I know the Venezuela issue dominates everything, but I'm fed up with seeing nothing but Trumpiana in my feed, and sorry that people don't also need a break when one puts up stuff about the good things in life. So taking a break for a bit.

Eartha - a lexicon of facial expressions! www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS02...

This RIGHT HERE!..👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

Just popped up in my YouTube recommendeds - I know it well: simply one of the great performances of any song. www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHFd...

Reporting of European leaders' reactions to the illegal invasion of Venezuela seem to be drawn mostly from Xitter, a lawless platform they shouldn't be helping. Shouldn't be surprised by Kaja Kallas hedging her bets. Strongest response, from the French, isn't claimed as a Xitter response.

Utterly predictable. Said he'd wait until the press conference to get all the facts, now he's still waiting on all the facts, surprise, surprise. Every day a bigger disappointment. Contrast with France's outright condemnation. Over to his sister in genocide support Yvette...

Reminding our Government of the definition of #Genocide. In short, bringing about conditions upon a group of people which make it impossible for them to sustain life. If these Aid Agencies are not allowed to operate in Gaza, Palestinians will be ethnically cleansed from the strip within weeks 😭

This has made up for my awful day. Wonderful in every way.

The circumstances and Bernstein's speech are probably more remarkable than the playing, but fab that Ma went on to become one of the international greats, and a true Mensch. Should perhaps be counterpointed with a cartoon of President Pizda literally sawing through a cello.

Can't say the New Year has begun without a swim in Dublin Bay. This was punishing but exhilarating - I've swum in sunny freezing weather before, but not with a blasting north wind and sea temperature of c. 8.5-9. So many other crazy folk doing it too - couldn't understand the ones bobbing about.

Jupiter, Io and Ganymede looking beautiful tonight with my C6. #astronomy #astrophotography

He won't condemn it, just as Blair didn't condemn the US invasion of Panama in 1989.

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.

Festival threads and outstanding one-offs in abundance in #Bestof2025: CLASSICAL MUSIC CONCERTS - the year's choice @davidnice.bsky.social with @alexandracoghlan.bsky.social @robertbealemcr.bsky.social @bernardhughes.bsky.social @boydtonkin.bsky.social & more www.theartsdesk.com/classical-mu...

Ensembles and stand-out performances came first this year in #Bestof2025: OPERA from @davidnice.bsky.social, led by FESTEN @theroyalopera.bsky.social & DEAD MAN WALKING #AlbertHerring #Partenope #ENO, @welshnatopera.bsky.social @operanorth.co.uk #Glyndebourne www.theartsdesk.com/opera/best-2...

A real corker, deliciously programmed and delighting a packed audience of all ages. Tried to find when it's being broadcast on RTÉ Lyric FM, but they don't make it easy... theartsdesk.com/classical-mu...

Right, so that will have precisely what effect? www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/...

So glad Jenny Gilbert chose 'How To Be a Dancer In Seventy-two Thousand Easy Lessons' in her Best of Dance choice. Should have interviewed Michael Keegan-Dolan in Teaċ Daṁsa's Dingle base after being stunned by 'Nobodaddy'. No go, but saw this stunning hybrid. theartsdesk.com/dance/best-2...

New to me. Mesmerising. They even do all the non-celesta bits perfectly. www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdoT...

Sometimes a bit of AI doesn't go amiss when it comes to wish fulfilment.

And the first Darwin award of 2026 goes to...

And what, I wonder, does Starmer have to say about this? Nothing, as usual?

This is where fanaticism leads you. I hate Starmer for being in the pocket of Zionists; I shall never vote for Labour as long as he and his are there. But do I deserve to be abused for what I wrote (cited in the first passage quoted)?

A real corker, deliciously programmed and delighting a packed audience of all ages. Tried to find when it's being broadcast on RTÉ Lyric FM, but they don't make it easy... theartsdesk.com/classical-mu...

Where was this and who inspired it? Pure joy.

New to me. A delight. Just hope that the ending isn't the destiny of the EU - of course it isn't. www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpcU...

