Adam Smith
@adamnr1.bsky.social
East Anglian. Interested in policy, transport, politics and history. Anglo-Catholic, generalist, tighthead prop, Rover Metro driver. EN / RU / DE / NL
Slightly blown away by reading the WIkipedia articles on the 2023 Azerbaijani invasion of Artsakh translated from both Armenian and Azerbaijani.
Can you guess which is which?
Spend enough time on Russian / Caucasus Wikipedia and you'll realise there is no impartiality.
Can you guess which is which?
Spend enough time on Russian / Caucasus Wikipedia and you'll realise there is no impartiality.
November 23, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Slightly blown away by reading the WIkipedia articles on the 2023 Azerbaijani invasion of Artsakh translated from both Armenian and Azerbaijani.
Can you guess which is which?
Spend enough time on Russian / Caucasus Wikipedia and you'll realise there is no impartiality.
Can you guess which is which?
Spend enough time on Russian / Caucasus Wikipedia and you'll realise there is no impartiality.
I accidentally had my Cyrillic keyboard on today and went to search for 'delivery' on Google.
Turns out Russian and Ukranian delivery companies squat the nonsense Cyrillic that turns up when you type 'deliver' on a QWERTY keyboard with Cyrillic settings on.
Turns out Russian and Ukranian delivery companies squat the nonsense Cyrillic that turns up when you type 'deliver' on a QWERTY keyboard with Cyrillic settings on.
November 21, 2025 at 5:45 PM
I accidentally had my Cyrillic keyboard on today and went to search for 'delivery' on Google.
Turns out Russian and Ukranian delivery companies squat the nonsense Cyrillic that turns up when you type 'deliver' on a QWERTY keyboard with Cyrillic settings on.
Turns out Russian and Ukranian delivery companies squat the nonsense Cyrillic that turns up when you type 'deliver' on a QWERTY keyboard with Cyrillic settings on.
Cracking autumnal day down in London. 🍂
November 8, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Cracking autumnal day down in London. 🍂
I just love an airport departure board. Always makes the world feel like such a small place.
Could end up in Tehran or Seoul or Teeside.
Could end up in Tehran or Seoul or Teeside.
November 6, 2025 at 5:41 PM
I just love an airport departure board. Always makes the world feel like such a small place.
Could end up in Tehran or Seoul or Teeside.
Could end up in Tehran or Seoul or Teeside.
The story of my weekend in Shropshire in one post. 🌲🌳
As a man of a certain age, class and palette you realise there is a fine line between "nice autumn outfit" and "dressed like a woodland creature in a children's story".
November 1, 2025 at 2:38 PM
The story of my weekend in Shropshire in one post. 🌲🌳
Reposted by Adam Smith
reading the NL election news and thinking of this
October 29, 2025 at 9:04 PM
reading the NL election news and thinking of this
Interesting to see that the PVV has leaked support to FvD and JA21.
Makes me wonder if Reform ever take power whether they will end up unseated by an even further-right force which will be broadly unelectable but catnip to those disillusioned by Reform in govt.
Makes me wonder if Reform ever take power whether they will end up unseated by an even further-right force which will be broadly unelectable but catnip to those disillusioned by Reform in govt.
Netherlands, 99.7% counted:
National parliament election
D66-RE: 16.9% (+10.6)
PVV-PfE: 16.7% (-6.8)
VVD-RE: 14.2% (-1.0)
GL/PvdA-G/EFA|S&D: 12.7% (-3.1)
CDA-EPP: 11.8% (+8.5)
JA21~ECR: 5.9% (+5.2)
FvD-ESN: 4.6% (+2.4)
...
+/- vs. Last election result
➤ europeelects.eu/netherlands
National parliament election
D66-RE: 16.9% (+10.6)
PVV-PfE: 16.7% (-6.8)
VVD-RE: 14.2% (-1.0)
GL/PvdA-G/EFA|S&D: 12.7% (-3.1)
CDA-EPP: 11.8% (+8.5)
JA21~ECR: 5.9% (+5.2)
FvD-ESN: 4.6% (+2.4)
...
+/- vs. Last election result
➤ europeelects.eu/netherlands
October 30, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Interesting to see that the PVV has leaked support to FvD and JA21.
Makes me wonder if Reform ever take power whether they will end up unseated by an even further-right force which will be broadly unelectable but catnip to those disillusioned by Reform in govt.
Makes me wonder if Reform ever take power whether they will end up unseated by an even further-right force which will be broadly unelectable but catnip to those disillusioned by Reform in govt.
This is the area where I work - only 250 LSOAs (out of 33,755) are more deprived.
Coastal deprivation is its own flavour of poverty and I don’t think I could point to evidence on the ground that the government is meaningfully alleviating it.
Coastal deprivation is its own flavour of poverty and I don’t think I could point to evidence on the ground that the government is meaningfully alleviating it.
October 30, 2025 at 12:47 PM
This is the area where I work - only 250 LSOAs (out of 33,755) are more deprived.
Coastal deprivation is its own flavour of poverty and I don’t think I could point to evidence on the ground that the government is meaningfully alleviating it.
Coastal deprivation is its own flavour of poverty and I don’t think I could point to evidence on the ground that the government is meaningfully alleviating it.
Really excited for all the new European destinations this will open up such as (checks notes) ... Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.
Innovative.
Innovative.
October 30, 2025 at 9:07 AM
Really excited for all the new European destinations this will open up such as (checks notes) ... Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.
Innovative.
Innovative.
I just spent a week on DB and it definitely lived up to its reputation. Every IC train 30+ minutes delayed. DB Regio stranded me at Königs Wusterhausen.
