James Aylett
@james.tartarus.org
He/him. Working on privacy and responsible AI; usually worried about both. The pandemic isn't over. If I don't follow you it doesn't mean I don't like you. I've built things you've forgotten.
Reposted by James Aylett
This is your regular reminder that the data broker industry must be destroyed.
2. ICE is buying your private location data from sleazy data brokers through a legal loophole. I've had a bill to stop this since 2021. I'm renewing my push to get it passed into black letter law as soon as possible.
Wyden, Paul and Bipartisan Senators Reintroduce the Fourth Amendment is Not for Sale Act | U.S. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon
The Official U.S. Senate website of Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon
www.wyden.senate.gov
January 27, 2026 at 10:28 PM
This is your regular reminder that the data broker industry must be destroyed.
A recent attempt by Deliveroo to get me to spend more is to directly advertise (presumably) higher-priced food options ON THE MENU PAGE FOR ANOTHER PROVIDER. They are well into late stage enshittification; thank god I know how to cook.
January 27, 2026 at 7:45 PM
A recent attempt by Deliveroo to get me to spend more is to directly advertise (presumably) higher-priced food options ON THE MENU PAGE FOR ANOTHER PROVIDER. They are well into late stage enshittification; thank god I know how to cook.
Reposted by James Aylett
truly honored to announce that LUCKY DAY has been longlisted on the preliminary ballot for SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT IN A NOVEL at the STOKER AWARDS this year. thank you to the @horrorwritersassoc.bsky.social for connecting with this strange book i appreciate you buckaroos so much
January 27, 2026 at 2:56 PM
truly honored to announce that LUCKY DAY has been longlisted on the preliminary ballot for SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT IN A NOVEL at the STOKER AWARDS this year. thank you to the @horrorwritersassoc.bsky.social for connecting with this strange book i appreciate you buckaroos so much
Guess the UK is going back to trading digital assets on thumb drives. (This will reduce ECO's / Aylo's liability but will not make children more safe overall particularly if it gives cover for more sites to do this beyond pornography. And ofc that will make some jobs less stable and maybe less safe.
BREAKING: Aylo, the parent company of Pornhub and many of the most popular adult sites in the world, announced today that starting February 2 it will restrict people visiting the site from the UK.
Many UK Users Soon Won't Be Able to Access Pornhub
Starting February 2, many people connecting from the UK will not be able to access the porn site and many others.
www.404media.co
January 27, 2026 at 3:07 PM
Guess the UK is going back to trading digital assets on thumb drives. (This will reduce ECO's / Aylo's liability but will not make children more safe overall particularly if it gives cover for more sites to do this beyond pornography. And ofc that will make some jobs less stable and maybe less safe.
Reposted by James Aylett
The concept of the personal carbon footprint was invented by the oil industry to distract people and governments from considering fossil fuel pollution as a structural and regulatory problem, which is what it is.
Personal carbon footprints are useful — but they tell a very incomplete story about individual climate action.
Our new paper argues for going beyond consumption to recognise influence, roles, and the capacity to shape systems.
Open access: www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Our new paper argues for going beyond consumption to recognise influence, roles, and the capacity to shape systems.
Open access: www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Measuring carbon capability beyond the carbon footprint - Communications Sustainability
Most United Kingdom residents show limited ability to act on climate change, especially in transport, food, and civic life. A new method measures both personal habits and public efforts to reveal who ...
www.nature.com
January 26, 2026 at 5:15 PM
The concept of the personal carbon footprint was invented by the oil industry to distract people and governments from considering fossil fuel pollution as a structural and regulatory problem, which is what it is.
Reposted by James Aylett
Went to my local library this morning to do a bit of research for my current book project and my goodness such a life-affirming space! There was an adult being taught to read on the next table, children enjoying story time, countless people taking out books. So grateful for our libraries ❤️
January 26, 2026 at 3:33 PM
Went to my local library this morning to do a bit of research for my current book project and my goodness such a life-affirming space! There was an adult being taught to read on the next table, children enjoying story time, countless people taking out books. So grateful for our libraries ❤️
Reposted by James Aylett
*hisses like a cat* BAD www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
UK loses measles elimination status
Decision made after outbreaks in 2024, when there were nearly 3,000 cases in England and Wales.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 26, 2026 at 3:24 PM
*hisses like a cat* BAD www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by James Aylett
I am excited to offer a postdoctoral research position in my lab in Oxford studying the distribution of small RNAs during plant sexual reproduction. shorturl.at/7Goxt
Reposts appreciated!
Obligatory cat video to brighten your day. :-)
Reposts appreciated!
Obligatory cat video to brighten your day. :-)
January 26, 2026 at 4:31 PM
I am excited to offer a postdoctoral research position in my lab in Oxford studying the distribution of small RNAs during plant sexual reproduction. shorturl.at/7Goxt
Reposts appreciated!
