Hooray!

Here's a short judgment summary from me on @familylawweek.bsky.social www.familylawweek.co.uk/judgments/je... Open Justice in the Family Courts.

Okedokey, 2026 films. www.imdb.com/title/tt0046... DIAL M FOR MURDER (1954) - I do not think I have ever watched a Grace Kelly film before. She’s just gorgeous, isn’t she? This is a simple play on celluloid but the artistry of shot is fascinating.

Dial M for Murder (1954) ⭐ 8.2 | Crime, Drama, Mystery

1h 45m | PG

m.imdb.com

open.substack.com/pub/hyperdim...

Where Do You Stand?

On ghosts

open.substack.com

White: RS Black: AM MEEEEEEEE!!!! 1. d4 e6 2. c3 d5 3. f3 c5 4. dxc5 Bxc5 5. e4 Qb6 6. Na3 Bxg1 7. Rxg1 Qxg1 8. Qe2 Qxh2 9. Qb5 Bd7 10. Qxb7 Qh4 11. Kd2 dxe4 12. Qxa8 exf3 13. gxf3 Qf2 14. Kd1 Qxf1 15. Kc2 Ke7 16. Qxb8 Qxf3 17. Bf4 Qf2 18. Kb3 Kf6 19. Qe5 Kg6 20. Qg5#

I’m listening to the @theresthistory.bsky.social back catalogue in order, up to mid-2022. They’ve just covered Boris Johnson’s defenestration. Chuckling at what is to come.

My goodness, Donald Trump is so charmless. They wrote him a fairly nice is largely unimaginative speech, and he managed to read it out like an awkward kid at school.

Palestinian statehood is a worthy aim, but I think it is wrong for Starmer to use it as a negotiating lever. Either there is a moral case for recognition or there is not, this is not a policy you pick up and drop like trade tariffs.

Watching @vicderbyshire.bsky.social on @bbcnewsnight.bsky.social saying that she is ‘beholden’ to put the Israeli point of view, after hearing how the Gazans are being starved and corralled and shot. She looked sick, could barely get the words out.

open.substack.com/pub/briankla...

The Death of the Student Essay—and the Future of Cognition

One professor's reflections on the end of an era, as AI tools such as ChatGPT have murdered the student essay (RIP). Here's why that threatens the future of human cognition—and how to save ourselves.

open.substack.com

Watching a BBC report on anti-Hamas protests by Palestinians in Gaza. A crucial, under-discussed aspect of the crisis there. The collective punishment of Palestinians is justified and accepted because it is assumed they are all Hamas supporters, which is just untrue.

Wonderful news as Field Court Chambers join the Chambers Pro Bono Framework for 2025! 🎉 Thank you for renewing your set's support to helping us improve access to justice. 🔗 Find out more about #TheFramework & sign your set up this year: bit.ly/3xtZ2Cj

Flipping through Family Law textbook, an area that necessarily has a lot of anonymised case. But there are no less than 57 citations with the title ‘Re: A’. Petition to adopt the @legalstyle.co.uk suggestion of deploying full throated pseudonyms in www.legalstyle.co.uk/2022/12/styl...

Styling family cases

Don't put the generic titles in the styling

legalstyle.co.uk

Went to see Kyoto play in London last night - it's an excellent play & v timely for the current age. And it offers hope - of countries across of the world coming together despite vast differences and of new alliances and blocs being formed for the climate change crisis. sohoplace.org/shows/kyoto/

The utter absurdity of Russia and the USA meeting to discuss the future of Ukraine… without Ukraine. Neville Chamberlain-level mis-step. A disgusting betrayal. And the worst feeling is, I don’t really know what I can do about it.

Look, I know Duncan is an awesome artist in his own right. But just imagine being the person who *blocks* David Bowie’s son. I would seriously examine my life choices at that point.

Duncan Jones@manmademoon.bsky.social · 2y ago

Ooo! That was actually quite satisfying! I just got blocked for being patient and factual! 😂👍

Fascinating comment in a threat about Agatha Christie over on LinkedIn. I wonder if anyone can identify the article Graeme mentions?

Curious distancing phrase in the GUARDIAN @theguardian.com write up of Trump’s ridiculous plan to clear out Gaza: “Some human rights advocates liken the idea to ethnic cleansing.” That’s because it’s the very definition of ethnic cleansing. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...

Trump says US will ‘take over’ Gaza Strip in shock announcement during Netanyahu visit

President’s plan, which is low on detail, would involve the permanent resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza to neighbouring countries

theguardian.com

Offerings like ‘Stromatolites’ are my favourite kind of @xkcd.com comic. xkcd.com/3046/

Stromatolites

xkcd.com

2000 days!

Abusive legal threats can weaponise the British courts against anyone who dares raise their voice. Following yesterday's debate, the UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition has launched this petition calling on the public to join the call to #stopSLAPPs www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/st...

Stop the rich and powerful ruining the lives of those who speak up

Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) are abusive legal threats and lawsuits  filed to silence critical speech. They are used by oligarchs, public officials, sexual abusers, wa...

megaphone.org.uk

‘The Impact of the Cessation of Blogs Within the UK Police Blogosphere’ www.researchgate.net/publication/... 10 years old, but a v.good example of how anonymity and pseudonymity can advance freedom of expression in the public interest. I find it abhorrent when journalists break a pseudonym.

(PDF) The Impact of the Cessation of Blogs Within the UK Police Blogosphere

PDF | This article investigates the concept of influence within a group of police work-bloggers. During the period studied (2007–2013), three... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ResearchGate

researchgate.net

antislapp.uk/2025/01/28/s... The UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition is highly critical of the decision by the SRA to close the complaint brought by Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins against the firm that represented Russian warlord Yevgeny Prizoghin. h/t @nikwilliams.bsky.social + @indexoncensorship.org

UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition criticises the SRA’s closure of Higgins’ SLAPP complaint and points to need for universal SLAPP protections - UK Anti-Slapp Coalition

The UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition is highly critical of the decision by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to close the complaint brought by Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins against Discreet Law, the...

antislapp.uk

Idea for THE TRAITORS season 4: *Two* teams of Traitors, unaware of each other’s identities. Faithfuls unaware of the schism. The teams take it in turns to murder.

This Holocaust Memorial Day, I am reminded that I should learn more about my own family history and in particular the Russian Pogroms of the 1880s. Can anyone recommend a good book on this subject?

“Even when the Second World War ended, the colonised world still had an entirely different project confronting it, than the European societies under whose flags they had fought.”

Rest in Peace. I spent a marvellous evening with him a few years ago when he was awarded the PEN Pinter Prize. Watching him drink whiskey, listened to him recount tales, and then his incredibly powerful, lyrical acceptance address @englishpen.bsky.social

Rishi Dastidar@betarish.bsky.social · 2y ago

The great Michael Longely has died. We have lost a poet of immense stature. This recent BBC doc will give you a flavour of how he made made words sing: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

CANCEL CULTURE FROM THE RIGHT. At the other place I would post haphazardly on this theme. Here I’ll start a methodical thread. To begin, here’s Facebook censoring some rather vanilla complaints about Elon Musk.

Mark Thomas@markthomasinfo.bsky.social · 2y ago

So Stand Up to Racism just had their post removed from Facebook for pointing out Musk’s Nazi salute. This is Zuck’s free speech!