Richard Bourke
@richardfbourke.bsky.social
wide interests and few qualifications
Greens being statesmanlike, wanting to get rearmament / UKR aid through before the new Bundestag was sworn in, with a blocking minority (AfD + Linke votes) to constitutional change?
As far as I recall, at least.
As far as I recall, at least.
November 11, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Greens being statesmanlike, wanting to get rearmament / UKR aid through before the new Bundestag was sworn in, with a blocking minority (AfD + Linke votes) to constitutional change?
As far as I recall, at least.
As far as I recall, at least.
I think if one of the defenders at Imphal and Kolima looked left and right, they couldn't have cared less what the guy next to them looked like, and whether they looked like him. They were comrades, defending India and the Empire.
And that applies whatever their skin colour was. Jeepers!
And that applies whatever their skin colour was. Jeepers!
November 10, 2025 at 5:24 PM
I think if one of the defenders at Imphal and Kolima looked left and right, they couldn't have cared less what the guy next to them looked like, and whether they looked like him. They were comrades, defending India and the Empire.
And that applies whatever their skin colour was. Jeepers!
And that applies whatever their skin colour was. Jeepers!
good news. Good that at least some political officers are still aiming to improve the environment.
November 10, 2025 at 4:03 PM
good news. Good that at least some political officers are still aiming to improve the environment.
So, they're memory-holed in Ireland as a bunch of losers to Cromwell. Which isn't fair, because the Confederacy really did aspire to be an all-Ireland, cross-religion body.
November 10, 2025 at 9:05 AM
So, they're memory-holed in Ireland as a bunch of losers to Cromwell. Which isn't fair, because the Confederacy really did aspire to be an all-Ireland, cross-religion body.
and is correspondingly about as inspiring as wet cardboard. Contrast with the language of, say, the 1916 declaration of independence. Really excellent podcast series from which I've learnt a lot.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proclam...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proclam...
Proclamation of the Irish Republic - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
November 10, 2025 at 9:05 AM
and is correspondingly about as inspiring as wet cardboard. Contrast with the language of, say, the 1916 declaration of independence. Really excellent podcast series from which I've learnt a lot.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proclam...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proclam...
So, Series 2 episode 28 of the podcast reads out loud the Oath of Association of the Confederacy of Kilkenny. And ... it's written in the English of Contract Law.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confede...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confede...
Confederate Oath of Association - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
November 10, 2025 at 9:05 AM
So, Series 2 episode 28 of the podcast reads out loud the Oath of Association of the Confederacy of Kilkenny. And ... it's written in the English of Contract Law.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confede...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confede...
Charles II, in exile, only half-heartedly allied with them, and they were defeated by the New Model Army, 1649-53, whose discipline, quality of commanders and supply-train so outclassed the cash-strapped and fractious Confederates.
November 10, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Charles II, in exile, only half-heartedly allied with them, and they were defeated by the New Model Army, 1649-53, whose discipline, quality of commanders and supply-train so outclassed the cash-strapped and fractious Confederates.
That's true enough, but the Confederacy is so of its time and messy. The Confederates claimed to be loyal subjects of the Stuarts. The fact that King Charles I utterly repudiated them didn't clear anything up.
November 10, 2025 at 9:05 AM
That's true enough, but the Confederacy is so of its time and messy. The Confederates claimed to be loyal subjects of the Stuarts. The fact that King Charles I utterly repudiated them didn't clear anything up.
So much to unpack here. One of the things I never really understood was why the Confederacy of Kilkenny has been memory-holed in Ireland. Was it not the first attempt at an all-Ireland representative government. Surely worth celebrating?
November 10, 2025 at 9:05 AM
So much to unpack here. One of the things I never really understood was why the Confederacy of Kilkenny has been memory-holed in Ireland. Was it not the first attempt at an all-Ireland representative government. Surely worth celebrating?
Congragulations on your series 3. I've been looking for a good, detailed account of the Irish Confederacy Wars for years now. Never expected to find it in a podcast.
November 9, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Congragulations on your series 3. I've been looking for a good, detailed account of the Irish Confederacy Wars for years now. Never expected to find it in a podcast.
ok, thanks for the hint. Got it now.
November 8, 2025 at 4:30 PM
ok, thanks for the hint. Got it now.
I don't even recognise what the asterisked word is. Oh well, sheltered upbringing I suppose.
November 8, 2025 at 4:19 PM
I don't even recognise what the asterisked word is. Oh well, sheltered upbringing I suppose.
"aufgrund von Lieferschwierigkeiten können aktuell Leuchtmittel in unserer Ausstellung nicht mehr ersetzt werden. Wir arbeiten deshalb an einer Erneuerung der kompletten Lichtanlage"
That is just so on-brand. Do you suppose they ordered via BAAINBw?
www.mhmbw.de
That is just so on-brand. Do you suppose they ordered via BAAINBw?
www.mhmbw.de
Start | MHMBw
Militärhistorisches Museum der Bundeswehr, MHMBw, Dresden
www.mhmbw.de
November 8, 2025 at 4:00 PM
"aufgrund von Lieferschwierigkeiten können aktuell Leuchtmittel in unserer Ausstellung nicht mehr ersetzt werden. Wir arbeiten deshalb an einer Erneuerung der kompletten Lichtanlage"
That is just so on-brand. Do you suppose they ordered via BAAINBw?
www.mhmbw.de
That is just so on-brand. Do you suppose they ordered via BAAINBw?
www.mhmbw.de
Germany similar to Danes. Free, mandatory German classes for six months (longer if illiterate), handover to the gov employment agency. Get them into work or an apprenticeship ASAP.
