Piers Beckley
@piersb.bsky.social
Writer and software developer.
http://fatpigeons.com
The Battle: https://books.fatpigeons.com/d4ystd6tpa
http://fatpigeons.com
The Battle: https://books.fatpigeons.com/d4ystd6tpa
Reposted by Piers Beckley
I personally do not think some rich man should be able to buy an institution like this like a toy and then break it when he doesn’t want to play with it anymore. bsky.app/profile/benm...
New: Washington Post Executive Editor Matt Murray and HR Chief Wayne Connell tell employees to stay home for a zoom webinar ahead of “significant actions across the company.” Widely expected layoffs are scheduled to begin today.
February 4, 2026 at 11:53 AM
I personally do not think some rich man should be able to buy an institution like this like a toy and then break it when he doesn’t want to play with it anymore. bsky.app/profile/benm...
Got a whole bunch of free SF books (including a novella of mine) available for free at books.fatpigeons.com/scififantasy....
You have to sign up to the writer's newsletter, but you can always unsubscribe later if it's not interesting. Or who knows, you may find yourself a new favourite author. :)
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books.fatpigeons.com
February 4, 2026 at 12:01 PM
Got a whole bunch of free SF books (including a novella of mine) available for free at books.fatpigeons.com/scififantasy....
You have to sign up to the writer's newsletter, but you can always unsubscribe later if it's not interesting. Or who knows, you may find yourself a new favourite author. :)
You have to sign up to the writer's newsletter, but you can always unsubscribe later if it's not interesting. Or who knows, you may find yourself a new favourite author. :)
Reposted by Piers Beckley
I am glad I am still someone who believes in the goodness of people enough to be surprised that there were a cabal of elites who preferred dangerous paedophiles to socialism (also, first day in office he'd have gone "hang on what's all this?" and those involved may have faced, ya know, justice.
February 4, 2026 at 9:24 AM
I am glad I am still someone who believes in the goodness of people enough to be surprised that there were a cabal of elites who preferred dangerous paedophiles to socialism (also, first day in office he'd have gone "hang on what's all this?" and those involved may have faced, ya know, justice.
Reposted by Piers Beckley
Peter Mandelson is telling the truth on one thing: the idea he was bought for a $4k “bursary” or a $75k gift is ridiculous
The real incentive was a post-government payday - one so big he *rejected* a $3–5m-a-year offer
And Epstein enabled that payday
Here’s the evidence. 🧵
The real incentive was a post-government payday - one so big he *rejected* a $3–5m-a-year offer
And Epstein enabled that payday
Here’s the evidence. 🧵
February 4, 2026 at 8:49 AM
Peter Mandelson is telling the truth on one thing: the idea he was bought for a $4k “bursary” or a $75k gift is ridiculous
The real incentive was a post-government payday - one so big he *rejected* a $3–5m-a-year offer
And Epstein enabled that payday
Here’s the evidence. 🧵
The real incentive was a post-government payday - one so big he *rejected* a $3–5m-a-year offer
And Epstein enabled that payday
Here’s the evidence. 🧵
Reposted by Piers Beckley
If that, ‘t…’ doesn’t end with ‘…ravelodge’ I’m going to be very disappointed.
February 4, 2026 at 8:37 AM
If that, ‘t…’ doesn’t end with ‘…ravelodge’ I’m going to be very disappointed.
Reposted by Piers Beckley
So people open with 'hi' or 'hello' and wait for a reply, thinking the chat is like a phone call (greetings - optional chit chat - meaty question) instead of a form of supershort email.
February 4, 2026 at 9:39 AM
So people open with 'hi' or 'hello' and wait for a reply, thinking the chat is like a phone call (greetings - optional chit chat - meaty question) instead of a form of supershort email.
Reposted by Piers Beckley
Come see me in Leicester in a couple of weeks - only a few tickets left
events.comedy-festival.co.uk/events/robin... #comedy #poetry
events.comedy-festival.co.uk/events/robin... #comedy #poetry
Robin Ince: Let the Quiet Ones Rise | Leicester Comedy Festival
events.comedy-festival.co.uk
February 4, 2026 at 9:44 AM
Come see me in Leicester in a couple of weeks - only a few tickets left
events.comedy-festival.co.uk/events/robin... #comedy #poetry
events.comedy-festival.co.uk/events/robin... #comedy #poetry
Reposted by Piers Beckley
Some Lego chat on the TL this morning reminds me of an unrelated bugbear: people claiming Lego isn't for kids any more. There is LOADS of Lego aimed at kids. You just don't see it if your main experience of Lego is middle-aged nerds posting links to the latest £450 Star Wars set on social media.
February 4, 2026 at 9:44 AM
Some Lego chat on the TL this morning reminds me of an unrelated bugbear: people claiming Lego isn't for kids any more. There is LOADS of Lego aimed at kids. You just don't see it if your main experience of Lego is middle-aged nerds posting links to the latest £450 Star Wars set on social media.
