Elen & Basket
@merryhel.bsky.social
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I strongly believe that you need to qualify your doomerism with active solutions that you believe will help, otherwise you are simply adding to despair which depresses liberation movements.
February 7, 2026 at 2:46 PM
I strongly believe that you need to qualify your doomerism with active solutions that you believe will help, otherwise you are simply adding to despair which depresses liberation movements.
Reposted by Elen & Basket
Link to the contract award notice: www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/08387...
MOD Palantir Enterprise Agreement - Find a Tender
www.find-tender.service.gov.uk
February 7, 2026 at 9:46 AM
Link to the contract award notice: www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/08387...
Reposted by Elen & Basket
This is a gorgeous essay.
“So much of politics is taking action but not getting what you want.”
“So much of politics is taking action but not getting what you want.”
When I wrote this a year ago I had no idea how bad things would get. Today, eight years after she left us, I'm trying to follow Ursula's advice: write and worry. Write and act. Worry and keep writing.
lithub.com/the-way-of-w...
lithub.com/the-way-of-w...
The Way of Water: On the Quiet Power of Ursula K. Le Guin’s Activism
In the past two months, I’ve found myself thinking back to an essay Ursula K. Le Guin posted on her blog in November 2016. It was one of her last long essays, and she wrote it at a time when she—li…
lithub.com
January 23, 2026 at 7:55 PM
This is a gorgeous essay.
“So much of politics is taking action but not getting what you want.”
“So much of politics is taking action but not getting what you want.”
Reposted by Elen & Basket
Oh my god oh my god oh my goddddd the local aquarium has three new born otters and they CHIRP
December 20, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Oh my god oh my god oh my goddddd the local aquarium has three new born otters and they CHIRP
Reposted by Elen & Basket
In June I finished a poem about being suicidal and the tiniest things one can use as a carrot to keep themselves going, and here at the close of the year I am finally (mostly) ready to share it
December 31, 2025 at 10:42 PM
In June I finished a poem about being suicidal and the tiniest things one can use as a carrot to keep themselves going, and here at the close of the year I am finally (mostly) ready to share it
Reposted by Elen & Basket
one unexpected outlook change from being a dad is taking the self care people 10x more seriously when it comes to dealing with weirdly directed anger and rage (including Online). many angry posts should have been naps or little packets of crackers
December 31, 2025 at 9:13 PM
one unexpected outlook change from being a dad is taking the self care people 10x more seriously when it comes to dealing with weirdly directed anger and rage (including Online). many angry posts should have been naps or little packets of crackers
Reposted by Elen & Basket
Marvellous, moving and wise column by @martinsandbu.ft.com:
Why your AI companion is not your friend
First, tech companies usurped the meaning of ‘friends’ and ‘connection’ — now they are coming for ‘companionship’
www.ft.com
December 28, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Marvellous, moving and wise column by @martinsandbu.ft.com:
Reposted by Elen & Basket
Sir Terry Pratchett is best understood as one of the most interesting, deeply ethical practical (I would say Pragmatist but I cede to actual experts) philosophers of the late 20th Century who just happened to work in deconstructed fantasy literature as his medium.
Discworld QOTD, from Hogfather
December 25, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Sir Terry Pratchett is best understood as one of the most interesting, deeply ethical practical (I would say Pragmatist but I cede to actual experts) philosophers of the late 20th Century who just happened to work in deconstructed fantasy literature as his medium.
Reposted by Elen & Basket
Aragorn: “Legolas! What do your elf eyes see?”
*Distant naked orc cartwheel contest*
Legolas: “Uh, regular Tolkein stuff. Rocks. Clouds. Trees with rich history and whatnot.”
*Distant naked orc cartwheel contest*
Legolas: “Uh, regular Tolkein stuff. Rocks. Clouds. Trees with rich history and whatnot.”
December 9, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Aragorn: “Legolas! What do your elf eyes see?”
*Distant naked orc cartwheel contest*
Legolas: “Uh, regular Tolkein stuff. Rocks. Clouds. Trees with rich history and whatnot.”
*Distant naked orc cartwheel contest*
Legolas: “Uh, regular Tolkein stuff. Rocks. Clouds. Trees with rich history and whatnot.”
Reposted by Elen & Basket
There's not much left of the rule of law if organisations can be financially bullied into not asserting their legal rights. goodlaw.social/sb50
Excluding trans people won’t stop you getting sued | Good Law Project
Girl Guiding and the Women’s Institute have announced that they will now exclude trans women and girls after legal threats – but organisations can and should remain inclusive.
goodlaw.social
December 3, 2025 at 3:54 PM
There's not much left of the rule of law if organisations can be financially bullied into not asserting their legal rights. goodlaw.social/sb50
Reposted by Elen & Basket
This is actually quite brilliant, up to and including the final sentence 🔥
December 1, 2025 at 11:09 AM
This is actually quite brilliant, up to and including the final sentence 🔥
Reposted by Elen & Basket
Over 60K women have signed our letter standing with the trans community. We've had enough of anti-trans rhetoric claiming to speak for us. If you agree...
