
b) An article on The Last Boy Scout that will be featured in a boutique 4K remaster.
If either comes true, I’ll be delighted.
If, like moi, you've had Scorsese's New York, New York (1977) on your watchlist for a lifetime, it's currently on iPlayer.
A film in need of a remastering and possibly even a Coppola-esque Director's Cut. It's not classic Scorsese, but there's a masterpiece in there somewhere...
boxd.it/dBeYYP
Marianna Spring's latest documentary, Inside the Rage Machine, is another piece of exceptional journalism that highlights the threat Meta, TikTok, and X pose. Social media isn't intrinsically bad; it just needs to be regulated properly.
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...
Mamdani's communications team are truly doing incredible work. If only all Britons understood their colonial past, we might be able to better call it out. But then, the powers that be don't want that... *shakes fist*
Call me shallow.
Parmesan shortbreads on a blue china plate.
My mental health is entirely in the bin right now, so today I'm consoling myself with @nigella.bsky.social's Parmesan shortbreads. They are indeed like crack—and exactly what the doctor ordered.
Recipe: www.nigella.com/recipes/parm...
Channel 5 has secured the rights to stream the entirety of The X-Files. Watching the best-of last week reminded moi how much I love the show—but also how little I recall post-season 4.
Gilligan’s episodes are absolute fire, but Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose is still the GOAT. Rewatch imminent 👽
👏 67% of Britains are bang on.
Anti-Trump is the way forward.
“in order to enjoy a new Scream film in 2026, you must be utterly desensitised to real world violence.”
Nothing like a bit of the old hyperbole to end on! 😂
lwlies.com/this-just-in...
Hardly a return to form, but Scream 7 (Williamson, 2026) doesn't scrape the barrel quite like Scream VI did. With a sequel likely given the box office, let’s hope the next person to pick up the mantle actually understands what made this series great.
boxd.it/dnxxuZ
Febuary, ordered by preference:
🎞️ The Circle (Panahi, 2000)
🎞️ Primate (Roberts, 2025)
🎞️ Domino (Scott, 2005)
🎞️ This is Endometriosis (Houghton & Wileman, 2022)
This by @stephenkb.bsky.social addresses the elephant in the room: the idea that we'd all be better off without social media, not just the under-16s. It's not surprising these questions aren't being asked by governments, but if they won't, then get on & regulate them, because they're causing harm.
I think everyone should watch Victoria Derbyshire's interview with Gisèle Pelicot. It’s essential viewing!
What a courageous, strong woman.
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...
🍿 Favourite first-time watches in 2026! 🍿
January, ordered by preference:
🎬 𝟤𝟪 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘓𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘛𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦 (DaCosta, 2026)
🎬 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘳 (Redford, 1998)
🎬 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 (Levinson, 1984)
🎬 𝘑𝘰𝘩𝘯 𝘘 (Cassavetes, 2002)
A quote from a Keanu Reeves' appearance on the BBC Graham Norton Show. "I don't want to be part of a world, where being kind is a weakness."
the babe.
The Truffle Shuffle burger from Jordan Bailey’s Heard. One half of the burger lies waiting to be eaten.
Checked out Jordan Bailey’s Heard Burger 🍔
I opted for the Truffle Shuffle burger with fries. A great double smash patty served with Italian black truffle mayo, balsamic pickled red onion, Baron Bigod brie, crispy shallots, and green leaf—all in a toasted bun. A sloppy delight!
“𝘈𝘵 𝘢 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘮.”
- Guillermo del toro
An excerpt from The Watermelon Woman (Dunye, 1996) about watching "those boring, old films."
Relatable.
Rick McCallum enveloped in darkness and despair after watching the first cut of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (Lucas, 1999)
𝗖𝗶𝗻𝗲́𝗺𝗮
𝘐 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧𝘧.
𝘊𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘢 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘺.
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.
𝘈𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘢 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘨𝘰. 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵.
𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺’𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘦𝘴.
𝘈𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘮 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘴, 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦.
𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺, 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦, 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘮𝘦.
Great review, Pete! Like you, I was never that enamored with the original film, but I’m really enjoying these new ones. Fab to see Fiennes getting some love—he was on phenomenal form.
I especially appreciated the bond created with Chi Lewis-Parry as Samson.
David Lynch trapped in Twin Peak's Red Room.
“I don’t know why people expect art to make sense. They accept the fact that life doesn’t make sense.”
—David Lynch
A picture of David Lynch smiling.
“The art spirit sort of became the art life, and I had this idea that you drink coffee, you smoke cigarettes, and you paint, and that’s it. Maybe, maybe, girls come into it a little bit, but basically it’s the incredible happiness of working and living that life.”
-David Lynch
