Chris
@improbablytall.bsky.social
Airline pilot ✈️, occasional photographer, geek.
I mean, instead of arguing about the correct definition of associate membership, perhaps the UK could focus on the general geopolitical situation which has motivated Canada& the EU to work more closely together, and discuss how the UK wants to position itself in this new world?
Every year on 19 December, the famous Christmas lights at Mousehole in Cornwall are dimmed between 8 and 9pm, leaving just the Cross and Angels shining down across the village and out to sea.
Happy to report that the publishing event of the year has not disappointed
The US Army realised in 1941, as it spooled up for war, that it needed around 500,000 typewriters to function. so great was the need that they had to requisition and ration them. HALF A MILLION. Equivalent to 40% of the entire US domestic supply at the time. Logtics wins wars.
David the Trifecta: Fatty, Beardo, Weirdo@coldwarhost.bsky.social · 2mo agoTell me again about your "warfighting"?
Your fact of the day: Adrian Bell was the first cryptic crossword setter for the Times. Martin Bell, his son, was THE Martin Bell - legendary BBC journalist and (briefly) independent MP. But know who Adrian's DAUGHTER was? Anthea Bell, the translator of Asterix comics into English.
one of the most critical parts of design or development is finding ways to tell clients/bosses: "no i won't because that's fucking stupid." One of AI's many flaws is it physically can't do this. it tells people their awful ideas are brilliant and awful people in particular love it for that reason
iucounu@iucounu.bsky.social · 2mo agoImagine being a graphic designer and walking past this all day
Spoiler: the AI did not actually improve his historical research (it gave him a load of bollocks, only "improving" when he started feeding it the answers from his separate research)
U.S. Naval Institute@usni.org · 2mo agoThese tools can improve historical research and analysis when used with a keen critical eye. https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history/2026/august/what-i-learned-when-i-used-ai-naval-history-research
Properly gone at the idea of having this awarded like a corporate award gigs in one of those massive but soulless business hotel ballrooms, with Romesh Ranganathan hosting.
Civil Service World@civilserviceworld.bsky.social · 2mo agoBritish foreign intelligence agency ranked top in Europe in Ballon d'Or and Eurovision-inspired competition www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/...
And now it's up to 5,000+ likes. SIGH. That second paragraph is ridiculous. The GPS being unavailable was in a NOTAM which they would have gotten on the ground. They were unable to hold an altitude which has nothing to do with GPS. All pilots must fly & land without GPS. If you can't, do not fly.
Justin Ling@justinling.ca · 2mo agoHoly shit. www.wired.com/story/a-civi...
Pretty incredible that the Pan Am logo is still visible on the DC4 wreckage after 74 years. It is also the reason we have pre-flight safety briefings. The pilots got it down on the water and everyone survived the landing. Most then drowned because they didn't know how to evac.
Seen a couple of posts comparing prices of things like the new Steam computer to things like Spectrums and Commodore 64 at launch. Implication is always "look how much more expensive it is!!" Which just shows how much we mentally don't compute on inflation. £200 in 1982 is roughly £1,000 today.
I love how the 6th PM in 6 years resigns, and everybody is like "This only happened because this particular guy was incompetent because… “ Britain‘s political media has a very short attention span, and a very short memory. What if, and stay with me now, this is a symptom of a deeper issue?
i assume banning kids from social media will be accompanied by a huge investment in teen-friendly communtiy spaces (like youth clubs) and social activities? No? Huh.
Relistening to “Monstrous Regiment” for the millionth time and just caught the “commander Vimes holds to a no-first-use policy for magic” Terry Pratchett using magic as a substitute for nukes in Discworld is just perfection and I am so deeply happy we got to share a world with him
*sets the 'days since tech bros reinvented the bus' sign back to zero.
The New York Times@nytimes.com · 4mo agoUber announced Friday that it will offer shared shuttle service in 50-seat vans after matches at venues near Boston, Dallas, Miami and New York City.
Pope Leo quoting Tolkien in his encyclical on AI seems like a pointed reference for the tech oligarchs who have appropriated LOTR for their own ends.
i mean she's just made it incredibly hard for traffic to accurately gauge the cow's direction of travel and speed.
Dreadnought Holiday@dreadships.bsky.social · 5mo agoPay attention, class. Please tell me what she's doing wrong if her intention is to reduce accidents?
This ends with Ross Kemp trying to tell a hard-man story about hanging out with the SAS to James Blunt, with ZERO knowledge of his pre-music career.
Scott Bryan@scottygb.bsky.social · 5mo agoCELEBRITY TRAITORS SERIES TWO CAST ANNOUNCED 🚨🚨
You asked and we listened! For years, the community has been asking for a new design in Home Assistant. Something modern and timeless, something to match the power of the platform. We’re pleased to announce that an improved UI trial is now available. 👇
I mean, once you've missed the Friday 13th you only have one other date to aim for if you want to maximise the charge on your secret experimental What Can Possibly Go Wrong Drive.
'Something really big is going to happen': Historic Artemis II mission approved for April 1 launch
NASA has given the 10-day Artemis II mission the green light after its flight readiness review, and the weather outlook remains favorable.
livescience.com
Nick Clegg unveiled a portrait of himself at the National Liberal Club yesterday and it's hard to tell which one looks less like Nick Clegg, the portrait of Nick Clegg or the actual Nick Clegg
Tell you what. When we get 250 subscribers to the untitled-history.com podcast i'll do "You'll Be Back" from Hamilton as a subscriber video. In costume. At 500 i'll try and bully @pptsapper.bsky.social into doing Cabinet Battle with me. He gets to pick whether he's Hamilton or Jefferson.
The Untitled History Podcast
Untitled History Podcast is the podcast that takes you beyond the textbooks to explore the untold stories of the ancient and modern worlds. Join Gareth Edwards and a lineup of world-leading experts t...
untitled-history.com
John Bull@garius.bsky.social · 7mo agoI did "You'll be Back" in a Toronto bar last year. No further questions.
On 8th Oct 1952 the worst civilian rail disaster in UK history happened in London. 112 deaths. 340 wounded. That accident, and the actions of one woman from Florida have saved THOUSANDS of lives since. That disaster helped lead to the creation of paramedics. /1 🧵 www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU60...
Harrow and Wealdstone Train Crash Newsreel
Newsreel footage of the aftermath of the 1952 Train Crash at Harrow & Wealdstone Station, which claimed the lives of 112 people and injured hundreds more.
youtube.com
To mark International Women's Day, meet Lt Cmdr. Madeleine Barclay. First Officer on HMS Fidelity. To my knowledge, the first woman to officially serve as First Officer on a Royal Navy vessel deployed on combat duty. Achieving this involved a three-way war between Navy, SOE and the WRNS /1 🧵 #IWD
Tax exiles stuck in London desperately trying to get *back* to Dubai to avoid becoming tax resident in the UK? Just great stuff. giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
Wealthy Dubai residents race back to UAE to avoid tax bills
Some risk spending too few days in the emirate and too many in the UK
giftarticle.ft.com
