https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2026/jan/15/30-best-live-albums-ever-ranked?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other They missed out John Martyn - Live at Leeds and Gong-Live. Boo!

#Cocktail - Vieux Carré 25ml Cognac, 25ml Rye/Bourbon, 25ml Red Vermouth, 10ml Benedictine, dash Angostura, dash Peychaud's, Lemon twist and Cherry A Manhattan. To the max.

#Cocktail - Brandy Shake 50ml Brandy, 20ml Lime, 10ml dbl syrup Brandy Gimlet? Brandy Daiquiri? Nice enough but a bit boring. Even with Remy Martin.

Conflating Anti-Israel with Anti-Israeli with Anti-Zionism with Antisemitism. Conflating Pro-Palestine protest with Islamic State with Hamas. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/jan/13/israelis-demonised-as-vehicle-for-hatred-jews-uk-terror-laws-watchdog

#Climate - 2025 officially 3rd in records for global average daily 2m air temp. https://climate.copernicus.eu/copernicus-2025-was-third-hottest-year-record > 23, 24, 25 hottest years in the records > 24 only marginally (0.01°C) cooler than 23, and 0.13°C cooler than 24

When's the USA's "Color Revolution" (or Colour Revolution)? A non-violent, pro-democracy protest movement to establish a Western-style democracy in the face of disputed election results.

In memory of Bob Weir. Go back and listen to Blues For Allah one more time. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jan/12/bob-weir-grateful-dead-10-best-recordings

I don't know what to think about Iran. - Their colour revolution? - Israel supported dissent and rage-farming - Bring back the Shah? Really? - Possibly AI generated pro-gov protests - US wants to wade in and bomb stuff - Is it all about oil again?

> Everyone in Iran's region, Iraqis, Saudis, Afghans, Kurds, whomever, is watching them bleed and licking their fingers. Old enough to remember the Iran-Iraq war. There are many old enmities from that time. Actually, old enough to remember Carter, the hostages and the Iran revolution.

Russia, eh? Suffering from Putin's unforced error. https://people.well.com/conf/inkwell.vue/topics/561/State-of-the-World-2026-with-Bru-page05.html#post101

Happy Plough Monday - In medieval times Plough Monday, the first Monday after Epiphany, celebrated the start of the ploughing season. Now get out there in the fields and get ploughing!

I think the US vehicle manufacturers are missing a trick here. Their customers need bullet proof glass and bodywork in their PHEV SUVs and Utes.

Just been reading the updates in the Arctic Ice Forums. Then switched to reddit/r/collapse. First post I see is Ice Moving to Rural America Climate Change obviously not happening in the US. ;)

Glorious. Carl Sagan - The Meat Planet https://youtu.be/ZP7K9SycELA

A long thread from One Good Tern on absence rates due to sickness in NHS junior doctors before and after 2020. https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/2010081837142684124

On China. https://people.well.com/conf/inkwell.vue/topics/561/State-of-the-World-2026-with-Bru-page04.html#post79 > These Chinese companies are not indolent, featherbedding bureaucracies filling out Red Chinese paperwork

#Cocktail - Banana Daiquiri: 60ml Light Rum, 20ml Lime, 10ml Creme De Banane, 5ml dbl syrup, Happy meal trifecta. Shot Fernet - Daiquiri - Stella. Anyone know a good cocktail bar in Bristol? Not Milk Thistle.

#climate N Canada temp anomalies right now (9-Jan) are insane. Alert, Canada, 82N, 3 days above freezing, First time ever in first quarter in the records. +1.8C. * +30C above average * https://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/index.php/topic,596.1050.html#msg436558

Attention World: Boycott the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Football Fans: Boycott the 2026 USA World Cup. That is all.

#Cocktail - Remember the Maine 60ml Rye, 20ml Red Vermouth, 7.5ml Cherry Heering, dash Angostura, dash Absinthe, Cherry Up or on the rocks. Proper winter drink.

Rich kids from elite schools (Eton, Winchester) more likely to get a (worthless) degree from the elite (Oxbridge) universities. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/jan/07/cambridge-college-elite-private-schools-student-recruitment

#Cocktail - Negroni Rosato 25ml each Tanqueray, Campari, Cocchi Rosa. Stir, strain, Nick&Nora glass. Cherry and/or orange twist.

