that we, surely trusting in thy defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries;

Spectacular

Great match between Switzerland and our lads in the curling.

"What do I think of the Board of Peace? I think it is a colonialist operation: others deciding for the Palestinians,” said Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa: www.ncronline.org/news/us-led-...

On July 4th Leo will visit Lampedusa in Italy, one of the major migrant landing points in Europe.

That someone like GRRM raises the question of "Aragorn's tax policy" betrays the shallowness of his understanding of the *limits* and *constraints* of state power in early and high medieval polities. Kings require income, primarily for warfare, secondarily to demonstrate their legitimacy.

This was a 2023 experiment. It shows the radicalised racialised owner is getting an ideological impact for his $$$$ In principle, those opposed to racism & Trumpism would think strategically about any options to reduce its reach over time. The UK Labour govt doesn't see that as its goal/role

For #AdoorableThursday this week, here's the beautiful doorway, with its welcoming inscription above, of the Robin Chapel, in Craigmillar in Edinburgh, our #ScottishChurchOfTheWeek

137. Aragorn’s tax policy and other weird shibboleths Yesterday I found myself diverted by people on Bluesky revisiting the issue of Aragorn's tax policy that George R.R. Martin so memorably quibbled over back in 2014. The vast majority of my writing here is free to read and will remain so, but if…

Charles I had some very bad ideas about constitutional government. Nonetheless, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor isn’t fit to black his boots.

The procession has returned to the church; Fr. Fossá concludes the event alongside Archbishop Cupich by telling attendees, "may this be the mark of our Lenten journey."

The Ash Wednesday procession through the Chicago suburb of Melrose Park from Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church - honoring immigrants, immigration detainees and those killed by ICE & Border Patrol - has begun. Chicago Archbishop and Cardinal Blase Cupich is near the head of the march.

What?

The possibility that pre-Elon Twitter was limiting the reach of conservative tweets was the greatest story in the history of journalism, while a vast network of sex trafficking pedophiles that included billionaires, celebrities and two presidents is just a big yawn.

*throws a copy of City of God at the screen*

Okay so this is true *but* not in the way most people think. Antibiotic overuse is not “I had five ear infections in a year so I took antibiotics five times this year” It’s “Farmers feeding antibiotics to chicken to make them fatter and more profitable” and “labs dumping chemicals into the river”

“‘The counsel of Gandalf was not founded on foreknowledge of safety, for himself or for others,’ said Aragorn. ‘There are some things that it is better to begin than to refuse, even though the end may be dark.” The Lord of the Rings, III.2z

Andy Beshear specifically cites his faith when discussing his vetoes of anti-trans bills and that's something that a lot of people can get behind because believe it or not this country isn't by and large made up of Extremely Online Atheists

every immigration wave follows the same basic economic pattern and every immigration wave thinks the success of the second generation is due to the unique attributes of their parental culture and I’m starting to doubt that they’re all correct

There have been many violent murders at the hands of Border Patrol agents. This is not an aberration but part of a broader federal apparatus built and refined over decades.

once again: much like Reform UK thinking that its base is 30 year old young workers, the city-dwelling working young mother is almost assuredly a strong democrat, even the religious one

It depends on what you mean by “religion in politics.” Was it a problem when hundreds of faith leaders descended on Minneapolis? We need morality in the public arena. If that comes from religion, so be it

Excellent advice from the Pennsy here (though I like mine soft rather than firm)

Fr Hugo Adán has initiated a Holy Communion course for Spanish speaking autistic children at St Matthews, Southwark. This is the first of its kind in London and Fr Hugo kindly spoke to us about how the initiative came about. 👉READ MORE HERE🖇️ https://ow.ly/o9uG50YhCzG

Incidentally, terrific Evensong for Ash Wednesday from Merton Oxford on Radio 3. Well worth seeking out on the iPlayer.

Economically, yes. But they seem quite keen to go much further and harder right on immigration, race, and culture than the Tories would (or would have til recently, anyway).

Setting this reminder was perhaps my most brilliant move ever

going mad because anyone working with medical imaging and segmentation knows there are *specific* models to do this, not LLMs

GIVE DOG A COMPLETION TIME.

Women need to have more children for Matt Goodwin but if they have more than two you can't get any state help and the women can't be Jewish also we will tax the childless women.

Just once I’d love these guys to come back from Europe and say “Had a great time in Europe” instead of endorsing a Fourth Reich

On top of this, it really risks tipping Reform into a US oriented, Christian nationalist, socially conservative party in a way that is uncomfortable for a lot of UK voters. The question is if those voters notice or care.

Again, cannot look normal enough to get over the line. Their policy head describes himself as "JD Vance's sherpa" and is a Christian nationalist. Their by-election candidate won't shut up about how to make women have kids. Their campaign manager was filmed saying he wouldn't touch Jewish women.

Why hasn't it worked? Because there isn't an obvious way to regenerate communities once reliant on mining, but nobody wants to say this.

This is absolutely true, and why, in times past places just got abandoned. The other thing I'd add is that where an answer does exist, its often "high speed travel to big city and lots of housing", and guess what people also don't want.

Lost my phone in London, with four credit cards and £150 cash in the case. Returned to me within 21 minutes. This hellhole of a city eh.

Reform are definitely going down the Christian Nationalist route, I fear.

This sort of framing of stories about 'left behind' places is getting very tired. How have they been 'failed' by politics? They are the product of political choices - which organisations like the BBC have often failed to explain to people.

The rot set in when they let Nick Griffin be on Question Time. The media portraying this shit as in any way reasonable or acceptable has been going on for far too long.

A liking for exotic coffee isn't a class signal in the UK. However, *thinking* that working class people prefer plain boring coffee is a very strong indicator that the speaker is upper middle class. No-one who actually has working class friends could be so deluded.

What is Christian nationalism, how is it shaping politics in the US and the UK, how are the two contexts linked, and what does (good) theology have to say to it? Sign up to our online panel discussion to find out! 19.00-21.00, 13th March.

3 weeks to decide, 9 months salary to choose to leave - almost certainly forever - the industry you've dedicated most of your adult life to.

A pretty bleak threat from the Reform party on Kent county council... Reform threatens to pull funding for Margate’s Turner Gallery as ‘naked retribution for local MP exposing Kent savings lies' - via Polly Billington MP

So the week after Synod, Reform UK hires Church House and uses it to launch their campaign to repeal the Equality Act. You couldn’t make this up, CofE peeps.

The 60th Falkland Islands Horticultural Show 🇫🇰🇬🇧

House finches are delightful little birds

Well played, Canada *weeps*

18th February 2026 is Ash Wednesday, and here is depicted the imposition of ashes during the Ash Wednesday liturgy. #AshWednesday BL Add MS 18851; 'The Breviary of Queen Isabella of Castile'; c. 1497 CE; Bruges; f.69v

I kept dipping into the free ski Big Air final, and people say curling is incomprehensible?!

The Lord, the most mighty God, has spoken ♦ and called the world from the rising of the sun to its setting. Out of Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth; ♦ our God comes and will not keep silence. Consuming fire goes out before him ♦ and a mighty tempest stirs about him. ⚓️✝️ #EveningPrayer