Uncharismatic Megafauna

Uncharismatic Megafauna

@liminalitea.bsky.social

Librarian voted Most Like An Ugly Piece Of Shit That Looks Like Piss 2026 (judge's choice) and winner of the library staff colouring-in competition. I also do pictures, mostly for @lhardingwrites.bsky.social. They/them

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Uncharismatic Megafauna
@liminalitea.bsky.social

I have spent enough time away from my Wildly Erratic After Experiencing Some Shit era, but there's something about the dehumanisation levelled at Nikki by the film itself rather than just the protagonist that didn't sit right.

Uncharismatic Megafauna reposted

The Author, Séamas O'Reilly
@seamas.bsky.social

Penguin released not one, but *two* books by Morrissey in their Classics line. One was the memoir excoriated by AA Gill, but the other was his novel List Of The Lost, which was much, much worse. 11 years ago this week, I read it so you don't have to. www.balls.ie/the-rewind/m...

balls.ieA Necessary Review Of Morrissey's Mind-Bendingly Bad Novel, List Of The Lost | Balls.ieMorrissey Novel - Morrissey -that one- wrote an abysmal novel entitled List of the Lost in 2015, and it got The Reducer treatment this week.
Odd This Day@oddthisday.bsky.social

It is, today, not the 13th anniversary of the publication of Steven Morrissey’s autobiography (it had been out for ten days) but something much better: the 13th anniversary of the Sunday Times publishing A. A. Gill’s merciless mauling of it—a review which went on to win Hatchet Job of the Year

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tpwrtrdmn
@tpwrtrmnky.bsky.social

One thing about the whole "you have to read books if you want to be an author" thing is that if you aim to do more than just genre inbreeding, you have to read stuff outside the genre you're writing, too. May even have to read [shudders] nonfiction.

Uncharismatic Megafauna reposted

Rose Schmits
@roseschmits.bsky.social

Yissss

Rose Schmits@roseschmits.bsky.social

I know absolutely nothing about Lula except that i saw someone share a clip on insta of him in celebration kissing a trans woman politician on the cheek and oh my god is that a radical act for a politician in 2026 so lets fucking go

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Catherine Clarke
@cathamclarke.bsky.social

I could spend the rest of my life analysing this feedback sign in the local Home Bargains. Did 'not happy' break from overuse? Was it taped over to ensure 100% positive feedback? Is the green 'b' in 'feedback' some kind of subliminal nudge? Is the duck tape indent because people still keep pressing?

Uncharismatic Megafauna
@liminalitea.bsky.social

I've had a few days at work where I've watched someone's mind get mulched by chatGPT enabling their worst impulses so bad that it's tipping them over into full-day harassment sprees. As a tool, LLM chatbots are pitched to indulge bad impulses to keep users hooked, whether that's neglect or hostility

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Charlotte Lydia Riley
@lottelydia.bsky.social

The reason the BL has empty desks is that the cyberattack has reduced people’s access abilities and pushed researchers away from the institution. (Not helped by their mad ebook-only policies around new book acquisitions, etc). If only the UK had a culture secretary.

Margot Finn@eicathomefinn.bsky.social

Leaving aside the rampaging elephant in the room of the degradation of access to the Library's collections since the cyberattack, my main question on reading this is why historians are still posting on X, a platform that incites violence against humans of many 'sorts' and monetises misogyny.

timeshighereducation.comBritish Library to turn reading rooms into paid-for workspacesAreas dedicated to science and social science in national institution to be ‘repurposed’, sparking the ire of scholars

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Lawrence Haunting (she/her) 🏳️‍⚧️
@lhardingwrites.bsky.social

As a trans person, I'm very conflicted about the petitions going round to save the "good" bits of the BBC (4Extra, You and Yours etc). I'm not really comfortable with saving any of the BBC at all while it has a core broadcasting principle of the removal of trans people from society.

Uncharismatic Megafauna reposted

Natee (they/them)
@himmapaan.bsky.social

The mantis is called the 'rice-pounding grasshopper' in Thailand (ตั๊กแตนตำข้าว), from the motion of its raptorial forelegs resembling the traditional manner of pounding rice to remove the husks. This one was drawn with this very brush.

Uncharismatic Megafauna reposted

Kim Hu
@kim-hu.com

Ah yes my favorite topic as someone with total aphantasia, who people LOVE to claim are utterly helpless without AI help. My mind cannot conjure images, sounds or any sensations. No inner monologue. No dreams. And SDAM, so I don’t even have vivid memories And yet I draw. Without the shit machine :)

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Anna Horroridge
@anna-orridge.bsky.social

Okay. Is the BBC going to edit out poppies then? Because if pride pins are political and biased and 'making a statement', then so are poppies.

Leicester Gazette@leicestergazette.leicester.news

Two University of Leicester students speak out over ‘absurd’ and ‘Orwellian’ decision by the BBC and ITV Studios to edit out pride pins worn on University Challenge

