Tony Cross

No, it is pretty niche.

There's a podcast I listen to with two hosts. One of them I adore the other one is a pompous arse. The episode I'm current listening to is him positioning himself as some kind of heroic figure in fandom.

This from the President of a country that regularly fails to turn up for major wars until other people have been fighting for years so that they can claim all the glory. And the special relationship is bullshit. Has been since the drained every penny out of us in WW2.

Then I'm also about to start Station Island by Seamus Heaney, which is the next book in my Seamus Heaney complete poetry reading project. 2/2

So, my current reading is The Remembered Soldier by Anjet Daanje, translated by David McKay, which I am about 100 pages into and enjoying a lot. Then Gilgamesh: The Life of a Poem by Michael Schmidt, which is the 1st book of my 2026 Gilgamesh project. (I've read the N K Sandars prose Gilgamesh). 1/2

I am a grumpy old man and I admit that I fucking hate 'pranks' and YouTube is full of them. There are - rarely - genuinely funny/clever ones but most of the time it just seems to be people being shitty and hoping the 'bantz' will make it look cool. Also banter is jokes for people who aren't funny.

Someone should write a book about how a future America is a land of sickness and the effect of mumps on male fertility has reduced its population significantly. And it has become a gigantic ghetto for the rest of the world watching from the outside.

I'm going to guess something AI is at fault because banks are the first companies that will try that sort of shit despite the risks. Cut costs. Get those bonuses up.

The Santander website is fucked. I'm told the Mobile one is fine. Oh no it isn't Santander. I'm assuming Santander aren't on here. Probably still swamping about on Twitter. But you're useless.

Today I discovered that the last survivor of the Potemkin Mutiny died in Dublin in 1986 and his family run a Fish and Chip shop in Dublin.

The EPL's marketing team is currently have a heart attack at the prospect of Millwall swapping places with Spurs.

It is impressive that Putin's Russia and Netanyahu's Israel have both managed to conquer the USA without firing a shot. Or at least without firing a shot at the USA.

I bet no one gets charged for anything from this, which is exactly what happened last time they raided this Quaker Meeting House. Quakers pissing off the British state for 300+ years.

I finally found a copy of Ellen Wilkinson's 'Clash' in a 2nd hand shop. I've meant to read this for years. It's one of those lovely green original Viragos.

I've been listening to 'The 15 Minute Book Club with @alexchurchill.bsky.social and Matt Bone. I fear I may have to stop because this is dangerous for my wallet.

I am waiting on an email for a potential pitch that will either make this a fantastic week or an ok week.

Apropos of nothing is that everyone should be entitled to further education. Whether that is work-based or academic is moot. People should also be allowed to do it whenever they like. Everyone gets funded for one post-school programme. If they do it at 18 fine. If they finally do it at 60. Fine.

I'm not sure but I think a friend of my lived in that building when I was at Uni (1989-1992). But I'd have to have a look on the street map to be definite.

Whenever I see one of these as an amateur but historically fascinated reader my first thought is...oooh what's on the reading list.

I don't think it is entirely capitalist propaganda. I mean how many British people are aware of Windscale or Americans of Five Mile Island. It's partly time, it's partly scale and it's partly that - let's be honest - most people in the US don't give a shit about India.

I really want to vote for the Greens but I have my doubts about their foreign/defence policies - as I understand them - for the world as it stands now.

McKellan's Richard III film is great. Never seems to get enough attention.

In defence of Anthony & Cleopatra that's definitely one where the quality of the lead actors makes a lot of difference. Actually not sure that is a defence.

I'm going to say Macbeth. With King Lear in 2nd - despite Sam Mendes's best attempt to put me off it. But I love the historical plays. Henry IV Parts I and II in particular.

Bloody hell Spurs are utter shite.

Paternal: Bricklayer
Maternal: Ran shops then ended up a bit of a con man.

After all Trump's bullying. It's would be funny if it was so bloody tragic.

I'm still of an opinion there should be a Book Prize - let's call it Booker 50 - which rewards the book from 50 years ago that has stood the test of time. I think it takes at least that long for a book to really establish its worth.

This sounds fascinating. The only value I can see in being incredibly wealthy is being able to buy all the books you want and being able to afford the shelves to put them on. (Oh, and giving money to good causes.)

Luke Akehurst is a despicable shit. One of the few joys in the collapse of the Labour Party is knowing that smug cunt will lose his seat.