Article worth reading on the importance of radio, not only during emergencies, but I also think for our sanity. Focus is on the feeling of wildfires bearing down, which is a scary place to be, but it works into other important issues for all humans now and in the future.

People who don't ride #EBikes tend to have a lot of misconceptions about them, often assuming they're just about being lazy, wanting to go fast, or (more reasonably) not wanting to get to work stinky and sweaty in the summer. But for me, it's *wintertime* when my #Ebike shines. 🧵 @bikesky.social

Very much required reading for Europeans also to think through their place in the world - both on how much the world is changing, but also on how a shift in strategy means that countries other than the three empires (US, China, lesser extent Russia) are not powerless:

“When I speak about making our city more affordable, my vision is not limited to the homes that we live in or the child care that we’re making universal — it’s also a vision where we make it possible for working people to afford lives of joy, of art, of rest, of expression.”

It's New Year, so time to look back and forward. These are 10 things I think we need to recognise in 2026. It’s a response to what I think are profoundly damaging mistaken assumptions I’ve heard and read from practitioners, journalists, and analysts in 2025. Warning: very long🧵

But there are clear signs that the UK and other NATO and EU states have very serious Russian interference problems that pose a threat to their democracy and security.

Final thought. This is all both frightening and depressing. But although addressing these problems will be very difficult and, in many cases, very costly, it can be done. I think Europe is in a better place on these issues than it was a year ago; I’m optimistic that can continue.

And I think the path to a safer Europe lies through and with Ukraine.

Must adhere to the 'Winterval Inclusive Language Directive (WILD) 1998'. 😉

Suffering is not the point of life. Suffering is not inherently meaningful. Suffering does not automatically ennoble, clarify, or mature people. That idea is a modern myth — part self-help, part spiritual bypassing, part moral laziness.

the lesson yet.” That is not wisdom. That is moral gaslighting.

We should NEVER trivialise any suffering. Ever. Toxic positivity asks you to do this. You should never say: “Everything happens for a reason” “You should be grateful” “Pain makes you stronger” These are not helpful. They are lies. Suffering that is unavoidable demands meaning — not optimism.

I just don’t understand how you can grow up like this, have all the money in the world, never have to worry about your comfort or security, and still want to stamp on the backs of the weak & vulnerable.

London is also diverse. It's hugely multicultural, and it's a largely tolerant and welcoming place. Sure it has it's problems and the housing crisis is a big one. But the haters don't hate this city because of that. They hate it because it stands as living proof that multiculturalism works.

Support for Mamdani in the UK: London Mayor Sadiq Khan: “New Yorkers faced a clear choice — between hope and fear — and just like we’ve seen in London hope won.” Green Party’s Zack Polanski said he would follow “the same relentless focus on inequality.”

Zohran's campaign was his determination to make New York a city everyone can afford to live in. Huge congratulations! His success will resonate throughout the world. A story where no one is left behind. It's time to write that story across England & Wales too.

AI "is a thieving, hallucinating, biased, data-scraping, ecо-destroying, surveillance bot that will never be able to reconcile the receipts of its unethical origins." —A Psalm for the Analog @melaniedusseau.bsky.social LOOMING: drive.proton.me/urls/JE8JPJR... www.law.georgetown.edu/privacy-tech...

...and your cycling team, cycling race and a ridiculous amount of UCI championships recently and in the next 5 years! Lappartient basically making the UAE regime a partner of UCI is legit one the grossest thing to happen to the sport of cycling in a long time. (And we've had a LOT of gross things!)

When we look at this massacre and many more perpetrated by the RSF, let's be clear who funds, equips & sustains them. It's the UAE. Yes, the same UAE that might own your football club, fly you on your holidays, invests in our national infrastructure. If boycotts work, we should be boycotting now.

This #GreenLibrariesWeek we are celebrating the amazing ecosystems of trees and forests with the Open Shelves display in the General Reading Room. Meet remarkable trees or explore the interconnected life of our woodlands. www.nls.uk/whats-on/ope...

East Lothian families to access free electric cargo bikes www.eastlothiancourier.com/news/2555796... It aims to help more people explore an alternative mode of transport for everyday journeys.

