No poppy on the sailor. Tsk. And why are they all standing around a bin fire?? Most odd.

Tashikametan is a turtle who promotes the Labor Standards Bureau. He uses a scope attached to his mask to check employers are being fair. He’s a surprisingly fast runner, but because his shell is heavy, he can’t get up if he falls backwards.

You haven't had a cursed old-timey patent in a while, lucky you! Let's break this winning streak by showing you a gizmo from 1846: the "wife's protector", a contraceptive device patented by JB Beers of Rochester, New York, USA.

rip 😔

Magnificent production of Hamlet at the National Theatre this evening. Rush to get tickets if you can, while muttering that the Guardian review must have been of a different play www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/productions/...

Fashions on the field #melbournecup

Dolly Parton releases “9 to 5” 45 yrs ago today. “I knew what it was like to be a working woman trying to make a decent living, trying to be taken seriously. .. I wanted a song that sounded playful on the surface but spoke to that frustration .. A song about women .. saying, ‘We deserve better.’”

This is Angel Falls in Venezuela, with its 807-metre sheer plunge - the tallest waterfall on our planet. Except - it isn't. There's one that's bigger. MUCH bigger. And when I learned about it this week, my mind was fully blown. OK. Buckle up! (Especially if you don't have a head for heights.) 1/

Japan’s human rights mascots are Jin-KEN-Mamoru-kun and Jin-KEN-Ayumi-chan.

NEW from me: Political hostility, high visa fees and (in the case of the UK) stagnant incomes are making the UK and US less attractive destinations for top international talent. That steep decline in the appeal of moving to the US after 2016 is 👀

Happy #Halloween! A few years ago, midwives at the Royal Oldham Hospital in Lancashire created "dilation pumpkins" - and I don't think I've ever seen anything scarier in my life.* 😂😩 *Posted with apologies to anyone who is pregnant.

ngl would love to know more about Gerasimos' sins

"Previously Prince, actually Andrew"

Watch out for Ea Nasir this Halloween!

If you're a National Trust member, it's that time of year again: Midnight tonight is the deadline. It's a shame people have to keep doing this to keep a toehold on historical truth in this country, but here we are. Voting link: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/a...

The print version of @theonion.com is worth every dime.

just reading the bylaws and the 40 millionth user has to fight dril AND derek menswear guy??

somehow it has gotten even weirder?

Humanity’s history is a continuous battle between us and the microbes. For most of our history, we were on the losing side. It wasn’t even close. We were losing very decisively.

PERSON OF THE DAY. 29 October 1988. Sebastian Coe and Steve Cram re-ran the famous 367 metre “Chariots of Fire” race at Trinity College, Cambridge. The “Court Run” involved running around Great Court within the length of time that it takes the College clock to strike the hour of 12 noon. Coe won.

Looking like the election in the Netherlands has taken an interesting turn if the first exit poll is anything to go by. The Far Right’s Geert Wilders has already conceded.

Delighted to announce that medlar bletting season has begun

At a client’s request, we created a maki-e fountain pen inspired by “Kaba no Kanaja Noriyori – Onoe Kikugorō,” a warrior print by Utagawa Toyokuni. The body is a NAMIKI Emperor, and we combined bold maki-e composition with delicate detailing to suit its generously sized barrel. #fountainpen

"The reason why the reactionary right hate the ECHR is because it gives ordinary citizens the right against the secretive and authoritarian state that they want." –George Peretz KC, Chair of the Society of Labour Lawyers, speaking at our conference rally. @georgeperetzkc.bsky.social

Cock M Blocker United States, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Applications, 1800-1900

Honestly one of the most cheering accounts on this website. See a weird name, be immediately grateful that your own weird name is way less terrible

In which they discover separate hot and cold taps, and the irritation of trying to blow dry your hair when there are no electrical sockets in the bathroom

A man sits before a pit of the dead. Nazi soldiers surround him—one aims a gun at his head. For decades, no one knew who they were or where this photo was taken. Now, new digital tools and help from our community may finally reveal the truth behind this haunting Holocaust image🧵

Here's the Government announcement on the new law, in force from today, which allows councils and mayors in England to take control of bus services Might sound niche but it could (hopefully positively) affect millions of travellers if local authorities make good use of it www.gov.uk/government/n...

With Halloween approaching, I thought I’d share a few spine-chilling poems. Today’s is called ‘The Heebie Bee Gees’.

It's the Fesshole/Vagina Museum crossover event you've all been waiting for. Tons of you tagged us into this across all of our socials, asking for a fact-check. The consensus of the reply guys is that it Didn't Happen. However, this is in fact very possible. Here's why...

Always fascinating watching people underestimate the size of London vs other UK ciries. On an average weekday, more journeys are made on JUST the Elizabeth line than the ENTIRE population of Liverpool. If the Tube was a city, its average daily passengers would make it the 2nd largest in the UK.

Here are some of the scary jack o'lanterns I've made for our cats over the years. First: the cone.

‘Change course now’: humanity has missed 1.5C climate target, says UN head

Always fascinating to see how the squillions of complex pieces which go into making mouse armour actually, well, get made

Meanwhile in Russia: state TV host Vladimir Solovyov was outraged that Trump postponed a meeting with Putin, asserting that Russia never wanted to meet with Americans anyway. Solovyov suggested Russia should sink the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier. www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyQr...

At the going down of the thongs, and in the morning, We will remember them. And hopefully put them through the wash. (There were more, far cruder jokes here, but have some #respect. Or not)

The 'first snowman of 2025' has been built as snow hit Scotland today during an Arctic chill ❄️

And Good Night.

A+ field guide

We’re in London a week today at the Bloomsbury Theatre. Come and join us for an evening of poetry and music. Tickets available here: www.ucl.ac.uk/event-ticket...

If you have not been paying attention, here's all the Halloween costumes we've worn so far this year 🎃

Pets we forget. Or not.

a sequence of photos showing how the murder of tony montana really went down:

🍿🤞

We are so sad to hear that Dave Ball, the keyboard genius of Soft Cell, has died. He was an electronic pop pioneer and with Marc Almond made a unique catalogue of songs, completely original in sound and content. Our love and condolences go to Marc and all those close to Dave. Neil and Chris xx

A new study shows that feeding large language models low-quality, high-engagement content from social media lowers their cognitive abilities. www.wired.com/story/ai-mod...

This is a big moment. The Renters’ Rights Bill represents a huge leap forward for private renters. It includes the ban on no-fault eviction that the previous government promised but failed to deliver, finally delivered by this government. Congratulations to @rentersreformco.bsky.social!

Fun fact! Wombats apparently tunnel in a straight line until something stops them. This makes them a risk for telecoms infrastructure and at least one Australian telco used to pay uni researchers to track them. When the wombats got too close to the underground fibre optic cables, the researchers...

We know it’s early… but it’s never too early to start planning your trip to see THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL at The PCC this December! Catch the musical re-telling of the Dickensian classic in special SING ALONG performances from 28th November - 24th December. 🎟️ tinyurl.com/445yb7k9