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Alex Johnson

@shedworking.bsky.social

190 followers 56 following 880 posts

Writer of non-fiction books. Latest: My Year of Reading Welshly. Next: When Books Go Bad, out October. Online editor at Fine Books magazine, columnist at the Idler. Coined term "shedworking". Half-decent snooker player. https://thewritinghut.substack.com/

thewritinghut.substack.com

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Alex Johnson @shedworking.bsky.social · 14h

Tickets booked! Looking forward to the nibbles afterwards.

Alex Johnson @shedworking.bsky.social · 18h

I think this is the best example I've seen yet of how people who aren't, for a better word, 'creatives' completely misunderstand the potential use of AI.

Juno Rylee Schultz @junoryleejournalism.com · 2d

David Simon, creator of ‘The Wire’, being interviewed by Ari Shapiro (NPR)

SHAPIRO: OK, so you've spent your career creating television without Al, and I could imagine today you thinking, boy, I wish I had had that tool to solve those thorny problems...
SIMON: What?
SHAPIRO: ...Or saying...
SIMON: You imagine that?
SHAPIRO: ...Boy, if that had existed, it would have screwed me over.
SIMON: I don't think Al can remotely challenge what writers do at a fundamentally creative level.
SHAPIRO: But if you're trying to transition from scene five to scene six, and you're stuck with that transition, you could imagine plugging that portion of the script into an Al and say, give me 10 ideas for how to transition this.
SIMON: I'd rather put a gun in my mouth.

Alex Johnson @shedworking.bsky.social · 19h

Absolutely remarkable stat. If you don't play snooker, this is a bit like Liverpool beating Manchester City 20-0 with City only touching the ball at kick-offs. h/t @greenidris.bsky.social

Totally Snookered - Snooker news and fan community @totallysnookered.bsky.social · 22h

Shaun Murphy conjures up a staggering session as he outscores Kyren Wilson by 533 points to 6 in a 5-0 whitewash of the reigning Xi'an Grand Prix champ.

Murphy made breaks of 74, 141, 133, 84 & 84, whilst Wilson didn't pot a single ball - his 6 points was from a foul by Murphy!

#WeLoveSnooker

Shaun Murphy plays a shot on a snooker table.

Reposted by Alex Johnson

Helen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 22h

Other work of the Ladybird artists.
October (Shell Guide, 1957)
Artist: SR Badmin

Finally detailed mixed media illustration looking down into a mature glade of autumn trees. In the foreground the picture is framed by leaves and fruit of the same trees.

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Reposted by Alex Johnson

Daniel Jenkins @greenidris.bsky.social · 1d

stalbanschamberchoir.org.uk/spem-in-alium

Spem in alium, 18th Oct, 2025, 5pm - St Albans Chamber Choir

The Bass and beyondThis concert will split the choir into 40 parts and showcase the bass line as the fundamental anchor to the harmony. Thomas Tallis’s Spem in alium was written around 450 years ago f...

stalbanschamberchoir.org.uk

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Reposted by Alex Johnson

🅢🅗🅔🅔🅝🅐 @sheena-mck.bsky.social · 2d

This made me laugh more than it probably should 😂
#funny

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Reposted by Alex Johnson

Keith W. Dickinson @keithwdickinson.bsky.social · 2d

Today is a day when arts degrees are worthless, but the product of those degrees is so valuable it would kill an entire industry if they were made to pay for it.

The Verge @theverge.com · May 26

Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry

Paul McCartne, Elton John and others signed an open letter.

buff.ly

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Alex Johnson @shedworking.bsky.social · 2d

We have a Fishy Plaice in St Albans which used to be called Fishy Delishy. We also have a Coddess.

Alex Johnson @shedworking.bsky.social · 2d

Received nice email today from a reader who's enjoyed My Year of Reading Welshly. If you like an author's work, please do get in touch, I assure you they'll be delighted to hear from you.

