Excellent read from @alanallport.bsky.social foreignpolicy.com/2025/12/18/f...

Good read on the Trump class plans, US shop building capacity and the bigger question of whether or not ‘battleships’ are a good idea. edition.cnn.com/2025/12/23/u...

Americans - you get a really nice cover.

Orders still being taken! Get hand delivered local journalism gift cards delivered to your letterbox before dawn on Christmas Eve! Terrible handwriting optional!

Am I the only one getting a slight Twin Peaks vibe from Tim Robinson’s The Chair Company? Sort of I Think You Should Leave meets The Office with a heavy dash of Twin Peaks surrealism.

Me, to the eldest: no, I don’t want to watch a teen K drama. Me, 45 minutes later: could you pause it while I make a cup of tea?

Galaxy Quest - a perfect movie, just a wonderful love letter to actors, sci-fi, Star Trek in particular, and to fandom - really deserves a proper physical release with decent extras. Think Weaver's right that releasing a R-rated cut would be fun, too.

These just arrived. The American edition, out on Jan 6th.

V much enjoyed this. How Jane Austen revealed the economic basis of society economist.com/christmas-sp... from The Economist

Morning says Christmas like an almost out of the door cheese shop queue. And, also in the spirit of Christmas, well done to the dentists practice for having a large tooth on top of their tree.

How to conduct a job interview economist.com/business/202... Good piece.

M&S Marmite Cheddar. The food of the Gods.

Cremation of human bodies was not legal until 1902, so the creation of the trophy in the return series in 1882 was also an advocacy message from an active menber of the Cremation Society of Great Britain! www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/art...

Admitting Ashes watching defeat. Realistically too tired after four 3.30 to 4am starts to stay up for the first session. And very much doubt there’ll be any play in the third. Of course this hugely increases the chance of some sort of miracle victory whilst I sleep.

The Paris Declaration Respecting Maritime Law of 1856 called. It doesn’t sound happy. www.lee.senate.gov/2025/12/patr...

Watching Gremlins (1984) with the eldest. I hate to point this out but early in Gremlins, It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) is on TV. We are now further away from Gremlins than Gremlins was from It’s A Wonderful Life. Sorry.

Quite the chart. www.ft.com/content/30a4...

The really frustrating thing today is that England played well until that last hour. Wrapped up the Australian tail really quickly then an excellent recovery from a poor start to their own innings.

Feels like the first time we’ve seen back to back England 50+ partnerships in a while.

Very tidy bowling from Head. Although I still don’t really understand why he is bowling.

Excellent read. www.economist.com/christmas-sp...

www.ft.com/content/30a4... Very good frame from @jburnmurdoch.ft.com

What do you call the last Friday before Christmas? Most Britons don't have a name for the term, but 8% call it "Black Friday" or "Black Eye Friday", with usage most common in... Tyne & Wear: 44% West Glamorgan: 41% Cumbria: 39% Durham: 35% Gwent: 33% yougov.co.uk/society/arti...

...I did it! In 2025 I: 1. Had a baby 2. Wrote a book 3. Did absolutely nothing else Filed the book last night, please celebrate with me by preordering it... (it's fun! you'll enjoy it!) UK: www.waterstones.com/book/how-to-... US: www.simonandschuster.com/books/How-to...

Me, a month ago: what do you mean school finishes at noon on the 19th this year? I have work to do. Me, at 11.40am today: actually, I could get used to starting my Xmas break at midday. Thank you, youngest child’s school.

We examined the trading results of some historical geniuses and allocated them to firms that might suit them today. Keynes to TCI, JMW Turner to Jane Street, Darwin to Brevan Howard, Newton to Andurand, and Churchill gets some pity seed money from Bill Hwang. www.ft.com/content/5d21...

It's a sign of how far the EU has shifted that joint borrowing - for long considered a non-starter - is now viewed as a slightly disappointing Plan B. www.reuters.com/world/europe...

Whilst I am in no way optimistic about England’s chances here, things are - at least - better than 24 hours ago.

Useful blog on the planning changes. www.centreforcities.org/blog/christm...

Missed this last week. Good piece. www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/g...

Really interesting. www.techzine.eu/blogs/infras...

Jacks bowled 20 overs, took 2 wickets and gave away 5.25 runs an over. Lyon has bowled 22 overs so far, taken 2 wickets and only given away 2.75 an over.

Super interesting BOE blog post on the ownership of commercial real estate. bankunderground.co.uk/2025/12/11/w...

Nice watching Archer enjoy himself with the bat this series.

This does feel like a different kind of England batting collapse. Apart from Pope it has mostly been superb Australian bowling rather than dreadful England batting.

Snicko = dreadful.

Oh dear. #JustGotUp #TheAshes

Controversy! www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricke...

According to GS, 30% of total USD credit net supply in 2025 has been AI-related.

Bookmarking this for Xmas reading ideas. www.ft.com/content/72d0...

Defence Investment Plan due date: Autumn, before Xmas and now next year. And this isn’t an especially hopeful sounding para. www.ft.com/content/6e96... Defence spending plan delayed over Starmer concerns

Why more dissent is vital at the Fed - @duncanweldon.bsky.social writes in the FT www.ft.com/content/af2b...

Wrote a piece for the FT.

50 off 68 balls is a helluva partnership at this stage in the order.

Feels like there’s potentially 400+ runs on this pitch. If England can hold Australia to 325-350 I’ll be feeling confident.

Woken up to England in a good position. Would be nice if they didn’t let it slip.

PSA: plenty of England-India T20 tickets available for the Durham game next July.

Debating - stay up late for first Ashes session vs get up early for the final one. Key is to not attempt both.

C’mon …. this isn’t being driven by global demand, certainly not from any institutions. It’s being driven by US retail yolo traders

@nyecominetti.bsky.social piece from yesterday important context for today's labour market stats. ALL of the change in the employment rate since the pandemic is due to unemployment - a lack of jobs not a lack of jobseekers.