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NO MORE NEW BAD STUFF! 👎

If you haven't read The Wind in the Willows and you think you know what it's about, let me tell you — you are wrong as HELL. It's the weirdest kids' book I've ever read, but @eleanormorton.bsky.social loves it.

New episode of Eleanor & Alasdair Read that out today! linktr.ee/readthat

A vintage ABK sketch to plug my UK tour. KING OF CRUMBS starts this Saturday! Come along for more nonsense like this.

www.mickperrin.com/tours/alasdair-beckett-king-king-of-crumbs

I regularly see people wondering how it's possible that there are so many musicians and writers and film makers and artists from a tiny nation like Iceland.

And the answer is really simple: State funding for art education and artists. I literally get a salary from the government to write books.

i will strangle a horse by BRAINMAGE A comedy twine-based choose-your-own-adventure game where it's your first day on The Farm, and you have One Job

It is the year of the horse! What better time to TRY AND STRANGLE ONE?

Finally it's your chance to get your big stranglin' mitts on that thick, thick equine neck and squeeze the devil out of it in this 13,500+ word comedy choose your own adventure. Free to play!

brainmage.itch.io/i-will-stran...

A split-image comparison of the same urban street decades apart. The top black-and-white photo shows a 1970s streetscape lined with parked cars. The bottom modern colour photo shows the same street transformed with a wide bike lane, many parked bicycles, greenery, and people cycling, including a man riding a cargo bike with a child in front.

Bos en Lommerweg, Amsterdam in 1976 and today. Outside this supermarket space given to car parking has been replaced by bike parking and a protected cycle track. Most customers now arrive by bike, not by car. Design your streets for the traffic you want

Manfluencerbro @thejazzemu.bsky.social has the answers

Wow, now that's a picture. If only women aged 18-59 could vote in the UK parliament.

Get Ahead of Being Dead spelled out with funeral flowers.

25% off my second book at Waterstones when you pre-order with the code FEB26
www.waterstones.com/book/get-ahe...

This is Public Servcie Posting. Thank you!

10am-12 27th March. The Comedy Toolkit.

I’m running a one-off Arvon online masterclass next month… Come along and we’ll take the spanners to some comedy. March 27th. Link here:

www.arvon.org/writing-cour...

It's easy to be concerned about vaccines when you stop being concerned about viruses. You can only stop being concerned about viruses in a world with vaccines.

New music video out on YOUTUBE! Pre-save my forthcoming album here: snd.click/qda8

L’il bit of an @atomcrowley.bsky.social gag there 🙌

The New Forthcoming Album by Jazz Emu Pre-save "The New Forthcoming Album by Jazz Emu..."

Pre-save the new forthcoming album by @thejazzemu.bsky.social The New Forthcoming Album by Jazz Emu now!
snd.click/qda8

YouTube video by Jazz Emu Improving Myself // Jazz Emu

What’s your excuse?
youtu.be/BYC-RGXgLRM?...

Vic Reeves & @bobmort.bsky.social made a very strong case for the BBC License Fee…

Before and after transformation of a greened Barcelona superblock intersection.

I’ve shared some of the remarkable intersection transformations in Barcelona’s “superblock” program many times before, usually as an example of taming cars in cities, and place-making. But as @thetransitguy.com’s before-and-after illustrates, they’re also about greening, cooling & cleaning the city.

Are you on our mailing list? WHY NOT?! I mean, you don't have to but it's the best way to find out about guaranteed sell-out gigs before anyone else (like next week's with Joe Lycett). We send one email a week (unless I forget), and you can sign up here xsmalarkey.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=...

Could post you some, if all else fails

Also. Not the point, but that AI Florence image really make me want to puke

Many men of course became extremely rich, but this was perfectly natural and nothing to be ashamed of because no one was really poor — at least no one worth speaking of.

This Brazilian woman hates AI

'Mini Switzerland' plan for Peak District transport network The idea would see buses arriving before trains pull into stations to improve connectivity.

Plans for an integrated public transport system in the Peak District.

BBC News - 'Mini Switzerland' plan for Peak District transport network - BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Did you know Leicester Comedy Festival is operated by registered charity Big Difference Company?

Bridging The Gap supports comedians from underrepresented groups in performing at Leicester Comedy Festival 👏

Showcase tickets - https://events.comedy-festival.co.uk/events/bridging-the-gap-2/

I do not live in Sheringham
youtu.be/xvADjVfgGvM?...

Eggbox returns in May! Big plans currently afoot for Eggbox, and we've got some great stuff programmed for this one already, so get booking!

www.pleasance.co.uk/event/eggbox

They're going to let the only trusted—and trustworthy—part of the BBC die.

The entire UK diplomatic budget is about £1.4 billion a year. That’s pretty much precisely 0.1% of government spending.

BBC World Service is about £0.25 billion (it should be higher), or 0.02%.

These are rounding errors on rounding errors. Double each and public expenditure wouldn’t twitch.

Mad.

One serious benefit to the fact that it's impossible to electrify these things (the whole operational model, not just the HGV) is that logistics in rural areas might scale back down to fit the infrastructure.

BBC warns Russia is taking over World Service radio frequencies Russian propaganda is filling the void where the BBC has closed World Service radio services due to cuts

BBC's Arabic radio service in Lebanon closed after 85 years as part of a £28.5m savings drive. 'Just months later, in October 2023, the Russian state-owned Sputnik news agency took over the frequency. Its news bulletin opened with “This is Moscow”, replacing the previous “This is London” intro.' 🙄