leicester.newsBBC edits out pride pins on University Challenge in ‘Orwellian’ move* * * This story was published by **The Leicester Gazette** : a local, independent newspaper about Leicestershire. 1,000 people have already joined our community. Just use those buttons below to download our app and **sign up for free**. * * * Astrophysics student Samuel Carlier and History student Emmeline Hague-Wright were shocked to find that their LGBTQ+ pride pins had been edited out of their University Challenge appearance earlier this year. The episode, initially scheduled for BBC Two on 24 August, was delayed twice before airing on 7 September 2026. The pins showed the progressive LGBTQ+ pride flag, the bisexual pride flag and a rainbow feather. Speaking to the Leicester Gazette, Sam said: “Living in a liberal democracy and having the state broadcaster tell you ‘we’re editing how you look’, seems very Orwellian.” Sam described the choice to remove the pins before broadcast as “weird” and “absurd”. He said: “[Censoring] that seemed weird. If I had worn a rainbow shirt, would they have censored that? If the idea is to keep things impartial, where is that line in the sand?” A side by-side image of Sam wearing the pin and with it having been digitally removed. Photograph: supplied Sam contacted the BBC to try to understand why his pins had been edited out. He told the Gazette: “The BBC people said they’d ring me, and I chased them, they just said go to the complaints website and file a complaint there, that’s what I did.” Since then, Sam hasn’t had a response from the BBC as to why his pins were removed. After the episode had aired, Sam noted that his shirt ‘melted’ into itself occasionally, as a result of the editing. Photograph: supplied ## Students believe the decision was made following online transphobia Emmeline was also shocked when she found out that the feather pin she wore was due to be removed from the episode she was in. It was understood by Emmeline that there was online transphobia in response to previous episode of University Challenge, and she had been contacted by the BBC, anticipating support from the broadcaster. When the BBC contacted her, instead of an offer of support, she was told her pin was going to be removed. “At first it was mostly confusion,” she said. “I heard that they had received a lot of nastiness online from people and I thought they were going to call me to say ‘we have support services if needed,’ and that wasn't what I got at all.” Instead, Emmeline was notified that the episodes were going to be delayed. “It was out of left field, I was confused for a while,” she said. “This entire delay has been because of a feather and two badges on a teammate that were basically impossible [for viewers] to see.” Emmeline had expressed her frustrations with the repeated delays from the BBC, spanning from mid-July to early-September. She said: “We were announced on the website and then delayed again, and then announced on the website a second time, and delayed even further. Speaking about the removal, she said: “It takes a lot of time” she said. “Making it [the edit] look good would be even more expensive and time-consuming. It seems like drastically a lot of effort.” ## Join the conversation Our app is more than just a way to keep up – it's a gateway to award-winning journalism and the local community. __Want to support our work?__ Click here for membership__.__ ## Wider criticism on LGBTQ+ support The pins Sam wore during the episode. Photograph: supplied According to leading LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall UK, two in five LGBTQ+ students will hide their identities at university for fear of discrimination. Stonewall has reported that more than 36 per cent of trans students have received hostile conduct from university staff due to their gender identity. Reflecting on the digital removal of the pins, Sam spoke about how disheartening the choice was. He said: “There was maybe like a span of eight years where someone could be uncontroversially out in the open queer – now that’s gone again.” he said. The BBC has also been widely criticised for ‘an attack on the LGBTQ+ community’ by pulling its involvement with the popular show, RuPaul's Drag Race. The broadcaster pulled its involvement in September following “significant financial pressures” as the reason for axing their involvement. The criticism follows another recent controversial edit by the BBC. On its hit show, Strictly Come Dancing, a decision was made to edit out ‘Protect the Dolls’ from contestant Bethany Antonia’s T-shirt. It’s a slogan which has become widely used to support the rights of trans women. The BBC defended their decision, saying the changes were made to meet editorial guidelines. It comes as the LGBTQ+ community has faced challenges amid an increasingly less tolerant political climate. ## What the BBC had to say When we asked them about editing out the pins worn by Leicester’s University Challenge team, a BBC spokesperson said: “In line with our editorial guidelines, we advise that no badges, flags, and emblems or symbols are worn or visible during filming, along with clothing with obvious branding or slogans. If such items are not removed for any reason then a decision is made between the programme makers and the BBC regarding any edits to the programme.” The BBC said the delays to the episode were unrelated to the decision to edit out the pins. A spokesperson for ITV Studios said: “University Challenge is an entertainment quiz show and is made in accordance with the BBC Editorial Guidelines requirements for impartiality.” The University of Leicester refused to comment on the matter. * * * **Before you go…** We’ve recently surpassed 1,000 subscribers, which is amazing considering we’re a small team on a shoestring budget. Now, we’re ready for the next stage of the Leicester Gazette. **Download our new app and get all of our journalism anytime, anywhere.** The app connects with **Bluesky** , **Mastodon** and **Threads** , giving you access to a network of around 60 million people. It’s a safer, more meaningful alternative to mainstream social media – owned by the community. * * *

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Sophie M.
@sophiesaurus98.bsky.social

I love this big stupid dinosaur so much it hurts. It's such a dumb thing to get emotional about but Godzilla just makes me so happy. Godzilla is the ultimate nexus point of every single interest I have. Godzilla is a pure joy and creativity in a world of sickening hatred and abject horror.

Uncharismatic Megafauna
@liminalitea.bsky.social

Honestly so much of my creative process is tied in to wrangling my dyspraxia and how it shapes the way I draw and to some extent how I think. The limitations and the friction they create are how the art happens.

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Charlotte Lydia Riley
@lottelydia.bsky.social

University of Nottingham, right now, is cutting 560 jobs. Do we need to rebrand universities as very large, very clean, land-based oil rigs to get government support?

Leo Hickman@leohickman.carbonbrief.org

From the govt's press release: "The developer estimates that Jackdaw will create 27 new direct jobs and safeguard 273 existing jobs that would otherwise be lost." Odd that so much is made about this being good for jobs. Your nearest out-of-town supermarket likely generates more jobs.

Uncharismatic Megafauna reposted

Nancy Kelley
@nancymk.bsky.social

Here is the BMA saying "we were worried about the FWS case, warned you about the potential health risks associated with the proposed Code of Practice, and now you have gone ahead and implemented policies that will cause serious harm to trans patients and staff' www.bma.org.uk/news-and-opi...

bma.org.ukSTATEMENT: NHS guidance on the provision of single-sex services and facilitiesThe BMA has responded to the NHS Guidance on single-sex services and facilities