Ian Banks
@atoll.ltd
"...all good things-trout as well as eternal salvation-come by grace and grace comes by art and art does not come easy": Norman Maclean
Other countries “not laughing at us any more” the man says. Not sure of that Donald, but anyway, just let someone honest & impartial fact-check & verify your other Presidential claims made in what looks & sounds a rather desperate xmas address made as your ratings tumble youtube.com/live/q-MNcWi...
President Trump addresses the nation
YouTube video by FOX 29 Philadelphia
youtube.com
December 18, 2025 at 7:38 AM
Other countries “not laughing at us any more” the man says. Not sure of that Donald, but anyway, just let someone honest & impartial fact-check & verify your other Presidential claims made in what looks & sounds a rather desperate xmas address made as your ratings tumble youtube.com/live/q-MNcWi...
Scrooge & Grinch at least have some Christmas Epiphany, but transgressions of Trump like those of mean-hearted Potter in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ (grand larceny, swearing out a false warrant, embezzlement & obstruction of justice) will get their due reward one day www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Trump’s ‘Bah! Humbug!’ address suggests he is feeling the chill of opinion polls
Primetime speech – delivered with shouty spirit but no cheer – betrayed a figure dogged by a cost of living crisis and the looming release of the Epstein files
www.theguardian.com
December 18, 2025 at 7:24 AM
Scrooge & Grinch at least have some Christmas Epiphany, but transgressions of Trump like those of mean-hearted Potter in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ (grand larceny, swearing out a false warrant, embezzlement & obstruction of justice) will get their due reward one day www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Much prefer an ‘e’ in my Whisky (& no ice) any day. Joanne Gould’s Christmas selection has Writers Tears as only Irish & a “stocking filler” after thought at that! Lots to chose from Dunville, Teeling or Redbreast all various winners at the World Whisky Awards www.theguardian.com/thefilter/20...
The best whisky to savour this Christmas: 14 tried-and-tested tipples, from scotch and single malt to blended and bourbon
Whether giving as a festive gift or just enjoying during your own yuletide celebrations, these whiskies – and whiskeys – will bring the warmth
www.theguardian.com
December 12, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Much prefer an ‘e’ in my Whisky (& no ice) any day. Joanne Gould’s Christmas selection has Writers Tears as only Irish & a “stocking filler” after thought at that! Lots to chose from Dunville, Teeling or Redbreast all various winners at the World Whisky Awards www.theguardian.com/thefilter/20...
Loving the Spoty Mash-Up. My own favourite without doubt Bobby Charlton being presented BBC Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY) Lifetime Achievement Award by his brother Jack back in 2008 saying he was “…the greatest player that I've ever seen. And he's my brother." www.bbc.co.uk/sport/videos...
SPOTY 2025: Memorable speeches from SPOTY history
Keely Hodgkinson, David Beckham and Muhammad Ali feature in this BBC Sport montage of memorable speeches at the Sports Personality of the Year awards over the decades.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 12, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Loving the Spoty Mash-Up. My own favourite without doubt Bobby Charlton being presented BBC Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY) Lifetime Achievement Award by his brother Jack back in 2008 saying he was “…the greatest player that I've ever seen. And he's my brother." www.bbc.co.uk/sport/videos...
If Rubio rejects woke fonts and favours the old typeface of Stanley Morison’s ‘Times New Roman’ so much, maybe for Trump he should switch to that other God-botherer and sexual deviant Eric Gill’s ‘Gill Sans’ also commissioned by the same Morison in 1927–30 www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
Calibri: is this really the world’s wokest font?
It was the Windows typeface for 17 years – and adopted by the Biden administration for its readability for those with visual impairments. But Marco Rubio has ruled that Calibri lacks ‘decorum’
www.theguardian.com
December 10, 2025 at 8:53 PM
If Rubio rejects woke fonts and favours the old typeface of Stanley Morison’s ‘Times New Roman’ so much, maybe for Trump he should switch to that other God-botherer and sexual deviant Eric Gill’s ‘Gill Sans’ also commissioned by the same Morison in 1927–30 www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
Lincolnshire heading the way of nanny state Singapore which has even stricter laws against spitting (also for not flushing public toilet) enforced under Environmental Public Health Act with initial fines up to S$1,000 with potentially higher for repeat offenses www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Pensioner ‘fined £250 for spitting’ after leaf blew into his mouth
Roy Marsh, 86, says the penalty from enforcement officers was ‘unnecessary and all out of proportion’
www.theguardian.com
December 10, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Lincolnshire heading the way of nanny state Singapore which has even stricter laws against spitting (also for not flushing public toilet) enforced under Environmental Public Health Act with initial fines up to S$1,000 with potentially higher for repeat offenses www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Brilliant ‘Small Things Like These’ tonight at #SilkscreenFilmSociety directed & starring Cillian Murphy as quiet hero & coal-man Bill Furlong. Based on Claire Keegan novella of public complicit in Irish state & RC Church shameful Magdalene Laundries that existed to 1998. youtube.com/watch?v=Nqwn...
