Alastair Millar
@skriptorium.info
Translator & flash sf writer (BSFA); 🇨🇿/🇬🇧
Posts eclectically (archaeology, travel, current affairs, words)
❤️good coffee & bad puns; 🚫 genAI; unsolicited DM = block
Happily married; he/him; 🏳️🌈/🏳️⚧️ ally; #NAFO fella; 🇺🇦 🇬🇪
Links: https://linktr.ee/alastairmillar
Posts eclectically (archaeology, travel, current affairs, words)
❤️good coffee & bad puns; 🚫 genAI; unsolicited DM = block
Happily married; he/him; 🏳️🌈/🏳️⚧️ ally; #NAFO fella; 🇺🇦 🇬🇪
Links: https://linktr.ee/alastairmillar
Pinned
Alastair Millar
@skriptorium.info
· Jun 16
My flash science fiction collection, 'Mars & More', is still available!
If you'd like to get YOUR hands on some punchy, bite sized SF, you can find the ebook here: books2read.com/MarsMore
Or order in print (paperback) through your favourite bookstore: the ISBN is 979-8-227-17966-1
If you'd like to get YOUR hands on some punchy, bite sized SF, you can find the ebook here: books2read.com/MarsMore
Or order in print (paperback) through your favourite bookstore: the ISBN is 979-8-227-17966-1
Amen to that.
November 10, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Amen to that.
Reposted by Alastair Millar
⚡️ Czechs funded one Ukrainian Flamingo missile—and got two.
The manufacturer matched donations from the “Gift for Putin” campaign, doubling the deal to honor late physicist Dana Drábová, a strong supporter of Ukraine.
The manufacturer matched donations from the “Gift for Putin” campaign, doubling the deal to honor late physicist Dana Drábová, a strong supporter of Ukraine.
Czechs Fund One Flamingo Missile for Ukraine—Get Two After Manufacturer Doubles the Deal
A Czech initiative has successfully raised funds for two Ukrainian “Flamingo” cruise missiles, surpassing initial goals and honoring nuclear physicist Dana Drábová.
united24media.com
November 10, 2025 at 1:37 PM
⚡️ Czechs funded one Ukrainian Flamingo missile—and got two.
The manufacturer matched donations from the “Gift for Putin” campaign, doubling the deal to honor late physicist Dana Drábová, a strong supporter of Ukraine.
The manufacturer matched donations from the “Gift for Putin” campaign, doubling the deal to honor late physicist Dana Drábová, a strong supporter of Ukraine.
Ouch.
Leaving the EEA was promoted by a combination of right-wing ideologues and people who put personal interests above country. It was obviously a huge mistake, and its about time that major political parties acknowledged that publicly, and tried to fix the damage.
Leaving the EEA was promoted by a combination of right-wing ideologues and people who put personal interests above country. It was obviously a huge mistake, and its about time that major political parties acknowledged that publicly, and tried to fix the damage.
Headline from a serious and long working paper on the economic impact of Brexit. Possible that this has been feeding into OBR and HMT discussions?
November 10, 2025 at 11:12 AM
Ouch.
Leaving the EEA was promoted by a combination of right-wing ideologues and people who put personal interests above country. It was obviously a huge mistake, and its about time that major political parties acknowledged that publicly, and tried to fix the damage.
Leaving the EEA was promoted by a combination of right-wing ideologues and people who put personal interests above country. It was obviously a huge mistake, and its about time that major political parties acknowledged that publicly, and tried to fix the damage.
Reposted by Alastair Millar
Read this to understand what life is like in a city near the front lines.
Three years after liberation, Ukraine's Kherson faces another kind of siege
Three years after liberation, Ukraine's Kherson faces another kind of siege
Three years after liberation, Ukraine's Kherson faces another kind of siege
www.independent.co.uk
November 10, 2025 at 7:10 AM
Read this to understand what life is like in a city near the front lines.
Hey @waterstones.bsky.social - is it company-wide policy to consider Ukraine part of Russia, or are your Glasgow staff just incapable of understanding why there's a war in Europe right now?
Screenshot from Threads.
Screenshot from Threads.
November 10, 2025 at 5:17 AM
Hey @waterstones.bsky.social - is it company-wide policy to consider Ukraine part of Russia, or are your Glasgow staff just incapable of understanding why there's a war in Europe right now?
