Ralph Houston
@franktexas.bsky.social
Semi-retired translator and JOATAMON living in western Scotland.
Modern life seems to consist of being tricked into being satisfied with less. Less choice in the shops, poorer customer service, higher inflation, fewer good-paying jobs, austerity, AI... What happened to our bright future?
August 15, 2025 at 7:07 AM
Modern life seems to consist of being tricked into being satisfied with less. Less choice in the shops, poorer customer service, higher inflation, fewer good-paying jobs, austerity, AI... What happened to our bright future?
One dictator puts his capital under martial law to impress another dictator who will visit soon.
BBC News - www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c6...
Trump deploys National Guard to Washington DC as he pledges crime crackdown - live updates - BBC News
BBC News - www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c6...
Trump deploys National Guard to Washington DC as he pledges crime crackdown - live updates - BBC News
August 11, 2025 at 5:08 PM
One dictator puts his capital under martial law to impress another dictator who will visit soon.
BBC News - www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c6...
Trump deploys National Guard to Washington DC as he pledges crime crackdown - live updates - BBC News
BBC News - www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c6...
Trump deploys National Guard to Washington DC as he pledges crime crackdown - live updates - BBC News
'Calamity'? Why so mealy-mouthed?This is genocide prior to annexation. Al Jazeera journalists murdered. Watch out, neighbouring countries - you're next.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
Netanyahu defends Gaza City plan as UN warns of ‘calamity’ and starvation
Israeli PM says taking over city is ‘best way’ to end war, despite condemnation from within Israel and around world
www.theguardian.com
August 11, 2025 at 10:56 AM
'Calamity'? Why so mealy-mouthed?This is genocide prior to annexation. Al Jazeera journalists murdered. Watch out, neighbouring countries - you're next.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
How far can Mileikowski ('Netanyahu') go before a big country wipes him out?
BBC News - www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c1...
Israel-Gaza live: Israel kills prominent Al Jazeera journalist and four colleagues in targeted attack - BBC News
BBC News - www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c1...
Israel-Gaza live: Israel kills prominent Al Jazeera journalist and four colleagues in targeted attack - BBC News
Israel-Gaza live: Israel kills prominent Al Jazeera journalist and four colleagues in targeted attack
The broadcaster condemns the
www.bbc.co.uk
August 11, 2025 at 8:19 AM
How far can Mileikowski ('Netanyahu') go before a big country wipes him out?
BBC News - www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c1...
Israel-Gaza live: Israel kills prominent Al Jazeera journalist and four colleagues in targeted attack - BBC News
BBC News - www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c1...
Israel-Gaza live: Israel kills prominent Al Jazeera journalist and four colleagues in targeted attack - BBC News
This from Tumblr user arahir eloquently describes the demise of the internet. It was a good 30 years.
August 10, 2025 at 5:50 PM
This from Tumblr user arahir eloquently describes the demise of the internet. It was a good 30 years.
Be careful what you wish for Mr Toad!
BBC News - Farage calls on police to share immigration status of charged suspects
www.bbc.com/news/article...
BBC News - Farage calls on police to share immigration status of charged suspects
www.bbc.com/news/article...
August 5, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Be careful what you wish for Mr Toad!
BBC News - Farage calls on police to share immigration status of charged suspects
www.bbc.com/news/article...
BBC News - Farage calls on police to share immigration status of charged suspects
www.bbc.com/news/article...
H'm. Qatar has gifted Taco Man a Boeing. But Qatar Airlines has shifted to buying Airbus due to safety concerns.
August 2, 2025 at 2:12 PM
H'm. Qatar has gifted Taco Man a Boeing. But Qatar Airlines has shifted to buying Airbus due to safety concerns.
New maxim. Seek and thou shalt find - something, just not necessarily what thou wast looking for.
July 29, 2025 at 4:32 PM
New maxim. Seek and thou shalt find - something, just not necessarily what thou wast looking for.
This is partly the fault of the media. Pushing the idea that getting benefits is easy. It's not. Equally, the so-called 'living wage' is not enough to cover pension payments.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Pensions: 'Why I'm one of millions of UK adults not paying in'
Almost half of UK adults do not pay into a private or workplace pension - some of them tell us why.
www.bbc.com
July 27, 2025 at 3:53 PM
This is partly the fault of the media. Pushing the idea that getting benefits is easy. It's not. Equally, the so-called 'living wage' is not enough to cover pension payments.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
I'd say 'Vague' model. Reminds me of an SF story decades ago. The aliens disguised themselves as a composite average, which meant they stood out as being gorgeous.
This composite is exactly that. (Looks like many top models and stars for just that reason.)
www.bbc.com/news/article...
This composite is exactly that. (Looks like many top models and stars for just that reason.)
www.bbc.com/news/article...
What Guess's AI model in Vogue means for beauty standards
The first AI-generated model to appear in the pages of Vogue is seen in an advert for Guess.
www.bbc.com
July 27, 2025 at 3:35 PM
I'd say 'Vague' model. Reminds me of an SF story decades ago. The aliens disguised themselves as a composite average, which meant they stood out as being gorgeous.
This composite is exactly that. (Looks like many top models and stars for just that reason.)
www.bbc.com/news/article...
This composite is exactly that. (Looks like many top models and stars for just that reason.)
www.bbc.com/news/article...
This is a loss. I'm concerned the SNP is too cosy with its feet under the table. All the nations of the UK need to become fairer to the 99%, instead of the opposite, which is what's happening.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Former MP Mhairi Black announces she has left the SNP
The SNP's former Westminster deputy leader said she disagreed with the party's stance on trans rights and Palestine.
www.bbc.com
July 25, 2025 at 9:58 AM
This is a loss. I'm concerned the SNP is too cosy with its feet under the table. All the nations of the UK need to become fairer to the 99%, instead of the opposite, which is what's happening.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Not sure I'm happy with this attempt to police the Internet automatically.
