Nigel Farage just took a question from a 'journalist' at his press conference, who turned out to be his former chief adviser Raheem Kassam, who asks him why the media are being so unfair to him

For some reason, @guapaish.bsky.social had been singing "Wombling Merry Christmas" (It's been 40c today). It reminds me of an #avfc story in a way. The Wombles did a stage show at the Alexandra Theatre in Brum. My younger sisters were lined up to go, but I thought "I'm not missing out", so we 1/2

This is what the stage-managed ingression into Ceuta was designed to do- stir up a platform for the worst people to profit from.

Fonsi Loaiza@fonsiloaizap.bsky.social · 3d ago

Hoy, el ultraderechista Santi Abascal y la cloaquera Ana Rosa Quintana han interrumpido a la vez sus vacaciones de lujo para desplazarse a Ceuta. El líder de VOX y la presentadora de Mediaset acuden para generar odio y xenofobia. Carroñeros.

Guessand showing the first touch of an elephant. 😂 #avfc

Today a knighted, former advisor to the king got arrested under fake terrorism legislation. It is nowhere to be seen on the BBC. Imagine believing the BBC is a trustworthy news source. #bbcpm #Newsnight #r4today #wato

Defend Our Juries@defendourjuries.bsky.social · 6d ago

NEW: Sir Jonathon Porritt, arrested under Terrorism law outside Westminster Magistrates Court. As police escorted him away he said "I am a supporter of Palestine Action, trying to save lives is not terrorism, exposing this Governments complicity in genocide is not terrorism." www.wedonotcomply.org

Following the very sad loss of Glen Hansard yesterday, it wasn't surprising that my mind turned to both The Commitments and modern Dublin. This song reflected on both. RIP Glen emmageeflowers.bandcamp.com/track/the-gh...

The Ghost of Jimmy Rabbitte, by Emma Gee Flowers

from the album Songs of Love & Defiance

emmageeflowers.bandcamp.com

This kind of thing is why simply banning smart glasses may be the only way forward.

LiLBaz@lilbazza.bsky.social · last wk.

I know we already have enough reasons to be shit scared of Meta's privacy violating dystopian pervert glasses. But TIL that they have facial recognition tech *embedded in them*. Meta just hasn't switched it on yet. They say they're waiting for a 'dynamic political environment' to do so. We're cooked

Sarah Montague visits a family owned residential care home. The family company is Agincare, owned by the Luckhurst family The Luckhurst family is now worth 88 million off the back off Agincare. Agincare carers are paid about £13 per hour. Right here is the problem. #wato

Just looking at the past 30 odd years of British politics, Blair became PM because people had been worn down by Thatcher and the Tories, Starter exactly the same. Neither had the intention to challenge the neoliberal orthodoxy. Now Burnham has been annointed because even the Labour Right 1/2

Acoustic version of a new song-about the perils of AI Listen to "The Words No Longer Rhyme" and then please shre if you like it. Also, follow me on YouTube. Ta! youtu.be/-ROjJRrDMr0

The Words No Longer Rhyme

YouTube video by Emma Gee Flowers Music

youtu.be

I remember there was a furore when a racial slur used by the colonel character in Fawlty Towers was edited from a repeat to comply with rules on harm and offence. Cleese was angry and defended the word along the lines that it illustrated how the colonel was the object of ridicule due to his bigotry.

This, absolutely and always, this.

Dave Andress@davidandress.bsky.social · last wk.

Our problem is not and never has been a lack of technical and vocational education. It has always been the fact that the political/media class hold that education in contempt. Even, and especially, when advocating that Other People’s Children do it.

I've been hearing that Andy Burnham is an excellent politician. We could discuss whether that's a good thing or not, but one thing's for sure, an excellent politician would calculate the reaction to a headline statement. Take the plans to reform welfare, an "excellent" politician would know that 1/2

Plans to build the world’s first commercial octopus farm in Gran Canaria, Spain, have been scrapped, in a major victory for octopuses and the global animal welfare movement. Octopuses are highly intelligent, curious and solitary animals, making them fundamentally unsuited to intensive farming. 🐙

Interesting comparing the Sanchez government here in Spain and "Labour". Politically, there's not much difference, but the differences are key, in particular Spain being on the right side of history with the Gaza genocide- because Sanchez hasn't been bought!

