The immediate reaction to a billionaire paying millions to fight against a billionaire tax ought to be "ho-ho! It's already beginning to work!" The secondary reaction should be to hunt down every politician etc who received any of this self-serving lobby money, and tax them to the hilt as well...

Shades of Boris Johnson hiding in a fridge. Not sure WHY they (anyone) would make this public? Kind of cringe-worthy embarrassing... www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Trump hid in catering truck in secret plane swap over Iran threat, reports say

The US president was part of a ruse where reporters were falsely told he was with them on Air Force One leaving a Nato summit in Turkey.

bbc.co.uk

When a supermarket loyalty scheme stops being available to certain users (like Lidl's, due to enforced app upgrade) I don't return to a non-loyal customer. I become a DISloyal customer, avoiding the store. And all it would have taken was to add their QR code to the wallet or show it on online site.

The COMPLETE published short stories of Witch and Spider: Bath Bomb, at @adventitiouswords.bsky.social www.adventitious.net/stories/bath... Eight to the Eighth, at @castofwonders.org www.castofwonders.org/2020/04/cast... And that's your lot. But there will be more. Quite soon, in fact...

Bath Bomb by Liam Hogan

A witch and her spider familiar discover someone's taking credit for her enchanted bathwater sculptures. Time for untamed magic. A short story by Liam Hogan.

adventitious.net

When Witch takes a bath (once a year, perhaps) the magical residue left behind is a horrendous clump of mess. Naturally, someone is selling it as snooty high-priced art. And taking credit for it. Oops. Bath Bomb by @liamjhogan.bsky.social #TeamSpider www.adventitious.net/stories/bath...

Bath Bomb by Liam Hogan

A witch and her spider familiar discover someone's taking credit for her enchanted bathwater sculptures. Time for untamed magic. A short story by Liam Hogan.

adventitious.net

Everyone knows by now - even Burnham - the cure for small boats is big boats. Provide a safe legal route and eliminate the need for people smugglers, with all of its attendant ills. Heck, charge for the service if you have to, as long as you're massively undercutting the smugglers.

Dan Sohege@danielsohege.bsky.social · last wk.

Even Home Office's own analysis shows tougher measures force more people into longer, more dangerous routes and exploitation. Tackling smugglers starts with ensuring people don't have to use them. Meanwhile, Labour's own policies mean more people are forced to use them. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

A new venture for you, @cliffchapman.bsky.social , perhaps? (Not the arrested part, obvs..)

In Otter News@in-otter-news.bsky.social · last wk.

Sounds like otter chaos.

It would be great if trees and plants that died on me would conduct an exit survey and tell me what it was that I did so wrong... So that I didn't repeat the mistake. (Lost a fruit tree to this year's drought onslaught, despite - I thought - sufficient watering. Lost redcurrant bushes - AGAIN.)

Rather than gifting mega US tech companies permission to build all-consuming data centres in the UK while ripping off artists and replacing employment with AI licences, the UK government should charge all UK employers that want to use AI in their workplace a tax towards retraining employees.

Went to the BFI to see "Ish" because a friend: Avin Shah, is in it (and is brilliant in it). It is a absolute DELIGHT to see/read/listen to things created by creative, brilliant, surprising friends. You don't get that with AI. Doesn't matter how "good" AI gets, there's no-one human to celebrate.

Joining our Patreon today gets you access to Issue Four early + a bunch of cool goodies and potentially the chance of naming our lost astronaut mascot. We'll see. www.patreon.com/Adventitious...

Issue Four Is Here. | Adventitious

Join the expedition! There's a lot of world out there, and like this handsome froggy guy, it's all waiting for your eyes, ears, and other se

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"The recent report by the White House Domestic Policy Council is nothing less than a declaration of political war on the historians' profession," David Blight in powerful testimony defending the historical craft and the Smithsonian. #OAH #AHA #historymatters 🗃️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbz2...

WATCH: David Blight makes opening statement in hearing on how Smithsonian presents history

YouTube video by PBS NewsHour

youtube.com

Hey @artsemergency.bsky.social has their call open for mentors again! You get paired with a young person approx. 16-17 and talk to them once a month, it's great and not very much work at all and the organisation is ALWAYS short of mentors who work in games

Science cuts are education cuts, environment cuts, growth cuts, economy cuts, health cuts, future cuts. Investment in research - not just science, across the board - pays dividends. Science funding isn't something that you can just turn off and back on - we lose the scientists AND the data record.

