If it's cold where you are, please help our wildlife. Putting out bird food can be life-saving - the challenge for birds is to make it through the night. Put out scraps for mammals, too, if you can, and don't forget water. Break the ice on a puddle or a pond, fill a saucer or dish with water.

This from @vizcomic.bsky.social will never get old.

If a Test finishes early, the players should not get golf or a booze cruise, they should have to play an ODI or T20I on every lost day of play.

Christmas can be a tough time for many. If you or someone you care about needs mental health support, help is available: NHS 111: 111.nhs.uk/triage/check... Samaritans: samaritans.org/how-we-can-h... Mind Charity: mind.org.uk/information-... Shout: giveusashout.org

So I finally find time to go out and buy Christmas presents, and now I have to battle my way through crowds of total idiots who’ve left all their shopping until the last minute! Unbelievable.

How we're showing up to the Bluesky Xmas party

Self-driving cars being disastrous and catastrophic. Who could have foreseen that?

My crushes by decade. 70's: Stevie Niks 80's: Debbie Harry. 90's: Debbie Harry. 00's: Pink. 10's: Adele 20's: a Sainsburys parking space within walking distance of the alcohol aisle.

When opening this article, I expected to be most intrigued by the loss of water and danger to lives. Instead I find myself wondering about this apparently happening in the 'Chemistry area of Whitchurch'. I can't help wondering if it has neighbouring areas called Geography and History.

In these challenging times someone might need one of them: Childline: 0800 1111 Samaritans: 116 123 Domestic Violence Hotline: 0808 2000 247 Mind: 0300 123 3393 Age UK: 0800 169 6565 Alcoholics Anonymous : 0800 9177 650 Cruse Bereavement Care: 0808 808 1677 MH text support: 85258

As promised, a thread of nautical canines! Here’s ‘HMV’, rescued from floating wreckage in the Atlantic by the sloop HMS Freetown in 1944. His unusual name came from the way he was sitting when rescued, which resembled the dog used in the record company’s advertising. 📷 IWM A 21707 🧵1/15

Know your fish.

Real names of genuine (but not famous) customers my OH has dealt with in the last two days: Keith Allen, Sharon Davies, Sally James, Mrs Purchase and Mrs Slocombe. The 20-somethings she works with didn't know any of these names.

RIP Lorraine Cheshire. ❤🕊 𝙀𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝘿𝙤𝙤𝙧𝙨 is an all-time favourite of mine. Her performance as Joan was a masterclass. Truly brilliant. 🤌🏾

🎶 She wore an Itsy bitsy teeny weeny…

“Be sure to set me to ‘delicate,’ Alison. It’d be a shame to ruin that sweater, you know, in case it ever comes back in style.”

A near neighbour asked me to look after her dog for the day. She seems to think it's an imposition and I'm doing her a massive favour. Who wouldn't want to spend time with this gorgeous bundle of fun?

While I was out and about earlier on, I spotted the bottom 5º or so of a rainbow.

Anyway, here’s a photo of a butterfly I took in warmer times

Here's Seth Lakeman's tribute to the brave crew of the Solomon Browne, who died on this day in 1981, trying to save the lives of others.

My dog isn't allowed to jump on the sofa and in exchange I'm not allowed to go in his laboratory

Gold, frankincense and meh.

On this date In the year 1981 the crew of the Penlee lifeboat, all 8 men from Mousehole, Cornwall, lost their lives in attempting a heroic rescue in hurricane force winds. In tribute to them we reproduce an article about the Newhaven lifeboat, first published in @sussexbylines.co.uk 2021

German photographer Christian Vieler captures the hilarious moments when dogs try to catch treats mid-air. [📹 vieler. photography] #FridayVibes #FridayFun

Thought for the Day…

Don't worry if you still haven't sent your Christmas cards yet. Nobody gives a shit.

"Are we nearly there yet? I’m hungry. How much further? I need the toilet. Do you want to play I-spy? Can I smell the frankincense again? I’m really tired. Shall I sing another song? ARE WE NEARLY THERE YET?" - 4th wise man, whose body was never found.

What he said.

Monday arrives in a cold grey envelope and gets tossed on the pile of other unopened Mondays.

For my lovely big brother, Paul, who left us on this day 4 years ago 🖤 still miss you like mad, Bruv, love you always 🩵❤️

Letting young kids try complicated origami will always end in tears.

Happy 70th birthday to Paul Simonon

Cat: You got my messa— Me: YES, I got your message Cat: Because you forg— Me: I forgot your litter tray, I know! Cat: So I sh— Me: You shat in the bathtub, I GOT IT! Cat: wow. Someone's grumpy this morning

Here’s a poem called ‘An Invention of Collective Nouns’.

Best reaction to that racist dickhead falling off a lamppost I've seen today. "I fought the floor and the floor won"

I’ve got the house to myself for the day. AC/DC at full blast it is, then.

Much of middle-age seems to consist of thinking about and planning to do stuff, but not doing it because you're too tired.

He's making a list, he's checking it twice, he's searching his pockets, and finding his keys, and checking the list again, and making sure the lights are off, now where's the list? ok, found it, check again, wait, did he lock up? Santa Claus is getting, too old for this shit.

Good luck to Australia with trying to ban under-16s from using social media. I'm still trying to persuade my son (now 28) to remove the parental control lock he put on my phone when he was thirteen.

The only surefire way to stop oligarchs buying up the things we love is to drop those things the moment oligarchs buy them & that requires changing habits and massive self-discipline. It means going to alternatives that might not be quite as good or convenient. It’s really hard. But there it is.

Honoured to receive a mayoral award this weekend for protecting green spaces and rights of way across Pencoed. I’m really grateful to all Trailblazers volunteers who make this possible 💚💚. #Pencoed #OpenSpaces.

Gígja Einarsdóttir, photographer who was born and raised around Icelandic horses #WomensArt #December8th #ArtAdvent 🎄

He’s making a list, And checking it twice; Gonna find out Who’s naughty and nice. Santa Claus is coming to Towyn... 🎅🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🎅🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🎅🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

This aged well.

It's just not fair when the bowler is allowed to take catches too. Like having an extra fielder on the field! Morally wrong.

Will Australia need the extra half-hour, do you think?

If you don't have store-bought Pink Floyd, homemade is fine. #behringersky

Bar’s open! Happy Friday, cheers and iechyd da!