Reposted by Alex Johnson

Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 2d

Calling English a 'rip-off degree' is one of the most blatant exhibitions of personal barbarism I've ever seen. You've demonstrated nothing but the poverty of your own mind.

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Alex Johnson @shedworking.bsky.social · 3d

Filmed largely very close to where Mrs J works so she is constantly pointing and saying “ooh”.

Reposted by Alex Johnson

GPWigglesworth @gpwigglesworth.bsky.social · 3d

Do you live in or near Wells & love books? If so come to my book quiz on the 19th! Bookish fun to be had & prizes to win. #bookquiz

wellsfestivalofliterature.org.uk/events/2025-...

Wells Literary Quiz - Quirky quiz conundrums! | Wells Festival of Literature

wellsfestivalofliterature.org.uk

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Alex Johnson @shedworking.bsky.social · 3d

I think you will like this thewritinghut.substack.com/p/judging-bo...

Judging books by their quilted covers

An intriguing way to celebrate your What I Read This Year list

thewritinghut.substack.com

Reposted by Alex Johnson

Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 4d

Anyone remember Reform promising to go into their new councils with DOGE-style units to slash “waste” and stop taxes from rising? Yeah, it went exactly as you’d expect if you put people in charge who have no idea how anything works.

Reform poised to raise Kent council tax as Musk-inspired attack on costs falters
ANNA GROSS - KENT
Kent's local authority will probably raise council tax rates next year as Reform UK strugglesto find big savings under an Elon Musk-inspired cost-cutting drive.
Kent was one of 10 councils that Nigel Farage's rightwing populist party seized in a swath of local election victories in May. He vowed to save "a lot of money" by abolishing "wasteful" spending.
But Diane Morton, Reform's cabinet member for adult social care on Kent county council, told the Financial Times that services were already "down to the bare bones".
"We've got more demand than ever before and it's growing." she said, stressing she did not believe access to those services should be limited. "We just want more money." As with many local
authorities in England, the bulk of declined to say whether council tax Kent's budget went on adult and chil-
would be raised but other Reform coun-
dren's social care, as well as on children cillors said they wanted to avoid hitting
with special educational needs, which the full 5 percent.
together accounted for about 50 per
Reform's experience highlights some
cent of its £2.5bn annual expenditure.
of the obstacles it may face in national
All councils have a legal duty to bal-
government if it won the next general
ance their books and will set next year's
election and pursued its pledge to slash
budgets in February or March. Ahead of taxes and spending. "Everyone thought
that, most councils in England are we d come in and there were going to be
expected to increase council tax by 5 per
these huge costs we could cut away but
cent, the maximum allowed.
there just aren't," said a third senior
"I think it's going to be 5 per cent,"
Reform cabinet member in Kent.
Morton said of where Kent would land
Farage has set up a Reform Depart-
on tax rises, adding that every 1 per cent ment of Government Efficiency team -
increase equated to an extra E10mn.
modelled on Musk's "Doge" i…

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Alex Johnson @shedworking.bsky.social · 4d

How are they? Careful going down stairs.

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Alex Johnson @shedworking.bsky.social · 4d

Out next week...

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Alex Johnson @shedworking.bsky.social · 4d

@chrisroutledge.bsky.social 'Pubworking' seems to finally be becoming a thing! I should never have given up on the idea.

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Alex Johnson @shedworking.bsky.social · 4d

Jilly Cooper regularly picked A Question of Upbringing by Anthony Powell as one of her top 10 favourite books, also including it on a list of her top 10 favourite romances which is an interesting choice.

Reposted by Alex Johnson

Points Like A Man @pointslikeaman.bsky.social · 5d

Check it out! Our project director, @aelagrand.bsky.social won the @honeyandwaxbks.bsky.social Book Collecting Prize for her collection of materials related to Shakespearean breeches actresses! ✨🎩 Points Like A Man even gets a shout-out!