Tomos Doran
@portraitinflesh.bsky.social
Writer, blogger, Welsh. @portraitinflesh on Tw*tt*r. Contact me at aigtban@gmail.com.
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Tomos Doran
@portraitinflesh.bsky.social
· Dec 18
As I couldn't find it online, here's George Orwell's 1940 review of Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator. Pretty much on the money, I'd say. Orwell was mistaken about Chaplin being Jewish, but that was widely believed at the time, including by the Nazis themselves.
This scene completely blew my mind, when I first saw it. For the whole film, we've been totally immersed in what, to us, is a dateless pre-Columbian world. Then, suddenly, it's all wrenched into historical context, and we feel some faint sense of how first contact must have felt.
November 20, 2025 at 10:15 AM
This scene completely blew my mind, when I first saw it. For the whole film, we've been totally immersed in what, to us, is a dateless pre-Columbian world. Then, suddenly, it's all wrenched into historical context, and we feel some faint sense of how first contact must have felt.
This scene completely blew my mind, when I first saw it. For the whole film, we've been totally immersed in what, to us, is a dateless pre-Columbian world. Then, suddenly, it's all wrenched into historical context, and we feel some faint sense of how first contact must have felt.
November 20, 2025 at 10:15 AM
This scene completely blew my mind, when I first saw it. For the whole film, we've been totally immersed in what, to us, is a dateless pre-Columbian world. Then, suddenly, it's all wrenched into historical context, and we feel some faint sense of how first contact must have felt.
For me, becoming a Zionist was a combination of learning more about the history of antisemitism, and why it made the refounding of a Jewish state so urgent, and getting to know some Jews, and realising the land of Israel is closely tied to their identity, not some optional extra.
November 19, 2025 at 10:59 AM
For me, becoming a Zionist was a combination of learning more about the history of antisemitism, and why it made the refounding of a Jewish state so urgent, and getting to know some Jews, and realising the land of Israel is closely tied to their identity, not some optional extra.
This is a desperately beautiful song, I'm not sure why it's not seen as one of the Kinks' best. Or, for that matter, why the album it's from - Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One - isn't, either. At his best, *nobody* could beat Ray Davies.
The Kinks - A Long Way from Home (Official Audio)
YouTube video by The Kinks
www.youtube.com
November 19, 2025 at 10:28 AM
This is a desperately beautiful song, I'm not sure why it's not seen as one of the Kinks' best. Or, for that matter, why the album it's from - Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One - isn't, either. At his best, *nobody* could beat Ray Davies.
Yet another XL Bully mauling, this time mercifully non-fatal. I used to be one of those who find solace in the mantra "there are no bad dogs, only bad owners", and of course these dogs aren't *morally* bad, because they're acting on instinct, not out of a conscious desire to cause harm.
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'Mum, I’m going to die' – schoolgirl terror as she's mauled by dog
An 'XL Bully-type' dog attacked a girl in Pype Hayes, Erdington in a terrifying attack as it and another dog were roaming a residential road with their owner nowhere to be seen
www.birminghammail.co.uk
November 19, 2025 at 10:02 AM
Yet another XL Bully mauling, this time mercifully non-fatal. I used to be one of those who find solace in the mantra "there are no bad dogs, only bad owners", and of course these dogs aren't *morally* bad, because they're acting on instinct, not out of a conscious desire to cause harm.
(1/5)
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🎶YOU MAKE ME FEEL
YOU MAKE ME FEEL
YOU MAKE ME FEEL
Like a natural pseudo-technical term for a reactionary concept that, in line with the tendency Gramsci identified, incorporates superficially "scientific" signs into an enforced common sense🎶
YOU MAKE ME FEEL
YOU MAKE ME FEEL
Like a natural pseudo-technical term for a reactionary concept that, in line with the tendency Gramsci identified, incorporates superficially "scientific" signs into an enforced common sense🎶
November 18, 2025 at 11:34 AM
🎶YOU MAKE ME FEEL
YOU MAKE ME FEEL
YOU MAKE ME FEEL
Like a natural pseudo-technical term for a reactionary concept that, in line with the tendency Gramsci identified, incorporates superficially "scientific" signs into an enforced common sense🎶
YOU MAKE ME FEEL
YOU MAKE ME FEEL
Like a natural pseudo-technical term for a reactionary concept that, in line with the tendency Gramsci identified, incorporates superficially "scientific" signs into an enforced common sense🎶
ICYMI, I posted this fascinating Orwell column yesterday. Rest of the thread includes Vera Brittain's response, his response to her response, and (for completeness's sake) the rest of "As I Please" for 19/05/1944, plus annotations for the lot, from Peter Davison's Complete Works.
During and after the war, George Orwell wrote a weekly column for Tribune, called "As I Please". This is the one from May 19th, 1944, in which he makes a tough but convincing argument in favour of strategically bombing German cities. It's a conversation starter, certainly.
