I had a go at explaining it here (though its my interpretation rather than reporting). samf.substack.com/p/identity-c...

Thomas Hardy’s great end of year lyric poem, 'The Darkling Thrush', first published in The Graphic on 29 Dec. 1900, and then in The Times on 1 Jan. 1901 – though a deleted ‘1899’ on the manuscript suggests he may have written it earlier.

#Hogmanay celebrations slipping away from me here, as I languish on the settee with a lousy chest infection, cough & temperature. 😓🥶. Of all days

The thing we do in this country when someone makes malicious communications is prosecute them through our justice system. We don't declare anyone homo sacer or send people off to jail in authoritarian states.

My #Christmas #Christmas2025 present to everyone. In memory of Gavin Weightman, who would have been 80 this year & with whom I communicated several times. His wonderful programme, 'Christmas Past', made with Steve Humphries, from 1987. Enjoy! www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngw0...

My #Christmas #Christmas2025 present to everyone. In memory of Gavin Weightman, who would have been 80 this year & with whom I communicated several times. His wonderful programme, 'Christmas Past', made with Steve Humphries, from 1987. Enjoy! www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngw0...

Just accompanied a lunch at home with a watch of Ep 16 of The World at War: ‘Inside the Reich: Germany 1940–1944’, which I recall 1st seeing as a teenager. A remarkable capture of the German home front, with eye-witness testimony, scripted by the great Neal Ascherson—now aged 93

😐 Residents of Valdai, where Putin's residence is located, did not notice the flight of dozens of UAVs, nor warnings of an attack, and did not hear explosions - Russian opposition media. Journalists spoke with locals and concluded that the information about a "mass attack" is not confirmed.

Yes! #Christmas really is *12 Days*. Only just got to this 2Tb of love from Mrs D, under the tree …🌲 🎅

As you might confidently anticipate, @drmatthewsweet.bsky.social is an inspired guide to the roots, branches & supposed decline of progress as a defining idea & experience of modernity. Accompanied by very distinguished expert contributors. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Yes! #Christmas really is *12 Days*. Only just got to this 2Tb of love from Mrs D, under the tree …🌲 🎅

Your risk of blood clots after a Covid infection are 30 times higher. There are risks with all medications, the risks are very small compared to the far greater risk from COVID itself! Much of the media is focused on the incredibly small risk. www.hdruk.ac.uk/news/new-stu...

“Buy our home security package named after someone who was utterly destroyed by a back door break-in he didn’t see coming because he was focused solely on the front door.”

‘He has come back from the dead’: Chevy Chase spent eight days in a coma during Covid pandemic

Nuthatch at dawn OM1m2 and 50-200f2.8 @omsystem.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social @shropshirewildlife.bsky.social

A decade ago something impossible started: Leicester’s Great Escape followed by the unbelievable 2015-16 season. I’m going to use notes I made at the time to record how it felt to me to be involved in something so extraordinary. #Impossible10YearsOn #LCFC

Queen Street Station was built by the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway, and opened in 1842 as a terminus for Scotland's first intercity rail service. #glasgow #architecture #architecturephotography #queenstreetstation #railways

Kevin Power on David Szalay’s foot soldiers of blokedom https://go.nybooks.com/3MVDCci

We had a chat about how I'd react if one of these creatures came to my door. I decided I'd invite them in and tell them the story of my illness starting from 2006.... Really dull, every single detail - probably twice - and ask them precisely what they intend to do/

Does it fuck, you shower of bigoted zombies. Get in the bin

Fascinating article. Simpson quotes a former top Chinese politician which perhaps explains a lot about the mess the world is in: "You'll never understand how insecure a government feels when it knows it hasn't been elected" www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

From Richard Holmes’ The Boundless Deep, very good on the shocking modernity of In Memoriam.

What happened to the execs who ruined lives during the Post Office scandal? Fujitsu execs, accountants, lawyers also made millions from the scandal. All living in comfort. None fined, prosecuted. Even when that happens, litigation will last for years. The UK legal system doesn't deliver justice.

EN DIRECT, Brigitte Bardot est morte : les dernières réactions après la disparition de l’actrice

I have by no means sympathised with all of the recent changes to BBCRadio3. But heartiest congratulations to the station for its sustained focus on the diverse repertoires of #Christmas music, sacred & secular, across the schedules. Quite outstanding.

He came with the receipts.

Let mirth abound: let social cheer Invest the dawning o' the year; Let blithesome innocence appear To crown our joy; Nor envy, wi' sarcastic sneer Our bliss destroy.

It’s the last #StandingStoneSunday of the year … thinking back to some fantastic sites I saw for the first time in 2025. This is one of the very best - beautiful Uragh on the Beara peninsula, Co Kerry.

Full of redactions, the thousands of newly released Epstein files seem unlikely to end any Epstein conspiracy theorizing. Likely, they will do the opposite, @cwarzel.bsky.social argues.

And a beautiful offshoot from the thread! @rokewood.bsky.social @bluetanso.bsky.social

@rokewood.bsky.social This thread and the replies is an absolute joy! Anyone interested in books will love it! @bluetanso.bsky.social

A thread from last year by which to remember (see its end) the great Tony Harrison RIP

Some festive interspecies communication …

#BBC4 are devoting their evening schedule to #PrunellaScales tonight. At 21:50 her turn as The Queen in Alan Bennett’s A QUESTION OF ATTRIBUTION, at 23:00 the documentary LOOKING FOR VICTORIA and kicking it off at 21:20 the comedy compilation FUNNY WOMEN

In anticipation of my books of 2025, here is my #Christmas pile (the print ones anyway 🎅😉). A couple of contenders here no doubt …

This year on Bluesky I wrote 1,129 posts and 3,223 replies. I received 11,657 likes, and apparently I love saying "not" and 🍀! www.madebyolof.com/bluesky-wrap...

The light & the darkness of #ststephensday #StStephen #StephensDay #BoxingDay ‘I #Stephen saw’ …

Now the winner ot the FIFA peace prize has launched missiles at two more countries I'm sure they'll reconsider the decision. Seems almost corrupt in retrospect.

Today is the 75th anniversary of the greatest student prank in history, carried out by students at my Alma Mater, @glasgow.ac.uk youtu.be/Fd_FC2zWlOQ?...

Bloody Hell. So in the ‘#Christmas Character’ ‘Who Am I?’ Yes-or-No Game, Son1 gets Wise Men. And his question is— ‘In the EU Referendum, would I have voted Remain?’!! Ffs

Very impressive & moving speech from King Charles. The New Testament vision of peace.

Carol of the Bells in # Kyiv subway. Voices of the Embassies of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom came together to perform Shchedryk in the Kyiv metro as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine. Thankful to everyone who stands with us!

‘The colour of the stone – the nakedness of the stone, the play between fleshiness and stoniness – was everything.’ T.J. Clark views a kouros at the Met. www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

Hope nobody is having a Christmas dinner where reading this out seems like a good idea.

Spirituality for the science-spirited from the poetic physicist Alan Lightman www.themarginalian.org/2023/03/14/t...

Another towering figure & legendary #CelticFC man passes away. RIP John Robertson www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...

just having a lil extra half degree on the heating cos it's christmas and my massive adult children will be asleep for many more hours while i peel potatoes. Wishing you all a warm and happy day