Believe it or not, this has the Brexiters & Putin boot lickers in a fit of ‘woke’ rage … 😊

I wrote this yesterday. It’s my message in a bottle from 2025. May it find you where you are xx open.substack.com/pub/broligar...

Spirit and meaning. Who are the fabulous singers? Any more information about the song?

Shunned a party last night because of an imminent bereavement, and watched Hitchcock's 'To Catch a Thief' for the first time. What a delight, swiping wittily at the rich on the French Riviera while celebrating both (such colour!) Ageing Cary Grant, in good shape, spars with gorgeous Grace Kelly.

Maybe this should come with a pomposity warning, looking it over, but it's what I meant. Last words on here of 2025, and soon I hope people won't be looking. davidnice.blogspot.com/2025/12/sliv...

While President Pizda's USA wishes Putler's Russia a happy new year, these honest heroic people carry on...

Let's try this again (interaction is crap on here today, but it IS the 31st...) Glad @jackbarron93.bsky.social let me sound off on Georgi Gospodinov. 'Death and the Gardener' is marginal by the great Bulgarian's standards, but let me hymn 'Time Shelter'. 2025 discovery alongside Kapka Kassabova.

I like it: for me it means bright lights, the Irish Film Institute, other cultural hubs, and a Syrian-style falafel joint. I've also seen people shooting up in alleys in daylight, but it doesn't put me off. Last walked through it to see an outstanding Uncle Vanya in Smock Alley Theatre.

Bit late, but I just discovered this and I love it. www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fEm...

On the joky side, does that make them Georges et Amal Cluny? But then I read the article, sickened me to learn how many properties this 'philanthropic' couple own around the world. Like finding out that a wedding we've been invited to includes spending £42,000 on flowers. So I just can't...

The trouble is, their obscene stance on 'growth, growth, growth', migrants, the Gaza holocaust and the protests around it eclipses any good they've been doing (which Labour, stupidly, isn't even shouting about). That's why I loathe them.

You see the fundamental flaw here - why don't Labour commit to a wealth tax and see what happens? But they won't. Just because the obscenely wealthy make up a fraction of a percentage of the population doesn't mean that their money is the same. Duh. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Yes Israel It’s GENOCIDE

We were never more than an hour's train journey from the sea on the first half of our Italian travels, but didn't see it this time. Here's Dublin's bay of Naples, looking across from Sorrento Park in Dalkey to the Sugarloaf 'Mountain' (Vesuvius) this afternoon as the grey pall began to lift.

The highlights of classical music in 2025 from @theartsdesk.bsky.social team of critics:

Happy to share this again, as it was on 30 December 2024 that my beloved mum died suddenly, at the grand age of 93, having had a serene final year in her amazing care home. No regrets, but of course I miss her. davidnice.blogspot.com/2025/01/last...

WATCH — @jenpsaki.bsky.social : “Let’s go back to those 10 co-conspirators…” @rokhanna.bsky.social : “Some of them were at parties where you had 13 & 14 year-olds paraded naked… They did disgusting things. The Epstein class needs to be held accountable. Release the files.”

Spoiled for choice, so packed with details: my classical music colleagues and I choose the best of 2025 on @theartsdesk.bsky.social theartsdesk.com/classical-mu...

BREAKING: A Russian newspaper today — “America no longer sees our country as a threat… The US leader’s philosophy is closer to the values of Russia’s president, not the politicians of the Old World… he sees Europe as a liberal stronghold that must be destroyed…” Read that again.

Issa Rae has canceled her sold out performance at the Kennedy Center. Pulitzer Prize winner Rhiannon Giddens, Peter Wolf, Low Cut Connie, and the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C., have also canceled. Lin-Manuel Miranda has canceled the entire Kennedy Center run of Hamilton.

Julie Christie celebrating her birthday with friends in a now-defunct restaurant. What do you give the woman who has everything? Answer - a plastic or perspex cook book holder.

Home alone in Dublin after travels, couldn't get Netflix (master is away) so tried YouTube on big screen, started Royal Ballet Cinderella, found it terribly clunky, lost it by accident, found Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker, which I've seen three times and - just wow again at all that invention.

I hear nothing but optimistic spirit in the delivery - fabulous!