Dave Madden

"DERANGED SCUMBAGS".

As we used to say in the playground - takes one to know one.

This post really made me think. Labour needs to take on causes and enemies that will resonate with left bloc voters. Doing so is a vital values indicator. What's more they are there. Just this week: right to roam (cause) and Gulf tax exiles (enemy). Under Starmer, though, I can't see it happening.

Andrew Hesselden: Unlocking the Brexit Impasse with Freedom of Movement YouTube video by Andrew Hesselden

Freedom of Movement is about more than travel. It’s the freedom to live, work, study and build a life across Europe without needing permission first. Andrew Hesselden explains why restoring it matters — and why the UK-EU debate can’t move forward until we confront what was lost.
youtu.be/JYA3gVGxlnw

Kennedy Center’s President Is Leaving After Tumultuous Year

Now that he has nearly destroyed the Kennedy Center, doing damage to other DC institutions along the way - the National Symphony, the Washington Opera - Ric Grenell is leaving, perhaps to ruin something else
www.nytimes.com/2026/03/13/a...

So this is where we are .... A genocide enabler & a rapist is a "gracious and courteous host"

So this is where we are ....

A genocide enabler & a rapist is a "gracious and courteous host"

Journalist “When will the war be over”

Trump “When I feel it…feel it in my bones“ (spurs)

America now relying on a sick puppy’s “feelings” to decide if a war should end.

“Increased costs and decreases in output,” Mr. D’Onofrio said, according to the recording, “that’s resulted in a doubling of cost for story-units since 2020.”

Calling dibs on the title: “From Journalism to `Story Units’: Billionaires and the Media in the Twenty-First Century.”

By not taking on GB News, Ofcom are allowing them to operate as a normal provider and that gets into your fragmented information architecture whether you like it or not.

So now a small child heard racism (I couldn't get to the right remote quick enough!)

Nigel Farage regrets running 'bankrupt' Worcestershire Council The Reform UK leader says he wishes the party

“Farage has said he wishes the party "hadn't bothered" to take minority control of Worcestershire County Council, because of its financial problems”

V much summing up his approach to power.
Grifting and gobshiting - yes please.
Hard work and responsibility - god no.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

This is a truly excellent piece on why low birth rates are simply not a problem, and why pronatalism is clearly being promoted for political, not scientific and not practical, reasons

The only sane response to Trump’s war is to build wind and solar power infrastructure.

Just so we're all clear, this is a war crime and would be punishable by life or death under U.S. law.

‘No clear goal’: lack of Iran war plan has unleashed chaos and could stymie US military for decades, say critics White House contends with reality of shoddy preparations for war and unclear conditions for victory

"this is increasingly looking like a cluster fuck...reason is that step one of any plan is to establish a goal – targeting should be in pursuit of that goal. .., but we don’t have a clear goal, and that lies not on the Pentagon planners, but on Donald Trump.”
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Funny enough I stopped listening when Amol - it’s all about me - was appointed

Healthcare unions express concern over AI policy The Irish Congress of Trade Unions' group of healthcare unions has said that any integration of Artificial Intelligence into the public health service must be done in consultation with workers.

FFS!!! We don’t even have digital health records in Ireland, yet the health minister just released an AI health strategy?!!! 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

#HSE #DepartmentOfHealth #SpéirGorm #SpeirGorm #SpéirGhorm #HealthMinster #AIHealthStrategy #HealthNews #AI #NoAI #Ridiculous #Ireland

www.rte.ie/news/2026/03...

They are now refusing to state the number of American casualties in the Iran war. When regimes do this, it is a HUGE RED FLAG.

On Elon Musk's firm being approved by Ofgem to supply energy to British homes, Lib Dem leader Ed Davey:

"Ed Miliband must step in and bar Tesla from holding an energy licence.

"Elon Musk is a threat to our national security...We can’t have the lights go out because he’s having a strop on X.”

Free Screening: We Only Want the Earth: The Life & Ideas of James Connolly Join us for a free in-person screening of Alan Gilsenan's feature documentary exploring James Connolly's life and ideas followed by a Q&A.

There's a free screening of We Only Want the Earth, a new film about James Connolly, at Dublin's Light House on 20 April @ 6pm with a filmmaker Q&A. Link to tickets below.

www.eventbrite.com/e/free-scree...

Even taking Trump’s confused reasons for the Iran war at face value, it’s still a total disaster | Jonathan Freedland Two weeks in, it’s increasingly clear that the US-led war has taken every problem it aimed to solve – and made it worse, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Nigel Farage wants to ban same sex marriage, and unban handguns.

He thinks he lives in the USA.

Not even the Nazis expressly announced they were committing war crimes. Indeed, at Nuremberg war crimes were denied.

But here, openly, the US Secretary for Defense is explicitly admitting to committing war crimes.

Hegseth - a pumped up, deeply inadequate, violent, alcoholic, war criminal - believes the US has the absolute right to kill anyone at anytime in any place across the world. You, me, our families, anyone. It is shameful he holds the position he does. He should be in prison.

Clematis with Georgian building behind

Clematis, Broughton Place, Edinburgh

This is excellent.

I once wrote to @ofcom.bsky.social asking that they watch the 9pm to 11pm programme on GB"News" for a week in order to get a feel for the true nature of the channel. I didn't get a reply and I don't believe they bothered to watch. I really have come to believe that this regulator has been bought.

It is extremely difficult to construct a practical case against this position. Net Zero is now as much about patriotism as it is about climate change.

Trump says Iran would risk ‘life and safety’ by participating in World Cup In a statement on Thursday morning, Trump appeared to U-turn on what he told FIFA president Gianni Infantino less than 48 hours ago.

Latest on Iran at WC: Trump on Truth Social - Iran would risk ‘life and safety’ by participating & it wouldn't be 'appropriate'

Embarrassing for FIFA's Infantino - 48hrs ago on Insta he said that Trump told him country would be welcome

Story @adamcrafton.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/athletic/711...

“Elon Musk’s Tesla given go-ahead to supply electricity in Great Britain.” A subheading underneath says: “Ofgem licence means firm can replicate Texas setup of powering homes, businesses and EVs.”

Ed Miliband must step in and bar Tesla from holding an energy licence.

Elon Musk is a threat to our national security and clearly not a fit person to operate in our energy industry.

We can’t have the lights go out because he’s having a strop on X.

Dear @ofgem.gov.uk ….ffs

On Ofgem’s decision to grant Elon Musk’s Tesla Energy company a licence to supply electricity in Britain, Naomi Smith of Best for Britain: “We all know the British public rightly view Elon Musk as a profoundly dangerous and malign influence, who belongs nowhere near our critical infrastructure."