Mike Collins

Baturday
Bat World Sanctuary

What an odd question. Honey . . . I have houseplants and dead AAA batteries smarter than Trump.

Oh he'd be a Viscount:-)

The single most succinct, true, honest summary of our time & task. From @barackobama.bsky.social. No-one can say it any better.

To quote Michelle: When they go low, we go high.

[speech at Jesse Jackson's funeral service]

It is absolutely insane that the US appears to have targeted desalination plants first – putting them onto the board. Iran seems to have already retaliated against one in Bahrain. This is one of the most obvious ways this could spiral.

Backed this because of course- Matt always delivers, and the plot here is an immediate want-to-read for me

We spent a lot of time, lives and treasure, not least of all spending on the Chilcot Inquiry, learning the lessons of the Iraq War the hard way

Stating that Suez was our last great misadventure and ignoring Iraq is a deliberate obfuscation by Hannan & others

Our choices now are informed by Chilcot

The Chilcot Checklist, for how to optimally plan and execute military operations in light of learning from the Iraq War. It states: The Chilcot Checklist 1 VISION: why do we care? What does this mean for British interests? What are the risks of acting or doing nothing, including in the longer term? What is different now? 2 ANALYSIS: what IS happeNINg NOw? What are your sources of ground truth/evidence? Have assumptions been exposed to analytical tools or external challenge? 3 SCENarIOS: what might happen next? Have you looked at a range of options, and scenarios and consequences that could flow from these? 4 OptIONS: what should we do? Have you designed your options collaboratively, built in challenge and presented Ministers with clear information on risks, opportunities and costs? 5 LegaL ImpLICatIONS: how do we eNSure actION IS lawful? What is the wider legal context? Are Ministers aware of any legal risks? What are the policy implications? How will you ensure that any international legal basis remains sound if circumstances change? 6 POLICY AND Strategy: what does suCCeSS LOOk LIke? Does a clear strategy, and a feasible course of action that will meet policy objectives, exist? Is the approach supported by analysis? 7 reSOurCE: what do we need to deLIVer? What are the resource implications of your options? 8 PLANNING AND DOING: how should we do it? Have you planned for a range of possible contingencies? Who is accountable and responsible for what? 9 POLICY perfOrmaNCE: how wILL you mONItor performaNCe? How will you measure and evaluate success/failure? 10 EVALuatION: IS the pOLICy workINg? When and how will you review this policy? Has the context changed? Have UK objectives/interests changed? Do you need to change direction?

Way beyond military strategy & operations this checklist makes sense

Like any critical situation though the emotional urge maybe to think it’s a unique crisis & you should throw out the rules, my learning from Critical Care in health is that in crises you lean into what you’ve learnt not panic away

Section from the Chilcot Inquiry operational guidance saying: You should be concerned if the real world is sending you the following signals:  The desired end-state looks increasingly unachievable.  There is divergence between what is actually happening and understanding of it at the strategic decision-making level.  There is a gap between public rhetoric and our ability to deliver. Does the narrative lack credibility?  Available resources fall short of the ambition; and there’s no flex should something go wrong.

Following section from the Chilcot Operational guidance, from after the first image saying: Decisions are being made, but some parts of the Department or Government aren’t implementing them.  Additional commitments are being assumed without full exposure of the implications at the strategic decision- making level – the tactical tail is wagging the strategic dog.  Something is obviously wrong, but no- one is questioning it. You should be concerned if decision-making is displaying any of the following tendencies:  Collective understanding feels more like ‘groupthink’ than a rational assessment of the situation based on diverse viewpoints.  No-one is applying critical thinking to the options; or it feels like you’re working off a best-case scenario.

Third and final image from the Chilcot Operational Guidance about signs you should be concerned by, saying: The strategy is weak; poorly articulated; unchanging when everything around it is; or being re-written constantly without ever being finalised (and with no evidence that it can be or is being implemented).  Effective decision-making is clearly impaired by structures, processes or tribalism (for example, people are fighting their institutional corners rather than thinking about the national interest).  Excessive self-confidence (‘hubris’) or inertia are shaping our involvement (‘something like this worked before, so will again’).  The timescales for decision-making are being compressed by politics/military planning rather than by real world developments.  We aren’t stopping doing the things that aren’t working.

