Robbie Hudson

Look, writers know that everyone else thinks we're a terrible bunch of old whingers whenever we say this stuff, but Audible's blurb for ROBYN AHERN's adaptation of Dracula would be scandalous if it weren't typical: www.audible.co.uk/pd/Bram-Stok...

If you're designing a website for a restaurant, my tip would be: making it easy to find the menu is important, a 30-year breakdown of the founder's original vision and evolving philosophy less important.

I think it's absolutely mad that today there's a *national news story* about 400 oil platform workers losing their jobs, and the government being blamed. 25% of the UK TV industry lost their jobs in the last 4 years and we never hear a peep about it! Some jobs are 'real jobs' I guess.

Slightly amazing James Pond news, when you look at the rest of the Speakies Best Narrative Podcast shortlist (www.radiotimes.com/audio/the-sp...). (You can buy the relevant eps at www.patreon.com/listenandoften, subscribe to the show and find the eps, or subscribe to the James Pond feed on Apple)

Morning

Tall Tales is at The North London Tavern, 7.30, Tuesday July 28th, WITH AIRCON. We have @johnfinnemore.bsky.social @alexfranklinhallo.bsky.social Susannah Pearse, Tim Sutton and Mike Westcott, and All New James Pond. £5, unbelievably. Email talltalesnight at gmail to get on the list.

mandatory reading

Harry Brook is just Barry Took with one of the new, modern bats

Doctor Trivago

Which one? Watergate? Westland? Duckhouse?

holy shit bsky has a water sealant expert that predicted the reflecting pool failure mode perfectly

@jdickerson.bsky.social #PoliticalGabfest (or anyone with an iPhone): I strongly recommend you text someone the words: pew pew

As it’s #PrideCymru today, let’s remember this lovely Twitter exchange from years gone by…

David Mitchell is Marrying Rosie Holt! Tamsin Greig is Taking the Piss! Episode 3 is Live: www.patreon.com/listenandoften

Of all my various guesses, and I'm in sixth forms a lot, this is the main reason that sixth formers' written English is so bad. It's really, really bad. Much worse than you think, even from reading this (I mean, why would you believe me). Marking systems are designed to hide how bad it is.

Another one who didn't know - God knows why - there were other novels than Karoo.

Just listened to this again a couple of days ago and, yes, it gets ever more timely. Everyone should give it a spin.

The more of the Pope's AI encyclical that I read, and the bits about truth, lies and power, the clearer it becomes that he's not just listening to Rossum's Universal Robots, but also to: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

This is the most wonderful musical ever written - smart, fun, catchy and serious, all at once

I'm not saying the Pope's encyclical about the meaning of life and AI was just an extended gloss on our robot musical because that's not for me to say: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Oh, no reason.

Tall Tales tonight at the North London Tavern, 7.30: we have aircon.

The news is full of all the problems created by the fact that it's so BORING for everyone to keep saying: the central issues are still Brexit and the political consequences of algorithms monetising outrage

This is the same as that time in the pandemic when we all sang happy birthday to Daniel during an online Tall Tales

petition for the academy awards to have "best acting" and "most acting" as two different categories, you give the most acting award to the types of performances they usually give it to and then best acting can go to actually good acting.

The thing about Gabriel Martinelli is that you can't be absolutely sure he won't score

No one outside the Etihad knows the difference between Bernardo Silva and David Silva

Man Who Threw Molotov Cocktail At Sam Altman’s Home Claims He Was Following ChatGPT Recipe For Risotto https://theonion.com/man-who-threw-molotov-cocktail-at-sam-altmans-home-claims-he-was-following-chatgpt-recipe-for-risotto/

Episode 2 is live this week, and James Pond is having a panic attack, with David MItchell, Tamsin Greig, Clare Foster and Rosie Holt. Subscribe to Listen & Often to get the lot, and a ton more - www.patreon.com/listenandoften

Neil can be misread as 'Heil' if you're in a hurry, which is pretty fascist

something powerfully depressing about "seeing your friends" and "cooking food" apparently being seen as "making life harder" I hate it here!

People using 'alpha', I do not think it means what you think it means

Old Macdonald had a Farm They call the Rising Sun And on that Farm he had a cow And Lord I know, I’m one.

Buster Bloodvessel is 6”2. Which if you ask me is the height of Bad Manners

Tall Tales is @NorthLondonTav on Tuesday 31st, 730, with Abigail Burdess @johnfinnemore.bsky.social @matthewdparker.bsky.social Susannah Pearse and all new Taxidermy from @annasavory.bsky.social No one gets this info here, right? Email talltalesnight at gmail - www.listenandoften.com/talltales

How did we get here? Ultimately, as in my traditional fashion I have been trying and failing to sell for a decade, fantasy football: www.timesofisrael.com/gamblers-try... (Thank you @naomialderman.bsky.social)

Featuring David Mitchell, Tamsin Greig, Clare Foster, @rosieisaholt.bsky.social - get all four eps: www.patreon.com/listenandoften

This goes live on Friday on Listen & Often. We really hope you like it

Reminds me I came up with this solution to the problems of the new economic model in the arts back on Twitter

I saw Spoon Halflife play the Astoria, 2008.

And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

Tall Tales is Tuesday 25th, at the North London Tavern, 7.30pm - @garethmedwards.bsky.social @johnfinnemore.bsky.social @alexfranklinhallo.bsky.social and all new Taxidermy from @annasavory.bsky.social Amazingly, it is still £5

I am not the only person in my marriage who has no idea about this because we were asleep by this point. (This was separately, in our respective youths.)

Some of the stray dogs living near Chernobyl have recently turned blue. This confused scientists for weeks, until they realized they had simply been rolling around in chemicals from a nearby set of portable toilets. 14/10 for all