iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Nick Telford-Reed

Count Binface @countbinface.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I have an announcement.

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Nick Telford-Reed @mountainhippo.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Favourite story of the day so far. Google lost a chunk of Google Cloud because Google engineer unplugged it. www.theregister.com/off-prem/202...

theregister.com

Google engineer unplugged every fiber they could see and – surprise! – took down a chunk of the G-Cloud

This sounds like a RTFM error at hyperscale

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Reposted by Nick Telford-Reed

The Empty City @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Seems the difference between ‘protestors’ and ‘terrorists’ is that protestors wear balaclavas while terrorists hold placards.

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Nick Telford-Reed @mountainhippo.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

PSA: if like me you no longer drink alcohol but you really miss a good G&T, I have fabulous news. This stuff (Tanqueray Fior de Sevilla) makes an astonishingly good, genuinely almost indistinguishable from the real thing, (no)gin and tonic.

A bottle of Tanqueray Fior de Sevilla Alcohol Free gin

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Reposted by Nick Telford-Reed

Natalie Bennett @nataliegreenpeer.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Powerful and important letter about artificial so-called intelligence from Sheila Hayman from Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy, University of Cambridge, in the FT today

$Margaret McGirr’s letter (“AI can lend a hand, but it will struggle to replace one”, July 21) and Chine McDonald’s guest column (“This retro revival is more than a longing for the past”, Opinion, August 7) both touch (sic) on something that should be obvious, but is carefully ignored by almost everyone in the tech world. Namely that our intelligence is embodied, evolved and biological, and inseparable from our bodies. The brain’s job is to control the body in the world; it is the last organ to develop. Every square centimetre of our hands (and of the rest of our skin) contains about a 170 touch sensors or nerve endings, sensitive to different kinds of touch: a slap, a burn, a caress, a hug — each of which travels to different parts of the midbrain, prompting the appropriate response. Quickly to the autonomic nervous system for something dangerous; more slowly via a different channel for something carrying meaning. In addition to the hand’s limitless versatility, it is self-repairing, regulates its own temperature, knows without being programmed how much pressure to exert on an egg, a tennis ball or a day-old chick, and can fuse neurologically to whatever it holds. So when we put a glass down on the table or slide a knife through an apple, we feel the table, or the apple, not the glass or handle in our hand (try it!). Finally, and most urgently, the entire human body — including the hands — does everything on 25 or so watts of completely renewable energy: a tiny fraction of what a humanoid robot, even one of the current primitive iteration of robots, needs. The “retro revival” is thus not cultural nostalgia. It’s millions of years of evolution crying out to be heard, before we suppress it totally in the service of an automated — and dead — planet. Sheila Hayman Member of the Advisory Board, Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy, University of Cambridge, London NW1, UK$

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Nick Telford-Reed @mountainhippo.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Cory Doctorow has been fighting the good fight against the enshittifying evil megacorps for as long as I can remember, but earlier this year, he laid out a credible path for world to fight back. It's an excellent read and worth 10 minutes of your time, IMO. pluralistic.net/2026/01/29/p...

pluralistic.net

Pluralistic: Disenshittification Nation (29 Jan 2026) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow

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Nick Telford-Reed @mountainhippo.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

TIL that English has both a term for 'the day after tomorrow' which is *overmorrow* and a term for 'the day before yesterday ' which is the admittedly almost completely extinct *ereyesterday* (h/t to this excellent Reddit thread - www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/... )

reddit.com

thereallemmy's comment on "What is favorite foreign word that doesn’t have a word in English?"

Explore this conversation and more from the AskReddit community

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Reposted by Nick Telford-Reed

aidThompsin (live, fridays @ 19:30) @aidthompsin.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Oooop, Byline just published another scoop. Farage’s boy, George Cottrell, had a fake Swiss passport and operates in the same company block, shares staff with a guy whose Montenegro wealth simply cannot be explained. So much MURKY Russia adjacent shit coming out. When’s the smoking gun?

