Brian Ashford
@brianbloodaxe.bsky.social
Role-player, husband, parent. Woke PoS. He/him.
Staff at Ancient Robot Games in Edinburgh.
ominosity.wordpress.com
Why you are rolling the dice is far more important than which dice you are rolling.
Staff at Ancient Robot Games in Edinburgh.
ominosity.wordpress.com
Why you are rolling the dice is far more important than which dice you are rolling.
Reposted by Brian Ashford
I am in *that point of life* in which if im in a bar, somebody says to me 'hey im a luke gearing" and we engage in a conversation about adventure design I will buy them a pint regardless if they are a luke gearing
The important part is talking about adventures and knowing what a luke gearing is
The important part is talking about adventures and knowing what a luke gearing is
the secret 14th principle of thinking adventures is "if you meet luke gearing at a convention buy him a pint and forgive him of all sins"
in unrelated news i will be at dragonmeet on saturday
in unrelated news i will be at dragonmeet on saturday
November 29, 2025 at 2:26 PM
I am in *that point of life* in which if im in a bar, somebody says to me 'hey im a luke gearing" and we engage in a conversation about adventure design I will buy them a pint regardless if they are a luke gearing
The important part is talking about adventures and knowing what a luke gearing is
The important part is talking about adventures and knowing what a luke gearing is
Reposted by Brian Ashford
This is madness.
All books by Normal People and Conversations with Friends author Sally Rooney set to be withdrawn from sale.
The 34-year-old Irish author says: “The disappearance of my work from bookshops would mark a truly extreme incursion by the state into the realm of artistic expression.”
All books by Normal People and Conversations with Friends author Sally Rooney set to be withdrawn from sale.
The 34-year-old Irish author says: “The disappearance of my work from bookshops would mark a truly extreme incursion by the state into the realm of artistic expression.”
Sally Rooney books may be withdrawn from UK sale over Palestine Action ban, court told
Rooney has said she intended to use royalties from her work "to go on supporting Palestine Action."
www.bbc.com
November 29, 2025 at 10:38 AM
This is madness.
All books by Normal People and Conversations with Friends author Sally Rooney set to be withdrawn from sale.
The 34-year-old Irish author says: “The disappearance of my work from bookshops would mark a truly extreme incursion by the state into the realm of artistic expression.”
All books by Normal People and Conversations with Friends author Sally Rooney set to be withdrawn from sale.
The 34-year-old Irish author says: “The disappearance of my work from bookshops would mark a truly extreme incursion by the state into the realm of artistic expression.”
Reposted by Brian Ashford
Thank GOD for Andrew Fisher!! FINALLY we get to hear about Spain on #r4today
The fastest growing economy in Europe & outstripping the US as well & how?
Wealth tax, rent controls & a positive integration-focused approach to immigration & asylum!! 🙌👏👏👏
The fastest growing economy in Europe & outstripping the US as well & how?
Wealth tax, rent controls & a positive integration-focused approach to immigration & asylum!! 🙌👏👏👏
November 28, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Thank GOD for Andrew Fisher!! FINALLY we get to hear about Spain on #r4today
The fastest growing economy in Europe & outstripping the US as well & how?
Wealth tax, rent controls & a positive integration-focused approach to immigration & asylum!! 🙌👏👏👏
The fastest growing economy in Europe & outstripping the US as well & how?
Wealth tax, rent controls & a positive integration-focused approach to immigration & asylum!! 🙌👏👏👏
Reposted by Brian Ashford
Let's look at how the union busting of @gameworkers.co.uk has been working out... It would probs slow union growth if @rockstargames.com reinstated the workers now rather than keeping them out!
If you work in video or tabletop games in the UK, this is the link for you: iwgb.org.uk/en/join/game...
If you work in video or tabletop games in the UK, this is the link for you: iwgb.org.uk/en/join/game...
November 27, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Let's look at how the union busting of @gameworkers.co.uk has been working out... It would probs slow union growth if @rockstargames.com reinstated the workers now rather than keeping them out!
If you work in video or tabletop games in the UK, this is the link for you: iwgb.org.uk/en/join/game...
If you work in video or tabletop games in the UK, this is the link for you: iwgb.org.uk/en/join/game...
Reposted by Brian Ashford
Hong Kong fire and Grenfell are just alike. Fire spreading through unsafe building materials installed due to penny-pinching, killing dozens. One difference: before the HK fire is even out three executives at contractors have been arrested, eight years after Grenfell no-one has been arrested.
