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Michael

@mortival.bsky.social
286 followers 194 following 193 posts

Happy spear carrier.

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Reposted by Michael
Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 19h
Speaking of voting, if you're a member and you'd like to keep the National Trust's Council free from interference from Britain (and the US's) richest financiers, don't forget to vote before the end of the month. Quick-vote takes moments and avoids the Restore Trust slate of candidates.
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Eliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
For all this talk of Russian bots being defeated by the Yandex strikes I'm still getting the usual Matryoshka emails with the same fake news posts and purchased bot engagement. Seems more like wishful thinking based on misinterpreted data than reality.
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Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Public executions were not abolished out of tenderness towards the criminal. They were abolished because of the effect on the people watching, and the dangers of making human death a source of commercial entertainment. Here's Charles Dickens in The Times, after witnessing an execution in 1849.
"I have seen, habitually, some of the worst sources of general contamination and corruption in this country, and I think there are not many phases of London life that could surprise me. I am solemnly convinced that nothing that ingenuity could devise to be done in this city, in the same compass of time, could work such ruin as one public execution, and I stand astounded and appalled by the wickedness it exhibits. I do not believe that any community can prosper where such a scene of horror and demoralization as was enacted this morning outside Horsemonger Lane Gaol is presented at the very doors of good citizens, and is passed by, unknown or forgotten. And when in our prayers and thanksgivings for the season we are humbly expressing before God our desire to remove the moral evils of the land, I would ask your readers to consider whether it is not a time to think of this one, and to root it out.

I am, Sir, your faithful Servant.
Charles Dickens".
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Faine Greenwood @faineg.com · 02/10/2023
remember the lady from New York who was cursed forever by ass-biting cockatoo ownership
Humans of New York ©
•. •
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3h. ©
"He doesn't love me, that's for sure. You can project human qualities onto these things until they bite your ass cheek. He bit my ass cheek. Middle of the night, wife asleep in the bed, I bend over to pick something up, and he bites me right on the ass. He's very dangerous if he doesn't get his way. If you aren't accommodating his wishes, he can screech you right into the ground. He won't go in his cage. Our entire apartment is filled with driftwood from the Hudson. He likes to sit on the driftwood when he watches TV. He'll take food off our plates. If anyone is talking, he has to be there. He wants to be part of everything. And the worst part is they won't die. They live to be 80 or 100. You know the saying: 'This too shall pass'? Not the umbrella cockatoo. This too, shall not pass. There's no hope. That's the horror of it. I told this to a nine-year old girl in the park. This girl was a genius. She says: 'You'll never have to say goodbye. You have an infinite pet.' It was the darkest thing l've ever heard."
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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
There are perverse incentives, and then there's just basic economic illiteracy
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Jim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
I'm sorry if this is obvious but the Tory proposal to exempt family homes completely from IHT will lead to 1] pensioners buying the biggest houses they possibly can 2] pensioners refusing to downsize which can only be bad news for younger families trying to buy family homes
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Sam Weller @samwellerauthor.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
This is the most remarkable story Ray Bradbury ever shared with me. He told it to me late one night, sitting in his den of antiquities and mementos. Take five minutes to read this. It’s pure magic. #Writing #Living #Creativity #RayBradbury #BookSky
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Eric Pazdziora @ericpazdziora.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
"Opera doesn't make money. Opera’s what you spend money *on*.” “But . . what do you get out of it?” “You get opera. You put money in, you see, and opera comes out,” said Salzella wearily. --Terry Pratchett, 'Maskerade'
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Ned Resnikoff @resnikoff.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I think about this interview with the distinguished philosopher Conan O'Brien a lot. I actually think this is a healthy way to live your life! www.nytimes.com/2019/01/14/a...
Is this how you want to go out, with a show that gets smaller and smaller until it’s gone?

Maybe that’s O.K. I think you have more of a problem with that than I do. [Laughs.] At this point in my career, I could go out with a grand, 21-gun salute, and climb into a rocket and the entire Supreme Court walks out and they jointly press a button, I’m shot up into the air and there’s an explosion and it’s orange and it spells, “Good night and God love.” In this culture? Two years later, it’s going to be, who’s Conan? This is going to sound grim, but eventually, all our graves go unattended.

You’re right, that does sound grim.

Sorry. Calvin Coolidge was a pretty popular president. I’ve been to his grave in Vermont. It has the presidential seal on it. Nobody was there. And by the way, I’m the only late-night host that has been to Calvin Coolidge’s grave. I think that’s what separates me from the other hosts.

