It appears that pretty much all Hong Kong-based newsfluencers, even those with international bylines or appearances, got a memo within the last 12 hours that they should shut up about the deadly fire, or else face consequences. Related: the city's "Patriots-only" legislature has elections Sunday

This is a good time to remind everyone that the HK government has been trying to get rid of bamboo in order to cater to their pals in the China steel industry who cannot get into the HK construction market. This was a regulatory/safety failure. Not a materials one.

International media, you can do better than this. "Bamboo" is maybe exotic and a compelling hook but it is too easy. The real story here is the growing culture of corruption, including a lack of accountability and oversight, that enabled a chain of human errors that led to this disaster.

Damson gin ready to be strained, bottled and tasted after 4 months…

Happily growing on a stone path on my allotment (there are wood chips under the stones). A pretty little strophariaceae - I think this is a redlead Roundhead. #fungi #fungifriends

Today is June 4th the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989. Here are some of my photos from previous years candlelit vigils in Hong Kong which are now banned and organisers in prison. 🕯️ Never Forget #tiananmen #China #massacre #HongKong

I did finish judging at the champs from 2012 to 2019. A great event.

Got a chance to see the Victor Hugo exhibition @royalacademy.bsky.social today, before a client meeting in Piccadilly. One drawing even featured my colleague Phill…

Pickles is helping me unpack..

Belfast flight leaving from LHR T5B - have clearly fallen into a parallel universe.

I have tariffed the penguins that are on Heard Island and which you were probably assuming did not export goods forgive me they were taking advantage of us so cunning and so cold

Oh the joys of a Hong Kong foot massage & Shanghai pedicure- wish there was somewhere in Belfast that did this. #HappyFoot

Back in the 852! Yay!

@spacekittyexpress.bsky.social was talking to one of my mum’s neighbours recently- her cat Smudge has never reacted to catnip. I gave her one of your puffs in silvervine and apparently he went mental over it, to the extent that they couldn’t get it off him.. another satisfied customer 😹

Spot on @private

Seems an apt time to revisit Tucker’s law… m.youtube.com/watch?v=mss7... I’ve got that embroidered on a tea towel

Please sign and share. No to a privatised NHS.

Humans are fallible. We make mistakes for a variety of reasons, and those mistakes sometimes have serious repercussions. But let’s be clear, hetro, white men are not any less likely to fuck up than the majority of the population…

Oh no, the Chinese plagiarism machine might have plagiarized the American plagiarism machine search.app/gLKPBELL2weQ...

Five years ago…

If you see this, quote with flowers from your gallery. #FlowerPower

five #LifeLessons * Always wash your rice * Pay your credit cards off in full every month * “Just one glass of wine” is not a thing * it’s better to be wanted than to be needed * Be considerate to everyone regardless of their job title. What are yours?

Some nice Hong Kong mushrooms #fungifriends

My first “T8” in Norn Iron 🙀. 75km/h winds gusting to 148km/h here. Next door neighbour’s fence has blown down. Still got power.

Trump’s anti-trans Executive Order is bad BUT it technically defines everyone as female. It states: “'Female' means a person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the large reproductive cell." Since all fetuses "at conception" are female, Trump just defined EVERYONE as female.

This govt says only "small" groups will protest the CCP's mega-embassy in Westminster. Let’s prove them WRONG! Join us to say no to the #CCP's giant embassy development at the Old Royal Mint!! See you on 8th Feb! We must fight for #FreeSpeech!

Still waiting for any of the US #TikTok panic posters to address why it was banned in Hong Kong back in 2020…. If you have seen anyone commenting on this please let me know.

Attempting to move the rhubarb to a better spot but it’s massive, so going to have to split it, as I’m not that strong 🌱 #allotment

Bob studies the iPhone charging cable

I don’t wanna go back to work tomorrow… wah

Big Bob, my outdoor ‘not my cat’ who has spent most of the last 24hrs inside out of the weather, is hanging out next to me on the sofa. He has a lovely thick coat

Rec.sport.rowing

Pickles has a drug problem- @spacekittyexpress.bsky.social

Time zones are fascinating. Australia is already in 2025, Europe is still 2024, and the USA is currently in 1939.

Please sign and share the petition to end the badger cull petition.parliament.uk/petitions/70...

Badger been chewing up the lawn again. I got all the good worms apparently

Additional temporary limbs - the next big thing in sports

Finally got round to vacuuming the carpet on the stairs & upstairs landing & treating it with flea spray (Thanks Bob). Have to keep the cats out of the area for 30mins - Frank is not amused.

🌱 went up to the allotment this morning to check for post #darragh damage. My plot was ok but the roof had come of my neighbour’s shed & there was a least one mangled greenhouse nearby.

Today’s poem is considered to be the world’s oldest surviving love poem, written 1.5 million years ago by one of our earliest ancestors, homo unrequitus. It’s called ‘The Caveman’s Lament’.

Five years ago today, tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of Hongkongers marched as day into night to try to get the government to listen to them and respect their wishes... 🥹

🧵 My cousin is big into knitting. She regularly churns out amazing creations. We went to the knitting & craft show in Belfast recently where she got a pattern for a Santa tea cozy…

Sheena Liam, contemporary embroidery artist of Malaysian Chinese descent

You’re a stupid, worthless shopping basket holder and you’ll never amount to anything.

Two days to go - very excited #Liberty #AdventCalendar

wonder what flavour his face is? #GBBO

Family includes everyone! ❤️