Pack your bags, charge your batteries, #InverteFest begins at midnight your time. If you're going out to spot critters, join our community science project here: www.inaturalist.org/projects/inv...

Things Found Under Palmetto Fronds Today: Otiocerus stollii (derbid planthopper) Apache degeeri (derbid planthopper) Sisyra sp (tiny lacewing) Little An't Man (Synemosyna formica jumping spider)

It's 20 December, the day The Dark Is Rising begins, and when I and others usually start to read a chapter a day. We recently read it in our book club, so I'm going to listen to this wonderful adaptation by @robgmacfarlane.bsky.social instead. Best Christmas book of all www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand...

They want to stamp out kindness and empathy because they think people alone are easier to subjugate than people together and theyre right

Very sad that I felt I had no choice but to resign from The Infinite Monkey Cage - a victory for the transphobes and other bigots - I did it because so much of the media has chosen to believe the kind and empathetic people are a fiction - they are real and so often unrepresented.

This song breaks my heart. "So I won't so blindfolded to the multitude of lies to the one night only corporate sponsored idea of pride Let's not forget where this all started lives lost on our streets, while they're selling us rainbow coloured packets of sweets." m.youtube.com/watch?v=52u4...

This is wonderful news, and also means it’s time for me to beat the drum I always do when HPV vaccines make the news: They are not only for women! HPV also causes penile, anal, and head and neck cancers. The latter are particularly deadly. Please vaccinate ALL your children.

As everyone knows, the ancient season of #Yule officially begins on November 21st, when the #BoxOfDelights was first screened on the BBC back in 1984. That makes it five days until the Box is opened... youtu.be/-BxxdE9GvZc?...

Utterly disgusted by this dismal disappointment of a govt

On the eve of last year’s General Election, an RPO survey found that 76% of adults want to ‘see the new Government do more to support arts and culture in Britain’. This has now risen to 85%. Survey says that public wants to see decisive action on music access, provision and funding. bit.ly/3WWIaRt

📢New gigs announced! 2 Dec: Tim Edey events.livetoyourlivingroom.com/events/livet... 12 Dec: Karine Polwart events.livetoyourlivingroom.com/events/livet... 21 Dec: A Warning to the Curious (Two Ghost Stories by MR James) events.livetoyourlivingroom.com/events/livet... #LiveMusic #FolkMusic #LTYLR

Repair Video xkcd.com/3163/

Prepare to be pleasingly terrified tonight at 8pm BST as Robert Lloyd Parry retells two of M R James' most spine-tinglingly terrifying ghost stories. There's still time to buy your tickets, if you dare... events.livetoyourlivingroom.com/events/livet... #LiveMusic #FolkMusic #LTYLR

X is a cesspit led by an unhinged billionaire who is desperately trying to stir up civil war in Britain. Nobody with any sense or decency should be there. No organisations, government departments, or politicians should be there. Everyone who is, is enabling this monster.

What's coming up over the next few weeks? 🚣14 Nov - Tamesas ⭐20 Nov - Emily Portman introduces Lucy and Hazel 🪗🎻21 Nov - Knight & Spiers ✒️6 Dec - Charlie Dore Visit events.livetoyourlivingroom.com to buy your tickets! #LiveMusic #FolkMusic #LTYLR

I've seen Maddy Morris live twice & ended up with tears streaming. Their way of telling stories through song is exceptional & makes me very angry that people like (and unlike) them feel unsafe. They have a new EP out soon, I've seen some live at Purbeck and it's gorgeous. youtu.be/RNmDyamOd58?...

THE SECRET PROJECT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS IS FINALLY LIVE CHECK IT OUT outsidersartsclub.com

Why I have had it with entitled dog owners | Arwa Mahdawi

Nature is healing

if you've not watched it/been put off by the name then please understand you're missing out and it's maybe one of the 21st century's best sitcoms, it's so spiky and funny and weird, cannot recommend it enough

Also yes because while the link between HPV and cervical cancer is clear, and the vaccine has a 100- yes, 100 percent- prevention rate for cervical cancer, it’s also becoming known that HPV is also linked to throat, anal, and penile cancers! GET JABBED

More great live footage from our midsummer night's eve show for @thenestcollective.bsky.social! Here's our broken folk version of Scarborough Fair for voice and body percussion... youtu.be/Ly9_M_m7NP4?...

i challenge you to find cooler news today than “despite all odds against American scientific research rn, a CO researcher developed a temperature-stable, single dose rabies vaccine that works bc of particles coated in CANDY & SAPPHIRE, & it could help reduce rabies deaths in places w/o electricity”

Useful reminder from Peter Kellner on the problems we refuse to acknowledge are getting better, and the politics of hopelessness that this breeds open.substack.com/pub/kellnerp...