Reposted by Piers Beckley
joel's woken up angry and i love it
At an industry event last night one (old media) journalist said “we may need institutions like the BBC because internet searches don’t return separate news stories now, but an AI summary that is usually wrong.”
Watching an industry shrug and surrender to a competitor that DOES NOT WORK.
Watching an industry shrug and surrender to a competitor that DOES NOT WORK.
February 4, 2026 at 9:34 AM
joel's woken up angry and i love it
Reposted by Piers Beckley
I go on about the bro culture in number 10 a lot but it's hard not to think that a setup that included more women and actually listened to women might have correctly identified that this was utterly disqualifying
no hiding for the PM really, is there
February 4, 2026 at 9:54 AM
I go on about the bro culture in number 10 a lot but it's hard not to think that a setup that included more women and actually listened to women might have correctly identified that this was utterly disqualifying
Reposted by Piers Beckley
Bloomberg never allowed us to run this kind of flannel (in my time there) and the result was that I discovered the incredible power of saying: "... and that denial is on the record? Oh, it's not. Ok, well come back to us when it is."
February 4, 2026 at 10:04 AM
Bloomberg never allowed us to run this kind of flannel (in my time there) and the result was that I discovered the incredible power of saying: "... and that denial is on the record? Oh, it's not. Ok, well come back to us when it is."
Reposted by Piers Beckley
Hot Take 2: if this is Mandelson's position, there is no reason for him not to issue a statement to this effect. If he has not issued a statement to this effect, the BBC's "understanding" of his actual position may be inaccurate. Stop letting people play this game.
February 4, 2026 at 9:55 AM
Hot Take 2: if this is Mandelson's position, there is no reason for him not to issue a statement to this effect. If he has not issued a statement to this effect, the BBC's "understanding" of his actual position may be inaccurate. Stop letting people play this game.
Reposted by Piers Beckley
In today’s Beano Bananaman battles a series of different memes
February 4, 2026 at 10:04 AM
In today’s Beano Bananaman battles a series of different memes
Reposted by Piers Beckley
There’s literally a straight line between Trump, Epstein, and the retaliatory lawsuits against women who came forward with allegations against celebrity men like Amber Heard and Blake Lively. They all even have the same PR folks. And yet people still refuse to see it
February 3, 2026 at 8:03 PM
There’s literally a straight line between Trump, Epstein, and the retaliatory lawsuits against women who came forward with allegations against celebrity men like Amber Heard and Blake Lively. They all even have the same PR folks. And yet people still refuse to see it
Reposted by Piers Beckley
These guys two months ago: ha ha I hope there's a civil war we'll make those LIBERAL BITCHES cry for mercy
These guys now: waaaaaa they're using whistles it's not FAIR waaaaa
(You can get free community safety whistles, quantity 100 to 1000, from here:
linktr.ee/3Dwhistles
)
These guys now: waaaaaa they're using whistles it's not FAIR waaaaa
(You can get free community safety whistles, quantity 100 to 1000, from here:
linktr.ee/3Dwhistles
)
Right-wing media figures are furious at activists for using whistles during ICE activity
Right-wing media figures are lashing out at community members in Minnesota for using whistles to alert others of federal immigration enforcement in the area, asserting that whistles should be “conside...
www.mediamatters.org
February 3, 2026 at 7:40 PM
These guys two months ago: ha ha I hope there's a civil war we'll make those LIBERAL BITCHES cry for mercy
These guys now: waaaaaa they're using whistles it's not FAIR waaaaa
(You can get free community safety whistles, quantity 100 to 1000, from here:
linktr.ee/3Dwhistles
)
These guys now: waaaaaa they're using whistles it's not FAIR waaaaa
(You can get free community safety whistles, quantity 100 to 1000, from here:
linktr.ee/3Dwhistles
)
Reposted by Piers Beckley
There's a point, well below a billion dollars, where the amount of money you have lets you rid yourself of anyone who can be a check on your worst impulses, and replace them with people who tell you those worst impulses are somehow valorous. Rare is the billionaire with someone to tell them "no."
You can look at the Epstein files and conclude that only bad people have billions of dollars, but I think it’s also possible that having billions of dollars cauterizes your humanity
February 3, 2026 at 7:42 PM
There's a point, well below a billion dollars, where the amount of money you have lets you rid yourself of anyone who can be a check on your worst impulses, and replace them with people who tell you those worst impulses are somehow valorous. Rare is the billionaire with someone to tell them "no."
Just edited three words into the latest manuscript purely to avoid having a zero-words day.
And you know what, I'm fine with that.
And you know what, I'm fine with that.
February 3, 2026 at 5:59 PM
Just edited three words into the latest manuscript purely to avoid having a zero-words day.
And you know what, I'm fine with that.
And you know what, I'm fine with that.
