John Rowan
@jrowanbxl.bsky.social
Artisanal bureaucrat. Faceless and unelected during office hours. Does health emergency stuff for the European Commission. Posts likely to be about EU and UK politics, movies, history, Brussels, rugby (Leicester Tigers fan), food.
Reposted by John Rowan
"Surely a quick, violent, successful war of aggression is just what the ruler needs to shore up his legitimacy," said just about every failed monarch in history shortly before invading Serbia.
Creating a military conflict with Venezuela gives this administration a legal "hook" to invoke the Alien Enemies Act. In other words, the foreign war is being manufactured in order to facilitate court deference for its domestic mass deportation policy. It's a Stephen Miller Special.
November 29, 2025 at 6:38 PM
"Surely a quick, violent, successful war of aggression is just what the ruler needs to shore up his legitimacy," said just about every failed monarch in history shortly before invading Serbia.
Yeah, he's a unit, but he really isn't 183kg
November 29, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Yeah, he's a unit, but he really isn't 183kg
Me in the dairy section of Delhaize right now as 'Atomic' comes on.
November 28, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Me in the dairy section of Delhaize right now as 'Atomic' comes on.
Reposted by John Rowan
We are now further away from the theatrical release of Raiders of the Lost Ark (June 12, 1981) than it was from the year it takes place in (1936). We have reached the Indiana Jones event horizon.
November 27, 2025 at 12:49 AM
We are now further away from the theatrical release of Raiders of the Lost Ark (June 12, 1981) than it was from the year it takes place in (1936). We have reached the Indiana Jones event horizon.
I do wonder what, if anything, can still be salvaged from this utter wreckage.
To be clear Lizza’s story is that Nuzzi sat on important matters of national significance for personal benefit and he’s sat on these details until he could personally benefit.
All of DC media needs to be thrown into the sea. Anyone who defends these people is a goddamn clown.
All of DC media needs to be thrown into the sea. Anyone who defends these people is a goddamn clown.
November 27, 2025 at 7:30 AM
I do wonder what, if anything, can still be salvaged from this utter wreckage.
Reposted by John Rowan
Distribué dans plus de 60 pays, le vaccin contre le VRS de GSK – le premier à être approuvé dans le monde – a été développé en Belgique, où il est aussi fabriqué. Fruit de longues recherches, d’importants investissements et d’un écosystème performant, il confirme le statut de “Silicon Valley du ...
Première mondiale signée GSK: un vaccin contre le VRS produit en Belgique
www.lecho.be
November 26, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Distribué dans plus de 60 pays, le vaccin contre le VRS de GSK – le premier à être approuvé dans le monde – a été développé en Belgique, où il est aussi fabriqué. Fruit de longues recherches, d’importants investissements et d’un écosystème performant, il confirme le statut de “Silicon Valley du ...
Reposted by John Rowan
The Americans here are at it again with their Thanksgiving stuff, we need more cricket so we can get our own back.
To be fair, this is at least some measure of revenge for all the incomprehensible baseball talk we've recently been subjected to on this website.
November 26, 2025 at 7:57 AM
The Americans here are at it again with their Thanksgiving stuff, we need more cricket so we can get our own back.
I mean, he's not wrong. Can I never, ever, have to think about any of this again please?
People are calling my lede here "appalling," "nightmare fuel," "actively evil," and "a desecration of the human spirit"
The Olivia Nuzzi and RFK Jr. Affair Is Messier Than We Ever Could Have Imagined
Inside the most important, and also least important, story of our time
www.theringer.com
November 26, 2025 at 7:45 AM
I mean, he's not wrong. Can I never, ever, have to think about any of this again please?
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OK - pie discourse - best pie story:
In 2016, we were living in Andover, in the UK. My wife was assigned as an exchange officer at the Army Air Corps base at Middle Wallop (yes, really).*
The US Army has a tradition: senior leaders, in dress uniform, serve junior troops Thanksgiving dinner.
/1
In 2016, we were living in Andover, in the UK. My wife was assigned as an exchange officer at the Army Air Corps base at Middle Wallop (yes, really).*
The US Army has a tradition: senior leaders, in dress uniform, serve junior troops Thanksgiving dinner.
/1
November 26, 2025 at 5:02 AM
OK - pie discourse - best pie story:
In 2016, we were living in Andover, in the UK. My wife was assigned as an exchange officer at the Army Air Corps base at Middle Wallop (yes, really).*
The US Army has a tradition: senior leaders, in dress uniform, serve junior troops Thanksgiving dinner.
/1
In 2016, we were living in Andover, in the UK. My wife was assigned as an exchange officer at the Army Air Corps base at Middle Wallop (yes, really).*
The US Army has a tradition: senior leaders, in dress uniform, serve junior troops Thanksgiving dinner.
/1
A Christopher Nolan adaptation of 'The City And The City'.
Being a fully committed Dad, I'm also contractually obliged to demand more Master and Commander films.
Being a fully committed Dad, I'm also contractually obliged to demand more Master and Commander films.
If you were a despotic president, what movie would you force Hollywood to make? I want to see Quentin's Star Trek movie or maybe Kill Bill Vol 3.