Small Things Like These (2024) Official Trailer - Cillian Murphy, Emily Watson
YouTube video by Lionsgate Movies
youtube.com
December 10, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Brilliant ‘Small Things Like These’ tonight at #SilkscreenFilmSociety directed & starring Cillian Murphy as quiet hero & coal-man Bill Furlong. Based on Claire Keegan novella of public complicit in Irish state & RC Church shameful Magdalene Laundries that existed to 1998. youtube.com/watch?v=Nqwn...
Trump likes gilded pseudo classical kitsch so no surprise he likes relic of Times New Roman. Font too narrow with visual 'noise' means accessibility issues for any with visual impairment/dyslexia. UK Home Office changed to Calibri but is “wasteful” diversity to US www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Font of ‘wasteful’ diversity: Trump’s state department orders return to Times New Roman
A cable from Marco Rubio reportedly said cutting Calibri from official communication would ‘abolish yet another wasteful DEIA program’
www.theguardian.com
December 10, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Trump likes gilded pseudo classical kitsch so no surprise he likes relic of Times New Roman. Font too narrow with visual 'noise' means accessibility issues for any with visual impairment/dyslexia. UK Home Office changed to Calibri but is “wasteful” diversity to US www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Love family friendship & joy beats evil hate & bitterness any day. Programme about 9-y.o Alice da Silva Aguiar, 7-y.o Elsie Dot Stancombe & 6-y.o Bebe King is so moving, but it’s loving legacy of kindness & hope taken forward by their parents that’s most inspiring www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
Our Girls: the Southport Families review – repeatedly leaves you in fountains of tears
This deeply moving documentary celebrates the lives of the three girls who were killed in an attack on their dance class last year – and becomes a miraculously powerful tale of turning heartbreak into...
www.theguardian.com
December 10, 2025 at 8:36 AM
Love family friendship & joy beats evil hate & bitterness any day. Programme about 9-y.o Alice da Silva Aguiar, 7-y.o Elsie Dot Stancombe & 6-y.o Bebe King is so moving, but it’s loving legacy of kindness & hope taken forward by their parents that’s most inspiring www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
No true Mancunian Red (or Blue for that matter) would be unhappy with anything “knocking Liverpool right off their f-ing perch” but I like Arne Slot & after Mo Salah finally revealed his true class (or lack of), I hope he gets respite tonight vs Inter in Stadio San Siro www.uefa.com/uefachampion...
Inter vs Liverpool line-ups: UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League phase
Inter vs Liverpool: all the latest UEFA Champions League League phase match information including stats, form, history, and more.
www.uefa.com
December 9, 2025 at 7:21 PM
No true Mancunian Red (or Blue for that matter) would be unhappy with anything “knocking Liverpool right off their f-ing perch” but I like Arne Slot & after Mo Salah finally revealed his true class (or lack of), I hope he gets respite tonight vs Inter in Stadio San Siro www.uefa.com/uefachampion...
Gloating, condescending Trump marks score card “A+++” when asked by Dasha Burns of Politico. He earlier claims Somali American & Muslim Congresswoman Ilhan Omar married brother - & yet Burns lets that & other nonsense pass unopposed. Lightweight critical journalism. www.politico.com/podcasts/the...
The Conversation
On <i>The Conversation</i>, POLITICO’s Dasha Burns will sit down with one of the most compelling – and sometimes unexpected – power players in Washington and beyond for a real discussion about how the...
www.politico.com
December 9, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Gloating, condescending Trump marks score card “A+++” when asked by Dasha Burns of Politico. He earlier claims Somali American & Muslim Congresswoman Ilhan Omar married brother - & yet Burns lets that & other nonsense pass unopposed. Lightweight critical journalism. www.politico.com/podcasts/the...
