Alex Rhys-Taylor
@alexrhystaylor.bsky.social
Cities, sensations and spaces. Open minds and strong stomachs. Sociology, ethnography and social history. Parenting in bulk. Salty. Rarely accused of sorcery.
the state of the nation, the void in progressive imaginations and cultural innovation is captured perfectly in EVERY CHRISTMAS ADVERT
November 19, 2025 at 10:40 AM
the state of the nation, the void in progressive imaginations and cultural innovation is captured perfectly in EVERY CHRISTMAS ADVERT
this fresh hell
November 18, 2025 at 9:46 AM
this fresh hell
“sentenced to death for crimes against humanity” is a bit of a discursive mess.
November 17, 2025 at 4:03 PM
“sentenced to death for crimes against humanity” is a bit of a discursive mess.
how is anybody supposed develop a sense of home and belonging, when it can all be taken away with the click of a button in 20 years’ time? that’s not asylum.
November 16, 2025 at 10:08 PM
how is anybody supposed develop a sense of home and belonging, when it can all be taken away with the click of a button in 20 years’ time? that’s not asylum.
underwhelming experience at the fragrance counter of a well known cooperatively owned department store.
“i don’t know really. it’s all
just a matter of personal taste isn’t it?”
“i don’t know really. it’s all
just a matter of personal taste isn’t it?”
November 16, 2025 at 3:23 PM
underwhelming experience at the fragrance counter of a well known cooperatively owned department store.
“i don’t know really. it’s all
just a matter of personal taste isn’t it?”
“i don’t know really. it’s all
just a matter of personal taste isn’t it?”
earlier this year, meloni’s italy held a referendum on halving the length of time required for settled status from 10 to 5 years. turnout was poor, so no change, despite a majority of votes for the change.
but you see the direction the referendum was nudging towards. and yet 🇬🇧 🤦♂️.
but you see the direction the referendum was nudging towards. and yet 🇬🇧 🤦♂️.
November 16, 2025 at 9:15 AM
earlier this year, meloni’s italy held a referendum on halving the length of time required for settled status from 10 to 5 years. turnout was poor, so no change, despite a majority of votes for the change.
but you see the direction the referendum was nudging towards. and yet 🇬🇧 🤦♂️.
but you see the direction the referendum was nudging towards. and yet 🇬🇧 🤦♂️.
aldi shoreditch (actually spitalfields!) landed in an affordable-grocery-desert. the scenes 😧.
November 15, 2025 at 12:25 PM
aldi shoreditch (actually spitalfields!) landed in an affordable-grocery-desert. the scenes 😧.
things i wasn’t expecting from popbitch this week: incisive critique of zizek’s butchering of a gramsci quote.
November 13, 2025 at 7:17 PM
things i wasn’t expecting from popbitch this week: incisive critique of zizek’s butchering of a gramsci quote.
hats off to the team of faceless chemical engineers and corporate tastebud donors who came up with dr pepper blackberry
November 13, 2025 at 4:59 PM
hats off to the team of faceless chemical engineers and corporate tastebud donors who came up with dr pepper blackberry
a visitor to london yesterday pointed out to me that the pigeons seemed absent. she was right! on my walk to work this morning, this park (former quaker burial ground btw) is normally full of pigeons. not a rock dove in sight. just the crows. what does this augur?
November 12, 2025 at 11:19 AM
a visitor to london yesterday pointed out to me that the pigeons seemed absent. she was right! on my walk to work this morning, this park (former quaker burial ground btw) is normally full of pigeons. not a rock dove in sight. just the crows. what does this augur?
half way through alan moore’s jerusalem which i had assumed was merely a bible-length ode to northhampton. it’s not. it’s a whole metaphysical treatise.
*spoiler alert* it turns out that, according to his proletarian metaphysics, all life on earth is decided by a bunch of builders playing snooker.
*spoiler alert* it turns out that, according to his proletarian metaphysics, all life on earth is decided by a bunch of builders playing snooker.
November 6, 2025 at 4:38 PM
half way through alan moore’s jerusalem which i had assumed was merely a bible-length ode to northhampton. it’s not. it’s a whole metaphysical treatise.
*spoiler alert* it turns out that, according to his proletarian metaphysics, all life on earth is decided by a bunch of builders playing snooker.
*spoiler alert* it turns out that, according to his proletarian metaphysics, all life on earth is decided by a bunch of builders playing snooker.
the assortment of various types of custard filled asian bun i can buy around brick lane, and E1 in general, has increased significantly in the last 12 months. this is a delicious and fascinating thing.
November 4, 2025 at 11:51 AM
the assortment of various types of custard filled asian bun i can buy around brick lane, and E1 in general, has increased significantly in the last 12 months. this is a delicious and fascinating thing.
‘History won’t forgive us’ if UK falls behind in quantum computing race, says Tony Blair. He actually gets himself to sleep at night by listing the things that history will, and will not, forgive us (and him specifically) for. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
‘History won’t forgive us’ if UK falls behind in quantum computing race, says Tony Blair
Exclusive: Former PM and ex-Tory leader William Hague warn UK lacks high-risk capital and infrastructure to harness benefits of powerful technology
www.theguardian.com
November 3, 2025 at 6:55 PM
‘History won’t forgive us’ if UK falls behind in quantum computing race, says Tony Blair. He actually gets himself to sleep at night by listing the things that history will, and will not, forgive us (and him specifically) for. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
some new fonts would really help refresh the left in the uk. placards laden with ‘impact’, ‘arial black’ and ‘helvetica bold’ aren’t helping.
