Mark 🏴🏳🌈
@bolshevikbear.bsky.social
The bear, redux. Just in time for Christmas.
Analyst by day, law student by night. OU '26. Penchant for lectionaries and old prayerbooks. #FaithfullyLGBT. Working my way through the Discworld.
(I'm not a bolshevik. It's an old joke about a hat...) 🏳️🌈⚓♾️
Analyst by day, law student by night. OU '26. Penchant for lectionaries and old prayerbooks. #FaithfullyLGBT. Working my way through the Discworld.
(I'm not a bolshevik. It's an old joke about a hat...) 🏳️🌈⚓♾️
Pinned
Don’t be offended if I delete Posts, Comments or Likes. I prefer to limit my online exposure.
I view social media as ephemeral. There is no harm if things, no matter how pleasant, get forgotten in the mists of time.
I view social media as ephemeral. There is no harm if things, no matter how pleasant, get forgotten in the mists of time.
Woohoo! ❤️
The Right Reverend Dr Dagmar Winter was elected yesterday as the new Bishop of Edinburgh. She will take up her new post later this year.
Bishop Dagmar currently serves as the Bishop of Huntingdon, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Ely. She is also Acting Bishop of Ely.
bit.ly/4rQ7p5h
Bishop Dagmar currently serves as the Bishop of Huntingdon, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Ely. She is also Acting Bishop of Ely.
bit.ly/4rQ7p5h
February 15, 2026 at 12:42 PM
Woohoo! ❤️
Meep meep. Soon we’ll know the next Bishop of Edinburgh, right? 😁✝️
Please note that the Cathedral is CLOSED tomorrow, for a Synod meeting - part of the process of selecting a new Bishop of Edinburgh. We are open again tomorrow evening, for our Valentine's Day concert, and as usual on Sunday.
February 13, 2026 at 3:03 PM
Meep meep. Soon we’ll know the next Bishop of Edinburgh, right? 😁✝️
There is a Torygraph article about the CofE General Synod attached to a post on Facebook. Waiting for archive-is to get rid of the paywall. But the homophobic comments (choirboys, backdoor etc) are disgusting. Problem is FB never takes them down…they don’t even give you a way to say it’s criminal. ✝️
February 13, 2026 at 3:02 PM
There is a Torygraph article about the CofE General Synod attached to a post on Facebook. Waiting for archive-is to get rid of the paywall. But the homophobic comments (choirboys, backdoor etc) are disgusting. Problem is FB never takes them down…they don’t even give you a way to say it’s criminal. ✝️
Church of England abandons proposals for same-sex blessing ceremonies
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
– I wrote a post, Bluesky ate it.
So shameful. So long, for nothing. And to the woman from London, the Global South isn’t wounded. Shut up. It doesn’t concern you. (Or me.) You are a homophobe. ✝️
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
– I wrote a post, Bluesky ate it.
So shameful. So long, for nothing. And to the woman from London, the Global South isn’t wounded. Shut up. It doesn’t concern you. (Or me.) You are a homophobe. ✝️
Church of England abandons proposals for same-sex blessing ceremonies
General Synod did vote to continue to look at the issue, but bishops say there are
www.bbc.co.uk
February 13, 2026 at 9:34 AM
Church of England abandons proposals for same-sex blessing ceremonies
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
– I wrote a post, Bluesky ate it.
So shameful. So long, for nothing. And to the woman from London, the Global South isn’t wounded. Shut up. It doesn’t concern you. (Or me.) You are a homophobe. ✝️
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
– I wrote a post, Bluesky ate it.
So shameful. So long, for nothing. And to the woman from London, the Global South isn’t wounded. Shut up. It doesn’t concern you. (Or me.) You are a homophobe. ✝️
Trump signals US support for Chagos handover deal
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
- he does support it, he doesn’t, he does. Just what is wrong with the man? Does he have GPI?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
- he does support it, he doesn’t, he does. Just what is wrong with the man? Does he have GPI?
