😁😁😁😁 At last! #SpaArg

Going to be a hundred years of hurt at this rate.

RIP Wally Funk. In her youth, she was an accomplished pilot and part of a group of women tested for space flight but never allowed to become an astronaut. Six decades later, she finally made it into space at age 82. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/s...

Wally Funk, Who Set an Age Record for Space Travel, Dies at 87

nytimes.com

Quite a lot of people lost someone, maybe an elderly relative, during the heatwave. My Aunt Barbara, very ill with advanced dementia, died yesterday aged 91. She was unmarried, no kids and I had been taking care of her affairs for the past few years. That’s the least interesting thing about her. 1

Amazing news! Cervical cancer deaths in younger women have plummeted in England following the rollout of the HPV vaccine, according to new research, published today in The Lancet. Read more: cruk.ink/4ozraO5

Somewhere in Birmingham a scary looking spider is enjoying the sunshine!

Birmingham local elections are bringing out the worst in the vying parties. No caller from any party has delivered anything other than angry, divisive rhetoric. There has been no attempt to address issues or to listen. Distrust and disrespect are in the driving seat ☹️

Look at all that DEI sending astronauts around the moon.

This is the ultimate test for a constitutional order. Either constitutional mechanisms are used to check and balance this, and remove him from office, or they are not. For there can be no greater test for any constitution.

Today’s poem is about trying to get around the UK by train. It’s called ‘The Poet Now Standing at Platform 3A’. brianbilston.com/2026/03/31/a...

So, about those Eid prayers in London... "What's the highest thing in Trafalgar Square?" "Nelson's column, innit?" "And the highest thing on the column?" "Nelson." "And on Nelson?" "His hat." "And the highest thing on his hat?" "That bit that sticks up." 1/8

So here we are one year on. Every single word of this article speaks to me and for me. yorkshirebylines.co.uk/society/talk...

Grief II – the sequel – the awkward second album – also known as ‘Ah no, is she STILL talking about death?’

Grief doesn’t end neatly – it’s messy, lasting, and full of love – we need to talk about death the way we do life

yorkshirebylines.co.uk

If NATO is simply a vehicle for the USA’s whims then we have no sovereignty. I believe we are witnessing the end of the western alliance. Even the USA needs friends and they cannot be acquired by bullying. When will the citizens of the USA act to end this folly?

Excellent news. It was always a nonsense born of self delusion and geopolitical anxiety. It has led us to dependency on a precarious country rapidly shedding the pretence of democracy. I hope this is the beginning of the end of this posturing.

The Guardian@theguardian.com · 5mo ago

Trump says ‘special relationship is obviously not what it was’ after Starmer’s refusal to back Iran strikes – UK politics live

#hemesky 🩸great panel line up.

International Society of Blood Transfusion@isbt.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Join our next webinar! Strengthening Obstetric Transfusion Safety: A Haemovigilance Approach 25 Feb 2026 | 17:00 CET Learn how haemovigilance can improve maternal transfusion safety and prevent avoidable events. 🎓 CPD for ISBT members www.isbtweb.org/events/isbt-...

P2X7 antagonists showing promise for suppression of neuroinflammatory responses. Our paper out in Brain now. #ionchannels academic.oup.com/brain/advanc...

P2X7R-mediated IL-1β release by human brain tissue: the impact of CNS-penetrant potential therapeutics

Cowley et al. show that CNS-penetrant, selective P2X7 receptor antagonists reduce the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines from human microglia and brain

academic.oup.com

Wow.

Trump's utterance that force would not be used against Greenland has no more weight than any other of his utterances, and it certainly does not amount to him "ruling out" the use of force in any meaningful way. Disappointing to see so many news outlets place that construction on what he said.

Speeches still matter. This one was superb and deeply consequential if others follow his lead in the face of the corrupt mindless bullying and BS From USA. New ep @therestpolitics.bsky.social recorded just before he spoke. All themes covered!!!

Europe is working on a package to support Arctic security. And at the heart of this will be the fundamental principle: it is for sovereign people to decide their own future.

This has to be the way forward. UK, EU standing up to a bully.

The Rest Is Politics@therestpolitics.bsky.social · 7mo ago

According to Alastair Campbell, what should European leaders say to Trump about his Greenland quest? “Do one, Donny.”

1. The tariffs are paid by US consumers 2. Greenland isn't for sale 3. Go f**k yourself

The Associated Press@apnews.com · 7mo ago

BREAKING: Trump says eight European countries will be charged a 10% tariff for opposing U.S. control of Greenland.

Give him Rockall and tell him it is Greenland.

Starmer’s US policy lies in tatters. Trump is now punishing the UK and NATO allies just for doing the right thing. Time for the PM to stand firm against the bully in the White House, and work with European and Commonwealth allies to make him back down from this reckless plan.

Our study on microplastics in donated blood has been published in B.J.Haematology 🩸 This preliminary study developed the methodology for looking at microplastics in blood and shows that processing reduces their levels in the transfusable component. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Microplastic contamination of donated blood and red cell concentrates

Click on the article title to read more.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Remember: what Trump and his administration are doing is only possible because Congress and the Supreme Court have abdicated their proper constitutional functions of check and balance.

Trump’s obsession with Canada and Greenland is probably just because of the Mercator projection

Keir Starmer should condemn Trump’s illegal action in Venezuela. Maduro is a brutal and illegitimate dictator, but unlawful attacks like this make us all less safe. Trump is giving a green light to the likes of Putin and Xi to attack other countries with impunity.

Freedom of speech is the foundation of our strong and vibrant European democracy. We are proud of it. We will protect it. Because the @ec.europa.eu is the guardian of our values.

European Commission@ec.europa.eu · 8mo ago

We strongly condemn the U.S. decision to impose travel restrictions on five European individuals, including former Commissioner Thierry Breton. Link to full statement: link.europa.eu/NtMX4K

🚨Submit your abstract for the 39th International ISBT Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia!🚨 ISBT Kuala Lumpur takes place 20 - 24 June 2026 in conjunction with the Malaysian Blood Transfusion Society (MBTS). 🗓️Deadline: February 17, 2026 🔗Info: https://www.isbtweb.org/events/isbt-kuala-lumpur.html