I'm not sure if I could watch Turin Horse again, but very glad I did - a genre of one.

Flew back from Dublin yesterday with a guide dog nestling at my feet in the front row. The woman whose dog it is told me that Ryanair are by far the easiest and most accomodating airline when it comes to booking an assistance dog and getting them on and off the plane with the least fuss.

The assumption being the EU would want Britain back...

Today is the Feast of the Epiphany, when God realised he could get the novel out of it's 19th century hole by inventing James Joyce.

The Irish 'realists' mad to join a club that's on the brink of collapse

Who are your top 10 all-time favourite guitarist. Top of the head stuff. Derek Bailey Richard Thompson Reggie Young Roy Nichols Mississippi John Hurt John Fahey James Burton Keith Rowe Sonny Sharrock Doc Watson

The 'somebody' that liberals believe should 'do something ' is the God they profess not to believe in. 'Displaced theology ' as Schmitt called it, and yes I know he was a Nazi.

Don't hold off on our account (rest of world)

"Trump’s coup is of great concern to Britain, the EU and western democracies. They should, and must, unequivocally condemn it" They won't. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

"Maduro is widely considered to be leading an authoritarian government characterized by electoral fraud, human rights abuses, corruption, and severe economic hardship" (Wiki) Remind you of anyone?

The Backfeet Boys

'British people deserve better' says home office. But not apparently desperate and endangered people who risk their lives to get here, often fleeing conflicts rooted in the legacy of British colonialism.

Where the new year will find me.* Once mooted as a replacement for Holyhead as the port for passage to Dublin before the Menai bridge. *Porthdinllaen.

Record shop nightmare. In Cob in Portmadog working my way through the huge second hand section. Come across Soundtracks by Can, the only worthwhile Can LP I don't have. Shop is empty apart from me, so I leave it rather than carry it around. Go back for it, just as someone else picks it out....

Yes indeed. The Guardian had a piece about how an increasing number of Brits think you need to be white and born here to count as British but actually a great majority are happy with anyone who makes an effort to count and see citizenship in terms of values. I'd suspect a similar survey in Ireland

Working out what a First Bus 3 minutes means in real minutes.

Ruin two bands by combining them: Steeleye Dan.

Sound advice.

Nollaig Shona daoibh go léir agus slán le cupla lá. We'll be in Wales and wifi -less until the new year. Tog go bog é.

Essential read.

Just finished the third book of the Calculation of Volume. No spoilers but satisfying to discover it was published in English on 18th November but also satisfying to know the next one is out in April.

Thanks to @drstewartsmith.bsky.social for sending me on a Carla Bley trip

Letting hunger strikers die, arresting Greta Thunberg — this is not incompetence or even indifference. The UK state is deliberately making examples of people to ramp up the crushing of basic civil liberties and silence opposition to genocide

Brits arrest someone who was the guest of our president a few days ago. Time to call in the ambassador for a word?

Read a review of Palestine 36 that said it was a counter-movie to 'Exodus' and wondered who even remembers that?

They're looking into it right now...

Don't think I've bought much new this year apart from.lots of excellent cassettes from @fortevilfruit.bsky.social and that comp from @nyahhrecords.bsky.social but in terms of 'big' releases, Golliwog by Billy Woods is the one

There were three old gypsies came to our hall door/ They came brave and bold -i -oh/ one sang high and the other sang low/ and the third had a parcel from EVRI that just needed a signature.

Everyone knows the British Library reading room in St. Pancras, but they also have a room beside their storage facility in Boston Spa, in Yorkshire. I was there once and the librarian came over to tell me my car had a flat. 'how did you know it was mine?' I asked. 'only car we didn't recognise....

Overview

I've worked with some researchers who treat data as undifferentiated sludge until it's thematised, and knowledge extracted from it. The self-knowledge that an interviewee might have about themself, or the reflexivity of a printed/ online source is of little interest.

Source: The Guardian search.app/oVstJ

@hollyfur.bsky.social You had similar thoughts I believe?

SF please note

Bad preparation matched by terrible news management. End of an era, despite the last line?

Wise words. The way the inner cop gets triggered for a lot of academics is telling.

An AI that could say anything in an MES voice...

Mark E Smith's voice bsky.app/profile/past...

Partner just back from town (I know - why would you?) went into new concession of well known 'outdoor;' brand. Posh assistant: 'have you shopped with us before?' Partner 'yes' in a FO and leave me alone tone. Couple walk in, dressed head to toe in said brand. PA 'I see you're wearing our clothes'/

"Please indicate the expected impact of your research proposal" "By the end of the second project year, we expect to reach between 250 and 500 citations of non-existent papers associated with our work"

The annoyance of buying a book, recommended highly, that turns out to be all but unreadable. Good writing is as good as ever, but bad writing is far worse than it used to be.

Just finished this, and buzzing with questions and insights. Attempts to do for the irish peasantry what Thompson did for the English working class - rescue it from the condescension of history - and generally succeeds.

Evan Parker and Dudu Pukwana blowing away the cobwebs

These people are being held on remand as punishment. Bail is routinely offered for more serious offences. The Home Secretary is refusing to meet their representatives. Palestine Action hunger strikers are ‘dying’ in prison, UK doctor warns | Prison News | Al Jazeera share.google/rXo7ju6GqlM2...

Gram Parsons, Keith Richards, Nick Lowe and Levon Helm as a Stones answer to the Wilburys

The British state has used every method they can to isolate and break the spirits of the 8 prisoners who stand with Palestine. They are now close to dying & the British state doesn't care. Irish people know hunger strikes. We know British oppression. We know colonialism. Stand up, take Action 🇵🇸

Knew nothing about this band, or this record until I found it in Oxfam yesterday. Now a firm favourite.

Condemned to live in cities where mass transit is a dream denied. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...