Louise Holden
@llamaperson.bsky.social
SFF reader, fanfic writer, currently studying astronomy and planetary science, keen on boardgames, linguistics. Keeper of dogs/cats/goats/tortoise and a grumpy python. Schizoaffective.🦖
If you vote for a bad party as the lesser of two evils they don't get better, they get worse. As with UK Labour who take their left votes for granted and go haring after right ones. Only the insistence on minimum standards by voters gets those standards upheld.
November 30, 2025 at 8:51 AM
If you vote for a bad party as the lesser of two evils they don't get better, they get worse. As with UK Labour who take their left votes for granted and go haring after right ones. Only the insistence on minimum standards by voters gets those standards upheld.
(I'm not as travelled as many but these sightings all pleased me greatly)
European otter
Lesser flamingo
Red footed booby
Fireflies (species unknown)
Puffin
European otter
Lesser flamingo
Red footed booby
Fireflies (species unknown)
Puffin
November 28, 2025 at 8:53 PM
(I'm not as travelled as many but these sightings all pleased me greatly)
European otter
Lesser flamingo
Red footed booby
Fireflies (species unknown)
Puffin
European otter
Lesser flamingo
Red footed booby
Fireflies (species unknown)
Puffin
If you are prepared to do all the research and writing yourself knowledge can indeed be free.
If you want someone else to apply their time, effort and expertise to writing a book for your edification I don't see why they shouldn't get paid for it.
If you want someone else to apply their time, effort and expertise to writing a book for your edification I don't see why they shouldn't get paid for it.
November 27, 2025 at 11:10 AM
If you are prepared to do all the research and writing yourself knowledge can indeed be free.
If you want someone else to apply their time, effort and expertise to writing a book for your edification I don't see why they shouldn't get paid for it.
If you want someone else to apply their time, effort and expertise to writing a book for your edification I don't see why they shouldn't get paid for it.
It's always good to see other people's common birds. We have no shortage of grey squirrels in the UK but all the others are pleasantly exotic.
November 26, 2025 at 4:58 PM
It's always good to see other people's common birds. We have no shortage of grey squirrels in the UK but all the others are pleasantly exotic.
I think the older definition is specifically what the article is discussing. There was a snippet about it in the Lancet which looked interesting- I asked the author for a copy so I really must read it now.
November 25, 2025 at 11:51 AM
I think the older definition is specifically what the article is discussing. There was a snippet about it in the Lancet which looked interesting- I asked the author for a copy so I really must read it now.
Wear out the crazy adolescent pup with a long walk. Make curry and crumble. Write next bit of Blake's 7/Severance crossover fic. OU astronomy study. Brew ~ 10 mugs of tea. Read article on autism in schizophrenia. Ignore urgent cleaning and weeding again. Happy Tuesday to you!
November 25, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Wear out the crazy adolescent pup with a long walk. Make curry and crumble. Write next bit of Blake's 7/Severance crossover fic. OU astronomy study. Brew ~ 10 mugs of tea. Read article on autism in schizophrenia. Ignore urgent cleaning and weeding again. Happy Tuesday to you!
Radio presenters definitely use it sometimes. I don't think I've heard it in any other context.
November 22, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Radio presenters definitely use it sometimes. I don't think I've heard it in any other context.
At the moment this is guidance for businesses and public facilities about banning trans and trans adjacent people. There's no specific criminal offence created but presumably if you don't leave when told to it could be trespass/breach of the peace.
November 20, 2025 at 5:31 PM
At the moment this is guidance for businesses and public facilities about banning trans and trans adjacent people. There's no specific criminal offence created but presumably if you don't leave when told to it could be trespass/breach of the peace.
It's a reference to the Israelis blowing up Hezbollah pagers last year. The implications are that a) the target of the 'joke' is a terrorist and b) it would be funny if they were killed.
November 14, 2025 at 3:17 PM
It's a reference to the Israelis blowing up Hezbollah pagers last year. The implications are that a) the target of the 'joke' is a terrorist and b) it would be funny if they were killed.