📰 Read their article here: tinyurl.com/NION-PN-60K
✍ Sign our letter: notinourname.org.uk
📣 Share widely
#StrongerTogether
#TransAwarenessWeek
📰 Read their article here: tinyurl.com/NION-PN-60K
✍ Sign our letter: notinourname.org.uk
📣 Share widely
#StrongerTogether
#TransAwarenessWeek
November 15, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Over 60K women have signed our letter standing with the trans community. We've had enough of anti-trans rhetoric claiming to speak for us. If you agree...
📰 Read their article here: tinyurl.com/NION-PN-60K
✍ Sign our letter: notinourname.org.uk
📣 Share widely
#StrongerTogether
#TransAwarenessWeek
📰 Read their article here: tinyurl.com/NION-PN-60K
✍ Sign our letter: notinourname.org.uk
📣 Share widely
#StrongerTogether
#TransAwarenessWeek
Reposted by Elen & Basket
The BBC was founded to “provide impartial news”. If it's going to be the UK's biggest media organisation, it has to do its job right.
Hold the BBC to account 👇
https://action.goodlawproject.org/tell-the-BBC-to-stop-attacking-trans-people?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=socials
Hold the BBC to account 👇
https://action.goodlawproject.org/tell-the-BBC-to-stop-attacking-trans-people?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=socials
November 14, 2025 at 1:45 PM
The BBC was founded to “provide impartial news”. If it's going to be the UK's biggest media organisation, it has to do its job right.
Hold the BBC to account 👇
https://action.goodlawproject.org/tell-the-BBC-to-stop-attacking-trans-people?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=socials
Hold the BBC to account 👇
https://action.goodlawproject.org/tell-the-BBC-to-stop-attacking-trans-people?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=socials
Reposted by Elen & Basket
ever since I learned about three-cueing I've developed infinitely more patience for replies on social media. mfers literally do not know how to read. people are walking around conjuring random meanings into words they don't know, and they don't know a lot of words. it's crazy
November 11, 2025 at 6:15 PM
ever since I learned about three-cueing I've developed infinitely more patience for replies on social media. mfers literally do not know how to read. people are walking around conjuring random meanings into words they don't know, and they don't know a lot of words. it's crazy
Reposted by Elen & Basket
“When JKR funds legal challenges to trans-inclusive policies…when American organisations fund UK litigation on reproductive rights…when coordinated campaigns use litigation to bypass normal democratic processes, let that be seen clearly rather than operating in shadow”
Read this.Wealth corrupts QED
Read this.Wealth corrupts QED
“When American organisations with annual budgets in the hundreds of millions fund UK litigation, there are legitimate questions about whether this serves British democratic interests”
cc @goodlawproject.org @goodlawproject.bsky.social
cc @goodlawproject.org @goodlawproject.bsky.social
Who's Funding the War on Trans Inclusion?
A 40-fold surge in cases and the litigation infrastructure behind it
ajustsociety.substack.com
November 8, 2025 at 10:38 PM
“When JKR funds legal challenges to trans-inclusive policies…when American organisations fund UK litigation on reproductive rights…when coordinated campaigns use litigation to bypass normal democratic processes, let that be seen clearly rather than operating in shadow”
Read this.Wealth corrupts QED
Read this.Wealth corrupts QED
Reposted by Elen & Basket
"I asked ChatGPT" "I asked Grok" ok well I asked Gandalf and he said he has not passed through fire and death to bandy crooked words with a witless worm
June 19, 2025 at 12:42 PM
"I asked ChatGPT" "I asked Grok" ok well I asked Gandalf and he said he has not passed through fire and death to bandy crooked words with a witless worm
Reposted by Elen & Basket
Prince Andrew stepped back from public life after defending his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Now he says he’ll stop calling himself the Duke of York - but it shouldn’t be up to him.
Tell your MP to strip him of his title. It only takes two minutes. ⬇️
https://goodlaw.social/9155af
Now he says he’ll stop calling himself the Duke of York - but it shouldn’t be up to him.
Tell your MP to strip him of his title. It only takes two minutes. ⬇️
https://goodlaw.social/9155af
Tell your MP to strip Andrew of his dukedom
More than five years after Prince Andrew defended his friendship with the convicted paedophile Jeffery Epstein on national TV, there are still questions over whether he took part in the abuse of young women. The prince has denied allegations in Virginia...
goodlaw.social
October 23, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Prince Andrew stepped back from public life after defending his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Now he says he’ll stop calling himself the Duke of York - but it shouldn’t be up to him.
Tell your MP to strip him of his title. It only takes two minutes. ⬇️
https://goodlaw.social/9155af
Now he says he’ll stop calling himself the Duke of York - but it shouldn’t be up to him.
Tell your MP to strip him of his title. It only takes two minutes. ⬇️
https://goodlaw.social/9155af
Reposted by Elen & Basket
CEO-to-worker pay ratio in 1965: 20-1
CEO-to-worker pay ratio in 1990: 75-1
CEO-to-worker pay ratio today: 280-to-1
Trickle-down economics was always a sham.
