Oh I’m sure that exactly the intention. He WANTS to trigger a war with Venezuela. He wants to invade. He wants the oil. It’s not like the UN Security Council can stop them, never mind the ICC.

Couldn’t sleep last night so rewatched a couple of old eps of The West Wing. In 2025, I think it counts as comfort telly - entirely disconnected from reality but a lovely idealised fantasy of how the U.S. is supposed to function.

Sauron was not only evil, he got distracted and his defenses failed

I am in MINISO with an 11-year-old. Kill me now.

How Trump wasn’t completely cleaned out by wallet inspectors years ago I have no idea.

The richest 10% of Australian households get more money from the capital gains tax discount than the government spends on Jobseeker, the childcare subsidy, government schools or higher education - nearly $4.5bn more than it would cost to include dental in Medicare.

Mary Shelley doesn't get enough credit for not only anticipating the silver-spooned narcissist techbro who recklessly creates technology without thinking through the consequences, but also for knowing that said techbro would be an absolutely terrible father.

Looking for some TJ ing to do with the fam today and a little surprised by the second sponsored suggestion …

The only thing ChatGPT ever does.

A time for rest, and for catching up with some of the literary greats.

Curious to know what he means by “destructive moral ideas”. Nationalised healthcare? High food safety standards? Gun control? Or the occasional uprising resulting in the guillotining/beheading of unelected kings and the super rich?

Right now, my biggest hope for 2026 is that the two numbers between 5 and 8 are never mentioned together ever again. World peace is second.

Tell me you’ve never sat for an hour or more in a theatre seat without telling me.

It is once again The Interregnum. It has always been The Interregnum.

Some Tolkien meals are definitely more appetising than others.

We Wish You Baby, A Merry It's Cold Christmas Outside 🤝 not going until you get some

it's Christmas Eve but it's also the 16 year anniversary of the time an art historian for the Hungarian National Gallery spotted a long lost painting while watching Stuart Little with his 3-year-old daughter, recognizing it in the movie set

Well, that’s my annual rewatch of Sherlock Holmes: The Blue Carbuncle done, followed by a classic Ghost Story for Christmas: A View from a Hill. Now I feel Christmassy!

😆

So, the Trump Class battleship. - Capable of wildly changing direction mid manoeuvre - Stays afloat even when holed below the waterline by multiple charges - The orange colour scheme doesn't make the ships as undetectable as hoped - Can't actually go into battle because of a problem with the spurs.

On the outside, I'm the model of adult appreciative decorum. Bravo. I await the release announcements with respectful restraint. On the inside, I'm a screaming ten-year-old right now.

“i have to use AI because i’m bad at drawingggg 😭😭😭”

Rare footage of St Paul’s Cathedral testing its giant flamethrower

Not now, enormous 68-million- year-old egg nicknamed 'The Thing'.

“I’ve finished that new carol” “Give us the highlights” “It starts off wishing you a Merry Christmas” “Classic. Then?” “Bringing good tidings to you and your kin” “Kin or king?” “Kin” “Got it. How do we end this masterpiece?” “We workshopped it and decided on 15 minutes shouting about figgy pudding”

Bought this book for my two mates’ babies for Christmas and I’m dying.

I can’t imagine how much work went into this. (Well, actually I can which is why Hannah is an absolute hero.) Shelley and Ms 11 will be very happy when I stick on the Basil Brush’ Christmas show this evening!

Spoken like a true peace prize recipient. Or does he think ending a bunch of wars (allegedly) gives him credit he can cash in to start one or two of his own?

This entire weekend

They used to "laugh and call him names." Now they're all dead

397 mass shootings in the US in 2025 up to Nov 30. 1 mass shooting in Australia since 1996.

I've just had an idea!

Richie Rich, Robot Fighter:

Watching the Grand Designs House of the Year finalists. The most admired contemporary style of family home for the moneyed architect classes can only be described as “English Heritage throws a corrugated shed over a Saxon ship burial complete with visitor centre and toilet block”.

Demands of the Mondelez shareholders, I assume, more than anything

Ironically, this is how I learn that Stanley Baxter was actually still alive all these years.

If someone is already “qualified and vetted”, why would paying a cool mil for this provide a more “direct path”? I can only think it’s either a) to jump the queue or b) maybe don’t vet me TOO hard.

Nothing screams “innocent” like threatening the ICC because you think they’ll come after you.

Was just thinking I should have this on display over Christmas and perhaps even read some of the other stories and articles to get some of that Victorian Xmas atmos, instead of just The Signal-man. But of course most of my books and stuff are still boxed up, so yet again I have no idea where it is.

Missed this 25th anniversary of this headline from a UK tabloid.

The lighting here makes him look more like an oompa-loompa than ever.

Tell me you’ve never had to suddenly duck and twist between people to hoik a 20kg suitcase off a moving carousel with an outstretched arm without knocking over the granny standing next to you without telling me.

"I couldn't help but notice you got the full size sandwich from the buffet car..."

Haven’t seen it yet, but what age rating would you suggest for The War Between the Land and the Sea? Are we talking Torchwood level sex and violence here or just grim #DoctorWho ala Satan Pit or Dark Water? Ms 11 wants to watch but I’ve not seen an official rating.

The Nobel Prize committee should announce the World Cup winner tomorrow

Somewhere there’s a timeline where Albo beat Shorten to the leadership in 2013, lost the general in 2019 and was replaced by Shorten who went on to become PM in 2022. Bill Shorten still gets what the ALP should be about. He’s a serious contender for the best PM we never had.