November 27, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Hong Kong fire and Grenfell are just alike. Fire spreading through unsafe building materials installed due to penny-pinching, killing dozens. One difference: before the HK fire is even out three executives at contractors have been arrested, eight years after Grenfell no-one has been arrested.
Reposted by Brian Ashford
Holy fucking shit this is a *real* image from a *real* (presumably peer-reviewed) paper in [Nature] Scientific Reports.
How many people had to sign off on this figure?
The editor, one hopes, the reviewer(s)? The copy editor?
What had to happen for THIS to get published?
How many people had to sign off on this figure?
The editor, one hopes, the reviewer(s)? The copy editor?
What had to happen for THIS to get published?
Hey @nature.com, have you got an explanation for how the hell THIS happened? & especially why you accepted a paper with such a bizarre piece of genAI slop in it?!
& more to the point, why we should take you seriously at all going forward?
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
& more to the point, why we should take you seriously at all going forward?
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
November 27, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Holy fucking shit this is a *real* image from a *real* (presumably peer-reviewed) paper in [Nature] Scientific Reports.
How many people had to sign off on this figure?
The editor, one hopes, the reviewer(s)? The copy editor?
What had to happen for THIS to get published?
How many people had to sign off on this figure?
The editor, one hopes, the reviewer(s)? The copy editor?
What had to happen for THIS to get published?
Reposted by Brian Ashford
Yeah i need to log out
October 19, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Yeah i need to log out
Reposted by Brian Ashford
This evening I'll be leading a debate in Parliament about the scandal of extreme waiting times at Scotland's gender identity clinics.
The debate starts around 6:10pm, and will be live on the Scottish Parliament website.
www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-...
The debate starts around 6:10pm, and will be live on the Scottish Parliament website.
www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-...
The Scottish Government has been accused of breaking its promise to reduce waiting times at NHS Scotland’s gender identity clinics
Scottish Government urged to act on 'totally unacceptable' gender clinic wait times
www.thenational.scot
November 26, 2025 at 1:35 PM
This evening I'll be leading a debate in Parliament about the scandal of extreme waiting times at Scotland's gender identity clinics.
The debate starts around 6:10pm, and will be live on the Scottish Parliament website.
www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-...
The debate starts around 6:10pm, and will be live on the Scottish Parliament website.
www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-...
Reposted by Brian Ashford
Nice. Matching the lighting to the colours of the backdrop works so well. #jhbackdrops
Wednesday #Guardvember post:
Technically speaking Valkyries are Aeronautica Imperialis units but when attached to a regiment their crews report directly to that regiment's senior officer. Like the “Spirit of Hobarth” that serves the #4thMemnonRegiment.
#Nerdlings
#WarhammerCommunity
#JHBackdrops
Technically speaking Valkyries are Aeronautica Imperialis units but when attached to a regiment their crews report directly to that regiment's senior officer. Like the “Spirit of Hobarth” that serves the #4thMemnonRegiment.
#Nerdlings
#WarhammerCommunity
#JHBackdrops
November 26, 2025 at 7:44 AM
Nice. Matching the lighting to the colours of the backdrop works so well. #jhbackdrops
Reposted by Brian Ashford
Reposted by Brian Ashford
"It is against the TOS to be talked into suicide by our LLM" is possibly the most evil tech bro thing I've ever read
Additionally, OpenAI argues its not liable because Raine, by using ChatGPT for self-harm, broke its terms of service
November 26, 2025 at 12:29 AM
"It is against the TOS to be talked into suicide by our LLM" is possibly the most evil tech bro thing I've ever read
Reposted by Brian Ashford
Reposted by Brian Ashford
Reposted by Brian Ashford
Not Gonna Lie, folks. I am incredibly dubious in this day and age of any study that states 'you don't reach adulthood until X' considering how the 'full brain at 25' thing has been weaponized by both young and old to avoid responsibility and deny autonomy
November 25, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Not Gonna Lie, folks. I am incredibly dubious in this day and age of any study that states 'you don't reach adulthood until X' considering how the 'full brain at 25' thing has been weaponized by both young and old to avoid responsibility and deny autonomy
Reposted by Brian Ashford
Sometimes I think it’s going to be the librarians who will save us all.
November 25, 2025 at 1:47 AM
Sometimes I think it’s going to be the librarians who will save us all.
Reposted by Brian Ashford
My attendance record in the European Parliament was the 4th worst out of 751 MEPs, yet I managed to turn up to vote AGAINST plans to tackle Russian misinformation.
