Danny Birchall
@dannybirchall.bsky.social
Capercaillie, lammergeier, cassowary
to be fair, the correct conclusion (that infinite amounts of human language can be produced without any human subjectivity) is a lot more existentially terrifying than the incorrect one (computer is alive)
Experiments conducted with the A.I. system Claude are producing fascinating results—and raising questions about the nature of selfhood. Gideon Lewis-Kraus reports from inside the company that designed it, Anthropic. newyorkermag.visitlink.me/rOfXjg
February 11, 2026 at 4:02 PM
to be fair, the correct conclusion (that infinite amounts of human language can be produced without any human subjectivity) is a lot more existentially terrifying than the incorrect one (computer is alive)
The non-dairy beverage of human kindness
Oatly banned from using word ‘milk’ to market plant-based products in UK
Oatly banned from using word ‘milk’ to market plant-based products in UK
Supreme court makes ruling after Swedish firm’s long-running battle with trade association Dairy UK
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Business live – latest updates
The Swedish-based drinks manufacturer Oatly has been banned from using the word “milk” to market its plant-based products, after a ruling by the UK supreme court.
The alt-milk manufacturer has been in a long-running legal battle with the trade association Dairy UK after Oatly trademarked phrases associated with the dairy sector. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
February 11, 2026 at 2:06 PM
The non-dairy beverage of human kindness
There should be a statute of limitations on literary adaptations: if it's been 25 years since the text was published, or there have been more than 2 previous adaptations, then you can do whatever you like with it and nobody gets to say anything about the 'original' meaning or characters.
February 11, 2026 at 2:00 PM
There should be a statute of limitations on literary adaptations: if it's been 25 years since the text was published, or there have been more than 2 previous adaptations, then you can do whatever you like with it and nobody gets to say anything about the 'original' meaning or characters.
Remind me yet again what everyone's problem with Saltburn was? A lower middle-class pervert exterminates an entire family of aristos and then does a sexy little dance, who could have had a problem with that?
February 11, 2026 at 1:47 PM
Remind me yet again what everyone's problem with Saltburn was? A lower middle-class pervert exterminates an entire family of aristos and then does a sexy little dance, who could have had a problem with that?
Reposted by Danny Birchall
"Citizenship is a privilege" is such a fundamentally racist statement that it's really hard to know where to go from there.
So Labour go to "Simply being allowed to be here is a privilege", just make sure you're getting the message.
80 years of international humanitarian law can go whistle.
So Labour go to "Simply being allowed to be here is a privilege", just make sure you're getting the message.
80 years of international humanitarian law can go whistle.
Imagine being presented with these accounts of stark unfairness and insecurity caused by the earned settlement plans and your response being ‘It is a privilege not a right to settle in the UK and it must be earned’ - the Home Secretary needs to go www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
Nurses’ families fear being torn apart in UK immigration crackdown, survey says
Exclusive: Most people in charity’s study say they worry about being separated from relatives under Mahmood plans
www.theguardian.com
February 11, 2026 at 11:32 AM
"Citizenship is a privilege" is such a fundamentally racist statement that it's really hard to know where to go from there.
So Labour go to "Simply being allowed to be here is a privilege", just make sure you're getting the message.
80 years of international humanitarian law can go whistle.
So Labour go to "Simply being allowed to be here is a privilege", just make sure you're getting the message.
80 years of international humanitarian law can go whistle.
Reposted by Danny Birchall
I've never wanted something to flop harder than this fucking misbegotten television show for transphobic 42-year-olds
Hasbro and Warner Bros. Discovery have signed a multi-year deal starting in 2027 to produce Harry Potter film and television series dolls, role play, action figures, collectibles, interactive plush, board games, and more to be revealed later this year - bwnews.pr/45UKdKL
February 10, 2026 at 6:19 PM
I've never wanted something to flop harder than this fucking misbegotten television show for transphobic 42-year-olds
Age verification? I used to run a gopher site.
Age verification? I had a Geocities site.
Age verification? My first computer screen was green.
February 10, 2026 at 5:42 PM
Age verification? I used to run a gopher site.
ACAB includes Dean (but not Torvill)
With the Winter Olympics in full swing, it's a good time to re-post this image of Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean in 1979 before a grant from Nottingham City Council enabled them to give up their day jobs and train fulltime. They won the figure skating gold at Sarajevo in 1984.
