a picture of a huge, low, heavy cloud of black oil over Tehran
This is the cloud of oil currently hovering over Tehran, released when the US bombed the city's oil depots. A stew of particulate matter, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzene, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, heavy metals & volatile organic compounds is raining down into the city right now. 1/2
Would it have been so much worse if it had been a nuke? Consider the fact that birth deficiencies and rates of leukemia and cancer in Iraq, post 2003- invasion, are worse than what was observed in Hiroshima. In Japan, rates of leukemia rose by 660% in the years following the bomb. In Falluja, it increased by 2,200%. The toxicity of war has never been greater, and we are in no way reckoning with the scope of the horror that's been unleashed.
The real damage comes years later, with elevated cancer rates, leukemia clusters, respiratory disease, cardiovascular failure, neurological damage, reproductive issues.
This is chemical warfare, with delayed carnage. Worse than radiation sickness.
I am ashamed to be American today.
2/2
"Some of these [news coverage] approaches in the context of climate change, I just don't think work anymore."
- @chasecain.bsky.social
"It started to really piss me off when I was told to keep going back to companies that have only lied to reporters for 40 years." - @emorwee.bsky.social
Bad take. UBI is unconditional access to resources. It says, "I trust you. Show me what you can do." It is the power to refuse until the pay is right. It is the freedom to choose paid or unpaid work. It fosters community and societal participation.
And ending survival fear is a psychological need.
The Epstein axis responded to the burning of their deity in Tehran by launching attacks on several Iranian oil facilities with the apparent attitude of “If we can’t have the oil, you can’t either”. They are quite literally going scorched earth.
www.councilestatemedia.uk/p/epstein-ax...
💩Great explainer here from Windrush Wasp about how multi-billion-pound 'highly regulated' utilities with highly paid CEOs are making money by systematically breaking the law.
We need to flush these crooks out of our water system. We need public ownership.
Excited to share this new report from the @cynghrairalwylltio.cymru 🦅
This growing movement is uniting organisations – including us – landowners, communities and decision-makers to restore thriving ecosystems, boost rural livelihoods and celebrate Welsh landscapes and our wild nature.
🧵1/2
A quick preview of today's hearing at the Undercover Policing Inquiry, where the day is devoted to questioning Guy Taylor from Globalise Resistance, which was infiltrated by spycop HN118 'Simon Wellings' who was deployed 2001-07.
youtu.be/xUf39eJn32I
I just assume there was a percentage of gay dinosaurs.
The Necessary Guide to Role Models For Men Boys need role models !! Or we'll mollycoddle them to Milly Molly Mandy-ness Disavow them of their god given power Turn them into "an absolute shower" We must Show them what they can achieve How they can lead With examples of tenacity Perspicacity Human prime meat That won't accept defeat Let them be inspired to be.... As fearless as Greta As brave as Malala Boadicea and Rosa (Luxembourg and Parks) Imaginations like Wharton and Atwood And Muriel Spark's Dream of space with Cristoferreti, Tereshkova and Sharman Or taking to the stage like Eilish or Lauper or Dolly Parton You don't need to "grow a pair!" To breath revolution into the air We will only be fully grown When it doesn't matter if the letter of the chromosome Can be y or can be x And our heroes can be any sex
Poem for #internationalwomensday
Daily Telegraph disinformation check
This blog challenges statements made by The Daily Telegraph by quoting other sources and giving our own editorial view
westenglandbylines.co.uk/opinion/dail...
Nigel Farage made a huge thing about going to the US, about his relationship with Trump. About Chagos.
But he didn’t meet Trump. He was shut out.
Meanwhile he’s furiously backpedaling on his Iran position because of the polls.
The weasel has no power.
A road cuts through Grand Teton National Park. Tall pines intersect the road giving rise to the alpenglow lit Grand Tetons shining red and purple.
I like refried beans. That’s why I wanna try fried beans, because maybe they’re just as good and we’re just wasting time. - Mitch Hedberg
Pic of the day
#photography
🟨 Print Edition — Nazir Afzal: ‘Class Discrimination Isn’t a Complex Mystery – It’s a Structural Issue Quietly Enforced, Politely Denied, Endlessly Deferred’
The Chancellor of Manchester University has co-authored a new report, ‘Class Ceiling…
Climate crisis on track to destroy capitalism, warns top insurer #ClimateAndEcologicalCrisis
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
"Grok is funny"
via Peter Corr
#AntiReform
#SocialistSunday
Muslim voices speaking about war in the Middle East are treated not as participants in democratic debate but as suspects within it. Our motives are interrogated, our loyalties questioned, and our words interpreted through a presumption of bad faith.
www.thenational.scot/politics/259...
Some very cool / freshly uploaded you-are-there footage of Talking Heads at a Connecticut country club on the Fear of Music tour. www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRcT...
THREAD: I’m going to share this thread here to clearly state my perspective on electric vehicles, car dependency and better cities, for all those who frequently ask me about it, including media, elected leaders and many others. Here goes. Please share it frequently if you think it will help. 🧵#EVS
Girl Overlooking the City This evocative black-and-white photograph by Takeshi Kawaguchi captures a young girl from behind as she gazes out of a high-rise window at a bustling Japanese city below. She is wearing a thick, textured knit coat with a ruffled collar and her dark hair is pulled back into a neat ponytail. The girl stands close to the large glass pane, which acts as a quiet barrier between her still figure and the organized chaos of the urban environment. Beyond the window, a wide city street stretches into the distance, filled with the blurred shapes of cars, buses, and pedestrians navigating a large crosswalk. The buildings lining the thoroughfare create deep, vertical shadows, adding a sense of scale and density to the scene. The choice of monochrome emphasizes the high-contrast patterns of the city's infrastructure—the striped pedestrian crossings and the rectangular blocks of the architecture—contrasted against the soft, organic form of the child. It is a contemplative image that highlights a moment of quiet wonder amidst the constant movement of modern life.