October 27, 2025 at 8:31 AM
some new fonts would really help refresh the left in the uk. placards laden with ‘impact’, ‘arial black’ and ‘helvetica bold’ aren’t helping.
miss the days when people said ‘overly demonstrative’ or ‘disingenuous’ rather than performative.
October 27, 2025 at 6:55 AM
miss the days when people said ‘overly demonstrative’ or ‘disingenuous’ rather than performative.
Reposted by Alex Rhys-Taylor
Campaigners have launched a petition calling for control of the Greenwich Foot Tunnel to be transferred from Greenwich Council to Transport for London.
The tunnel was originally run by London-wide government, but control was handed to Greenwich in the 1980s.
The tunnel was originally run by London-wide government, but control was handed to Greenwich in the 1980s.
Hand Greenwich Foot Tunnel to TfL, lift campaigners demand in petition - The Greenwich Wire
Campaigners have launched a petition calling for control of the Greenwich Foot Tunnel to be transferred from Greenwich Council to Transport for London.
greenwichwire.co.uk
October 11, 2025 at 6:30 AM
Campaigners have launched a petition calling for control of the Greenwich Foot Tunnel to be transferred from Greenwich Council to Transport for London.
The tunnel was originally run by London-wide government, but control was handed to Greenwich in the 1980s.
The tunnel was originally run by London-wide government, but control was handed to Greenwich in the 1980s.
labour weren’t counting on a green insurgence when they lowered the voting age were they?
“dad… what do you think of the green party? you know i get to vote next time around!?” (a 13 year old)
heads up!
“dad… what do you think of the green party? you know i get to vote next time around!?” (a 13 year old)
heads up!
October 22, 2025 at 1:25 PM
labour weren’t counting on a green insurgence when they lowered the voting age were they?
“dad… what do you think of the green party? you know i get to vote next time around!?” (a 13 year old)
heads up!
“dad… what do you think of the green party? you know i get to vote next time around!?” (a 13 year old)
heads up!
“Our results further show that respondents with lower standards of hygienic habits engage significantly more in intimate self-inspection (sniffing body parts such as genitals, anus, or navel).” www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Olfactory self-inspection: Own body odour provides cues to one's health and hygiene status
Olfactory self-inspection has been observed in various mammals, including humans. This behaviour can help individuals to monitor own state, including …
www.sciencedirect.com
October 14, 2025 at 4:57 PM
“Our results further show that respondents with lower standards of hygienic habits engage significantly more in intimate self-inspection (sniffing body parts such as genitals, anus, or navel).” www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
😢.
October 14, 2025 at 4:38 PM
😢.
nobody seems to have studied mortuaries, morticians and the smell of death. as a death and smell denying society, this makes sense. but i was hoping somebody else could fill this gap… 👃 💀 💨
October 14, 2025 at 3:40 PM
nobody seems to have studied mortuaries, morticians and the smell of death. as a death and smell denying society, this makes sense. but i was hoping somebody else could fill this gap… 👃 💀 💨
london’s gini coefficient (income inequality) seems to have dropped post covid. kind of interesting (though a bit less so before housing costs)
October 14, 2025 at 9:50 AM
london’s gini coefficient (income inequality) seems to have dropped post covid. kind of interesting (though a bit less so before housing costs)
i wish my borough had a different mayor.
October 14, 2025 at 9:06 AM
i wish my borough had a different mayor.
this looks good, though i’m not sure chinese restaurants would be the best metric in the uk… fried chicken shops? greasy spoons? also begs the question as to the role of particular food outlets and related community networks in warding off, or mitigating gentrification and displacement.
Neighborhood-level Chinese restaurant index decreases over time were associated with gentrification in New York City. Minn demonstrates the potential for the use of retail-based analysis as a supplement to conventional gentrification metrics based on demographic and real estate data. buff.ly/mv80RT4
October 13, 2025 at 9:06 PM
this looks good, though i’m not sure chinese restaurants would be the best metric in the uk… fried chicken shops? greasy spoons? also begs the question as to the role of particular food outlets and related community networks in warding off, or mitigating gentrification and displacement.
Pubs to stay open until early hours in Labour push for UK growth. Record high of 10,473 alcohol related deaths last year.
There are other drugs, that the legalisation and taxation of which would actually do something positive. But boozy cultural conservatives rule the roost.
There are other drugs, that the legalisation and taxation of which would actually do something positive. But boozy cultural conservatives rule the roost.
October 9, 2025 at 5:47 AM
Pubs to stay open until early hours in Labour push for UK growth. Record high of 10,473 alcohol related deaths last year.
There are other drugs, that the legalisation and taxation of which would actually do something positive. But boozy cultural conservatives rule the roost.
There are other drugs, that the legalisation and taxation of which would actually do something positive. But boozy cultural conservatives rule the roost.
male grooming products that purportedly smell like big foot wearing a leather jacket riding a motorbike through a sandalwood forest smoking a cigar.
i’m not saying that they’re the cause of all the world’s ills. but they’re not helping things either.
i’m not saying that they’re the cause of all the world’s ills. but they’re not helping things either.
October 8, 2025 at 12:42 PM
male grooming products that purportedly smell like big foot wearing a leather jacket riding a motorbike through a sandalwood forest smoking a cigar.
i’m not saying that they’re the cause of all the world’s ills. but they’re not helping things either.
i’m not saying that they’re the cause of all the world’s ills. but they’re not helping things either.