Donald Trump signals US support for Chagos handover deal
It comes after the US president suggested last month he could withdraw his support for the deal.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 5, 2026 at 6:25 PM
Trump signals US support for Chagos handover deal
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
- he does support it, he doesn’t, he does. Just what is wrong with the man? Does he have GPI?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
- he does support it, he doesn’t, he does. Just what is wrong with the man? Does he have GPI?
the lurgy is not your friend.
I have been coughing since Friday/Saturday. I can’t sleep. At least iced water is a godsend.
And no, bizarrely it’s not coronavirus.
I have been coughing since Friday/Saturday. I can’t sleep. At least iced water is a godsend.
And no, bizarrely it’s not coronavirus.
February 4, 2026 at 4:36 PM
the lurgy is not your friend.
I have been coughing since Friday/Saturday. I can’t sleep. At least iced water is a godsend.
And no, bizarrely it’s not coronavirus.
I have been coughing since Friday/Saturday. I can’t sleep. At least iced water is a godsend.
And no, bizarrely it’s not coronavirus.
I find it's Copilot that suffers more from a kind of confirmation bias, but yeah...
January 30, 2026 at 6:43 PM
I find it's Copilot that suffers more from a kind of confirmation bias, but yeah...
controversial question:
what is the point of commemorating Charles, King “and Martyr”? (tomoz)
I say this as: Scotsman; sometime Roman Catholic (now Anglican); and skeptic of the current head of the House of Windsor.
But I’m not a facetious republican/nationalist either. I just don’t “get it”. ✝️
what is the point of commemorating Charles, King “and Martyr”? (tomoz)
I say this as: Scotsman; sometime Roman Catholic (now Anglican); and skeptic of the current head of the House of Windsor.
But I’m not a facetious republican/nationalist either. I just don’t “get it”. ✝️
January 26, 2026 at 8:58 PM
controversial question:
what is the point of commemorating Charles, King “and Martyr”? (tomoz)
I say this as: Scotsman; sometime Roman Catholic (now Anglican); and skeptic of the current head of the House of Windsor.
But I’m not a facetious republican/nationalist either. I just don’t “get it”. ✝️
what is the point of commemorating Charles, King “and Martyr”? (tomoz)
I say this as: Scotsman; sometime Roman Catholic (now Anglican); and skeptic of the current head of the House of Windsor.
But I’m not a facetious republican/nationalist either. I just don’t “get it”. ✝️
“Diverting resources from elsewhere”
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cr...
– a classic bit of Starmer rationalisation here: if we let Burnham become a MP then we’ll have a Mayoral contest to fight.
Diddums. So what? Burnham could decide he doesn’t want to be Mayor anymore.
Afraid of real talent, I say.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cr...
– a classic bit of Starmer rationalisation here: if we let Burnham become a MP then we’ll have a Mayoral contest to fight.
Diddums. So what? Burnham could decide he doesn’t want to be Mayor anymore.
Afraid of real talent, I say.
Starmer defends blocking Burnham from by-election, as mayor says he's focusing on Manchester
Burnham - who could challenge Starmer as leader if he became an MP - said on Sunday he was
www.bbc.co.uk
January 26, 2026 at 10:58 AM
“Diverting resources from elsewhere”
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cr...
– a classic bit of Starmer rationalisation here: if we let Burnham become a MP then we’ll have a Mayoral contest to fight.
Diddums. So what? Burnham could decide he doesn’t want to be Mayor anymore.
Afraid of real talent, I say.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cr...
– a classic bit of Starmer rationalisation here: if we let Burnham become a MP then we’ll have a Mayoral contest to fight.
Diddums. So what? Burnham could decide he doesn’t want to be Mayor anymore.
Afraid of real talent, I say.
oh dear… I looked at my pet project “for 5 mins”… hours later…
I’m toying with grafting the modern Sanctoral (Calendar of Saints) and Temporal (Sundays etc) of the Scottish Episcopal Church onto the Psalter and other material found in the pre-Conciliar Roman Breviary.
Joking aside, opinions?
✝️⚓️
I’m toying with grafting the modern Sanctoral (Calendar of Saints) and Temporal (Sundays etc) of the Scottish Episcopal Church onto the Psalter and other material found in the pre-Conciliar Roman Breviary.
Joking aside, opinions?
