Tony Keen

That assumes that Farage has the faintest clue who Michael Collins was. He'd probably say "You mean the astronaut?"

Same for "Operation Epic Catechism".

For some reason, I like the sound of "Operation Epic Goodwood".

Operation Epic Chariot.

Operation Epic Chastise.

🧵

I have no idea how many people were in Fabulous when I saw them live - I just remember them being not very good.

Kinda like calling Ian Stewart the "fifth Stone" because you've decided to ignore Bill Wyman.

Perhaps what they meant by disrupting the idea of the "invisible fifth member" was that they had a fifth member who they literally treated as if they were invisible, never referred to him and never spoke to him, and so the manager could claim to be the fifth member of the band.

There are clearly five people on stage, none of whom is James Brown.

You see, I could get behind that, quite readily.

"And counting," he added.

For all their citation of The Stooges and Pistols as their touchstones, the bad they most remind me of is The Dave Clark Five.

I do like the reference to the 'invisible fifth member' of a band *that already has five people in it*.

I saw Fabulous once, supporting The Fall. Quite who thought that was a good idea is beyond me.

My view is that cat toys and paraphernalia only exist in order to have something in the cardboard boxes that they are really interested in.

Tomorrow Wes Streeting will remove trans minors ability to access, and doctors to prescribe, cross-sex hormones.

Try as it might Labour will never eradicate trans people. They cannot, and should not, change who they are. All Labour will do is make trans lives harder - with more harm and more death.

Also, Heath had served in the war, in the Royal Artillery. Wilson had volunteered, but got treated as a reserved occupation. But plenty of his Cabinet will have seen combat.

It's a bit too early for me to remember, but it's worth noting (1) it was a Democrat President-LBJ-who asked Wilson for troops, (2) the war was massively unpopular amongst the British public, and (3) Edward Heath's policy as leader of the Opposition and later as PM was also not to send troops.

Maybe so, but that wasn't the point I was making. The OP implies that the USA did nothing to support the UK before Pearl Harbor, and that's a false narrative.

Trump is an idiot, but this 'history lesson' minimises what the US did do between September 1939 and December 1941 (reworking the Neutrality Act to allow cash-and-carry purchases of military equipment, Lend-Lease, destroyers-for-bases, aggressive actions towards U-boats from mid-1941, etc.).

You wouldn't know it from the title, but in Skating Wilder Brandon Dumais and AJ Dungo present the history of skateboarding coupled with their own experiences. "a book the creators themselves would have worshipped at fourteen" @flyingeyebooks.bsky.social

theslingsandarrows.com/skating-wild...

We're looking at Westerns today and love Redemption by @christafaust.bsky.social & Mike Deodato. "Creatively violent with a point to make, Redemption is a first class Western".

theslingsandarrows.com/redemption/

Dear Shabana, I notice today that you referred to me in your speech on immigration at the IPPR think tank. You said: “A party leader should not be on the beaches of France encouraging people to make a perilous crossing on small boats.” I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised especially after the hateful Labour campaign in Gorton and Denton, but this is just the latest in a string of lies peddled by a discredited Government who intentionally fan the flames of racism and division. When I went to Calais, I was not there to encourage people to travel to the UK. I was there to see at first hand the suffering your Government and successive Governments have done in demonising migrants in a pathetic bid to pander to the base instincts of Reform and the flawed strategy of Morgan McSweeney. As you will know, if you even bothered to research my visit instead of taking Reform talking points, I was there to witness the brutality of families living in tents in freezing temperatures. I filled water tanks and picked up litter. What that visit did do is confirm my belief that if we are to smash the boat gangs and stop the boats, we need to offer safer and managed routes for migrants to come to this country. Showing compassion as a politician is not a crime. In fact, we need to see much more of it. It reminded me of a young MP who in October 2015 spent three days in Lesbos helping migrants fleeing war-torn Syria. She posted videos on X, talked about handing out water and croissants to refugees and food parcels. When she returned to the UK, she wrote a very moving piece in the New Statesman. She said “we have to work with our European partners and create new, safe, and legal routes for refugees to get to Europe. We cannot abandon them to their fate, left as prey for smugglers whilst risking death on the seas.” She said “maybe we can make ourselves feel better by saying no-one is making them get on the boats. And again, the Home Secretary is not entirely wrong when …

Dear Shabana,

Let's clear some things up around migration and remember we're talking about people's lives.

"A Better World is Possible is one step towards a 2050 where climate justice prevailed". @meerasub.bsky.social & Danica Novgorodoff explain climate change via the experiences of young activists. @abetterworldbook.bsky.social @firstsecond.bsky.social

theslingsandarrows.com/a-better-wor...

Yay! A fourth Agents of S.U.I.T. book out this week, spotlighting Septipus. More hilarity from @johngreenart.bsky.social @drhastings.bsky.social and @patnlewis.bsky.social @01firstsecond.bsky.social "Sides will once again split with laughter across the globe!"

theslingsandarrows.com/agents-of-s-...

Out from 2000AD this week is a new volume of Brink by Dan Abnett and I.N.J. Culbard. We love how it so quietly deals with the earth-shattering, and it's the best volume to date. @2000ad.bsky.social

theslingsandarrows.com/brink-book-s...

Can @danslott.bsky.social freshen Superman? On the basis of Superman Unlimited the answer is resoundingly "yes". Good call on unconventional art from Rafael Albuquerque as well. Kryptonite Kingdom is out this week.
theslingsandarrows.com/superman-unl...

@alangratz.bsky.social adapts his own novel Refugee with artist @sydfini.bsky.social and by telling three personal stories from different eras it thoroughly explains to a young audience what a refugee is and what they're fleeing from.
theslingsandarrows.com/refugee-the-...

And the Sensible children overhearing Mr Lovepump and Mrs Bitchqueen.