February 10, 2026 at 2:41 PM
ACAB includes Dean (but not Torvill)
Reposted by Danny Birchall
HMRC stop sending "Prepare now for Making Tax Digital" emails before you've built free software for MTD Challenge
February 10, 2026 at 2:21 PM
HMRC stop sending "Prepare now for Making Tax Digital" emails before you've built free software for MTD Challenge
Reposted by Danny Birchall
There's something particularly nasty and corrupt about not just that all these academics were begging this rich sociopath for research money, but that they all kept (and some keep) insisting that he was some great genius. And then his actual "intellectual" output reads like this total garbage
February 10, 2026 at 1:41 PM
There's something particularly nasty and corrupt about not just that all these academics were begging this rich sociopath for research money, but that they all kept (and some keep) insisting that he was some great genius. And then his actual "intellectual" output reads like this total garbage
I don't really think of it as Lancashire, it's more of a sort of pre-Cumbria
February 10, 2026 at 1:57 PM
I don't really think of it as Lancashire, it's more of a sort of pre-Cumbria
What's your sportform, what athletic discipline do you work in, what's your game practice?
February 10, 2026 at 1:15 PM
What's your sportform, what athletic discipline do you work in, what's your game practice?
one of the problems w theorising fascism in the 2020s is the 1940s idea of an 'afterwards' -- when both moral judgement & legal recourse can be made within a liberal political framework. Sometimes I think that's to the detriment of what needs to be done to prevent what happens before the afterwards.
However when liking Trump is no longer necessary to be 'on the team' they will pretend they never liked him, despite voting for him 3 times. They will expect you to play along.
They will be hurt! offended! if you suggest their votes produced the horrors which we see. They 'never supported that.'
They will be hurt! offended! if you suggest their votes produced the horrors which we see. They 'never supported that.'
February 9, 2026 at 4:41 PM
one of the problems w theorising fascism in the 2020s is the 1940s idea of an 'afterwards' -- when both moral judgement & legal recourse can be made within a liberal political framework. Sometimes I think that's to the detriment of what needs to be done to prevent what happens before the afterwards.
Who will be the Labour Party's Liz Truss?
February 9, 2026 at 12:52 PM
Who will be the Labour Party's Liz Truss?
Reposted by Danny Birchall
Give them statehood 🇵🇷
February 9, 2026 at 9:46 AM
Give them statehood 🇵🇷
Reposted by Danny Birchall
Israel is going to start hanging Palestinians who are held without charge or conviction by the push of a button.
Not a news headline in sight. The world is silent. Fuck the Super Bowl.
Not a news headline in sight. The world is silent. Fuck the Super Bowl.
February 9, 2026 at 5:13 AM
Israel is going to start hanging Palestinians who are held without charge or conviction by the push of a button.
Not a news headline in sight. The world is silent. Fuck the Super Bowl.
Not a news headline in sight. The world is silent. Fuck the Super Bowl.
I'd hope that Morgan McSweeney is at home crying in his underpants this morning, but he's probably emailing a child abuser to find out how he can get a job at a bank.
February 9, 2026 at 9:47 AM
I'd hope that Morgan McSweeney is at home crying in his underpants this morning, but he's probably emailing a child abuser to find out how he can get a job at a bank.
Reposted by Danny Birchall
Tell me, an immigrant, that a man who referred to my existence in this country responsible for turning it into an “island of strangers”, is decent.
Tell my trans friends that their removal from society is at the behest of a “decent” man who believes in “reasonable concerns”.
Tell my trans friends that their removal from society is at the behest of a “decent” man who believes in “reasonable concerns”.
February 9, 2026 at 9:21 AM
Tell me, an immigrant, that a man who referred to my existence in this country responsible for turning it into an “island of strangers”, is decent.
Tell my trans friends that their removal from society is at the behest of a “decent” man who believes in “reasonable concerns”.
Tell my trans friends that their removal from society is at the behest of a “decent” man who believes in “reasonable concerns”.
Reposted by Danny Birchall
Ban Jonathan Haidt
February 9, 2026 at 8:34 AM
Ban Jonathan Haidt
well, that's certainly a set of search results
February 9, 2026 at 8:26 AM
well, that's certainly a set of search results
Reposted by Danny Birchall
“Keir Starmer to address the nation tomorrow”
February 8, 2026 at 11:08 PM
“Keir Starmer to address the nation tomorrow”
In the middle of another MJH and feeling extremely haunted by it
February 8, 2026 at 1:16 PM
In the middle of another MJH and feeling extremely haunted by it
The shit son weddings more like
February 8, 2026 at 11:38 AM
The shit son weddings more like
It's only 20 Pluviôse, 10 more days of this until Ventôse
February 8, 2026 at 10:35 AM
It's only 20 Pluviôse, 10 more days of this until Ventôse
not sure what I think of this Fortean Times rebrand
February 7, 2026 at 4:10 PM
not sure what I think of this Fortean Times rebrand