….and to be clear: even if we wake up to news of Stokes and Jacks somehow staging a miraculous and successful counter-offensive, and even if we go on to win, it won’t change the stark, underlying reality of England’s flaws. #TheAshes

I’ve been watching England Test teams for 50+ years. I’ve seen less talented teams than this one win against superior opposition through wise tactics and application. What is unpalatable is watching this team of more talented players lose through tactical stupidity and arrogance. #TheAshes

Vance Is Idling at the Edges of American Politics www.nytimes.com/2025/11/15/o... In case anyone thought that American fascism ends when (if) Trump leaves office. Worse still, if he leaves office prematurely and this man succeeds automatically without any election (such as that now is).

The “problem” with vaccines? They so effective at preventing deaths that they create generations of people that question whether disease was a problem in the first place because they have never experienced the horrors of a world without vaccines.

I can’t pretend that this makes for very reassuring reading, but it sets out the position pretty clearly. I guess we all just have to make sure it doesn’t come to this. open.substack.com/pub/ukcivils...

We didn’t have these confounded machines when Douglas Adams was around, but if we had, would there have been a Meaning Of Liff word for picking up your phone to do something necessary and specific but instead be rootling around in distracting social media and search engines 20 minutes later?

Importantly, use the Quick Vote recommended 7 candidates to avoid splitting the anti-Farage, anti-Restore Trust vote. There are so many candidates that examining each individual’s credentials and spreading votes is risky.

After a delightful fortnight in two glorious, historically interesting Italian cities, I’ve concluded that there is one ubiquitous interloper far worse and more disfiguring than McD, Starbucks, Hard Rock Cafe and the rest: the bloody “Irish” Pub.

Or is it?

Sky News says police are "overwhelmed by the numbers". Met coped perfectly well with 2x as many at the pro-Gaza rally, 5x as many at the anti-Brexit march, and 15x as many at London Pride. They're not overwhelmed by the numbers. They're overwhelmed by the ratio of violent thugs in those numbers.

The word “could” in the headline is doing quite a lot of heavy lifting here, in relation to the actual story. Still, some room here for hope that the counties will hold the line. Though they should be bolder and push for more, not fewer, Championship games, via a return to some 3-day games.

I feel I’ve let the side down a bit today. 7.45pm and only now am I about to eat my first bowl of stewed apple and blackberry of the day. Should have had five or six by now to keep up with supply. #Autumn

I mean this country has killed enough Kennedys, I guess it’s only fair one of them tries to return the favor

What this idiotic, xenophobic entity is too dumb to notice is that the family are standing in front of Wroxeter... a Roman city that was the very essence of multiculturalism ... established by Thracian legionnaires 2,000 years ago in modern day Shrewsbury

Anyone who demonstrates outside a fucked, old, ex-hotel, full of scared blokes who DEFINITELY dont want to be there, to: 'protect are kids', is a thick racist. Fact. Don't be bitter if it's you. You are.

A timely one for in 10 parts for @booksky.club www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

63% of people think net migration rose in the last 12 months 8% of people think it fell Yet it fell by 400,000 in 2024 vs 2023 [It is falling further in 2025] Public service broadcasters are doing a core part of their job on this topic badly if that 8% is not closer to 30% at least

An important and timely essay. One for @lordbonkers.bsky.social Joy of Six? newrepublic.com/article/1992...

my latest with @newrepublic.com liberalism isn't the 'referee of politics'. it's a player, & it must win newrepublic.com/article/1992...

We cannot maintain cancer and mRNA vaccine research but we can order a shitty cup of coffee to be delivered by a drone. That seems to make us great again.

Yesterday I ate the first eating apple. Today I stewed the first cooking apple. Tomorrow is the (absurdly early) end of the Test match season. “And summer’s lease hath all too short a date” and all that.

What we learn from the past couple of days is how far above everyone else Anderson and Broad were. Not just in their skills, but in their thinking as well. #ENGvIND

“Once people get a taste for humiliating, they will fight very hard to be able to keep doing it. Like an addiction, the competitively powerful will often put this urge above all else and behave in profoundly self-destructive ways to chase it.” www.liberalcurrents.com/the-politi/

“MAGA is a movement of parasites seeking hosts.” One of the most thorough examinations of political sadism I’ve read, outside of books. A lightning bolt of recognition.

No, employers need to do their own training. It’s not educators’ job to make sure that school-leavers — or graduates — have the specific skills that each company needs. Employers need to invest in their workforce.

People who either boast or inadvertently reveal that they don’t do their own thinking, research and writing face negative judgments about whether they do their own thinking, research and writing. We must guard vigilantly against this kind of accurate, yet stigmatizing, assessment of their competence

UK must 'do everything' to rebuild trade with EU, says Bank boss - Worth far, far more than any ‘deal’ with Trump. www.bbc.com/news/article...

This letter in the New Statesman a couple of years ago seems even truer now.

It amazes me that people rate Elon Musk’s brain. He doesn’t make Teslas or rockets. He didn’t invent X/Twitter. He’s an investor, lucky, canny even. But high intelligence? Analysis, insight, juggling many complex propositions? Creativity? No. He’s a barroom bore with crazy views. Repost if you agree

My first principle for the new year: When it comes to issues involving democracy, I do not seek compromise with Republicans. There is no middle ground between a firefighter and an arsonist.

This remains, and I say this advisedly, one of the best exchanges I have ever seen on social media

About a 10th of the number of Ukrainian refugee children state schools took in without any panicked coverage. Such nonsense.

Just made a donation to @wikipedia.bsky.social, occasioned largely by the fact that Musk doesn’t want me to.

Sadly, I drink almost no alcohol these days, but it is #Christmas. So this gem from a trip to St-Emilion a few years back will get a modest outing today.

@rrusselldavies.bsky.social Hello Russell. Here we both are on the other side.

BlueSky friends! I'm giving away a signed copy of my new book 'GETTING OUT: The Ukrainian Cricket Team's Last Stand on the Front Lines of War' 🇺🇦🏏 For a chance to win: – Repost this post; – Follow me and @ukrainecricket.bsky.social. I'll draw a winner on Sunday 1 December.

For the beady-eyed among my sparse followers I have just changed my Bluesky handle to be the same as my Twitter handle, as I’m told it makes it easier for other X-iters to find.

@david-soulscorch.bsky.social Ah. My first remark on BlueSky and my first Like from a BlueSky user. For that distinction I shall follow you.