Given how the next days & weeks could go, as well as the Government taking heed of the cautions Britain has learnt the hard way, which it is, it would be good if the Official Opposition and unofficial opposition did too

The extent to which Kemi & Nigel and their outriders dismiss this is shocking

History rhymes

You could also imagine that name would work for William Gladstone's Minister for Industry in 1901

hi hi!

with all the darkness, something to cheer you up- the Lamborghini Lothario getting banged up while... riding on the local version of Flixbus...

yay! Well done!

Oh yes. So much better. And John Noble is amazing. He is far more than just a goofy mad scientist, you will come to love him

Fringe put me off in the pilot ep as it just seemed like an X-Files knock-off, and it appeared to steal the set up to The Strain. However, it grows and deepens as it goes on with some audacious swings (the reveal of just *where* she ends up is jaw dropping). A modern classic SF show.

That Iranian ship that was sunk by the US submarine was in the middle of a training exercise WITH THAT SUBMARINE?!

You back-stabbing assholes.

Beautiful cover. So classic 2000ad

It's also one of the reasons I just do European shows now, where in many cases they actually pay *you* to be there (as well as covering hotel/travel)

Oh absolutely, 10/10

I'm going to say Dolores

See also Cabaret

And I'm not being ironic - the way society collapses around them as folks turn into monsters is prime horror. If it wasn't for the fact they escape, as in real life, it absolutely counts.

It's a genuinely scary film.

Let’s replace “my spirit animal” and “my patronis” and “my Harry Potter house” with “my tardis companion”

Post an iconic horror movie image

One happy pooch

Every episode the sub would get shaken from side to side, you'd think the crew had constant concussion

The following is the text of the email that Penelope Hegseth sent to her son, Pete Hegseth, on April 30, 2018, as he was in the middle of divorcing his wife, Samantha. One sentence was redacted by The New York Times for privacy reasons.

Son, I have tried to keep quiet about your character and behavior, but after listening to the way you made Samantha feel today, I cannot stay silent. And as a woman and your mother I feel I must speak out.. You are an abuser of women — that is the ugly truth and I have no respect for any man that belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around, and uses women for his own power and ego. You are that man (and have been for years) and as your mother, it pains me and embarrasses me to say that, but it is the sad, sad truth. I am not a saint, far from it.. so don't throw that in my face, but your abuse over the years to women (dishonesty, sleeping around, betrayal, debasing, belittling) needs to be called out.

Sam is a good mother and a good person (under the circumstances that you created) and I know deep down you know that. For you to try to label her as "unstable" for your own advantage is despicable and abusive. Is there any sense of decency left in you? She did not ask for or deserve any of what has come to her by your hand. Neither did Meredith. I know you think this is one big competition and that we have taken her side... bunk... we are on the side of good and that is not you. (Go ahead and call me self-righteous, I dont' care) Don't you dare run to her and cry foul that we shared with us... that's what babies do. It's time for someone (I wish it was a strong man) to stand up to your abusive behavior and call it out, especially against women

We still love you, but we are broken by your behavior and lack of character. I don't want to write emails like this and never thought I would. If it damages our relationship further, then so be it, but at least I have said my piece. [Redacted] And yes, we are praying for you (and you don't deserve to know how we are praying, so skip the snarky reply) I don't want an answer to this... I don't want to debate with you. You twist and abuse everything I say anyway. But... On behalf of all the women (and I know it's many) you have abused in some way, I say... get some help and take an honest look at yourself... Mom

a man who gets an email like this from his own mother should be legally required to reveal it to every woman he ever meets ever ever

I covered Wills and Kate's Royal Wedding for the Dutch version of the One Show, doing vox pops in the crowds