Attending the excellent @t0nyyates.bsky.social drinks, I was struck by the seminary vibe. So without further ado, an imagined list of some of the priestly types that might have been in residence at the pub that night.

Name your priest etc etc

Attending the excellent @t0nyyates.bsky.social drinks, I was struck by the seminary vibe. So without further ado, an imagined list of some of the priestly types that might have been in residence at the pub that night.

These days for some reason I assume that every prominent UK journalist (and every single one of the food critics) works for the FT and find myself surprised when this is not true.

And…it’s not entirely obvious the McSweeney era has been a bountiful time for the British economy…

Ok guys, girl dog vs boy dog pros and cons? Will arrive as a puppy.

Do you know this from Whitman? I always find it consoling.

The bereavement thing is…difficult.

I’m going to try to move through the rest of my life as if everyone I meet needs that kindness too. And I hope you might do so too. For maybe one in 500 people it will be really, really appreciated.

Anyway, in other news I got a cortisone injection in my foot earlier this week and…it’s like some kinda miracle cure?

Should anyone want to donate to the RNLI ~and also- fancy a nice recipe, possibly for a belated valentine’s, all they have to do is post a screenshot. bsky.app/profile/rich...

Errrrrrr and also blimey

Bloody hell

Thoughts in Brief: - Even if AI can do a job, humans may still be able to provide a premium service. - Modern depictions of the Victorian era. - How lack of trust leads to fettered discretion. www.edrith.co.uk/p/thoughts-i...

Figured out a way to lift my spirits. Puppy daydreaming !

What is the zeitgeist, he wonders vaguely. Precarity. The age of precarity. In other words, people conceptualise their situation in terms of change making it worse rather than change being better (ie opportunity).

Fantastic piece.

Ah hell I’m missing Felix again.

WAIT WHAT

For anyone who by some incredible mischance has not read / or listened to this, one of the most striking and influential books of this century.

So in my < coughs > management days I had an entirely different philosophy which was to do my best to see my team as little as possible on the basis that they’d be much better off just getting on with things.

Sitting in airport weeping. Finally sent the « Felix is gone » message to his bevvy of dog sitters from across the years and gosh. The replies. 😢 The bandaid was just ripped off the wound. 💔

From Eurostar arrival at 1524 to getting to our local metro station on the other side of Paris (Neuilly) in 23 minutes!!!!!!! Via the RER.

On the train and very nearby is a baby with her stressed parents and I think it should be *mandatory* for people to be nice to the parents and anyone tutting, complaining etc should be immediately fired into the sun.

Wait what this seems important

Ah trying to work out why this modest skeet had got *numbers* and then noted the @jamellebouie.net RT!

I wanted to muse a little about this snort of derision inducing quote from somewhere in government — “a brilliant strategist, focused ruthlessly on what the voters think” — referring to you know who in @stephenkb.bsky.social ‘s excellent newsletter yesterday.

The interview itself really is bizarre. One of those pieces where the satire writes itself not least with respect to the cameo appearance of Bluesky’s favourite sketch writer @roberthutton.co.uk

Thanks to everyone who came to the Bluesky drinks tonight and those who couldn't quite make it and people who prodded me to invite other people. Lots of fun, and the UK's problems sorted. I'm sure we'll all feel the improvements soon.😀

A huge thanks to @t0nyyates.bsky.social for organising such a charming drinks

Excellent corralling of B'sky drinks by @tonyyates.bsky.social and lovely to see/meet more people in person.

I bet this piece goes down well with the Bluesky crowd!

In other farcical news, managed to split my trousers en route to London.

Particularly good newslettering today from Bluesky’s @stephenkb.bsky.social

Obviously, what the UK should do is — irrespective of any other economic or institutional arrangement — agree with the EU to reintroduce FoM. This could be done very quickly and would have have substantial immediate benefits.

I agree with this. It’s really quite distinctive from my perspective. And I’m not sure it goes the other way. France and Gaullism (defined broadly) in particular are framed as the incorrect / unhelpful opposites of what might be consider ‘traditional’ UK foreign policy and economic norms.

On the question of getting closer to the EU (an overwhelmingly popular position) I do think the government should want a fresh electoral mandate if it wishes to cross over any of its much mentioned red lines. I don’t think this is especially complicated…

On my way to London for two vital missions. Firstly, to save the government via the newly discovered political strategy of ‘govern in poetry, preferably free verse’. Secondly, and more importantly, for the @t0nyyates.bsky.social drinks attended by tout Bluesky London in full emergency session.

💯 here for career professionals resigning to pursue poetry degrees (disclosures etc)

My current guess is that well over a millionth of Bluesky's accounts will be turning up to the econ/pol/fin/sci drinks on Wed 11 Feb at a North London pub. [DM me for the venue].

Good lord

I had toyed with the idea that the Freudian drivers of desire (wanting things — hope! aspiration! joy!) and death (not taking things away — caution! conservation! danger!) are a pretty good framing for the politics of positivity and negativity but this piece has stopped me in my tracks!

The Bluesky network map doesn't lie. Wed 11 Feb. 645 onwards. DM me for the North London pub venue. If you're coming anyway and haven't let me know please let me know.

I don’t entirely believe this but there’s at least a case to be made that the current political fragmentation is to do with the poor quality of leading politicians / strategists etc etc.

Where’s the lie etc

Arsenal 1 McSweeney 0

A thought that’s *still* ridiculous omg

What is more than *febrile*?

Starmer isn’t going to resign unless some additional very bad thing is discovered.* *It is quite likely some additional very bad thing is going to be discovered

This skeet aging well. I also think this is still the case.