Obligatory cat video to brighten your day. :-)
Reposts appreciated!
Obligatory cat video to brighten your day. :-)
Yes, I waited until today to do my tax return. Yes, despite spending an hour last week pulling together documents and figures it still took more than an hour. Yes, my tax return isn't completely trivial but neither is it particularly complicated.
January 26, 2026 at 4:52 PM
Yes, I waited until today to do my tax return. Yes, despite spending an hour last week pulling together documents and figures it still took more than an hour. Yes, my tax return isn't completely trivial but neither is it particularly complicated.
Reposted by James Aylett
The UK version of “Project 2025” by the Reform party includes a British ICE, a concentration camp for 24,000 people, mass surveillance and withdrawing from refugee, anti-torture and anti-trafficking conventions.
It’s on their website. That’s how comfortable fascists are in the UK today.
It’s on their website. That’s how comfortable fascists are in the UK today.
January 26, 2026 at 1:22 PM
The UK version of “Project 2025” by the Reform party includes a British ICE, a concentration camp for 24,000 people, mass surveillance and withdrawing from refugee, anti-torture and anti-trafficking conventions.
It’s on their website. That’s how comfortable fascists are in the UK today.
It’s on their website. That’s how comfortable fascists are in the UK today.
Reposted by James Aylett
Anyone had any contact with "More than a classic book club" and/or Aida Kane, based out of Toronto? Another day, another contact that might be genuine and might be a scam. There's a Meetup page, but I don't know if that means anything, and the events they have up are all for literary, not genre.
January 26, 2026 at 12:25 PM
Anyone had any contact with "More than a classic book club" and/or Aida Kane, based out of Toronto? Another day, another contact that might be genuine and might be a scam. There's a Meetup page, but I don't know if that means anything, and the events they have up are all for literary, not genre.
Reposted by James Aylett
Bluesky is so funny.
I'm like "what is with all this liberal apologia? Why has everyone lost sight of the root causes of their oppression? Why are these milquetoast politicians and TV journalists getting such high praise?"
Ohhhhhhhh I'm on the Discover Tab!
I'm like "what is with all this liberal apologia? Why has everyone lost sight of the root causes of their oppression? Why are these milquetoast politicians and TV journalists getting such high praise?"
Ohhhhhhhh I'm on the Discover Tab!
January 26, 2026 at 9:35 AM
Bluesky is so funny.
I'm like "what is with all this liberal apologia? Why has everyone lost sight of the root causes of their oppression? Why are these milquetoast politicians and TV journalists getting such high praise?"
Ohhhhhhhh I'm on the Discover Tab!
I'm like "what is with all this liberal apologia? Why has everyone lost sight of the root causes of their oppression? Why are these milquetoast politicians and TV journalists getting such high praise?"
Ohhhhhhhh I'm on the Discover Tab!
Reposted by James Aylett
This reminds of a quote I saw online, that the reason ADHD appeared to disappear in adulthood is that men outsourced their executive function issues to their secretaries and wives, and ouch
(and ADHD women were either undiagnosed or burnt out by trying to compensate without support)
(and ADHD women were either undiagnosed or burnt out by trying to compensate without support)
There are a lot of men out there who do not see any of the logistics happening around them and they're like "wait, where the fuck did these hand warmers come from?"
Look at every kid wearing mittens, and that's your answer. From the people who have been silently keeping hands warm for centuries.
Look at every kid wearing mittens, and that's your answer. From the people who have been silently keeping hands warm for centuries.
January 26, 2026 at 11:56 AM
This reminds of a quote I saw online, that the reason ADHD appeared to disappear in adulthood is that men outsourced their executive function issues to their secretaries and wives, and ouch
(and ADHD women were either undiagnosed or burnt out by trying to compensate without support)
(and ADHD women were either undiagnosed or burnt out by trying to compensate without support)
Reposted by James Aylett
part of this is like, conservatives projecting; part of this is conservatives unable to imagine politics without money; and part of this is dudes who are so out of touch with feminized labor that they think children's birthday parties exist as a spontaneous act of parthogenesis
I mostly just stay off Twitter altogether but after double checking that the Walter Hudson post was still up I ran across this and just had to share so the Romancelandians who bought hand warmers could hear about the PROFESSIONAL GRADE LOGISTICS.
January 26, 2026 at 12:14 AM
part of this is like, conservatives projecting; part of this is conservatives unable to imagine politics without money; and part of this is dudes who are so out of touch with feminized labor that they think children's birthday parties exist as a spontaneous act of parthogenesis
Reposted by James Aylett
There were 4 human Guinea Worm cases in 2025. Down from 14 in 2024.
Fuck yeah, humans.
Fuck yeah, humans.
