Simon Brunning, He/him
@brunn.ing
Guardian-reading, tofu-eating wokerati. Father. Nerd. Pythonista. Agileista. Thoughtworker. Ex GDS. Secularist. Rationalist and empiricist. South Londoner. Comedy groupie. Good hugger. Music lover. CD buyer & ripper. Radio 4 listener. http://brunn.ing
Reposted by Simon Brunning, He/him
Restaurant advocates have warned that if every supplier insisted on being paid for ingredients, it would "financially ruin" the entire industry
AI advocates have warned that if every author in the class action filed a claim, it would "financially ruin" the entire industry.
Authors celebrate “historic” settlement coming soon in Anthropic class action
Advocates fear such settlements will “financially ruin” the AI industry.
arstechnica.com
November 18, 2025 at 12:06 PM
Restaurant advocates have warned that if every supplier insisted on being paid for ingredients, it would "financially ruin" the entire industry
Reposted by Simon Brunning, He/him
1. Great, let's do this
2. Here's some useful info (from my agent). You have until March 23, 2026 and it now includes illustrators
3. Here is the Works Lookup link: secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup/
2. Here's some useful info (from my agent). You have until March 23, 2026 and it now includes illustrators
3. Here is the Works Lookup link: secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup/
November 18, 2025 at 4:45 AM
1. Great, let's do this
2. Here's some useful info (from my agent). You have until March 23, 2026 and it now includes illustrators
3. Here is the Works Lookup link: secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup/
2. Here's some useful info (from my agent). You have until March 23, 2026 and it now includes illustrators
3. Here is the Works Lookup link: secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup/
Reposted by Simon Brunning, He/him
Reposted by Simon Brunning, He/him
OK, I know the word means "baton" or "stick", but there is a joy in France launching a spaceship called Baguette One europeanspaceflight.com/french-rocke...
French Rocket Builder HyPrSpace Secures €21 Million in New Funding
HyPrSpace has raised €21 million to perform its Baguette One suborbital test flight and accelerate the development of its OB-1 rocket.
europeanspaceflight.com
November 17, 2025 at 8:26 AM
OK, I know the word means "baton" or "stick", but there is a joy in France launching a spaceship called Baguette One europeanspaceflight.com/french-rocke...
Reposted by Simon Brunning, He/him
This does seem to be a relevant question. Reading the Sun and Guardina pieces side by side it is hard to believe they are describing the same policy. That kind of spin might have worked in 1990s but in a social media ecosystem where anger goes viral is is likely to generate own goals
And once again, I ask whether Ministers and No10 realise that the readership of one paper can in fact read the contents of another.
Dark forces are stirring up anger in the UK. My asylum reforms are our chance to stop them | Shabana Mahmood
I know some of these measures will face opposition. But a country without secure borders is less safe for those who look like me, says Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary
www.theguardian.com
November 17, 2025 at 8:41 AM
This does seem to be a relevant question. Reading the Sun and Guardina pieces side by side it is hard to believe they are describing the same policy. That kind of spin might have worked in 1990s but in a social media ecosystem where anger goes viral is is likely to generate own goals
This is a Black Mirror episode, right? Tell me it's a Black Mirror episode.
November 17, 2025 at 7:57 AM
This is a Black Mirror episode, right? Tell me it's a Black Mirror episode.
Reposted by Simon Brunning, He/him
A brief thread on Trump renewing his threat to sue the BBC.
(Note I am not an American lawyer, this is perspective of an English legal commentator.)
>
(Note I am not an American lawyer, this is perspective of an English legal commentator.)
>
November 15, 2025 at 9:39 AM
A brief thread on Trump renewing his threat to sue the BBC.
(Note I am not an American lawyer, this is perspective of an English legal commentator.)
>
(Note I am not an American lawyer, this is perspective of an English legal commentator.)
>
Reposted by Simon Brunning, He/him
In the Museum of Brands and Packaging down in Notting Hill, you can see this happening again and again. “McIntosh’s Radio Toffee”. “Vimulon Atomic Soap: now with Uranium!” “Tinford’s Electric Cufflinks”. It’s always bollocks. It’s the giveaway it’s a nine day’s wonder, before it all calms down.
![[Scene is a kitchen - a middle aged woman called JANET is boiling peas at the stove. A younger more colourfully dressed woman named LIZ approached her.]
JANET:
Ugh...
LIZ:
What's up?
JANET:
I am so bored of cooking peas!
LIZ:
Have you tried...
AI peas?
JANET:
AI peas?
LIZ:
They're peas with AI!
[Liz holds up to us a packet of peas labelled: Pea-i AI - Peas with AI].
LIZ:
Al-powered peas harness the potential of your peas
JANET:
What
LIZ [Now a voiceover as we cut to a whizzy technology diagram of peas all connected by meaningless dotted lines]
Why not take your peas to the next level with Al Peas' new Al tools to power your peas?