November 25, 2025 at 9:02 PM
A Christopher Nolan adaptation of 'The City And The City'.
Being a fully committed Dad, I'm also contractually obliged to demand more Master and Commander films.
Being a fully committed Dad, I'm also contractually obliged to demand more Master and Commander films.
Reposted by John Rowan
‘Hello police? Can a headline commit murder?’
OpenAI needs to raise at least $207bn by 2030 so it can continue to lose money, HSBC estimates on.ft.com/4ij0yh8
OpenAI needs to raise at least $207bn by 2030 so it can continue to lose money, HSBC estimates
A burning platform
on.ft.com
November 25, 2025 at 7:59 PM
‘Hello police? Can a headline commit murder?’
Yeah, hang on, I've seen this movie.
November 25, 2025 at 6:52 AM
Yeah, hang on, I've seen this movie.
Reposted by John Rowan
Bodied by my eldest , frankly
November 24, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Bodied by my eldest , frankly
Reposted by John Rowan
hey guys i made a seasonal meme
November 22, 2025 at 5:41 AM
hey guys i made a seasonal meme
Reposted by John Rowan
The fact that in both 2019 and 2024, the winning party did so with a set of manifesto promises that could not be kept and dissolved upon contact with actual office is something that as an industry we should be much more bothered by than we are.
November 23, 2025 at 12:35 PM
The fact that in both 2019 and 2024, the winning party did so with a set of manifesto promises that could not be kept and dissolved upon contact with actual office is something that as an industry we should be much more bothered by than we are.
Further evidence of what a good film this is: just showed it to rest of my family who have been hitherto actively resistant to Dylan's musical qualities, and they all really enjoyed it.
‘A Complete Unknown’ took songs that I’ve known and loved for 35 years and made me believe they were being written or recorded or performed for the first time right in front of me, and that is a magnificent achievement.
November 23, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Further evidence of what a good film this is: just showed it to rest of my family who have been hitherto actively resistant to Dylan's musical qualities, and they all really enjoyed it.
People who moan about how traditional parties are corrupt and ineffective and then vote for populists are like a mate who spends years telling you how much he hates jazz and then forces you to listen to Bitches' Brew non-stop for a week.
November 23, 2025 at 11:16 AM
People who moan about how traditional parties are corrupt and ineffective and then vote for populists are like a mate who spends years telling you how much he hates jazz and then forces you to listen to Bitches' Brew non-stop for a week.
Yet more evidence that the people wreaking havoc on our social landscape not only don't give a shit, they don't even begin to understand why other people might want them to give a shit.
Roblox CEO makes an utter fool of himself in a car-crash interview over child safety https://kotaku.com/roblox-new-york-times-interview-baszucki-2000646174
Roblox CEO Makes A Fool Of Himself In Car-Crash Interview
David Baszucki spoke to the New York Times' Hard Fork podcast about the app's pedophile problem
kotaku.com
November 22, 2025 at 7:51 AM
Yet more evidence that the people wreaking havoc on our social landscape not only don't give a shit, they don't even begin to understand why other people might want them to give a shit.
Reposted by John Rowan
1/ What a Russian breaking of the ceasefire will look like, step by step.
There are far better experts on this, but I was an Australian diplomat in Ukraine in 2014 so I've seen this play out up close.
So join me, brothers and sisters, as we count down to a fullscale re-invasion.
There are far better experts on this, but I was an Australian diplomat in Ukraine in 2014 so I've seen this play out up close.
So join me, brothers and sisters, as we count down to a fullscale re-invasion.
November 21, 2025 at 2:23 PM
1/ What a Russian breaking of the ceasefire will look like, step by step.
There are far better experts on this, but I was an Australian diplomat in Ukraine in 2014 so I've seen this play out up close.
So join me, brothers and sisters, as we count down to a fullscale re-invasion.
There are far better experts on this, but I was an Australian diplomat in Ukraine in 2014 so I've seen this play out up close.
So join me, brothers and sisters, as we count down to a fullscale re-invasion.
Reposted by John Rowan
I shared this photo a week or so ago on Mani’s birthday
- It never failed to bring a smile to my face - and that was exactly the same for the man himself.
One of the absolute best in every way - such a beautiful friend
Love you Mani x x
Never to be forgotten
- It never failed to bring a smile to my face - and that was exactly the same for the man himself.
One of the absolute best in every way - such a beautiful friend
Love you Mani x x
Never to be forgotten
November 20, 2025 at 3:58 PM
I shared this photo a week or so ago on Mani’s birthday
- It never failed to bring a smile to my face - and that was exactly the same for the man himself.
One of the absolute best in every way - such a beautiful friend
Love you Mani x x
Never to be forgotten
- It never failed to bring a smile to my face - and that was exactly the same for the man himself.
One of the absolute best in every way - such a beautiful friend
Love you Mani x x
Never to be forgotten
Well, my enthusiasm on remembering that the Ashes started overnight faded away quite quickly upon checking the score.
November 21, 2025 at 6:03 AM
Well, my enthusiasm on remembering that the Ashes started overnight faded away quite quickly upon checking the score.