John Bull
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garius.bsky.social
John Bull
@garius.bsky.social
He/Him. Author. Historian (inc of obscure Military Holy Orders). Strategy streamer. Tech/Transport Strategist. Editor of @lonrec. Orient fan. Business/Writing: [email protected]. Agent: @pastpreservers.bsky.social
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The latest in my history of home computers is live. Covers the era of Commodore, Atari and Jack Tramiel.

He was a brutal manager. But also an Auschwitz survivor, and that shaped him, and his legit drive to build a better world.

This warning from him hit home, right now.

every.to/the-crazy-on...
This is like when developers put "Village" on the end of the main road name to make their new houses sound posh.
new favourite New York Times term for a British thing just dropped
November 26, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Can't trust the French.
Big news, income tax is being charged this year.

(It has to be renewed each year or it ceases to apply. Because it's a temporary tax, introduced to fund the Napoleonic wars)
November 26, 2025 at 1:52 PM
One thing i appreciate as a glasses wearer is you can go in to most opticians and say "i lost a bridge pad"

INSTANTLY a tiny old guy will Tom Bombadil himself out of a door you didn't even know was there.

He will have a box. And a tiny screwdriver.

And ten minutes later your glasses are fixed.
November 26, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Reposted by John Bull
We are so back! The Byzantine Empire is rising again from the ashes, a true Purple Phoenix! We are gonna lock in right now over on www.twitch.tv/tokryva with some bonus Europa Universalis 5!
a mosaic of a man with red eyes wearing a crown
Alt: A mosaic of Constantine(?) with red glowing eyes wearing a crown
media.tenor.com
November 26, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Reposted by John Bull
Anyway.

Happy "Jeremy Clarkson doesn't want to pay inheritance tax" parade day to those who celebrate.
November 26, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Reposted by John Bull
When another boy has a box
November 26, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Renameit woolworths to get the Boomers onboard.
Me about to piss off a bunch of capitalists: If Bezos doesn’t want to pay his fair share in corporate taxes, I don’t see why we shouldn’t nationalise Amazon and make it a subsidiary of the post office.
November 26, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Okay fine. But let me finish my cup of tea first. #starwars
November 26, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Reposted by John Bull
Live footage of ChatGPT's legal eagle No. 1 in court. Colourised.
a cartoon of a man talking to another man with the words i move for a bad court thingy
ALT: a cartoon of a man talking to another man with the words i move for a bad court thingy
media.tenor.com
November 26, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Oh no. Please don't hurt it. I'll do whatever you ask. I won't tell the cops. I promise.
November 26, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Commiserations to Ronaldo who has escaped an international ban that covers the World Cup. Meaning he WILL now have to travel to America.

I believe he still has the right to appeal the decision.
November 26, 2025 at 10:11 AM
I'm shocked. SHOCKED.

Well. Not shocked.
It's looking as if the farmers protest in Whitehall today have ignored the police request not to bring their tractors.
November 26, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Reposted by John Bull
7 x 3000+ students + 17 smaller institutions must mean 30,000+ affected students. That’s about the same size as Sheffield uni, which employs 8000ish staff. Why is the government tolerating the impending collapse of up to 24 related employers and 8000+ more lost jobs? Where is the sense of crisis?
Chief exec of OfS 'said the OfS believes there are 24 institutions at risk of exiting the market in the next 12 months, seven of which are large providers with more than 3,000 students. There are another 25 or so institutions of various sizes at risk over a two- to three-year period, she added.'
Seven ‘large providers’ at risk of going under in the next year
Skills minister says no higher education institutions are at imminent risk of collapse this year but OfS confirms more than 20 providers are being closely monitored
www.timeshighereducation.com
November 26, 2025 at 8:57 AM
Reposted by John Bull
The @royalhistsoc.org is running a charitable donation campaign to fund the research of historians who lack support. The number of applications we're seeing is way up. I've been very lucky to have a career as a historian, I've donated, and I think this Christmas you should too. Pay it forward.
royalhistoricalsociety2.beaconforms.com
November 26, 2025 at 9:40 AM
Reposted by John Bull
One of my least favourite things about post-internet gaming culture is how much it has pedestalled and enabled min/maxing.

The point of play is to have fun. Not have an identi-kit meme build character the destroys the current meta, bro.
November 26, 2025 at 9:08 AM
Uber tried something equally stupid here in the UK. They claimed they weren't a taxi firm because users ticked a TOS box that agreed they weren't one.

You can imagine how well that went down. Judges don't care how many likes your 'clever' argument got you on Reddit.
November 26, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Reposted by John Bull
I do want to applaud whoever at Twitter managed to push through the location data update despite the incredibly predictable outcome. anyone with half a brain cell could’ve seen that coming and I think somebody deserves credit for convincing mgmt to go ahead anyway
November 25, 2025 at 10:45 AM
See also: why i went Dragoon in FF14.

Meant i could say dragoon a lot. Which is a great word.

Dragoooooooon
Was sitting last night thinking about the old PSO1 game on the Dreamcast and how ppl always told me that choosing to be a Force (mage) character was stupid because I'd always get my ass kicked from low defense. But I liked being a Force type. They looked cool.

Anyway that's just being an artist irl
November 26, 2025 at 8:40 AM
Reposted by John Bull
oh man, literally my professional life and my hobby are colliding! Interesting library job at Games Workshop!
jobs.games-workshop.com/search-and-a...
Collections Management Librarian - Games Workshop Jobs
About the Job Games Workshop has an exciting new role for a Collections Management Librarian to join our Archiving team, where you will be responsible for
jobs.games-workshop.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Reposted by John Bull
idiot guy: i'm like the wolf i'm stalking my prey alone through the forest and being raw as fuck even if i'm in a group i'm the alpha
actual wolf: i love my friends so much!!! i love to romp and kiss my bros and work together as a family <3 awooo etc etc have you seen the puppies oh my god come see
November 26, 2025 at 2:17 AM
Reposted by John Bull
To charm a dragon
November 25, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Reposted by John Bull
defunctland videos are great because everyone in charge of disneyland for the past half century have been trying to carry out what they think walt would’ve wanted like they’re the patriots in MGS trying to carry out the boss’s will. coincidentally both involve giant robot dinosaurs
November 26, 2025 at 4:25 AM
Reposted by John Bull
One more push of the More Neat Gems in Arcade Archives vid from last week - I'd like to think it's a good vid, and one I hope stokes more curiosity for a rad and important project :)

Much 🖤 if you're already checked it out!
NEW VIDEO: I’m a big fan of Arcade Archives as one of those #retrogaming projects which celebrates a bunch of Arcade gaming’s past.

So it’s time for another dive into the catalogue for more of them I Just Think Are Neat!

youtu.be/LXTLlKvgBpc
More Selections from Hamster's Arcade Archives I Just Think Are Neat - Beyond The Scanlines #129
YouTube video by Beyond The Scanlines
youtu.be
November 25, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Reposted by John Bull
And did absolutely nothing to stop them.
November 25, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Still the greatest rule in any wargame in history.
November 25, 2025 at 3:55 PM