First it was Iran to push the Epstein files off the front page. Then, when the Iran war turned into a fiasco, it was back to the 2020 election and Covid. Every crisis needs a new distraction.

Possibly the ugliest guitar ever made

Weird Guitar of the Day@weirdguita.rs · yesterday

Hoyer Fantastik

I'm thoroughly enjoying the Grauniad's Invertebrate of the Year series. They're gradually adding to the shortlist for this year, following the tardigrade's triumph last year. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Revealed: the top 10 invertebrates of the year

At last! It’s time for our invertebrate of the year competition as voted for by you. Today is the leaf sheep – come back on Thursday at noon (BST) to find out who else made the top 10

theguardian.com

I have read Joshua Bonehill-Paine’s blogpost from April entitled “Inside the Mind of an Antisemite -and How I Escaped It”. It’s a fascinating account of being consumed by hateful, extremist ideology. You know what’s not in there? An apology. To Luciana Berger or the wider Jewish community

JD Vance: "We don't want the next administration, whoever -- god forbid you're gonna have President El-Sayed in three years ... "

Well we all wondered if the opposition parties would recapture the agenda while Burnham was on holiday and it does look like Kemi Badenoch’s Conservatives will manage to do that for a crucial third day

Jessica Elgot@jessicaelgot.bsky.social · 8h ago

Former neo-Nazi activist withdraws... But Badenoch now offers him advisor role. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

After the devastating wildfire at Dunwich Heath, plans for recovery are underway and your donations are helping make that possible. We've raised over £350,000 already thanks to your generosity.

"AI is the asbestos we are shoveling into the walls of our society and our descendants will be digging it out for generations" Cory Doctorow #AIAIno

The real (economic) AI apocalypse is nigh

Sweating (the assets) to the oldies.

doctorow.medium.com

BREAKING: George Holmes, longtime vice chancellor of the University of Greater Manchester, has been sacked. A spokesperson for the university confirmed the news in a statement to The Mill, saying that Holmes’ contract was terminated “earlier this week”. manchestermill.co.uk/breaking-geo...

BREAKING: George Holmes has been sacked

The UK’s longest serving vice chancellor is ‘no longer an employee of the University’

manchestermill.co.uk

The fact that Badenoch has torched any arguments about how far to the right Conservatives have gone in defence of this bloke for him to then withdraw is pretty funny. Defending someone who has been jailed for neo-Nazi activities was such a strange hill to die on. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Ex neo-Nazi activist withdraws as Tory election candidate

It follows a backlash against the party's decision to pick Joshua Bonehill-Paine as a council candidate in Somerset.

bbc.co.uk

"Some Conservatives, including Badenoch, have become so suspicious about the idea of cancellation, and so desperate to stick it to 'the libs'." Is Kemi Badenoch so afraid of cancel culture, that she supports the former neo-Nazi standing for the Tories? www.thenewsagents.co.uk/article/is-d...

Is defending a former neo-Nazi a new low for Kemi Badenoch? | The News Agents

Kemi Badenoch is backing a former neo-Nazi standing to become a Tory councillor in Somerset. She claims he has been rehabilitated in prison, but is she just too scared to “cancel” someone on her side?

thenewsagents.co.uk

Ukrainian artist, Aleksandr Smahlyi colored pencil & pastel

Exactly! Schengen was not.the problem.

Maybe Kemi can put him in the House of Lords. That would *really* own the libs.

Alex Partridge@alexpartridge87.bsky.social · 9h ago

Joshua Bonehill-Paine steps back from being a Conservative council candidate following backlash

On a... different note, it’s also the 12th birthday of the Profanity Embroidery Group

Odd This Day@oddthisday.bsky.social · last yr.

So, happy 11th birthday, the Profanity Embroidery Group

Joshua Bonehill-Paine steps back from being a Conservative council candidate following backlash

In ‘Ludwig returns to BBC1 on Thursday 20th August at 9pm for its second series & partial box set drop news’ news, Ludwig returns to BBC1 on Thursday 20th August at 9pm for its second series & partial box set drop

Of all the things to admit on the internet, “I don’t know how bananas work” is one of the funniest

Jess Calarco@jessicacalarco.com · 22h ago

Spoken like a man who has never had to shop for himself.

Spoken like a man who has never had to shop for himself.

There is no way that betting on wildfires should be legal. www.oregonlive.com/wildfires/20...

As Oregon burns and gamblers bet, lawmakers push back against wildfire betting markets drawing millions

Wyden and Merkley are urging federal regulators to crack down on prediction markets that allow users to wager on how long wildfires will burn and how much damage they will cause

oregonlive.com

🎶 Hit the moon in the eye, with rocket that can't fly. That's a moron 🎶

The Independent@the-independent.com · 18h ago

BREAKING | An out-of-control SpaceX rocket has collided with the Moon READ MORE: trib.al/mGkWuJh

This news will be deeply alarming to all Londoners. I am glad to hear that the victims have not sustained serious injuries. The Met would like to reassure the community that they currently believe this to be an isolated, mental-health related incident. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c0...

Woman arrested after four men stabbed in London's Covent Garden - follow live

The men - aged 34, 39, 42 and 52 - were earlier taken to hospital. Police say they believe this is "an isolated, mental-health related incident".

bbc.co.uk

Last time he tried to stand... This happened

Are you politically savvy enough not to say something that would allow your name to appear in the same headline as the word "neo-Nazi"? Congratulations! You're sharper than at least two UK party leaders

#Prison overcrowding. Suggestion: Decriminalise (NOT legalise) drug use, as Portugal did 25 years ago. The proportion of drug-related offenders in Portuguese gaols went down sharply: From 44% in 1999, to just under 21% in 2012. (UN) Users were given syringes, etc: soundcloud.com/hughsykes/po...

Portugal All Drugs Decriminalised.WAV

The case for legalising marijuana - and all recreational drugs - including heroin and cocaine - is stronger than ever, thanks to a decision in Portugal more than twenty years to decriminalise recreati

soundcloud.com

I'm as shocked as you are, dear reader, that the leader of the Conservative Party would omit to mention or factor in the 11,651 prison places that were closed over the same period due to either prison closures or cell dilapidation.

Full Fact@fullfact.org · 12h ago

Andy Burnham has claimed only 500 prison places were added between 2010 and 2024, but Kemi Badenoch says the Conservatives created 14,000 new places. Can these two claims add up? We’ve had a look at the figures 👇 fullfact.org/crime/how-ma...

Frankly astonishing piece by @alexisconran.com on all the data our phones keep on us and what they do with it (it's not good). open.substack.com/pub/scamproo...

Maybe, now just spitballing here, but hear me out... but people who are terminally online don't always make the best leaders of political parties