Nic
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chickenneedles.bsky.social
Nic
@chickenneedles.bsky.social
330 followers 1.2K following 42 posts
British/English woman. Films, books, music, art, knitting, crochet, and food.
Be excellent to each other!
Keanu is the standard to which all others should aspire.
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chickenneedles.bsky.social
Getting a not-so-subliminal message from NYT Connections…#onlyconnect @vcorenmitchell.bsky.social
NYT Connections board puzzle from 27th October 2025 with a suspicious-looking message for Only Connect fans (top line reads as ‘ONLY CONNECT OLIVE BRANCH’
October 27, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Reposted by Nic
kashana.blacksky.app
World War 3 kinda sucks, but you know, it was either this or pronouns
June 22, 2025 at 5:08 AM
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jlkaufmann.bsky.social
Heatwave in the UK. OK, I grew up in Italy, and when it is very hot and you have no air-conditioning, you do this -

1) Unless there's a good breeze, CLOSE all the windows and draw all the blinds and curtains until sunset. The outside air is hot, you do not want it inside with you.

2) DRINK WATER
June 19, 2025 at 12:33 PM
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mrlovenstein.bsky.social
June 6, 2025 at 7:41 PM
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sonictyrant.bsky.social
Shall i compare thee to a summers day? For thou maketh me sweaty and fucking irritable
May 28, 2025 at 3:58 PM
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sofarrsogud.bsky.social
FOMO? No, I've got FOBI. Fear of being invited.
May 12, 2025 at 11:04 AM
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uncleduke1969.bsky.social
She argues in Italian
She sings to you in French
She yells at you in German
In tones that make you clench
The girl is complicated
And very hard to please
When you disappoint her
She
A Korean actress in traditional attire looks intently at someone off-screen. The image features a caption that states "[stares in Japanese]."
May 16, 2025 at 12:51 PM
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jakevig.bsky.social
RIDDLER: Riddle me this! What has-

BATMAN: This better be good.

RIDDLER: What?

BATMAN: Seriously, I get the answer every time in like two seconds.

RIDDLER: Oh, it's good. Believe me.

BATMAN: Ok. Is it a candle?

RIDDLER: I hate you.
May 9, 2025 at 1:59 PM
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shenanigans.bsky.social
Hey fix your posture real quick
May 4, 2025 at 7:57 PM
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donni.bsky.social
Age is just a number. “Number” is just a word. Words are just letters holding hands
April 25, 2025 at 8:49 PM
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jennslowpez.bsky.social
When I say, "no judgment," know that I have never judged anyone harder.
April 9, 2025 at 11:21 AM
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katymontgomerie.com
This statement about the transphobic Supreme Court ruling by the UK's Crab Museum (yes a museum about crabs) is better than 99% of the statements I've seen on the topic

www.crabmuseum.org/visit

🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀
April 22, 2025 at 9:16 PM
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itsabbyyep.bsky.social
Friend: Can you help me move?

Me: “RING” I gotta take this

Friend: Take what? You said “RING”

Me: Excuse me? Bad connection

Friend: I'm standing next to you
April 22, 2025 at 3:41 PM
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scalzi.com
It's never about the science. It's always about having a legal basis for your fear and hatred of other people.
katherineschof8.bsky.social Prof Katherine Schofield 🇬🇧🇦🇺🇪🇺 @katherineschof8.bsky.social · Apr 16
My husband has taught human reproduction and development to the Cambridge medics for over three decades. When people start banging on about "only two biological sexes" he starts with "which sex: genetic, hormonal, or gonadal"?

Biological sex is not binary. www.scientificamerican.com/article/sex-...
Sex Redefined: The Idea of 2 Sexes Is Overly Simplistic
Biologists now think there is a larger spectrum than just binary female and male
www.scientificamerican.com
April 16, 2025 at 1:49 PM
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mrlovenstein.bsky.social
you're gonna wanna see this
April 11, 2025 at 2:02 PM
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mattgreencomedy.com
Why did Trump pause the Tariffs?
April 11, 2025 at 7:57 AM
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oregonthedm.bsky.social
Biggest commitment to a 3 second joke I've ever seen
April 9, 2025 at 6:33 AM
chickenneedles.bsky.social
I’m just a girl*,standing in front of a boy**, asking him to love her***

*woman in her mid-40s

**the bathroom mirror

**imploring my over-plucked ‘90s/‘00s eyebrows to grow back properly
April 9, 2025 at 5:39 PM
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mattgreencomedy.com
How bad are Trump’s tariffs?

See the whole thing here:

youtu.be/t907b15iTRE
April 4, 2025 at 6:52 PM
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granttanaka.bsky.social
Cop: COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP
Me: NEVER
Cop: THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE
Me: YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE
Cop:
Me:
Cop: WE HAVE PUPPIES OUT HERE
Me: FOR REAL THIS TIME?
March 9, 2025 at 2:41 AM
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warrenoates1.bsky.social
We have exceeded 1700 signatures now on our media regulation petition.

(1701 to be exact, an interesting number to me, so I had to get the image).

Please keep sharing the petition.

We have increased signatures by over 3.5% so far today!

