Ralph Houston
franktexas.bsky.social
Ralph Houston
@franktexas.bsky.social
Semi-retired translator and JOATAMON living in western Scotland.
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
August 11, 2025 at 5:08 PM
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
I wondered why his signature looked familiar. It's one of those old trompe l'oeils...
August 9, 2025 at 2:33 PM
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...
August 5, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Sadly, Britain continues to follow the US into authoritarianism.
July 24, 2025 at 11:48 AM
What is this far-right paranoia about small boat crossings? The formerly centrist 'Observer' has parroted this. The 24× thing is a simple lie, concocted by taking the worst reading of the statistics.

These crossings represent about 10% of net migration; ⅔ of asylum claims are successful.
July 6, 2025 at 10:44 AM
This is a real entry in the old UK Yellow Pages
July 2, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Look, there's even a matching brown, black and white one!
June 20, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Reform (Caymans) Ltd's cute little logo only reminds me of one thing.
June 19, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Here is some help.
June 19, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Apparently a watermelon is now an antisemitic symbol. How many people could say which of these is the Palestinian flag?
June 19, 2025 at 11:13 AM
Sorry, I can't think of cutesy fictional pirates without this coming to mind!
June 7, 2025 at 12:19 PM
It pays to remember the origin of the biblical expression.
June 4, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Very next post after yours...
June 2, 2025 at 9:50 AM
Colm Tóibín expresses my view of Cheeto Man concisely.

observer.co.uk/culture/book...
May 25, 2025 at 1:33 PM
May 16, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Do the TERFs seriously want to force these people to use the ladies'?
May 9, 2025 at 5:12 PM
This from the local paper. Anyone get the headline? (Clues later if needed. Nothing to do with the Morris Ital!)
May 9, 2025 at 9:17 AM
Here it is upright!
May 8, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Nice! This is the Lion Rock on Cumbrae, Scotland. Natural volcanic formation.
s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/01...
May 6, 2025 at 10:18 AM
I'm getting heartily sick of this. Our only non-far-right paper euphemises Mileikowski ('Netanyahu')'s campaign to conquer Palestine as an 'offensive against Gaza'.

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...
May 5, 2025 at 11:50 AM
This is sad. Lucy Powell accurately accuses pro-fascist, racist Montgomerie of using dogwhistle tactics - and has to apologise!

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
May 4, 2025 at 7:33 PM
That's the spirit! Here's an extra cat.
April 24, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Must be careful!
April 23, 2025 at 11:34 AM
Wow! That was one of my first prints too! Then an an Escher staircase:
April 21, 2025 at 2:46 PM