Jalata

Our boy Alfie, a big tabby from the mean streets of Gloucester, also had cancer. We got some expensive treatment for him but in hindsight, we wish we hadn’t put him through it.

Very sorry to hear that. Heartbreaking

Tortoiseshell cat looking out from a furry blanket

She’s gorgeous! We have Miss Ruby, now going on 14

I am now getting impossibly cute kitten photos every day, which is a nice distraction from world events!

Tiny tabby and white kitten on laminate floor

My son and his girlfriend took your advice 😻

How we used to laugh when Johnson and Rees-Mogg used to lace their words with Latin. But “cache-misère.” Ooh la la

10 years ago, Bernie Sanders warned America of the unintended consequences that could emerge from a regime change war with Iran. Watch.

Hence the admiration for Israel.

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That she speaks of “Islamism” and considers fellow Nigerians to be “ethnic enemies” is both troubling and terribly sad. Boko Haram came into being after she left Nigeria as a teenager.

Why Farage Can Get Stuffed on Working From Home WFH isn’t a perk - it’s a lifeline. But of course, the fuckers who want it gone are the ones who’ve never had to endure the chaos the rest of us call “Tuesday.”

Farage frothing about WFH again…

Funny how the loudest critics are the ones who’ve probably never done a school run or a Zoom call with a sick kid in the background.

WFH isn’t hurting Britain - but Reform’s backers would hate you to realise who really is.

open.substack.com/pub/marinapu...

Labour deliberately vacated a space, which has now been filled by others. They can’t just march back into it. Some humility is required. And the stranglehold of international corporate interests is not so easily loosened.

No, Shabana Mahmood, people seeing failing state support and crumbing infrastructure don't have either legitimate concerns or a legitimate grievance against immigrants, refugees or asylum seekers.

They have a legitimate grievance against governments.

Just throwing it out there: telling people that they have legitimate grievances about immigration will never reduce the sense of grievance. This isn't how anything works and a government that paid even the merest attention to social science research would know their approach helps the far-right.

It’s ok, she plays an ageing nun these days 😁

Indeed. Yesterday we were treated to an airing of Shuddup You Face by Joe Dolce. It kept Ultravox’s Vienna off Number One in 1981 apparently. Ffs.

People used to bring their Pink Floyd albums in to play at music lessons in school and young Germans we met on exchanges would ask for translations of the lyrics.

I didn’t get invited to many parties in the early 70s but when I finally did, it seemed to consist of everyone sitting on the floor, earnestly listening to this kind of thing.

He’s ok really - we recently went to his big birthday party. I was just being mean 😞

Anyway, karma. Said ex boyfriend in his latter years has dismantled his prized model railway and regrets spending quite so much of his time on trains.

Which is which though? An irrational love for large steaming machines must equate to religion?

I never felt the same after realising I can second to a train ☹️

How bizarre to be blocked for this 🤔

Hah, I once waited by a railway line for several hours with my then boyfriend. When the Flying Scotsman appeared, he leapt in the air with a look of ecstasy never previously seen by me.

Obviously if this were taken to extremes it would be silly! But it’s something like “She doesn’t want cornflakes” versus “Grandma doesn’t want cornflakes,” with the first being considered rude (by Grandma anyway).

For some reason referring to a woman as “she” (in some contexts) was always considered rude. “Who’s she? The cat’s mother?” people used to say.

Totally justified rage and swearing!

Perhaps it’s also an intransitive verb as it has no object.

Castell Nadolig is on private farmland but we had the opportunity to visit it as part of an Open Gardens event last year. Fascinating.

This is one of the occasions when it is permissible to indulge oneself in a little Schadenfreude.