GNU Terry Pratchett

The remains of snowmen stand in a circle on a green park

Here in this bleak Neogelidic landscape the mighty sarcens stand as mute testament to their ancient builders. Who were they? And where are they now? The little people of Snowhenge

We’ve parked the bus to confuse the opposition

Last-minute Christmas gifts: Newsweek staff’s favorite books Books are gifts for others and ourselves—escapes always at hand. Newsweek staff share their favorites to enjoy or give this year.

Very happy to contribute my thoughts to this one! @barristersecret.bsky.social

www.newsweek.com/last-minute-...

Fantastic @Beth McCarthy gig in Sheffield on Friday

Do we think that, despite all that apparent understanding, Americans are at the top in terms of actual political change?

Set list for the new Rush tour?

When your partner is a microbiologist.

Pseudomonas Pumpkinosa

#Halloween

Shot from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Paul Newman cycles in front of a western style house with Katherine Ross riding on the handlebars

Butch Cassidy!

Happy to have cancelled my @disneyplusuk.bsky.social account

One each for the commissioning people at Amazon Prime, Netflix, Apple TV and the BBC?

For at least the first three you would see gavels…

Well The Cut Throat Trial turned out to be an excellent read…

Will you do a live legal take on it when they make the film @barristersecret.bsky.social?

Due to the ongoing emergency in the USA Trump has suspended the 1st, 14th and 22nd Amendments, the Posse Comitatus Act, and Godwin’s Law.

Trump claims to have ended six wars – is that true? Trump and his administration claim to have helped settle conflicts from the Middle East to Asia, yet the reality is more complex

Betteridge's Law strikes again: www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...

I think the article (deliberately) makes a key mistake.

This isn’t that non-conforming women will be harassed, it is that every woman can be. When you rely on the faulty judgement of individuals and the proportion of the outsider group is low you will mostly have false positives.

Bayes theorem!

A pride flag with the word “Cropredy” flies at a folk festival. In front of the flag a crowd face a stage

Flying the flag at Cropredy this year

Tom Lehrer - Bright College days YouTube video by Fredde21

Tom Lehrer

youtu.be/dl3mRjydcPw?...

Although looking at preferential voting tables on a phone is liable to error

STV would give more vote equity in this example, but not more *diversity* than running it on a multi member fptp approach (as only the Cs have any sort of common “party”).

I once ended up beating* Scritti Politti in a pub quiz…

* memories may vary

TACO and a Coke anyone?

Lovely weekend in Cambridge (yes was too out of practice to stand on the platform)

“Since you’ve been gone” by Rainbow with its double false ending that you just knew the DJ was going to talk over #Top40

Big step!

Why Flavor Flav says the US must ban firearms now | Opinion The lack of U.S. gun laws has created a violence epidemic unlike anywhere else on Earth. This is domestic errorism

Guns don't kill people, rappers do (as @goldielookinchain.bsky.social would have it) ... @flavorflav.bsky.social

www.newsweek.com/2025/07/18/f...

Alt text (because I pressed send too soon): a Sicilian in a fantasy setting is looking directly into the camera mouthing a word. The text implies the word is “Inconceivable”. It is not clear that the character knows what that word means.

Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning Drowning is not the violent, splashing call for help that most people expect.

Thanks for the reminder @janemunday.bsky.social. Every summer, I repost this article DROWNING DOES NOT LOOK LIKE DROWNING. To date, I know of FOUR kids who were saved after someone who'd clicked on the link learnt how to spot actual drowning. Take time to read and pass on.

slate.com/technology/2...

Obscure help wanted: why is today Wednesday?

Not why is it called Wednesday, but why did someone choose an anchor day of the week such that today is Wednesday and not some other day?