Don't get out much these days. 9th decad., 2nd wave. Conducted 100s of funerals. Owe a lot to the NHS. Part-time cloud-spotter. Dendrophile. Suffolk 🇬🇧. Excuse typos. "The cure for boredom is curiousity. There is no cure for curiousity." - Dorothy Parker.
379 followers 207 following 1,764 posts
view profile on Bluesky
If you can follow all the complexities of what seems to be a perpetual conflict in the region known, for colonial reasons, as the Middle East, without feeling dizzy, you're doing better than me. It's hard to see how it can ever end as long as so many men are so determined to kill one another.
That's really quite pathetic.
Found on Instagram.
If he doesn't die soon, it's possible that what finally defeats Putin won't be Europe or Ukraine but climate change. How bad have their harvests been this year, as global temperatures soar? Weather doesn't respect borders, and you can't eat oil or gas. www.csis.org/analysis/cli...
EU head von der Leyen's plane landing on Sunday hit by suspected Russian GPS interference, FT says www.reuters.com/world/eu-hea...
Unfortunately, his supporters don't understand this. They think it's the suppliers who are being taxed. How they rationalise the price increases is puzzling.
Please don't waste your time trying to pick a fight with me about transgenderism. It's discourteous to try to impose your beliefs, religious or otherwise, on other people. I regard people who claim to have a gender identity as attention-seekers, and I prefer not to pay them any attention.
Our monarchy is largely ceremonial and likely to be reduced in size when the king dies, as William seems to want that, like European and Scaninavian monarchies. Mary's primary concern is ethical governance and sex parity. She's worked hard to influence such things internationally. theelders.org
"Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers." ~ Voltaire Same goes for women
I agree, but we also need it to be easier to have independent candidates. The political parties don't offer a choice for me.
Your fans? Gosh! My profile explains where I am. I don't need to vote for a president because we don't have one, but the only president that I've had much respect for was Mary Robinson, who used to be the Irish president. Our Head of State is the king, who has no political power.
What is gender? Is there really such a thing?
How d'you define it?
Sounds good. I believe wool is under-used. Farmers don't get much for it, not even enough to cover the cost o shearing, I read, but if the best part of fleeces were used for fabrics and rugs, anything left could be used for insulation.
Oh, that old hooey. Bye bye!
No, I'm not.
Of whom?
Trrump's calculator must be upside-down.
You have now, yes. I'm not curious about Trump loving, if that's what you mean, except to wonder why anyone would.
I've known people who lived in their parents' spare room when they married, until they could afford to move on, and others who bought a plot post-war and built their home, with the help of friends and family. It used to be about having a home, not a valuable asset. I'm a lifelong tenant.
It's rather worrying that you're a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians. Which branch of medicine are you in?
They hadn't invented trans women when I was at primary school. Like all children, I knew the difference between men and women. Still do. I passed my biology exam at secondary school. If your teachers told you that men could be women and women could be men, I'd expect them to be corrected or sacked.
I'm glad you approve, but as you haven't posted anything, only reposted a couple of other people's posts, there hasn't been anything to interest me, sorry. I don't encourage DMs, thanks.
😊 Very clever!
The biologically male ones.
Wouldn't the belief, shared among people who identify themselves as having a gender, that they have a brain that's incompatible with their body, because it's the wrong sex, qualify as a neuromyth?
Thatchers Right to Buy scheme was eagerly welcomed by many tenants who didn't think things through. In my area we had a lot of substandard post war system build housing. Tenants who bought it found themselves lumbered with a Money Pit, while others moved into new homes after demolition.
Where has this ludicrous ECHR "debate" even come from. I've never once met an ordinary member of the public who's said to me, "Do you know what? We REALLY need to leave the ECHR." It's just a new right wing talking point because every other shit idea they've foisted on us has run out of steam.
When I die or move into smaller accommodation, whichever comes first, new tenants will move in and enjoy the improvements my council landlord has made to my home, including insulation cladding. My neighbour bought her home, and remains hot in the summer and cold in the winter, silly woman.
OK.
If so, there's no selection process, so no control. How many is too many?
NEW: Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” will hand out $67 BILLION to companies next year to "incentivize" research these companies did YEARS ago. That means next year, the federal government will spend five times more on these handouts than what it spends annually on child care.
@kflynny369.bsky.social What does (St.) mean?
Enjoyed my weekly dose of The Antiques Roadshow. I'm less interested in the values than the history and the craftsmanship. One of tonight's stories was about The George Cross awarded to Lt. Ronald James Smith. See "Another Unexploded Bomb" in this article. historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/fe...
Oh yes!