1) any 12-year-old can bypass any safeguard (easier than I)
2) I'm glad I'm already retired from being a medical translator. It was already hard enough to search for anything below the waist, female, sCUNThorpe, soCIALISm...
1) any 12-year-old can bypass any safeguard (easier than I)
2) I'm glad I'm already retired from being a medical translator. It was already hard enough to search for anything below the waist, female, sCUNThorpe, soCIALISm...
July 24, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Not sure I'm happy with this attempt to police the Internet automatically.
1) any 12-year-old can bypass any safeguard (easier than I)
2) I'm glad I'm already retired from being a medical translator. It was already hard enough to search for anything below the waist, female, sCUNThorpe, soCIALISm...
1) any 12-year-old can bypass any safeguard (easier than I)
2) I'm glad I'm already retired from being a medical translator. It was already hard enough to search for anything below the waist, female, sCUNThorpe, soCIALISm...
Sadly, Britain continues to follow the US into authoritarianism.
July 24, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Sadly, Britain continues to follow the US into authoritarianism.
There is no Palestinian 'hunger crisis'. Call it what it is - genocide. The Zionists are starving these people to death. If I am arrested for posting this, so be it.
July 24, 2025 at 11:19 AM
There is no Palestinian 'hunger crisis'. Call it what it is - genocide. The Zionists are starving these people to death. If I am arrested for posting this, so be it.
You think god didn't make gay men? That is certainly my view, but not for the reason you may think, Ms Jones!
www.theguardian.com/culture/2025...
www.theguardian.com/culture/2025...
‘You think God didn’t make gay men?’ Comedian Leslie Jones on religion, grief and getting famous at 47
She was Saturday Night Live’s oldest hire, then faced a torrent of abuse after her role in the Ghostbusters reboot. She talks about the deaths of her mum, dad and brother – and why she’s given up dati...
www.theguardian.com
July 23, 2025 at 10:14 AM
You think god didn't make gay men? That is certainly my view, but not for the reason you may think, Ms Jones!
www.theguardian.com/culture/2025...
www.theguardian.com/culture/2025...
Ozzy sadly died on 22 July shortly after a farewell appearance. So why has it taken until today for it to be all over the media, both press and social?
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozzy_Os...
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozzy_Os...
Ozzy Osbourne - Wikipedia
en.m.wikipedia.org
July 23, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Ozzy sadly died on 22 July shortly after a farewell appearance. So why has it taken until today for it to be all over the media, both press and social?
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozzy_Os...
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozzy_Os...
This is alarming. Do we expect another unexplained suicide in custody, another 'inexpertly' edited tape (as a warning, they're not that inept)?
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
US House speaker shuts down chamber to block Epstein vote
The decision to bring forward the summer recess means Republican leaders can delay a politically fraught vote on the disclosures.
www.bbc.com
July 22, 2025 at 7:54 PM
This is alarming. Do we expect another unexplained suicide in custody, another 'inexpertly' edited tape (as a warning, they're not that inept)?
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
July 22, 2025 at 7:23 PM
I'm going to keep asking - why do the media, and especially the BBC, desperately want the lazy Mr Toad as PM (briefly)?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reform UK's Nigel Farage proposes sending prisoners overseas
Farage sets out plans to create more than 30,000 prison places, but Labour accuses the party of
www.bbc.co.uk
July 22, 2025 at 4:43 PM
I'm going to keep asking - why do the media, and especially the BBC, desperately want the lazy Mr Toad as PM (briefly)?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
H'm. Capital projects in the UK go to the corrupt cartel that bids the lowest. They then spend all the money to do some of it and are 'too big to fail'. My prediction is it will be half finished by 2039 then need another £38 bn. Watch this space.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Sizewell C nuclear power plant costs rise to £38bn
Households will pay £1 a month towards the construction of the UK's second new nuclear power plant.
www.bbc.co.uk
July 22, 2025 at 3:17 PM
H'm. Capital projects in the UK go to the corrupt cartel that bids the lowest. They then spend all the money to do some of it and are 'too big to fail'. My prediction is it will be half finished by 2039 then need another £38 bn. Watch this space.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
If the English water industry is in such a parlous condition, the government can just buy the whole thing for a token £1, sack all the parasites (many of whom are politicians, awkward!), and run it properly.
July 21, 2025 at 2:47 PM
If the English water industry is in such a parlous condition, the government can just buy the whole thing for a token £1, sack all the parasites (many of whom are politicians, awkward!), and run it properly.
A job that can definitely be done by AI - CEO. Discuss.
July 19, 2025 at 5:23 PM
A job that can definitely be done by AI - CEO. Discuss.
The moment Stephen Colbert said I don’t give a flying f**€k to Paramount and CBS.
July 18, 2025 at 7:36 AM
Why do so many people post cryptic messages with no context? Is it just attention-seeking? A new variant on the 'poor me'?
July 18, 2025 at 7:33 AM
Why do so many people post cryptic messages with no context? Is it just attention-seeking? A new variant on the 'poor me'?
Who could disagree? I listened to what she said and it comes down to - if you had women in casual clothing who were Black, Romany, Jewish and white, you could only distinguish one, by her skin colour.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Obvious Labour leadership wants me out, Diane Abbott tells BBC
MP Diane Abbott has been suspended by the Labour Party pending an investigation.
www.bbc.com
July 18, 2025 at 6:22 AM
Who could disagree? I listened to what she said and it comes down to - if you had women in casual clothing who were Black, Romany, Jewish and white, you could only distinguish one, by her skin colour.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...