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
final word: bsky.app/profile/madw...
Ilya was correct. The New Yorker IS boring.🙃
January 11, 2026 at 1:29 AM
final word: bsky.app/profile/madw...
Reposted by Helen Mackness
Bizarre that a show can quite literally be adapted from a genre romance novel and THE NEW YORKER will still treat genre novels like they don't exist. Wild.
SURE, yes, those are the correct literary antecedents.
January 11, 2026 at 1:48 AM
Bizarre that a show can quite literally be adapted from a genre romance novel and THE NEW YORKER will still treat genre novels like they don't exist. Wild.
Reposted by Helen Mackness
Reposted by Helen Mackness
He didn't shoot her in the head at point blank range because he felt like he was in danger. He shot her in the head at point blank range because he was furious that she wasn't afraid of him. He shot her in the head at point blank range because he felt emasculated.
January 9, 2026 at 11:25 PM
He didn't shoot her in the head at point blank range because he felt like he was in danger. He shot her in the head at point blank range because he was furious that she wasn't afraid of him. He shot her in the head at point blank range because he felt emasculated.
Reposted by Helen Mackness
I don't know who needs to hear this, but cops are not allowed to shoot people just because you didn't do what they said.
That is called murder when they do that.
Some cops are working hard to convince people otherwise.
That is called murder when they do that.
Some cops are working hard to convince people otherwise.
January 8, 2026 at 5:35 AM
I don't know who needs to hear this, but cops are not allowed to shoot people just because you didn't do what they said.
That is called murder when they do that.
Some cops are working hard to convince people otherwise.
That is called murder when they do that.
Some cops are working hard to convince people otherwise.
Reposted by Helen Mackness
“What do we call it when a stronger person decides to rob a weaker person because he can? It is just gangsterism. We are the most dangerous gangsters in the world today. Not in the sense of being charming rogues or alluring antiheroes. We are the bad guys.”
We Are the Bad Guys
The swaggering threat to global stability is us.
www.hamiltonnolan.com
January 5, 2026 at 4:26 PM
“What do we call it when a stronger person decides to rob a weaker person because he can? It is just gangsterism. We are the most dangerous gangsters in the world today. Not in the sense of being charming rogues or alluring antiheroes. We are the bad guys.”
Reposted by Helen Mackness
In addition to being evil, this is so genuinely incapable of understanding that other people exist and have wants and feelings and desires for things like self-determination.
TAPPER: Can you rule out the US is going to take Greenland by force?
MILLER: Greenland should be part of the US. By what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland? The US is the power of NATO
T: So force is on the table?
M: Nobody is gonna fight the US militarily over future of Greenland
MILLER: Greenland should be part of the US. By what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland? The US is the power of NATO
T: So force is on the table?
M: Nobody is gonna fight the US militarily over future of Greenland
January 5, 2026 at 11:42 PM
In addition to being evil, this is so genuinely incapable of understanding that other people exist and have wants and feelings and desires for things like self-determination.
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.