Young people won't know that blue tits used to do this. I havent seen any blue tits lately, and although I still get my milk delivered in bottles with a foil cap, it's kept cool in an insulated box until I retrieve it from my doorstep.
The Forestry Commission has published a tree nurseries directory for #agroforestry projects, but it's a bit thin - if you grow trees and want to be added see contact info on the directory page www.gov.uk/government/p...
Regardless of their reasons for risking their lives? Even unaccompanied minors? There's no alternative route for the desperate to try. This is in response to the Reform threat to Labour's vote and noisy protestors, not clear thinking. Typical reactive Starmer. news.sky.com/story/sir-ke...
The cat on my lap is snoring, or dreaming, or both. Whichever it is, I'm reluctant to disturb her, but I really want a coffee and some cake. Ah, judging from the twitching paws, she's dreaming. Now she's stretched herself awake I can put the kettle on. She's moved to a cushion.
The health and even the lives of American children are at risk, due to the activities of Trump, JFK Junior and others. There's likely to be an increase in juvenile mortality. abcnews.go.com/Politics/for...
Farage, Tice and many others would like to deport migrants en masse, regardless of their origins or status. I wish we could deport them, preferably somewhere that's very in inhospitable, like North Korea.
Smajo Beso OBE: “We came to this country as refugees. This photo was taken just months after we arrived at our refugee centre in Gosforth, Newcastle. My brother is on the left; I’m the grumpy one. I was 9, he was 11, & neither of us could speak a word of English.” 2/
Twitter, based on experience of 2 brothers who came to UK as refugees. One is a doctor, 1 a lecturer at the University of Newcastle. I will post some+then put over it what I’ve been thinking about BBC coverage of Reform+how audiences need to see how the political narrative sausage is being made. 1/
There's only one sort of men.
No thanks. I don't support parties, any of them.
It probably won't have been received well, but I've replied to a mass email from a well-known campaigner for a cause I support, suggesting that her perpetual state of anger isn't good. Anger is stressful and clouds your judgment. I don't suppose there's more of it about, but it seems that way.
Friday's 'Any Questions' on BBC Radio 4 provided an example of the anachronism that is party politics. Four MSPs, from Labour, the Conservatives, the Lib Dems and the SNP, indulged in argy-bargy, claims and counter-claims, airing their differences. What a waste of time. www.bbc.com/future/artic...
There were lots of predators lurking among the flowers today. This critter is an assassin bug. Check out the stabby snoot! Like crab spiders and ambush bugs, assassins bugs lie in wait for unsuspecting prey. You can often find them on goldenrod. (Sinea sp.) PA #InverteFest
Well done you!
No room for complacency, but it sounds like we're doing well in a fight to save our trees from a tiny threat. www.bbc.com/news/article...
The pac man nebula (NGC 281) which I have now enhanced. Showing the spectacular colours of the hydrogen gas being emitted. It's a beautiful nebula to view!
The modern kitchen. Why serving hatches are a necessity from ‘Look and Learn’ 1963
There's always been something seriously wrong with him.
There was a story in the Times about Megan, Duchess of Sussex, claiming that she had to wear a certain kind of tights when she was an active Royal. I didn't think it was a particularly slow news day yesterday.
From what I've seen on TV, Americans like flying their flags. Why? The transgender movement like flags, adding more stripes as they think up new genders. The recent proliferation of English flags seems to be a keep out sign aimed at migrants. The best place for flags is on sandcastles.
And there are steam trains!
I'm sure that in many cases Arachnophobia is learnt or imitative behaviour, from children observing adults, unfortunately mostly women, flapping about when they see spiders, as some do with mice or wasps. britishspiders.org.uk/arachnophobia
More Miss Marple this evening on BBC FOUR. ITV took dreadful liberties with the stories, especially those with Geraldine McEwan in. I look forward to seeing Joan Hickson again, in 'The 4:50 from Paddington'. youtu.be/4MpjWa38IVo?...
There must be fewer of them, since insect numbers, their prey, have fallen. It's even more important to avoid killing them. youtu.be/qYSwpdDkcMM?...
We're one species on one small planet with limited resources to sustain life. Humanity isn't entitled to claim more of those resources than other species, but has done so. That's one major problem. Google AI explains another.
Far right Dutch politician Geert Wilders, confronted with the reality of what's happening in Gaza, cannot justify the slaughter of children because they happen to have been born to Muslim parents. skwawkbox.org/2025/08/30/v...
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...
As I understand it, the reason for having the 2nd amendment in the American constitution was so that ordinary citizens could form a militia to support the army if the country was threatened by another, not so they could defend themselves against each other.