I had a great conversation with Albert Brooks once. When I met him for the first time, I was kind of stammering. I said, you make movies, they live on forever. I just do these late-night shows, they get lost, they’re never seen again and who cares? And he looked at me and he said, [Albert Brooks voice] “What are you talking about? None of it matters.” None of it matters? “No, that’s the secret. In 1940, people said Clark Gable is the face of the 20th Century. Who [expletive] thinks about Clark Gable? It doesn’t matter. You’ll be forgotten. I’ll be forgotten. We’ll all be forgotten.” It’s so funny because you’d think that would depress me. I was walking on air after that.
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Michael @mortival.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I did work experience for the Salisbury Journal many years ago and a highlight was attending the weekly police briefing where they described the theft of a lawnmower from a shed.
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Pete Fraser @petefrasermusic.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I’ve been fascinated lately that we seem to be in a period where ppl are administrating & conducting sex offences, as well as on end-to-end encrypted services, on *facebook*. Like, they don’t feel the need to go to great efforts to hide it - to police investigate and *immediately* there it all is.
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⤵️ @bryce.lol · 27/09/2026
sort of nuts that Kurt Vonnegut buying an envelope would become a manifesto in ways he or anyone else could have ever imagined
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Adam_Y @modernistpunk.com · 24/09/2026
Despite the fact you carry your phone around with you and use it all the time, isn't it weird that you never see it in your dreams?
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Janine Gibson @janinegibson.ft.com · 23/09/2026
This week's Moral Maze on Radio 4 is about whether Ed Sheeran is obliged to have a public opinion. Far be it from me, but i feel like if you can cover it in an SNL cold open, it's not a maze.
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Dr Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
"The British historians wrote almost as if Britain had introduced Negro slavery solely for the satisfaction of abolishing it." Eric Williams, still on point all these decades on. All is changed while everything has stayed the same.
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Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
A deeply weird thing about entering middle age now is the continual struggle of 'is this just age-related nostalgia' versus 'empirically, a really bad thing happened to the United Kingdom when I turned eighteen'.
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Mags L Halliday @magslhalliday.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
On 19 December 1981, villagers were settling down for the evening, as a fierce winter storm blew through. Out at sea, the cargo ship the Union Star was on its maiden voyage when its engines failed and couldn’t restart. At 6pm, they called HM Coastguard for help.
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Jack Hurley @loudribs.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Here - I’ve made a map of Leeds for you all to get angry about:
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Nicolas Hénin @nicolashenin.net · 17/09/2026
Nice campaign by the Norwegian Consumer Council about the declining lifespan of products. Enjoy!
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Adria @adriaandthepriors.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Fred works on a chimney and smokes like one too. Best thing you will see today.
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Rachel Coldicutt @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
For household applicants and utility bills, it would be so useful if the norm was to have a household account rather than having an item/warranty/monthly payment be tied to one person in a household. Similar to when you leave parent/carer details for a child and there are spaces for multiple ppl
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Louise, Prof/Dr @louiselocock.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Oh blimey, here we go again. Time to vote in the National Trust AGM to keep so-called 'Restore Trust' off the council. Use the quick vote to ensure we don't split the anti-Restore vote. Or.... 1/2 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/a...
nationaltrust.org.uk
Annual General Meeting
Your Annual General Meeting will take place online and in person on Saturday 7th November 2026 at the STEAM Museum, Swindon.
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Michael @mortival.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Absolutely do not want to share firstname lastname with this; thanks Michael for ending up so weird and unpleasant.
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Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
If you feel like donating to the RNLI, here’s a link. I just have. Their minimum donation is £2: I think it might be nice for them to receive a lot of donations this week, even if they’re mostly very modest. Just so they know a lot of people out here appreciate their work. rnli.org/support-us/g...
rnli.org
Donate to the RNLI and help save lives at sea
Your donations really make a difference. We depend on your generosity to educate people to stay safe and prevent tragedies on and offshore. Donate here.
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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
The AfD and Reform immigration policies are almost identical. There is no plausible reason for considering one far right and the other not.
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Kate Allen @kateallen.ft.com · 06/09/2026
Tonight: defence and intelligence officials warn that Europe is failing to stop Russia from waging hybrid war. Russian proxies and intelligence agencies have for the past two years been prosecuting a covert war of aggression on European soil. (Gift link, 300 free clicks) as.ft.com/r/077657b5-6...
as.ft.com
Europe failing to deter Russia’s ‘hybrid’ war, warn defence officials
Foiled drone attack at German airport seen as sign of Nato’s weak response and Moscow’s impunity
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Jacquelantyrn Rhys 🍂 @fuliginflipflops.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Liz Lemon saying “What a struggle to be born into the new world, huh?” and Jack Donaghy replying “Lemon, it's the time of monsters.”
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Boze Herrington, Library Owl @sketchesbyboze.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Dolly Parton rose from poverty to stardom. She gave $500 to every student in her hometown who finished high school; she built hospitals & bald eagle preserves; her Imagination Library has gifted 300 million books to children. Roger Ebert met her and came away thinking she was a literal angel. RIP.
“In Dallas for the premier of '9 to 5', I had an uncanny experience, and on the plane home to Chicago I confessed it to Siskel: I had been granted a private half hour with Dolly Parton, and as we spoke I was filled with a strange ethereal grace. This was not spiritual, nor was it sexual. It was healing and comforting. Gene listened and said, "Roger, I felt the exact same thing during my interview with her." We looked at each other. What did this mean? Neither one of us ever felt that feeling again. From time to time we would refer to it in wonder.”
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Joel @snufkinlib.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Imagine telling an illiterate coal miner in 1946 that when his fourth daughter dies the nation will lower its flags for a week. What a country!
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Charlotte Lydia Riley @lottelydia.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
So many tech people seem to see the conflict between parenting and work as one in which work is the natural and moral victor. If you’re going to automate an aspect of your life, why wouldn’t it be the meetings rather than the spending quality time with your teenager?!
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Tits McGee @scientits.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Good thread 🧵
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Tits McGee @scientits.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Actually felt proud to see that line at the top and realise it was this stupid little island We are very good at some things
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Paul Bernal @paulbernal.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
“The bloke’s lost his nail gun and he’s out there trying to build a deck with a rock while calling himself a master builder.” This is the dog’s bollocks.
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the kiracken🏳️‍⚧️ @kiraculous.net · 19/08/2026
the real danger of this thought is that now in my head he is octor doctopus now and forever.
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It's Pipes, Mum! Pipes is here! @scriblit.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
The Amidala talking to Anakin meme. 
1st panel, Anakin asks 'do you like plums?'
2nd panel, Amidala says 'yeah, I'm actually saving some for breakfast'
3rd panel, Anakin stares
4th panel, Amidala looks horrified
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Sean @solive.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Seeing a whole lotta this recently
thyfleshc0nsumed from tumblr posted:

