This seems like one of the more critical petitions doing the rounds of late. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/73...

The BBC’s proposal to switch off Freeview is a threat to its universal service www.theguardian.com/media/2026/j...

This. I'm not a BBC-basher but IMO Mason is a poor political journalist. It's not that he's 'biased' per se, it's that he reports politics as a kind of giggly spectator sport and as such is preoccupied with spectacle, talking up 'exciting' events rather than analysing them. 1/2

Democracy ideally requires voters to understand what they’re voting for. The readers of the Mail, Telegraph, Express, Sun and those who get their ‘information’ from Xitter and Facebook are being conditioned into thinking Reform are their best bet at forthcoming elections. Grim.

I’ve somehow ‘lost’ a day this week. I thought today was the 26th but it’s the 27th. Why it matters is because the 26th – yesterday – was the 65th anniversary of my dad’s death at the age of 40. Sorry I’m a day late dad. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

“It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong” Voltaire 😑

NRA and pro-gun groups call for ‘full investigation’ into killing of Alex Pretti Groups typically aligned with Trump call for investigation as NRA wades into the national dialogue www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Ella Baron on the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis – cartoon

For decades, the American right has insisted that people need firearms for personal safety and to resist potential government tyranny. And then LBC just had some US general on who suggested that if a demonstrator has a gun with them, they're essentially a legitimate target. Which is it?

Don’t forget your crutch… oh… Rescued Scafell Pike hikers urged to pay hotel bill and return head torches Wasdale mountain rescue team says ‘we struggle to understand when the rescued take advantage of hospitality’ www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Trumpf has taken unhinged loopiness to a previously undiscovered universe. Thank you for your attention etc etc

“Something needs to change. One proposal to consider would be that if the match ends 0-0, the teams would score zero points. Then the match would open up in the 70th minute.” Discuss. www.theguardian.com/football/202...

The View from Trump Tower (2017) by Ruben Bolling

Petition: By-elections to be called automatically when MPs defect to another party petition.parliament.uk/petitions/73...

Trump texts Norway's PM linking Nobel snub to Greenland anntelnaes.substack.com/p/trump-text...

New website for Reform! #NeverVoteReform

The Crimewatch wall. All it needs is Nick Ross reading each ex Tory's record in office and telling viewers not to have nightmares.

Commodore 64 Ultimate It’s like 1982 all over again! To complete the scene, you can plug your old Quick Shot II into one of the two joystick ports. Then simply load up a copy of Daley Thompson’s Decathlon and immediately break it. www.theguardian.com/games/2026/j...

Honest Bobby Jenrick will need to delete a few things...

Some of the design and juxtaposition of tattoos on footballers compares badly with how a 2-year-old applies jolly stickers to a page.

Why the heck do football matches have to be prefaced with smoky pyrotechnics and fit-inducing flashing light shows?

CO2 Newsletter Vol. 1 no. 1 (Oct 1979) is live! Between 1979 and 1982 American geologist William N. Barbat published 18 issues. Each was 8 pages of news (scientific abstracts, testimony, science and policy reports) editorials, investigations etc. 1/2 allouryesterdays.info/2026/01/05/c...

Political cartoon by Ella Baron. Super artwork. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... Alt: Night scene outside a pub with hanging sign "The Old Tory". Shiny black refuse bags with Reform rosettes attached. Emerging from a wheely bin is Nadhim Zahawi. Spivvy Nigel Farage swoops to shake his hand.

You can’t get the Brexit people voted for because it doesn’t exist. It was a con. A prejudiced, arrogant fantasy created by a cynical campaign of dishonesty. This is however the relentless, tedious Brexit reality. An ongoing national scandal. A betrayal of a country by its politicians and media.

Jacques n'a pas vu l'oiseau Drypoint etching (done exactly 7 years ago today). Bon anniversaire, Jacques !

Reform unveiled their latest Conservative recruit Nadhim Zahawi - unfortunately he forgot to delete his old tweets accusing Farage of racism...

This quote from David Hockney came to me again this morning when I was trying to sum up what’s missing in AI generated art. It’s imagery by instruction not hand, eye, heart.

Roger McGough on running across a minefield, being bewitched at a bus stop, and his 88th birthday celebrations (I was lucky enough to have him as my Liberal Studies tutor at Liverpool College of Art) www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

In other news... www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Tolkien: The True Story of the Rings ARTE Documentary www.arte.tv/en/videos/11...

People fatally shot by UK police in 2024/25: 2 People fatally shot by US law enforcement in 2025: 1280

2026. Year of the Horse or Year of the Kleptomaniac Bully?

Here we are in 2026. Hope it’s not too crazy <understatement>

‘Of course he abused pupils’: ex-Dulwich teacher speaks out about Farage racism claims www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...

Happy Christmas BlueSkyers! Thanks for your likes and replies to my posts.

Merry Christmas from the White house...

The Danish postal service has announced it will cease deliveries from 30 December after 400 years www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

‘Don’t be disheartened by mistakes’: 10 lessons my artist father (David Gentleman) taught me “Starting can feel hard, but you have to get on with it” www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

Shameful. Kent is going down the tubes.

Why it’s ridiculous to call our new train system ‘Great’ British Rail | Martin Kettle The name originated during the period of Boris Johnson boosterism. People no longer want Brexit triumphalism, but things that actually work www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

So dreadful. ‘She was very, very thin’: eyewitness sheds new light on Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna’s final days Soldier’s account corroborates reports Ukrainian journalist was transported to prison deep inside Russia, where it is believed she died www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...

It’s that time of year again. #WinterSolstice #LightFallsShort

Gianni Infantino accused of breaking Fifa rules with Trump’s peace prize www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Rather damp at Deepdale yesterday #pnefc #wrexham

Trump has been awarded a Micky Mouse “FIFA Peace Prize” trophy. Which peace are we witnessing and what does football have to do with it? And why hasn’t Infantino been booted out of the FIFA office years ago?

Ian Dunt | Thank God for Bluesky open.substack.com/pub/iandunt/...

England earthquake of 3.3 magnitude rattles Lancashire and Lake District Residents report homes shaking from 3.3-magnitude quake that British Geological Survey says was centred just off the coast of Silverdale, Lancashire www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...

Unsubscribed from Spotify after many years (used to be £4.99 a month!) and changed to Apple Music, which includes Apple Classical. Cheaper than Spotify and… it lets you import all your playlists! 🎵🎶👍

You’ve never heard of John Stanley, but he broke Britain’s housing market #RightToBuy #Thatcher #SocialHousing liveapp.inews.co.uk/category/407...

Introduce yourself with 5 concerts you've seen. Rolling Stones (Floral Hall, Morecambe) Chuck Berry (Empire, Liverpool) Paul Sacher, BBC Symphony Orch (St. Johns Smith Sq London, 1981) Trevor Pinnock (harpsichord) & Jonathan Manson (viol) (QE School Faversham) Jordi Savall (Sam Wanamaker Playhouse)