Whatever you might think of Maduro, the seizure and kidnapping of a head of state takes us to a very dark place. Vast, arbitrary, extra-legal power, which could be exercised almost anywhere, regardless of the character of the target government.

You don't know what day it is.
You're eating countless meals a day with lots of snacks in between.
You're napping throughout they day.
Either it's the time between Christmas and New Year or you're a cat.

A tabby cat sits calmly on a beige carpet, wrapped in a string of multicolored glowing holiday lights. The cozy indoor setting includes a soft beige couch in the background, draped with a blanket and a round cushion, adding to the festive and relaxed atmosphere. The cat’s expression is serene, as if unfazed by its decorative role in the celebration.

Merry Catmas™️

Close-up, low-angle view of a tabby cat with wide eyes and perked ears, gazing directly into the camera. The cat’s nose and whiskers are prominently visible, framed against a plain, light-colored ceiling. The perspective gives a playful, towering effect, as if the cat is curiously peering down at the viewer

‘you know if you’re not actually dead you have to feed me’

(Amanda)
I'm so happy - I found the perfect bed.
It's a mix of cardboard box and scratcy bed!
I usually jump out of normal beds when I see Betty but I was really enjoying this one and I couldn't be bothered to get out.
I love my Scratchy Box Bed!

The driver "managed to contact the control centre at Network Rail and get the train diverted onto the slow line", Calder says. "That was absolutely crucial because this train was scheduled to be travelling through Huntingdon station on the tracks with no platform at 125mph." "It didn't stop in the middle of nowhere, which would have been very difficult." Calder thinks this was handled in the "safest possible way" thanks to the "incredible professionalism from the driver and the police". Train drivers are trained on how to take appropriate action, he adds,

Next time someone tells you that train drivers "just push buttons" show them this from the BBC

Any shares of this much appreciated! When my ex-publishers collapsed, taking over £20,000 of my earnings with them into the void, all my books suffered but none more than 1983. This is me trying to repair that. It’s about:
Childhood
Education
Aliens
Alpacas
The East Midlands
The old future we lost

(Amanda)
More about Dorothy: I've heard that Robert really loved her but she never encouraged him.
Betty says she was a real character and will never be forgotten.

Heartfelt thoughts tonight for everyone affected by the awful incident on board the LNER service near Huntingdon.
Thank you to the first responders and railway colleagues who showed such courage and care.
Holding all those involved in our hearts

Friends! Only watch this video if you can cope with SEVERE NAUGHTINESS! As we speak, Mum is rushing to take down the Halloween decorations before Percy pulls them all down for her. Live action from the house this morning - the Purple Bat is down!! I repeat, the Purple Bat is down! 🦇#Caturday

It's remarkable how unswervingly consistent evil megalomaniac fuckwits are in having massively shit taste.

(Amanda)
Do you think that Betty will ever get fed up of taking my photo?
Every time I look at her she's got the phone in her hand ready to take another one.
She tells me to chill out and stop over-thinking.
Then she takes more photos.
Humans are very hard to understand, aren't they?

What you need to know about Lindsay Whittle, new Senedd member for Caerphilly The veteran Plaid Cymru campaigner won the Caerphilly by-election

the new Plaid Cymru assembly member for Caerphilly sounds like a proper community-minded character:

"Still a councillor, he also has four voluntary jobs, working in two local schools, a community coffee shop and a foodbank...."

www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politic...

Walk the line
(photo @imageplotter.bsky.social)

The Caerphilly result is what we need to see everywhere at the next election: people coordinating to vote tactically for parties which seek a fairer, kinder, greener country.
Pushing out both those who have betrayed our trust AND those who seek to exploit that betrayal.

"Amazing result for Plaid Cymru, so here's a guest from Reform anyway..."

(Maurine)
Do you mind if I tell you a bit about myself?
I wandered into the allotments about a month ago and I really like it here.
I've learned that Colin feeds Janet and Amanda so I make sure he sees me and feeds me too.
He seems okay, so I might let him stroke me one day.

Jim doing a fantastic stretch.

I don't like to brag but I do think our cat Jim is probably better at stretching than virtually any other cat in Britain.

María Corina Machado - an outstanding and thoroughly deserving Nobel Peace Prize winner, and an inspirational woman, who - as the Committee rightly noted - “keeps the flame of democracy burning during a growing darkness”.

¡Bravo!

This is nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system.

I am not fearful — I am fearless.

We will fight these baseless charges aggressively, and my office will continue to fiercely protect New Yorkers and their rights..

(Amanda)
Maurine came into the veranda yesterday.
He didn't seem bothered that Colin and I were both there, he was only interested in food.
I don't mind that, so long as he leaves me alone and doesn't chase me.
It might be nice to have a new friend, what do you think?

(Amanda)
I've been keeping Uncle Mick company again.

He's like Betty and Colin because he has never had a cat of his own at home, he's always had dogs.

I know that some dogs are good with cats, but I'm scared of them.

After what happened to sweet Robert I don't think you can blame me, can you?

One of the most remarkable things of the last 9 months is how many Americans seem to believe the President is all powerful and Congress has no say.
Actually Congress has been ineffective by choice. It has immense power if it had the courage to use it.

(Amanda)

I can't help noticing that Colin is almost as hairy as me.

His hairs are all the same colour, not a lovely tabby pattern like mine are.

Betty said it would be weird if they were but if it isn't weird for cats, why would it be weird for humans?

She said I'm over-thinking things again.

The clearing of the rubble in a Kyiv high-rise house bombed by russia — which claimed 25 lives — has just ended, and already a new swarm of russian drones fills our skies, with Tu jets preparing for takeoff and the launch of cruise missiles.

This is a never-ending 9/11.

My cats Ralph and Shipley (RIP) on their way back from a walk in 2016.

A photo I took of my cats making their way back home after killing a man.

Clear and unambiguous

Ukrainians didn't surrender in 2014, when the world refused even to recognize russian aggression.

Ukrainians didn't surrender in 2022, when the world expected us to fall in 72h.

Ukrainians won't surrender in 2025, either.

For us, freedom and sovereignty are not empty words.

(Amanda)

Aren't my whiskers strange.

Some cats have lovely tidy ones but mine are all over the place.

I don't suppose it matters and I can't do anything about them.

Betty says they are perfect and I should stop over-thinking.

What do you think?