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Reposted by Nick Telford-Reed

Byline Times @bylinetimes.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

'Patriot News' reporter Chris Atkins (scatatkins.bsky.social) was just kicked out of Liz Truss' CPAC conference for asking the wrong questions. So much for free speech.

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Nick Telford-Reed @mountainhippo.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Now this is a use of open data that I can get behind.

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Reposted by Nick Telford-Reed

Mr and Mrs Trellis @thenorfolkcoast.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

Vote for Britain’s Favourite Butterfly. The UK has 60 beautiful butterflies, each with their own story. Explore what makes them unique, pick your favourite, and help your winner take flight.... britainsfavouritebutterfly.co.uk

britainsfavouritebutterfly.co.uk

Home - Britain’s Favourite Butterfly

Flashy, adventurous or fantastically freaky. Britain has 60 native butterflies, each with their own story. Explore what makes them unique.

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Nick Telford-Reed @mountainhippo.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

I thought this was a beautifully written, moving article, which reminded me that not everything or everyone in the world is bad. You might enjoy it too (gift article) www.nytimes.com/2026/04/15/u...

nytimes.com

Will Sister Mary Kay Turn Out the Lights?

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Nick Telford-Reed @mountainhippo.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

I enjoyed The Oatmeal's impassioned take on AI. I think I feel the same way about coding and other aspects of life that are being gobbled up in a giant cloud of soot, CO2 and techbro snake oil theoatmeal.com/comics/ai_art

theoatmeal.com

A cartoonist's review of AI art - The Oatmeal

This is a comic about AI art.

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Nick Telford-Reed @mountainhippo.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

Very much enjoyed the Archers connection in Andor/Rogue One, with David Archer turning up as an Imperial doctor before Emma Carter comes on the scene to steal the Death Star plans #theArchers #Andor

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Nick Telford-Reed @mountainhippo.bsky.social · 01/05/2025

TIL that my older children (early twenties) call Keir Starmer "Queer Harmer" for his sudden but inevitable betrayal of trans people

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Reposted by Nick Telford-Reed

Stephen Collins @stephencollins.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

Happy St George' Day!

Cartoon for St George's day by Stephen Collins for the guardian. Script as follows:

Scene is outside a cave, ST GEORGE in armour etc is confronting the DRAGON while the CAPTURED PRINCESS looks on.

DRAGON:
So let me get this straight.

DRAGON:
You’re hoping to reinforce ‘helpless princess’ tropes…

DRAGON:
By publicly stabbing an *endangered animal* to death with a *sword*…

DRAGON:
So you can force a whole Syrian village to convert to Christianity….

DRAGON:
And become a nationalist icon for a colonial state…

DRAGON:
Through the cultural appropriation of ancient medieval dragon myths.

DRAGON:
You’ve not been *online* very long, have you?

GEORGE:
I have been quite surprised by the comments.

GEORGE’S SOCIAL MEDIA ASSISTANT [who is filming this encounter on an iPhone]:
I told you it’s problematic, George.

DRAGON:
Problematic? It’s a *bin fire*!

DRAGON:
OK. Here’s how you turn this round -

CUT TO a YoutTube post called ‘MY JOURNEY (An apology)’. GEORGE is crying to camera, Dragon in background.

GEORGE:
I am *so sorry* guys…

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Nick Telford-Reed @mountainhippo.bsky.social · 13/04/2025

Norfolk coast looking beautiful this weekend

A pebbly beach beneath sea cliffs. Waves crash over a man-made structure. The sun shines in the sky through gauzy cloud

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Nick Telford-Reed @mountainhippo.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

I was very struck by the last exchange in this sequence and the comparison drawn between the defence of the slave trade in the late 18th/early 19th century and of the oil/gas/energy industry today.

