Matthew Parkinson-Bennett
@matthewpb.bsky.social
Publisher, Little Island Books @littleislandbooks.bsky.social. The best new Irish writing for young readers.
Pinned
One of the replies on twitter says “Didn't expect the Norwegians to stoop this low” lmao
December 2, 2025 at 1:01 AM
One of the replies on twitter says “Didn't expect the Norwegians to stoop this low” lmao
Reposted by Matthew Parkinson-Bennett
Let’s be honest: nothing Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin have done in the last 56 years justifies the tremendous cost of bringing them back from the moon. NASA should’ve spared the long-suffering taxpayer and left them up there
November 23, 2025 at 3:39 AM
Let’s be honest: nothing Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin have done in the last 56 years justifies the tremendous cost of bringing them back from the moon. NASA should’ve spared the long-suffering taxpayer and left them up there
I would love to know how Faber’s publishing plans were affected by the fact the Cats movie was such a flop
December 1, 2025 at 11:05 PM
I would love to know how Faber’s publishing plans were affected by the fact the Cats movie was such a flop
When people talk about massive book advances not earning out there’s one big factor they aren’t considering: publishers amortise that shit. I’ve been told of one Big 5 press that spreads advances over *13 years*.
December 1, 2025 at 10:42 PM
When people talk about massive book advances not earning out there’s one big factor they aren’t considering: publishers amortise that shit. I’ve been told of one Big 5 press that spreads advances over *13 years*.
Reposted by Matthew Parkinson-Bennett
A remake of 2001: A Space Odyssey set in the now-past 2001
December 1, 2025 at 8:47 PM
A remake of 2001: A Space Odyssey set in the now-past 2001
Reposted by Matthew Parkinson-Bennett
Temperature has gone above 104f / 40c. Gird them loins, we’re going over the top.
December 1, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Temperature has gone above 104f / 40c. Gird them loins, we’re going over the top.
Reposted by Matthew Parkinson-Bennett
I think that must have been in one of the Gnostic Gospels.
December 1, 2025 at 7:10 PM
I think that must have been in one of the Gnostic Gospels.
Reposted by Matthew Parkinson-Bennett
I think if art was made by a human, we shouldn't call it slop, even if it's 'bad'. We should keep that word solely for LLM and AI generated 'art'. Humans must make objectively bad art to get good and great at it, but the crux of art is in humans actively making, not just conceiving and instructing
December 1, 2025 at 6:43 PM
I think if art was made by a human, we shouldn't call it slop, even if it's 'bad'. We should keep that word solely for LLM and AI generated 'art'. Humans must make objectively bad art to get good and great at it, but the crux of art is in humans actively making, not just conceiving and instructing
Reposted by Matthew Parkinson-Bennett
There is some film director I remember saying that it puzzled him that blockbuster movies were so bland and his thinking was "it costs the same amount of money to try and make it good" so I do think a choice is being made to settle.
December 1, 2025 at 7:01 PM
There is some film director I remember saying that it puzzled him that blockbuster movies were so bland and his thinking was "it costs the same amount of money to try and make it good" so I do think a choice is being made to settle.
Seems to me you couldn’t just have great art. To have great art, you need an amount of good art.
And for good art to exist, you’re gonna need some mediocre art.
Question is how far down does it go: ultimately is slop dross crap art necessary for the existence of great art?
And for good art to exist, you’re gonna need some mediocre art.
Question is how far down does it go: ultimately is slop dross crap art necessary for the existence of great art?
December 1, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Seems to me you couldn’t just have great art. To have great art, you need an amount of good art.
And for good art to exist, you’re gonna need some mediocre art.
Question is how far down does it go: ultimately is slop dross crap art necessary for the existence of great art?
And for good art to exist, you’re gonna need some mediocre art.
Question is how far down does it go: ultimately is slop dross crap art necessary for the existence of great art?
I haven’t kept up with Pluribus cos I found it racist. Does that go away? Or does it make a massive swerve where it’s actually making a Woke Point about racism?
December 1, 2025 at 6:28 PM
I haven’t kept up with Pluribus cos I found it racist. Does that go away? Or does it make a massive swerve where it’s actually making a Woke Point about racism?
Reposted by Matthew Parkinson-Bennett
Normal people in a society have a natural human drive to want to participate in “the game”, whatever the game happens to be. But because they don’t realize fascism is a nonconsensual game by and for spoilsports, they enroll themselves to “play” at hunting the victims on behalf of the actual players.
December 1, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Normal people in a society have a natural human drive to want to participate in “the game”, whatever the game happens to be. But because they don’t realize fascism is a nonconsensual game by and for spoilsports, they enroll themselves to “play” at hunting the victims on behalf of the actual players.