Thankfully this is of no interest to the media.
Thankfully this is of no interest to the media.
November 24, 2025 at 9:20 PM
My attendance record in the European Parliament was the 4th worst out of 751 MEPs, yet I managed to turn up to vote AGAINST plans to tackle Russian misinformation.
Thankfully this is of no interest to the media.
Thankfully this is of no interest to the media.
Reposted by Brian Ashford
Zack Polanski: billionaire owned media have, “a vested interest in trying to discredit any idea or story that challenges the status quo”
“The status quo isn’t working. It’s broken. We need a complete clear out of that broken politics. We need something new and hopeful, and that’s what I’m offering.
“The status quo isn’t working. It’s broken. We need a complete clear out of that broken politics. We need something new and hopeful, and that’s what I’m offering.
November 25, 2025 at 8:48 AM
Zack Polanski: billionaire owned media have, “a vested interest in trying to discredit any idea or story that challenges the status quo”
“The status quo isn’t working. It’s broken. We need a complete clear out of that broken politics. We need something new and hopeful, and that’s what I’m offering.
“The status quo isn’t working. It’s broken. We need a complete clear out of that broken politics. We need something new and hopeful, and that’s what I’m offering.
Reposted by Brian Ashford
Sam Sorensen wrote a beautiful, albeit complex, roleplaying wargame called Cataphract, and I took the rules and mashed them into a sheer monstrosity. Set loosely in Britain in the Dark Ages, you play as competing warlord households in real time.
I'm looking for people bad enough to play.
I'm looking for people bad enough to play.
November 25, 2025 at 10:10 AM
Sam Sorensen wrote a beautiful, albeit complex, roleplaying wargame called Cataphract, and I took the rules and mashed them into a sheer monstrosity. Set loosely in Britain in the Dark Ages, you play as competing warlord households in real time.
I'm looking for people bad enough to play.
I'm looking for people bad enough to play.
Aww man...
Good morning. XKCD just made me cry again
xkcd.com/3172/
xkcd.com/3172/
Fifteen Years
xkcd.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Aww man...
People keep writing me versions of The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas.
if elon just hired an Inverse Jester (guy hired to listen to his jokes and pretend they're funny) we could solve every problem except how to keep the inverse jester from killing himself
November 24, 2025 at 9:44 PM
People keep writing me versions of The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas.
Reposted by Brian Ashford
Because "we actually spent time and money on this" is an infinitely better sales pitch than "we made a computer hallucinate this in order to save a negligible amount of money, and it sucks"
Indie game developers have a new sales pitch: being ‘AI free’
Indie game developers have a new sales pitch: being ‘AI free’
“We can produce results that meet our quality standards without its assistance.”
buff.ly
November 24, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Because "we actually spent time and money on this" is an infinitely better sales pitch than "we made a computer hallucinate this in order to save a negligible amount of money, and it sucks"
Reposted by Brian Ashford
Even Hilary Cass - who disgracefully called parents terrified that their trans kids would take their own lives if they were denied healthcare "shroud wavers" - didn't go so far as to call for a ban on puberty blockers.
Nothing Wes Streeting says turns out to be true.
Nothing Wes Streeting says turns out to be true.
November 24, 2025 at 7:24 AM
Even Hilary Cass - who disgracefully called parents terrified that their trans kids would take their own lives if they were denied healthcare "shroud wavers" - didn't go so far as to call for a ban on puberty blockers.
Nothing Wes Streeting says turns out to be true.
Nothing Wes Streeting says turns out to be true.
Reposted by Brian Ashford
Trying to be the ttrpg scene I want to see in Los Angeles. If you are in LA and want to play some Troika and stuff in person, join me:
discord.gg/xFhgKm7EN7
discord.gg/xFhgKm7EN7
November 6, 2025 at 1:36 AM
Trying to be the ttrpg scene I want to see in Los Angeles. If you are in LA and want to play some Troika and stuff in person, join me:
discord.gg/xFhgKm7EN7
discord.gg/xFhgKm7EN7
Reposted by Brian Ashford
This snippet from an interview with Enver Solomon, outgoing head of the Refugee Council, seems very typical of this govt's approach and speaks to a desire to relentlessly spend tax payer's money in pursuit of a dream of total administrative control
November 24, 2025 at 6:53 AM
This snippet from an interview with Enver Solomon, outgoing head of the Refugee Council, seems very typical of this govt's approach and speaks to a desire to relentlessly spend tax payer's money in pursuit of a dream of total administrative control