Screenshot from Threads.
Screenshot from Threads.
Reposted by Alastair Millar
German journalist and political scientist Mandy Ganske-Zapf explains how Russian disinformation spreads in Germany and manipulates societal fears.
Germany: Russia’s Preferred Target for Disinformation — Insights from Mandy Ganske-Zapf
German journalist and political scientist Mandy Ganske-Zapf explains how Russian disinformation spreads in Germany and manipulates societal fears.
open.substack.com
November 9, 2025 at 6:25 PM
German journalist and political scientist Mandy Ganske-Zapf explains how Russian disinformation spreads in Germany and manipulates societal fears.
Reposted by Alastair Millar
Again, protesters move around many Old Tbilisi neighbourhoods.
I wonder if the regime wonders they should have just let the people close Rustaveli.
#GeorgiaProtests Day 347
📷 Mariam Dolidze
I wonder if the regime wonders they should have just let the people close Rustaveli.
#GeorgiaProtests Day 347
📷 Mariam Dolidze
November 9, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Again, protesters move around many Old Tbilisi neighbourhoods.
I wonder if the regime wonders they should have just let the people close Rustaveli.
#GeorgiaProtests Day 347
📷 Mariam Dolidze
I wonder if the regime wonders they should have just let the people close Rustaveli.
#GeorgiaProtests Day 347
📷 Mariam Dolidze
Reposted by Alastair Millar
November 8, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Reposted by Alastair Millar
Epulation [EP-yoo-lay-shun]
(n.)
- A lavish banquet, feasting, or the act of feasting, often with a hint of excess or ritual pomp.
Used in a sentence:
“The princess, not especially fond of theatrical excess, nevertheless enjoyed a fine birthday epulation worthy of a Renaissance court.”
(n.)
- A lavish banquet, feasting, or the act of feasting, often with a hint of excess or ritual pomp.
Used in a sentence:
“The princess, not especially fond of theatrical excess, nevertheless enjoyed a fine birthday epulation worthy of a Renaissance court.”
November 8, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Epulation [EP-yoo-lay-shun]
(n.)
- A lavish banquet, feasting, or the act of feasting, often with a hint of excess or ritual pomp.
Used in a sentence:
“The princess, not especially fond of theatrical excess, nevertheless enjoyed a fine birthday epulation worthy of a Renaissance court.”
(n.)
- A lavish banquet, feasting, or the act of feasting, often with a hint of excess or ritual pomp.
Used in a sentence:
“The princess, not especially fond of theatrical excess, nevertheless enjoyed a fine birthday epulation worthy of a Renaissance court.”
Looks like things are not going well in the Russian military-industrial complex - despite the need to replace a lot of lost armour, the country's most important tank manufacturer has had to announce major layoffs.
Definitely a step in the right direction!
Definitely a step in the right direction!
Russian Tank-Building Uralvagonzavod Announced Large-Scale Layoffs - Militarnyi
Uralvagonzavod, the flagship of the Russian tank industry, has announced a large-scale reduction in staff.
militarnyi.com
November 9, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Looks like things are not going well in the Russian military-industrial complex - despite the need to replace a lot of lost armour, the country's most important tank manufacturer has had to announce major layoffs.
Definitely a step in the right direction!
Definitely a step in the right direction!
Both the journey and the final destination are important, and sacrifices may need to be made. My new flash science fiction story, ‘The Transcendent’, a bit of a departure from my usual style, has just been published by @365tomorrows.bsky.social – enjoy!
#amwriting #sciencefiction #flashfiction
#amwriting #sciencefiction #flashfiction
The Transcendent - 365tomorrows
Author: Alastair Millar The cold wind, persistent further down, had died away. Now the silence was so intense that the man could hear his footfalls on the sandy soil. He was almost where he needed to ...
365tomorrows.com
November 9, 2025 at 8:14 AM
Both the journey and the final destination are important, and sacrifices may need to be made. My new flash science fiction story, ‘The Transcendent’, a bit of a departure from my usual style, has just been published by @365tomorrows.bsky.social – enjoy!
#amwriting #sciencefiction #flashfiction
#amwriting #sciencefiction #flashfiction
So a flash fiction piece that was rejected by the first place I submitted it with a very fast 14 hour turnaround was just accepted by the second after only 2.5 hours...
