Hotblack
@invalid-handle.com
Will talk science, tech, economics, politics
Mainly post stupid puns and captions for pictures
Cares about inequalities and exclusion, particularly around health
Enjoys cricket
Mainly post stupid puns and captions for pictures
Cares about inequalities and exclusion, particularly around health
Enjoys cricket
Pinned
Hotblack
@invalid-handle.com
· Sep 21
An invalid with a handle that was invalid so now has the handle invalid handle
Reposted by Hotblack
The world is full of suffering. Recognize this truth, first within yourself. Then, extend that understanding—that *humanity*—to everyone you encounter. Be patient. Be kind.
November 18, 2025 at 7:48 PM
The world is full of suffering. Recognize this truth, first within yourself. Then, extend that understanding—that *humanity*—to everyone you encounter. Be patient. Be kind.
Reposted by Hotblack
My notes on Gemini 3, including analyzing a 3.5 hour council meeting audio recording and performance on a new, improved version of my pelican on a bicycle benchmark simonwillison.net/2025/Nov/18/...
Trying out Gemini 3 Pro with audio transcription and a new pelican benchmark
Google released Gemini 3 Pro today. Here’s the announcement from Sundar Pichai, Demis Hassabis, and Koray Kavukcuoglu, their developer blog announcement from Logan Kilpatrick, the Gemini 3 Pro Model C...
simonwillison.net
November 18, 2025 at 7:09 PM
My notes on Gemini 3, including analyzing a 3.5 hour council meeting audio recording and performance on a new, improved version of my pelican on a bicycle benchmark simonwillison.net/2025/Nov/18/...
Keir Starmer has warned his team that he’ll turn off the router so they can’t play Fortnite if they keep on arguing
Keir Starmer has warned senior ministers & officials to stop briefing against one another & leaking details of budget
PM told cabinet last week’s political turmoil distracted from voters’ priorities & they shld focus on delivery not navel gazing 👇
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
PM told cabinet last week’s political turmoil distracted from voters’ priorities & they shld focus on delivery not navel gazing 👇
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Starmer pleads for government to unite in fightback after difficult week
Prime minister tells cabinet budget leaks and infighting are distracting from priorities and delivering change
www.theguardian.com
November 18, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Keir Starmer has warned his team that he’ll turn off the router so they can’t play Fortnite if they keep on arguing
Reposted by Hotblack
Pelican Riding a Bike 🚲
November 18, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Pelican Riding a Bike 🚲
Not all outages are bad?
huh, I can suddenly access my DMs without a VPN. anarchy in the UK!
November 18, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Not all outages are bad?
Reposted by Hotblack
More Bluth Labour than Blue Labour, amirite?
November 18, 2025 at 2:32 PM
More Bluth Labour than Blue Labour, amirite?
Reposted by Hotblack
You can tell the football fans coming off the train into Glasgow are Danish because they've separated their empty bottles and cans into glass and mixed recycling before they got off the train
November 18, 2025 at 12:10 PM
You can tell the football fans coming off the train into Glasgow are Danish because they've separated their empty bottles and cans into glass and mixed recycling before they got off the train
Reposted by Hotblack
Another week, another 'major company responsible for hosting a large number of essential online services is having an outage' event, I see.
November 18, 2025 at 12:11 PM
Another week, another 'major company responsible for hosting a large number of essential online services is having an outage' event, I see.
Ryan Campbell speaking to the BBC on the Aussie media attacks on Stokes and Root ahead of the Ashes
“There’s two blokes I wouldn’t have a crack at”
“At least pick your targets a bit better”
“There’s two blokes I wouldn’t have a crack at”
“At least pick your targets a bit better”
November 18, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Ryan Campbell speaking to the BBC on the Aussie media attacks on Stokes and Root ahead of the Ashes
“There’s two blokes I wouldn’t have a crack at”
“At least pick your targets a bit better”
“There’s two blokes I wouldn’t have a crack at”
“At least pick your targets a bit better”
Musical you say, a little tinkle perhaps?
November 18, 2025 at 9:47 AM
Musical you say, a little tinkle perhaps?
Reposted by Hotblack
Legend has it that he holds it in all year.
November 18, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Legend has it that he holds it in all year.
Reposted by Hotblack
So proud - the debate about the Parky Charter, the manifesto for better Parkinson’s care created by the Movers and Shakers podcast, got on Yesterday in Parliament. About 19 minutes in. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Yesterday in Parliament - 18/11/2025 - BBC Sounds
Helen Catt reports as the Home Secretary announces an overhaul of the asylum system.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 18, 2025 at 9:40 AM
So proud - the debate about the Parky Charter, the manifesto for better Parkinson’s care created by the Movers and Shakers podcast, got on Yesterday in Parliament. About 19 minutes in. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Good news!
Neighbours cat who had vanished for a few days causing much worry and distress for its humans has returned and is of course completely nonchalant
Neighbours cat who had vanished for a few days causing much worry and distress for its humans has returned and is of course completely nonchalant
November 18, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Good news!
Neighbours cat who had vanished for a few days causing much worry and distress for its humans has returned and is of course completely nonchalant
Neighbours cat who had vanished for a few days causing much worry and distress for its humans has returned and is of course completely nonchalant
Of the many problems with current policy and rhetoric this is one of the big incoherencies
“We want people to integrate…. so we are doing everything we can to make people feel uncomfortable, unwelcome and like outsiders who don’t belong here”
“We want people to integrate…. so we are doing everything we can to make people feel uncomfortable, unwelcome and like outsiders who don’t belong here”
The basic problem with the temporary refugee status policy - especially one lasting up to 20 years - is it leads to very few removals (based on Denmark's experience) but does significantly worsen integration.
