EricaRhubarb

'That is the central lie of the Maga project. Making Trump feel great is the undoing of American greatness.' - Rafael Behr.

Chris Murphy: "I Just came from a two hour, closed door classified briefing on the war. It just confirmed to me it's totally incoherent. We are not gonna be able to achieve any of our stated objectives ... this is a disaster of epic proportions, a 10 day debacle"

On Trump’s absurd suggestion that Iran has Tomahawk. Of course they don’t. A bigger point here: 🇺🇦 has been lobbying for Tomahawks for years, to no avail. It’s not a new weapon, but it’s *very* high end. Only US and 🇬🇧, 🇦🇺,🇳🇱 has them. So Trump thinks Iran should have what Ukraine doesn’t?

Sussex VC warns of ‘profound consequences’ from study visa ban - Research Professional News Sasha Roseneil appeals to parliamentarians over suspension of visas for Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan

“Restricting access to UK universities for outstanding students from these countries risks undermining this legacy and diminishing the UK’s standing as a trusted partner in international development.” (Sasha Roseneil)

And the information provided is provided by idiots.

This is the content I am here for

A cartoon by Ron Cobb (1975), showing a shadow of US B-52 bomber above cratered landscape. Two people who look like Vietnamese peasants look up; one says “they’re having problems with their economy again.”

This is from 1975.

WATCH: Nigel Farage and Robert Jenrick change fuel prices in Buxton at a Reform UK petrol station They have pledged to reinstate the 5p fuel duty cut in their first Budget

Farage and Jenrick pull a stunt in Buxton in protest at the fuel prices which are going up - on account of a war they both back - started by a man Farage flew thousands of miles to "have dinner with" only for said man to decide he was busy.

So much dignity going on.

Farage delivers energy sermon at the pump – just don’t mention the war Reform leader’s Derbyshire petrol station stunt grinds to halt when questions on Iran leave him short-tempered

“Last week, Farage had been all in favour of bombing Iran. Whatever the Americans wanted, Nige would give it to them. Never mind the cost. Never mind the bodybags.”
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

This 18-year-old Afghan girl nearly escaped the Taliban – then we took her visa away She resisted a forced marriage and studied in secret, winning scholarships to leave Kabul and attend a British university. But now the home secretary’s ban on study visas has removed her one chance of...

18 yr old Bahar had offers from York and Reading, but 'thanks to Shabana Mahmood, she will now never escape the Taliban.'

'Britain has decided that the girl who fought the Taliban’s agenda, who learned English in secret, who turned down a forced marriage, who won her place, is an asylum risk.'

At the Open University we used to receive Commonwealth Scholarships for up to 20 students in east Africa to study the MSc in Environmental Management; this year just 5; as climate change hits the most vulnerable..

Indeed!

Yes and I can’t see the £ being replaced by the € going down well with many. FOM yes, trade alliances yes, custom union yes. For whatever reason sterling is a sticking point.

'Extinct' butterfly spotted across England A butterfly classed as extinct in the UK for more than 30 years has been seen at sites across southern England.Eagle-eyed nature lovers have captured photographs of Large Tortoiseshells in Kent, Hamps...

'Extinct' butterfly spotted across England butterfly-conservation.org/news-and-blo...

#booksky

Baby-brain nonsense to pretend this a matter of personal courage from the captains and crew, and not the straight-forward economics of prohibitively astronomical insurance costs.

Also, easy to be vicariously brave about sailing a giant floating bomb under Shaheds when you're safe in a Fox studio.

Frankish rivers styled as a tube-map.

This morning's lecture on the vikings in Francia was enhanced by this graphic of Frankish rivers, taken from @ccooijmans.bsky.social's admirable book.

Just another normal morning where the President of the United States shares completely false claims from a conspiracy theory site. I’ve confirmed with election officials in Maricopa County that this is 100% BS.

Trump is heading for a hard reckoning over Iran It isn’t a sign of Trump Derangement Syndrome to consider the Trump administration's Iran war video obscene

An utterly brilliant article on a revolting spectacle. Do Read. @questingvole.bsky.social

spectator.com/article/trum...

Union street fire: support Haus of Hair Last month, my wonderful hairdresser and friend Gemma left her job to fulfil her dream of starting her own salon with fellow stylist Aimee. 'Haus of Hair' opened last week. I visited on Friday and wa...

My hairdresser and friend opened her business last week. Tonight it burned to the ground. This is devastating.

I’ve set up a fundraiser. If you haven’t done anything for international women’s day yet, here’s a chance to support a women-run business in need: www.paypal.com/pools/c/9nhn...

Good news that the digitised Beowulf manuscript has survived the digital equivalent of the Cottonian Library fire, the British Library cyberattack of 2023

Medieval Women and the Book This course reviews some of the evidence for the role of women – as scribes, illuminators, patrons and authors – in the creation of medieval manuscripts in the western world.

In June the wonderful Michelle Brown is teaching her summer school course on Medieval Women @ #LRBS @ies-sas.bsky.social. Book now 👇

ies.sas.ac.uk/study-traini...

Our favourite summer opera festival, the Grange Festival near Winchester, has reduced tickets for those aged 18-35, with some costing just £5 for 18-25 year olds. It's lovely to see so many young people in the audience. Booking opens Monday.
thegrangefestival.co.uk/under-36/

Brilliant 🏆

Isata Kanneh-Mason absolutely tears through Rachmaninoff’s fiendish Piano Concerto No. 3 with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

Reposted by @lynngerridog

#OTD 6 March 1052 death of Queen Emma. Queen consort twice over (of Æthelred the Unready, Cnut) mother of 2 kings (Harðacnut, Edward the Confessor), rival of another royal mother of kings, Ælfgifu of Northampton. buff.ly/lcU3Z6V
@AnnieWHistory

This is excellent. Read it and reflect on everything.

It’s been true for years that if you get compensation for anything, I.e. insurance paid out for injuries in an accident, after you were given disabled benefits, you have to pay something back. Friends caught by this and were rocked back and shocked.

Reading opens up the world – with all its pleasures and pains – Letters Letters: Readers respond to Charlotte Higgins’s article on the National Year of Reading

"Reading can enable us to become less isolated, more understanding of others’ concerns, more human. Don’t decry reading for pleasure, just ensure that it doesn’t stop there."
Henrietta Dombey writes: www.theguardian.com/books/2026/m...

Was this always going to happen? And then a huge reset or a dystopian future.

Oh yes!