Virginia Rounding @vrounding

Trump only simulates madness The rest of us pay the price

Robert Reich is always worth reading: open.substack.com/pub/robertre...

10.04.2025 11:22 — 👍 0 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

Marine Le Pen barred from running for French presidency in 2027 Far-right leader found guilty of embezzlement of European funds and immediately barred from running for office

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...

31.03.2025 12:09 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

The French showing the Americans how civilised nations behave when potential presidential candidates are convicted of corruption

31.03.2025 12:08 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

Aging Thomas Buddenbrook in Thomas Mann's Buddenbrooks, meditating on the irritations of growing old: "We’re only as young or old as we feel. And when something good we’ve longed for finally does come along, it lumbers in a little too late somehow, loaded down with petty, annoying, upsetting details, covered with all the grime of reality that we never really imagined, and that is so irritating – irritating."

Aging

Thomas Buddenbrook in Thomas Mann's Buddenbrooks, meditating on the irritations of growing old: "We’re only as young or old as we feel. And when something good we’ve longed for finally does come along, it lumbers in a little too late somehow, loaded down with petty, annoying, upsetting…

19.03.2025 19:29 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Afternoons Richard Grannison in Raymond Postgate's Somebody at the Door soliloquises about afternoons: “Afternoons are the time for seduction. Anatole France proved it long ago … “Consider the whole question in the light of reason … The conventional night out. What does it mean? Why, creeping home about five in the morning, very tired and uncomfortable, with none of the buses or trains running, and probably no taxi available.

Afternoons

Richard Grannison in Raymond Postgate's Somebody at the Door soliloquises about afternoons: “Afternoons are the time for seduction. Anatole France proved it long ago … “Consider the whole question in the light of reason … The conventional night out. What does it mean? Why, creeping home…

18.03.2025 19:21 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Academic writing and potatoes Characters from the wonderful Barbara Pym's An Unsuitable Attachment, discussing academics and their writing production: “ … my wife says that we anthropologists are like a housewife faced with the remains of yesterday’s stew and wondering whether it can possibly be eked out to make another meal.” “You can do that all right with a stew,” said Penelope. “Add a few more vegetables, some carrots or a tin of peas, and a bouillon cube – or even just water – and serve rather a lot of potatoes with it.”

Academic writing and potatoes

Characters from the wonderful Barbara Pym's An Unsuitable Attachment, discussing academics and their writing production: “ … my wife says that we anthropologists are like a housewife faced with the remains of yesterday’s stew and wondering whether it can possibly be…

17.03.2025 19:12 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Sign the Petition Keep Trump out of Parliament

I just told Speaker Hoyle to keep Trump out of Parliament - will you do the same? actionstorm.org/petitions/du... #DumpTrump

04.03.2025 16:42 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

The new world order is exactly what it looks like. Are we too frozen with fear to name it?

17.02.2025 22:35 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

‘Allo ‘Allo! Europe’s leaders get together dans Paris for emergency sommet

17.02.2025 22:31 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

A year on from his death, Alexei Navalny still shines bright in a dark land

16.02.2025 10:41 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Yes, the kind of thing I would do, but not guilty this time!

14.02.2025 22:46 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

I Have Resigned from The Washington Post, effective today Why I left to help launch a vibrant, new, independent media outlet

The Contrarian looks like something worthy of support.

15.01.2025 14:00 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

On academic research The joy of research, as described in Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen's The Rabbit Back Literature Society: What joy is there in research, anyway? someone had once asked in one of her methodology courses. The teaching assistant’s answer had made an impression on Ella at the time: Research brings order to the world. It makes things clearer, helps us to understand things.

I like the idea of the researcher having a love of order, as expressed here in Jääskeläinen's "The Rabbit Back Literature Society".

07.01.2025 15:41 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

“Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad.” #Trump and #Musk both (and #Putin).

03.01.2025 20:18 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

May 2025 see the end of Putin’s reign #Putin #Russia

31.12.2024 23:56 — 👍 5 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

YouTube video by Steve Rosenberg Voices from the street - the mood in Moscow

As Russia celebrates the New Year I gauge the mood in Moscow. “Russian people are patient,” one man tells me, “they stay silent.” Thanks to @lizashuvalova.bsky.social

31.12.2024 11:51 — 👍 479 🔁 101 💬 39 📌 17

Definitely my book of the year - and I’ve read a lot. #Navalny

31.12.2024 16:19 — 👍 6 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0

Virginia Rounding

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