An important piece of analysis about the damage that #Russia's war against #Ukraine is doing to Russia - the section about the lessons of past Russian imperial wars matches the conclusions that MA students taking my Russia at war since 1812 drew in our final seminar.

◼️◼️◼️

Frank Hinder - Cyclists, Canberra 1945 (National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne)

Every time I'm in a restaurant I remember Kevin McAleer's reply to a waiter who told him the Soup Of The Day. "Where there any other contenders?" "Um, no?" "A hollow victory, then".

My response to anything over the next two weeks

More epic-scale snow drawing created by artist Sonja Hinrichsen #womensart #ArtAdvent

Hardly a surprise. Any ‘agreement’ with Trump is just the start of attempts to extort more, as his various tariffs on Canada & Mexico have shown. In that respect, his approach to negotiations is similar to Putin’s. Deals are essentially worthless.

I still remember the night they banned smoking inside NYC bars and restaurants. So many articles claiming it would be the end of NYC nightlife. It was 2003. Things can change. Faster than you might think.

Just want to share with my American friends how the Australians respond to a shooting tragedy. Action, rather than thoughts and prayers.

Every day is a battle to shut up about telling my otherwise sane acquaintances not to visit the nazi bar… erm’ Twitter.

Ditching Calibri as a “wasteful diversity” font is both hilarious and sad. Here's a quick reminder of what Calibri actually is and why it matters. (1/2)

The A-lister, who has been a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF since 2011 and assisting with global vaccine efforts, this is a U-turn. In 2022, Neeson said vaccines were “a remarkable human success story” and recorded a video thanking scientists…

Whatever is agreed by Ukraine with the US or Russia, both superpowers will anyway break the agreement like the Budapest one. Never trust a superpower. That is the reason they force smaller parties to sign agreements: to humilitate and rob them.

Aging Out of Fucks: The Neuroscience of Why You Suddenly Can’t Pretend Anymore. “…that point in midlife when your capacity to pretend, perform, and please others starts shorting out like an electrical system that’s finally had enough.” [blog.lifebranches.com]

Will Arnett was on Conan and told a story about how Conan dealt with the death of his parents by accusing Jason Bateman of killing them. It’s so funny.

can't stop watching this clip of a tesla Optimus teleoperator taking his headset off before properly logging out the robot

Land artist Sonja Hinrichsen, epic scale Snow Drawings - Briancon, France, 2014 #womensart

The only mention of climate in the new US National Security Strategy (NSS) www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...

The best graph to describe what it’s like to live in Estonia - time in daylight. Mind you, I runs mostly during the day and walk my dog as well. Oh ☀️ where art thou?

Pretty crazy that nearly all of the EU Commission is still on X even as Elon Musk is literally talking about destroying the EU. You can leave X. It's really not that difficult.

Who has made this 🤣

We are greedy and stupid 😕

The Nobel Prize committee should announce the World Cup winner tomorrow

Person who actually deserves a trophy is the artist who made the FIFA peace prize trophy look like everyone in the entire world holding their head in their hands out of secondhand embarrassment

17. Just because AOL, check books and waterbeds were not a thing in Estonia. We're not crazy.

The local Asian shop is almost too honest. This could also be a label for any software product 🙂

I love lists like these. The stretchy computer, Americans not growing since the 1980s, fusion startup creating radioactive gold etc etc etc. Fascinating!

This is brilliant - a shop that sells retro electronics. iPods, Walkmans, Gameboys! retrospekt.com

Even if you don‘t read German, the chart will do it for you. Rise of the electrostate.

Happy "let's circle back in the New Year" season to all who celebrate.

Fellas! Here’s an update for Postcards from Ukraine: Fund an Evacuation Truck with @anneliis.bsky.social! We’re currently at € 3,768.22 / € 20,500 which is 18% completion Support this campaign and receive a beautiful postcard designed by Anna! 🫡 Here’s where: 🔗 www.help99.co/patches/post...

I take Wikipedia for granted. Reading this Jimmy Wales interview reminded me in our Fantasyland age what a remarkable and important creation it is. True pillar of civilization. Runs on only $200 million a year. Requires our support. So I’m finally donating. Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/18/m...

Meanwhile in China 🇨🇳 where I spotted a ton of dual gunning trucks, the triple gun charging truck is now arriving to the market: first plug is exclusively for pack cooling according to #ChinaEV_Eng_Lif the ramp up in 35 seconds to nearly 2000A fast charging 🤯 or 1.39MW nitter.net/ChinaEV_Eng_...

Extraordinary WSJ reporting today that unveils the extent to which Trump, Witkoff, Kushner and US business executives are salivating over business deals with Russia while Putin’s forces kidnap Ukranian children and bomb civilians in their apartments. 🎁 www.wsj.com/world/russia...

I didn’t know you could still buy a ghetto blaster.

Imagine posing for a photographer friend who sells your image to iStock and a year later, you see this is what The Washington Post has done with the image of you walking on a beautiful fall day

This ad definitely caught my attention… still not sure what it advertises though. Should I click?

We still need to get from a situation where Russia pretends to negotiate to a situation where they need to negotiate. Extract from my press remarks following today’s informal Foreign Affairs Council ↓

Unactioned ChatGPT tabs are the new browser tabs. I give AI a research task and then take forever to get back to it to read, digest and take action based on what I’ve learned.

when trying on pants, do this in the store. then tell the sales associate "the menswear guy told me to do this." IG mr.funkys0ul

America’s Polarization Has Become the World’s Side Hustle. “Social media monetization programs have incentivized this effort and are almost entirely to blame.” Team USA just scoring own goal after own goal these days. [404media.co]

Tried ChatGPT group chat with some friends. What an annoying, needy, know-it-all member of a chat it turns out to be. I had a completely different expectation for a useful interaction model in my head. Let's hope they iterate. openai.com/index/group-...

I really wish more scientists & artists were on here. When I go to in-person gatherings it’s really clear what a small sliver of us are here. And I get it, how many social media collapses do you have to weather before you just give up? But organizing would be so much easier if we were all here 😭

This chart (which applies even more to social media than it did to TV) lives in my head rent free. Social media enveloping traditional media means everything and everyone is now competing in the entertainment market. Boring stuff like policy that affects millions of lives doesn’t stand a chance.

She has a place under the stairs but likes to keep an eye on things.

Excellent analysis of 'peace plan' (in reality, more likely a plan for a renewed war in a few years, at most). The point about the US acting as a mediator between NATO & Russia reflects something I've noticed about Trump before - he often speaks of NATO as though the US weren't a member. Not good!

All the rape, torture, and murder will be brushed under the carpet, a great lesson for any future war criminals.

My 1 point peace plan: russia retreats behind its borders and stays there. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Not quite winter yet