Guess that’s me voting Lib Dem for the foreseeable, then.

sideburns being named after general burnsides sounds like one of those apocryphal folk legends except it's true. They're literally named after this guy

Today's #HydrogenSoufflé comes from the heavy-duty truck market, which soared from absolutely nothing in 2020 to not-quite-nothing in Q4 2023, before collapsing to 1/3 of not-quite-nothing in 2025. If you think it's different in China, no: that's *including* China! www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...

Okay, I can't let this one go. I live in Ireland, not the UK, but the use of this image by a supposedly socialist party is so stupid and offensive, I'm going to get stuck in. Let me explain to you why any experienced illustrator/designer could have stopped you making so many miserable mistakes. 1/

THREAD. How The Singer Julian Cope Licked My Entire Face And Hypnotised Me Into An Occult Life On The Margins Of Society I have been wanting to tell this true story - arguably the central one of my life - for many years. You will find it in the alt text to these very real documentary photographs.

The first Thatcher govt had a majority of just 43. Thatcher, like Starmer, was not a natural orator, but she recognised that the battle of ideas mattered. She saw it as part of her job to go out & win the argument: to shape public opinion, not just react to it. That's almost wholly missing today.

Note that if it's happening in the Fediverse it is ABSOLUTELY DEFINITELY happening here on Bsky.

The International Criminal Court is ditching Microsoft Office, saying it’s too dependent on US tech, in favor of Open Desk, a German open source alternative. The move comes after Microsoft revoked ICC head Karim Khan’s email access when he was sanctioned by the US for the warrant against Netanyahu.

Looks like an interesting idea that Chris has put together into a one-shot TTRPG. And despite his eccentric approach to self-promotion*, it's almost half-way there after only a few days, with over 3 weeks to go. Have a look! (I read his post and thought he'd already failed!)

Big Ben was basically black. Anyone who thinks there was less pollution in the era of leaded petrol and factories and coal fired power stations belching smoke needs their head examined

Your occasional reminder, if you’re in the UK, that it is shaping up to be a hideous bird flu season, with many wildlife casualties (including resident birds, not just winter migrants), and, however soft your heart, it is a Really Bad Idea to handle sick or ‘injured’ birds or bring them inside.

The Iron Age ‘Battersea Shield’ which was found in the River Thames at Battersea in 1857. Dating to around 350-50 BC, the shield is now part of the collections at the British Museum. 📸 My own. #FindsFriday #BatterseaShield #IronAge

“We don’t want to do things that antagonize Labour MPs and voters”. Guys that ship sailed. That ship disappeared over the horizon. That ship is docking in New Zealand. You have 400 seats. Just do the policy that makes sense. Stop running away from shadows.

A few photos of how history pops through the slickness of the now. This is a corner in the Museumincel area. The Red Army advanced through here towards the civic district of Berlin in 1945. There’s quite a few bullet impacts still in evidence including some quite large calibre.

NEW: I wrote about British churches installing heat pumps, in some cases in 1,000-year-old buildings! Decarbonisation may not be easy, but many view it as an act of faith. This is a special feature to mark The Reengineer’s first anniversary! Spread the word! 🥳 www.thereengineer.pro/p/let-there-...

!!!

We're so close to having the ultimate vehicle on our roads

Very into this idea Ed Miliband becoming PM will close a timeloop and we can all go back to 2015 and start over.

It is groundhog day.

To celebrate #LumiereDurham, a spectacular Light Art festival we have scoured the collections for images of light. This illustration is titled ‘The City with the Moon and the Tower’, and was created in Japan and printed c. 2011 DUROM.2012.64 #DUCollections

The Right Honourable Edward Miliband, member for Doncaster North: "but I don't think I want to be PM" The crowd: "Chaos with Ed Miliband!" "Bacon sandwiches in Downing Street!" "Chaos with Ed Miliband! Chaos with Ed Miliband! Chaos with Ed Miliband!"

would you like to see the ancient medieval wooden winch that Durham cathedral used to hoist great tonnes of stone up several stories to build the nave? silly question, here it is

They were being integrated with the mayor role anyway so this makes total sense. No need for a separate function. Helps build up mayors as the single tier of regional government.

The lesson learned here is dont point a supposedly knackered foam extinguisher at someone’s face squeeze the trigger and shout money shot unless you are absolutely sure it’s knackered.