At the same time: the wider political scene demands more repatriation of refused claimants. These goals are in tension!
At the same time: the wider political scene demands more repatriation of refused claimants. These goals are in tension!
November 8, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Germany similar to Danes. Free, mandatory German classes for six months (longer if illiterate), handover to the gov employment agency. Get them into work or an apprenticeship ASAP.
At the same time: the wider political scene demands more repatriation of refused claimants. These goals are in tension!
At the same time: the wider political scene demands more repatriation of refused claimants. These goals are in tension!
And so this is this month's "should have cancelled all the other subs and taken out an FT sub at the combined price instead" moment.
I ... oh sod it, I'm going to do it! Bye.
I ... oh sod it, I'm going to do it! Bye.
November 6, 2025 at 3:32 PM
And so this is this month's "should have cancelled all the other subs and taken out an FT sub at the combined price instead" moment.
I ... oh sod it, I'm going to do it! Bye.
I ... oh sod it, I'm going to do it! Bye.
"a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of tidy minds" as Oscar Wilde ... almost ... said
November 6, 2025 at 3:20 PM
"a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of tidy minds" as Oscar Wilde ... almost ... said
We're just hunkering down under the US nuclear umbrella. Not that it's worth much these days but it's become a habit.
I can't see the US accepting the ICC. Which means, it's up to Americans to put the line of command for these strikes in jail. At least, if you ever want a worthwhile military again
I can't see the US accepting the ICC. Which means, it's up to Americans to put the line of command for these strikes in jail. At least, if you ever want a worthwhile military again
November 6, 2025 at 3:16 PM
We're just hunkering down under the US nuclear umbrella. Not that it's worth much these days but it's become a habit.
I can't see the US accepting the ICC. Which means, it's up to Americans to put the line of command for these strikes in jail. At least, if you ever want a worthwhile military again
I can't see the US accepting the ICC. Which means, it's up to Americans to put the line of command for these strikes in jail. At least, if you ever want a worthwhile military again
memory recall is crucial to language acquisition, of course. But there are teaching techniques and memory techniques that help in that immensely. What doesn't help is trying to construct the perfect sentence before opening your mouth. Errors are normal.
November 6, 2025 at 6:25 AM
memory recall is crucial to language acquisition, of course. But there are teaching techniques and memory techniques that help in that immensely. What doesn't help is trying to construct the perfect sentence before opening your mouth. Errors are normal.
the "too shy to speak" issue can happen to any language learner. It's more common for monoglot English speakers, because people can, and will, switch into English to accomodate you, which damages self-confidence.
There's no such thing as "bad at foreign languages"
There's no such thing as "bad at foreign languages"
November 6, 2025 at 6:08 AM
the "too shy to speak" issue can happen to any language learner. It's more common for monoglot English speakers, because people can, and will, switch into English to accomodate you, which damages self-confidence.
There's no such thing as "bad at foreign languages"
There's no such thing as "bad at foreign languages"
Sounds like a German political talkshow from 2010-2013.
November 6, 2025 at 6:05 AM
Sounds like a German political talkshow from 2010-2013.
oh, I recognise this guy. Henri-Levy is the French philosopher who persuaded Sarkozy to intervene in Libya on the side of the islamist protests against Qaddafi back in 2011.
Bombastic with poor judgement. Quite a combination.
Bombastic with poor judgement. Quite a combination.
November 5, 2025 at 10:02 PM
oh, I recognise this guy. Henri-Levy is the French philosopher who persuaded Sarkozy to intervene in Libya on the side of the islamist protests against Qaddafi back in 2011.
Bombastic with poor judgement. Quite a combination.
Bombastic with poor judgement. Quite a combination.
Oh the Grand old Duke of York,
he had ten thousand men,
but the King had Royal Prerogative
No one heard of the Duke again
he had ten thousand men,
but the King had Royal Prerogative
No one heard of the Duke again
November 5, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Oh the Grand old Duke of York,
he had ten thousand men,
but the King had Royal Prerogative
No one heard of the Duke again
he had ten thousand men,
but the King had Royal Prerogative
No one heard of the Duke again
Churchill (then a backbencher) also thought Ireland had won the negotiation, and accurately predicted in the House that Ireland could remain neutral, now they had the Treaty Ports, and the military effect of their loss.
api.parliament.uk/historic-han...
api.parliament.uk/historic-han...
EIRE (CONFIRMATION OF AGREE MENTS) BILL. (Hansard, 5 May 1938)
EIRE (CONFIRMATION OF AGREE MENTS) BILL. (Hansard, 5 May 1938)
api.parliament.uk
November 5, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Churchill (then a backbencher) also thought Ireland had won the negotiation, and accurately predicted in the House that Ireland could remain neutral, now they had the Treaty Ports, and the military effect of their loss.
api.parliament.uk/historic-han...
api.parliament.uk/historic-han...
News organizations have always filtered their photos and footage to extract stuff that's too gory. It never meant it didn't happen, just that people don't want to have terrible sights on replay in their minds.
You can't avoid that, of course. There's a reason soldiers don't talk much of wars
You can't avoid that, of course. There's a reason soldiers don't talk much of wars
November 5, 2025 at 12:08 PM
News organizations have always filtered their photos and footage to extract stuff that's too gory. It never meant it didn't happen, just that people don't want to have terrible sights on replay in their minds.
You can't avoid that, of course. There's a reason soldiers don't talk much of wars
You can't avoid that, of course. There's a reason soldiers don't talk much of wars