Reposted by Matthew Parkinson-Bennett
Developing a theory of fascism as unwelcome agonistic play that violates expected boundaries and cultural norms of the play-space, and non-consensually enrolls its opponents not as fellow players but as victims to hunt as in a blood-sport
December 1, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Developing a theory of fascism as unwelcome agonistic play that violates expected boundaries and cultural norms of the play-space, and non-consensually enrolls its opponents not as fellow players but as victims to hunt as in a blood-sport
Reposted by Matthew Parkinson-Bennett
Your annual reminder that the most revealing difference between Irish and Scottish Gaelic is definitely in the words for December: Mí na Nollag (Month of Christmas) in Ireland, and An Dubhlachd (the Blackness) in Scotland. So once again may I wish you all a lovely Blackness.
December 1, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Your annual reminder that the most revealing difference between Irish and Scottish Gaelic is definitely in the words for December: Mí na Nollag (Month of Christmas) in Ireland, and An Dubhlachd (the Blackness) in Scotland. So once again may I wish you all a lovely Blackness.
Reposted by Matthew Parkinson-Bennett
The numbers in here are hilarious.
Do you use AI on the job?
Execs: 87%
Managers: 57%
Workers: 27%
Planned investment by 2030: $5T
"Necessary" annual revenue to justify that spend: $650B
Current annual revenue: $50B
Do you use AI on the job?
Execs: 87%
Managers: 57%
Workers: 27%
Planned investment by 2030: $5T
"Necessary" annual revenue to justify that spend: $650B
Current annual revenue: $50B
Three years into the generative-AI wave, demand for the technology seems surprisingly flimsy
Investors expect AI use to soar. That’s not happening
Recent surveys point to flatlining business adoption
econ.st
November 30, 2025 at 12:28 AM
The numbers in here are hilarious.
Do you use AI on the job?
Execs: 87%
Managers: 57%
Workers: 27%
Planned investment by 2030: $5T
"Necessary" annual revenue to justify that spend: $650B
Current annual revenue: $50B
Do you use AI on the job?
Execs: 87%
Managers: 57%
Workers: 27%
Planned investment by 2030: $5T
"Necessary" annual revenue to justify that spend: $650B
Current annual revenue: $50B
I TOLD YEZ THIS COULD HAPPEN
Sally Rooney has told the High Court it is "almost certain" she cannot publish new books in the UK because of the ban of the British group Palestine Action 👇 #BookSky
Sally Rooney 'almost certain' she cannot publish new books in UK due to Palestine Action ban
ebx.sh
December 1, 2025 at 1:56 PM
I TOLD YEZ THIS COULD HAPPEN
“Tolkien’s work is full of essentialism”
Maybe a controversial opinion but I think it’s fine to essentialise hobbits and elves. They don’t exist.
Maybe a controversial opinion but I think it’s fine to essentialise hobbits and elves. They don’t exist.
December 1, 2025 at 1:18 PM
“Tolkien’s work is full of essentialism”
Maybe a controversial opinion but I think it’s fine to essentialise hobbits and elves. They don’t exist.
Maybe a controversial opinion but I think it’s fine to essentialise hobbits and elves. They don’t exist.
Reposted by Matthew Parkinson-Bennett
Feeling some degree of pessimism about Things
December 1, 2025 at 11:04 AM
Feeling some degree of pessimism about Things
Reposted by Matthew Parkinson-Bennett
The Rubicon has been crossed so many times that it simply has a wide open bridge now.
November 30, 2025 at 10:43 PM
The Rubicon has been crossed so many times that it simply has a wide open bridge now.
Worth reading
Chief Rabbi: Move to erase Chaim Herzog’s name and history is a cruel hammer blow
Chief Rabbi: Move to erase Chaim Herzog’s name and history is a cruel hammer blow
Dublin’s Herzog Park, named after the former Israeli president, is marker of Ireland’s Jewish history
www.irishtimes.com
December 1, 2025 at 6:58 AM
Worth reading
Young boy's face lights up with a lollipop in store, capturing pure delight
(This is from @irishtimes.com )
(This is from @irishtimes.com )
December 1, 2025 at 6:30 AM
Young boy's face lights up with a lollipop in store, capturing pure delight
(This is from @irishtimes.com )
(This is from @irishtimes.com )
Reposted by Matthew Parkinson-Bennett
You can reason with people who are curious but un- or ill-informed: I gave an A to a student in a medieval history class who asked me on the first day when Game of Thrones took place, because she read the material, worked hard, and produced well-argued essays. You can't work with bull-headed morons.
November 30, 2025 at 10:48 PM
You can reason with people who are curious but un- or ill-informed: I gave an A to a student in a medieval history class who asked me on the first day when Game of Thrones took place, because she read the material, worked hard, and produced well-argued essays. You can't work with bull-headed morons.
Running a big temperature here. Brings me back to childhood. Might make things interesting and have a cold bath. Forgive me if I post anything completely mental.
November 30, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Running a big temperature here. Brings me back to childhood. Might make things interesting and have a cold bath. Forgive me if I post anything completely mental.