"A decision that made sense in a British Rail spreadsheet does not in a regional economy." In praise of inefficiency.

Drought conditions

This week: southern Britain has too little water; this map projection has far too much. But first: in praise of inefficiency.

jonn.substack.com

FOR ONE DAY ONLY: A History of the World in 47 Borders is 99p on Kindle and thus, also, elsewhere. Is this a good thing? Shouldn't two years of my life cost more than that? Who can say! Get it while it's cheap! www.amazon.co.uk/History-Worl...

The algorithm thinks I’m a London Muslim with a New York flat who wants to try mushroom beer at a running rave (to comfort me for my disappointming and badly lit sales career).

All the problems Instagram ads have tried to solve for me that I do not actually have

The algorithm thinks I’m a London Muslim with a New York flat who wants to try mushroom beer at a running rave

thenewworld.co.uk

just had a horrific vision of the future in which Zack Polanski and Kemi Badenoch have a podcast and now I need a lie down

To be fair, “Councillors and council elections don’t matter” are a load-bearing part of the “Kemi Badenoch is doing well and the Conservative party’s prospects under her are looking good” thesis.

Chris Terry-Enescu@cjterry.bsky.social · 8h ago

It's OK for criminal ex-neo Nazis to run your bins is a hell of a line.

oh I did know this I'm meant to be promoting it, please go buy a cheep ebook of 47 Borders, it's almost certainly cheap on Kobo too as they tend to price match

A History of the World in 47 Borders: The Sunday Times #1 Bestseller

A captivating exploration of world history through the lens of political borders, offering surprising, humorous, and insightful stories that reveal their profound impact.

amazon.co.uk

@globelimper.bsky.social · 5h ago

you know 47 borders is just 99p on Kindle today?

Maybe they’re actually for HS? Have you considered that you need to be onboarded as his staff?

I'm talking about a book about borders - but probably NOT the one you were expecting

The Bunker podcast – News without the nonsense@bunkerpod.bsky.social · 6h ago

🗺️ NEW EPISODE 🗺️ Europe is secretly at war… in 34 disputed territories where rival nations face off over the same land. 🗺️ Foreign corr and author @hannahluci.bsky.social talks dangerous border hotspots with king of the wild frontiers @jonnelledge.bsky.social 🗺️ Listen linktr.ee/bunker_pod

a podcast in which, for once, I am interviewing rather than merely acting as a source of unsolicited opinions and dumb jokes! fascinsting conversation about a fascinating book

The Bunker podcast – News without the nonsense@bunkerpod.bsky.social · 6h ago

🗺️ NEW EPISODE 🗺️ Europe is secretly at war… in 34 disputed territories where rival nations face off over the same land. 🗺️ Foreign corr and author @hannahluci.bsky.social talks dangerous border hotspots with king of the wild frontiers @jonnelledge.bsky.social 🗺️ Listen linktr.ee/bunker_pod

The algorithm thinks I’m a London Muslim with a New York flat who wants to try mushroom beer at a running rave (to comfort me for my disappointming and badly lit sales career).

All the problems Instagram ads have tried to solve for me that I do not actually have

The algorithm thinks I’m a London Muslim with a New York flat who wants to try mushroom beer at a running rave

thenewworld.co.uk

can I just mention how delighted I am to have found out that the Official Monster Raving Looney Party helped make the pedestrianisation of Carnaby Street happen

congratulations Bryan Johnson!!

The Guardian@theguardian.com · yesterday

‘When you kill it, it doesn’t die’: the jellyfish that has cracked the secret of immortality

just written a thousand words on drought in Britain do it starts to rain i have magical powers

Here's Part 2 or our podcast with @jonnelledge.bsky.social about English politics. This one's about Count Binface and Nigel Farage. www.youtube.com/watch?v=83iH...

Episode 23: Jonn Elledge on Count Binface

YouTube video by Personality Crisis

youtube.com

I really hope *some* of you are because one of my oldest friends pointed out, slightly miffed, that this is in fact his birthday. AND he lives in North London.

Simon Alvey@salvey1.bsky.social · yesterday

I've booked a ticket to the event at Backstory - let me know if you are also going along

ELLEDGE 2026 - INVENTIONS TOUR (Am hosting Liverpool if that sways you one way or the other. May do a draw at the start and pick randomly 5 of the 31 for us to talk about. Tense.)

Jonn Elledge@jonnelledge.bsky.social · yesterday

right, here's the current full list, JUST IN CASE YOU WERE WORRYING

I've booked a ticket to the event at Backstory - let me know if you are also going along

Jonn Elledge@jonnelledge.bsky.social · yesterday

right, here's the current full list, JUST IN CASE YOU WERE WORRYING

By the end of the year we will be experiencing net emigration, just to make Nigel's obnoxious idea even more ludicrous

Jonn Elledge@jonnelledge.bsky.social · yesterday

"Were Farage to accept the pact, then Lowe would have dragged him reluctantly towards his own position and set himself up as a power player on the hard right. Were he to reject it, he’d be sending a hefty signal that the most radicalised right-wing voters should jump ship and follow Lowe."

"Were Farage to accept the pact, then Lowe would have dragged him reluctantly towards his own position and set himself up as a power player on the hard right. Were he to reject it, he’d be sending a hefty signal that the most radicalised right-wing voters should jump ship and follow Lowe."

Even the Royal Navy can't save Nigel Farage

A pact with Restore would be a win-win for Rupert Lowe

newstatesman.com

Yes I acknowledge it makes sense in context but “I need my car to meet criminals” is now my favourite basis for an attempted exceptional hardship plea. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Oh shut up and fuck off - the British famously lost that battle too and had the advantage of being across a sea for the next few years

right, here's the current full list, JUST IN CASE YOU WERE WORRYING

Jonn Elledge@jonnelledge.bsky.social · 2w ago

🚨🚨🚨TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED🚨🚨🚨

"We’ve all in our time wriggled out of awkward conversations by pretending to get confused about who was actually meant to do the dialling, I’m sure..." This week's New Statesman bit was on Reform vs Restore.

Even the Royal Navy can't save Nigel Farage

A pact with Restore would be a win-win for Rupert Lowe

newstatesman.com

🌹 NEW EPISODE 🌹 What is this strange sensation? A new Labour government that might be… quite good? Plus FIFA, Ceuta and more 🌹 Group therapy with @youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com @rafaelbehr.bsky.social @jamesrball.com & @nndroid.bsky.social 🌹 Listen – linktr.ee/ohgodwhatnow...

Spoiler: It’s Rochester and now we have to make it one again by law ☹️

Jonn Elledge@jonnelledge.bsky.social · 6d ago

Where is Britain's second city? Finally, we have POLLING (paywall, sorry)

Where is Britain's second city? Finally, we have POLLING (paywall, sorry)

Urban Hymns

This week: some notes on the bus that thinks it’s a tram; and where is Britain’s second city anyway?

jonn.substack.com

right, ok, enough self-pity, I need to turn my shit pub around. it's in Stratford, it's got a (small) stage, there has to be someone who has something cool they want a space for queer-run, extremely diverse venue (we even let mumbling old white geezers in) what I'd call 'mostly accessible'

The current Iran war shows what happens when people don’t read your books.

I keep coming back to classical notions of honour and virtue, and how we've somehow reached a point where the expectation is you can be an awful person who punches down in life but the expectation is you'll be treated with the care & respect of the virtuous after you've gone