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November 18, 2025 at 10:40 AM
ICYMI, I posted this fascinating Orwell column yesterday. Rest of the thread includes Vera Brittain's response, his response to her response, and (for completeness's sake) the rest of "As I Please" for 19/05/1944, plus annotations for the lot, from Peter Davison's Complete Works.
During and after the war, George Orwell wrote a weekly column for Tribune, called "As I Please". This is the one from May 19th, 1944, in which he makes a tough but convincing argument in favour of strategically bombing German cities. It's a conversation starter, certainly.
(1/3)
(1/3)
November 17, 2025 at 11:32 AM
During and after the war, George Orwell wrote a weekly column for Tribune, called "As I Please". This is the one from May 19th, 1944, in which he makes a tough but convincing argument in favour of strategically bombing German cities. It's a conversation starter, certainly.
(1/3)
(1/3)
You're laughing. Londoners can barely leave the house without getting stabbed in the arse, and you're laughing.
November 17, 2025 at 9:25 AM
You're laughing. Londoners can barely leave the house without getting stabbed in the arse, and you're laughing.
The psychology of marketing, and the way it plays off associations lodged deep in our brains, fascinates me. There's no reason *at all* why cheddar left lying around in a cave should be nicer than cheddar left lying around in, say, a cupboard. But it's still oddly persuasive, no?
November 16, 2025 at 3:30 PM
The psychology of marketing, and the way it plays off associations lodged deep in our brains, fascinates me. There's no reason *at all* why cheddar left lying around in a cave should be nicer than cheddar left lying around in, say, a cupboard. But it's still oddly persuasive, no?
Reposted by Tomos Doran
The only time in Russian history when the KGB, in its various incarnations dating back to the 16th-century oprichnina, faced a stronger force.
The Death of Stalin - The Coup
YouTube video by Johnny's War Stories
youtu.be
November 15, 2025 at 10:20 AM
The only time in Russian history when the KGB, in its various incarnations dating back to the 16th-century oprichnina, faced a stronger force.
Quite likely the greatest character entrance in cinema history, and Jason Isaacs - a total mensch IRL, BTW - proceeds to steal every subsequent scene he's in, as well. He probably doesn't have more than fifteen minutes' screen time in the whole movie, but still manages to dominate proceedings. Epic.
November 15, 2025 at 9:44 AM
Quite likely the greatest character entrance in cinema history, and Jason Isaacs - a total mensch IRL, BTW - proceeds to steal every subsequent scene he's in, as well. He probably doesn't have more than fifteen minutes' screen time in the whole movie, but still manages to dominate proceedings. Epic.
From a Facebook group where women share awful exchanges they've had with men on dating apps. The insipid nod to consent at the start makes it so much worse, as does the creepily incongruous little-boy use of "willy". "BONOR" sounds like an unpopular He-Man villain-of-the-week.
November 14, 2025 at 2:46 PM
From a Facebook group where women share awful exchanges they've had with men on dating apps. The insipid nod to consent at the start makes it so much worse, as does the creepily incongruous little-boy use of "willy". "BONOR" sounds like an unpopular He-Man villain-of-the-week.
There used to be a Twitter/"X" account called @KidsWriteJokes, that posted genuine submissions to a children's jokes website. Below is my personal favourite, of all time. I maintain the comic timing here is better than in most intentional comedy. It's all down to the placing of that first full stop.
November 14, 2025 at 11:14 AM
There used to be a Twitter/"X" account called @KidsWriteJokes, that posted genuine submissions to a children's jokes website. Below is my personal favourite, of all time. I maintain the comic timing here is better than in most intentional comedy. It's all down to the placing of that first full stop.
That Marr clip is indeed cringeworthy, but if there's one group of people who lack the standing to say so, it's the people who insisted Britain would be better off outside the EU. Doubly so, in fact, because Brexit is one of the primary reasons 2020s Britain is so hard to govern.
November 14, 2025 at 10:54 AM
That Marr clip is indeed cringeworthy, but if there's one group of people who lack the standing to say so, it's the people who insisted Britain would be better off outside the EU. Doubly so, in fact, because Brexit is one of the primary reasons 2020s Britain is so hard to govern.
I know it's blindingly obvious, but how could I not?
November 14, 2025 at 9:36 AM
I know it's blindingly obvious, but how could I not?
I really enjoyed the new Lily Allen album, despite the questionable wisdom of putting her dirty laundry on such microscopic public display. The fact is, she's a genuinely great songwriter, when she's on form, however irritating she may be as a personality.
West End Girl
open.spotify.com
November 13, 2025 at 11:10 AM
I really enjoyed the new Lily Allen album, despite the questionable wisdom of putting her dirty laundry on such microscopic public display. The fact is, she's a genuinely great songwriter, when she's on form, however irritating she may be as a personality.
