Just a reminder to avoid HP merch, especially in Edinburgh. It's tacky and you know better.

Ed Fortune@edfortune.com · last yr.

It's also worth pointing out that there seems to be a LOT of Wizarding World overstock knocking about. Pop into one of those tourist trap / cheap tat shops, and you'll see a lot this stuff. I'm not saying the Harry Potter brand is becoming connected to money laundering, but blimey is it sus.

Rowling gained a reputation for being a bigot and a bully from 2018 onwards. Their latest actions surprise no one.

Holl🌞@willows-song.bsky.social · 4d ago

This is why you dont try to compromise or concede anything to these horrors

A dark day for human rights.

"spooked the markets" is a weird turn of phrase. The market is a horse, apparently, scared by loud noises. Especially when what it usually means is 'The general public are expressing a preference for quality of life improvements over adding to the yacht funds of the super rich'.

Tapping the sign.

Signal Boosting the Edinburgh Fringe Flyer project. Great Idea. www.edfringeflyerarchive.org

We interview Joe Sellman-Leava about his new show, COPYCAT, coming to the @edfringe.bsky.social this August. www.starburstmagazine.com/features/joe...

Joe Sellman-Leava • COPYCAT - STARBURST Magazine

Joe Sellman-Leava is a writer, performer. They also run Worklight Theatre: a company that makes new, interdisciplinary shows that examine our rapidly changing world, through personal stories. We adore...

starburstmagazine.com

I do wonder why UK politicians still use X given how hostile Musk has made it. The site is toxic and a mental health hazard, and it's actively encouraging violence. (I did ask my local MP about the Twitter policy and got no reply.)

Sunder Katwala (sundersays)@sundersays.bsky.social · last wk.

"First the traitors then the invaders" is Elon Musk endorsing an open call to prioritise political murders + assassinations before violence against migrants and minorities. Still little recognition in the UK government at the persistence of the promotion of political violence - inc murder - by Musk

The question of “what is a woman” is a witch finders trick. I allows the mob to join a public shaming of anyone who will not submit to a false premise. “Are you a witch” -“no I am not a witch” “ah so you believe in witches” - “no I’m just saying it’s complicated”- (looks to mob) BURN THE WITCH!

So easily bought! Wes Streeting has taken £370k in private healthcare donations, clearly in return for influence. But he's already on over £170k a year as a cabinet minister. To abandon your principles that fully surely you'd want millions? WELP, guess he didn't have principles to begin with.

Jon Owen@anotherjon.bsky.social · last wk.

The Electoral Commission is assessing a £30,000 donation to Reform UK in the form of private flights which appears to have been secretly funded by a ‘credit’ from the air firm’s owner. @josiahmortimer.bsky.social for @bylinetimes.bsky.social bylinetimes.com/2026/07/23/e...

150,000 marched yesterday in London for trans rights. Opened the Sky News app. Scrolled and scrolled. Nothing. BBC News app. Nothing. Guardian app. Nothing. This is what actual silencing looks like.

Petition for a Moratorium on AI data centre approvals until environmental impacts have been assessed. petitions.parliament.scot/petitions/PE...

Petition: Moratorium on planning applications for all hyperscale data centres until their environmental impacts have been fully assessed

Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to introduce a moratorium to prohibit planning permission from being granted for any hyperscale data centres, until it has carried ou...

petitions.parliament.scot

Well Done Spain.

Is it over yet?

NEW: Who funds Nigel Farage? And why has it taken till now for any journalistic scrutiny? @carolecadwalla.bsky.social who has tracked him for a decade exposes how the UK press & regulators looked the other way 🧵👇

"The newly appointed Minister for AI is expected to meet with the Minister for NFTs, Lord Blockchain and the Secretary of State for Pogs this afternoon."

Fantasycon 2027 with World Fantasy Convention will be in Birmingham on the 24th - 26th September 2027. More details of the decisions can be found here: file770.com/statement-ab...

Statement About Dates of Fantasycon 2027 with World Fantasy Convention

Statement by Karen Fishwick. Co-chair Fantasycon 2027: There has been some confusion around Fantasycon 2027, World Fantasy Convention and Eurocon. Fantasycon is the annual convention of the British…

file770.com

Just re-read Judgement on Gotham (it came out in 91) and was instantly transported back to that Christmas Day. My poor mum would have had to have braved Forbidden Planet to get it. The story basically serves to ask the question 'What cool stuff can get Bisley to draw?' Anderson looks different.

My one issue with comparing everything to section 28 is this. This is much worse than section 28. I lived through section 28 but what is happening now is a hyper focused attack by over 50 + anti rights organisations who don't just want to ban the queer teachings they want to ban queer people

34 Candidates, and yet seemingly they can all fit in that one car... #clacton

This was fun.

Paul Weedon@paulweedon.bsky.social · 3w ago

Paul Weedon jumpscare in the latest TomSka youtu.be/H7bwi3Z3bcQ?...

Is it really an Edinburgh Fringe until someone presses reply all to the press list?

If Rowling kills Amnesty UK, she will be directly responsible for the deaths of many people. That's billionaires for you, I guess. Happy for the little people to die.

Lee Hurley@hleehurley.com · 3w ago

Folks, is this a headline that makes a person look like the goodie? "Amnesty 'won't survive' Rowling action." [Times Scotland front page]

Chuck all your Harry Potter shit in the garbage. Purge everything this slavering bridge troll has ever touched from your life. Be loud about it. It's no longer good enough to passively say you no longer support her.

Alejandra Caraballo@esqueer.net · 3w ago

Rowling is going to leverage every bit of her wealth to either destroy Amnesty through litigation or through the court of public opinion with the British press. The stories will not stop for months. The daily mail and others will run nonstop coverage hounding Amnesty employees and leadership.

Look on the bright side, England, it's only 3.5 prime ministers until the next world cup!

STARBURST’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026 Picks @edfringe.bsky.social

STARBURST’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026 Picks - STARBURST Magazine

STARBURST has been covers the Edinburgh Festival Fringe because it’s a really nice way to find talent and shows that many may have missed. We’ve poured through the thick, thick pages of listings guide...

starburstmagazine.com

STARBURST’s Favourite Acts Returning to The Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026 @edfringe.bsky.social

STARBURST’s Favourite Acts Returning to The Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026 - STARBURST Magazine

The galaxy’s greatest genre magazine, STARBURST, has been covering the world’s first and best festival fringe since 2017. This means we’ve seen a fair few shows so far, and we’re always delighted when...

starburstmagazine.com

Tax Billionaires. Through the nose. It's a thing we should be saying in response to a lot of things. Sudden rise in people getting stripped of their rights? - Tax Billionaires. Rise in AI slop? Tax Billionaires. Drop in media standards? Tax Billionaires. You get the idea.

Don't programme stuff like this. If you want lazy ragebait warbling, YouTube has you covered. I don't go to geek conferences to listen to the same four people burbling on about how they don't like change. ( A panel of clueless folk is the most tedious thing ever.)

Jessie Gender@jessiegender.bsky.social · 4w ago

Absolutely disgusted that panels like this are allowed at Shore Leave con this weekend.

Well I’ve spent the whole of #NorEng drawing the three English lions on a tote bag, time well spent even if we don’t win