[Show a techno diagram of a pea with a label reading 'AI' pointing to a random zone in it]
LIZ:
Each pea has Al in a way we haven't quite worked out yet but it's fine
[Show Janet and Liz now in a Matrix-style world of peas]
LIZ:
With Al peas you can supercharge productivity and make AI work for your peas!
JANET:
What
LIZ:
Shut up
LIZ:
Our game-changing Pea-Al gives you the freedom to unlock the potential of the power of the future of your peas workflow
From opening the bag of peas
to boiling the peas
to eating the peas
To spending millions on adding Al to the peas and then having to work out what that even means.
JANET:
Is it really necessary to-
LIZ [Grabbing Janet by the collar]:
THE PEAS HAVE GOT AI, JANET
[Cut to an advert ending screen, with the bag of peas and the slogan:
AI PEAS: Just 'Peas' for god's sake buy the AI peas.
[Ends]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:4m3we4apbjayclzcnhwe3pfp/bafkreiayqa37f7kik7l7s7fbtfp2sir5ckb662ry2lylinyjrfa2rkvvka@jpeg)
November 14, 2025 at 10:06 AM
In the Museum of Brands and Packaging down in Notting Hill, you can see this happening again and again. “McIntosh’s Radio Toffee”. “Vimulon Atomic Soap: now with Uranium!” “Tinford’s Electric Cufflinks”. It’s always bollocks. It’s the giveaway it’s a nine day’s wonder, before it all calms down.
Reposted by Simon Brunning, He/him
I’m not saying I won’t moan about it when the time comes to pay, but I think the Govt should raise my income tax because I am profoundly worried about the state of public services.
November 14, 2025 at 8:33 AM
I’m not saying I won’t moan about it when the time comes to pay, but I think the Govt should raise my income tax because I am profoundly worried about the state of public services.
Reposted by Simon Brunning, He/him
Thanks to months of pitch rolling, the Labour government has now effectively told anyone paying attention that income tax rises are necessary, but they’re not going to do them because they’re politically weak. Let’s see how that plays!
November 14, 2025 at 8:06 AM
Thanks to months of pitch rolling, the Labour government has now effectively told anyone paying attention that income tax rises are necessary, but they’re not going to do them because they’re politically weak. Let’s see how that plays!
Reposted by Simon Brunning, He/him
Good morning to all those people who wasted the last decade saying, "there's no point tackling climate change in the UK, because China."
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
China’s CO2 emissions have been flat or falling for past 18 months, analysis finds
World’s biggest polluter on track to hit peak emissions target early but miss goal for cutting carbon intensity
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:08 AM
Good morning to all those people who wasted the last decade saying, "there's no point tackling climate change in the UK, because China."
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Reposted by Simon Brunning, He/him
Software development becomes a very different game at different scales.
What works for building a proverbial barbecue over a weekend might bring the house tumbling down on something much more substantial and long-term.
codemanship.wordpress.com/2025/11/11/w...
What works for building a proverbial barbecue over a weekend might bring the house tumbling down on something much more substantial and long-term.
codemanship.wordpress.com/2025/11/11/w...
When Evaluating Software Development Advice, Consider The Scale It’s Been Tested On
Software development becomes a distinctly different game at different scales. What might be fine for a proof of concept with maybe just a few hundred lines of code is likely to bring the whole hous…
codemanship.wordpress.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Software development becomes a very different game at different scales.
What works for building a proverbial barbecue over a weekend might bring the house tumbling down on something much more substantial and long-term.
codemanship.wordpress.com/2025/11/11/w...
What works for building a proverbial barbecue over a weekend might bring the house tumbling down on something much more substantial and long-term.
codemanship.wordpress.com/2025/11/11/w...
Reposted by Simon Brunning, He/him
Happy There Is A Circulatory System Walking Through The Kitchen Day to all who celebrate.
November 10, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Happy There Is A Circulatory System Walking Through The Kitchen Day to all who celebrate.
Reposted by Simon Brunning, He/him
Maybe Keir should demand the heads of major US news networks any time they imply Britain is on the brink of civil war or that we live under sharia law. Or does it not work both ways?
November 10, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Maybe Keir should demand the heads of major US news networks any time they imply Britain is on the brink of civil war or that we live under sharia law. Or does it not work both ways?
Reposted by Simon Brunning, He/him
What you’re witnessing is a populist assault on the BBC.
This is not an institutional scandal in any meaningful sense of the word. It is an attack on public service broadcasting.
iandunt.substack.com/p/extra-edit...
This is not an institutional scandal in any meaningful sense of the word. It is an attack on public service broadcasting.
iandunt.substack.com/p/extra-edit...
November 10, 2025 at 10:52 AM
What you’re witnessing is a populist assault on the BBC.
