Because why would we ever give children in hospital an extra moment of human kindness when we can give them the “wire surrogate” instead?

Do these people even know what a child is? Have they been drafted in from careers in factory farming? You couldn't make this stuff up. #TaxRobots

Donald Trump is now channelling Don Adams in Get Smart. "Iran, you are surrounded by the entire NATO alliance warships and your army and navy have been completely eliminated." [Worrying look as loud explosions heard.] "Would you believe there is a ship on the way from Japan?" Sorry about that Chief.

I propose "wotopitee" as a new word to mean something in between "What a pity!" and "What's uppity?" So from now on, when I hear someone sounding a little bit sad, especially if they are very young, you will hear me saying "Wotopitee?"

Egon Schiele (1907)

After almost a decade of work – we can say: we did it. We have concluded the EU-Australia Free Trade Agreement. And it is such a win for both sides ↓ link.europa.eu/x33M9C

housing is more expensive now, but also a lot safer. this kind of home was considered cream of the crop in the 1980s

Paying $1bn to scrap wind farm plan and invest in oil and gas instead. How much longer can the madman in the White House be left to go on destroying the world? "Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription." www.nytimes.com/2026/03/23/c... #nyt

Maybe the power of the internet is overtopping the power of government propaganda, and stopping people's internet access will eventually become like the salt tax before the French Revolution. As huge as Russia is and as buttoned up, the internet is now bigger than any regime. It's part of globalism.

Here's your moment of zen: A "holy" cat named Coco stands at the entrance of a church in Mexico, seemingly blessing everyone who walks in 🐱

The oaks of South Vale are not having any of this "spring" malarkey. It's not spring till they say so. 1. Spring! Bah, humbug. You call this spring! Shut up! 2. You got that now?! Watching you. 3. "Steady, oaks, let the stupid shrubs blossom. Stand by."

Thanks to the almost two dozen states who have stepped up to make health care more affordable, even after Congress refused to extend federal subsidies. It’s helping more people get the care they need, and more states should follow their lead.

I find I agree with everything Jeremy Corbyn says in this interview. Nobody is safe with with the US/Israel and Russia run by homicidal maniacs.

Washington Post opinion piece about Bluesky wapo.st/40Mzcs0 #WaPo #GiftArticle

A Greater Manchester school has censored books under the guise of “safeguarding risk.” The list of nearly 200 titles includes a graphic adaptation of 1984, White Teeth and Girl, Woman, Other. The school admitted to using AI to categorise the books ⬇️ www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/03/scho...

Russia has increased its oil sales in recent days due to the easing of sanctions, in order to finance its war against Ukraine — Zelensky In one week, Putin’s forces launched nearly 1,550 attack drones at Ukraine, over 1,260 guided aerial bombs, and two missiles. Video: Zelensky / Telegram

Europe needs its own Starlink. It's intolerable that a neo-Nazi such as Elon Musk controls communications for a war in Europe. Large systems that verge on monopolies must be nationalised and their owners paid off enough to keep them in reasonable comfort for the rest of their natural lives--no more.

Need some motivation? Look no further than 17-year-old Carole King making a name for herself as a woman composer in a field traditionally dominated by men. Photo courtesy of Sony Music Archives #womenshistorymonth

BREAKING: Iran has targeted Diego Garcia with two ballistic missiles [Wall Street Journal]. ‼️Diego Garcia is 4000kms from Iran. If Iran can hit the island, they can also reach London, Paris & every other EU capital‼️ This would be a catastrophic failure of US intelligence on Iran’s capabilities.

A shocking new investigation by Index reveals that Emily (not her real name), a school librarian in Greater Manchester, faced disciplinary action after stocking the book Men Who Hate Women. Nearly 200 books were targeted. 1/4 By @katiedd.bsky.social

Very interesting. Almost a "double-take" moment at the end. Beauticians and hair salons in prisons. Really? Is that an extremely subtle satire? So subtle as to not get someone booked into one of those salons, perhaps.

Some periwinkle flowers in the garden today #photo

The United States is now a rogue nation. It has been taken over by maniacs, racists, robbers and murderers. There is no humanity in the regime. They need to be got removed a.s.a.p. because they are setting this world on fire. Reminder: we all live in this world.

One for the short story writing folk - 👇👀👇 Great opportunity to submit to a very exciting new imprint devoted to short stories and the uncanny... www.thefictiondesk.com/submissions/...

I don't usually get down the riverbank during the week but the sunny evening with a 6.45pm sunset meant there was only one place I wanted to go for my evening walk. From the slipway at @unioflimerick.bsky.social boathouse.

"Those three witches in Macbeth should be getting paid overtime." "Why's that?" "Double bubble."

