Book 24 of 2026 Call me a barbarian, and it's probably partly the fault of the bad out of copyright translation I read, but I found the Meditations to be pretty boring. For every one interesting insight there seemed to be ten variations of "remember death comes to us all!"

In one of those places where the course of Scottish history changed in the blink of an eye. "Then awa tae the hill to the lee and the rocks Ere I own a usurper I'll crouch with the fox So tremble false wigs in the midst of yer glee For you've no seen the last of my bonnets and me"

This is what climate change actually looks like

The Courier UK@thecourier.co.uk · 5d ago

Councillors approved plans to knock down more than 150 properties last month.

Can't stand modernity! Went to see the King about a problem, and he had a clerk in the corner just writing things down in Latin. And even worse he gets paid for the privilege. Told my liege-lord "this is unnecessary waste" but supposedly "having writing records" is now "useful" & "efficient!"

GT 🫪@granitetide.bsky.social · 5d ago

the common belief that so-called "back office" roles in the public sector are unnecessary is predicated on an understanding of the world of work that's no deeper than "when mummy hides her face she isn't actually there anymore"

Might go and see Digger for a second time tomorrow Very few films feel like they need a second viewing soon after the first, but then very few films reveal their final blow half way through the credit Also it was really funny & I'm the sort of person who'd go see a play called "Fossil Fools" IRL

Book 22 of 2026 Before there was Robert Burns, 18th century Scotland had John Armstrong and his epic poem on the importance of exercise, good diet and fresh air. (Amazingly it is a fun read - written in a mock serious tone to the Goddess Hygiene!)

Book 21 of 2026 About 5 months late to the party but Pope Leo's intervention on artificial intelligence really is worth reading. An intelligent, thoughtful and robust attempt to understand the current wave of technological changes through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching.

Is Digger a great film? Nope, it's a flawed mess of a film which fails as much as it succeeds. Did I enjoy Digger? Yes, I was chuckling away the whole time. Should you go and see Digger? I think so, at the very least it will mean I will have someone else to talk to about it!

Scoring lots of points on the Glasgow Southside bingo card by attending a gig where plants are going to play the organ to raise awareness of climate change! It's going to be fantastic!

The ability to pour hundreds of millions of pounds into a loss-making TV channel, bent on wrenching British politics sharply to the right, is yet another of the ways in which extreme wealth is trying to remake UK democracy. It needs to be part of any serious conversation about political funding.

Josiah Mortimer@josiahmortimer.bsky.social · last wk.

New GB News accounts are out. Here are their losses to date. Or "spent political donations" if you prefer

Me: That seems like it's AI ***Pangram says 100% human*** Me: Ah, so it's just really badly written

Lincluden Collegiate Church in the north of Dumfries was very beautiful but sadly all the information panels about it were destroyed/covered by foliage. At first I thought it was a site that was half abandoned, but the only surviving sign says everything was done up in 2014!

Stephen Watt@stephenwatt.bsky.social · 2w ago

September Weekend means a great opportunity for a road trip. Took the A76 route to Dumfries - and beyond - and ended up on a Keir Hardie pilgrimage in surprisingly sunny Cumnock!

September Weekend means a great opportunity for a road trip. Took the A76 route to Dumfries - and beyond - and ended up on a Keir Hardie pilgrimage in surprisingly sunny Cumnock!

Made Welsh Rarebit rather than just grilling cheese on toast and honestly might be one of the best life decisions I've ever made. (No picture cause you've got to eat it as soon as the cheese is out of the pan!

Book 20 of 2026 Le Morte d'Arthur remains my favourite non-Welsh medieval Arthurian text* but the 13th century Parzival is surprisingly funny and actually well-paced! Also Sir Gawain fights a cursed bed at one point so what's not like?

Wild to think that when the Aberdeen Craft guilds held pro-Chartist pageant in the 1840s they wrre channelling a tradition that goes back before the Reformation.

"The Empire Long Divided, Must Unite - Emperor Palpatine's Restoration of Galatic Civilisation", Journal for Imperial Security and Stability, (44, 18 AFE), pp 14 - 32

☀️ Starshine@starshine.bsky.social · 3w ago

What’s your fake starwars academic paper

The deeply worrying implication being that Morris Dancing once cast it's terrible shadow over Lowland Scotland! Thankfully those day are past now, and in the past they must remain!

Don't know what I've done to deserve it but my Facebook algorithm is now just AI generated maps of Scottish local government reform. Always knew I shouldn't have renegaded on that deal with the Chaos Gods!

Think I have a new favourite piece of artwork in the Scottish Parliament!

Queen Street can't obviously compete against Glasgow Central, but even in it's far more utilitarian set-up I enjoy the rows of columns painted gold. A small reminder thst the public realm can (and should) have beauty in it.

Personal growth is buying a tea at the cinema rather than a Flat White at 8:30pm.

Book 19 of 2026 Despite having one of the most generic fantasy novel names of all time - this is actually a really good and brutal folk horror-esque fantasy story from the ancient past of 1991.

Narnia books as Isekai Manga

Unfortunately all that remains of the incident is a blurry video of something walking backwards and forwards through the patio.

👻Skulliam🎃Boo-tler🍂Yikes🕷️@yeets.biz · 3w ago

i need to know what happened

The British response to Live at Folsom Prison was not quite as successful...

For a second confused Daniel Craig with Daniel Radcliff and got very confused! Anyway strong Wizard of Oz vibes for Uncle Andrew - which works since he's basically a failed occultist who only accidentally manages to do real magic.

Twlldun@twlldun.bsky.social · 3w ago

This is extremely Dr Who coded, fwiw

The tallest man in the Labour Party being given the biggest job in the Labour Party seems very fitting. Also fair play to the Coop Party you played the best long game in British history!

Co-op News@coopnews.bsky.social · 3w ago

Co-operative Party general secretary Joe Fortune is leaving the post to take up the corresponding role at its sister party, Labour www.thenews.coop/joe-fortune-...

Finally bought Baldur's Gate 3. Let's see if my PC can actually run it once it finishes its 1000 year download!

For professional purposes I watch a lot of the Scottish Parliament and there is something quite unsettling how climate change is no longer something that gets talked about in the future, and instead is now just this constant ongoing crisis.