Owain
@randomletters92.bsky.social
NHS biomedical scientist, gaymer and geek living and working in London. He/Him. 🏳️🌈🏴
Reposted by Owain
Reposted by Owain
Finally, a politician prepared to fight against the huge roll in public life being handed over to Palantir by our corrupt govts.
Why is Palantir being given NHS contracts? They are reportedly involved with rounding up migrants in the US and targeting mainly civilians in Gaza.
Why is Palantir being given NHS contracts? They are reportedly involved with rounding up migrants in the US and targeting mainly civilians in Gaza.
Zack Polanski, "Palantir.. £240 million contract last month"
"That was lobbied by Global Counsel which is Peter Mandelson's lobbying group"
"The idea that a defence company from the US has its fingerprints all over our healthcare system, alongside Peter Mandelson"
"That was lobbied by Global Counsel which is Peter Mandelson's lobbying group"
"The idea that a defence company from the US has its fingerprints all over our healthcare system, alongside Peter Mandelson"
February 5, 2026 at 12:48 AM
Finally, a politician prepared to fight against the huge roll in public life being handed over to Palantir by our corrupt govts.
Why is Palantir being given NHS contracts? They are reportedly involved with rounding up migrants in the US and targeting mainly civilians in Gaza.
Why is Palantir being given NHS contracts? They are reportedly involved with rounding up migrants in the US and targeting mainly civilians in Gaza.
Reposted by Owain
Drug laws have never stopped people from using drugs.
They've stopped people from using drugs safely.
It's time to legalise *and* regulate.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
They've stopped people from using drugs safely.
It's time to legalise *and* regulate.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Drugs policy approach needs to change, Zack Polanski says
The Green Party leader of England and Wales says there needs to be a
www.bbc.co.uk
February 2, 2026 at 12:06 PM
Drug laws have never stopped people from using drugs.
They've stopped people from using drugs safely.
It's time to legalise *and* regulate.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
They've stopped people from using drugs safely.
It's time to legalise *and* regulate.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Owain
i've been watching the coyote on Alcatraz's progress with great interest. a week-ish ago, a coyote SWAM to Alcatraz for the first time and looked fuckin rough after the dangerous swim. but the coyote is doing fine now, gorging itself on unprepared birds & rats who are dealing with a sort of Godzilla
January 29, 2026 at 4:50 PM
i've been watching the coyote on Alcatraz's progress with great interest. a week-ish ago, a coyote SWAM to Alcatraz for the first time and looked fuckin rough after the dangerous swim. but the coyote is doing fine now, gorging itself on unprepared birds & rats who are dealing with a sort of Godzilla
Reposted by Owain
Hey did you remember that thing yesterday where the government announced 'free AI training' to everyone? Do you recall that? Does that ring a bell?
Microsoft and Blackrock have "have largely given up on organic adoption [of AI] by consumers. They have moved on to a new dream of forced adoption mandated by government and managerial coercion."
Fascinating piece here on what Davos can teach us about the AI industry by @mattseybold.bsky.social
Fascinating piece here on what Davos can teach us about the AI industry by @mattseybold.bsky.social
"You have to use it. You have to trust it.": Forced Adoption of AI is The Subtext of Davos
Authoritarianism is the AI Bailout; But If AI Doesn't Need a Bailout, Does it Need Authoritarianism?
theamericanvandal.substack.com
January 29, 2026 at 2:43 PM
Hey did you remember that thing yesterday where the government announced 'free AI training' to everyone? Do you recall that? Does that ring a bell?
Reposted by Owain
This thread is incredible
I think I might take one of these "under 20 minutes" AI skills courses the UK Govt. seems very keen on everyone doing and live-post it here... Maybe we can all learn something together! The press release sends me to aiskillshub.org.uk/aiskillsboost/ - let's go and see!
AI Skills Boost - AI Skills Hub
aiskillshub.org.uk
January 29, 2026 at 8:42 AM
This thread is incredible
Reposted by Owain
How? How do you double-check the accuracy, if you're not already an expert? Ask a different GenAI? Or do you, you know... Have to go and do the research you would have done anyway, pre-AI? Because I'm buggered if I can think of how you do that in a way where the GenAI saved you time.
January 28, 2026 at 1:12 PM
How? How do you double-check the accuracy, if you're not already an expert? Ask a different GenAI? Or do you, you know... Have to go and do the research you would have done anyway, pre-AI? Because I'm buggered if I can think of how you do that in a way where the GenAI saved you time.
Could we send water companies on a "not dumping shit in the rivers" course?
BREAKING: Free AI training will be offered to every adult in the UK, with short courses to teach people how to use simple AI tools effectively in the workplace.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall tells #BBCBreakfast about the scheme
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall tells #BBCBreakfast about the scheme
January 28, 2026 at 10:40 AM
Could we send water companies on a "not dumping shit in the rivers" course?
If elected; I will ensure that whenever there are 2 escalators together, one is obviously faster than the other.
January 27, 2026 at 12:02 PM
If elected; I will ensure that whenever there are 2 escalators together, one is obviously faster than the other.
Reposted by Owain
I think at this point the UK has accepted Paddington as the Death Bear, collector of souls. So, I think as a nation we should start smearing marmalade on the eyes of the dead and whisper “fare for the crossing”. It’ll feel weird now but, in three of four generations, no one will question it.
January 26, 2026 at 11:36 AM
I think at this point the UK has accepted Paddington as the Death Bear, collector of souls. So, I think as a nation we should start smearing marmalade on the eyes of the dead and whisper “fare for the crossing”. It’ll feel weird now but, in three of four generations, no one will question it.
