If the UK government had a Culture Secretary, that person would be in a position to take a view about whether child porn on demand was a good thing, or a bad thing. thecritic.co.uk/brin...

🔥🇪🇺 “Europeans enjoy more free time than Americans, a higher life expectancy and lower levels of inequality – all with roughly comparable productivity. Whichever way you look at it, this is a significantly superior economic performance.”

Oh what a wicked web we weave when we like weave wicked webs and shit like that.

Well now, I did not have Russia winning the Cold War on penalties on my 2026 bingo card. “US discussing options to acquire Greenland, including use of military - White House” www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I blame @stevenc63.bsky.social

Stumbled onto this today - www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

‘We’re running Venezuela by mistake’

bluesky but with the ability to turn off American accounts as it's very distressing right now (and also a handy toggle for when they have thoughts about English food)

#music #unledded youtu.be/z5Eo1zFVuWA?...

Rod Stewart's Do Ya Think I'm Sexy on radio. In 1978, the live audience of Rosco's Round Table was asked to choose their favourite record from Rod's, Tommy Gun by The Clash and YMCA. They chose Rod. I've been suspicious about democracy ever since.

Wonderful.

My best 2025 Christmas gift, you ask? That would be my Lionel Richie Kitchen Multi-tool. It does everything, and has everything … (wait for it) … mince, dice, three tines, a ladle. I shall not be taking questions at this time.

Yes, hello? I don’t think 2026 is working properly. I’d like to cancel my free 5 day trial please.

"...he recorded his loneliest, most vulnerable album in full knowledge of what was coming. There’s dignity and courage to songwriters who can do this. I think of Warren Zevon, Leonard Cohen. It is their final gift, whether or not we’re ready to receive it." #Bowie www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...

It's Get Back month and it might be the right time to remember that LIB/GB is still the Beatles project that keeps on not giving. Original LIB movie with commentary by MLH? Physical release of the rooftop gig? Bonus material/extended cut of GB? The possibilities seem endless, and yet... #NIRAGAIN

Muriel Grossman - The Music Never Stopped youtube.com/watch?v=lqTD...

Found the coolest website that takes random found cassette tapes people submit and digitizes them. I’m listening to an NYC hip hop station from 1994: intertapes.net

This Tuesday on the Record Store Day podcast, my conversation with pioneering music producer & remixer Adrian Sherwood (Tackhead, On-U Sound, Dub Syndicate) about his recent solo album, The Collapse of Everything, and his adventures with Brian Eno, and Lee “Scratch” Perry. (Photo by Rob Monk)

"Evolving situation"

And there ya have it… Officials from top Wall Street firms will be traveling to Venezuela to investigate “investment prospects” of the country. “The trip will feature about 20 officials from the finance, energy and defense sectors.”

The worst PM for the worst of times. See also: David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak.

It's an old and obvious pattern. An unpopular president - failing on the economy and losing his grip on power at home - decides to launch a war for regime change abroad. The American people don’t want to “run” a foreign country while our leaders fail to improve life in this one.

OY!

Did he say for which country?

Happy 100th Big George! I’ll be celebrating here for the next week but let’s start with one his greatest scores, Strawberry Fields Forever, which we re-recorded by following the Beatles’ original rhythm track so it’s as faithful as possible. youtu.be/UrO-s7gh0-c?...

Marco Rubio is reportedly saying Maduro will stand trial in US courts. Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.

George Martin in one of the most delightful scenes in Get Back. He would have been 100 today.

We're going to need a bigger Hague.

Remembering Sir George Martin, born #OTD 100 years ago. Truly the Fifth Beatle? I think so. (Also, there’s an episode for that ..) podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/n... @beatlespod.bsky.social @stevenc63.bsky.social #SirGeorgeMartin #TheBeatles

George Martin would have been 100 today. Here he is characteristically being both musical and stylish.

Sir George Martin was born 100 years ago today. He and the Beatles lucked into their glorious partnership and humankind is the lasting recipient. I was privileged to work with George and hoped to mark the centenary by touring a theatre show about his life & work – but I must stay focused on writing.

We are now a lesson to the Democrats on how not to do things.

The boys cook up perfection in tight and contained forms. For instance, we have Sugaree without an extended, meditative run in the latter half and a six-minute Playin’ that somehow contains all the energy and electric excitement of a twenty-minute version. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/01-02-1972

Today's inspirational message:

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There is, to my mind, no justification for the continued use by the UK Government of X as a platform for official comms. There hasn't been for some time, in fact, but if the latest developments around AI-generated image abuse and CSAM don't change the policy I really don't know what will.

"Tonight on Not Worth Owning, our firsrt guest is CD2 of Anthology 4."

Polly is as always quite right. As I said elsewhere this morning, the problem isn't that the government is having fights, it's that it's having fights it doesn't intend to have about things it doesn't understand. Here she suggests some fights it ought to pick.

It’s “Mamdani”. But you knew that.

The word is that I’ve a 'movie' out shortly. It's true. My 2022 theatre show The Beatles / Evolver:62 was filmed, and selections from that + new material shot in Liverpool and London comprise a feature that'll be streaming from Feb 2026. More details to follow, sample here vimeo.com/1023543808?f...

Why is it always ‘Who’s the best frontman of all-time’ when no vocalist has ever - nor ever shall - elevate a band as much as Sandy Denny did Fairport and Fotheringay?

Fab episode with a quick in-depth look at Peter Jackson's Get Back. It's amazing how many boxes Stephen and Jason tick off after watching it once (or twice?): the madness and nothing-is-planned manner of it all, MLH, Dick James, Billy Preston, the songs & the context. #GetBack25 #NIRAGAIN

Four years ago Steven and Jason were finally back together in one studio. The occasion almost shook the world: The release of Teatles: The Movie.. ahem.. The Beatles Get Back! Three years in the making, 52 years after the actual events we would finally see and hear what we already knew! #NIRAGAIN

Great to see George alluding to @marklewisohn.bsky.social 's research for his excellent "The Beatles Live!" book in episode 9 of the Anthology: "He ran out of beauty competitions to judge!" That's all the Threetles who have joked about it now. How lovely to have given the Fabs a laugh! #Beatles

I’ve never seen a better image of “proud parents” than this of Zohran Mamdani’s parents at his inauguration.