Ah, the immediate upswell in racism from Edinburgh residents upon the beginning of our wonderful international festival season, charming to behold.

In which we have a little flashback to how things were, as Teddy and Dickie reunite at Oxford, and the rules are a little unclear… Chapter Sixteen continues: forthenby.com/2026/08/05/2...

2.16.3

In which lovers are reunited…

forthenby.com

Therapy hangover: 40% emotion, 60% dehydration from crying.

does anyone know of any work that’s been done on career trajectories of (UK humanities) academics who have been made redundant? eg information about how many go into school teaching, early retirement, independent research? appreciate this is complex, sensitive and much data is too recent

Hey, Edinburgh folk - anyone know a good, friendly piercing studio in the city?

In honour of #InternationalOwlDay. (It may be a bit niche [or maybe not, seeing the popularity of #TheOdyssey], but it's my favourite of any memes I've made.)

I am currently having to be so gracious and generous and uplifting for someone in a situation of which I am very jealous, and I am trying to see it as a positive thing, because it is character building, but also jfc.

It is damp and foggy today and I'll be honest, I like August's tendency toward early autumn in Scotland. (Provided we get a searingly beautiful September, mind).

Praise after death is most usually secured by acts in life worthy of praise, non?

Ben Goldacre@bengoldacre.bsky.social · 2d ago

Sad to see people posting on social media negatively about Rod Liddle, who died yesterday. If I have disagreed with you very strongly in life - and you die - I hope I'll be either silent, or kind.

1 like = 1 completely dull mundane fact about me

Minx Marple@minxmarple.bsky.social · 2d ago

1 like = 1 completely dull mundane fact about me

Abusive men often charm women outwith their immediate relationships: it guarantees reputation laundering and future supply. The vested interest of the abuser lies in charming people in order to make any report of abuse seem unlikely, and to minimise the reporting power of the victim.

Just Work. An all new comic about the gig economy, platform capitalism, delivery riders, and their battle for worker rights. You can read a responsive phone/desktop/tablet friendly online version of it - for FREE - here: tomhumberstone.com/just-work

Just Work | Tom Humberstone

Just Work

tomhumberstone.com

No blessing or dismissal is added.

So this is an EXCELLENT thread on Jane Austen

W.G Maythorn@earlofforthenby.bsky.social · 3d ago

So, I’m reading some Austen criticism (popular level, close recital analysis stuff. It’s a Sunday morning) and thinking about some of my creative motivations for Forthenby because I know I’m the “Wodehousian Smut with Flogging” guy, but I do take my craft seriously.

“Ah! poor fellow! he’ll have to die now,” ejaculated the Long Island sailor.

The final print from Skylark Meadow

Sometimes, you have to make the mad decision and buy the art. ‘Diamond-studded fish-net’, Silkscreen print by Julie Farthing & Ian Hamilton Finlay, 1991.

I distrust those who wear anoraks despite the heat.

We didn’t deserve Alasdair Gray

‘The cleanup is being undertaken by Sharp Management, which is cutting open the tanks to release the decades-old sauce.’ An extremely intensive purgatorial idea, I bet Dante is so sad he didn’t include ‘fish sauce cleanup’ in any of his circles.

the mangosphere@mangmangmang.bsky.social · 4d ago

"I'm looking forward to the day that it does end, and the people of St. Mary's can take their town back away from this fish sauce" www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

A delicate Lammas dress from 1902 by Gustav Beer, richly decorated with silken wheat stalks, for drinking chouchen and telling fortunes in an old country garden, as a great golden moon rises in the dark Breton sky.

I have literally never - except for things I haven’t managed to turn off in time like those fucking google summaries- used AI for anything.

Small Robots@smolrobots.bsky.social · 5d ago

You wouldn't know it from how some people talk, but it is incredibly easy to not use AI for anything.

Olivia Coleman as Margery Kempe, weeping her way obnoxiously to Jerusalem, I would pay to see.

Matt Gabriele@profgabriele.com · 5d ago

ok let's do a discourse: what historical text absolutely needs the big budget film treatment, AND will create the need for a review by a scholar in a prestige publication? for medieval Europe, either: -- Song of Roland -- Book of Margery Kempe

THE BORDERS PRIDE POETRY COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. We would like to extend a huge thank you to all our entrants, and to everyone who has advertised the competition, liked and shared our posts, or otherwise supported us. So: What happens now?

There is a man on the train listing all of the airlines he uses, where they fly from, where to, and where they connect.

happy birthday to all horses in the southern hemisphere

Wishing you a bountiful Lammastide / Lughnasadh. 🎨 UK postage stamp, 1981 Folklore series

Extremely in need of a nice, kind, measured script to gently explain why my lovely pal using AI with her kids ‘to write stories’ is still… bad.

What if I became a nun so I never had to enter or navigate recruitment processes again? YEAH PROBABLY.