A “de-alcoholisation facility…extracting hangovers from beer” sounds a bit like the Grinch but is long overdue. Growing demand for no-alcohol and low-alcohol (“nolo”) beer. Biggest challenge though is achieving decent cask & hand-pulled draught beers in-pub please www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Extracting hangovers from beer: inside Budweiser owner’s ‘nolo’ brewery in south Wales
AB InBev unveils its ‘de-alcoholisation’ annex at Magor site as demand for once ‘lousy’ low- or no-alcohol beer rises
www.theguardian.com
December 8, 2025 at 8:45 AM
A “de-alcoholisation facility…extracting hangovers from beer” sounds a bit like the Grinch but is long overdue. Growing demand for no-alcohol and low-alcohol (“nolo”) beer. Biggest challenge though is achieving decent cask & hand-pulled draught beers in-pub please www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Not sure wild ‘Beaver Bombing’ is what Norfolk’s River Wensum chalk stream needs now. My fly fishing at Bintry Mill & EA Restoration Strategy confirms sediment & low flow from agricultural runoff & bank erosion, causing habitat degradation especially at watermills www.theguardian.com/environment/...
‘No one knows where it came from’: first wild beaver spotted in Norfolk for 400 years
Cameras capture lone creature collecting materials for its lodge in riverside nature reserve
www.theguardian.com
December 7, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Not sure wild ‘Beaver Bombing’ is what Norfolk’s River Wensum chalk stream needs now. My fly fishing at Bintry Mill & EA Restoration Strategy confirms sediment & low flow from agricultural runoff & bank erosion, causing habitat degradation especially at watermills www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Elite Pentagon Press corps now includes Laura Loomer, Trump confidante & “proud Islamophobe”; conspiracy theorist & CEO of MyPillow Mike Lindell’s online streaming channel LindellTV &; disgraced former congressman turned host of One America News Network Matt Gaetz www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
‘Mouthpieces for Trump’: inside the rightwing takeover of the Pentagon press corps
Pentagon press passes once held by credentialed journalists are now in the hands of rightwing pundits and Trump allies
www.theguardian.com
December 6, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Elite Pentagon Press corps now includes Laura Loomer, Trump confidante & “proud Islamophobe”; conspiracy theorist & CEO of MyPillow Mike Lindell’s online streaming channel LindellTV &; disgraced former congressman turned host of One America News Network Matt Gaetz www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Fine if Take Back Power pursue non violent civil resistance but destructive Just Stop Oil model doesn’t work. Look to precedents of Salt March, Suffrage, Montgomery Bus Boycott, Situationist grafitti, Czech Velvet Revolution, Anti-Apartheid. Anything but Apple & Custard www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Four arrested over defacing of Crown Jewels display case at Tower of London
The group Take Back Power says its members poured custard and apple crumble on the display.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 6, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Fine if Take Back Power pursue non violent civil resistance but destructive Just Stop Oil model doesn’t work. Look to precedents of Salt March, Suffrage, Montgomery Bus Boycott, Situationist grafitti, Czech Velvet Revolution, Anti-Apartheid. Anything but Apple & Custard www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Thursday BBC Question Time was immigration special from Dover, so ideally a representative audience should include small number of small boat migrants granted asylum. Yet Farage steps up attack on BBC for giving such immigrants a platform - but why wouldn’t BBC? www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
Nigel Farage hits out at BBC over small boat migrants in Question Time audience
Two men granted refugee status after arriving on small boats were in the Question Time audience for an immigration special edition of the show.
www.independent.co.uk
December 6, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Thursday BBC Question Time was immigration special from Dover, so ideally a representative audience should include small number of small boat migrants granted asylum. Yet Farage steps up attack on BBC for giving such immigrants a platform - but why wouldn’t BBC? www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
Thought it hard enough as Man Utd fan coming to terms with my teams continual disapointment, but England’s non-performance so far in the Ashes surpass even that low www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2...
Australia close on victory against England: Ashes second Test, day three – live
Over-by-over report: Hosts pull away to 177-run first-innings lead before bowling under lights at the Gabba. Join our writers for updates
www.theguardian.com
December 6, 2025 at 11:37 AM
Thought it hard enough as Man Utd fan coming to terms with my teams continual disapointment, but England’s non-performance so far in the Ashes surpass even that low www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2...
With something like 2-ducks and just 64 runs in 4 Ashes innings as a preferred opening batsman, plus 2 important dropped catches fielding in Australias last innings, you have to admire Ben Duckett’s apparent fortitude and ebullient demeanour despite it all. www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricke...
www.dailymail.co.uk
December 6, 2025 at 9:28 AM
With something like 2-ducks and just 64 runs in 4 Ashes innings as a preferred opening batsman, plus 2 important dropped catches fielding in Australias last innings, you have to admire Ben Duckett’s apparent fortitude and ebullient demeanour despite it all. www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricke...