Nothing has ever trickled down.
CEO-to-worker pay ratio in 1990: 75-1
CEO-to-worker pay ratio today: 280-to-1
Trickle-down economics was always a sham.
Nothing has ever trickled down.
October 18, 2025 at 8:00 PM
CEO-to-worker pay ratio in 1965: 20-1
CEO-to-worker pay ratio in 1990: 75-1
CEO-to-worker pay ratio today: 280-to-1
Trickle-down economics was always a sham.
Nothing has ever trickled down.
CEO-to-worker pay ratio in 1990: 75-1
CEO-to-worker pay ratio today: 280-to-1
Trickle-down economics was always a sham.
Nothing has ever trickled down.
Reposted by Elen & Basket
Wow! Brilliant for writers!
Great news!
JSTOR now have a free account with an Independent Researcher category. You can access 100 documents per month
www.jstor.org/action/showL...
JSTOR now have a free account with an Independent Researcher category. You can access 100 documents per month
www.jstor.org/action/showL...
September 29, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Wow! Brilliant for writers!
Reposted by Elen & Basket
Virgin Active call themselves an LGBTQ+ ally, but decided to ban trans people from using their changing rooms and bathrooms... so we created a new slogan for them 👀
We need to make make as much noise as possible and make Virgin Active feel the pressure.
Will you join us? 👇
goodlaw.social/d922
We need to make make as much noise as possible and make Virgin Active feel the pressure.
Will you join us? 👇
goodlaw.social/d922
September 24, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Virgin Active call themselves an LGBTQ+ ally, but decided to ban trans people from using their changing rooms and bathrooms... so we created a new slogan for them 👀
We need to make make as much noise as possible and make Virgin Active feel the pressure.
Will you join us? 👇
goodlaw.social/d922
We need to make make as much noise as possible and make Virgin Active feel the pressure.
Will you join us? 👇
goodlaw.social/d922
Reposted by Elen & Basket
Whenever you legislate for more powers, you shouldn’t think about what your government would do with them, but what a future bad (evil or incompetent - or both!) government might do with them.
So we're putting in a mass digital id database immediately before a potential Reform government that will use it to deport and brutalise millions of people?
Your local supermarket refusing to let you buy food without your id card in 2030 cos right to work checks morphed into right to eat checks.
Your local supermarket refusing to let you buy food without your id card in 2030 cos right to work checks morphed into right to eat checks.
September 23, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Whenever you legislate for more powers, you shouldn’t think about what your government would do with them, but what a future bad (evil or incompetent - or both!) government might do with them.
Reposted by Elen & Basket
Do not underestimate the soft spoken, the kind, the gentle. It takes strength to be those things, sometimes more than you will ever know. If you look closely at someone who conducts themselves honorably, you will find something fierce inside.
September 21, 2025 at 11:11 PM
Do not underestimate the soft spoken, the kind, the gentle. It takes strength to be those things, sometimes more than you will ever know. If you look closely at someone who conducts themselves honorably, you will find something fierce inside.
Reposted by Elen & Basket
UK publishing industry and fantasy writing/editing/illustrating friends, please consider helping this vital organisation by mentoring young people from working class and marginalised backgrounds:
There's 10 days left to register as a mentor for a young, talented, ambitious young person who's looking for advice and a connection to the creative industries.
As a mentor you'll get training and support throughout the programme.
Sign up today! www.arts-emergency.org/get-involved...
As a mentor you'll get training and support throughout the programme.
Sign up today! www.arts-emergency.org/get-involved...
September 19, 2025 at 5:09 PM
UK publishing industry and fantasy writing/editing/illustrating friends, please consider helping this vital organisation by mentoring young people from working class and marginalised backgrounds:
Reposted by Elen & Basket
There’s nothing traditional about a “tradwife”, writes Victoria Bateman. “Women have always been at the heart of the economy, doing everything from building pyramids to mining coal and brewing beer.”
Why tradwives aren’t trad
The housewife is a Victorian invention. History shows us women’s true economic power
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk
September 10, 2025 at 7:55 AM
There’s nothing traditional about a “tradwife”, writes Victoria Bateman. “Women have always been at the heart of the economy, doing everything from building pyramids to mining coal and brewing beer.”
Reposted by Elen & Basket
Great Yarmouth is set to host the biggest neo-nazi music festival in over a decade. The Home Office has the power to block entry of overseas bands, which will scupper the promoters plans. But they won’t act unless we demand it. Email the Home Office now: hopenothate.org.uk/2025/08/28/g...
Great Yarmouth to Host Britain’s Biggest White Power Concert in Years – HOPE not hate
Great Yarmouth is set to host the largest white power music gig held in the UK for at least 10 years, HOPE not hate can...
hopenothate.org.uk
August 30, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Great Yarmouth is set to host the biggest neo-nazi music festival in over a decade. The Home Office has the power to block entry of overseas bands, which will scupper the promoters plans. But they won’t act unless we demand it. Email the Home Office now: hopenothate.org.uk/2025/08/28/g...