Browsing these contenders for the new Euro note designs (as discussed on @ohgodwhatnow.bsky.social). Ten designs, using the same list of either six birds or six historical figures. Some of them are fantastic, and they all make our Bank of England notes look thoroughly stuck in the past.

Future banknotes

The European Central Bank (ECB) is the central bank of the European Union countries which have adopted the euro. Our main task is to maintain price stability in the euro area and so preserve the purch...

ecb.europa.eu

Also, she seems to be forgetting... do we even know that Nazis can do bins? They'll busy themselves with all the Aryan mythology and brutal authoritarian stuff, but does anyone stop to ask if they know which week is garden waste, and if they've put back all the heavy bins by the old people's flats?

Chris Terry-Enescu@cjterry.bsky.social · 17h ago

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

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

Mexican Folkloric Top, or as they call it in Mexico, Toppo Folklorico Mexicano. #SewingBee

It was nice to have Tour highlights on Channel 5 (having previously expected nothing) with the familiar sound of the Eurosport commentary team, but it just wasn't the same without Orla in the studio.

road.cc@roadcc.bsky.social · yesterday

“There is a huge will to broadcast this race from start to finish, as there is with every women’s bike race. We need ASO to put it on. We need France Télévisions to put it on”

Giovani Lo Celso, one of the Argentinian players holding that bizarre Malvinas banner at the World Cup, was born 13 years after the conflict ended. Sarah Pochin is referring to something TWENTY NINE YEARS before she was born.

Roland Smith@rolandmcs.bsky.social · 2d ago

The war. It always comes back to the war. That happened long before they were born.

“Today is August 4, 2026, in the city of Allendale, California ....” Listen below to Leonard Nimoy’s recording of Ray Bradbury’s powerful 1950 science fiction short story “There Will Come Soft Rains,” set on this very day.

Stephen Schwartz@atomicanalyst.bsky.social · last mo.

Listen here to Nimoy’s 1975 recording of Ray Bradbury’s 1950 science fiction short story (and chapter in “The Martian Chronicles”) “There Will Come Soft Rains,” which hauntingly envisioned one potential future arising from unconstrained nuclear testing and arms races. archive.org/details/brad...

Light rain in NE Surrey! Not enough to water anything, but hey, it's a change of scenery.

Happy There Will Come Soft Rains Day to all who celebrate. (Especially those in Allendale, California.) short-stories.co/@raybradbury...

Why is Britain a tinderbox? Because: 1) The climate crisis, obvs; but also - 2) *6.4 million hectares* of farmland in England & Wales is riddled with field drains - draining water from the land where it could be retaining it. Make Britain Wet Again! ahdb.org.uk/drainage

Oh, and you'll never guess who the editor of The Spectator was at the time of this assault on a junior employee by an unpunished "star" writer.

Jason Sinclair@jsinclair.bsky.social · 2d ago

Aged 44, he left his wife and two children for a 22-year-old, who was a receptionist at the Spectator where he was an associate editor, got her pregnant and then punched her, for which he received a police caution for common assault, but stayed at the Spectator for over 20 more years.

The main thing here is the crowdfunder (we should all contribute) but don't miss the bit about the Reform council leader threatening to call the police because a constituent *disagreed with a council decision*. Poundland MAGA gobshite.

David Quantick@quantick.bsky.social · 2d ago

Back the Child-Feeding Café Threatened by Reform www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/83b7568fd3...

Now, let's not speak ill of the dead, unless they were irredeemable twats, like Rod Liddle, for example.

I've just seen the cover to the Complete Trumptonshire blu-ray, and now I need you all to see it too, so there can be an outbreak of delighted cooing and "aw" noises all across Bluesky. It's done my heart the power of good, it really has.

Shooting interests & the rightwing press want to exploit the wildfires to reinstate moorland burning. But you don't fight fire with fire. You fight it with water. This wildfire in Wales' Elan Valley in May stopped abruptly when it reached re-wetted peat bogs: www.walesfarmer.co.uk/news/2614875...

Also, the UI is so much better. Turn on, select channel (maybe using built-in guide). I usually point out that older people like my mum have no experience of online services and their methods/UIs, but... I'm pretty tech-literate and I find them a massive pain.

Eddie Robson@eddierobson.bsky.social · 3d ago

Freeview switch-off is a terrible idea for many reasons, not least that the signal is much, much more reliable than broadband and isn't subject to DNS attacks.

Freeview switch-off is a terrible idea for many reasons, not least that the signal is much, much more reliable than broadband and isn't subject to DNS attacks.

Adam Sherwin@adamsherwin.bsky.social · 3d ago

Cult channel Talking Pictures TV has revived the ‘golden age’ of cinema. Will Freeview digital switch-off kill it? inews.co.uk/news/how-onl... @theipaper.com @talkingpicturestv.bsky.social

A handy conversion chart: 1 Wales = 20,782 km2 1 Deciwales = 2,078.2 km2 1 Centiwales = 207.8 km2 1 Milliwales = 20.8 km2 1 Microwales = .021 km2 or 20,782 m2 1 Nanowales = 20.782 m2 1 Picowales = 0.21 m2 1 football pitch = roughly 344 nanowaleses

For women's music to stay in the repertoire, we don't just need recordings. We also need score publication, composer info & advocacy. So I'm delighted to announce the launch of UNHEARD HERITAGE, a recording initiative marrying research & performance leahbroad.substack.com/p/announcing...

Mahler's 1st symphony, given the full @auroraorchestra.bsky.social treatment at the #BBCproms this evening, and in typically fabulous style.

The Beat-Club has just casually dropped some live footage of Can - unseen since 1972 👇

Can - Halleluhwah (1971)

YouTube video by Beat-Club

youtu.be

this one is mind melting

Screaming Pectoriloquy@caulimovirus.bsky.social · 5d ago

Debbie Harry and Suzi Quatro by Ebet Roberts 1977 💛

Last week the posy I brought home from the garden had a chrysalis attached though I didn't notice till I got home. If you, like me, haven't watched a butterfly emerge you won't be prepared for how amazing or how long emergence takes #TinyJoys a 🧵

Please don't screw it up, new owners. We love our Argos.

Sainsbury's agrees to sell Argos for £120m

Under the terms of the deal, Argos will still operate in Sainsbury's shops, sell Habitat products, and offer Nectar points.

bbc.co.uk

As somebody who protects and restores ancient woodland I was prepared to lose 39 hectares for an expanded rail network that would obviate domestic flights and get cars and trucks off the road. I am not prepared to lose that amount for fucking gravel. www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk/campaigns/sa...

Help save Oaken Wood

Oaken Wood is under threat. Proposals to allocate Oaken Wood as a hard rock quarrying site will result in the loss of at least 41 hectares of Ancient Woodland.

kentwildlifetrust.org.uk

Happy now? You think you can cope with Richard O'Sullivan on a horse every fourteen days?

LondonLee@londonlee.bsky.social · 6d ago

Yes, things are bad now but are they "Look-In only published every other week" bad?

Happy ninth anniversary to Stormzy bringing fish finger discourse to the party.