November 18, 2025 at 9:10 AM
Of the many problems with current policy and rhetoric this is one of the big incoherencies
“We want people to integrate…. so we are doing everything we can to make people feel uncomfortable, unwelcome and like outsiders who don’t belong here”
“We want people to integrate…. so we are doing everything we can to make people feel uncomfortable, unwelcome and like outsiders who don’t belong here”
Reposted by Hotblack
A kind word, even unspoken, shifts the heart. Begin with your own. See the shared wish for peace in all beings. It is closer than you think.
November 18, 2025 at 9:03 AM
A kind word, even unspoken, shifts the heart. Begin with your own. See the shared wish for peace in all beings. It is closer than you think.
Reposted by Hotblack
18th November 2025 07.48
November 18, 2025 at 8:22 AM
18th November 2025 07.48
Reposted by Hotblack
Heat pumps news! DESNZ is expanding the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to cover air to air heat pumps and heat batteries.
Both will be eligible for a £2,500 grant if it fully replaces a gas or oil boiler…
www.businessgreen.com/news/4521952...
Both will be eligible for a £2,500 grant if it fully replaces a gas or oil boiler…
www.businessgreen.com/news/4521952...
Boiler Upgrade Scheme: Government set to expand scheme to include air conditioning heat pumps
Government expands heat pump scheme to include heat batteries and 'air-to-air devices' that can cool homes in summer, despite speculation over budget cuts
www.businessgreen.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:54 AM
Heat pumps news! DESNZ is expanding the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to cover air to air heat pumps and heat batteries.
Both will be eligible for a £2,500 grant if it fully replaces a gas or oil boiler…
www.businessgreen.com/news/4521952...
Both will be eligible for a £2,500 grant if it fully replaces a gas or oil boiler…
www.businessgreen.com/news/4521952...
It’s panto season! :)
Politics is the pantomime :(
Politics is the pantomime :(
A major problem for a government with an essentially performative policy approach is that it encourages / incentivises all other parties to so the same thing - what’s the point in being substantive if the actual government (whose competitive advantage should be governing) can’t be bothered…?
November 18, 2025 at 7:51 AM
It’s panto season! :)
Politics is the pantomime :(
Politics is the pantomime :(
Reposted by Hotblack
literally only one bee out today and it was hiding behind the leaves
November 18, 2025 at 7:42 AM
literally only one bee out today and it was hiding behind the leaves
Reposted by Hotblack
1/8
Good FT piece on the increasing difficulty economists have in understanding, correlating and reconciling Chinese economic statistics. This leads to concerns among many analysts that GDP may be overstated, and fairly substantially.
www.ft.com/content/5b9e...
Good FT piece on the increasing difficulty economists have in understanding, correlating and reconciling Chinese economic statistics. This leads to concerns among many analysts that GDP may be overstated, and fairly substantially.
www.ft.com/content/5b9e...
The growing problem with China’s unreliable numbers
Beijing’s GDP figures have drawn scrutiny for years but the questions have become more acute
www.ft.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:17 AM
1/8
Good FT piece on the increasing difficulty economists have in understanding, correlating and reconciling Chinese economic statistics. This leads to concerns among many analysts that GDP may be overstated, and fairly substantially.
www.ft.com/content/5b9e...
Good FT piece on the increasing difficulty economists have in understanding, correlating and reconciling Chinese economic statistics. This leads to concerns among many analysts that GDP may be overstated, and fairly substantially.
www.ft.com/content/5b9e...
Good morning!
*looks around*
Oh…
Morning!
*looks around*
Oh…
Morning!
November 18, 2025 at 6:53 AM
Good morning!
*looks around*
Oh…
Morning!
*looks around*
Oh…
Morning!
Reposted by Hotblack
Blogged: why we shouldn't debate immigration: stumblingandmumbling.typepad.com/stumbling_an...
Not debating immigration
How should we debate immigration? Here's my advice: don't. Debates don't work, at least not as they should. They don't favour the truth, but plausible liars and for those who can best appeal to prejud...
stumblingandmumbling.typepad.com
June 28, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Blogged: why we shouldn't debate immigration: stumblingandmumbling.typepad.com/stumbling_an...
Reposted by Hotblack
The government doesn’t see UK data assets as priorities at all - includes ONS. Did the idea of a ‘National Data Library’ & data infrastructure in the AI Opps Action Plan just evaporate?
I’ve written a piece on the curious lack of media and political interest in the issues faced by our national @britishlibrary.bsky.social. This is strange given we live in a world where ideas, knowledge and research are a long-term source of innovation and insight
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
The British library is in crisis: why does nobody care?
The widespread indifference to the British Library's crippling cyberattack demonstrates a perilous failure to value the knowledge infrastructure vital for national prosperity
www.cityam.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:38 AM
The government doesn’t see UK data assets as priorities at all - includes ONS. Did the idea of a ‘National Data Library’ & data infrastructure in the AI Opps Action Plan just evaporate?
Tonight’s musical selection. Get away from the heavy shit with some…
Deep Shit, Pt 1 & Pt 2 - Kruder & Dorfmeister
Deep Shit, Pt 1 & Pt 2 - Kruder & Dorfmeister
Kruder & Dorfmeister - Deep Shit Pt 1 & Pt 2
YouTube video by Louis Ray
m.youtube.com
November 17, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Tonight’s musical selection. Get away from the heavy shit with some…
Deep Shit, Pt 1 & Pt 2 - Kruder & Dorfmeister
Deep Shit, Pt 1 & Pt 2 - Kruder & Dorfmeister