I don't know what's got into the water Stateside, but oh boy, you folks all got the zoomies!! 😀
#writerslife #amwriting
I don't know what's got into the water Stateside, but oh boy, you folks all got the zoomies!! 😀
#writerslife #amwriting
November 9, 2025 at 5:34 AM
So a flash fiction piece that was rejected by the first place I submitted it with a very fast 14 hour turnaround was just accepted by the second after only 2.5 hours...
I don't know what's got into the water Stateside, but oh boy, you folks all got the zoomies!! 😀
#writerslife #amwriting
I don't know what's got into the water Stateside, but oh boy, you folks all got the zoomies!! 😀
#writerslife #amwriting
Those who decry falling birth rates are unable to explain WHY a constantly expanding population is a good/necessary thing when resources are finite.
Many economists and business leaders are raising alarms about falling birthrates. But advocates for lower human populations say a less crowded world will be happier and more sustainable.
Could smaller families 'rewild' the planet — and make humans happier?
Many economists and business leaders are raising alarms about falling birthrates. But advocates for lower human populations say a less crowded world will be happier and more sustainable.
n.pr
November 9, 2025 at 12:18 AM
Those who decry falling birth rates are unable to explain WHY a constantly expanding population is a good/necessary thing when resources are finite.
Mozilla decided to use AI-driven machine translation to replace volunteer SUMO (SUpport MOzilla) communities' work. It has not gone well - for all the reasons experienced translators could have told them. Now 20-yr volunteers are jumping ship.
#xl8
#xl8
Client Challenge
support.mozilla.org
November 9, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Mozilla decided to use AI-driven machine translation to replace volunteer SUMO (SUpport MOzilla) communities' work. It has not gone well - for all the reasons experienced translators could have told them. Now 20-yr volunteers are jumping ship.
#xl8
#xl8
Reposted by Alastair Millar
This reflects an authoritarian indicator we identified in our assessment: assault on public knowledge and civil society. It mirrors Cold War propaganda, presenting a whitewashed, idealized past to define a desired future, reinforcing who is valued and who is excluded from economic opportunity.
November 8, 2025 at 7:38 PM
This reflects an authoritarian indicator we identified in our assessment: assault on public knowledge and civil society. It mirrors Cold War propaganda, presenting a whitewashed, idealized past to define a desired future, reinforcing who is valued and who is excluded from economic opportunity.
This is now so commonplace that the Western media hardly bothers reporting it. No other European country has the skills or hardware to fight off attacks of this scale even ONCE, let alone night after night, week after week, month after month.
Do YOUR part to help: u24.gov.ua
🇺🇦 Slava Ukraini! 🇺🇦
Do YOUR part to help: u24.gov.ua
🇺🇦 Slava Ukraini! 🇺🇦
Russia launched over 450 strike drones and 45 missiles at Ukraine. Targets included civilian areas, residential buildings, energy facilities, and infrastructure, per Zelenskyy.
November 8, 2025 at 8:33 AM
This is now so commonplace that the Western media hardly bothers reporting it. No other European country has the skills or hardware to fight off attacks of this scale even ONCE, let alone night after night, week after week, month after month.
Do YOUR part to help: u24.gov.ua
🇺🇦 Slava Ukraini! 🇺🇦
Do YOUR part to help: u24.gov.ua
🇺🇦 Slava Ukraini! 🇺🇦
“And people did this, just like you, you and me... it was not Hitler who arrested me, not Goering, not Goebbels. The grocer, the janitor, the tailor, the shoemaker, the baker, they suddenly got a uniform, a swastika armband, and there they were, the master race...”
Karl Stojka, Auschwitz survivor
Karl Stojka, Auschwitz survivor
November 8, 2025 at 4:10 AM
“And people did this, just like you, you and me... it was not Hitler who arrested me, not Goering, not Goebbels. The grocer, the janitor, the tailor, the shoemaker, the baker, they suddenly got a uniform, a swastika armband, and there they were, the master race...”
Karl Stojka, Auschwitz survivor
Karl Stojka, Auschwitz survivor
Reposted by Alastair Millar
Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present Karma?
November 7, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present Karma?
Reposted by Alastair Millar
Falcate [FAL-kayt]
(adj.)
- Curved or crescent shaped; hooked.
