David Betz is a well known and respected name to me. This was a hard listen. Yet I think it uncontroversial to say we are a poorer, more fractured and more frustrated society. Is our next war a civil war? louiseperry.co.uk/p/the-comi…

Can you imagine a foreign diplomat in China calling for the CPC Secretary-General to be “beheaded”? No — for basic human decency and diplomatic protocol And if any diplomat did that, their own government would sanction them long before China even expelled them There is no debate

The internet shutdown in Afghanistan happened in real time in my online poetry class on Monday. The women's accounts dropped out one by one. The last to go was Neda. Just before her image froze, I promised to put her poem on Twitter. She's 11. Online was her last hope of education. @WRNAfghanistan

After the catastrophe that was social media smart phones, it beggars belief that we are allowing the same mistakes to be made with AI and chat bots. thetimes.com/article/0da1efd…

Quintus and his wife Clarina made this grave memorial for their dearest, most devoted, and well-deserving son, Alexander. He lived three years, four months, and eighteen days. They beg of you, that when you pass by, you say aloud to Alexander: 'Sit tibi terra levis' - 'May the earth rest lightly on you.' The marble grave marker includes a libation hole, into which visitors could pour libations of wine, milk, or honey as offerings to Alexander in the afterlife. From the Via Ostiense cemetery, 2nd century AD, Capitoline Museums.

Reminds me that Tolkien admitted (self deprecatingly) he had only gotten his teaching position at Oxford ‘cos everybody else had died in WW1. It’s frustrating to think of all the talent lost from those two world wars.

The women killed by men in the UK in 2022 and to whom our report is dedicated

Still no comment. It is beginning to look churlish from @JohnSwinney and one would at least expect @Ross_Greer and @GillianMacMSP to have the courage of their convictions and condemn the announcement.

#InTheSpotlight 📖 Popular with customers this week: 📖 Arms for Russia & The Naval War in the Arctic, 1941-1945 by @ajcboyd 'Boyd has produced yet another definitive account that helps reshape perceptions.' ~@WarshipsIFR 🔗 buff.ly/gTBQJvK

Frank, to a point: Nicola Sturgeon's memoir shows a politician more concerned with positioning than principle, says @JoanMcAlpine holyrood.com/comment/view,fr…

Always like a good reading list! I’ve read Haidt (highly recommended) and Trueman (esoteric for some I suspect, but very good). The others sound interesting. As ever, modern society is a multi faceted beast.

What is the mythos of Britain? The master narrative which determines identities, values and aspirations?

Scottish Nationalists are complaining as government promised to build 13 frigates in Scotland and now they are building 18.

The entire community of Fort Providence has been ordered to evacuate due to wildfires burning in the Northwest Territories of Canada. The community of roughly 700 people got the order this morning at 8:57 AM, and are to relocate to Hay River. The fire ran 11km overnight and is now 2km from the community. Crews have been unable to attack the fire directly due to activity and aircraft have not been able to drop directly on the fire due to visibility. Structure protection measures are underway. Warm weather and low relative humidities have caused increased activity on wildfires in northern canada. Thanks to the subscriber who shared this view of Fire activity in the NWTs.