Helen Mackness
@helenmackness.bsky.social
eurasian tea drinking book dragon // obstinate, headstrong girl // half agony, half hope // sacrificing sleep for rugby, cricket, hockey, and romance novels
she/her
加油!
she/her
加油!
Reposted by Helen Mackness
I'm always fascinated by which services 'do media' and which ones don't.
As an ex-SBS serviceman once told me:
"The main difference between us and the SAS is we don't write a book just because we blew up a penguin colony."
(Rifles officers were the same in the Peninsular, so it's not a new thing)
As an ex-SBS serviceman once told me:
"The main difference between us and the SAS is we don't write a book just because we blew up a penguin colony."
(Rifles officers were the same in the Peninsular, so it's not a new thing)
Thank God Latin America is Delta’s domain.
Otherwise we’d already have fifteen new SEAL podcasts, sponsorship deals, newly launched protein powders, and a social media catfight about who it was that yoinked Maduro out of bed.
Otherwise we’d already have fifteen new SEAL podcasts, sponsorship deals, newly launched protein powders, and a social media catfight about who it was that yoinked Maduro out of bed.
January 3, 2026 at 9:27 PM
I'm always fascinated by which services 'do media' and which ones don't.
As an ex-SBS serviceman once told me:
"The main difference between us and the SAS is we don't write a book just because we blew up a penguin colony."
(Rifles officers were the same in the Peninsular, so it's not a new thing)
As an ex-SBS serviceman once told me:
"The main difference between us and the SAS is we don't write a book just because we blew up a penguin colony."
(Rifles officers were the same in the Peninsular, so it's not a new thing)
Reposted by Helen Mackness
Marco Rubio is reportedly saying Maduro will stand trial in US courts.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
January 3, 2026 at 10:52 AM
Marco Rubio is reportedly saying Maduro will stand trial in US courts.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
Reposted by Helen Mackness
And she wrote most of it in what is now a Chinese restaurant that her brother in law owned, not the EH. So any HP fans will be missing literally nothing.
December 30, 2025 at 10:51 PM
And she wrote most of it in what is now a Chinese restaurant that her brother in law owned, not the EH. So any HP fans will be missing literally nothing.
Reposted by Helen Mackness
Just a reminder to folk visiting Edinburgh next year please try your best to boycott the Elephant House. It's gone from a nice normal cafe with views of the castle to a mad tourist trap with a giant picture of Jakey R on the wall. It's like if everything wrong with Edinburgh's tourism was a cafe
December 30, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Just a reminder to folk visiting Edinburgh next year please try your best to boycott the Elephant House. It's gone from a nice normal cafe with views of the castle to a mad tourist trap with a giant picture of Jakey R on the wall. It's like if everything wrong with Edinburgh's tourism was a cafe
Reposted by Helen Mackness
Trying to start the new year off right with some responsible adulting. So I tackled the ironing pile. Three and a half hours later, I've finished it all and although I should be sorting dinner out, I need a sit. My back is killing me! Why do I own so many clothes that require ironing?
January 1, 2026 at 7:37 PM
Trying to start the new year off right with some responsible adulting. So I tackled the ironing pile. Three and a half hours later, I've finished it all and although I should be sorting dinner out, I need a sit. My back is killing me! Why do I own so many clothes that require ironing?
Reposted by Helen Mackness
Now that Heated Rivalry s1 has wrapped up I've been coping by listening to episode recaps by the finest hockey bros in all the land, i.e. What Chaos and Empty Netters, and I am so charmed by these guys, who are diving head-first into a genre they have zero experience with, but also. Also.
December 29, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Now that Heated Rivalry s1 has wrapped up I've been coping by listening to episode recaps by the finest hockey bros in all the land, i.e. What Chaos and Empty Netters, and I am so charmed by these guys, who are diving head-first into a genre they have zero experience with, but also. Also.
Reposted by Helen Mackness
Hurtful, man. Hurtful.
I approve.
I approve.
