Simon Waldman
@swaldman.bsky.social
Follow @simon-on-energy for energy, environment & academia. Stay here for anything else. All tweets in personal capacity. he/him.
Can also be found at mendeddrum.org/@swaldman
Can also be found at mendeddrum.org/@swaldman
I'm sure this is a metaphor, but I'm not sure what for.
Terumaru, a bright young lightbulb and the mascot of the Tokyu Denki electric company, trapped in a door yesterday:
November 24, 2025 at 2:17 PM
I'm sure this is a metaphor, but I'm not sure what for.
Reposted by Simon Waldman
Messages from school to my parents in the 90s: Fill in the slip at the bottom & bring in £2 for the trip to the zoo
Messages from school now: Your child's exam schedule is on Zoop, login via the LernPortal to access it, the results will be on HoneyTree, their homework is on Zappp & NumberHub
Messages from school now: Your child's exam schedule is on Zoop, login via the LernPortal to access it, the results will be on HoneyTree, their homework is on Zappp & NumberHub
November 24, 2025 at 11:23 AM
Messages from school to my parents in the 90s: Fill in the slip at the bottom & bring in £2 for the trip to the zoo
Messages from school now: Your child's exam schedule is on Zoop, login via the LernPortal to access it, the results will be on HoneyTree, their homework is on Zappp & NumberHub
Messages from school now: Your child's exam schedule is on Zoop, login via the LernPortal to access it, the results will be on HoneyTree, their homework is on Zappp & NumberHub
Reposted by Simon Waldman
Reposted by Simon Waldman
How many older journalists and papers look back at their role whipping up hatred against gay people like me in the 80's and 90's with pride and a sense they did right? Very few. So what do *you*, today's journos and papers, think your prospects are after re-running same campaign against trans folk?
November 20, 2025 at 11:27 PM
How many older journalists and papers look back at their role whipping up hatred against gay people like me in the 80's and 90's with pride and a sense they did right? Very few. So what do *you*, today's journos and papers, think your prospects are after re-running same campaign against trans folk?
Me too!
Just got my (private) Covid jab from Boots. Not cheap, but I hope it will protect my Xmas from infections! (already have the flu jab)
November 19, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Me too!
Reposted by Simon Waldman
yeah everything that trusted Cloudflare is fucked
"There is an internal server error on Cloudflare's network."
Cloudflare wanted a chokehold on the internet, and this is what that looks like
status: www.cloudflarestatus.com/incidents/8g...
"There is an internal server error on Cloudflare's network."
Cloudflare wanted a chokehold on the internet, and this is what that looks like
status: www.cloudflarestatus.com/incidents/8g...
November 18, 2025 at 12:02 PM
yeah everything that trusted Cloudflare is fucked
"There is an internal server error on Cloudflare's network."
Cloudflare wanted a chokehold on the internet, and this is what that looks like
status: www.cloudflarestatus.com/incidents/8g...
"There is an internal server error on Cloudflare's network."
Cloudflare wanted a chokehold on the internet, and this is what that looks like
status: www.cloudflarestatus.com/incidents/8g...
Reposted by Simon Waldman
Turns out both DownDetector and DownForEveryoneOrJustMe use Cloudflare so are currently, themselves, down
November 18, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Turns out both DownDetector and DownForEveryoneOrJustMe use Cloudflare so are currently, themselves, down
Reposted by Simon Waldman
The Daily Mail has been relentlessly attacking the BBC over the editing of Trump quotes in a documentary and look:
It completely fabricated a quote from a BBC presenter. Robinson should sue them for, ooh, at least $2 billion dollars as it’s worse than what they accused the BBC of.
It completely fabricated a quote from a BBC presenter. Robinson should sue them for, ooh, at least $2 billion dollars as it’s worse than what they accused the BBC of.