No you don't get it, I'm a Good Person. You don't understand. I'm a Good Person which makes it okay for me to think violently about the Enemy, who is Bad Person. I'm commenting "you should be violently murdered" because I'm Good Person and you're Bad Person. You think saying that to someone is fucked up?? You should be violently murdered, you're probably Bad Person anyway
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Una McCormack @unamccormack.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Great story
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Alexander Fox @alexanderfox1.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Reminds me of that great tweet which went something like “Americans check themselves into rehab for what the average Brit drinks on a two-hour train journey.”
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Prof Katherine Schofield 🇬🇧🇦🇺🇪🇺 @katherineschof8.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
For the record, the proportion of professors at Cambridge who are Black is 0.4%. The number of Black people in the UK population is 4%. So the number of Black professors at Cambridge is ONE TENTH of what you would expect in a meritocracy.
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Tom Roberts @tpgroberts.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Look, put simply, people should not be comfortable saying that in public and the way to fix society runs directly through making them afraid to say it again.
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Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 13/08/2026
I feel like an issue that would connect well with voters would be doing anything at all to slow the current progression toward "absolutely everything now is a scam"
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Andrew Ellard @ellardent.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
There should be a legal requirement not to label “long term online rental until the platform loses rights” as “Buy”. Call it what it is, “long rental”. At which point companies are incentivised to figure out how to make buy *mean* buy, or else lose sales to cheaper short rental and physical media.
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Michael @mortival.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
In the summer of 2009 or 10 I had a Thanksgiving sandwich at the Black Cat Cafe in Sharon Springs, NY and I will forever honour the memory
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Michael @mortival.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Favourite 5 Bond films: Casino Royale Licence to Kill From Russia With Love The World Is Not Enough The Spy Who Loved Me
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Josephine Riesman @josie.zone · 03/08/2026
Man goes to see the Cyclops. Says he's depressed. He wants to get back to his wife and home, but he keeps running into fatal predicaments along the way. Cyclops says, "Prognosis is simple. Nobody can help you." Man starts crying. Says, "But Cyclops, I *am* Nobody"
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Ed Morrish @edmorrish.com · 03/08/2026
look, if fear of having everyone on the internet celebrate your death by bringing up every bad thing you’ve done is what it takes to stop people being cunts while they’re alive, i say let’s give it a go
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John Scalzi @scalzi.com · 03/08/2026
Bluesky is a "liberal bubble" because fascist chuds can't get traction without algorithmic assistance and because people here trained themselves to block "debate me" trybois the instant they roll up
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