SCOOP: 404 Media placed a tracking device in a shipment of rare books to see which AI company was buying it. What did we find? It ended up at an Amazon facility where Amazon scans and destroys books. Yes. This is literally the logo outside the Amazon warehouse door. Read now:

We Tracked a Shipment of Rare Books. It Ended at an Amazon AI Training Facility

We placed a tracking device in a shipment of rare books to see which AI company was buying it, and found an Amazon facility where Amazon scans and destroys books.

404media.co

Very pleased to say I've had another article published based on my PhD research. 'Magical thinking, folklore, and pluralities of belief: Death omens in nineteenth-century rural England' is out now in the Journal of Victorian Culture @jofvictculture.bsky.social Reply if you'd like link to read it

Interesting to see this gravestone from 1892 outside the walls of the municipal cemetery in Ronchamp, France, seemingly to Madame Veuve, a "sage femme" or wise woman. 👀

The Guardian gets with the programme www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The Guardian view on humanities cuts in universities: academic departments are more than cost centres | Editorial

Editorial: Literature, the arts and social sciences must not be sacrificed as higher education funding is squeezed

theguardian.com

Just doing revisions on an article about death omens and see that my new word count is 7313 👀👀👀

Amnesty International put out a major report documenting the influence of UK based anti trans gender critical organizations and their funding. Within hours, GC groups threatened defamation lawsuits and Amnesty was forced to pull it down. Proving the point they're anti rights. Anyways, here it is.

I've signed and sent a letter - from authors, broadcasters, journalists, artists, scholars and performers - to express our deep concern at @exeter.ac.uk’s troubling plans to make mass redundancies within the Humanities Dept @uniofexeterhass.bsky.social. I would love it if you read and shared widely.

The 7.5m tall menhir of Kerangallou in Trégunc (Finistère) was clearly once in a popular meeting place but is now on private land I believe. This card by Le Tendre is from c.1905 but the negative was probably taken pre-1904. #StandingStoneSunday.

Two lily flowers blooming in the pond!!! 😍

Having failed to interest any papers in this story, I resorted to writing a letter to The Times, like in olden times. So when all that's left to watch is NASCAR racing sponsored by Cheetos, I can at least say I tried. #ITV #Sky #Comcast

Paul Kirkley@paulkirkley.bsky.social · 2mo ago

BBC 10 O'clock news report not only didn't mention Comcast at all, but framed Sky-ITV merger as a way to help them "compete with American streamers". Complete failure of journalism.

If you're an independent historian (freelance or otherwise unattached to an academic institute), do check out @indyhistnetwork.bsky.social headed by @lucyjanesantos.bsky.social and @emmabastin.bsky.social! They will be hosting semi-regular networking events. Great fun!

Emma Bastin@emmabastin.bsky.social · 2mo ago

I am going to jump in here and say that you three are shining examples of why @indyhistnetwork.bsky.social was set up! Gold stars to you guys :-)

These fennel plants at the edge of this field smell amazing! Lovely aniseed zing.

“England is heading for a 5bn-litre daily water shortfall by 2055 – so why is the government fast-tracking one of the most water-hungry industries there is, and letting it keep its consumption private, asks campaigner Adele Walton” www.thenerve.news/p/adele-walt...

We’re being asked to save two buckets of water a day. Meanwhile data centres drink a town’s worth

England is heading for a 5bn-litre daily water shortfall by 2055 – so why is the government fast-tracking one of the most water-hungry industries there is, and letting it keep its consumption private,...

thenerve.news

Nigel Farage £5 million 'gift' from a cryptocurrency billionaire was reported to the National Crime Agency by bankers who were concerned it was money laundering. The whistleblowers alerted the NCA as they were "not satisfied they could trace the ultimate origin of the funds."

Revealed: Farage’s £5m gift reported to UK crime agency over money laundering concerns

Exclusive: Latest Guardian revelation about gift from cryptocurrency tycoon comes as Reform UK leader forces byelection

theguardian.com

good to see this. Musk is clearly getting visibly angry at the rising awareness of how many hundreds of thousands of people his DOGE wilding spree has already killed, millions more if this stays in place into the future. Everyone can participate in spreading the word about all the blood on his hands

All In with Chris Hayes@allinwithchris.bsky.social · 3mo ago

WATCH: Chris Hayes looks at how Elon Musk’s assault on USAID became one of DOGE’s most devastating legacies—and why Musk is now trying to rewrite the record.

I co-edit a book series for Boydell & Brewer on "The Urban World in the Middle Ages." Open to *BOOK* proposals c. 800–1600, covering urban life, societies, or cultures in Europe, Mediterranean, or Islamic world. For more info, email me, CuencaE@tamuv.edu. Happy to hear from 1st-time book authors.

Just reading about the rather hardcore punishments for murdering someone at a fair in 12th century Spain: getting 'buried alive beneath the dead person’! Yikes. And if you stole someone's fancy clothes while they were at the bath house you got chucked in a gorge.

Please share: with @imc-leeds.bsky.social nearly on us, if anyone needs a lift from the east of England roughly on this route (for a very small fee) then do get in touch. I’ll be doing one pickup in Cambridge but could possibly do more on the way

Nighthouse… something I’ve been faffing with for a while now. A fictionalised view from Coille Ghillie in Applecross (there’s no castle or lighthouse, never mind one like this). It’s a bit clunky and I’m not sure where to go with it from here (maybe a picture book).

I love this page boy’s hat from our collection. (Not currently on display.) Black felt with two narrow white bands. Displaying the number 23 and a leather chin strap.

Some poppy joy this morning 😍

Extended CFP deadline to 15 June 2026: Please do share widely!! "Belonging to the Victorians? Community, Collections, and Care" - 1 day conference 4 September 2026, keynote @janehamlett.bsky.social to be held at Wilton's Music Hall [1/9]

Very witchy walk this morning! I was lucky enough to encounter a young hare and a beautiful barn owl swooping over the fields 🧙‍♀️

Here are the top 5 dogs of May!

Onions went to seed so we harvested a few this morning. Not bad for a first attempt!

Another glorious morning!

I am so excited to introduce our first film for the Victorian Hand from our project filmaker Lily Ford. It's such a cool, contemporary, and captivating blending of the Victorian and the digital, reflecting on the role of hands in thinking and learning. Check it out below!

The Victorian Hand@victorianhand.bsky.social · 4mo ago

🎞️ We are delighted that Manual, the first film by our project filmmaker Lily Ford, is available to watch! Blending Victorian self-help culture with contemporary digital media, the film explores ideas of labour, self-improvement, class, gender and creativity through the hand. youtu.be/LhDyk5G02BY

Saw The Christophers at the cinema the other night, really enjoyed it. The acting was superb and it was a very interesting take on who owns art. I really loved the clothes too, excellent styling!