✝️⚓️
January 25, 2026 at 5:54 PM
oh dear… I looked at my pet project “for 5 mins”… hours later…
I’m toying with grafting the modern Sanctoral (Calendar of Saints) and Temporal (Sundays etc) of the Scottish Episcopal Church onto the Psalter and other material found in the pre-Conciliar Roman Breviary.
Joking aside, opinions?
✝️⚓️
I’m toying with grafting the modern Sanctoral (Calendar of Saints) and Temporal (Sundays etc) of the Scottish Episcopal Church onto the Psalter and other material found in the pre-Conciliar Roman Breviary.
Joking aside, opinions?
✝️⚓️
Andy Burnham's bid to return as MP blocked by Labour's ruling body www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
– how pathetically predictable. They are clearly afraid of him.
– how pathetically predictable. They are clearly afraid of him.
Andy Burnham's bid to return as MP blocked by Labour ruling body
Labour sources say concerns were raised about the cost of a mayoral election and a
www.bbc.co.uk
January 25, 2026 at 12:49 PM
Andy Burnham's bid to return as MP blocked by Labour's ruling body www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
– how pathetically predictable. They are clearly afraid of him.
– how pathetically predictable. They are clearly afraid of him.
I like Hadedas. 🤭
But Copilot says South African “consensus is that a Hadeda doesn’t call so much as it announces its existence with the subtlety of a car alarm being thrown down a stairwell.”
But Copilot says South African “consensus is that a Hadeda doesn’t call so much as it announces its existence with the subtlety of a car alarm being thrown down a stairwell.”
January 25, 2026 at 9:52 AM
I like Hadedas. 🤭
But Copilot says South African “consensus is that a Hadeda doesn’t call so much as it announces its existence with the subtlety of a car alarm being thrown down a stairwell.”
But Copilot says South African “consensus is that a Hadeda doesn’t call so much as it announces its existence with the subtlety of a car alarm being thrown down a stairwell.”
Don’t be offended if I delete Posts, Comments or Likes. I prefer to limit my online exposure.
I view social media as ephemeral. There is no harm if things, no matter how pleasant, get forgotten in the mists of time.
I view social media as ephemeral. There is no harm if things, no matter how pleasant, get forgotten in the mists of time.
January 25, 2026 at 9:20 AM
Don’t be offended if I delete Posts, Comments or Likes. I prefer to limit my online exposure.
I view social media as ephemeral. There is no harm if things, no matter how pleasant, get forgotten in the mists of time.
I view social media as ephemeral. There is no harm if things, no matter how pleasant, get forgotten in the mists of time.
I see the Home Secretary’s desire to shake up policing includes reducing the number of police forces in England & Wales.
Very old rhetoric (decades), and always firmly resisted by the 43 forces.
Either she puts her money where her mouth is, and actually merges some of them, or just gives up!
Very old rhetoric (decades), and always firmly resisted by the 43 forces.
Either she puts her money where her mouth is, and actually merges some of them, or just gives up!
January 24, 2026 at 5:05 PM
I see the Home Secretary’s desire to shake up policing includes reducing the number of police forces in England & Wales.
Very old rhetoric (decades), and always firmly resisted by the 43 forces.
Either she puts her money where her mouth is, and actually merges some of them, or just gives up!
Very old rhetoric (decades), and always firmly resisted by the 43 forces.
Either she puts her money where her mouth is, and actually merges some of them, or just gives up!
And another thing about Trump today:
457 British soldiers lost their lives in Afghanistan.
And more from our NATO allies.
“A little off the front lines”? Shame on him.
457 British soldiers lost their lives in Afghanistan.
And more from our NATO allies.
“A little off the front lines”? Shame on him.
January 23, 2026 at 10:00 PM
And another thing about Trump today:
457 British soldiers lost their lives in Afghanistan.
And more from our NATO allies.
“A little off the front lines”? Shame on him.
457 British soldiers lost their lives in Afghanistan.
And more from our NATO allies.
“A little off the front lines”? Shame on him.
Trump is a dictator. His Board of Peace (don’t get me started on the business world derived name) is nothing more than a mechanism to stroke his own ego. Shame on the countries signing up.
Lyse Doucet is right: he wants to destroy the post-WWII settlement. He’ll destroy NATO, and will try the UN.