From Latin “falcatus” from “falx / “falc-” (sickle)
Used in a sentence:
“The scythe’s falcate edge she left behind with scratch and tear that mightie wights had beene astonied much to spy—his robe was rent and cleene.”
(adj.)
- Curved or crescent shaped; hooked.
From Latin “falcatus” from “falx / “falc-” (sickle)
Used in a sentence:
“The scythe’s falcate edge she left behind with scratch and tear that mightie wights had beene astonied much to spy—his robe was rent and cleene.”
November 7, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Falcate [FAL-kayt]
(adj.)
- Curved or crescent shaped; hooked.
From Latin “falcatus” from “falx / “falc-” (sickle)
Used in a sentence:
“The scythe’s falcate edge she left behind with scratch and tear that mightie wights had beene astonied much to spy—his robe was rent and cleene.”
(adj.)
- Curved or crescent shaped; hooked.
From Latin “falcatus” from “falx / “falc-” (sickle)
Used in a sentence:
“The scythe’s falcate edge she left behind with scratch and tear that mightie wights had beene astonied much to spy—his robe was rent and cleene.”
And there you have it. The US regime is, after all, happy to allow Russia's war machine to be funded. This sets an appalling precedent and will prolong the war. 😡
Trump grants Hungary sanctions exemption on Russian oil
Trump grants Hungary sanctions exemption on Russian oil
The decision, which further cements the alliance between the US and Hungary, comes as Orban dismissed Ukraine's chances of victory and Trump urged Europe to show 'more respect' for the Hungarian leader.
www.lemonde.fr
November 8, 2025 at 2:28 AM
And there you have it. The US regime is, after all, happy to allow Russia's war machine to be funded. This sets an appalling precedent and will prolong the war. 😡
Reposted by Alastair Millar
Thanks to everybody who followed us over the past days. We live and die on our reach through social media to get our message out. So now another ask. Please repost and send to your friends, as we try to expand even further.
go.bsky.app/RXFLYri
go.bsky.app/RXFLYri
November 7, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Thanks to everybody who followed us over the past days. We live and die on our reach through social media to get our message out. So now another ask. Please repost and send to your friends, as we try to expand even further.
go.bsky.app/RXFLYri
go.bsky.app/RXFLYri
Reposted by Alastair Millar
New #WriterBeware blog post: the minute the humongous Anthropic copyright settlement was announced, it became inevitable that unrelated third parties would seek to benefit...in this case, by convincing authors to opt out writerbeware.blog/2025/11/07/p...
Predatory Opt-Outs: The Speculators Come for the Anthropic Copyright Settlement - Writer Beware
The enormous, $1.5 billion Anthropic copyright class action settlement is reputedly the biggest copyright infringement recovery in history. With such a high-profile case, it’s inevitable that eligible...
writerbeware.blog
November 7, 2025 at 6:43 PM
New #WriterBeware blog post: the minute the humongous Anthropic copyright settlement was announced, it became inevitable that unrelated third parties would seek to benefit...in this case, by convincing authors to opt out writerbeware.blog/2025/11/07/p...
Looks like Putin's Patsy is going to try to flatter Trump into suggesting another 'peace conference', a visit to Budapest ahead of Hungarian elections, and/or an easing off of the demands to quit Russian oil...
The trouble is, of course, that Trump's narcissism makes him eminently flatterable.
The trouble is, of course, that Trump's narcissism makes him eminently flatterable.
Orbán to visit US to try to broker another Putin summit but questions raised over motives
Hungarian PM also seeking exemption on US sanctions on Russian oil as he faces domestic challenge before elections
www.theguardian.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Looks like Putin's Patsy is going to try to flatter Trump into suggesting another 'peace conference', a visit to Budapest ahead of Hungarian elections, and/or an easing off of the demands to quit Russian oil...
The trouble is, of course, that Trump's narcissism makes him eminently flatterable.
The trouble is, of course, that Trump's narcissism makes him eminently flatterable.
Reposted by Alastair Millar
Word of the Day is ‘catchfart’ (17th century): an obsequious individual who sucks up to the boss and always follows the political wind.
November 7, 2025 at 10:12 AM
Word of the Day is ‘catchfart’ (17th century): an obsequious individual who sucks up to the boss and always follows the political wind.