Tony Cross
@lokster71.bsky.social
A bear of very little brain who still likes to read a lot, especially non-fiction. Brentford supporter. Doctor Who fan. Old. https://www.youtube.com/@Lokster71
This was always going to happen and Badenoch burned up some of the very limited political capital she had defending it. But she's the smartest person in the room.* *If she is alone in the room.
Philip Purser-Hallard@purserhallard.com · 2h ago
One thing I'm hoping that AI 'fans' will do by calling people who oppose they large scale cultural theft and environmentally catastrophic LLM orgy 'Luddites' is get people to actually read about the real Luddites. Who, I think, have got a bad rap. History is written by the capitalist victors.
Yeah, I could. Every time I use it has been because some tech company has forced it on me - see Google's now permanently enshittified search engine.
Charlie Stross@cstross.bsky.social · 10h agoMy answer is LOL ROFL (dickbrain) The terminally AI-pilled can't even *imagine* some people have *never* asked stochastic parrots to cheat at their job for them.
I think the Instagram algorithm reads blocking right-wing accounts as an interest in those type of accounts. And therefore instead of reducing the amount of right-wing dishonesty and cruelty you get more of it. I don't know if this is deliberate or if happens when you block any accounts.
There are things I miss about being 15 - which is about 40 years ago - but that's mostly because I had bugger all responsibility. Politics is worse and more obviously corrupted by money. People are trying to force us back to the sexist, racist, and homophobic 80s. But let's not do that.
Tony Cross@lokster71.bsky.social · 8h agoLoads of stuff: we're less polluted, technology - despite the oligarchic bullshit - makes our lives easier in so many ways, as Contantine says food is so much better. Air Travel is massively safer. That's off the top of my head. Dorian is drunk on nostalgia.
Loads of stuff: we're less polluted, technology - despite the oligarchic bullshit - makes our lives easier in so many ways, as Contantine says food is so much better. Air Travel is massively safer. That's off the top of my head. Dorian is drunk on nostalgia.
Constantine@ajaxsinger.bsky.social · 17h agoFood, man. Food is so much better than it was in 1986. All of it. Poor-people food, restaurant food, fresh food, frozen food. Food is just a hell of a lot better.
Every woman who doesn't look 'feminine' enough will be on the receiving end of hostile questioning - as they already have. It will end in violence. But none of the people who forced it through will pay any price for it.
QueerAF@wearequeeraf.com · 11h agoThe EHRC's Code of Practice has been condemned as a "system of segregation", "impractical and inhumane", and even "genocidal in nature" It comes into force today
It has always been the case to some degree but it is amazing in 2026 how much politics and the arts are becoming jobs for the rich. And not just the rich, the same families of rich people. Like hereditary MPs, hereditary actors, hereditary journalists are all more common I think.* *Stats required
I do the 'no, me neither' thing myself - usually for US political weirdos/podcasts - but really in this day and age of the internet you've no excuse to not know who an author or celebrity or academic is. You don't have to bother with their work but 'no, me neither' just makes you look lazy.
Mic Wright@brokenbottleboy.bsky.social · 11h agoNow, I *am* a nobody but @seamas.bsky.social is a bestseller so surely Joanna is just showing herself up here.
Badenoch demonstrating her Liz Truss 2.0 creds. She is foolish, because she thinks she's the cleverest person in the room. The fact he went for Reform first should be a red flag atop a red flag. But no Kemi knows best. Banning antisemites is now woke.
Sunder Katwala (sundersays)@sundersays.bsky.social · 11h agoConservatives challenged for selecting a man who formed a far right group + was jailed for serious antisemitic harassment of former MP Luciana Berger.Badenoch says he has reformed sufficiently to have a local candidacy, but should not have a national platform www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/kemi-b...
It's funny how state's rights go out the window when fascists want to fascist. I'm hoping that Todd Blanche ends up in prison. I do wonder if he's in the Epstein files, which is why he's so keen to assist paedophiles and rapists.