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Nick Telford-Reed @mountainhippo.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

Things you don't want to see on you ATM

A cash machine (ATM) displaying a Windows boot manager error

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Nick Telford-Reed @mountainhippo.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

Mature cheddar cheese and lime pickle might be the best sandwich ever. Discuss.

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Reposted by Nick Telford-Reed

Larry & Paul @larryandpaul.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

🛑 LATEST: What Is Ethnic Cleansing? 👇🏻 Let #BrokenNews explain all in their latest report. Please like and share this message. youtu.be/XFG4IE6XsYQ?...

youtu.be

What Is Ethnic Cleansing? - #BrokenNews Explains

YouTube video by Larry & Paul

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Nick Telford-Reed @mountainhippo.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

Larry and Paul eating and leaving no crumbs, as I believe younger people are wont to remark. youtu.be/CrGpAIBc754

youtu.be

Goodbye, USA - #BrokenNews

YouTube video by Larry & Paul

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Reposted by Nick Telford-Reed

Thomas Penny @thomaswpenny.bsky.social · 17/12/2024

Fred, my oldest friend's son, died last month. He was 12. He was a wonderful boy, with an infectious enthusiasm for food, learning and life. It was a joy to share his journey, and devastating to say goodbye. Please read his obituary, share it and be more Fred. www.theguardian.com/food/2024/de...

theguardian.com

Freddie Braithwaite-Smith obituary

Other lives: Aspiring food critic who visited restaurants across Britain and would happily spend all day preparing a meal

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Reposted by Nick Telford-Reed

Olaf Falafel @ofalafel.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

I’ve just seen a witch and a lion trying to carry a huge wardrobe into the house next door - I asked what they were up to and they said "Narnia business".

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Nick Telford-Reed @mountainhippo.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

A lovely educational thread that I enjoyed

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Nick Telford-Reed @mountainhippo.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

I knew cryptobros had led the last investment round at Bluesky. Was not aware of some of the rest of this, nor have I validated it. But forewarned is forearmed, I guess.

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Nick Telford-Reed @mountainhippo.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

This is what I come to social media for. An excellent, informative thread about which I previously knew nothing.

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Nick Telford-Reed @mountainhippo.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

This morning, while eating my porridge*, I learnt that some people work as a "comparative thanatologist"† which is an interesting field but an even cooler job title

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Nick Telford-Reed @mountainhippo.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

Action watercolour from last night's Royston Town Band rehearsal! Thanks to Virginia Mappledoram

An original watercolour of Nick as he plays his B♭ Tuba. A hand-written label says "Nick hits the high notes in a Merry Christmas Royston 14/11/24"

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Nick Telford-Reed @mountainhippo.bsky.social · 13/11/2024

Also, today (via Reddit), I found out about this awesome website that lets you park spaceships in real life places at the proper scale. Here is Serenity parked on Parker's Piece in Cambridge for your enjoyment parkmyspaceship.com/E4UwxgdgjgWj...

parkmyspaceship.com

Serenity parked at Someplace on Earth - Park My Spaceship

Park real & fictional spaceships, anywhere on Earth. From Star Wars to Star Trek to a very surprised looking sperm whale.

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Nick Telford-Reed @mountainhippo.bsky.social · 13/11/2024

Every now and then while wandering around central London, it's possible to turn a corner and come unexpectedly upon a wazzbaffle, so was delighted to discover one today on the stairs up to Tower Bridge

Picture of a metal sheet shaped as a quarter disc, fixed into the corner between two walls on one pedestrian staircase up to the southern end of Tower Bridge from Shad Thames.

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Nick Telford-Reed @mountainhippo.bsky.social · 09/11/2024

Disappointing 1-1 draw enlivened by a young chap who, in an episode that could have been drawn from the Beano, climbed over the wall of the stadium to watch the game, only to be intercepted by the cops, who then ejected him. Twice.

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Nick Telford-Reed @mountainhippo.bsky.social · 09/11/2024