Count Melancholia

"Fear governed more cheaply than consent"

Ray Mouton Dies at 78; Lawyer Warned of Pedophilia in the Catholic Church

Long before "Spotlight" & long before the #ChurchToo movement, Ray Mouton was working to expose the widespread sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church. He was a "voice in the wilderness" & it cost him near-everything.

He died last week. May he RIP.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/u...

Ok, the dates seem to work though. He'd have been about 7-8 when the film was made, same age as the wee boy.

Are you sure it's a different one?

Jeffrey sat next to me and put his hand on my back and looked at me with a certain kind of sincerity I hadn' t seen in him before. […] "I hope you know my appreciation for your embracing of my lifestyle, you have been achieving a name for yourself among the friends I have introduced you to. Everybody says basically the same thing about you, the same thing I believe. You are a delightfully funny girl who has developed into a mature graceful young woman and I could think of nobody else I' d rather have a child than with than you." […] Ghislaine made the finishing touches with the business end of the deal starting with the pros before the cons "You would have around the clock nannies to help you. Jeffrey would pay for a mansion of your choice in either Palm Beach or New York" and as if the drumrolls were beckoning "and... you would have a hefty monthly allowance from Jeffrey's bank account" Astonished at their first offers I nearly took the bait. Then she continued to finish the terns of our pre -agreement with `But you would have to travel with the child where and when Jeffrey wanted you to be, and most importantly you would have to sign a contract stating that Jeffrey and you are not monogamous and that the child would belong in Jeffrey's custody in the event of a falling out between the two of you." She kind of threw that last one in there quickly, as if she could get away with me not hearing that I would basically have to relinquish the rights to my own flesh in blood and surrender them to a life of servitude and abuse with these people.

In the original rough and tumble draft of Virginia Giuffre's book, we learn of the deal Epstein tried to make with her to have his baby.

Read more about Giuffre, who has maybe saved us all, in the 500th issue of @flaminghydra.com

flaminghydra.com/issue-500/

Cartoon by @andertoon.bsky.social.

I'm really proud of this book, and I can hardly believe it's been out a year already.

a cartoon of spongebob saying " nothing " with his hands in the air ALT: a cartoon of spongebob saying " nothing " with his hands in the air

Zack Polanski calls for a discussion on the legalisation and regulation of drugs and the right in the UK lose their collective shit.

The US Health Secretary gives a bizarre interview in which he says he's not scared of germs because he used to snort coke off toilet seats and...

People should stop using the Meta platforms, ie, FB, Insta, Wapp, and Threads.
Starve Zuckerberg, he is a monster.

the Wall Street Journal article "The Booming Business of Luxury Grocery Stores" from 2/10/2026 with "splurging on ... rotisserie chickens" highlighted

two days ago, the WSJ described young people as "splurging on" rotisserie chicken, the $6 item that, by weight, is the cheapest meat at the grocery store. the ruling class tells each other with increasing desperation that we deserve what they're doing to us

I wouldn't usually do this but massive shout-out to Camden School for Girls. Daughter and I went to parents' evening tonight; she's missed a lot of past year. "We just think you're amazing," the teachers all said, "we miss your lovely face, don't worry about the homework, we don't care, just come."

What a stupid timeline where we can be bombed and killed in our own homes for no reason, yet are forbidden from paying public tribute to slain athletes. This is not neutrality, this is silencing the victim.

There is No Scientific Justification to Revoke the Endangerment Finding The U.S. EPA's decision to repeal the Endangerment Finding will limit the government's ability to regulate emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.

As I say here, there is no scientific justification to revoke the engagement finding. In fact, over the last 15+ yrs, the evidence of how climate change affects our health has only grown. Higher risk of allergies, dementia, fertility, heart disease, and death: that’s what’s on the line. @nature.org

It's really rare for officials to force the PM to make a ministerial direction. Not sure I can think of another example. What a mess.

We live in a very silly hell

Democrats Push for Transparency on Venezuelan Oil Money Controlled by U.S.

This is a BFD - watch this story. If any other country were to steal the assets of another country, move the money into a Qatari bank account and claim to have disbursed them with no audit controls we would see IMF and potentially ICC involvement. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/u...

Four Seasons Total Embarrassment

Don't forget Capt Pike, disabled and disfigured after some horrific battle in space. Wheelchair dependent.

Goodnight from Josh Bent, still troubled by the partially burnt-out negatives of a naked coven he found behind his new allotment’s shed. Goodnight from Peggy Mildmay, sleeping sound as the dead in the walls whisper into her dreams. Goodnight from Hookland.

😬

Curling doesn't necessarily have to be just a winter sport.

As we dig into this scandal, can we revisit the question about why the president's son-in-law, who has no formal role in this administration, keeps showing up at high-level negotiations with actual world leaders?

This brave woman speaks for millions of British people.

Meanwhile these thugs behave in an entirely menacing manner and nothing is done.

Let’s go.

Yum!