One of most destructive acts of the Cameron-Osborne era was the decision to target austerity on local government.

Cute 🪿❤️

Sharing this because @richmondbridge.bsky.social really does know Eurovision. And if you've enjoyed it in the past, but can't face it tonight because The Politics* is so fucking loud then this thread (right now it's still a work in progress) will be worth your time. *The Genocide.

I’m always amazed at the attention and funding a single, poorly animal attracts and how we go to town on futile rescue attempts when the whole damn ailing planet is right there.

Heroic reporting by the FT, and robust in the face of a giant libel threat. But more importantly, heroic bravery of the women to come forward, tell their stories and offer to be witnesses.

Don’t subscribe so can’t read the detail, but as a martini lover and a seafood lover, I must admit I’d order one of these, just to try.

Quite interested in this because (best as I can tell) this isn't being nationalised in response to dysfunction, so this will be quite a test. (I suppose it might be about financial sustainability?)

Life in the shoe: Today's cocktail of the day in my Cocktail a Day book is a Death By Chocolate. But that's not really my vibe right now, so instead this is brought forward from May 19th; Jackie O's Rose. 🍸🧚🏼‍♂️

I was annoyed that I couldn't find a database of David Attenborough documentaries where I could search for a specific episode by topic. So I made it. attenborough-100.vercel.app

Current earworm “Andy Burnham looks a scream Hang him on my wall… Andy Burnham, Silver Screen Can't tell them apart at all” Curse you Hunky Dory! (my otherwise favourite Bowie album)

A thread of how bored some people already are and It’s not even properly started yet. Labour’s biggest problem it its endless failure to read the fucking room.

This day of baffling weather calls for Shepherd’s Pie. And as luck would have it, that’s the dinner I’ve got planned. (No, this is not some oblique reference to politics, I have despaired of there ever being anything soothing and nourishing on that front.)

Well, that Express headline was always going to raise a few eyebrows!😳 Starmer is responsible for embracing polygamy to appease Muslims, and so he's increasing their benefits?? That's the implication. After all, this "started in April", right? Wrong! 🧵1/25

Reached that stage of any British political nonsense where it becomes impossible to distinguish between breaking news from political reporters, shitposts from random people, breaking news from random people and shitposts from political reporters.

I'm so fatigued by all of this. None of it feels good. None of it feels useful. Our politics has been completely subsumed by the post-Zuckerberg digital disinfo-commentariat sphere that it's tantamount to a spectator sport, designed for maximum clicks, not governance.

Artist’s impression:

author of famed sci-fi novel Don't Create the Torment Nexus blamed for creation of Torment Nexus

Life in the shoe: Me: Alexa, add dry vermouth to my shopping list. Alexa: Dry vermouth added to shopping. Me (thinking maybe I already added it): Alexa how much dry vermouth is on my shopping list? Alexa: You don’t have dried vermouth on your shopping list. You do have dry vermouth though. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I’m lucky enough to have lots of little pleasures in my life, but it’s ridiculous how happy it makes me when everyone leaves the table saying ‘that was really great’ when I’ve cooked dinner. 🥰

“What matters is having health, and time.”

Invoice for buying up Britain. @theobserveruk.bsky.social

Life in the shoe: End of the weekend Queen Martini! 🍸🧚🏼‍♂️👸🏻

A good cautionary tale for when someone claims that trusting data analysis done with an LLM is good because it’s “objective.” In this example, Copilot apparently decided to ignore the data it was given and just run with all the subconscious biases its (human-made) training data inevitably gave it.

Good lord! This makes me feel ancient!

I was moved by this photo essay. These are very tender pictures. Holding my dad’s hand: a photographic essay observer.co.uk/culture/phot...

Icelandic authorities just rerouted a planned hot water pipeline so as not to disturb an elf hill.

Political nerds, I made a thing! How well do you know the UK electoral map? Could you find ten constituencies, picked at random? Test yourself! play.jmoxley.co.uk

In the light of recent events kinda embarrassing tbh. 🗳️ ConstituencyClick 411/650 — Starmer 2024 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟥🟨🟩🟥🟥🟩 play.jmoxley.co.uk

Life in the shoe: This is a Tanglefoot (which I remember was also the name of a beer I used to drink as a teenager). 🍸🧚🏼‍♂️

It's Saturday! 📺 Post a cartoon TV series you love.

😮

Excited to live in a country where you can mail someone a handgun but not an abortion pill

I’m watching last night’s Race Across the World and … how fucking amazing is the world!!!?? Those Kazakhstan/Kyrgyzstan mountains! Mind-blowing!

Quote posts are disabled on that last repost, but if I’d been able to quote post it I’d have said: worth a look because of the little game you can play about your party political prejudice about appearances.

I think it's worth people knowing that Enfield has a Labour MP and a Conservative councillor who are *both* called Bambos Charalambous.

It’s a two minute walk to the nearest post box, so I walk there with the two cards I’m posting in one hand, and my door keys in the other and the whole way my brain is imagining me posting my keys instead of my cards. So I have to hold the keys behind my back while I post! 🙄

You only need ID in England. Scottish and Welsh voters can just walk in

I’m the third person at my polling station, not the first, so I’m disappointed to be a bit off my game. But I’m wearing my ‘no thanks’ jumper and the weird watchers don’t hustle me for my poll card, so that’s a win.

The May Bank Holiday was traditionally a day of celebration for organised labour. This year, it also marks 100 years since the General Strike: the biggest industrial action in British history. So why not kick back with a podcast on the stunning events of 1926? www.ppfideas.com/episodes/now...

Exceptional!

The metaphors are, yet again, getting a little heavy-handed.

Life in the shoe: On a quest to (responsibly) drink my way through Difford’s Guide 18th Edition (a decade-long adventure at least) I occasionally ask one of the kids to give me a random letter of the alphabet to help me choose my next drink. 26yo offered ‘Z’, so I’m now mixing Gin and Dubonnet.

I really hope this all fucks up so badly that it 100% fucks off soonest.

When I first read this it sounded like they were running some dodgy offshore conference. Now I’ve worked out what a ‘public health event is’ and I kind of understand.

Life in the shoe: Ending the day with a Paddington Bear Martini on account of going via Paddington into London today. Maybe it's the Pisco that does it, but I reckon this is one of the best Breakfast-style Martinis. 🍸🧚🏼‍♂️🐻

Go see the Zurbarán at the National Gallery. You'll be glad you did. www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/...

Many sadly concluded we had to go through Brexit before people saw what a horrendous act of self-harm they had committed. I'm terrified the same thing will happen with #Reform - that people will vote for them without realising they've just screwed over their country, loved ones and themselves.

it’s worth reading every word of this brilliant, excoriating column by Fraser Nelson

If you have children, if you have anything to do with education, if you are somehow active in politics: stop what you are doing and read this article about the harm AI can do to adolescents. reclaimchildhoodmedia.substack.com/p/the-cost-o...