Your annual festive reminder that Saint Nicholas bears an uncanny resemblance to Lieutenant Worf.

Last time around I felt strongly enough about the World Cup to boycott it and now I just feel apathy

FIFA have essentially politicised football. Unequivocably. Therefore, they have completely lost all rights to sanction any individual player for political protest or display of allegiance on the pitch.

this shit is just beyond parody, man

November in music. #waslistening

What a great headline

Have to confess to being baffled that publishers and authors still seem to be happy to have quotes from the Spectator on their covers.

Unreasonably irritated by people who should know better not being able to pronounce Jorge Luis Borges

I've just seen Theo Archibald score a goal in an Orient shirt. Sometimes the small victories are very sweet. #lofc

The football and architecture, state of the nation novel I'm reading has just breathlessly explained what a panenka is.

Which reminds me in a roundabout way of the debut novel I read a few years ago which I quite enjoyed and then got to the acknowledgements only to see the writer thank their parents, addressing them by their titles

Have decent people finally stopped writing book reviews for the Spectator?

How's that 48 team U-17 World Cup going then?

We'll, working 9-5 and needing to bed not too late pretty much precludes the possibility of seeing Train Dreams at a cinema in London this week. First world problems, I know.

'Task' is well made and well acted and does really well to entertaining and emotionally engaging considering how much of the plot is pure guff.

Slightly apprehensively waiting for Adam Ant to take the stage

October in music. #waslistening

Well, the latest Only Murders in the Building was a bit rubbish, if still watchable.

New Willy Vlautin novel klaxon sounding in the distance! Parp Parp.

Happy Ian Juryeff scoring an absolute route one cracker day to all who celebrate youtube.com/watch?v=rcy2...

Hmmm. Don't think I'll be listening to that podcast again. Which is a shame because it been given a new lease of life with recent changes. Ahem.

Spotted a chap reading a Bill Bryson book on the tube this morning and wondered if I'd accidentally perfected the art of time travel

Netflix has done a decent job of adapting recent Latin American lit by women but a less so publicising them. 'Limpia' crept out last week and has some good performances but oddly decides not to bother with the structure that made the book so compelling. Rubbish title in English too.

Introduce yourself using only one food you refuse to eat, one movie you'll never watch again, & one song you can't stand: Bananas Rise of Skywalker (fool me once etc) I have scrubbed its name from my memory but that song by The Rasmus rubbed me up very much the wrong way

Look at the Faroe Islands go!

September in music. #waslistening

These scumbags like to whine that they’re not allowed to say anything these days but remarkably are still able to do so whereas Jamal Khashoggi was murdered & dismembered by agents of the Saudi government at the behest of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for criticising his regime. Fuck them.

E17 was the place to be as Walthamstow and Leighton Town played out a thrilling 5-3 game in the FA Trophy. Watch our match highlights here: youtu.be/ZaoAvrTNeYg?...

Just waiting for that pivot, any day now, I'm sure.

Match of the Day absolutely needs to stop it with the Lionel Shriver references

Lovely new Gruff Rhys album klaxon. Parp! Parp!

Starmer: “You have my word that, after all other avenues and evasions have been exhausted, and most of the damage has been done, I will reluctantly and begrudgingly do the right thing.”

Fucking hell, Norway.

Decent entertainment for a fiver and very mixed fortunes for the 3 first team squad players involved.

Having been boycotting the Freight Rover trophy for a number of years now I've missed meaningless competitive matches in front of miniscule crowds so look forward to watching Leyton Orient U-21s make their debut in the so-called Premier League Cup tomorrow.

'The Surfer' is the psychedelic surf spaghetti western remake of Wake in Fright that the world didn't realise it needed.

August in music. #waslistening

Urine sample or the most insipid pint of pale ale in history?

Last night I just thought this was shit. I now think it's also repugnant.

Can't explain why I watched 'The Thursday Murder Club' having never been anywhere near the books but was expecting a pleasant romp. Surprised by how utterly basic and inept it all was.

I'll say this for Nicolas Cage. He does keep consistently making "Nicolas Cage" films.

Maybe they wouldn't need to shag flags if they read in public...

Had a lovely time at the Nicola Barker event at Foyles tonight. #booksky

Despite what the trailer suggests 'Harvest' is not folk horror. However I did find it terrifying that I remembered nothing of the plot of a book I loved when I read it.

It's got to the stage where if you don't have racist friends you need to broaden your social circle. Or, perhaps, reflect on what it is about your behaviour that means your racist friends don't feel able to be open with you about their racist politics. Perhaps you’re not a racist? That must change.

FFS - Glenn Hoddle wearing a Nirvana t-shirt is the absolute shattering of all dreams of rock music as a radical art form capable of bringing about revolutionary change. God help us.

oh weird i'm just drawing a venn diagram of people who think we need men patrolling the streets to keep women safe and men who think metoo went too far and you'll never guess how it's turned out

Just been to the "world's most beautiful bookshop". What a dispiriting experience.

Here's todays equaliser scored beautifully by Max Brownsdon! 🤩 📹 - @stowtographer.bsky.social

Music in July. #waslistening