We have two rats living in the trees behind our house. Rosie isn't equipped, @nasheridan.bsky.social I need a Leo!

Apparently, according to some internet sage, the fires devastating Spain at the moment are "because the government wants to clear the land for solar panels". These people vote. Anyway, this song (not mine) is for them. music.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv_F...

Take Off Your Tin Foil Hat

YouTube video by JP Harris - Topic

music.youtube.com

Why, tech bros, do I need an "AI overview" of an email I'm about to read? I don't need to help deprive the world of water on the off chance I may need to translate some of it!

Anyway, not so many years back, I did an Americana radio show, that also shoehorned some lefty politics, a bit of football and some sarcasm- but mainly great music. I was listening to something else earlier and it came on. Not bad - might do it again. What you say? www.mixcloud.com/emma-flowers...

Americana Routes with Emma Flowers: Episode 10

Final show of the year, and its a recap of some of the many artists I've enjoyed listening to this year. Merry Christmas! Emma x

mixcloud.com

A sign of how stressed and down I've been is opening a jar of coffee- and not playing drums on the seal for 5 minutes!

A lot of people don’t realize the dust bowl wasn’t a natural phenomenon. It happened when agrobusiness interests dramatically transformed the plains without regard for drought, and created vicious dust storms that choked whole families to death. That’s what I think of when I read about data centers.

A barrister is facing prison just for reminding a jury they can vote with their conscience. Join me in signing this petition to protect British juries. you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/sa...

Save Britain's Juries

Juries have had the right to acquit based on their conscience for centuries. Now, a barrister is facing jail just for mentioning it in court. Add your name to help save Britain's juries.

you.38degrees.org.uk

I don't get how Burnham can say he will be "unashamedly Labour" while vocally supporting arguably the most significant rollback of human rights in more than 70 years, unless he is actively acknowledging that Labour no longer stands for human rights.

I know I'm a Brummie, but I'm already sick of "Manchesterism". We're a lot more modest tbh, and I prefer that. Oh, and here's the inevitable song music.youtube.com/watch?v=dwsj...

Soft Water City

YouTube video by Emma Gee Flowers - Topic

music.youtube.com

Adam Bienkov@adambienkov.bsky.social · 3w ago

"The risk is that it all comes across merely as McSweeneyism in an Everton top" www.thetimes.com/article/d141...

c.org/F92krZDRjT

Sign the Petition

Demand Aston Villa Football Club cancel Visit Rwanda shirt sponsorship.

c.org

England fans, maybe it's time to change the hideous "10 German Bombers" song, Can I suggest "6 defenders and Ivan Toney"?

They didn't just waste that ten billion pounds, they deliberately gave it to their mates who were set up with a special "VIP channel" to turn their dodgy dropshipping businesses into government contractors. All of them, from Johnson down, should be in prison.

Tim Bale@timbale.bsky.social · 3w ago

Obviously, there are other big stories around today. But, as far as I can make out, the Indy is the only paper that splashes this morning on the Covid Inquiry's tale of billions wasted. Can only imagine the field-day the right-wing press would have had had it happened under a different government.

For a few years after this, even the UK Tory Party seemed to be on the same road. Then a gang of elite media personalities decided that gender-fascism was more fun. And now even the Labour Party is pro-Toilet-Police.

Denise Breen 🖖@denisebreen.bsky.social · 3w ago

Today is the 11th anniversary of the Gender Recognition Act here in Ireland. I will always celebrate this day as the State finally recognized my gender. Decades of campaigning led to the Act. I owe a debt to those who went before me We were the 4th country in the world to bring in such legislation

🔴 For the past year @lucasamin.bsky.social and I have been investigating Palantir in the UK What we found was a company with unrivalled political access, selling a product many data experts in the NHS don’t use, and don’t rate Please read and share democracyforsale.substack.com/p/its-just-a...

"It's just a waste of time": inside Palantir's £330m NHS failure

Our new investigation reveals the problems with Palantir’s NHS tech - and the unrivalled political access that fuelled the firm’s march into the British state

democracyforsale.substack.com

I recorded this song a couple of years ago (check it out, it's great), but I thought I'd do a little acoustic run through to commemorate the 90th Anniversary of the start of the Spanish Civil War. ♥️💛💜 youtu.be/TLyZ6jSperY?...

Alma de la Brigada

YouTube video by Emma Gee Flowers Music

youtu.be