Girl overlooking the city. Japan. by Takeshi Kawaguchi on 500px
Get yourself an education and read this 👇
It's all a political choice.
Guess what I choose....
#NigelFarage
#SelfServing #Charlatan
#Corruptpoliticians
#TrumpAsset
#PutinAsset
#ReformUK
#DogwhistlePolitics
#Fearmongering
#Hatemongerning
#Scapegoating
@greenparty.org.uk
#HopeNotHate
act.safepassage.org.uk/get-your-eas...
@norfolknats.bsky.social A special bird, the muscular power of the Goshawk can now be seen over woods in north Norfolk, pushing up into new territories away from its traditional Breckland stronghold.
A reminder that there are young people in the UK who have been held in prison for up to two years without conviction for allegedly dismantling weapons of genocide.
The government has been proven wrong on all accusations against them so far.
Meanwhile:
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
.
The sun will soon power London's tube journeys as TfL unveils a major new solar energy deal
We need to take urgent #ClimateAction right now to avoid the worst of Climate Change!
Find out more: secretldn.com/tfl-sse-energ...
.
So, in 1969, the Isley Brothers held a legendary soul & gospel revue at Yankee Stadium, released in cinemas in 1970, after which it was never put on video or online and was something of a holy grail. This week, an HD copy surfaced: Part One. Highlight: Patti Austin
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpvl...
![3.2.2 Autonomy and Control
An enhanced sense of autonomy, control and financial freedom was one of the most
consistently reported findings from our interviews. Participants described how the
cash helped them navigate specific challenges – primarily through enhanced
financial security and material resources, and the power to make their own
decisions. One participant, for example, said it gave them “Peace of mind for when
I’m alone that I’ve got that money saved up as a little safety net” (YP39 - End of
Pilot). Another told us how it gave them freedom through driving:
‘When I passed my driving test, which obviously the pilot allowed me to, you
know, without that money I wouldn't have been able to, you know, do driving
lessons and then the test and everything, and, you know, get my first car, yeah,
it just allowed… it gave me so much more freedom to go out and meet people,
and meeting people obviously got me out of the house.’ (YP62 - End of Pilot)
The sentiment around increased freedom was widespread. For example, other
participants framed it as “...unlock[ing] more opportunities and freedom” (YP68 - End
of Pilot) as well as preparing them for emergencies (YP69 - End of Pilot). This
contrasts with the feeling of options being limited either before or after the pilot:
‘Before the money, I felt very restricted in what I could do. And during the
money, the time I was getting the money, I felt like I was able to do what I
wanted and live my life the way I wanted, which made me feel good... It
definitely opened my eyes to the fact that I was a lot more competent than I
thought I was.’ (YP46 - End of Pilot)
The contrast in financial freedom during and after the pilot was illustrated through
relatively small, everyday events. During the pilot examples included being able to
afford a hotel room when away from home, taking trains and taxis to places, or being
able to pay their share of a restaurant bill. In contrast, examples of financial limitations after the pilot ended...](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:weypikbrwodr2fsanloqjx6s/bafkreiec5yz2bgp4cp3oxveyvwarcqorx7p4m3d6nodufdmmckgm2hwxhq)
3.2.2 Autonomy and Control An enhanced sense of autonomy, control and financial freedom was one of the most consistently reported findings from our interviews. Participants described how the cash helped them navigate specific challenges – primarily through enhanced financial security and material resources, and the power to make their own decisions. One participant, for example, said it gave them “Peace of mind for when I’m alone that I’ve got that money saved up as a little safety net” (YP39 - End of Pilot). Another told us how it gave them freedom through driving: ‘When I passed my driving test, which obviously the pilot allowed me to, you know, without that money I wouldn't have been able to, you know, do driving lessons and then the test and everything, and, you know, get my first car, yeah, it just allowed… it gave me so much more freedom to go out and meet people, and meeting people obviously got me out of the house.’ (YP62 - End of Pilot) The sentiment around increased freedom was widespread. For example, other participants framed it as “...unlock[ing] more opportunities and freedom” (YP68 - End of Pilot) as well as preparing them for emergencies (YP69 - End of Pilot). This contrasts with the feeling of options being limited either before or after the pilot: ‘Before the money, I felt very restricted in what I could do. And during the money, the time I was getting the money, I felt like I was able to do what I wanted and live my life the way I wanted, which made me feel good... It definitely opened my eyes to the fact that I was a lot more competent than I thought I was.’ (YP46 - End of Pilot) The contrast in financial freedom during and after the pilot was illustrated through relatively small, everyday events. During the pilot examples included being able to afford a hotel room when away from home, taking trains and taxis to places, or being able to pay their share of a restaurant bill. In contrast, examples of financial limitations after the pilot ended...
"When I passed my driving test, which the pilot allowed me to, without that money I wouldn't have been able to do driving lessons and then the test and everything, and get my first car… it gave me so much more freedom to go out and meet people, and meeting people obviously got me out of the house."