James O'Malley@jamesomalley.co.uk · 2w ago

Terrible news. Aside from learning more about the universe, we're not going to get much economic growth by cutting science funding. (If only we had a Prime Minister who was interested in supporting the north, and Manchester in particular, who could stop this.) www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

It is not "hateful" to arrest an ICC suspected war criminal. It IS hateful to be one. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Netanyahu accuses NYC's Mamdani of 'fomenting hate' after arrest threat

Mamdani walked back his threat last week, acknowledging he lacked the legal power to arrest Netanyahu on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.

bbc.co.uk

It is not, it appears, in the government or media interest to report marches and protests that pass by entirely peacefully, an outpouring of support for an increasingly marginalised community. (Seems it's only news if some far-right thugs attack the police...)

Matthew Hodson@matthewhodson.bsky.social · 2w ago

An estimated 150,000 trans people and their allies showed up for Trans Pride in London yesterday. Phenomenal!

"Fledge" by Liam Hogan is now free to read! www.patreon.com/Crep...

Over 17,000 people have already added their name 🩵🩷🤍 Will you join them? goodlawproject.org/petition/tra...

I stand with trans people | Good Law Project

goodlawproject.org

Apparently it's racist for a black man not to like Trump. Hmm...? (Maybe there are PLENTY of other reasons not to like Trump, other than his race? Maybe LeBron James liking or not liking Trump has very little to do with his status as a sporting legend? Maybe...) www.bbc.co.uk/sport/basket...

President Donald Trump says NBA star LeBron James 'maybe a racist'

United States President Donald Trump said LeBron James might be "a racist" when asked if the basketball star is the "best ever" to play the sport.

bbc.co.uk

Gosh, I wonder if these two things are related: "Trump vows to investigate EU over fining of US tech companies" www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... "Major tech companies, including Google, Meta, Apple, and Amazon, have donated millions of dollars to funds behind Trump's campaign and presidency."

Trump vows to investigate EU over fining of US tech companies

The US president says fines against Google, as well as Apple, Meta and Amazon, should be "entirely reversed."

bbc.co.uk

TOMORROW! Shrewsbury hosts the Shropshire Book Fair at Palmer's (across from Loopy Shrew) AND the Big Read in the Square. Servicing all your literary needs for you and your family! Talk to authors and find your summer read! @originalshrews.bsky.social @shropshirestar.com @shrewsburybid.bsky.social

Trump's tariffs were never about whatever act he hides behind, whether emergency powers or accusations of forced labour failings. They were never about American jobs, economy, or reducing imports. They weren't about who pays - exporters, importers, or US customers. Trump's tariffs ARE the point. (+)

The US criticises and threatens consequences for the UK not supporting them, Iran criticises and threatens consequences for the UK for supporting the US. And I have to say you can kind of see Iran's point of view, more than the US's.

I'm not sure all that many people in the UK do either. Whatever happens in the next election, the chances of Tories forming a government seem slim to zero. But they will keep banging the odious drum of their failed Rwanda policies.

The Guardian@theguardian.com · 3w ago

Nobody in Europe knows or cares what Kemi Badenoch thinks. That’s a big mistake | Simon Nixon

Leaky MindFluid™ reservoir in your MindVats® Brain Storage Vat™? No problem! Just this handy troubleshooting guide and problem solved! www.patreon.com/Adventitious...

The Stories and Authors of Issue Four | Adventitious

Troubleshooting Your Leaking Brain Storage Vat A MindVats® Support Document | Version 4.2.7 BEFORE YOU BEGIN MindVats® thanks you for trusti

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www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/ce... One wonders why the US doesn't just steal the enriched Uranium from Iran and give it the Saudi Arabia. That WOULD be the Trump move, surely? (With a counter move 30 years down the line when the Saudis are no longer US chums...)

US to announce deal allowing Saudi Arabia to develop nuclear power

The agreement could be worth billions of dollars to the US, whose companies could be involved in building a facility to produce enriched uranium.

bbc.co.uk

As tweeted by Trump: Venezuela War: 1 day, 0 DEAD. So I guess that confirms exactly what sort of operation it was, and not - as Trump claimed - "a law-enforcement action, with military support, that the president has "inherent constitutional authority" to undertake.

PREORDER from @waterstones.bsky.social and get a summertime 25% off Flame Tree Press's dark romantasy collection, "Of Blood and Petals" - featuring a story by me! ("Love, and Other Distractions"). Discount code "SUMMER26" is good until Friday! www.waterstones.com/book/of-bloo...

Burnham's "No 10 North" (Manchester) plans makes sense of his pledge to restore HS2 to Manchester leg. He wants a quick commute between the two. Which... fine, but it does seem rather like it's all about him.

Burnham's electricity VAT giveaway sounds like a winning wheeze, but can only be considered progressive if it is paid for in a way that targets higher earners or larger (tax avoiding...) corporations. Since everyone benefits, the rich as much as the poor, it is imperative that the rich pay for it.