If I were the UK govt I'd be hoping the courts overturn the ban. Embarrassing for the govt but at least an end to the matter. The reporting on 2,000 people going through the courts for holding up signs will be worse.
November 11, 2025 at 7:06 PM
If I were the UK govt I'd be hoping the courts overturn the ban. Embarrassing for the govt but at least an end to the matter. The reporting on 2,000 people going through the courts for holding up signs will be worse.
So an argument for privileging every type of private conversation on the grounds that it's always good for people to talk about stuff and who cares about convicting criminals anyway?
November 10, 2025 at 6:36 PM
So an argument for privileging every type of private conversation on the grounds that it's always good for people to talk about stuff and who cares about convicting criminals anyway?
On Audible, Tales of Earthsea, from library The Great When (Alan Moore) which is not yet grabbing me but not a DNF just yet.
November 9, 2025 at 11:55 AM
On Audible, Tales of Earthsea, from library The Great When (Alan Moore) which is not yet grabbing me but not a DNF just yet.
To summarise the article - if you're a big name, publishers will still happily make money off your human-written books but all other authors will be expected to reduce their costs by either using AI or being outright replaced by it.
October 27, 2025 at 9:27 PM
To summarise the article - if you're a big name, publishers will still happily make money off your human-written books but all other authors will be expected to reduce their costs by either using AI or being outright replaced by it.
And indeed the terrorism act. MPs in 2000 were assured no govt would apply it to direct action protest groups, and yet here we are. Govt assurances about how a law will be applied are legally worthless.
October 24, 2025 at 4:07 PM
And indeed the terrorism act. MPs in 2000 were assured no govt would apply it to direct action protest groups, and yet here we are. Govt assurances about how a law will be applied are legally worthless.
If it's only for the most serious cases it won't inconvenience them to keep using the police's search powers. Once legislation is on the books somebody will always decide to use it to the full extent possible and 'the govt said they didn't intend that' doesn't legally overrule the law as written.
October 24, 2025 at 2:45 PM
If it's only for the most serious cases it won't inconvenience them to keep using the police's search powers. Once legislation is on the books somebody will always decide to use it to the full extent possible and 'the govt said they didn't intend that' doesn't legally overrule the law as written.
Thank you. I will punch with a clear conscience.
October 14, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Thank you. I will punch with a clear conscience.
I would really like to go back and punch an author in 1969 but since the individual is still alive and for all I know repentant I'm not sure of the ethics involved.
October 14, 2025 at 4:38 PM
I would really like to go back and punch an author in 1969 but since the individual is still alive and for all I know repentant I'm not sure of the ethics involved.
He waves his hands and says "bad scientists did it" too many times. He never tries to bridge the gap between reality and his world building - many authors can get away with that but they have to be committed to their worlds and he isn't.
October 14, 2025 at 9:56 AM
He waves his hands and says "bad scientists did it" too many times. He never tries to bridge the gap between reality and his world building - many authors can get away with that but they have to be committed to their worlds and he isn't.
I recall being very unimpressed by the Chinese room thought experiment when I was at college. Forty years later I think he was probably right.
October 13, 2025 at 1:13 PM
I recall being very unimpressed by the Chinese room thought experiment when I was at college. Forty years later I think he was probably right.
In the UK the rate of infant circumcision is about 10% and falling, and yet the rate of autism diagnosis is increasing in a comparable fashion to the US.
October 11, 2025 at 11:59 AM
In the UK the rate of infant circumcision is about 10% and falling, and yet the rate of autism diagnosis is increasing in a comparable fashion to the US.
My point is simply that the legislation is drawn obscenely wide and people should know just how wide before they write something on a placard in the belief they can't be arrested for it.
October 9, 2025 at 4:22 PM
My point is simply that the legislation is drawn obscenely wide and people should know just how wide before they write something on a placard in the belief they can't be arrested for it.