Silent Stars
@markbrophy.bsky.social
On a darkling plain.
Movies, music, politics, tech, football, photos, outdoors.
Pfp: me wearing a giant crown with an arrogant expression.
Banner: a still from the 80s arcade game, Battle Zone.
Movies, music, politics, tech, football, photos, outdoors.
Pfp: me wearing a giant crown with an arrogant expression.
Banner: a still from the 80s arcade game, Battle Zone.
That's why I'm a one-man band
January 20, 2026 at 2:58 PM
That's why I'm a one-man band
Reposted by Silent Stars
Tom Baker is 92 today
January 20, 2026 at 6:19 AM
Tom Baker is 92 today
Wow. What a superb resource
We're turning 40 in 2026 and to mark the occasion we’ve relaunched our digital edition:
• Every issue since 1986
• Mobile friendly
• Save and read offline
• Article audio
• Fully searchable
• Free access for print subscribers
Find out more: www.wsc.co.uk/digital-edit...
• Every issue since 1986
• Mobile friendly
• Save and read offline
• Article audio
• Fully searchable
• Free access for print subscribers
Find out more: www.wsc.co.uk/digital-edit...
January 20, 2026 at 12:04 PM
Wow. What a superb resource
Apropos of nothing I went to watch Speed at the cinema on Sunday, it was a blast.
I just woke up from a nap and somehow while I was asleep, everyone on the bus has figured out we are not going to the right place
January 20, 2026 at 11:19 AM
Apropos of nothing I went to watch Speed at the cinema on Sunday, it was a blast.
Is this some kind of Brewster's Millions deal? The Labour leadership only get to keep a huge inheritance if they get less than 50 seats at the next general election? Because everything they do and say seems to me like it'll be wildly unpopular, and it's been like this for a while now.
Shabana Mahmood here, and the vibes are not getting better.
January 20, 2026 at 8:18 AM
Is this some kind of Brewster's Millions deal? The Labour leadership only get to keep a huge inheritance if they get less than 50 seats at the next general election? Because everything they do and say seems to me like it'll be wildly unpopular, and it's been like this for a while now.
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This Europa League match on Thursday sounds like it’s going to be the friendliest in history.
January 19, 2026 at 8:55 PM
This Europa League match on Thursday sounds like it’s going to be the friendliest in history.
If (and it is an if) UK were never able to fire our independent nuclear weapons without US say-so then why were we paying them billions for the privilege? Apart from the massive hard-on it gave successive prime ministers to strut about with them in their back pocket, obviously.
January 19, 2026 at 11:08 AM
If (and it is an if) UK were never able to fire our independent nuclear weapons without US say-so then why were we paying them billions for the privilege? Apart from the massive hard-on it gave successive prime ministers to strut about with them in their back pocket, obviously.
These guys talk about law but they're actually just saying might is right. Realpolitik is not the same as law. And if it's ok for you it's ok for everyone, including your rivals and enemies . Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.
This guy is basically inviting China to take Taiwan.
January 18, 2026 at 12:21 PM
These guys talk about law but they're actually just saying might is right. Realpolitik is not the same as law. And if it's ok for you it's ok for everyone, including your rivals and enemies . Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.
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I know that distribution is important and everything but I do think that goalkeepers being really fucking good in goal is quite a big thing too.
January 17, 2026 at 1:47 PM
I know that distribution is important and everything but I do think that goalkeepers being really fucking good in goal is quite a big thing too.
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He just owns the screen. His doco on Netflix is very good
January 17, 2026 at 11:40 AM
He just owns the screen. His doco on Netflix is very good
I saw the post saying if trump invades Greenland it'd be a disaster for the us as they'd lose their airbases in Europe and we'd dump their treasury bonds etc. And I agree that would be a disaster. But I don't think it will happen because the UK in particular are led by a bunch of cringing cowards.
President Trump says he may punish countries with tariffs if they don’t back the U.S. controlling Greenland.
Trump says he may punish countries with tariffs if they don’t back the US controlling Greenland
President Donald Trump says he may punish countries with tariffs if they don’t back the U.S. controlling Greenland. Trump didn't provide details Friday.
bit.ly
January 16, 2026 at 8:20 PM
I saw the post saying if trump invades Greenland it'd be a disaster for the us as they'd lose their airbases in Europe and we'd dump their treasury bonds etc. And I agree that would be a disaster. But I don't think it will happen because the UK in particular are led by a bunch of cringing cowards.
I was at a funeral today and they played this on the pipe organ. It worked really well.
“Bitter Sweet Symphony” by The Verve #nowplaying #6music
January 16, 2026 at 8:08 PM
I was at a funeral today and they played this on the pipe organ. It worked really well.
You're not on the same team Wendy
Would not have expected this repugnant messaging from you. I’m sure you’re aware of the PM’s diligence and decency and the achievements of this government. As Labour Party member I have always respected The Green Party and voted with you on occasion. Sad to see this.
January 16, 2026 at 2:47 PM
You're not on the same team Wendy
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I am not pretending for a moment the British police usually do a good job helping or protecting British Asian and Black British people.
But in this case West Midlands police did the obviously correct thing for them and the government is intervening to punish the cops for that.
But in this case West Midlands police did the obviously correct thing for them and the government is intervening to punish the cops for that.
January 14, 2026 at 2:48 PM
I am not pretending for a moment the British police usually do a good job helping or protecting British Asian and Black British people.