I fear that Trump is itching to use a nuclear weapon. For humanity's sake, someone please stop him! In the past I've said that Trump will want to use a nuclear weapon before he leaves office. Netanyahu will encourage that. The people of Iran do not deserve what Netanyahu and Trump are doing to them.

I began this today as a Bluesky post. Edited and posted in my Museum of Illusions. What Is Your Value in Ladybirds? stephenmoransmuseumofillusions.wordpress.com/2026/03/18/w... #poetry? #war

Not a fan of Rand Paul by any means - I completely disagree with Libertarianism - but this is a great moment in the questioning of the proposed new Department of Homeland Security leader. The video does not include any answer, which is a pity. I would like to know what Markwayne Mullin's reply was.

While cutting the grass today for the first time since last year, I noticed there were ladybirds here and there and took care to avoid disturbing them. Even forget-me-nots, I go around. Yet war leaders kill and injure schoolchildren, babies & ordinary people in the most brutal ways imaginable. #Iran

With the extraordinary knowledge of locations for assassinations, usually put down to intelligence, I think Israel must have access to all phone and internet comms location details. It seems that if you want to survive targetting by such an enemy, you won't be able to use normal phones or messaging.

Oh this short thread is worth a minute of your day. (It won't be a terribly cheerful minute though, but illuminating and surreal) I went through a year or two in my early teens where I was a massive fan of Giles and nabbed his books whenever I saw them. Just phenomenal cartooning.

This is a superb gallery of super rare photos, map, documents and paintings from London's original Chinatown, now vanished. And you'll want to see pictures of famous actress Anna May Wong on a visit. spitalfieldslife.com/2026/03/18/i... #SpitalfieldsLife

Anyone here been in the Irish Writers in London Summer School led by Dr Tony Murray? I attended I think 4 years. Always looked forward to two months of study and writer visits and extra-curricular events. Here's a photo of a session on a sunny day with Eimear McBride at London Met, Holloway. #Irish

Happy St Patrick's Day? I'm an exile. It's my bounden du-ity to be miserable. "After our affair I swore that I'd leave Dublin and in that life I'd leave behind the years with you as memories and me in Dublin" youtu.be/guYmOVMphqE?... #ThinLizzy #Dublin

Sláinte from all of us on E Street! 📸: Rob DeMartin

"That's horsenickers and you know it, Aubrey!"

Agreement was within reach. Netanyahu panicked, rushed to devastate Iran stat. Trump followed blindly. 'One diplomat with knowledge of the talks said: “We regarded Witkoff and Kushner as Israeli assets that dragged a president into a war he wants to get out of.”' www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

I’m sure by now many of you have heard that RFK Jr.’s vaccine advisory board has “leaked” a report claiming that there is a chronic condition, similar to LongCOVID, that is caused by the COVID19 vaccine. I wanted to take some time with it before I posted, and now I have, so here comes a thread.

My soulmate in all literary shenanigans just made me the best advertisement for my book. I'm going to talk to my publisher about getting this bad boy on a billboard over the I-75 in Tampa.

Trump threatening to destroy Kharg Island unless Iran opens the Strait of Hormuz is like someone saying "Don't shoot me in the foot or I will shoot myself in the head." #Iran #Hormuz #Kharg

Spring flowers and an indoor pot plant, very old watercolour of mine (from 1988). Sold ages ago and I don't know who has it now. #watercolour #crocuses #ipheion

I read somewhere that even the US is not sending battleships to Strait of Hormuz. Trump has spent years insulting, threatening and abusing every ally and applying what have since been found to be illegal tariffs on their goods. He scorned UK, said he didn't need any help. Two words Donald, "Own it."

We held The Gaza Tribunal to expose the full scale of Britain's complicity in genocide. Our conclusion: the British government has been an active participant in one of the greatest crimes of our time. Read the full report below. thegazatribunal.uk/report

So, BlueSky, one of my passions is the study of tea in WW2. I need you to watch this oral history from three ex-tea ladies from the Bermondsey WVS. Because you could guess for ONE THOUSAND YEARS and you would not guess where it is going... #skystorians #history #tea

Dazzling, er, thread #embroidery #quilts #tapestry #world

Remind me again which country is the terrible threat to which? www.rte.ie/news/middle-... #IDF #WestBank #Gaza RTÉ via AFT/Reuters

He's trying to spread the blame for his epochal stupidity in setting fire to the Middle East, following the genocidal Netanyahu into the inferno of mass destruction and murder. Own it Donald Trump.

Lough Neagh emergency. We can't go on like this. www.theguardian.com/environment/... #Privatisation #EnvironmentalCrisis #Superbugs @theguardian.com

Maybe there should be a Secretary for Legabitraquian Affairs or at least an assistant to the Minister for Equalities.