FactPost@factpostnews.bsky.social · yesterdayActing AG Todd Blanche plans to outlaw abortion nationwide: We're working to get solutions so that the Dobbs decision becomes permanent in every single state. We're putting policies in place so that states can't do things like mail abortion drugs. We will have victory, and it will be permanent.
"History involves sorting and organizing hundreds of thousands of facts" I remain astounded by how loud and wrong people are about what history actually is.
AI brainrot, part 9 million: Bayreuth uses AI in its Götterdämmerung, boasting that the changing images make each performance 'unique', while apparently not pausing to reflect that EVERY PERFORMANCE WILL BE UNIQUE is the definition of theatre. Every performance of an opera already IS unique, dummies
archive.is
Also her surname seems suspiciously French. Like Farage.
Tony Cross@lokster71.bsky.social · yesterdaySarah Pochin is an idiot but she's Reform so that is par for the course. We need to teach World War Two better. Actually we need to teach history better. All of it. Warts and all.
Sarah Pochin is an idiot but she's Reform so that is par for the course. We need to teach World War Two better. Actually we need to teach history better. All of it. Warts and all.
Northern & proud 👊@gazlancs.bsky.social · 2d agoFrench forces held a fierce defensive perimeter around Dunkirk and lost 18,000 souls. 40,000 became POWs. Without their resolve we wouldn’t have our nation’s story. It’s estimated 20-60k French resistance fighters died during the war. These fuckers really are vile bastards 😡😡
"You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read." Happy birthday, James Baldwin!
We’ll be putting it up again today in tribute, but easy enough to find. Also full video on YouTube!
Tony Cross@lokster71.bsky.social · yesterdayI only noticed that Jimmy Cricket died yesterday. There's a really good episode of @herring1967.bsky.social's RHLSTP with him on that's worth a listen.
youtu.be/5k7O3LzB07k - My new BookTube video is up. Features brief discussions of @adapalmer.bsky.social's Inventing the Renaissance & the knock on effect it had; what else I've read sort of recently, what I'm reading and what I'm going to read.
Well, Fancy Meeting You Here
YouTube video by Lokster Reads
youtu.be
I just had my mouse battery die. I went to get a new one and when I came back my mouse had disappeared off of my desk. I searched everywhere. Couldn't find it. Then it was back exactly where I left it. Now can someone @drdeanburnett.bsky.social perhaps explain what my brain does to let this happen?
I had a terrible night's sleep last night, which always makes me either grumpy or sad the next day. I'm feeling the sad at the moment. I should probably go back to bed.
Brilliant letter from Stuart Thompson to Jeremy Clarkson about his comments that benefit claimants should write weekly thank you letters to tax payers detailing how they spend their benefits each week.
I mean we all knew he wasn't going to win but I find it hard to see how this is anything but an embarrassment for Invisible Nigel. Also I'll be interested to see what the turnout is.
Election Maps UK@electionmaps.uk · 2d agoClacton By-Election Voting Intention: ➡️ RFM: 73% (+27) 🗑️ CBF: 20% (New) 🟥 REC: 2% (New) ⚫ Others: 5% (-49) Via @survation.bsky.social, 16-24 Jul. Changes w/ GE2024.
I only noticed that Jimmy Cricket died yesterday. There's a really good episode of @herring1967.bsky.social's RHLSTP with him on that's worth a listen.
The richest person in the world, an avowed white supremacist, today again posted "the next step is getting rid of 'source code' entirely and just making an efficient binary directly with AI" because he has no idea how anything works, not even the basics of industries he is in.
I read my first Dorothy Parker short story this evening. Rather good. I'm adding her to my Ray Bradbury dip in and out for short stories pile.
Obviously the problem with Farage's 'we'll get the British Navy to deal with the boats' is that we probably don't have enough ships and sailors to keep it up for long.