I like JKR in the same way that I like Kevin Sorbo.
December 28, 2025 at 3:54 AM
Hurtful, man. Hurtful.
I approve.
I approve.
Reposted by Helen Mackness
I like JKR in the same way that I like backed-up toilets.
December 28, 2025 at 3:33 AM
I like JKR in the same way that I like backed-up toilets.
Reposted by Helen Mackness
This is why we read romance, folks! And it doesn’t meant the journey to that HEA feels any less earned in the process.
The reactions to the ending of Heated Rivalry is why capital-R Romance people will fight and die on the hill of the Happily Ever After/Happily For Now ending. That ending is load-bearing. It's earned. It's the soothing hug after the story took a bat to your emotions.
December 27, 2025 at 1:38 PM
This is why we read romance, folks! And it doesn’t meant the journey to that HEA feels any less earned in the process.
Reposted by Helen Mackness
I see the Brexit-backing owner of Dyson, who offshored himself and the firm for tax reasons, is moaning about having to pay tax on the extensive farmland that he bought here as a way to avoid inheritance tax.
Hang on. I'll find my violin.
Hang on. I'll find my violin.
I rather think what has put Dyson's "family business¹" at risk is selling fucking hugely overpriced non-essential sucky-blowy machines.
¹ Does he want us to think Dyson is like some kind of local greengrocer or something? The massive splat of jizz.
¹ Does he want us to think Dyson is like some kind of local greengrocer or something? The massive splat of jizz.
December 28, 2025 at 9:49 AM
I see the Brexit-backing owner of Dyson, who offshored himself and the firm for tax reasons, is moaning about having to pay tax on the extensive farmland that he bought here as a way to avoid inheritance tax.
Hang on. I'll find my violin.
Hang on. I'll find my violin.
Reposted by Helen Mackness
another robot highlight for 2025: man wearing humanoid mocap suit kicks himself in the balls
December 27, 2025 at 5:27 PM
another robot highlight for 2025: man wearing humanoid mocap suit kicks himself in the balls
Reposted by Helen Mackness
What did you do to deserve this kind of punishment?
November 8, 2025 at 10:30 PM
What did you do to deserve this kind of punishment?
Reposted by Helen Mackness
Best explanation of the liar's dividend that I've ever seen.
December 24, 2025 at 6:36 AM
Best explanation of the liar's dividend that I've ever seen.
Reposted by Helen Mackness
Happy family-tech-support-mas to my fellow geeks who observe this fascinating holiday tradition. Scholars believe that today’s festive new phone transfers, Bluetooth hearing aid pairings and wifi extender setups date back to the 1980s teenager fixing the 12:00 VCR, and possibly even further.
December 22, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Happy family-tech-support-mas to my fellow geeks who observe this fascinating holiday tradition. Scholars believe that today’s festive new phone transfers, Bluetooth hearing aid pairings and wifi extender setups date back to the 1980s teenager fixing the 12:00 VCR, and possibly even further.
Reposted by Helen Mackness
Extremely funny to call the pope “holier-than-thou”
December 25, 2025 at 4:05 AM
Extremely funny to call the pope “holier-than-thou”
Reposted by Helen Mackness
Ouch. Difficult to say "Our previous CEO was protecting a sexual predator" more explicitly than this.
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
December 20, 2025 at 7:46 AM
Ouch. Difficult to say "Our previous CEO was protecting a sexual predator" more explicitly than this.
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
Reposted by Helen Mackness
One day something will happen — a wedding, a graduation, a job promotion, Jake Paul getting knocked out, Andrew Tate getting knocked out the next day — and you’ll want the right outfit to celebrate. Buy that special outfit now, so you’re ready when that next unexpected moment arrives.
December 21, 2025 at 7:19 AM
One day something will happen — a wedding, a graduation, a job promotion, Jake Paul getting knocked out, Andrew Tate getting knocked out the next day — and you’ll want the right outfit to celebrate. Buy that special outfit now, so you’re ready when that next unexpected moment arrives.
