On National Poetry Day, the greatest poem I have ever read

It’s official: AIPAC is trying to buy my election to keep me out of Congress. Apparently, I’m a “dangerous detractor”... by believing Palestinians (like myself and my family) deserve basic human rights. But we’re not going to let AIPAC win.

🔥 Britain is about to launch a new GCSE in natural history – a vital step toward restoring our knowledge of and respect for the natural world.

They just tear-gassed us. They tried to run us over in a van holding a peaceful protester. They shot us with pepper balls. They dragged another protester into the facility.

Rayner is absolute class. She's been a bit silly in organising her taxes, but that's not why they hate her. They hate her because she did not know her place.

This. Humanities people say and believe equally stupid things about the sciences (no, ffs the laws of acoustics are physical laws, NOT METAPHORS, and no, quinine did not invent malaria.) It is much better when we respect each other’s disciplinary rigour and methods and work together.

"All those in favour of using a dog poo bag say 'Aye'" "Aye!" "Motion carried"

A courteous but very impressive rebuke to Nigel Farage from the Bishop of Oxford. "I heard no compassion in what you said...". "I disagree profoundly with your attempts to ... increase fear of the stranger in our communities". Do read. blogs.oxford.anglican.org/an-open-lett...

I’d rather have ‘rule of law’ than not. But remember, democratic rule of laws is a necessary condition for this: to prevent arbitrary and majoritarian rule.

Too many folk overthinking this. "Mass deportations are an abhorrence that a civilised country should not countenance". That's all. No need for logistical advice, the spirit of Churchill, or picking your favourite previous action down the slippery slope.

Even if you were too chickenshit to defend existing laws 🙄 surely you can attack Farage as a man who lies repeatedly, sold a Brexit con and has never had to deal with the real world. A commentator unfit for office (and we know what happens when those people get into power).

@alexpodyssey.bsky.social Listening to ‘a dolphin and a seagull’ just now, I was struck by the thought that we should talk explicitly in terms of ‘the Tragedy of Trump’ as a single phenomenon, albeit with many consequences.

@alexpodyssey.bsky.social Re ‘a dolphin and a seagull’. If the PM could only be encouraged to listen to this episode he would learn more of direct benefit to his role and mission than anything else I have heard in years of political discussion; it’s a terrific piece of work.

Kharkiv right now ❤️‍🩹 I’m almost crying. We’re banned from organizing celebrations. Warned against crowds and gatherings due to constant russian bombings. But we’re alive, and we’ll keep living. That’s our collective "fuck you" to russia.

This is now out: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/b...

Since Plato western argument relies on terms of warfare and violence: e.g. defeat; attack; destroy. They soak into our politics and distract from the real nature of the task. They ‘feel’ energetic and purposeful. ‘Fight back’ sounds motivating. But, good moms don’t teach kids to think that way.

Reminder that Putin has never said he wants a trilateral meeting, had never said he would respect Ukrainian sovereignty, and has never said he wants to end the war. Not to be a downer, but the discussion of security guarantees is premature.

The Alaska performance has been a singular very public degradation of a great nation; once squandered like this the road back to respect is long and hard. Without respect and the associated consent, only brute power is left as an option for the USA.

This is beautiful.

Australia 🇦🇺 to recognise State of Palestine 🇵🇸

👍👍👍

‘…people can’t do better if they don’t know better…’ Bob the Drag Queen, ‘Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert’ p105, Gallery Books, New York City, 2025.

Do I have to have a reason?

Mathematicians get their kicks on 8.1240384

Some things we post are howls of existential anguish, some are tips of the hat or smiles as we cross the public square. Some are just sharing an observation of absurdity. All help.

'#Summer fields' by contemporary painter Susan Simioni, based in Tasmania , Australia #WomensArt

Margaret Preston, Mosman Bridge, 1927 Hans coloured woodblock print Austrailan printmaker #ReframingWomenPrintmakers

“Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.” Aldous Huxley, English writer, author of Brave New World, born #OTD 1894. Charles Sheeler ⁦‪Michener Art

Thank you for following WA, you're all very much appreciated! Have a great Friday! xx

My quote of the day For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled. Richard Feynman

@sturdyalex.bsky.social struck by your point today that simply assuming/replicating our own generation’s model and expectations of what will be wanted to live a good life, when thinking about social policy design for younger cohorts, is a big mistake. E.g better renting options should dominate. 👍

Brignogan-Plages, Bretagne. Celebrating blue skies.

Listening to ‘American Pie’ on a bench on the GR34 at Perros- Guirec, Bretagne. Spot on for the times, music to weep to.

No Kings

Je suis arriveé en Bretagne pour le camping (vacances?)

Good visual showing the churn of UK voters since last year’s General Election.

Exe estuary invaded by paddle boarders this morning 😎

It's one of the greatest things I have ever seen.

Empty Exe

NEW: Today in Instanbul, Turkey. A people fighting for democracy & against authoritarianism. This is how you do it! Chairman of Republican People’s Party, Özgür Özel: “Today, 2.2 million of our citizens overflowed Maltepe Square. This is just the beginning. This nation will not remain silent.” 🇹🇷

🙌🏼 I’m not sure who had the amazing idea to invite this constitutional lawyer to a senate hearing that intended to prove Biden colluded with Meta to censor conservatives, but she took the opportunity to speak truth to power ✊🏼 on the hypocrite 👑 KING OF FREE SPEECH, Donald Trump, himself. 👏🏼 Brava!!

Letterbox, Mdina, Malta