Old man & FIFA World Peace Prize winner “puts his pride on the shelf” dancing to Young Mens Christian Association anthem at 2026 World Cup launch. What this has to do with football’s (no ‘soccer’ here) premier global tournament is anyone’s guess, but all now politicised youtube.com/watch?v=2hC9...
WATCH: President Trump dances to 'YMCA' at the FIFA World Cup draw
YouTube video by FOX 5 Washington DC
youtube.com
December 6, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Old man & FIFA World Peace Prize winner “puts his pride on the shelf” dancing to Young Mens Christian Association anthem at 2026 World Cup launch. What this has to do with football’s (no ‘soccer’ here) premier global tournament is anyone’s guess, but all now politicised youtube.com/watch?v=2hC9...
Imagine Tuchel being politically expedient saying England 2026 World Cup group with Croatia, Panama & Ghana difficult? With FIFA ranking of 4 compared to 10,30 & 72 respectively, we must be happy. Maybe Croatia are bogie team but best player Captain Luka Modric is 40! www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...
World Cup draw: Profiles of England's group stage opponents Croatia, Panama and Ghana
BBC Sport profiles Croatia, Panama and Ghana - England's Group L opponents at the 2026 World Cup.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 6, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Imagine Tuchel being politically expedient saying England 2026 World Cup group with Croatia, Panama & Ghana difficult? With FIFA ranking of 4 compared to 10,30 & 72 respectively, we must be happy. Maybe Croatia are bogie team but best player Captain Luka Modric is 40! www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...
Interesting for 65 y.o brought up with tired & overused idioms of “keep your pecker up” & “pull yourself together” to read of 752 GPs questioned, 442 / 58% believed over-diagnosis of mental health was concern. But times & pressures today not as simple as my younger days www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
'Life being stressful is not an illness' - GPs on mental health over-diagnosis
Hundreds of GPs in England tell the BBC they are also worried about a lack of help for patients.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 6, 2025 at 8:42 AM
Interesting for 65 y.o brought up with tired & overused idioms of “keep your pecker up” & “pull yourself together” to read of 752 GPs questioned, 442 / 58% believed over-diagnosis of mental health was concern. But times & pressures today not as simple as my younger days www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Awoken wih some trepidation to come down and see how England were performing (or not) in 2nd Ashes Test at the Gabba. Literally turned TV on just as Crawley & Duckett were walking out to face Mitchel Stark. Tense is an underestimate! www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2...
Australia v England: Ashes second Test, day three – live
Over-by-over report: Hosts pull away to 177-run first-innings lead before bowling under lights at the Gabba. Join our writers for updates
www.theguardian.com
December 6, 2025 at 8:27 AM
Awoken wih some trepidation to come down and see how England were performing (or not) in 2nd Ashes Test at the Gabba. Literally turned TV on just as Crawley & Duckett were walking out to face Mitchel Stark. Tense is an underestimate! www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2...
So brown-nosing Infantino inaugural FIFA Peace Prize awarded to Trump before 2026 Fifa World Cup! So what ‘prize’ before 100th anniversary Pan-Mediterranean & Atlantic cup in 2030? But in 2034 Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince MBS is shoe-in for FIFA ‘Bone-Saw Butcherer Prize’ www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...
Donald Trump: US president named inaugural Fifa Peace Prize winner
US President Donald Trump receives the inaugural Fifa Peace Prize before the draw for the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 5, 2025 at 9:26 PM
So brown-nosing Infantino inaugural FIFA Peace Prize awarded to Trump before 2026 Fifa World Cup! So what ‘prize’ before 100th anniversary Pan-Mediterranean & Atlantic cup in 2030? But in 2034 Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince MBS is shoe-in for FIFA ‘Bone-Saw Butcherer Prize’ www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...
Congratulations to Ahmed Ahsan Saeed & team at The Integrated Operations Centre at Health New Zealand Waikato for winning the inaugural 2025 HiNZ Accenture Catalyst Award for their App built during strike action enabling nurses & managers make faster, safer decisions www.hinz.org.nz/news/715570/...
Industrial action app wins inaugural Catalyst Award - Health Informatics New Zealand
www.hinz.org.nz
December 5, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Congratulations to Ahmed Ahsan Saeed & team at The Integrated Operations Centre at Health New Zealand Waikato for winning the inaugural 2025 HiNZ Accenture Catalyst Award for their App built during strike action enabling nurses & managers make faster, safer decisions www.hinz.org.nz/news/715570/...