Today is National Thesaurus Day. Personally, we find these made-up holidays contemptible, abhorrent, nauseating, repugnant, and unpalatable.

Córy Doctorow with another verbal bullseye: pluralistic.net/2026/01/13/n...

Sunk by #3 again. 🤦 #WhenTaken #692 (19.01.2026) I scored 879/1000🏆 1️⃣📍321 km - 🗓️10 yrs - 🥇175/200 2️⃣📍9.7 m - 🗓️8 yrs - 🥇189/200 3️⃣📍2.7K km - 🗓️14 yrs - 🥉116/200 4️⃣📍4.7 km - 🗓️1 yrs - 🥇199/200 5️⃣📍1.0 km - 🗓️0 yrs - 🥇200/200 whentaken.com

Connections Puzzle #953 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟪🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟪🟪🟪🟪 @martian-observer.art @callie99.bsky.social @ghobubo.bsky.social @lillieg.bsky.social

Wordle 1,675 4/6 🟨⬛⬛🟩⬛ ⬛🟩⬛🟩🟩 🟩🟩⬛🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 @martian-observer.art @callie99.bsky.social @ghobubo.bsky.social @lillieg.bsky.social

Phrazle 125: 3/6 ⬜⬜🟪⬜ 🟨🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨 ⬜⬜🟨⬜ 🟩🟪🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 #phrazle solitaired.com/phrazle @callie99.bsky.social @ghobubo.bsky.social @martian-observer.art @emoneconomist.bsky.social

The dog's not too shabby behind the wheel either.

Congress can stop ICE. Congress can block the use of force in Greenland. In other words, in this crisis, Congress can act to support civil liberties at home and free nations abroad. To fail to act would be to be complicit in a dreadful outcome.

Thousands of bags of chips have washed up on a beach in Sussex "In some areas the chips were two-and-a-half feet deep into the ground" says Joel Bonnici, who lives in Eastbourne

Very poor showing today. #WhenTaken #691 (18.01.2026) I scored 743/1000🎗️ 1️⃣📍3.0K km - 🗓️9 yrs - 🥈127/200 2️⃣📍2.5K km - 🗓️6 yrs - 🥈139/200 3️⃣📍23.4 km - 🗓️5 yrs - 🥇194/200 4️⃣📍13.1K km - 🗓️2 yrs - 🥉98/200 5️⃣📍955 m - 🗓️10 yrs - 🥇185/200 whentaken.com

Offered without comment

Bloody hell, that cat can drive. 🤯

When the racist meme becomes national policy

If you have Channel 4 or Netflix, I thoroughly recommend "Wonders of the World I Can't See" with Chris McCausland. His travelling companions are all fellow comedians. Ep1 - Athens, with Harry Hill Ep2 - Rome, with Tom Allen Ep3 - Jordan, with Guz Khan Ep4 - Niagra Falls, with Liza Tarbuck

h/i David Grinspoon

#WhenTaken #690 (17.01.2026) I scored 992/1000👑 1️⃣📍78.0 m - 🗓️2 yrs - 🥇198/200 2️⃣📍1.5 km - 🗓️0 yrs - 🥇200/200 3️⃣📍120 m - 🗓️2 yrs - 🥇198/200 4️⃣📍492 m - 🗓️0 yrs - 🥇200/200 5️⃣📍702 m - 🗓️4 yrs - 🥇196/200 whentaken.com

fuck off, ICE bsky.app/profile/veri...

😂

Ancient maths - but said with flowers www.sciencenews.org/article/anci...

#Baguette in #Snow (no, I have no idea why, and, yes, I know it’s distinctly phallic.) Next street over, Jan 15/25.

#WhenTaken #689 (16.01.2026) I scored 946/1000👑 1️⃣📍30.1 m - 🗓️4 yrs - 🥇196/200 2️⃣📍841 km - 🗓️2 yrs - 🥈173/200 3️⃣📍7.1 km - 🗓️12 yrs - 🥇179/200 4️⃣📍1.4 km - 🗓️1 yrs - 🥇199/200 5️⃣📍2.1 km - 🗓️1 yrs - 🥇199/200 whentaken.com

Connections Puzzle #950 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟦🟦🟦🟪 🟦🟪🟩🟦 🟦🟪🟦🟦 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟦🟦🟦🟩 Another one I had no patience for. @martian-observer.art @callie99.bsky.social @ghobubo.bsky.social @mrlepus.bsky.social @lillieg.bsky.social

Wordle 1,672 6/6 🟨⬛⬛🟩⬛ ⬛🟩🟨🟩⬛ ⬛🟩⬛🟩🟩 🟨🟩⬛🟩🟩 ⬛🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 @martian-observer.art @callie99.bsky.social @ghobubo.bsky.social @mrlepus.bsky.social @lillieg.bsky.social

Bluesky going to work over on Twitter

Aerial footage shows cars swept away by flash floods in Victoria, Australia

On Saturday, Stalingrad will be 5 degrees warmer than Minneapolis.