January 26, 2026 at 8:35 AM
There were 4 human Guinea Worm cases in 2025. Down from 14 in 2024.
Fuck yeah, humans.
Fuck yeah, humans.
I'm on the Google Calendar login page. (And once I've logged in I'm going to create an event setting aside time to set up my own damn CalDav server, I don't care how stupid that is.)
January 26, 2026 at 11:38 AM
I'm on the Google Calendar login page. (And once I've logged in I'm going to create an event setting aside time to set up my own damn CalDav server, I don't care how stupid that is.)
"Don't feed the trolls" applies to journalists who haven't figured it out yet. They may detroll at some point, and that's good - and they are writers, so they think by writing, and they're paid to do that in public. That doesn't mean we need engage them in public until they've finished thinking.
January 26, 2026 at 11:31 AM
"Don't feed the trolls" applies to journalists who haven't figured it out yet. They may detroll at some point, and that's good - and they are writers, so they think by writing, and they're paid to do that in public. That doesn't mean we need engage them in public until they've finished thinking.
Feel if Cabinet wants to ban phones for children, it should start by taking the same medicine for its members and their staff. A couple of months off X and they might all start behaving like human beings again.
UK Labour roaring ahead with its plan for children to be completely banned from any online activity not directly supervised by a qualified adult, while all adults will have their jobs replaced by an AI... so I guess they'll be free to look over kids' shoulders 24/7...
Ban phones throughout the school day, Phillipson tells teachers
The education secretary says phones should not been seen during lessons, breaktimes or lunchtime.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 26, 2026 at 11:17 AM
Feel if Cabinet wants to ban phones for children, it should start by taking the same medicine for its members and their staff. A couple of months off X and they might all start behaving like human beings again.
Reposted by James Aylett
Man, his team fucking *hate him*
January 26, 2026 at 11:08 AM
Man, his team fucking *hate him*
2027: "Keir Starmer's leadership" is revealed to be the qualifying project for Morgan McSweeney's degree from UAL which he has been persuing part-time since 2019. It is eligible for the Turner Prize.
January 26, 2026 at 11:14 AM
2027: "Keir Starmer's leadership" is revealed to be the qualifying project for Morgan McSweeney's degree from UAL which he has been persuing part-time since 2019. It is eligible for the Turner Prize.
Reposted by James Aylett
I love whoever brought the Mari Lwyds
The crowd is so big there are mini-rallies taking place inside it.
This group, dancing with puppets and an antifascist action flag, chants "general strike, shut it down!"
This group, dancing with puppets and an antifascist action flag, chants "general strike, shut it down!"
January 25, 2026 at 9:49 PM
I love whoever brought the Mari Lwyds
Reposted by James Aylett
Well I was not expecting to see one of these guys today. What are you doing here now?? Cape May Warbler. 🪶
January 25, 2026 at 7:14 PM
Well I was not expecting to see one of these guys today. What are you doing here now?? Cape May Warbler. 🪶
Reposted by James Aylett
"I can think of no better excuse for New Yorkers to stay home, take a long nap, or take advantage of our public libraries offer of free access to 'Heated Rivalry' on eBook or audio book for anyone with a library card."
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, at his snow press conferece today.
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, at his snow press conferece today.
January 25, 2026 at 6:36 PM
"I can think of no better excuse for New Yorkers to stay home, take a long nap, or take advantage of our public libraries offer of free access to 'Heated Rivalry' on eBook or audio book for anyone with a library card."
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, at his snow press conferece today.
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, at his snow press conferece today.
Reposted by James Aylett
Jellyfishies :]
From left to right they are sea nettle jelly, moon jellies, fried egg jelly, and, lion's mane jelly
The Lion's Mane is my favorite, they grow so big!!
From left to right they are sea nettle jelly, moon jellies, fried egg jelly, and, lion's mane jelly
The Lion's Mane is my favorite, they grow so big!!
January 24, 2026 at 9:11 PM
Jellyfishies :]
From left to right they are sea nettle jelly, moon jellies, fried egg jelly, and, lion's mane jelly
The Lion's Mane is my favorite, they grow so big!!
From left to right they are sea nettle jelly, moon jellies, fried egg jelly, and, lion's mane jelly
The Lion's Mane is my favorite, they grow so big!!
Reposted by James Aylett
People already working hard to prove how perfect Alex Pretti was. To show he didn't "deserve" to be killed. But it's a trap folks. You're only feeding into a dynamic where people who are considered lesser get no protection. You don't have to be an Alex Pretti to deserve to live.
January 24, 2026 at 8:17 PM
People already working hard to prove how perfect Alex Pretti was. To show he didn't "deserve" to be killed. But it's a trap folks. You're only feeding into a dynamic where people who are considered lesser get no protection. You don't have to be an Alex Pretti to deserve to live.