“The Rat” by The Walkmen #nowplaying #6music

@herring1967.bsky.social Throughly enjoyed today’s show with Nina. I went to the national gallery to the Andy Goldsworthy exhibition and I think he has stolen a march on your stone clearing enterprise!

Hallo friends! If you’re seeing this please give it a bit of love for the algorithm. Hey! I’m in London! I’ll be at Soho Theatre 6-9 August doing my very silly show A Passion For Passion and in Edinburgh after then. 🎟️ https://www.alicecomedyfraser.com/upcoming-gigs

Women better than men, again buff.ly/Hb6QLwj

Decent signing tbf

Congrats to @estrangeirada.bsky.social and IPEN colleagues at @universityofleeds.bsky.social for publication of Guide on Principles of Parliamentary Public Engagement: www.idea.int/sites/defaul...

Is this the journalism that is needed in these times of democratic existential crisis!?

Watching US Committees a lot at the moment and wondering if @marcidale.bsky.social can tell me what the House and the Senate infrastructure is like to produce so many of these oversized signs at short notice as part of proceeding evidence?

Dying at a binary age is an incredible bit, rest in peace hero www.bbc.com/news/article...

“Unbelievable” indeed. #AprilFool I’d have went with - “Fringe performers to have access to affordable accommodation.” But no one would fall for that!

It may be an uncomfortable truth for society but sleep is infinitely better than waking life.

The pain and agony of getting to Waverley Steps after a long day and the escalators are out.

My wonderful colleagues in SPICe have produced an analysis of the impact our People's Panel has had on Scottish Parliament scrutiny of Government Climate Change policy and engagement. This includes an impact on an amendment to Primary Legislation: spice-spotlight.scot/2025/03/11/d...

Germany, Exit poll Forschungsgruppe Wahlen: Seat projection CDU/CSU-EPP: 187 (-10) AfD-ESN: 131 (+48) SPD-S&D: 108 (-98) GRÜNE-G/EFA: 79 (-39) LINKE-LEFT: 59 (+20) FDP-RE: 33 (-58) BSW-NI: 33 (+33) ➤ europeelects.eu/germany

ME: What's wrong? WIFE: You always talk like you're presenting an advert. ME (Turning to camera): Sound familiar? WIFE: Wtf are you doing

Surprised HoLs reform managed to chart! 5% of people into constitutional and democratic reform it seems.

Highlights from my recent trip to London including an urban fox nipping past the Red Lion boozer at 9am on a Monday morning.

If I was a politician this would be my watergate! “It was not immediately known where the sausages might have ended up…” If it was me I’d say the evidence will have been disposed of… yum yum. www.barrons.com/news/croatia...

Since the other place does not really have the algorithms for silly yet good natured charity work anymore here is a link to @herring1967.bsky.social's selfless attempt to survive the whole of February without eating a single Solero in aid of Scope! Please donate: www.justgiving.com/page/nolero

I like Ange but he can’t go round stealing Morrissey lyrics like that

Democracy for Transition Coalition is brat. Enjoyed launching the new @demsoc.org project with our friends at @eeb.org - working together for citizen participation and climate transition as inseparable goals.

🚨 2 days left to apply! If you believe, as we do, that a new type of democracy is needed, and that the UK is on the cusp of making this change — then a role on our Board of Trustees could be for you. Closing Friday, 24 January 👇 https://buff.ly/4iHajWo

Proud to have implemented the delivery of @scotparl.bsky.social sixth ever People's Panel, this time on the issue of reducing drug related harm. Watch the wee clip below! You can read the report here: www.parliament.scot/-/media/file... #democracy #participation #deliberation #demopart

Some new comparative research on public consultation platforms! Scottish Parliament vs European Commission: spice-spotlight.scot/2025/01/15/g... Thanks to Marie Bruyndonck for her work! #demopart #digital #democracy #politics

As my kids progress through primary school, the more I identify with the “eat your cereal” women of the #indyref campaign advert. Just eat your cereal kids. Please.

The shifting of rules on who qualifies to be on #BBCSoundof2025 has meant that bands that have already won Mercury Music Prizes and one of the biggest pop stars on the planet with the song of 2024 are listed as "rising stars". What hope do independent new acts have in this corporate A&R hellscape?

With all the attention on investing in the physical infrastructure, what about our crumbling democratic infrastructure? www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2023/09/15/o... @claire-ainsley.bsky.social @alistoddart.bsky.social @doitjustice.bsky.social @eksainsbury.bsky.social @davidgeary.bsky.social

The phrase “not going to lie” being used over and over again by someone who is literally lying is incredibly irritating. #Traitors

I am constantly insulted on this platform

Huge respect to Getty Images for producing a highly meme-able photo following the Monaco vs PSG match yesterday.

[Ski-Lo voice) I wish I was a little bit longer, I wish I was a conger, I wish I had the teeth that could scare a fishmonger

Is there a sort of #Spotify game where you make a queue jumping from artist to artist via “fans also like” and seeing how eclectic a queue can make? Managed to get from Deftones to Scottish twee-pop cottage core band Aberfeldy in about 15 clicks via X-Ray Specs and the like.

Japanese hotel sign or edgy festival lineup?

#CitizenParticipation and #PublicDebate are often treated as separate. In our latest shortcut we demonstrate how our "Forum against Fakes" combined both - through the sequential integration of large scale public consultation into the #citizenassembly model www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de/en/our-proje...

Red sky in the morning. The sailors must be raging.

The red benches are now officially present on Bluesky

Pedro Martínez Losa must be sacked. He should have been sacked after the Republic of Ireland game. He needs to go now. #Scotland

🎥 228 ONE-LINE AUDITIONS 🎬 My lockdown magnum opus, all combined into one epic self-tape/comedy special/psychedelic episode at last! Reply with your favourite, or how far through the video you made it.

Exciting discovery this week in relation to impact of People’s Panels on scrutiny and amendment of primary legislation! More to come as we await evaluation of our work in February 2025.

Yesterday we launched our first Working in a Modern Democracy report at the ADSO Conference. Please share. #democracy #localdemocracy #localgov #councillors www.adso.co.uk/moderndemocr...

Saw the most #Edinburgh thing on the way into Parliament this morning. Greyfriars Bobby was surrounded by tourists as one held up a terrier, Simba style, next to the statue for comparison. Like some sort of ceremony or ritual. Poor wee dug.

Calling all Post-Legislative Scrutiny Lovers! WFD are hosting an online event on their new report on PLS Innovations at the Scottish Parliament. 13th December 9am UK time: www.wfd.org/what-we-do/e... bprcdn.parliament.scot/published/20...

I really do not understand economics 🤷‍♂️

Don’t know how much #taskmaster chat there is on here yet but just caught up on the final and as a long time Bugler I’m delighted for Zaltor the Merciless! Where does his victory rank @jackbern.bsky.social?

Successful end to the People’s Panel - range of recommendations on what Scotland should do differently to reduce drug harms have been produced alongside a comprehensive collective statement. A mammoth effort from the team. #demopart

One for @kirsty-deacon.bsky.social

Managed to catch last 15 minutes of the Scotland game. Get in there.

Fantastic evening exploring prevention of drug harm with the People’s Panel. The use of open space to have participants interact with 5 excellent speakers worked well and we have a range of ideas that could form recommendations. #demopart #deliberative #democracy

Gearing up for another weekend of deliberation with the People’s Panel exploring the question: What does Scotland need to do differently to reduce drug related harms? They’ll be hearing more evidence on prevention, access to treatment, justice reform and participation & lived experience. #demopart