After almost 13 yrs I’ve become pretty good at managing the grief of losing a child but the day after a big night out can be challenging. It’s self-inflicted, of course, but strewth it’s been dark today. But, it’s good to wallow in it sometimes too. Life, eh.

Well, unless this is a new thing whereby the BBC utilises the logo of each party when reporting on them (which is a stupid idea too), this is idiocy.

In fact, this whole Mandelson matter reminds me of the Russian term 'vranyo', which describes situations in which somebody is lying, everybody knows they're lying, they both know that each other knows that they're lying, but everybody acts as if it's true.

From what I can make out, what's going on in Parliament right now is one useless person being criticised by lots of other useless people. It's a circle jerk of uselessness.

I love a good portmanteau.

The US is being looted by its own President but the saddest part is that nobody appears to be resisting. We saw here in the UK under the last Conservative government how democracy is dependent on good people being in charge & how easy it is for corrupt self-serving politicians to take advantage.

Went to a lovely wedding of some good friends yesterday. Being a Sunday, it meant that it cut into my gardening time, so when we got back at midnight after some not insignificant pintage, I did some gardening. I am now considering starting a silent disco and gardening club. Rock and roll.

Matthew Syed is somebody I often agree and disagree with but he’s bang on the money here about that state of the UK politics in the Sunday Times.

It’s about time… The difference between the way Richard Tice and Angela Rayner have been treated thus far is stark. The baying for the latter’s blood and resignation by Reform were deafening. The often pro-male anti-female posture of the UK’s mostly right wing press is disturbing.

Ah, yes, FIFA. Guardians of the people’s game. www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...

Very true, this, although I think it’s more Boomers than GenX. As well as being addicted to nostalgia porn, they’re less internet savvy, more vulnerable to online influence & unable to accept they’re being manipulated. One older male member of our wider family has turned into an absolute moron.

In celebration of my SE Asian roots & an upbringing in which they were the daily footwear of choice, I have decided that today is the start of flip flop season and therefore the go to footwear choice until winter returns. It is the most wonderful day of the year. The rest of my family disagrees.

I get the demands for Starmer to resign. But here we are again, squabbling nationally about whether another PM should resign. Wouldn't it be so much better to have a competent set of senior politicians and advisors across all parties who can just do their jobs? It feels like Groundhog Day.

Hell, yeah.

What is the actual point of security vetting if you ignore the results? The F in FO needs to stand for something else.

A perfect demonstration of how pathetic the Conservatives have become, burying their heads in the sand and forgetting what their own leaders did. It's impossible to take them even vaguely seriously as a political party and potential government.

Pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. All the seven sins in a single image.

Farage’s and Kwarteng’s bitcoin venture is an absolute shitshow and a terrible direction of travel. It’s just another form of enshittification of British democracy. Lib Dems call for inquiry into Farage Bitcoin deal www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

British politicians would do well to observe and learn from this show of political and national unity in Italy.

Daily Mail poll on whether the UK should rejoin the EU currently at 79% YES after 22k responses……

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a breath of fresh air in a very stale atmosphere. We need more people like her in politics all over the world.

Shouldn't laugh. No.

As I've just seen somebody else point out, whilst the King is NOT meeting and supporting Epstein victims, he IS meeting and supporting Epstein perpetrators. It's wrong on so many levels.

A King who has publicly expressed 'concern' for Epstein victims won't meet them but will meet instead a convicted felon, sex offender and Epstein's former bestie who has been slagging us off for not joining his mad war. So disappointing. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The dog has just run into the kitchen door at full pelt. At the moment he's acting like nothing happened and appears to be hoping that we didn't notice whilst he tries to style it out. More updates as we get them.

He needs to call a doctor.

Leaving the EU was such a stupid act of self-harm by the UK. The reluctance of our political class to 'relitigate it' (as they like to say as if to make it sound more complicated than it is for us little people) is more a reflection of their complicity in that stupidity than anything else.

The Sociopath Age. Exhibit 374a.

How did so British politicians get so stupid so quickly?

America has allowed itself to get into a war started by a known felon and sex offender. It’s quite incredible when you think about it.

Remember when Republicans lost their shit at Obama’s tan suit?

In a sensible world in which the vulnerabilities of highly polluting fossil fuel were demonstrated so clearly by the conflict in the Middle East, our government would be announcing new & reinvigorated investment in alternative energy sources & urgently building towards a world powered by renewables.

Unbelievable technology, skill and accuracy on display as Artemis II splashes down after a record breaking journey in space and around the moon. Which makes me wonder why on Earth we can’t achieve any of that shit on our train network.

Absolutely love this from Bruce Springsteen..... "...the righteous power of art, of music, of rock and roll in dangerous times." The Boss.

Krishnan Guru-Murthy is spot on here. And if you look carefully, you can see the moment when Yvette Cooper’s eyebrows rise involuntarily and a little bit of her soul leaves her body.

A little bit of civilisation probably dies with every day that Trump remains President.

Fantastic writing…..

NOTHING TO SEE HERE.

Inadequate and weak from Rutte. NATO has been complacent & too dependent on the US but that doesn't mean it needs to keep looking backwards for leadership. The plain fact is that, under Trump, the US isn't fit to lead it & the rest of NATO should be looking at a long term alternative set up.

Yesterday I decided to try some beetroot juice and then forgot about it. Today I went to the toilet and nearly had a heart attack. Beetroot is a very distinctive and durable colour.

This is one of the covers of the year so far. And if Trump’s presidency continues the way it’s going, and the damage he’s doing to the US’ standing across the world persists, perhaps one of the most prescient of all time.

Dear Sir, Imagine my surprise. Looks like genocide is a hard habit to break.

"A whole civilisation will die tonight." BUT HER EMAILS.

Should be said that this is a complete own-goal by the organisers and CEO of Wireless Festival. Completely, utterly and easily avoidable.

Trump may not carry out the threat. But the fact he even made such a threat means he should immediately be removed from office. For that is the purpose of a constitution with checks and balances.

The country that needs regime change most urgently is not Iran.

All countries between the US and Iran should shut down their airspace- deny landing rights, overflights, refueling or any other support for these explicit genocidal operations. Ideally, US military would refuse illegal orders and Congress would intervene- but that’s not happening. So, world must act