The only gigs that come my way these days are helping train the AI that will presumably replace me. I turn them down. I hope for the strength of will and financial solvency to turn them down forever. But it’s bleak!

There may be unforeseen costs to downgrading our understanding of the national language

The International Federation of Translators (FIT) published a position paper on #MachineTranslation (MT) to draw attention to the consequences of using MT both for the users and for professional translators. Read it at en.fit-ift.org/position-and.... #Translator #ai #Language #Tech #xl8 #1nt #atanet

It starts with Palestine protests. But where will the crackdown on Britain’s democratic freedoms end? | Owen Jones

I recently reread Artists in Crime and thought the same thing, though in that one it's far from the most gaping plot hole.

Miniature kiwi fruit harvest from the garden. The vine was planted three years ago, but it's the first time they've ripened enough to eat.

Please sign this petition to restore the funding due to be cut from the Arthur Rank Hospice in Cambridgeshire, which would result in the loss of 9 of their 22 beds. www.pippaheylings.org.uk/campaigns/sa...

Brewed Awakening.

I once bought a packet of crisps in a posh pub that were described on the packet as tasting "modern, intuitive and fearless".

This is why mixed messaging doesn't work. Everyone ends up annoyed.

This remains an awful and unfair proposal. For one thing, a lot of people genuinely struggle to find time to volunteer, and for another and more importantly, it’s not volunteering if you’re being compelled to do it!

Cuddly Milo came up from London to visit, and we went for a long Fenland walk and pub lunch with him and his humans. After which we both needed a good lie down for a while.

If a woman is walking fearlessly at night, you know she is AI

There are 4.24m people with Indefinite Leave to Remain (or equivalent).

82% are in work, compared with 74% of Britons

3.8m are in relationships with Britons

They have about 2.4m British-born children.

This bullshit is never going to happen. Again.

But...

www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...

I asked the librarian for that new kids book where Pavlov's dog goes on adventures with Shroedinger's cat. She said it rings a bell but she can't be sure if she has it or not until she has a look

I've heard on the grapevine that their rates were risible, but have never worked with them (or been approached by them) myself so can't speak from experience.

I've never applied to work for them, just from their reputation, but it wouldn't surprise me at all. www.trustpilot.com/review/thebi...

It's a mix of satire and current affairs, including (often leaked) stories that other outlets don't want/are too scared to print. I generally find the current affairs part depressing, as it's a never-ending stream of reports of financial scandals and incompetence. But the cartoons are often funny.

In this week’s Private Eye. How long before other big agencies follow suit?

We have it as a contract point that translations of my work have to be performed by actual humans, I think actual human readers deserve to have actual humans translating and making the works as excellent as they can be regardless of language

Come join us! #translation #booksky

📣 Applications are OPEN for BCLT Translators-in-Residence 2026! ✨ We're offering two BCLT translation residencies for UK-based literary translators.

Find out more: www.uea.ac.uk/groups-and-c...

#LiteraryTranslation #Translation #CallForTranslators

One of the best things in the world is dogs just enjoying being dogs.

How can this possibly be "malicious communication" under UK law?