Heseltine gets it ...

so much hype about AI knocking about. Such poor-taste headlines were only a matter of time ...

I know it is gauche to acknowledge the existence of the Liberal Democrats, but ... they went into coalition with the Tories, they are broadly centre-right in economic policy, and they regularly win seats in centre-right constituencies. TLDR: The centre-right is represented by the Lib Dems.

lots of questions for Greater Manchester police ...

Foot like a traction engine! #ITFC #15YearsOfHurt

how to lose friends and alienate people

I'm reading that showing support for a banned group, which is already banned, is now to be banned.

The government want more coercive powers for the state against protests, and the main opposition party wants more coercive powers for the state against migrants. Our political-media culture continues in a loop where the response to every perceived problem is yet more coercive powers for the state.

Netanyahu can get in the bin. This invitation for Tommy Robinson is a new low, and Israel can do so much better than pandering to this basic ethno-nationalist crap. I'm appalled by Netanyahu, and I'm sure the sentiment is shared by many British Jews.

from Beer to Rùm our party is as one

I'm old enough to have seen "woke" became a right-wing slur to replace "politically correct", which was itself a rebranding of "basic civility". Someone complaining about "wokeness" is typically an entitled special snowflake who thinks that they are above politeness, humility and decency.

Match of the Day. "Alright?" without waiting for the answer. The twitch of a net curtain. "It is what it is". Wimbledon. Big Brother. Crown Bowls. "They always kept themselves to themselves". Ascot. "You keeping busy?" The Today programme. Semolina. In my day ...

Decency or Division. Starmer has finally hit upon a good line. So much better than the vapid "three alliterations here" or aspirational "growth for progress" or what-have-you. But can Labour rally and follow through on this?

Starmer finally gave a speech to meet the moment, and one that sounded like he believed in it. Now he needs to follow up, consistently building on the "decency versus division" message. If he goes back to triangulation and meeting Reform half way, it's over.

astute analysis here

New! Cassetteboy vs Keir Starmer. This took absolutely ages, so if you'd like to buy us a coffee at ko-fi.com/cassetteboy we'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

this is a vapid analysis from Keir Starmer 👇 "growth is the pound in your pocket" If growth were the antidote to division, the US would be ... quite a different place indeed. UK growth remains very weak, yet the Govt refuses to even discuss rejoining the EU.

🤮

it's very endearing that Mark Chapman appears to genuinely *love* golf. He otherwise appears quite normal.

With the Ryder Cup, the golf boffins somehow hit upon a team format that makes golf really exciting. Such a shame that this format can't somehow be repeated anywhere else in the world of golf.

“My wife went to Riyadh to see an edgy comedian” “Jimmy Carr?” “No, she went of her own accord”

For a party which is obsessed on chasing reform it’s WILD that they would try and introduce ID cards when these voters believe anything and everything is a conspiracy, LMAO

ugly, authoritarian, reactionary, unworkable. Even the people who think they want this will hate it as soon as it applies to them. Expect a lot of bad-faith "papers please" attacks from the Right who have been calling for this.

“.. I absolutely couldn’t care less what he [Trump] thinks about me … He’s the living personification of what the 25th Amendment and impeachment were for. If Congress had any guts, he’d be consigned to the trash heap of history.” @time.com time.com/7319963/bruc...

🤮🤮🤮 www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...

I'm told it's more of a "don't call us, we'll call you" situation

Finally! Liberté, égalité, cuppa-tèa

Luis Enrique celebrates winning the Johann Cruyff trophy at the Ballon d'Or tonight - by losing 1 - 0 to Marseille.

I'm away on a trip, and I just had my dessert (Milka) before my main course (pizza). So liberating!

Ed gets it www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

All-time worst football stadium name? your starter for ten: Craven Cottage.

Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, was receiving money from the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein to help pay off debts ...

There are too many apps. 90% of apps should instead be a better website.

Bantz outcome: Man Utd 5 - 0 Chelsea Match abandoned due to waterlogged pitch (81')

“In an anonymous survey of (UK Physics) department heads by the Institute of Physics (IoP), 26% said they faced potential closure of their department within the next two years, while 60% said they expected courses to be reduced.” www.theguardian.com/education/20...

it's no joke ... clearly, universities are triggered by the audacity of academics who attempt to reclaim their travel expenses

"In 2002 Mandelson tried to broker a meeting between Epstein and Sir Tony Blair, the then prime minister, according to a person familiar with the matter."

Still testing. Three Russian MiG-31 jets entered Estonian airspace without permission and stayed there for 12 minutes, Estonia says.

It's remarkable that Jonathan Edwards' World Record leap of 18.29 metres in the Triple Jump has stood for 30 years now, and few have even got close to it. Only eight men have jumped over 18 metres.

How athletics commentators imagine the life of a 26-year old veteran world champion

so the Office for Budget Responsibility predicts £12.5bn, but the actual figure comes in nearly 50% higher at £18bn. The OBR has zero credibility, we'd be better off asking Paul the Octopus. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

if I'm staring blankly into space, it's probably because I'm mentally replaying the circular bassline from Pineapple Head by Crowded House

Trump is an international pariah and mobster. He is trying to bully leaders and countries around the world. Starmer has bent the knee in order to get a good tariff deal. Is this viewed as success on the world stage? Quite the contrary. Domestically and internationally Starmer is seen as weak.

at this point people still posting on X are frogs getting agitated about the increasing warmth of the water

Just now, 11 state and city lawmakers were arrested by DHS police on the 10th floor of 26 Federal Plaza after a hour of demanding access to the ICE lock up on the same floor. @thecity.nyc

every headline about the World Athletics Championship looks like this to me: "26-year-old veteran <Name I've Never Heard Before> vies for Greatest of All Time status in final showdown"

Voltaire on Nick Clegg: "I agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to stfu."

the moral case against Assisted Dieing is not that it is wrong in principle for a suffering individual; but that if you make it available in *this* capitalist, atomised society many of us will be pressured into ending our lives prematurely. Now the New Statesman says ... "this is good actually"

Back in my day, "woke" was called "politically correct". The right-wing press got mad about it on a daily basis. Being "politically correct" meant being civil and kind, avoiding generalisations, rash assumptions, & edgy humour, and advertising opportunities on a fair and meritocratic basis.

🎶 wait a minute Mr Poste man 🎶 www.theguardian.com/football/202...