I'm writing about the Palestine Action hunger strikers at the moment, any of whom could die at any moment, and the astonishing media and government silence surrounding them. The Establishment seems to have become even crueller than when Thatcher was PM.

Dear President Trump, you will soon die, and will have no legacy except as a byword for venality & incompetence. We will remove your name, tear down your projects & forget you. If you don't believe me, just wait until the midterm elections which will prove you & your party's unpopularity.

I hope she's right.

We cannot become numb to the outrage of this. The wife of the President’s Senior Advisor threatens a sovereign nation.

The absolute dumbest possible timeline. That's what we live in.

Yes, hello? I don’t think 2026 is working properly. I’d like to cancel my free 5 day trial please.

In my career, I hsve helped 15 or so scholars with disabilities gsin PhDs. To that add disabled students supported by Mike Oliver, Colin Barnes, Len Bsrton, John Swain, Carol Thomas, Nick Watson, Hannah Kuper & others, which means 1000s of disabled academics forming a vast wave of epistemic justice.

Evergreen tweet

ALBERT CAMUS - who left us 66yrs ago today.

“It’s a horrible, horrible waste,” said Sharon Wilson, director of campaign @oilfieldwitness.bsky.social, pointing to Grok-generated images of Nazi Mickey Mouse as an example of what fossil gas was being burned to produce. “What useful purpose does this serve?” www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

If we can capture another country's president, can another country come and capture ours? Asking for a friend.

Starting to feel like maybe entrusting the greatest military power in human history to an entourage of delusional fabulists, racist cranks and greed-soaked mercantilists may not have been wise.

Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide: "International law is universal and binding for all states. The American intervention in Venezuela is not in accordance with international law."

👇

Marco Rubio is reportedly saying Maduro will stand trial in US courts. Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.

After this, USA has absolutely zero moral high ground against Russia in Ukraine, or China in Taiwan. Bad day for rule of law; good day for might is right.

Happy new year from all of us at The Centre for Ageing Better! 🎊✨ We have lots of free, age-positive photos of older people having fun and partying, this is the perfect time to have a browse of our image library and download our photos for free! Download here: buff.ly/GdDndWd #HappyNewYear #2026

Went up & down Kentish lanes on way to pub yesterday. Inevitably crashed going downhill at speed, and seem to have broken rib, again (pub was good though).

THREAD. The definitive list of the absolute best interdimensional portals I have photographed on walks in the British countryside. 1. Gateway To The Land Of Leaping Dogs.

I mean, really, this graph shows the utter idiocy of a strategy of going after Reform UK voters.

I want to know if & when Newton's _Principia Mathematica_ was translated into Dutch. I miss TwitterMind, which would have told me in less time than it takes to open a book.

All 3 of my next tasks are sabotaged...A hardback book, a paperback book & a pair of socks have gone missing! How can that be?

Finally done my accounts for 2024-5! Glory be.

Yes, I am small. Because I am still considering what mighty wrath might fall upon this cyclist.

In case it’s of interest bsky.app/profile/levp...

My latest cartoon for @theguardian.com books.

Unbelievably, #DuvetKnowItsChristmas generates such good will on social media that over the years we've raised somewhere approaching a quarter of a million quid for homeless charities. If you can spare a bob or two, sling some to Centrepoint, and here's the link: www.gofundme.com/f/duvet-know...

This is the 15th year of #DuvetKnowItsChristmas, which is preposterous. Rules: if you find yourself dealing with unusual / claustrophobic / gaudy sleeping arrangements this Christmas Eve, share a picture with the world. Use the hashtag (with capitalisation) and cc me if you can be bothered.

Tonight Kertasníkir (Candle Stealer), the last of Iceland's 13 Yule Lads, comes down from the mountains. He steals candles (that used to be made from animal fat) and eats them. Children leave their shoes out in the window, he gives the good ones a small gift, the bad ones get a potato.

I have had seven tradies in my flat this morning. All blokes. (No wonder toilet seat is up).

Remembering the legendary Joe Strummer on today's anniversary of his passing 23 years ago. A trailblazer, an icon, and the voice of rebellion. Though he may be gone, his music continues to resonate, inspiring generations to stand up, speak out, and embrace the spirit of punk.

call us old fashioned but, if you've built a machine that makes child porn, we really don't care if can do anything else. unplug the machine.

Messiah-klaxon! R3 730 for the best I have ever heard.

We made a mistake by calling the output of AI ‘slop’. In academia it is now looking much more like toxic pollution, on the verge of laying waste to previously fertile plains. Suing for royalties is only a small part of the battle.

Trump is no longer making any pretense of sanctioning firms supplying the Russian military. He is shifting the US position steadily to a pro-Russian position, including support for Russian military operations in Ukraine.

Speaking as someone who stopped breathing last night because the power went out, we are NOT equipped for the disablity impacts of our failing power infrastructure. Great read from @juliametraux.bsky.social

Did you know that the US hasn’t had an ambassador in Moscow in 6 months? Or that our chief envoy to Russia won’t take briefings from the CIA? But wait, there’s more. Much more in this 6-byline WSJ piece on the Witkoff-Putin axis. Free link www.wsj.com/world/putin-...

The bears are right to be pissed off. They put in their Ocado order in good faith and gave the right address and then the delivery driver left it with a neighbour. Poor customer service imo.

I am really enjoying my new accessible kitchen. For decades, I have been washing up "side saddle", wheelchair alongside basin. Now I can park under the sink, it has made me fall in love with washing up all over again.

It's bad - really bad: "At the end of 2024, 4.5m children – 31% of all UK children – were in relative poverty, living in households earning less than 60% of the UK’s median income. And 18% of all children were growing up in food-insecure households, without consistent access to nutritious food."

Really enjoyed Festival of 9 Lessons & Carols last night, Robin Ince's annual fundraiser of science & comedy. It's on again tonight with another great line-up of comedians & scientists. Stewart Lee's take was hilarious, plus I learned far more about alpacas & vulcanism than I thought I needed.

What a friend we have in cheeses! www.nytimes.com/2025/12/17/w...

Love this song! youtu.be/h57n9TcsTVo?...

Clay letters from ancient Mesopotamia are alive with idiom, sayings, and everyday language that I love. Here are just a few random ones so you can enjoy them too.

Happy birthday to The Glasshouse, formerly The Sage Gateshead. Does not seem like 21 years! Fabulous music every day, many thanks to all of you.

Jack Smith is testifying behind closed doors on Wednesday and there’s a lot to know about what the stakes are. open.substack.com/pub/joycevan...

Let us never forget the debt which humanity owes Scotland

Nine Lessons starts tomorrow in London! On stage will be @robinince.bsky.social, Stewart Lee, Dr Julia Shaw, @soozaphone.bsky.social, @jengupta.bsky.social, @flygirlnhm.bsky.social, @anjanakhatwa.bsky.social, @tomshakespeare.bsky.social & more! Last balcony tix www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/nin...

Huge new poll puts Plaid ahead of Reform with Labour and the Conservatives on just 10% each. willhaywardwales.substack.com/p/bombshell-...