Lyse Doucet is right: he wants to destroy the post-WWII settlement. He’ll destroy NATO, and will try the UN.
January 23, 2026 at 9:55 PM
Trump is a dictator. His Board of Peace (don’t get me started on the business world derived name) is nothing more than a mechanism to stroke his own ego. Shame on the countries signing up.
Lyse Doucet is right: he wants to destroy the post-WWII settlement. He’ll destroy NATO, and will try the UN.
Lyse Doucet is right: he wants to destroy the post-WWII settlement. He’ll destroy NATO, and will try the UN.
Pick up the nearest book. Turn to page 42, and post the second sentence.
"We keeps the place clean, sir."
"We keeps the place clean, sir."
Pick up the nearest book. Turn to page 42, and post the second sentence.
"Here we see the Lord in conversation with the highly placed ecclesiastic, who, after the manner of his kind, is cautious and dipomatic."
"Here we see the Lord in conversation with the highly placed ecclesiastic, who, after the manner of his kind, is cautious and dipomatic."
Pick up the nearest book. Turn to page 42, and post the second sentence.
“Into every thing we do we bring our full selves.”
“Into every thing we do we bring our full selves.”
January 21, 2026 at 2:31 PM
Pick up the nearest book. Turn to page 42, and post the second sentence.
"We keeps the place clean, sir."
"We keeps the place clean, sir."
de Lubac (in 1953)said the ecumenical movement, liturgical movement and sociological movement were all developing at the same time.
Makes me think of St Augustine’s church,a ‘corpus permixtum’, although here not saints/sinners but varying activities.
Do we atimes focus too strongly on just one? ✝️⚓️
Makes me think of St Augustine’s church,a ‘corpus permixtum’, although here not saints/sinners but varying activities.
Do we atimes focus too strongly on just one? ✝️⚓️
January 20, 2026 at 6:50 PM
de Lubac (in 1953)said the ecumenical movement, liturgical movement and sociological movement were all developing at the same time.
Makes me think of St Augustine’s church,a ‘corpus permixtum’, although here not saints/sinners but varying activities.
Do we atimes focus too strongly on just one? ✝️⚓️
Makes me think of St Augustine’s church,a ‘corpus permixtum’, although here not saints/sinners but varying activities.
Do we atimes focus too strongly on just one? ✝️⚓️
THIS!
I’ve been saying for months now, the world needs to stand up to Trump. Yes, there will be costs, but if countries were honest about their needs, non-US trading partners could be worked out.
In short, Trump needs to lose…
I’ve been saying for months now, the world needs to stand up to Trump. Yes, there will be costs, but if countries were honest about their needs, non-US trading partners could be worked out.
In short, Trump needs to lose…
Superb article by Gordon Brown: this intervention is more informed, more thoughtful, more all-encompassing, than any other response to the chaos of Trump.
"As Trump menaces Greenland, this much is clear: the free world needs a new plan – and inspired leadership
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
"As Trump menaces Greenland, this much is clear: the free world needs a new plan – and inspired leadership
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
As Trump menaces Greenland, this much is clear: the free world needs a new plan – and inspired leadership | Gordon Brown
The idea that the liberal rules-based order can survive his presidency now seems complacent. This is a historic moment – and a time to act, says former UK prime minister Gordon Brown
www.theguardian.com
January 20, 2026 at 1:30 PM
THIS!
I’ve been saying for months now, the world needs to stand up to Trump. Yes, there will be costs, but if countries were honest about their needs, non-US trading partners could be worked out.
In short, Trump needs to lose…
I’ve been saying for months now, the world needs to stand up to Trump. Yes, there will be costs, but if countries were honest about their needs, non-US trading partners could be worked out.
In short, Trump needs to lose…
in the Guardian: a Chinese app called something along the lines of “are you dead yet” (a play on words for an eating app they have). Basically if the user doesn’t check in for two days, it sends an alert to a designated contact. Sure, you might not be dead yet, but you might need help! Quite clever!