Reposted by Piers Beckley
A tough one to sit with--but we must--is that some people's ability to make good art in part derived from, or was protected by, the fact that they were enabling or doing terrible things. See also: We Need to Talk about Cosby doc. Even more troubling on this score: Read deep reporting on Alice Munro
"actually his stuff was very Derivative and not Original" like, you don't have to do this. it is good for us all to sit with the cognitive dissonance that a very bad person can make very good art. it is good for us to work through the moral ramifications of that.
February 3, 2026 at 5:55 PM
A tough one to sit with--but we must--is that some people's ability to make good art in part derived from, or was protected by, the fact that they were enabling or doing terrible things. See also: We Need to Talk about Cosby doc. Even more troubling on this score: Read deep reporting on Alice Munro
Reposted by Piers Beckley
It was the one pure thing we had left.
Guys I just opened mspaint for graphic design is my passion reasons. Spotted the copilot logo.
They've put ffing AI in ffing paint.
They've put ffing AI in ffing paint.
February 3, 2026 at 5:56 PM
It was the one pure thing we had left.
Reposted by Piers Beckley
One week from today we launch Blades '68!
Get ready for danger, intrigue, and unruly action under the artificial light of an electroplasmic sun.
An official expansion for Blades in the Dark.
Follow the project here and download the free 40-page preview now:
www.backerkit.com/call_to_acti...
Get ready for danger, intrigue, and unruly action under the artificial light of an electroplasmic sun.
An official expansion for Blades in the Dark.
Follow the project here and download the free 40-page preview now:
www.backerkit.com/call_to_acti...
February 3, 2026 at 5:39 PM
One week from today we launch Blades '68!
Get ready for danger, intrigue, and unruly action under the artificial light of an electroplasmic sun.
An official expansion for Blades in the Dark.
Follow the project here and download the free 40-page preview now:
www.backerkit.com/call_to_acti...
Get ready for danger, intrigue, and unruly action under the artificial light of an electroplasmic sun.
An official expansion for Blades in the Dark.
Follow the project here and download the free 40-page preview now:
www.backerkit.com/call_to_acti...
Reposted by Piers Beckley
But also, this may be one of the best conflict-of-interest statements ever?
![Screenshot of an excerpt from the article in the previous post. Text reads: "[Disclosure: Prior to his election, the author was Councilor Green's DM in a Dungeons & Dragons campaign.]"](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:rgzw2gfpyanm42hqkxvewh7l/bafkreih5jmgp4g2tttv4fhreve7hcaumxv5effmceh3osbl2khhtfibsky@jpeg)
February 3, 2026 at 5:18 PM
But also, this may be one of the best conflict-of-interest statements ever?
Reposted by Piers Beckley
whatever rowling is trying to hide it's something that would look even worse than how it looks to delete your entire yacht location history immediately after someone noticing your signoff turning up in the epstein files
February 3, 2026 at 3:02 PM
whatever rowling is trying to hide it's something that would look even worse than how it looks to delete your entire yacht location history immediately after someone noticing your signoff turning up in the epstein files
Reposted by Piers Beckley
A lot going on here and all ugly, but one thing I still can't get my head around is how any British government can do business with Thiel at this point.
February 3, 2026 at 9:28 AM
A lot going on here and all ugly, but one thing I still can't get my head around is how any British government can do business with Thiel at this point.
Reposted by Piers Beckley
There were a flurry of "spontaneous" replies last month to various posts i made. All written the same way. All trying to link to the random substack about how innocent he is.
My first thought (after blocking) was:
"Oh i see someone's publisher has hired a bot farm."
My first thought (after blocking) was:
"Oh i see someone's publisher has hired a bot farm."
Gaiman is already suing one of his accusers. If he had any actionable claims against "There is No Safe Word", he would have sued New York Magazine and Lila Shapiro. The fact that he is instead pointing readers to some random substack article tells us all we need to know.
I find the entire genre of "tens of thousands of words minutely refuting every point of an abuse clam" intrinsically unpersuasive. If any of the evidence were actually damning they'd just highlight that instead of doing a tedious Gish Gallop.
February 3, 2026 at 8:45 AM
There were a flurry of "spontaneous" replies last month to various posts i made. All written the same way. All trying to link to the random substack about how innocent he is.
My first thought (after blocking) was:
"Oh i see someone's publisher has hired a bot farm."
My first thought (after blocking) was:
"Oh i see someone's publisher has hired a bot farm."
Reposted by Piers Beckley
My government at the moment seems less bothered about that, but very concerned that it doesn’t upset the CEOs of the foreign tech companies who have stolen from, disrupted, insulted, attacked, disenfranchised and impoverished everyone I know.
Not keen.
Not keen.
February 3, 2026 at 10:31 AM
My government at the moment seems less bothered about that, but very concerned that it doesn’t upset the CEOs of the foreign tech companies who have stolen from, disrupted, insulted, attacked, disenfranchised and impoverished everyone I know.
Not keen.
Not keen.