Stuart Dredge

"Friends" is a beloved American sitcom that aired from 1994 to 2004, following six young adults—Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe—living in New York City. The show explores their friendships, romances, careers, and personal growth over ten seasons.

This post slapped! I thank you.

Why the long-guine face? *needs work*

Can I steal this for my gravestone pls?

[We see a close up of a young white male, tanned, white teeth, coiffed hair clearly an influencer on social media. It is an image such as you see when social media posts are shown on the news. In the corner of the screen is named a location: DUBAI. He is staring slightly off-camera for several silent panels of the comic strip. His eyes move slightly. He is having a thought.] From off-screen a newsreader’s commentary comes: NEWSREADER: Extraordinary images here of an expat in Dubai [The influencer’s eybrows raise slightly] …Having their first ever geopolitical thought. [CUT TO a BBC news scene. The BBC newsreader CLIVE MYRIE is talking to an interviewee next to the screen showing the social media influencer’s face. The interviewee’s name is David Jones]. CLIVE MYRIE: To explain the significance of this moment we’re joined by David Jones, our Expat Thoughts correspondent DAVID JONES: Clive, this is momentous It was caught on film at the end of an Instagram post titled: ‘Dubai Is Brilliant’. [Pointing at the screen, the influencer’s expression still the same] You can clearly see in the eyebrows here, the dawning realisation that there *might* be something in the world beyond his dickhead self. It marks a *huge* departure from all the Dubai Expat’s previous thoughts. CLIVE MYRIE: Which are…? DAVID JONES: You've Got To Get Yourself Out Here Mate, Everything Is So Clean, I Don't Have To Pay Taxes, I Am Incurious As To Why I Do Not Have To Pay Taxes, and Spa. CLIVE MYRIE: And might we see an expansion of these new Thoughts in coming days? DAVID JONES: I think we can expect to see: “I Deserve To Be Airlifted By A Country I Pay No Tax To” CLIVE MYRIE: Mmm. [Ends]

I think it was the name of a startup that they bought, maybe from Hong Kong? But maybe he also liked the name :)

Yeah, I feel a pressure (I guess due to my job) to write Something Interesting And Meaningful about the things I like. Maybe just saying they're nice is enough though!

Having said that, I recently read Slow Gods by Claire North; The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Among The Burning Flowers by Samantha Shannon and they were all FIVE-STAR.

Next up:

- City of Lost Chances (Adrian Tchaikovsky)
- The Naked Light (Bridget Collins)
- Helm (Sarah Hall)

a man in a blue shirt and tie is pointing at a board with papers on it . ALT: a man in a blue shirt and tie is pointing at a board with papers on it .

What if... the CIA invented ad tech?

Innit :(((

I've quietly retreated from most social media in recent years. Not as a Big Decision: it just happened for various reasons.

Figuring out how/why/where to post a bit more again, and in a way that isn't just one long howl about politics / the world, but also isn't just 'I read this nice book'

I'd like a nice AI made by nice people that doesn't kill the planet. Starting to worry this is too much to ask for!

I really enjoyed the interview when it dropped into my inbox - she sounds like a good egg!

I didn't even know this was a thing! Very glad to have spotted your post - cheers :)

@aiannucci.bsky.social Maybe a phrase for the next episode? :)

(from here: www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...)

Maybe Kemi got the only printed copy then locked him out of his computer? He's had to rewrite it from memory with ChatGPT :)

"Both Labour and the Conservatives broke Britain," says Robert Jenrick.

I hope he now holds to account any former secretaries of state for housing, communities and local government; ministers of state for health; and ministers of state for immigration for the Tory governments who did that, eh? 😉

Maybe have another go at this one, Meta AI…

It can't be just me who tried to do the slider in that Bluesky post image, can it? It probably can :(

always be there

a piece of advice I didn't put in here but I really wish to offer:

if you see a friend 'posting through' some kind of horrible online pile-on event, reach out privately and say the words 'I love you and please stop posting. let's have a phonecall & see each other in person, shall I pop over?'

UK minister Ian Murray MP talks ticketing reform and grassroots venues levy Ian Murray MP is the UK's minister for creative industries, media and arts, appointed to that position in a September reshuffle.

UK minister Ian Murray MP talks ticketing reform and grassroots venues levy

Ian Murray MP is the UK's minister for creative industries, media and arts, appointed to that position in a September reshuffle.

(That's not to invalidate your point about the sadness, of course)

Do you think this is partly Reserved-For-Settlements-And-Deals money though? I'm tempted to start counting down to announcements on that front...

GenAI music firm Suno raises $250m at $2.45bn valuation Being sued by the music industry's major labels is clearly no barrier to raising money. GenAI music startup Suno has just trousered $250m.

GenAI music firm Suno raises $250m at $2.45bn valuation

Being sued by the music industry's major labels is clearly no barrier to raising money. GenAI music startup Suno has just trousered $250m.

That's a bit harsh and that's not my nicknam... Oh wait yes.

My hand holding the new book by author Claire North, Slow Gods. It's a sci-fi book so the artwork has planets and a spaceship.

New book-arrival day! Claire North is a WONDERFUL writer.

If I ever manage to tear myself away from this keyboard *eyes day's music industry news sadly* I can't wait to get stuck in.

I salute you :)

There were bad people on BOTH sides of the cold-blooded, state-sanctioned bone-saw murder, y’say?

Also I love Amorica, I know it's when they started to slide gently out of mainstream interest, but some of the songs are wonderful (to me)