January 20, 2026 at 12:22 PM
in the Guardian: a Chinese app called something along the lines of “are you dead yet” (a play on words for an eating app they have). Basically if the user doesn’t check in for two days, it sends an alert to a designated contact. Sure, you might not be dead yet, but you might need help! Quite clever!
Reposted by Mark 🏴🏳🌈
The US economy would collapse if California was bought by another country or went independent. Let’s make it happen.
January 17, 2026 at 5:41 PM
The US economy would collapse if California was bought by another country or went independent. Let’s make it happen.
Sounds an interesting idea. But where do you put the MAGA folk? Expel them to the rest of the USA?
More than 200,000 Danish citizens have signed a petition to buy California as a response to Trump’s attempt to take Greenland.
They say they will provide Californians with “rule of law, universal health care, fact-based politics, and a lifetime supply of Danish pastries.”
They say they will provide Californians with “rule of law, universal health care, fact-based politics, and a lifetime supply of Danish pastries.”
January 17, 2026 at 6:31 PM
Sounds an interesting idea. But where do you put the MAGA folk? Expel them to the rest of the USA?
Trump announces harder European tariffs over Greenland
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c1...
– petulant CHILD.
How to deal with this is mind-numbing. 100% retaliatory tariffs would create a trade war, but I’m still convinced you should deal with Trump the same way as Putin:
complete and utter ostracism.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c1...
– petulant CHILD.
How to deal with this is mind-numbing. 100% retaliatory tariffs would create a trade war, but I’m still convinced you should deal with Trump the same way as Putin:
complete and utter ostracism.
January 17, 2026 at 5:21 PM
Trump announces harder European tariffs over Greenland
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c1...
– petulant CHILD.
How to deal with this is mind-numbing. 100% retaliatory tariffs would create a trade war, but I’m still convinced you should deal with Trump the same way as Putin:
complete and utter ostracism.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c1...
– petulant CHILD.
How to deal with this is mind-numbing. 100% retaliatory tariffs would create a trade war, but I’m still convinced you should deal with Trump the same way as Putin:
complete and utter ostracism.
Trump "may put a tariff on countries if they don't go along with Greenland”
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
– the man is a bully, plain and simple. We should all declare against the US, suck up the cost. It will hurt, radically alter the world economy, but we’d finally shun this power-hungry infant.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
– the man is a bully, plain and simple. We should all declare against the US, suck up the cost. It will hurt, radically alter the world economy, but we’d finally shun this power-hungry infant.
Trump threatens new tariffs on countries opposed to Greenland takeover as US lawmakers visit Denmark to ease tensions
The president made the threat while a bipartisan group of US lawmakers were visiting Denmark in the hope of easing tensions over the territory.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 16, 2026 at 6:47 PM
Trump "may put a tariff on countries if they don't go along with Greenland”
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
– the man is a bully, plain and simple. We should all declare against the US, suck up the cost. It will hurt, radically alter the world economy, but we’d finally shun this power-hungry infant.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
– the man is a bully, plain and simple. We should all declare against the US, suck up the cost. It will hurt, radically alter the world economy, but we’d finally shun this power-hungry infant.
sorry, Motzfeldt and Rasmussen just need to tell Trump to take a hike.
End this charade. This happened over Ukraine. And it’s happening again over Greenland. What? Letting Trump even have a say.
Enough is enough! Just tell him he is not welcome anywhere. Put the US under sanctions if need be.
End this charade. This happened over Ukraine. And it’s happening again over Greenland. What? Letting Trump even have a say.
Enough is enough! Just tell him he is not welcome anywhere. Put the US under sanctions if need be.
a man in a suit and tie is holding a flag
Alt: animated gif of Donald J. Trump kissing the US flag. Who knows if it’s real…
media.tenor.com
January 14, 2026 at 7:34 PM
sorry, Motzfeldt and Rasmussen just need to tell Trump to take a hike.
End this charade. This happened over Ukraine. And it’s happening again over Greenland. What? Letting Trump even have a say.
Enough is enough! Just tell him he is not welcome anywhere. Put the US under sanctions if need be.
End this charade. This happened over Ukraine. And it’s happening again over Greenland. What? Letting Trump even have a say.
Enough is enough! Just tell him he is not welcome anywhere. Put the US under sanctions if need be.