November 15, 2025 at 10:24 PM
The Daily Mail has been relentlessly attacking the BBC over the editing of Trump quotes in a documentary and look:
It completely fabricated a quote from a BBC presenter. Robinson should sue them for, ooh, at least $2 billion dollars as it’s worse than what they accused the BBC of.
It completely fabricated a quote from a BBC presenter. Robinson should sue them for, ooh, at least $2 billion dollars as it’s worse than what they accused the BBC of.
Reposted by Simon Waldman
A few years ago there was a terrible Gen Z tweet everyone dunked on about how people should get their car insurance payments back if they don’t use it. Anyway it’s fun to discover this is now the stated position of the GOP
November 10, 2025 at 4:36 PM
A few years ago there was a terrible Gen Z tweet everyone dunked on about how people should get their car insurance payments back if they don’t use it. Anyway it’s fun to discover this is now the stated position of the GOP
Reposted by Simon Waldman
Reposted by Simon Waldman
I thought that photo might be from the Glasgow Medical Officer for Health's annual report - it isn't, but this glorious photo of the temporary X-Ray centre in George Square is. The rest doesn't have such pretty pictures but some fascinating information (1/?)
November 10, 2025 at 4:47 PM
I thought that photo might be from the Glasgow Medical Officer for Health's annual report - it isn't, but this glorious photo of the temporary X-Ray centre in George Square is. The rest doesn't have such pretty pictures but some fascinating information (1/?)
Reposted by Simon Waldman
November 7, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Reposted by Simon Waldman
Academics in Assyria in the 7th c BC complain that admin is preventing them from doing research and teaching
November 3, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Academics in Assyria in the 7th c BC complain that admin is preventing them from doing research and teaching
Fascinating interview with one of the members of Pussy Riot, giving a view of current events from a Russian perspective that we don't often get.
pca.st/episode/c5df...
pca.st/episode/c5df...
Pussy Riot's Masha on being an enemy of Putin
pca.st
November 7, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Fascinating interview with one of the members of Pussy Riot, giving a view of current events from a Russian perspective that we don't often get.
pca.st/episode/c5df...
pca.st/episode/c5df...
Reposted by Simon Waldman
Honestly TELL THE STORY. Won’t someone just tell the fucking story of how Brexit created this economic hardship, how a Muslim immigrant just saved the lives of those commuters on that train, won’t someone in politics or even media just connect the fucking dots and TELL THE STORY. IT’S RIGHT THERE
November 5, 2025 at 11:05 AM
Honestly TELL THE STORY. Won’t someone just tell the fucking story of how Brexit created this economic hardship, how a Muslim immigrant just saved the lives of those commuters on that train, won’t someone in politics or even media just connect the fucking dots and TELL THE STORY. IT’S RIGHT THERE
Reposted by Simon Waldman
A party that controls every institution of government, including majorities in both chambers of the parliament, should be able to keep the lights on & the airports running. Malevolent incompetence.
80% of air traffic controllers absent at New York facilities.
The system is at breaking point.
The system is at breaking point.
November 1, 2025 at 2:56 AM
A party that controls every institution of government, including majorities in both chambers of the parliament, should be able to keep the lights on & the airports running. Malevolent incompetence.
Reposted by Simon Waldman
F. Scott Fitzgerald: In my book I invented Gatsby lifestyle as a cautionary tale
The president: At long last, we have created the Gatsby lifestyle from the classic novel The Great Gatsby
The president: At long last, we have created the Gatsby lifestyle from the classic novel The Great Gatsby
November 1, 2025 at 4:48 AM
F. Scott Fitzgerald: In my book I invented Gatsby lifestyle as a cautionary tale
The president: At long last, we have created the Gatsby lifestyle from the classic novel The Great Gatsby
The president: At long last, we have created the Gatsby lifestyle from the classic novel The Great Gatsby
Tory policy would deport about 5% of the UK population.
"This scale of population movement is comparable to that which happened with the partition of India and Pakistan and the foundation of the state of Israel."
