Rob Parsons

what's most disturbing about this, in my opinion, is that they seem to actually believe what Trump says.

And so we write to brilliant postgraduate students from Sudan, withdrawing the offers and scholarships they won in open competition with the best in the world. A sad day for the University of Oxford.

I once mentioned the Falklands War to a group of students. Blank incomprehension all round. Fortunately there was a huge map of the world painted on the wall outside the classroom. The rest of the tutorial took place in the corridor.

Disappointed to see Labour MPs vote down @libdems.org.uk proposals to cap the cost of branded school uniform. We want to put ££ back into parents' pockets and give schools freedom to set their own uniform policy. The Government's approach risks putting up uniform prices.

A state visit from our King would be seen as yet another huge diplomatic coup for President Trump, so it should not be given to someone who repeatedly insults and damages our country.

I reckon I beat you all - degarelix. Now that's a proper wizard name.

More to the point, who is distributing Donald Trump body parts around Pittsburgh?

Couldest thou perhaps dumbest down thy gangling lofty words for the no-muffins in the back row?

the thing is that you *are* all wrong if you can't promise to sell a million copies AND film rights.

My lord! If you ever find out who did it, I will come along and hold them down while you omelette their face into a pasty.

any programme in which the first word is "Celebrity...". Don't go there.

Very good except it doesn't acknowledge how much Labour owed its win to Reform splitting the right wing vote rather than their own success. Also, completely buys into the notion that immigration causes economic insecurity, which is poppycock.

well, if you will drive in the vicinity of Crawley, it's not surprising you have some near misses.

to your mother you always will be her child, and she's the one who counts. 😆

I agree, apart from the bit where he, apparently unironically, allows Mancroft to describe himself as “deeply impoverished”.

The following exchange has just taken place in my house. I take no responsibility for it.*

[A] Tea at eight o'clock.

[A] Now I have indigestion.

<long pause>

[A] because I ate a clock.

<pause>

[B] you must be having a bad time.

[B] probably quite alarming.

*well, only a little.

If by some extraordinary otherworldly miracle we won the Champions league this season, then next season we could be playing in the Championship and the Champions League. #COYS

* Both occurred this week, in the month in which I will mark my 6th year of #LongCOVID.

Please stop #COVID #Reinfections at source: wear a mask ( #N95), open a window ( #Ventilation), run a #HEPA ( #Filtration), monitor #IAQ with a #CO2 tracker, & get vaccinated.

#LongCOVID is when, suddenly -

▶️ You can't remember if Sybil is spelled Syble, Sybel, or Sybal: you've lived in a street of this name for 7 years, & you're a writer, spelling is one of your strengths.

▶️ Your morning coffee tastes of chicken: you love coffee, have been vegetarian for decades.

We looked up a book about druidry on eBay. The first book listed under "Explore related items" was "Principles of Engineering Thermodynamics". Has eBay identified a link to a whole new understanding of science?

And which should we buy for the library?

Book cover In the foreground a figure that could be a girl or a young woman walks away, clad in knee length white stockings and an orange raincoat. She has blue straight hair. She walks ona wide poorly maintained cobble path. Only just emerging from a thick mist are a forbidding concrete wall on one side and on the other a wall with trees topping it and a large tower. Text: The number one bestseller Lesley Thomson The Detective's Daughter. "Lesley Thomson is a class above" Ian Rankin.

Ringmer review

A reader writes

Lesley Thomson; The Detective's Secret

Brilliantly twisty. A lovely read.

@stephenkb.bsky.social pointing out a fundamental truth about the recent history of UK politics:
"One reason why the country is in such a mess is that we are living in denial about the challenges we face. Every time politicians avoid saying exactly what those are is a missed opportunity."

and 1-1 in the 85th.

Every time somebody says, it's a distraction, they reveal that they think Trump thinks like normal politicians. He doesn't, he never has, he never will. And they still don't understand this.

Picture of Marjane Satrapi alongside a quote from her. The quote reads: The world is not divided into countries. The world is not divided between East and West. You are American, I am Iranian, we don't know each other, but we talk together and we understand each other perfectly. The difference between you and your government is much bigger than the difference between you and me. And the difference between me and my government is much bigger than the difference between me and you. And our governments are very much the same... - Marjane Satrapi, Iranian-French graphic novelist

Thinking about this quote from Persepolis creator Marjane Satrapi again.

I'm looking forward to us playing at Lewes in a few years time.

To be fair they're almost right, they just missed out a couple of words - the Iranian attack happened after Trump *said he* “lost patience with negotiations”.

well, I have to say it's shockingly bad form to speak to people in their own language. 🤔

That is extremely funny and achingly true.

There's been discourse on Long Covid on this site the past few days. I think some people are thoroughly underestimating how hellish chronic illness can make you feel, even if you aren't at an immediate risk of dying.