Ian Fedden

One of the best reads of my life. I remember devouring this book in the mornings before setting off for school.

I've always liked the bass work on Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, especially Snake Charmer.

YouTube video by Mark Rigler D Day Military Convoy - Over 100 vehicles - Dorchester England

A short film from my old mate Mark. Marking D-Day in Dorchester.
youtube.com/watch?v=JDR6...

Read both The Bone Chests and River Kings by Dr Cat Jarman. Both of them are excellent books. I find detective work in history endlessly fascinating: a satisfying narrative approach which reminds me of science authors following the evidence in science literature.

Love it when an expert articulates about contemporary events in a way that matches how I feel about those events: Brexit in the context of the European security crisis. 🇬🇧🇺🇦🇪🇺

Slava Ukraini.
🇺🇦 🇺🇦 🇺🇦

Exactly this.

“Out of science fiction”: First 3D observations of an exoplanet’s atmosphere reveal a unique climate Astronomers have peered through the atmosphere of a planet beyond the Solar System, mapping its 3D structure for the first time. By combining all four telescope units of the European Southern Observat...

Stunning observations on the atmosphere of an exoplanet. Foretaste of knowledge to come.
www.eso.org/public/unite...

Starmer to join Macron-led European crisis summit on Trump’s Ukraine plan French president Emmanuel Macron calls for urgent talks in Paris on Sunday amid fears US leader is sidelining allies

NATO is dead. Europe must look within and unite. The alternative is to be picked off one by one by Moscow.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...

I do hope this is true...!

The centre right: killed by economics Why has the Tory party abandoned the centre-right*? This is the question posed by what Lewis Goodall has called the "Powellization" of the party. When Robert Jenrick echoed Enoch Powell by speaking of...

The strange death of centre right politics. Since the 2008 market collapse the traditional right seems lost without purpose. In Blighty, 2008 begat austerity which begat Brexit. For many right wingers the rabbit-hole of ethno-nationalism now beckons.
stumblingandmumbling.typepad.com/stumbling_an...

Ed Davey gets it right.

Some people in recent days have alleged a ‘cover-up’ over the grooming & rape of hundreds of young girls in predominantly northern UK towns, leading to calls for a ‘national’ public inquiry into child sexual exploitation

FWIW here’s a non-exhaustive list of inquiries into #CSE in last 12 yrs…

Protocells emerge in experiment simulating lifeless world: ‘There is no divine breath of life’ Researchers from a Spanish laboratory observe, for the first time, the formation of compartments alongside the basic ingredients of organisms

Fascinating observations on what could be pre-Life. Begs lots of questions on the origins of life.
english.elpais.com/science-tech...

First ever image of a multi-planet system around a Sun-like star (uncropped, with annotations) First ever image of a multi-planet system around a Sun-like star (uncropped, with annotations)

First image of a multi-planet system by ESO. The image features 2 giant exoplanets.
I remember as a child in the seventies reading astronomy books (thanks Patrick Moore!) and being sad that I wouldn't live long enough to know or see other solar systems. Yet here we are!
www.eso.org/public/image...

Neighbour on our road has an ornament of the Lion Man in their front garden. Always smile when I pass it.

One tyrant down.

My favourite Whitesnake album. Opening track made for a good single; Ain't Gonna Cry No More was the highlight; She's A Woman saw Jon Lord let loose.

I think we all know this but somehow there appears little momentum in dealing with it...a dangerous lack of leadership and unity plus too many wannabe tyrants taking advantage.

One eye to Georgia.

Death of Star vs Birth of Cell

😹😹😹

The optimism that letting Putin keep part of Ukraine will be the end of it all seems to be based on ignoring everything he does and everything he says.

Hi, I’m God.

Jesus said he wants you all to have free healthcare.

Love,

God

A week off work so it snowed.