This is not an institutional scandal in any meaningful sense of the word. It is an attack on public service broadcasting.
iandunt.substack.com/p/extra-edit...
This is not an institutional scandal in any meaningful sense of the word. It is an attack on public service broadcasting.
iandunt.substack.com/p/extra-edit...
Reposted by Simon Brunning, He/him
Once every 20 years or so, the director-general of the BBC is forced to resign for being insufficiently rightwing. Alastair Milne in 1987. Greg Dyke in 2004. Tim Davie in 2025. The great irony is that the BBC was in all cases profoundly biased towards established power. But just not biased enough …
November 10, 2025 at 5:44 AM
Once every 20 years or so, the director-general of the BBC is forced to resign for being insufficiently rightwing. Alastair Milne in 1987. Greg Dyke in 2004. Tim Davie in 2025. The great irony is that the BBC was in all cases profoundly biased towards established power. But just not biased enough …
Reposted by Simon Brunning, He/him
Now that's what I call news.
Somerset church tomb collapse exposes 1700s stone crypt
The church says it is currently unclear whether the collapse has damaged any surrounding graves.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 9, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Now that's what I call news.
Reposted by Simon Brunning, He/him
Soot-Covered Prince Andrew Begging On Street For Child To Molest https://theonion.com/soot-covered-prince-andrew-begging-on-street-for-child-to-molest/
November 4, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Soot-Covered Prince Andrew Begging On Street For Child To Molest https://theonion.com/soot-covered-prince-andrew-begging-on-street-for-child-to-molest/
Reposted by Simon Brunning, He/him
I keep being told spending cuts are easy. Honest proposals such as those recently outlined by Policy Exchange show they are not
My column www.ft.com/content/f086...
My column www.ft.com/content/f086...
October 30, 2025 at 8:05 AM
I keep being told spending cuts are easy. Honest proposals such as those recently outlined by Policy Exchange show they are not
My column www.ft.com/content/f086...
My column www.ft.com/content/f086...
Reposted by Simon Brunning, He/him
It is way past time for the UK government & the BBC to get off X & for Musk to be treated as a threat to national security.
The world's richest man is using his site to promote civil war, ethnic violence & the overthrow of an elected government.
You won't win him over with another conference on AI
The world's richest man is using his site to promote civil war, ethnic violence & the overthrow of an elected government.
You won't win him over with another conference on AI
Elon Musk: "It is time for the English to ally with the hard men, like Tommy Robinson, and fight for their survival or they shall surely all die" 29th October 2025. 2 million views in its first hour.
October 29, 2025 at 10:11 AM
It is way past time for the UK government & the BBC to get off X & for Musk to be treated as a threat to national security.
The world's richest man is using his site to promote civil war, ethnic violence & the overthrow of an elected government.
You won't win him over with another conference on AI
The world's richest man is using his site to promote civil war, ethnic violence & the overthrow of an elected government.
You won't win him over with another conference on AI
Good on them: pyfound.blogspot.com/2025/10/NSF-...
If you don't already support the PSF, now would be a great time.
If you don't already support the PSF, now would be a great time.
The PSF has withdrawn a $1.5 million proposal to US government grant program
pyfound.blogspot.com
October 29, 2025 at 10:22 AM
Good on them: pyfound.blogspot.com/2025/10/NSF-...
If you don't already support the PSF, now would be a great time.
If you don't already support the PSF, now would be a great time.
Reposted by Simon Brunning, He/him
At a fundamental level, we have to accept much of silicon valley has gone insane.
An ex-Intel CEO’s mission to build a Christian AI: ‘hasten the coming of Christ’s return’
Patrick Gelsinger, executive chairman of Gloo, has made it his mission to advance Christian principles in Silicon Valley
www.theguardian.com
October 28, 2025 at 1:28 PM
At a fundamental level, we have to accept much of silicon valley has gone insane.
Reposted by Simon Brunning, He/him
Always fascinating watching people underestimate the size of London vs other UK ciries.
On an average weekday, more journeys are made on JUST the Elizabeth line than the ENTIRE population of Liverpool.
If the Tube was a city, its average daily passengers would make it the 2nd largest in the UK.
On an average weekday, more journeys are made on JUST the Elizabeth line than the ENTIRE population of Liverpool.
If the Tube was a city, its average daily passengers would make it the 2nd largest in the UK.
October 28, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Always fascinating watching people underestimate the size of London vs other UK ciries.
On an average weekday, more journeys are made on JUST the Elizabeth line than the ENTIRE population of Liverpool.
If the Tube was a city, its average daily passengers would make it the 2nd largest in the UK.
On an average weekday, more journeys are made on JUST the Elizabeth line than the ENTIRE population of Liverpool.
If the Tube was a city, its average daily passengers would make it the 2nd largest in the UK.
Yes. Next question. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
October 28, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Yes. Next question. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
Reposted by Simon Brunning, He/him
