Until the government withdraws from X, every journalist should challenge every word they say about social media harms.

Time for me to repeat one of my ‘sayings’. If you try to solve a problem by passing a law, but people don’t obey the law, you now have two problems where you used to have one.

Years ago I was on a stag weekend in Poland. We went paintballing. We were chatting to the Polish guys who ran it over beers afterwards and one casually mentioned that British dudes were the ONLY ones who ever seemed to listen and keep their eye protection on. So we explained Byker Grove to them.

A late take from me @SluggerOToole. Economic conditions provide important context for the violence of the past week. However, this is also about racism and we shouldn't shy away from saying so. sluggerotoole.com/2026/06/15/r...

People are beginning to think poorly of the place they usually visit to learn about peace-walls and paramilitaries

Algae has already taken over the reflecting pool that the administration spent millions to “fix.” The darker paint warmed the water, promoting algae growth.

The kids are generally alright. It's the impressionable, lonely, angry Boomers getting radicalised on Facebook Starmer should be cracking down on. #WeNeedToTalkAboutKevin

Perfect comedy timing and straight face. Probably learnt that from watching videos on social media.

Terrible news: the Court of Appeal has just ruled that the Government’s ban on Palestine Action is lawful. PA is now likely to lodge an appeal before the Supreme Court. So the mass arrests of peaceful people sitting with cardboard signs will continue. Because that is what terrorism looks like ...

There's a point at which a not insignificant proportion of men who see themselves as feminist confidently start explaining and arguing women's lived experience to women themselves and it's not a hangable offence but I do think we should be allowed to put them in the lit cauldrons for a little bit

“Legitimate Concerns”

"Legitimate concerns!" He said the line.

Just 4 days till I give my #bumblebee talk in Stirling! 🐝 On Thurs 18th June. Do please come along if you're in the area - or pass the details on to anyone else you know who might be interested 🙏 cc @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social Ticket and details below: www.tickettailor.com/events/madei...

You will lose a lot of followers on Bluesky by posting about sheep, old books, derelict barns, the evils of AI, cats, misspelt rural signage, interdimensional portals, bats, owls, trees & psychedelic music but you'll also pick up a few & personally I find the aggregate result of that worthwhile.

Okay, folks: The big El Niño update is now out on Weather West! This sure looks like it's going to be a dramatic year from a global climate perspective, and there are major implications for extreme events (across California, the U.S. West, & well beyond).

My gf talked a church into letting us use their church hall for the food drive. They came in and made tea and coffee first, cleaned up after, brought us sandwiches and fruit today for the volunteers AND collected £1000 for us.

Points for effort. #birdman #bristol #bristolbirdman

They need to remake the Ice Age movies immediately

it's amazing how hollow all the bravado is, like we all knew it on some level, but "US Department of War scared off by 40 French villagers and a sternly-worded letter" is really something else

📰Tomorrow's front page Thousands attend anti-racism demonstration that drowns out far-right hate

A studio flat rent of 29sqm in zone 3/4 London is about 1400pm but yeah ppl don't have kids because of smartphones

🧵

It appears my countrymen have arrived in the Americas and culturally appropriated a statue of George Washington.

You want to pretend you are a champion of the working class, so you imply that only the middle class can protest peacefully while pogroms are the business of the working class. I’m not sure he has thought this one through…. #speirgorm

I’m increasingly convinced that if we could show every child a ballet about a fire truck we would solve gender for a thousand years.

And once again... I'm running a charity auction for this guitar, all proceeds to Medical Aid for Palestinians. map.org.uk The link for eBay is here... ebay.io/m/e3zLR2 opening bid dropped. Reposts are appreciated and I'm sorry if you've seen it already. #PalestineSolidarity #Palestine

These are the real people of Belfast. Thousands of anti-fascists rally against the far-right at Belfast City Hall today. They sent a clear message that racism is not wanted in their city. Things you love to see ✊❤

#Caturday videobombing

Otherwise it was a well reported story that humanized the suffering caused by Musk’s aid cuts. They mentioned those cuts in passing as part of the Trump administration’s international aid policy. I just think Musk and DOGE have to be included in that kind of coverage.

Listened to an NPR story this morning about mass child starvation in Senegal without a single mention of Elon Musk, the guy who gleefully created the conditions for the mass starvation

To the blue-eyed dark peoples of the Mesolithic. Were there wrong'ns amidst all those successive waves of new 'arrivals'? Hell yeah. But there were also the ones who chose to be part of this island. Threw their lot in with the land goddesses. And so it is today. We all come from someplace else.

Today i started picking my wildly growing blackcurrants. Therell be a lot of jam this year. And cherries too, from my wee tree. My mind wandered a bit, thinking with a laugh the slur of Blackmouths for presbyterians, due to their eating berries en route to forbidden sabbath services in Penal Times

Tomorrow’s Independent front page:

OLLIE'S BIG CLEAR OUT! Here are 3 shelves of HUGELY popular kids books You can have any FOUR for £10 (free P+P). Deals can be negotiated. Please share (and buy). UK only.

Funny how the opposite of "Mostly Peaceful Immigration Concerns Protest" is "Anti-Fascist Protest"

What a fantastic day in Belfast. As the sun shone thousands protested against racism. Sadly as I watch the national news who were flying in their top reporters earlier this week I see no mention. Such massive imbalance only serves the racist right. Tell the real story about who we are please!

Question for Northern Irish BlueSky: do you have any recs for places to buy a nice print of Northern Irish scenery? A relative living in the US is missing the green of NI, and asked for something to remind them of places they’ve been here. Think North Coast, Glens of Antrim, Cavehill. TIA!

today I discovered this incredible story of a minor league pitcher who is 6'4 wears glasses and a ginger beard who hurt his elbow and went to the doc for Tommy John surgery and was mistaken for a pitcher from a diff team who was also there for TJ surgery on same day anyway heres their pics and names

I listened to a British news broadcast yesterday on the Belfast riots, and though they seemed well informed and were extremely critical of them, the words ‘unionist’ or ‘loyalist’ were not mentioned once in a discussion about a half hour long.

Thousands have turned out for an Anti-Racism rally in Belfast city centre, organised by United Against Racism and supported by Trade Unions

Aerial PARTIAL view of the anti racist, anti fascist crowd in Belfast right now. City Hall to the left for scale. This - this is the real Belfast. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

On legitimising yet another pogrom.

Good few Vaulters in that crowd. This is the real Belfast. Keep thinking about David Hockney RIP saying that bad news sells. No Sky News helicopter filming this anti-racism rally and when one person was arrested a group of camera operators rushed to film it. #belfast #antiracism #rally

View from the stage at the biggest anti-racism rally in Belfast yet

We are Belfast

Als tientallen criminelen in bivakmutsen brandbommen naar vluchtelingen gooien zegt de hitsende klasse in talkshows en columns dat we dit 'ongenoegen' serieus moeten nemen. Als duizenden tegen racisme demonstreren gaan we dat amper horen. Maar o wee als je op de rol v media in opkomst fascisme wijst

Apropos of nothing: Scaffolding by Seamus Heaney

Absolutely huge crowds in Belfast to reject the far-right, paramilitarism, racism and border violence. A loud message to the politicians who pandered to violent paramilitary groups this week

"Scarborough, yesterday. *Taken by Fred Brown."