"This scale of population movement is comparable to that which happened with the partition of India and Pakistan and the foundation of the state of Israel."
it's just so so mad and evil, as I pointed out yesterday!
Clearly, I wasn't interpreting it wrong.
Clearly, I wasn't interpreting it wrong.
October 23, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Tory policy would deport about 5% of the UK population.
"This scale of population movement is comparable to that which happened with the partition of India and Pakistan and the foundation of the state of Israel."
"This scale of population movement is comparable to that which happened with the partition of India and Pakistan and the foundation of the state of Israel."
Reposted by Simon Waldman
Apparently some folks are playing real dumb about skull symbols so let’s play a little game I like to call “Nazi skull or not a Nazi skull”
First up, the Jolly Roger. This is a pirate skull, not a Nazi skull. It means you might get robbed, but prolly not genocided.
With me so far? 1/x
First up, the Jolly Roger. This is a pirate skull, not a Nazi skull. It means you might get robbed, but prolly not genocided.
With me so far? 1/x
October 22, 2025 at 5:23 AM
Apparently some folks are playing real dumb about skull symbols so let’s play a little game I like to call “Nazi skull or not a Nazi skull”
First up, the Jolly Roger. This is a pirate skull, not a Nazi skull. It means you might get robbed, but prolly not genocided.
With me so far? 1/x
First up, the Jolly Roger. This is a pirate skull, not a Nazi skull. It means you might get robbed, but prolly not genocided.
With me so far? 1/x
Reposted by Simon Waldman
I’m sorry but these sound like vintage esoteric euphemisms for “homosexual”
October 22, 2025 at 11:08 AM
I’m sorry but these sound like vintage esoteric euphemisms for “homosexual”
Reposted by Simon Waldman
why did this take two fucking days though? did the Prime Minister have his notifications switched off? was he stuck in the bath? why, exactly, is this obviously true thing something that apparently needs running past the boss anyway? what is *wrong* with their comms operation?
NEW: Labour condemn Tory plan to strip people of indefinite leave to remain:
“It’s utterly grotesque that Tories want to deport people with the lawful right to be here to achieve ‘cultural coherence’.
“This policy would mean tearing families apart and ripping out our neighbours from communities."
“It’s utterly grotesque that Tories want to deport people with the lawful right to be here to achieve ‘cultural coherence’.
“This policy would mean tearing families apart and ripping out our neighbours from communities."
October 22, 2025 at 6:12 PM
why did this take two fucking days though? did the Prime Minister have his notifications switched off? was he stuck in the bath? why, exactly, is this obviously true thing something that apparently needs running past the boss anyway? what is *wrong* with their comms operation?
Reposted by Simon Waldman
It is the official policy of the Conservative Party that their leader should be deported. It is the official policy of Reform that their leader's wife should be deported.
October 22, 2025 at 7:19 PM
It is the official policy of the Conservative Party that their leader should be deported. It is the official policy of Reform that their leader's wife should be deported.
Reposted by Simon Waldman
If I were running Labour comms I would commission an app called 'Will the Tories/Reform deport you?' then let the reactions on TikTok and Instagram do their work.
October 22, 2025 at 10:29 AM
If I were running Labour comms I would commission an app called 'Will the Tories/Reform deport you?' then let the reactions on TikTok and Instagram do their work.
Oct 18th. No Kings. I'm not sure if there's a significance to the date, but anyway.
American friends, I hope that you are both safe and effective, and that when there is a tradeoff between the two you are able to strike the balance that you choose. ❤️
American friends, I hope that you are both safe and effective, and that when there is a tradeoff between the two you are able to strike the balance that you choose. ❤️
October 18, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Oct 18th. No Kings. I'm not sure if there's a significance to the date, but anyway.
American friends, I hope that you are both safe and effective, and that when there is a tradeoff between the two you are able to strike the balance that you choose. ❤️
American friends, I hope that you are both safe and effective, and that when there is a tradeoff between the two you are able to strike the balance that you choose. ❤️