The remarkable 12th century south doorway of the Church of St. Mary and St. David at Kilpeck in Herefordshire. 📸 My own. #AdoorableThursday #Kilpeck #Herefordshire

Von der Leyen and Starmer had a phone call last night reaffirming their desire to begin negotiations on the SPS and ETS agreements. A reminder that an SPS agreement will lower the cost of your weekly shop! https://bit.ly/4hXZIpR

We always thought this was just a sock...

CAT Global Update 2025 🚨 Ten years after the #ParisAgreement we see little to no measurable progress in warming projections - for the fourth consecutive year. The 2035 #NDCs have made no difference to our warming outlook. 🔗 bit.ly/CAT_Global_2...

Once again it's very amusing that Mark Gatiss based his Mycroft Holmes - 'the man at the heart of the establishment - performance, on Peter Mandelson

The new 2025 Global Carbon Budget finds that fossil fuel emissions will reach a new high in 2025. Total CO2 emissions (including land use) remain flat at 2024 levels. While the land sink is up from 2024, carbon sinks are weakening: www.carbonbrief.org/...

Chinese and EU emissions were more or less flat in 2025 (Chinese emissions may have actually declined slightly, but its too early to know for sure: www.carbonbrief.org/...). US emissions increases drove much of the increase in global emissions in 2025.

1/5 In May 2021, Boris Johnson appointed Robbie Gibb to the BBC board and the Common Sense Group of hard right Tory MPs published its manifesto calling for the break up of the broadcaster as part of a ‘complete reconfiguration’ of society. www.spectator.co.uk/article/tori...

Absolutely this, George. It's the same old argument from people who don't actually know the facts but parrot the words because they heard someone else say them who sounded convincing.

What the EU can still do is try to win negotiations, as evidenced by this story on the US deal where it is trying to progress some elements and push back on the US demands that are going to be trouble e.g. on standards and regulations. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

What's from Chicago, hates Illinois Nazis, and is holy as fuck? It's the Pope in 1982.

Such an imaginative lead for heritage in Scotland. I saw similar graphic novel artists used to illustrate the Ad Gefrin Anglo Saxon museum in Northumberland in May. A hugely effective new way to communicate archaeology 👏👏 www.digitscotland.com/archaeologis...

But also - importantly - he’s turning into Bertrand Russell

The M&S Christmas window display is a bit of a surprise this year...🤔🎄

In fact, B&N has been expanding rather a bit recently; their sales are up and they've refreshed their stores. And independent books stores have been growing in numbers too! It's been quite a turnaround for brick and mortar bookstores in the last couple of years. I hope it lasts.

BOOM! A huge win for people and planet. The Danish Energy Board has revoked a permit to resume oil production, upholding a complaint by Greenpeace Nordic. #ClimateCrisis #MakeOilHistory

I did not have insider knowledge. I have just been around Brussels negotiations for a long time... EU agrees a mandate for UK negotiations as I predicted. With the bonus that the future path becomes clearer - if you pay you can have more. www.politico.eu/article/uk-s...

Troubleshooter team 132-B: Thank you for your report. Unfortunately, your team is not equipped to handle the additional threat currently hunting you. Please do not engage and proceed only with your original mission. An additional mission will be scheduled as soon as possible. #ttrpg #paranoia

Yeah whoever jacked up tariffs on coffee from Brazil earlier this year must be a real bonehead

Crime: Man steals bus with passengers on board. Canadian Crime: He still makes the scheduled stops to let passengers on and off. Canadian Crime Bonus: He denies boarding to one passenger because his bus pass had expired. globalnews.ca/news/1152251...

The really good thing about this is that News UK (a Murdoch company) took the allegation seriously and, after investigation, took brutal action against Mike Graham. There are still red lines in this country.

So this morning I get an urgent email for a same day cardiology appointment at my local treatment centre. I was surprised (and alarmed) but fine. I moved things around and went there a few minutes ago. Only there was no real appointment. The receptionist said I wasn't supposed to receive any 1/

PS the more I think about it, the more I think Craig’s Bond was essentially in love with death. His self-loathing and his alienation shift Bond’s devil-may-care daring to a kind of existential indifference. His longing for a judgement can only be delivered in his extinction.

11th November 2025 07.19

Earthquake Prediction Flowchart xkcd.com/3165/