Here's a thing. The Oval was packed tonight for the women's T20 World Cup semifinal. Pretty much nobody is covering it - the football world cup, the Stokes debacle, Wimbledon, they're all taking up the space. But still. The ground was totally full. That tells you everything about the state of it.

So much to say about that semi-final. Mainly: What a performance. A team that has been brittle in the past showing such resilience and skill. It’s been a remarkable summer for England women. They’ve put the men to shame. 🏏🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇿🇦

The groundsman’s got caught behind the flags during the anthem. Wonderfully prosaic. 🏏🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇿🇦

Yeah, but all politicians are the same, right?

Let’s go. At the Oval for the England cricket team that still provably gives a shit about the fans. My beloved England Women play South Africa in the semi final of the T20 World Cup tonight. I love them with all my heart. COME ON! 🏏🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇿🇦

Two very interesting people being interesting about an interesting subject. Sounds awful.

Be careful out there.

O captain, my captain. Love this article about Charlotte Emma Dean, the best captain in the England side, no matter who's playing. www.bbc.com/sport/cricke...

1 July 1923 | A Polish Jew, Chaim Degen, was born in Tarnów. A worker. In #Auschwitz from 24 February 1942. No. 25196 He perished in the camp on 14 March 1942. --- 📖 Jewish prisoners at KL Auschwitz: https://lekcja.auschwitz.org/29_zydzi_en/

🚨 Google continues to lobby the UK government to hand the work of the country's creatives to big tech companies for free. 🧵 1/3

What a remarkable time we live in. The US humiliated by Iran, Russia powerless to stop Ukraine bombing their capital. Feels like the bit where Dorothy pulls back the curtain.

30 June 1940 | A French Jewish girl, Simone Zeligfeld, was born in La Rochelle. She was deported to #Auschwitz in September 1942 and murdered in a gas chamber after the selection. --- 🎧/📖 The development of the mass murder infrastructure at Auschwitz: https://bit.ly/46ryjrT

Fuck me. It's a rental. He's going to have to take all that stuff down. The blu-tac keeping that up's going to ruin the paintwork.

When you get the Meta sales push at the opticians, just slowly raise your phone and point the camera at the sales person for the entire interaction. You don’t have to tell them why, you don’t have to tell them whether you’re filming or not. Just keep pointing it at them.

Completely insane the government and so many organisations are still on X. Just a giant undermining of policies and law on anti-racism.

Babs Strozzi, gang. The most published composer of her day, far outstripping the lads. Single mother, unmarried, wildly successful. Absolute nails. But you won't hear that on the MSM.

really loved his work on the gruffalo. baffled by this pivot

29 June 1944 | A 4-year old Hungarian Jewish boy Gábor Neumann and his mother Margit (who was 9-months pregnant at the time), were murdered in a gas chamber at #Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp.

Well. What a day for the England Men’s team. A lot of fury in our house. Time for a new regime all round. Would have been the right thing to do to let that be planned, though. Good of the team to throw the game away in the second innings there. Seems thematically correct.

If England get through the semi and face Australia next Sunday, here’s my pitch: if she’s fit, put NSB back in but make Dean the skipper. She’s better at that bit. 🏏

Was out last night so just watched the Eng v NZ T20WC match back. Incredible stuff from England. Quite emotional watching the guard of honour for Devine, Bates & Tahuhu, too. Real end of an era stuff. 🏏

I talked about how Russia is waging a war on working people here podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/u...

This. When he says “money for wars” it’s “money to support Ukraine against Russian imperialism”. Ultimately supporting Ukraine with military aid is to support them in a fight against fascism and to secure Europe against the same threat. Why do they refuse to see that!

Fuck me. Hypnotits is such deeply unserious person. This is who we’re putting our liberal faith in, is it? Jesus Christ.

26 June 1939 | Dutch Jewish girl, Helena Wilhelmina Polak, was born in Groningen. In Febuary 1943 she was deported to #Auschwitz from #Westerbork and murdered in a gas chamber after arrival selection together with her younger brother Abraham.

"How dare you plagiarise my plagiarism machine" is the new "No fighting in the war room"

26 June 1910 | A Slovak Jewish woman, Rosa Kun, was born in Banská Bystrica. She was deported and registered in #Auschwitz (number unknown). She perished in the camp on 13 September 1942. --- Women at Auschwitz: 📖 Lesson: https://bit.ly/3O8z0jF 🎧 Podcast: https://bit.ly/3ZokyXc

When you combine stuff like this with the ongoing heat jamboree, anyone talking about abandoning net zero should be laughed out of town as not just unserious but deeply, deeply stupid.

I feel like Fatima Sana and Chamari Athapaththu should maybe have dinner or something. 🏏🇦🇺🇵🇰

Release the piss tape!

Not now, tiny particle that could erase the universe at any moment

Oh God. Think of all the emergency podcasts we’re about to get.

That’s the problem with recognising climate change is a scientific reality and then trying to ensure the only biosphere in the known universe remains habitable, it’s just such a downer.

Regardless of whatever else is going on, if I were Prime Minister I would resign on Monday simply because it’s going to be too hot next week

My nine year old asked for a Rosetta Stone cake for his birthday

With my successful Broadway producer hat on, I gots to say, that magnificent Olivia Rodrigo album is a musical waiting to happen.

There we go. All better now.

I see the Netherlands are playing with Australia. They want to watch that - that’s how South Africa was born. 🏏🇳🇱🇦🇺

Ahem… Stand by for the joke.

Let’s try that again, shall we? This time while not trying to watch two games of cricket at once.

Poor Ireland. So close. So gutting. 🏏🇮🇪🇳🇿

"So ... so I said ... why not sign your treaty here, at Versailles?"

“The world’s on fire. Drink the nice wine.” Sure. Yes. But you’re supposed to be my financial advisor.

Just turned Ireland v NZ on. What. THE FUCK. Is happening? 🏏🇮🇪🇳🇿

"Farage is... a moral stain upon this country’s reputation, the fag-brown teeth of a rotting corpse. But he is also... a hapless clown. His competence is as degraded as his ethics." Thanks @mrchrisaddison.bsky.social for sending @iandunt.bsky.social 's positivity iandunt.substack.com/p/triumph-in...

Devastated to discover that Bob Servant was defeated once again in Broughty Ferry.

Same. Although I like it when they do ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ at the end.

The thing about AI is it’s… just not that good. Like, it’s *fine* at stuff, but never more so than your second-most trustworthy colleague. It’s also a bullshitter. A really plausible fake-it-till-you-make-it bullshitter. It’s like the digital equivalent of a posh 20-year-old boy.

It’s a stupid rule. She had a better match than Annerie Dercksen, who was nonetheless excellent.