From the "no shit, Sherlock!" department.

Good luck getting a functioning and not temporary coalition out of this mess...

I was near the Sussex coast on October 16 1987 - the night of the Great Storm. Maximum recorded wind was, I think, 108mph - but a gust, not sustained. It was pretty frightening. I cannot imagine what winds of 175mph sustained feels like. Good luck, Jamaica.

👏 "We've lived here all our lives. And I have never felt so unwelcome in my own hometown as I do since your party came into Caerphilly." "With all the rhetoric that you bring in, I have to say to my sons, please don't go there. Please don't do this." "I blame you for that."

I use SwiftKey. It predicts the next words that the algorithm reckons I want to type. I typed "They would". SwiftKey suggested "of been". Who should I be kicking vigorously in the shins?

I think this is correct, although I don't think it is mainly a male problem. Women are also susceptible, often first getting there through "wellness" and "alternative" therapies that, weirdly, become an entry point to far right (or, less frequently, far left) radicalisation. This is all anecdotal.

Presumably all Welsh children will also be issued with a copy of Not For Threes - which wouldn't be awful. #NicheJoke

Hmmm. Why is it that tech (like a Dell laptop, for example) develops a fault just four weeks after the warranty expires?

Matt is a bloody genius, wasted at the Torygraph (or maybe not).

Always friendly when I bumped into her in the queue in M&S in Chichester - although she had utter disdain for anyone who called her "Hyacinth". www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

You know that thing where everyone in positions of power/responsibility is older than you - but, as you age, you see that status being eroded? New Archbish of Canterbury is younger than my older brother, as is the PM and all the leaders of UK political parties. They're coming for me next.

Terrible clickbait. I'm biting.

Oh, this is lovely. Read the whole article - genuinely heartwarming. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

A picture says a thousand words, or something....

Just been adjacent to a random racist assault on a woman in Eastbourne. Waited with her for police to arrive (very quick). Another guy saw the attacker and gave police info. Woman understandably shocked/distressed. In genteel seaside Eastbourne. Feeling very demoralised.

Be alert. This country needs lerts. Next week, the return of the chad.

This is my flag.

Being run over by that bus speeding towards you is no longer low likelihood. Relief all round, then..... SPLAT! www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Wasn't there a Calvin and Hobbes strip on this theme? bbc.com/news/videos/...

One to watch.

"The French leader [Macron] was enjoying water sports on the Riviera". I assume the BBC News editor is on holiday this week? Saw this and thought of @alistaircoleman.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

On first reading, nearly everything here makes sense. Something approaching pragmatic centrism? www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Some of my family and friends need to study this chart. The rich should pay their fair share, obvs, but it will not solve the govt's financial woes.

Just done a face scan to "verify my age" for BlueSky. It didn't tell me my age, but did decide I was an adult. I was rather hoping it might question my adult status, but apparently I'm well past that at age 54.

This is similar to what I think but am insufficiently articulate to express effectively.

Psephology at its best.

As I am increasingly alarmed by the stuff that comes out of the mouths of people I previously considered sane, one ever-present thread is the desire to blame the "other" and look externally for solutions to internal problems. Whatever the matter, it's not my fault and they need to change to fix it.

I'm finding relationships with long-term friends becoming more difficult. They are increasingly adopting views I find extraordinary for smart, educated people. "Too many immigrants", "I don't care about Ukraine", conspiracy theories, anti-vax, pseudoscience. I'm pretty sure my views are still 1/n

Have a Pippin photo and a Primrose photo. We need more cats here.

Fabulous

Alternatively, alligators fail to grab five easy meals after humans invade their habitat. The swamp is not "infested", it's where they live! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

When Tom was about two or three, whenever we visited a gallery, he would simply point and shout "SCULPTURE!" - this has not led to a career in the arts.

My favourite news story for ages. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I may have spent lots of money on cat toys/trees/stuff.

Hello @seatsixtyone.bsky.social - I think there's a mistake on your page about travelling from Warsaw to Zagreb. You suggest leaving Vienna before you arrive. I think that is beyond even your amazing skills!

Meanwhile, the Guardian is carrying ads for Starlink. So, even reading a left-leaning media outlet is promoting the right.

What's your sign?

In the taproom of Meteor brewery in Strasbourg. I'm sure it was @eurostarjustin.bsky.social who posted this place on Bluesky (or maybe the other social network). Both beer and food are excellent and it is heaving on a Monday night in February.

Ah, a meme. If you see this post, quote with a bridge from your gallery.

Wisdom from The Boss.

Even taken on its own terms and accepting the AI hype: AI isn’t a competitive advantage for your business! All your competitors have cheap access to exactly the same services! So at *best* this is a table stakes play. Just… how do people with so little business sense get these jobs?

The (unloved) Brexit consensus across the Westminster parties is wobbling. Why Ed Davey's speech calling for a UK/EU customs union is a big moment. Me on Substack open.substack.com/pub/goodalla...

This is true, although promoting sensible expansion of AI and sorting out the basics can both be achieved if the will and resources are there.

My industry is great. This is a wonderfully uplifting story. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

I'm sure he's spotted this already, but I wonder if @jamesomalley.co.uk has any ideas...? 🤔 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I am bloody knackered, a little stressed and running on fumes. And I don't really want to do Christmas. I'd quite like to just spend time with Mrs Graybo, a few mates, have a couple of beers and some good food. Maybe potter about a bit. Do a spot of gardening. But not Christmas.

Agree with this. If you want a last minute Christmas gift for a human in your world...

Eurostar: "we've changed your seat reservation". Also Eurostar: "and our website has crashed". Seems a frequent problem. The joys of travelling with a colleague on two separate bookings - trying to ensure we sit together!

"Are tariffs bad for growth? Yes, say five decades of data from 150 countries" pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

STAR: We need to probe Uranus #TomorrowsPapersToday