Reposted by Owain
Al Gore loudly booing a US Commerce Secretary at a bankers’ forum should be a Futurama joke instead of real life.
January 21, 2026 at 1:46 PM
Al Gore loudly booing a US Commerce Secretary at a bankers’ forum should be a Futurama joke instead of real life.
Reposted by Owain
Reposted by Owain
It’s risky being the first astronaut to look out the window after FTL is invented. You’ll either see stars streaking by harmlessly or see [redacted] and go crazy forever
January 11, 2026 at 9:46 PM
It’s risky being the first astronaut to look out the window after FTL is invented. You’ll either see stars streaking by harmlessly or see [redacted] and go crazy forever
Reposted by Owain
We can’t go on like this.
In just two days, the average FTSE 100 CEO has made a median workers full time annual salary.
The right calls this “wealth creation”.
It’s wealth extraction.
Time to tax the rich.
@highpaycentre.bsky.social
highpaycentre.org/fat-cat-day-...
In just two days, the average FTSE 100 CEO has made a median workers full time annual salary.
The right calls this “wealth creation”.
It’s wealth extraction.
Time to tax the rich.
@highpaycentre.bsky.social
highpaycentre.org/fat-cat-day-...
Fat Cat Day 2026 - High Pay Centre
Data shows the average FTSE 100 CEO will take just over two days to earn the median UK worker's full time annual salary. Median FTSE100 CEO pay amounted to £4.398 million (excluding pension), 113 time...
highpaycentre.org
January 6, 2026 at 12:55 PM
We can’t go on like this.
In just two days, the average FTSE 100 CEO has made a median workers full time annual salary.
The right calls this “wealth creation”.
It’s wealth extraction.
Time to tax the rich.
@highpaycentre.bsky.social
highpaycentre.org/fat-cat-day-...
In just two days, the average FTSE 100 CEO has made a median workers full time annual salary.
The right calls this “wealth creation”.
It’s wealth extraction.
Time to tax the rich.
@highpaycentre.bsky.social
highpaycentre.org/fat-cat-day-...
Reposted by Owain
If you want to know who took all of your money, it's the people with all of the money. Famously, we know that's people working in child care.
January 2, 2026 at 8:53 PM
If you want to know who took all of your money, it's the people with all of the money. Famously, we know that's people working in child care.
Reposted by Owain
Your fact of the day:
The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in six American citizens suffers a food-borne illness annually. In the UK, the figure is one in 132.
bylinetimes.com/2020/02/28/f...
The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in six American citizens suffers a food-borne illness annually. In the UK, the figure is one in 132.
bylinetimes.com/2020/02/28/f...
Fowl Play: How US Chicken Imports will Pollute Britain's Poor
Since joining the EU British food has gone from bog-awful to top-notch, but Otto English reveals how a US Trade deal will unravel 40 years of progress.
bylinetimes.com
January 4, 2026 at 9:12 AM
Your fact of the day:
The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in six American citizens suffers a food-borne illness annually. In the UK, the figure is one in 132.
bylinetimes.com/2020/02/28/f...
The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in six American citizens suffers a food-borne illness annually. In the UK, the figure is one in 132.
bylinetimes.com/2020/02/28/f...
Reposted by Owain
The effect of this sort of rhetoric is going to be that an entire generation, on both left and right, thinks antisemitism is not a legitimate issue but simply a cudgel to wield in political arguments against one's opponents. This sort of rhetoric makes Diaspora Jews less safe.
January 2, 2026 at 4:18 PM
The effect of this sort of rhetoric is going to be that an entire generation, on both left and right, thinks antisemitism is not a legitimate issue but simply a cudgel to wield in political arguments against one's opponents. This sort of rhetoric makes Diaspora Jews less safe.
Reposted by Owain
Saw Russell Howard on the street in Leamington once, and my friend said -loud enough for him to hear- "Look, a minor celebrity, let's stare at it like weirdos"
Right folks. Feeling rather down at the moment so bringing back an oldie
Please Quote this with your most minor celebrity interaction
Please Quote this with your most minor celebrity interaction
December 30, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Saw Russell Howard on the street in Leamington once, and my friend said -loud enough for him to hear- "Look, a minor celebrity, let's stare at it like weirdos"
Reposted by Owain
well christ, don't let it drive home then
December 27, 2025 at 2:30 PM
well christ, don't let it drive home then
Reposted by Owain
In a way though, LLM adoption is the natural endpoint of decades of software UX design intended to deskill, demean, and disempower users. Almost no software people use daily has automation affordances or even decent UI customization options.
December 23, 2025 at 1:40 PM
In a way though, LLM adoption is the natural endpoint of decades of software UX design intended to deskill, demean, and disempower users. Almost no software people use daily has automation affordances or even decent UI customization options.
Reposted by Owain
Rare footage of St Paul’s Cathedral testing its giant flamethrower
December 21, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Rare footage of St Paul’s Cathedral testing its giant flamethrower
Reposted by Owain
And Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, was placed in a healing cocoon in Jamaica Bay while the Phoenix took his form, memories, and place in the Cratchits, who were impressed by both his sudden good health and fantastic new cosmic power.
December 25, 2024 at 5:19 PM
And Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, was placed in a healing cocoon in Jamaica Bay while the Phoenix took his form, memories, and place in the Cratchits, who were impressed by both his sudden good health and fantastic new cosmic power.