As Kennedy removes vaccines from American children's healthcare, British children will get another on the NHS. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
🪬🧿 There is no amount of money, oil, or gold in the world that is worth more than having bees, trees, and clean water.
Nothing on behaviour change, reduction in meat and dairy consumption where it is at unsustainable levels, reducing waste, agroecology or the role of local food systems in resilience. Because that's complicated, systemic, demanding plurality - so we leave it all to tech and The Market. #FoodStudies
Of course it, or he, does.
Bloody hell!
There's a lot of this going on. I've been on marches since CND ones in the 60s. The last one was the anti war march in 2010, when a well -dressed woman next to me carried a placard saying, "Down with all of that". None of them made any difference. Hooligans screaming abuse seem more effective.
What? Seriously?
I'd be happy to live near some pylons. They remind me of 'War of the Worlds'. They don't obstruct a view and are better (and cheaper) than the disruption and damage caused by digging up swathes of land to bury the cables. I feel the same about windmills. share.google/qAATdklu4kd8...
Farage is claiming that Epping council and the local resudents' rights are being ignored in favour of the asylum seekers. I'm puzzled. What rights do the residents have? None that apply. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c1... Asylum seekers can stay at hotel in Epping after government wins appeal - BBC Newsp
I knew it! www.nature.com/articles/d41...
I've read that Gypsy Rose Lee said, "Prayer is like a rocking chair. It'll give you something to do but it won't get you anywhere".
Hoping for pleasanter dreams tonight. Woke yesterday from a very unpleasant dream, involving excrement. Was my subconscious trying to tell me something?
I've read several reports claiming that Reform is ahead in the polls and could form the next government. I don't believe it. Surely my family and friends aren't that unusual in detesting them?
A comment on the Minneapolis school shooting, found on Facebook. Will it ever be possible to disarm America?
So do I.
It is!
Can't be bothered to cook tonight, so I'm having leftover kipper, mashed up with cream cheese, lemon juice and chives, on toast. Yum.
She doesn't care. Does she like apples, or does she prefer carrots? Apart from her favourite foraged snacks, of course.
Will there be men in white coats, ready to take him away? There should be.
NHS Fife, which has spent a large amount of public money defending itself in the Sandie Peggie case, isn't out of trouble yet. Could have saved all that money by recognizing the difference between men and women, which any medical person should know. share.google/HJhrzcaRkOv9...
"Civilization is in a race between education and catastrophe. Let us learn the truth and spread it as far and wide as our circumstances allow. For the truth is the greatest weapon we have." ~ H G Wells, 1920. Wells wrote 'The War of the Worlds', 'The Time Machine', and other science fiction.
Good to know that one of our leading politicians has strong principles, but I doubt that Trump could or would stop Israel attacking the Palestinians unless he withholds arms. and he won't. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The use of fossil fuels to generate electricity and power transportation.
If and when Americans restore sanity in their country they need to rewrite the constitution to ensure that no stupid person may become president again, and to remove the second amendment.
Maybe he just learned the word and decided he should use it.
The lunatics have taken over the asylum.
"You can best serve civilization by being against what usually passes for it." ~ Wendell Berry
At least 982 Palestinians killed in occupied West Bank by Israel: UN - https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/least-982-palestinians-killed-occupied-west-bank-israel-un
It sounds like the plot of a dystopian TV drama, but it isn't. People are coming here because they think it's a safe country. If Farage and his ilk have their way, it won't be. I don't like what's happening. Do you?
Imagine if Starmer were to send the army to any of our cities and seize control of it, because he didn't like the politics of the administration there. Trump is apparently planning to do that to Chicago, and the Governor of Illinois has sounded an urgent warning. www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...
Reform peddles a lot of BS about migration and everything else, while Badenoch accuses them of plagiarism, and Labour and the Lib Dems respond feebly to avoid upsetting Reform voters, who appear misinformed and xenophobic. Farage will be responsible for more mobbery, like in Southport and Epping.
The Reform Party's 4 MPs have gained a tremendous amount of publicity for their new deportation policy. The BBC and ITV did an excellent job for them on tonight's news. I haven't watched Sky yet but Channel 4 has done better in offering an alternative POV. youtu.be/GWRBpRHDtV4?...
So if you ever need any worms you know what to do.
Yes, in daytime! Switched off the news channel.
I was with a group of people talking politics and some boring old fart was droning on about migrants. I disagreed with him but couldn't get a word in edgeways, which made me very cross. Then I woke up. I'd fallen asleep with the TV on, and the boring old fart was from The Reform Party.
"Any book worth banning is a book worth reading." Isaac Asimov