1. It's fascinating to see, as you can from the responses to the post below, how many daft things people believe, to justify their continued meat eating. So let's examine a few of the common myths in the following thread. 🧵

7. No, Europe did not become “great” through meat-eating. Thoughout the entire early modern and modern periods until the late 19th Century, the vast majority here ate very little meat. Only imports of beef and lamb from the colonies, enabled by genocide, expulsion and land clearing, changed that.

his name is Andrew Boozary and his project is a breath of fresh air. Dunn House combines affordable housing with medical care and it has resulted in better health outcomes for unhoused people and reduced pressure on ERs www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

It would take the average earner about 26,000 years to become a billionaire Billionaires do not earn their wealth, they collect it Great video embedded in this article about the necessity of taxing the super rich, to prevent societal breakdown

What is your definition of a utopia? Just had a discussion with someone who I feel has completely misunderstood the collective comprehension of the word, but perhaps I am the one who is wrong. 😕

Cried watching it the first time and cried reading all the background I did not know. Another sliver of hope and light in the darkness. 💗

Polanski expertly dismantling the "rich people will move if we tax them" narrative, while Denham nimbly demonstrates how very patriotic such people are.

Let’s Make Hope Normal Again Many years ago this could have been a Labour Party broadcast, but it isn’t. It’s from @greenparty.org.uk And @zackpolanski.bsky.social keeps the visuals simple, the message clear. It’s about us in the street, suburbia, villages and town centres youtu.be/qxt4HCjd7VA

The coconut octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus) are known to use tools. They will carry around shells to later use as mobile shelter. They can often be found hiding in shells, cosplaying as another mollusk. They are also known to sometimes walk on two legs, perhaps to spite Plato. #OCTOtober

All of this. 👇

'This mission should not have to exist.'

Also missing the National Museum of Scotland and my life as a curator and archaeologist. 💔

Oh I so miss libraries, and Edinburgh, and discovering the hidden treasures in the stacks. 💔

Because the world is being run by cruel, sadistic, greedy, corrupt leaders and corporations.

I wanted to get a video of this ghost crab but every time I got close to their hole they scuttled back in, so I tried getting clever with it. I made a little sandcastle and shoved my phone into it, hit record, and walked away. Crab was VERY suspicious of this addition to their environment.

This is exactly what happens when a sports organisation gets in bed with a dictatorship. As many of us pointed out at the time, the UCI should never have chosen Rwanda as a venue for world championships. What the **** did they expect? www.belganewsagency.eu/belgian-jour...

What a lovely poem/video. A much needed message of acceptance and celebration of self and others. 💗

Interesting gift article concerning cycling sponsors G42 and the UAE in case anyone is interested in learning more about how cycling is apolitical (according to the UCI).🤔

Queen

Vuelta protests in Spain discussed at a Hollywood event in the US. So yes, impactful.

Insightful thread on the importance of changing the conversation to counter mis/disinformation.

Insightful article worth reading. A few citations that stood out to me: ‘…Adams has said that riders understand that being on the team means being an ambassador for the country... protests will continue at La Vuelta, and until Israel–Premier Tech is excluded from UCI races and events.’ Also ⬇️

Here’s the thing: we do not concede *one inch* to the far right. Ever. Anywhere. They are not just another political player. They are a threat to everything our ancestors fought and died to protect. They are not to be appeased. They are to be stopped. Rip down the flags wherever you see them. 3/3

Slate recently covered my research on “gender detachment,” or the idea that some people feel disconnected from identifying with any gender identity! I’m grateful for the opportunity to reflect on what this attention signifies—not just for my work but for how we collectively understand gender.

This video with this song is so heartwarming. 🥰

The lesson is clear: you can’t outflank the far right by borrowing its language. You only validate its narrative, undermine your own authenticity, and make democracy more fragile in the process.

Next time the UN holds talks with the Taliban or governments do business with them or the England cricket team plays the Afghan team as they did in February...remember this. They wouldn't even pull women out from the rubble. They wouldn't let female doctors help. www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2...

An opportunity of a lifetime for budding lichenologists. The National Trust and the Royal Botanics, Edinburgh are offering a PAID lichen traineeship in #Scotland! The work programme looks fascinating and a great opportunity to develop skills. Deadline: 3/10/2025. www.asva.co.uk/jobs/trainee...

English translation of the article in the previous post related to human rights and pro cycling.