We can do this!

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/70...
February 15, 2025 at 1:24 PM
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martinlewis.moneysavingexpert.com
NEWS. Energy Price Cap to rise again 6.4% on 1 April. Here’s my instant briefing on what you should do…
NEWS. ENERGY PRICE CAP TO RISE AGAIN, 6.4% ON 1 APRIL. This follows the 1% rise in Jan and 10% last Oct. Here's my instant briefing (feel free to share) including WHAT TO DO. Lets start with the avg Direct Debit Cap...

ELEC
Standing charge 53.8p/day (from 60.97p) DOWN 11%
Unit rate: 27.03p/KwH (from 24.86p) UP 8.7%
GAS
Standing charge: 32.67p/day (from 31.65p) UP 3.2%
Unit rate: 6.99p/KwH (from 6.34p) UP 10%

So for every £100 you pay for energy now, from April people will typically pay roughly £106.40. Yet in reality as the daily standing charge is dropping, some lower users (below £100/mth) will see only small rises, but those who use a lot (above £200/mth) will likely see 7%-10% increases. 

Those are averages but there is a lot of regional variation in prices (we're already building a calc on MSE to be available later today so you can see the direct impact) with London & NW Wales outliers as there electricity standing charges are rising. HOW TO KNOW IF YOU'RE ON A CAPPED TARIFF
If you're not on a fix or special deal you are likely on the Cap. It applies to firms standard default consumer tariffs, often called 'Standard Variable' or 'Flexible' tariffs. If you don't know assume you, like two third of homes probably are. 

THE PRICE CAP IS A PANTS CAP GET OFF IT IF YOU CAN - FIX NOW IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY
The cheapest year-long standalone fixes right now are about 4% LESS than the current Cap, never mind once it rises in April, so if you get a good fix now you lock in at a cheaper rate for a year, get price certainty, save instantly and save relatively more once we get to April.

You cheapest fix depends on where you live and how much you use, so do a comparison (the MSE cheapenergyclub.com is whole-of-market-by default) though I'd wait a couple of hours as I hear more tariffs are being launched. Remember though the savings comparison sites will show now are compared to the current cap, they will be bigger compared to April. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER APRIL
The current analysts' predictions are once the price rises in April, it will stay at roughly that rate for the next year. Though the further out you go the more crystal ball gazing that is (and the chance of peace in Ukraine, the middle east, or US pumping out oil could see energy prices fall). Still the safe bet based on current predictions is to fix.

OTHER OPTIONS THAN FIXING
Those with very low usage only (under say £80/mth) should also look at British Gas & EDFs special tracker deals which discount £50 off the annual standing charge (as with low usage thats a bigger proportionate saving)

And sophisticated users should look at (or likely already know about) Octopus or Tomato's time of use tariffs).
 
2.7m MORE TO GET WARM HOME DISCOUNT
The govt proposes to expand the £150 Warm Home Discount to expanded to 2.7m more low income households winter 2025/26 (though a chunk of that’ll be eaten up by the cap rise where the 6.4% rise is equivalent to £111/yr on an annualised bill). It’ll be done by getting rid of the ‘high energy cost’ criteria for those on means tested benefits like Universal Credit (which helps working people and non working on low incomes). 

That’s good as it’s a terribly implemented system which left many, literally, unfairly out in the cold. There’s also a proposal on old energy debt support, which sound good, but needs reading so I’ll leave that for now.
 
MORE TO COME
These are my first thoughts, undoubtably more later, the MSE weekly email will have a full run through of top switchable tariffs when its out later today.

And join me at 8pm tonight on ITV for The Martin Lewis Money Show Live when I'll be explaining all this in more detail and putting your questions to the Ofgem boss.
February 25, 2025 at 8:35 AM
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brianbilston.bsky.social
If you’re struggling to write a poem for a loved one for Valentine’s Day, take heart: even the great poets had to start somewhere.
Selected Early Writings of the Poets   I the roses are red and all the violets are blue oh look, a haiku - Basho II Roses are red, unlike those daffs, I wander lonely as a giraffe cloud. - William Wordsworth   III Look – the roses are red! They make my heart sing! They fill me with hope – Like a feathery thing! - Emily Dickinson IV ROSES ARE … NO! WHAT HAVE I DONE? I MUST HAVE LEFT MY CAPS LOCK ON - ee cummings V Roses are dead, see how they droop. All of us die: life’s only truth. - Philip Larkin VI The roses had gone (unlike my bunion) so got this instead – here, have an onion. - Carol Ann Duffy Brian Bilston
February 14, 2025 at 8:07 AM
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larryandpaul.bsky.social
🇺🇸 LATEST: America Set To Crown Its First King. All Hail King Elon!

👇🏻 Please like and share this morning’s #BrokenNews report.

youtu.be/FtdC5-JDMPM?...
All Hail King Elon! - #BrokenNews
YouTube video by Larry & Paul
youtu.be
February 14, 2025 at 8:12 AM
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ygrene.bsky.social
me: *dreaming about loading the dishwasher*

wife: (waking me) you're doing it wrong
February 13, 2025 at 5:15 PM