October 30, 2025 at 8:00 AM
I just spent a week on DB and it definitely lived up to its reputation. Every IC train 30+ minutes delayed. DB Regio stranded me at Königs Wusterhausen.
It’s so strange that the UK (apart from NI) doesn’t have lantaarnpaalposter and verkiezingsbord culture. I’d like to know how we avoided it.
Please don’t talk to me about my crush on the LP candidate. It’s not a good look.
Please don’t talk to me about my crush on the LP candidate. It’s not a good look.
October 30, 2025 at 7:18 AM
It’s so strange that the UK (apart from NI) doesn’t have lantaarnpaalposter and verkiezingsbord culture. I’d like to know how we avoided it.
Please don’t talk to me about my crush on the LP candidate. It’s not a good look.
Please don’t talk to me about my crush on the LP candidate. It’s not a good look.
Dug out my Canon Powershot G9 to take to the Caucasus next week and found these photos of Lowestoft that I took back in February 2024.
These old digicam sensors do a fantastic job of atmosphere it has to be said.
These old digicam sensors do a fantastic job of atmosphere it has to be said.
July 25, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Dug out my Canon Powershot G9 to take to the Caucasus next week and found these photos of Lowestoft that I took back in February 2024.
These old digicam sensors do a fantastic job of atmosphere it has to be said.
These old digicam sensors do a fantastic job of atmosphere it has to be said.
Reposted by Adam Smith
Here a wee thread for Ōtautahi people or people who grew up here before the quakes. It’s from an exhibition of miniature buildings by an artist called Ghostcat and it was held in the quakestruck Christ Church Cathedral and I was literally moved to tears. This is the old police kiosk in the Square.
March 21, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Here a wee thread for Ōtautahi people or people who grew up here before the quakes. It’s from an exhibition of miniature buildings by an artist called Ghostcat and it was held in the quakestruck Christ Church Cathedral and I was literally moved to tears. This is the old police kiosk in the Square.
Couldn’t resist these ‘Shell Nature Studies’ books in Oxfam. Published in 1957 in Norwich. 🌿
March 15, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Couldn’t resist these ‘Shell Nature Studies’ books in Oxfam. Published in 1957 in Norwich. 🌿
Insidious nonsense from Winterson. I don't wish to read a single word of """creative""" writing that has been spat out by a computer.
I'm struggling, really struggling, for words here. The @theguardian.com really is far down the AI rabbit hole now, clearly. It's even more disturbing that Jeanette Winterson seems determined to follow them right down there. Dangerous and deluded stuff from a formerly respected writer.
‘OpenAI’s metafictional short story about grief is beautiful and moving’ | Jeanette Winterson
I think of AI as alternative intelligence – and its capacity to be ‘other’ is just what the human race needs
www.theguardian.com
March 14, 2025 at 7:45 AM
Insidious nonsense from Winterson. I don't wish to read a single word of """creative""" writing that has been spat out by a computer.
I love the New Adlestrop Rail Atlas but I'm especially grateful for it at the moment as I'm building a counterfactual anti-Beeching rail network in NIMBY rails and using it a lot for reference.
February 27, 2025 at 4:49 PM
I love the New Adlestrop Rail Atlas but I'm especially grateful for it at the moment as I'm building a counterfactual anti-Beeching rail network in NIMBY rails and using it a lot for reference.
Lincoln Cathedral has an incredible west front but the inside leaves me feeling a bit cold.
Having to pay to go in doesn’t help.
Having to pay to go in doesn’t help.
February 21, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Lincoln Cathedral has an incredible west front but the inside leaves me feeling a bit cold.
Having to pay to go in doesn’t help.
Having to pay to go in doesn’t help.
Have thoroughly enjoyed a little half-term trip to Scarborough with its Georgian terraces and bracing bay.
February 20, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Have thoroughly enjoyed a little half-term trip to Scarborough with its Georgian terraces and bracing bay.
Folk horror at Reedham ferry today.
The high water stopped the ferry and stranded us at the pub for the afternoon.
The high water stopped the ferry and stranded us at the pub for the afternoon.
December 8, 2024 at 4:56 PM
Folk horror at Reedham ferry today.
The high water stopped the ferry and stranded us at the pub for the afternoon.
The high water stopped the ferry and stranded us at the pub for the afternoon.
Incredibly rare YIMBY W from the great folk of Bacton, Norfolk.
October 26, 2024 at 2:53 PM
Incredibly rare YIMBY W from the great folk of Bacton, Norfolk.
Labour might actually be beginning to turn the tide of this being a low-investment, low-productivity economy.
If they can separate how long-term investment and day-to-day financial struggles we would be in such a strong position.
If they can separate how long-term investment and day-to-day financial struggles we would be in such a strong position.
How Labour is challenging long Cameronism. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
September 5, 2024 at 2:40 PM
Labour might actually be beginning to turn the tide of this being a low-investment, low-productivity economy.
If they can separate how long-term investment and day-to-day financial struggles we would be in such a strong position.
If they can separate how long-term investment and day-to-day financial struggles we would be in such a strong position.
Reposted by Adam Smith
September 1, 2024 at 6:56 PM
Reading @torstenbell.bsky.social this morning.
“This is not what we expected the 2020s to look like”.
“This is not what we expected the 2020s to look like”.
September 1, 2024 at 8:19 AM
Reading @torstenbell.bsky.social this morning.
“This is not what we expected the 2020s to look like”.
“This is not what we expected the 2020s to look like”.
Honestly, not being an MP looks pretty good.
August 31, 2024 at 4:11 PM
Honestly, not being an MP looks pretty good.