Nicholas Whyte 白怀珂
@nwhyte.bsky.social
He/him. International affairs strategist & expert, science fiction fan, psephologist; posts personal. Will block rude people and bigots. http://fromtheheartofeurope.eu
Ray Bradbury’s 1950 story, “There Will Come Soft Rains”, ends with a household AI calling out today’s date in the ruins of a post-Holocaust world.
Ray Bradbury’s 1950 story, “There Will Come Soft Rains”, starts with a household AI reminding its owners of their appointments. But nobody is listening; they have all been killed in a nuclear war.
The breakfast stove gave a hissing sigh and ejected from its warm interior eight pieces of perfectly browned toast, eight eggs sunny side up, sixteen slices of bacon, two coffees, and two cool glasses of milk. "Today is August 4, 2026," said a voice… www.libraryofshortstories.com/onlinereader...
There Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury
“Today is Mr. Featherstone’s birthday. Today is the anniversary of Tilita’s marriage. Insurance is payable, as are the water, gas, and light bills.”
libraryofshortstories.com
I tend to feel that it is polite to refer to people (and countries) in the way that they prefer. www.npr.org/2026/08/04/g...
Nauru, the world's 3rd-smallest country, changes its name to Naoero
The Pacific Island country of Nauru has changed its name to the Republic of Naoero, its president said, matching the spelling and pronunciation in the national language.
npr.org
Looks like 22 EU leaders need an urgent course on understanding and handling hybrid warfare. "United we stand, divided we fall." #StrongerTogether🇪🇺 @eucopresident.consilium.europa.eu @kajakallas.bsky.social @teresaribera.ec.europa.eu @andriuskubilius.ec.europa.eu www.politico.eu/article/ceut...
Kudos to my cousin Razia setting the record straight on Dover! www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
On the ground in the English seaside town rightwing influencers say is being ‘invaded’
Some in Dover say their town is being exploited by content creators and politicians, but others claim there is a genuine problem
theguardian.com
Yeah, it’s horrifying. The spotter copped a ban from the IPF and his national federation, but it feels like not enough. A bad lift at 330kg could kill someone. There’s a bit of English commentary here and some other social media sites, so far. bsky.app/profile/oluf...
Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò@olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · last wk.apparently a white nationalist volunteered as a spotter at the International Powerlifting Federation world champs and deliberately sabotaged Sonita Muluh's world record attempt, and then outed himself as such online. what an era www.instagram.com/reel/DbRNrD_...
A story that doesn't yet seem to have hit the English-speaking media: Belgian power-lifter Sonita Muluh lost out on a world championship title because of a mis-step by one of her spotters. He then bragged that "I'm racist and I did it on purpose". rmcsport.bfmtv.com/societe/je-s...
"Je suis raciste et je l’ai fait exprès": incroyable histoire de sabotage au championnats du monde de powerlifting
Promise au titre dans la catégorie féminine des super-lourds (+84 kg) des Championnats du monde de powerlifting, en juin dernier, Sonita Muluh a été victime d'un sabotage de la part d'un de ses propre...
rmcsport.bfmtv.com
Why the EU has an Irish accent these days - and Olof Gill isn’t even mentioned! Key quote from Tom Moylan: “We are just good communicators and personable people, we’re very well networked”. www.euractiv.com/news/eus-voi...
EU's voice has an Irish lilt | Euractiv
In post-Brexit Brussels, the Irish are sought after as English-language wordsmiths, spokespeople and all-round communicators
euractiv.com
Sparked by something or other, here is the start of Saki's skit on the Boer War from "The Westminster Alice": “The great art in falling off a horse,” said the White Knight, “is to have another handy to fall on to.” “But wouldn’t that be rather difficult to arrange?” asked Alice.
Shada on cooking and families. open.substack.com/pub/shadaisl...
Recipes May Skip A Generation But They Live On
I inherited my parents’ love of good food and the pleasure of lingering around the family table, talking, laughing and sharing stories. But I never inherited my mother’s love of cooking.
open.substack.com
There is a lot to say about the Nolan Odyssey movie. But one point that I think has not been emphasized enough is: this is a film about living in LA, as Nolan, my erstwhile British compatriot and age mate, has done for years. I gather it’s a strange place.