#WhenTaken #688 (15.01.2026) I scored 880/1000🏆 1️⃣📍29.8 m - 🗓️0 yrs - 🥇200/200 2️⃣📍58.5 m - 🗓️0 yrs - 🥇200/200 3️⃣📍2.1K km - 🗓️19 yrs - 🥉107/200 4️⃣📍5.4 km - 🗓️0 yrs - 🥇200/200 5️⃣📍481 km - 🗓️9 yrs - 🥈173/200 whentaken.com

Phrazle 117: 4/6 ⬜⬜🟨 ⬜🟨⬜ ⬜🟩⬜ ⬜⬜🟩 ⬜🟩⬜ 🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩 #phrazle solitaired.com/phrazle @callie99.bsky.social @ghobubo.bsky.social @martian-observer.art @emoneconomist.bsky.social

❌ New NOTAM just issued by Iran closing airspace to all flights except international flights to/from Iran with permission. NOTAM is valid for a little more than 2 hours. Live view of Iranian airspace: www.flightradar24.com/airport/ika

Ruin a band by changing one letter... Public Enema

Excellent trolling.

Worst Tommy Cooper impression I've ever seen.

Well off for the years on 1 and 5. #WhenTaken #687 (14.01.2026) I scored 921/1000👑 1️⃣📍15.1 m - 🗓️13 yrs - 🥇176/200 2️⃣📍2.3 km - 🗓️3 yrs - 🥇197/200 3️⃣📍2.5 km - 🗓️1 yrs - 🥇199/200 4️⃣📍8.5 m - 🗓️2 yrs - 🥇198/200 5️⃣📍2.3 km - 🗓️21 yrs - 🥈151/200 whentaken.com

Yeah, something like that.

The first one got me. #WhenTaken #686 (13.01.2026) I scored 888/1000🏆 1️⃣📍4.7K km - 🗓️1 yrs - 🥉122/200 2️⃣📍1.0 km - 🗓️6 yrs - 🥇193/200 3️⃣📍4.0 m - 🗓️0 yrs - 🥇200/200 4️⃣📍784 km - 🗓️0 yrs - 🥇177/200 5️⃣📍17.0 m - 🗓️4 yrs - 🥇196/200 whentaken.com

Connections Puzzle #947 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟪🟪🟪🟪 @ghobubo.bsky.social @mrlepus.bsky.social @lillieg.bsky.social @callie99.bsky.social @martian-observer.art

Wordle 1,669 3/6 ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ⬛🟨🟨🟨⬛ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 @martian-observer.art @callie99.bsky.social @ghobubo.bsky.social @mrlepus.bsky.social @lillieg.bsky.social

Moment skier and dog swept along by avalanche

#WhenTaken #685 (12.01.2026) I scored 977/1000👑 1️⃣📍434 m - 🗓️0 yrs - 🥇200/200 2️⃣📍52.0 m - 🗓️3 yrs - 🥇197/200 3️⃣📍8.3 m - 🗓️1 yrs - 🥇199/200 4️⃣📍72.3 m - 🗓️0 yrs - 🥇200/200 5️⃣📍447 km - 🗓️5 yrs - 🥇181/200 whentaken.com

Windows 2000 still earning its keep running a rail ticket machine in Portugal

Some cuteness to brighten your Monday.

Connections Puzzle #946 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟨🟨🟨🟨 Another easy one. @martian-observer.art @callie99.bsky.social @ghobubo.bsky.social @mrlepus.bsky.social @lillieg.bsky.social

“Fascism is not a disease that needs to be cured, but a crime that must be eradicated.” — Bertolt Brecht

Meanwhile… three Montana National Guard servicemen have been charged with trespassing after allegedly landing a Black Hawk helicopter onto private property without permission to pick up some cast elk antlers

👇🇨🇭"Service door of Crans-Montana bar where 40 died in fire was locked from inside, owner says" #CransMontanaFire #Switzerland

How many holes does the human body have? The answer takes us in a surprising journey into mathematics and biology, as my fabulous friend @kityates.bsky.social explains: kityates.substack.com/p/how-many-h...

Update on the three lynx that were found starving after being callously abandoned in the Highlands a year ago; the cats are now thriving in their new home at the Highland Wildlife Park, near Kincraig

Mars2020 mission highlight: Nasa Perseverance rover at Belva crater on the delta in Jezero crater, Mars, 968-sols ago on Sol 772 (22nd April, 2023) ZCAM08788 Captured by Mastcam-Z Site 39 / 650 📷 Credits: NASA / JPL-Caltech / ASU / MSSS / Martian-Observer www.flickr.com/photos/13433...

Phrazle 109: 2/6 ⬜ 🟪🟩⬜ 🟨🟨🟪⬜🟩⬜ 🟩 🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 #phrazle solitaired.com/phrazle @ghobubo.bsky.social @martian-observer.art @callie99.bsky.social