I'm about three episodes short of finishing the whole of the Wire. For the third time, 20 years after I first watched it. Just had Snoop's "how my hair look?" moment. Hopefully it's not tedious to recommend it, I did put someone off it once by overdoing it. But it remains so good

I would now either like 1. Messi scores, Argentina have hope. Spain score immediately after. 2. Spain score five

Are we sure nothing happened to Otamendi's foot during that goal

Do Argentinians like this stuff? Surely no one likes being associated with a team of thick bullies even if it includes Messi

Cutting to Wayne Rooney for comment on the anthem performance, YES

Cutting

Were they that deep because tuchel told them to or because group psychology is weird ? It's hard to understand it

The ref has done very well

0.05 vs 0.03 well done to everyone involved

Someone somewhere has figured out how to make a joke from the fact Spain have a cultured midfield and one of their players is called pedri and not that bad looking aka a pedri dish

Love watching Pogacar. You know the attack's coming, you know he'll win.. but still thrilling to watch

My word this commentary

As if your name's sorloth and you don't pass to haaland there

Hasn't featured heavily in the coverage so far, come on itv

Nye Cominetti @nyecominetti.bsky.social · 4w ago

I wonder if anyone will be tempted to shoehorn a Scott-Amundsen reference into the build up today, the classic Eng-Nor rivalry. If so it doesn't bode well: valiant English blokes show great spirit in face of tough conditions but in the end handily beaten by a more efficient team. And several die.

I wonder if anyone will be tempted to shoehorn a Scott-Amundsen reference into the build up today, the classic Eng-Nor rivalry. If so it doesn't bode well: valiant English blokes show great spirit in face of tough conditions but in the end handily beaten by a more efficient team. And several die.

Just occurred to me i hadn't *really* got my head round AI as a thing that will be here forever that permanently changes how we do things. (As opposed to a faddy thing that is big for a while). Mostly that's a sad thought, I prefer no-AI world. I guess that marks me out as old/ fuddy / not Blair

Trying to cool down by reading The Worst Journey in The World, about the Scott antartic trip. Am on the 'winter journey' section where three of them walk for 5 weeks in complete darkness (other than occasional moonlight) in -60c temps. They climbed into *literally* frozen sleeping bags every night.

Named son Elis. I have red hair. On way to hospital realised i was opening him up to "Elis Ginge" should he follow me hair wise and should kids in the 2030s for some reason feel like making nicknames based on probably retired rugby players. In the end my hair genes proved themselves recessive ✌️

When did everyone agree babies (and parents) don't get articles in hospital? It's always how is baby, never how is the baby

Named the hotspot network on my phone NyeFi. Feeling real good about that.

If you need persuading of the importance of education funding / structures to UK's NEET problem, this chart was my best attempt at making that point. UK has *higher* % of YP in straight-employment than almost all OECD countries. But still manages higher NEET rates because ed participation so low

Nye Cominetti @nyecominetti.bsky.social · 3mo ago

2. Education. Mechanically, reducing the NEET rate means getting more young people into education or work. Almost all the countries with lower NEET rates than the UK do this via higher education participation. So that seems the main place to look for improvement.

Missed this from Rishi Sunak on minimum wage & youth unemployment. He calls for 1. scrap LPC 2. freeze min wage 3. keep a gap between youth and adult rates. I agree with retaining a youth-adult gap. But on the others ... 1/ archive.is/202605242037...

I don't believe there was any such deliberate strategy. Govt ruled out main taxes, and lowering the threshold for employer NICs looks less tax rise-y than raising the rate. Big 2025 NLW increase was a data accident. Emp rights changes don't change agg costs that much (certainly haven't yet).

Ben Zaranko@benzaranko.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Full version in my column for this weekend’s Observer, which has some (other) cracking stories in there: observer.co.uk/news/busines...

Footnote in Gillette add claiming 75% of 135 people said it gave them a smooth shave. Surely don't publish your stats if your results are that bad and/or you apparently put no resources into your survey

Just cycled through Finsbury Park. Consternation about the set piece reliance clear

Really valuable work published this morning from @peterhyman.bsky.social and Shaub Gamote. Started reading and am hooked. Gives the results of a huge listening exercise with young people, many NEET, who seem to have spoken very freely. onemillionfutures.substack.com/p/inside-the...

Inside the Mind of a Young NEET

Peter Hyman and Shuab Gamote

onemillionfutures.substack.com

Helpful ONS article on where the emigrating Brits are going, making use of other countries' data. Striking increase in numbers heading to Australia www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...

Can't believe this is how it happens. A Tuesday night, a Bournemouth City game

Write up of this morning's labour market stats. 👇 Headline is probably that by March real wage growth had already fallen to roughly zero. The UK is quite able to deliver weak wage growth without the help of conflict in the middle east thank you very much

Resolution Foundation@resolutionfoundation.org · 3mo ago

ONS stats published this morning show a weak labour market in the first quarter of the year. In our latest Substack, @nyecominetti.bsky.social takes us through the latest ONS labour market statistics and what these tell us about the UK economy.

@juliadelldiniz.bsky.social has the charts 👇

Julia Diniz@juliadelldiniz.bsky.social · 3mo ago

This morning’s labour market stats show the UK labour market entered the period of the war in the Middle East in a weak place: unemployment at 5%, payrolled jobs falling and real wage growth grinding to a halt. A thread from me and @nyecominetti.bsky.social 🧵