Erica Packington

We are about to see a live demonstration of the hefty job development aid was doing to mask the horrific reality of our broken system.

Ripples from the catastrophically chaotic closure of USAID are beginning to filter through, and the craven drop in UK funding will see more people die or get just a little bit more desperate.

International development is a hugely over-evaluated sector. I read a stat that UK government wide spending on aid/int dev is evaluated 10 times more than any other government expenditure.

US request to UK over Iran would have raised legal questions, ex-adviser says Peter Ricketts says US likely to have decided it was better not to ask, after minister says no request was made

“I’m very clear in my own mind that Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. That is the greatest threat to stability in the region.”

Is it tho. Is it tho Kier?

No other regional threat you can think of? No one … doing anything at all?
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

Yes? What would you actually say no to? Doesn’t all of that sound good tho

US request to UK over Iran would have raised legal questions, ex-adviser says Peter Ricketts says US likely to have decided it was better not to ask, after minister says no request was made

Good god.

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

Evil Genius who uses her powers for good.

I had understood that when born, the baby has very, very low chances of survival. It’s the grimmest grimmest outcome for all concerned.

To be clear, a healthy baby born from this abhorrent forced birth on a dead woman would not - in any way - justify her treatment.

Also an excellent book exploring the good and bad sides of shame.

Ex: Shaming children for not having lunch money = bad, but shaming politicians for cutting funding for school lunch programs = good AND useful

www.goodreads.com/book/show/59...

Thanks to NPR for explaining that due to the ancient, mysterious culture of Persia, Iranians "don't like to be attacked" npr.org/2025/06/16/n...

Insects are dying: here are 25 easy and effective ways you can help protect them From turning out the lights to letting leaves rot, these small steps can create big changes at home or in the wild

critters and bugs need us to change our behaviours globally, but here's some easy stuff you can do to help

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

I love Lush! Saw Miki Berenyi speak at Kite Festival in 2023, she was amazing.

pretty sure babies and baseballs don't have the same properties to ensure that you would just whack the baby and it would act like a baseball.

or... is this a transubstantiation question? Is it a REAL baby or the ball is now the Baby of Christ like wine/blood-bread/body?

Israeli stands at Paris airshow are shut down ‘by order of French government’ Four booths are hidden from view, prompting fury from Israel’s defence ministry and visiting US Republicans

OK.... I mean, yes, good but also, what the hell, why were they there in the first place and also in what kind of batshit world does ANYONE have a trade show for industrial scale murder

www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

ICE throws gas at protesters who immediately cone it then use boards to help fan the gas back at ICE.

They do a banging vegetarian burger - a big, breaded/deep fried portobello mushroom with cheese in the middle bit.

(They are subject to BDS boycotts alongside some other fast food chains lif that’s one of your considerations)

In loco parentis m'fkers, see you later

Another good reminder from today is that to win this we all need to get used to cooperating with people we sometimes find highly annoying

Editor: You finish that writeup of Trump birthday parade?

Journalist: sure did boss, real fuckin bootlicking just like you asked

More of this tone please 😏

Cat distribution system! It’s the BEST

Well that sounds like an awesome turn of events

Sounds absolutely great. Looking forward to reading!

Another time I was driving in London in my little powder blue Mini (old size) and stopped at a pedestrian crossing in Westminster to let Michael Portillo cross the road. He made eye contact, half waved and then trotted across the road. He’s shorter than I imagined he’d be.

I asked Jools Holland for directions in Richmond, Surrey one evening. They were appalling and we stayed lost.

leftists: that thing you teach us in school to be terrified of is happening

historians: that thing is definitely happening

star wars: here is a beat-for-beat breakdown of how the thing happens, but with pew pew lasers. we know you watched it

news outlets: these protesters are out of control

Wilted-will Dropsy? Self-hatred Stasis?

Solidarity - there today as well. Arranged the day around a 1pm meeting that was actually at 12 noon (so I missed it). Now I am ashamed for both missing it and wasting a morning (because I couldn't very well START anything with a 1pm meeting). Yay brains.

bah, sorry love, that fucking sucks. Hope you can find some grounding things/cat snuggles/something to alleviate.

I mean, there is perfection and then there is dieworkwear gently schooling someone while educating us all in really interesting history, while staying within his particular, relatively niche focus.