But in this case West Midlands police did the obviously correct thing for them and the government is intervening to punish the cops for that.
But in this case West Midlands police did the obviously correct thing for them and the government is intervening to punish the cops for that.
Reposted by Silent Stars
They're playing Howard Jones' New Song up at the Co-op. 'Throw off your mental chains!' sings the woman in the navy blue three-quarter length anorak as she drops a pack of gravy granules into her basket
January 14, 2026 at 5:51 AM
They're playing Howard Jones' New Song up at the Co-op. 'Throw off your mental chains!' sings the woman in the navy blue three-quarter length anorak as she drops a pack of gravy granules into her basket
Excuse the provincial chip on my shoulder but it seemed obvious from the outset that HS2 was about using national transport budgets to expand the capital's commuter belt. They were always going to cancel the Northern bits and arguments about capacity and speed were nothing but hucksterism.
I was 20 when HS2 was announced. Great to know i’ll probably be in my late 60s when the Birmingham-Manchester section starts work let alone finishes. Seems like a country doing things the right way!
January 14, 2026 at 12:34 PM
Excuse the provincial chip on my shoulder but it seemed obvious from the outset that HS2 was about using national transport budgets to expand the capital's commuter belt. They were always going to cancel the Northern bits and arguments about capacity and speed were nothing but hucksterism.
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Maybe I'm being overly cynical, but it seems to me that what's about to happen is that this failing and his imminent resignation will be conflated with the decision itself and the received wisdom will end up being that the "fans banned because they were in danger from locals" rather than vice versa.
January 14, 2026 at 9:42 AM
Maybe I'm being overly cynical, but it seems to me that what's about to happen is that this failing and his imminent resignation will be conflated with the decision itself and the received wisdom will end up being that the "fans banned because they were in danger from locals" rather than vice versa.
Reposted by Silent Stars
Alright, What about the bit where the PM and the Culture Secretary stated, including in Parliament, that fans were banned because of the danger to them from Birmingham Muslims, which is not what the report said regardless of what it was based on?
WM Police chief Craig Guildford has apologised for identifying a fictitious West Ham v Maccabi Tel Aviv match in a police report. He’s written to the home affairs committee and blames Microsoft CoPilot for the error
January 14, 2026 at 9:36 AM
Alright, What about the bit where the PM and the Culture Secretary stated, including in Parliament, that fans were banned because of the danger to them from Birmingham Muslims, which is not what the report said regardless of what it was based on?
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The story here is “repeatedly sanctioned fascist football hooligans banned, papers and MPs collaborate on months-long campaign of apeshit crackpot squealing”. Watch how easily “officer cited AI” turns into “British police collaborate with radical Islamists and massive crackdowns are now required”.
January 14, 2026 at 11:00 AM
The story here is “repeatedly sanctioned fascist football hooligans banned, papers and MPs collaborate on months-long campaign of apeshit crackpot squealing”. Watch how easily “officer cited AI” turns into “British police collaborate with radical Islamists and massive crackdowns are now required”.
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It’s increasingly difficult to frame yourself as anti-establishment when you’ve had an influx of people who were running the country between 2010 and 2024.
January 12, 2026 at 12:14 PM
It’s increasingly difficult to frame yourself as anti-establishment when you’ve had an influx of people who were running the country between 2010 and 2024.
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'The idea that all bias is some deviation from an unbiased center is itself a bias that prevents pundits, journalists, politicians and plenty of others from recognizing some of the most ugly and impactful prejudices and assumptions of our times.' Rebecca Solnit #ExtremeCentrism #StatusQuoism
January 21, 2025 at 10:44 AM
'The idea that all bias is some deviation from an unbiased center is itself a bias that prevents pundits, journalists, politicians and plenty of others from recognizing some of the most ugly and impactful prejudices and assumptions of our times.' Rebecca Solnit #ExtremeCentrism #StatusQuoism
Reposted by Silent Stars
Reposted by Silent Stars
Britain in particular could stop helping America to fly a million tons of crowd-splattering weaponry into Israel every week via our RAF base on Cyprus, but that might be awkward, because acknowledging that’s what’s been happening being so deeply incriminating.
January 7, 2026 at 11:07 AM
Britain in particular could stop helping America to fly a million tons of crowd-splattering weaponry into Israel every week via our RAF base on Cyprus, but that might be awkward, because acknowledging that’s what’s been happening being so deeply incriminating.
Reposted by Silent Stars
BREAKING Irish Govt to move Grok to another parish.
January 7, 2026 at 11:05 AM
BREAKING Irish Govt to move Grok to another parish.
Reposted by Silent Stars
Nothing can tell you more about the absolute disconnect between the political class and the rest of us than their insistence that Wes Streeting is the key to electoral success.
"SCOTTISH Labour MPS are privately calling for Wes Streeting to stand against Sir Keir Starmer before May to avoid a wipeout in the Holyrood election, The Telegraph can reveal.
"The Health Secretary’s allies are pushing for a “Wes coronation” to give Labour new energy in Scotland..."
"The Health Secretary’s allies are pushing for a “Wes coronation” to give Labour new energy in Scotland..."
January 6, 2026 at 9:36 AM
Nothing can tell you more about the absolute disconnect between the political class and the rest of us than their insistence that Wes Streeting is the key to electoral success.