By this logic, Barack Obama was never a victim of racism, because he was president of the whole country. But of course, Julia and the rest of the watermelon/red triangle mob would never dream of applying that standard to any minority group other than Jews, because #JewsDontCount.
November 12, 2025 at 11:09 AM
By this logic, Barack Obama was never a victim of racism, because he was president of the whole country. But of course, Julia and the rest of the watermelon/red triangle mob would never dream of applying that standard to any minority group other than Jews, because #JewsDontCount.
"Forevermore"? So, he thinks Israelis would expand to conquer all of Eurasia, if they could? I'd vote for a bloke with his trousers down, arguing with the ducks in the park, before Corbyn. In fact, politically speaking, he basically *is* arguing with ducks with his trousers down.
November 11, 2025 at 11:46 AM
"Forevermore"? So, he thinks Israelis would expand to conquer all of Eurasia, if they could? I'd vote for a bloke with his trousers down, arguing with the ducks in the park, before Corbyn. In fact, politically speaking, he basically *is* arguing with ducks with his trousers down.
There's a dark comedy in the way softball pro-MAGA interviewers keep handing Trump the opportunity to condemn dictatorships on a silver plate, and he never, ever takes it. In many ways, he has the foreign policy outlook of a Guardian reader: "we're no angels ourselves, you know".
November 11, 2025 at 11:45 AM
There's a dark comedy in the way softball pro-MAGA interviewers keep handing Trump the opportunity to condemn dictatorships on a silver plate, and he never, ever takes it. In many ways, he has the foreign policy outlook of a Guardian reader: "we're no angels ourselves, you know".
I'm in the pro-BBC camp, too, but forgive me for hoping the public service broadcaster of a G7 power can do better than "not as bad as the worst person in the world".
November 11, 2025 at 11:44 AM
I'm in the pro-BBC camp, too, but forgive me for hoping the public service broadcaster of a G7 power can do better than "not as bad as the worst person in the world".
We could all do with a bit of good news, at the moment, especially when it comes to Jewish-Muslim relations. So, let's savour this very wholesome story about some Muslim chip shop owners teaming up with a local rabbi (and his son) to offer both halal *and* kosher food. So lovely.
Leeds chippy batters down faith barriers - The Jewish Chronicle
Marlows, the first fish and chip shop with kosher facilities in the city in half a century, is able to cater for both kosher and halal customers
www.thejc.com
November 7, 2025 at 8:22 AM
We could all do with a bit of good news, at the moment, especially when it comes to Jewish-Muslim relations. So, let's savour this very wholesome story about some Muslim chip shop owners teaming up with a local rabbi (and his son) to offer both halal *and* kosher food. So lovely.
This tickled me, it really did. Anyway, you heard it here first: the fourth image below - i.e. me, my actual face, when I had slightly more hair - is both "street credible" and "internet sellable". Amazed I'm not beating them off with a stick, quite frankly.
November 5, 2025 at 4:26 PM
This tickled me, it really did. Anyway, you heard it here first: the fourth image below - i.e. me, my actual face, when I had slightly more hair - is both "street credible" and "internet sellable". Amazed I'm not beating them off with a stick, quite frankly.
Wait...
Hold on...
Oh.
I mean... I'm incredibly flattered, obviously. BEYOND flattered, in fact. But the thought of anyone *remotely* as important as Barack Obama caring what *I* have to say is terrifying. I'm an idiot! Mr President, I beg you to reconsider, for all our sakes!
Hold on...
Oh.
I mean... I'm incredibly flattered, obviously. BEYOND flattered, in fact. But the thought of anyone *remotely* as important as Barack Obama caring what *I* have to say is terrifying. I'm an idiot! Mr President, I beg you to reconsider, for all our sakes!
November 5, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Wait...
Hold on...
Oh.
I mean... I'm incredibly flattered, obviously. BEYOND flattered, in fact. But the thought of anyone *remotely* as important as Barack Obama caring what *I* have to say is terrifying. I'm an idiot! Mr President, I beg you to reconsider, for all our sakes!
Hold on...
Oh.
I mean... I'm incredibly flattered, obviously. BEYOND flattered, in fact. But the thought of anyone *remotely* as important as Barack Obama caring what *I* have to say is terrifying. I'm an idiot! Mr President, I beg you to reconsider, for all our sakes!
Is there anything *in the universe* less surprising than Donald Trump identifying with Andrew Mountbatten Windsor? I'm more surprised when my bathroom door turns out, yet again, to lead to my bathroom.
November 3, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Is there anything *in the universe* less surprising than Donald Trump identifying with Andrew Mountbatten Windsor? I'm more surprised when my bathroom door turns out, yet again, to lead to my bathroom.