Just remember, we can do anything, With God On Our Side https://youtu.be/5y2FuDY6Q4M

Grauniad letters page. "We’ll know the west is serious about change in Venezuela when the Tony Blair Institute puts loafers on the ground."

I long ago stopped obsessively collecting physical music media but remain obsessed with collecting digital music MP3s.

Last Year in Collapse: 2025, an Index The headlines from each Last Week in Collapse. https://lastweekincollapse.substack.com/p/last-year-in-collapse-2025-an-index https://old.reddit.com/r/collapse/comments/1q5viqt/last_year_in_collapse_2025_an_index/

And so. It's come to this. State of the World 2026 with Bruce Sterling and Jon Lebkowsky https://people.well.com/conf/inkwell.vue/topics/561/State-of-the-World-2026-with-Bru-page01.html

A letter to the Grauniad on why we don't trust Starmer. This.

#Climate PIOMAS Arctic Ice Volume https://psc.apl.uw.edu/research/projects/arctic-sea-ice-volume-anomaly/ > 2025 finished with an annually averaged sea ice volume that was the lowest on record with 12,830 km 3 but essentially tied with 2017 (12.880 km 3).

This club dance mix slaps! ra.co's choice for #1 mix of the last 25 years. https://soundcloud.com/thinner_groove/powder-cocktail-damore-dec-2016 https://ra.co/features/4483 The 2013 Kaytranada boiler room is hilarious. Galcher 100% you probably know.

You know the Nazi bar story? If you don't chuck the Nazis straight out, even if they're being sensible now, pretty soon, you're running a Nazi bar. The USA just walked into the bar, and announced who they are. The rest of the world needs to say "not here" and turn them away.

We don't need no Steenking Customs Union where we're going. We want the 4 freedoms of the Single Market. free movement of goods, services, capital, and people (workers).

Are you now, or have you ever been ... a voter, supporter, member or donor of a political party supported and funded by ... Russia, the USA, or Israel.

#Cocktail - Old Hat 60ml Rye, 7.5ml Red Vermouth, 3ml dbl syrup, 3 dash Angostura, 5ml Soda, built-rocks, Orange and Lemon twist

Yet another major thread from the One Good Tern. https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/2007532647375904972

#Cocktail - Preakness 60ml Rye, 20ml Red Vermouth, 7.5ml Benedictine, dash Angostura, Lemon twist and/or cherry

Bill Drummond's "25 Paintings" is another of his many art projects where the name defines the task and keeps him focussed and productive. This one spoke to me after last year's flag botherers. https://www.penkilnburn.com/foot-note/indx

It was the year they finally tried to Immanentize the Eschaton. And things were coming to a head.

"We have always been at war with Venezuela."

The Elephant In The Room by Kay Ryan The room is almost all elephant. Almost none of it isn't. Pretty much solid elephant. So there's no room to talk about it

One of those Covid questions. What proportion of the UK population have had at least one Covid Vax, by age range, as of 1-Jan-2026? Surprisingly hard to find the answers as UKHSA, NHS don't seem to report that kind of data any more.

An 11 year old post originally on Google Plus, saved and archived. https://voidstar.com/Takeout/Google+/Posts/20150102%20-%20An%20awesome%20post%20that%20deserves%20wider%20app.html Where can you find writing like that now in Social Media? in 500char chunks?

Still using last.fm? Your personal last year review is in. https://www.last.fm/user/$USERNAME/listening-report/year/2025/playback

#Climate Sometime next week (or maybe the week after) we'll get the big global temperature press release about Dec-25 and 2025 as a whole. https://climate.copernicus.eu/press-releases 2nd in the records?

Hmmm. Is there a State of the World 2026 from Bruce Sterling and Jon Lebowsky? https://people.well.com/conf/inkwell.vue/topics/551/Bruce-Sterling-and-Jon-Lebkowsky-page01.html

Anyone up for another lap round the sun?

I hope this stays on this side of the paywall as it's a brilliant summary of the year in UK. https://thespirits.substack.com/p/everything-that-happened-in-2025 from my good friend Richard Godwin.

#Cocktail - Charlie's Royal Reserve 25ml Jamaican Light Rum, 25ml Jamaican gold Rum, 12ml Maraschino, 12ml Falernum, 20ml Lime It's just a Daiquiri, right? I think it's supposed to have Aged rum instead of Gold. Probably delish with Diplomatico.