Reposted by Helen Mackness
it is almost Christmas which means it’s Muppet Christmas Carol season and that, in turn, means it is time to revisit this delightful interview with Michael Caine, who loves everything about that movie even more than you do
Michael Caine Loves 'The Muppet Christmas Carol' as Much as You Do
God bless us, every one! But especially Michael Caine.
www.gq.com
December 20, 2025 at 5:31 PM
it is almost Christmas which means it’s Muppet Christmas Carol season and that, in turn, means it is time to revisit this delightful interview with Michael Caine, who loves everything about that movie even more than you do
Reposted by Helen Mackness
"megachurches are shen yun for white people" is an incredible and damning true statement
for all people make fun of falun gong, it's wild how much this is basically the same thing as shen yun
December 19, 2025 at 11:08 PM
"megachurches are shen yun for white people" is an incredible and damning true statement
Reposted by Helen Mackness
3yo: “daddy’s phone is in his pocket!”
me: “that’s true!”
3yo: “why isn’t mummy’s phone in her pocket?”
me: “… buckle up, kiddo, we’re gonna discuss five hundred years of fashion and misogyny”
me: “that’s true!”
3yo: “why isn’t mummy’s phone in her pocket?”
me: “… buckle up, kiddo, we’re gonna discuss five hundred years of fashion and misogyny”
December 20, 2025 at 8:47 AM
3yo: “daddy’s phone is in his pocket!”
me: “that’s true!”
3yo: “why isn’t mummy’s phone in her pocket?”
me: “… buckle up, kiddo, we’re gonna discuss five hundred years of fashion and misogyny”
me: “that’s true!”
3yo: “why isn’t mummy’s phone in her pocket?”
me: “… buckle up, kiddo, we’re gonna discuss five hundred years of fashion and misogyny”
Reposted by Helen Mackness
Harlequin’s global growth in the 70s was made possible by local translators who not only converted the language but also the idioms and symbols of love into things locals would understand. This is a penny wise, pound foolish move by HC, another in a long line.
Hard no to this: French publisher Harlequin has told translators that their work will now be done by AI. They can ‘revise’ AI translations at much lower rate. It’s a subsidiary of Harper Collins so treat this as a test for rollout elsewhere
"Bradage de la traduction, plan social invisible : Harlequin passe à l’IA"
Faites tourner, parce qu'il va falloir se battre encore plus. :/
#traduction #IA #Harlequin #ATLF
Faites tourner, parce qu'il va falloir se battre encore plus. :/
#traduction #IA #Harlequin #ATLF
December 19, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Harlequin’s global growth in the 70s was made possible by local translators who not only converted the language but also the idioms and symbols of love into things locals would understand. This is a penny wise, pound foolish move by HC, another in a long line.
Reposted by Helen Mackness
I'm suspicious of those who don't aim to haunt a bookshop or a library. If the afterlife isn't the point you tackle the eternal 'to be read' pile I'm not sure we can ever call ourselves friends. If I am not allowed to read as a ghost there will be much trouble. – #DAKilroy #Books
December 18, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Reposted by Helen Mackness
I really hope the French translators get together and agree that the going rate for fixing AI translation is 1.5x the cost to do the translation in the first place.
December 18, 2025 at 10:08 PM
I really hope the French translators get together and agree that the going rate for fixing AI translation is 1.5x the cost to do the translation in the first place.
Reposted by Helen Mackness
2) Romance has genre rules. The primary rule is that the main characters (MCs) must have a Happily Ever After (HEA) or a Happy For Now (HFN). No, you tedious snobs, Romeo & Juliet is not a Romance because they don’t end up together. Sit down, the adults are talking.
December 10, 2025 at 4:51 PM
2) Romance has genre rules. The primary rule is that the main characters (MCs) must have a Happily Ever After (HEA) or a Happy For Now (HFN). No, you tedious snobs, Romeo & Juliet is not a Romance because they don’t end up together. Sit down, the adults are talking.