My very first #caturday This nice kitty visited @casabentbill.bsky.social this morning. No petting, though. The monkeys seemed to be a little stressed for some reason. #costarica #puma #cougar #cats #wildlife #dangercarport

FOR WEDNESDAY: Here is the route of the march against Trump & the far right GATHER: 2pm Portland Place (BBC) MARCH: at 3pm RALLY: 5pm at Parliament Square!!

“Why I’m demonstrating against Trump’s visit” Good on Max Hastings - where’s the demo? www.thetimes.com/article/db35...

Muddy Water Morris, having completed a blessing on the Wandle river, under a rainbow at The Hope in Carshalton.

Solidity forever The union never dies Solidarity forever In the face of all their endless lies Decolonise Wonderful footage of our #MidsummerNightsEve show for @thenestcollective.bsky.social. Maybe our best live recording ever! youtu.be/9S4eeT1YOD0?...

A few Colletes hederae, or ivy bee at Oxshott this week.

"I really value learning and practising folk songs in such a friendly environment and learning how to harmonise tunes." Monday Folk Singers Online, starts next week. Taught by Maddie Morris @maddiemorris.bsky.social the course will make the most of the benefits of learning online. bit.ly/4mLsQC3

Finally made the pilgrimage to Purflleet for Sciocoris sideritidis and Southern Sickle-bearing Bush Cricket with @sjb2010.bsky.social today.

The Sound Lounge have been measured, constructive and inclusive in the way they have responded to recent events and this is their reward for that approach. Smashed windows, a closed business, frightened staff.

The Sound Lounge in Sutton has been vandalised. A disappointing number of flag shagging arseholes justifying the attack appear to have Palace profiles. If you want to donate to their crowdfunder, the link is 👇 www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/repairing-...

The Sound Lounge in Sutton has become a cultural cornerstone for the town, with live music several nights a week and a pay-what-you-want community kitchen

Thought I'd post something about separating Nysius senecionis and graminicola, as both are now widespread. The features to focus on are the extent of the matt field of the evaporatory area (the brown bit) and the length of the 1st hind tarsal segment relative to the 2nd and 3rd.

65% of people have never had a nemesis???? live a little!

Huge news! A new species of butterfly for Britain found today at Landguard Bird Observtory by Will Brame - Southern Small White! Will's kindly shared his photo with us - what an excellent find by him. It's not been seen since the time of finding, but surely more will follow...

Anyway, the experience reminded me of Global Breakfast Radio, one of my very favourite internet projects, baby of @sebemina.bsky.social. If you also enjoy snapshots (earshots?) of radio chasing breakfast across the world, have a listen: www.globalbreakfastradio.com

We're testing our web stream now. Have a listen at www.mixcloud.com/live/WOMADFe...

A great show by Frigg last night

We love this from our folkie Nordic neighbour across the North Sea: folk & club night mashups! "Norwegian folk music, until recently was largely restricted to the countryside, has been gaining traction across Norwegian cities with sweaty club nights appealing to a younger audience" bit.ly/4mB4NGL

Finally the hedgehog is visiting at a reasonable time of night. They've a secure hedgehog feeding station with special hedgehog food but also get to finish up the cat food if I know it's coming. I don't leave the cat food in the feeder because foxes will try to destroy the feeder & flies lay eggs.

Moments from the field with Justin Robinson… This tune is “Ryestraw” from our new album “What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow.” Listen now: giddensrobinson.lnk.to/BlackbirdCrow

If you want to do searches that don't use AI, you can search on DuckDuckGo instead of Google or your can enter your search terms into Google and add the phrase -AI before hitting "search". That will it will return results without using AI.