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theaardvark.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy
\ˈthē-ˈˈärd-ˌvärk\
@theaardvark.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy
18 followers 2 following 640 posts
Town and District #Councillor for Burntwood, Staffs, UK.
Candidate in Staffordshire County Council election.
#UKLabour #Labour #Lefty #Progressive #Wokerati […]

🌉 bridged from ⁂ https://mastodon.me.uk/@theaardvark, follow @ap.brid.gy to interact
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theaardvark.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy
Currently experiencing mild regret after eating one of these last night...
#pickledonions #hothothot
Photo: A glass jar of Dr. Burnorium's Psycho Onions Ghost Pepper Naga Pickled Onions (480g) on a wooden desk. The jar has a gold screw-top lid and contains pale pickled onions with a visible red ghost pepper at the bottom. The label features dramatic red and black artwork with a cartoon gremlin character wearing a top hat with a skull and crossbones, showing a maniacal grin. The jar is photographed against a blurred background showing a keyboard with purple backlighting.
December 11, 2025 at 1:09 PM
theaardvark.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy
I'm not the Paul Taylor who, as a spinal surgeon at Mount Hospital in Perth, performed Australia's first surgery using an in-theatre CT scanner in October 2015.

https://www.scribd.com/doc/285268021/POST-Newspaper-for-17th-of-October-2015

#paultaylor
#notthispaultaylor
#notthepaultaylor
A clip of a scanned newspaper, "Post", from 17th October 2015. A patient lies on their back on a black operating table that extends through a large CT scanner with a distinctive yellow ring. Two surgeons in turquoise scrubs stand on either side, examining medical scans displayed on monitors mounted above. The white clinical room features medical equipment and overhead surgical lights. Caption text reads "The Airo will give surgeons to access [sic] images of patients while they are on the operating table." Headline below states "Australian 'first' for CT scanner" with accompanying article text about Dr Paul Taylor at the Mount Hospital performing Australia's first surgery using an in-theatre CT scanner.
December 9, 2025 at 2:23 PM
theaardvark.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy
I'm not the Paul Taylor who has worked with award-winning Worcestershire charity Stepway and spoke about the plight of ex-servicemen in their battle against loneliness on Good Morning Britain […]

[Original post on mastodon.me.uk]
Photo: Television studio set with two decorated Christmas trees in background. Four people at broadcast desk: seated left, a man in dark suit with glasses and grey hair; standing behind, two men in military berets and suits with medals - Paul Taylor on the right wearing a black beret; seated right, a woman in a red dress with blonde hair. Glass desk with papers and water glasses visible in foreground. Good Morning Britain studio setting with cityscape backdrop.
December 8, 2025 at 2:20 PM
theaardvark.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy
I'm not the Paul Taylor who is head of learning and organisational development at Alternative Futures Group (AFG), which operates an independent hospital in Bolton. AFG has been awarded the Princess Royal Training Award for its Welcome Induction Programme […]

[Original post on mastodon.me.uk]
Photo: Formal presentation ceremony in an ornate room with gilt-framed paintings. Paul Taylor, a man with short grey hair and beard wearing a dark suit, shakes hands with Princess Anne, who is wearing a brown jacket and trousers while holding a presentation box. Seated audience visible in the background. Ornate gold-framed mirrors and classical paintings on the walls behind them.
December 8, 2025 at 1:51 PM
theaardvark.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy
Oooffffff... The Guardian, understandably, isn't holding back in its review of Lizz "Iceberg Lettuce" Truss's new YouTube show...
😆😀😀😀
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/dec/05/the-liz-truss-show-review-hapless-ravings-from-a-closet
Screen clip from The Guardian article about Lizz Truss: Her opening monologue was nothing more than a laundry list of Maga stereotypes about the British. The woman longs to become Donald Trump’s Lord Haw-Haw, or at least a version of Lord Haw-Haw who looked and sounded like a bucket of spanners had just dropped on his head.
December 8, 2025 at 1:43 PM
theaardvark.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy
Self-ID for the left handed to be ended.
#transrights
Screenshot of a satirical social media post from Lisa's Muffins comparing left-handedness to trans healthcare. The post mockingly describes absurd barriers to "self-ID for left handed" people - including ten-year waits, assessments by three psychologists, breaking fingers with a mallet, and amputation - to highlight the ridiculous obstacles trans people face when accessing gender identity services through the NHS. Full text reads: "Self-ID for left handed to be ended. Will now require a ten year wait and the opinion of three psychologists. Firstline treatments to include breaking all the fingers on the left hand with a mallet. NHS to offer sinister hand amputation to persistent cases. Move praised by charity Right Matters"
December 4, 2025 at 12:41 PM
theaardvark.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy
I'm not the Paul Taylor who is Manager Refinery and Port Operations for Glencore at their Townsville Copper Refinery in Queensland, Australia […]

[Original post on mastodon.me.uk]
Photo: Three people in orange high-visibility vests and orange hard hats standing in a large industrial facility with exposed steel framework and a glazed roof overhead. In the centre is Paul Taylor, Manager Refinery and Port Operations for Glencore at their Townsville Copper Refinery in Queensland, Australia. He's wearing a navy blue shirt beneath his hi-vis vest and is engaged in conversation with two colleagues. Behind them, extensive metal rebar is laid out on the floor, with yellow formwork, suggesting significant copper refining is underway. The industrial warehouse space shows multiple levels of steel platforms and bright lighting in the distance.
December 2, 2025 at 9:33 PM
theaardvark.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy
I'm not the Paul Taylor who is an "EAC Discovery Park docents" - a volunteer who drives visitors from across the globe to the top of Mount Graham and provides guided tours of each of the world-leading Mount Graham International Observatory telescopes in the […]

[Original post on mastodon.me.uk]
Photo: Group of approximately fifteen people standing in two rows inside a hall with wood-panelled walls, American and New Mexico state flags visible behind them. All are holding certificates and what appear to be books. The group includes people of various ages, dressed casually. In the front row, two women are kneeling. Circled in red on the right is a man in a blue shirt and grey trousers holding a certificate and book - Paul Taylor, an EAC Discovery Park docent who volunteers to drive visitors to Mount Graham and provide guided tours of the Mount Graham International Observatory telescopes.
December 2, 2025 at 9:26 PM
theaardvark.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy
@jezhiggins
November 30, 2025 at 5:07 PM
theaardvark.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy
Mastodon, you are to blame. Someone posted about Heinz Monster Munch Pickled Onion Mayo, and my curiosity, a force more powerful than my self-respect, took over.

I've acquired it. It sits on my worktop, a monument to questionable flavour combinations. Is this […]

[Original post on mastodon.me.uk]
Photo: An squeezy bottle of Heinz Monster Munch Pickled Onion Flavour Mayo on a wooden worktop. The bottle has a purple label with the distinctive Monster Munch mascot and cartoon bats. Behind it sits a blue "Drinks by the Dram" gift box, because my kitchen has become a shrine to questionable flavour combinations. The mayo is pale yellow, which is either reassuring or deeply concerning depending on your relationship with pickled onions—and mine is clearly complicated.
November 30, 2025 at 3:44 PM
theaardvark.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy
Turns out, if you ask nicely, doctors will just give you speed*. For freesies**.

*If you have one of a few life-fucking conditions.
**In the UK, if you have one of a list of potentially life limiting and/or debilitating illnesses.

#adhd #AuDHD
Photo: A blister pack of Dexamfetamine Sulfate 5mg tablets lying on a light wooden surface. The silver foil strip shows one empty pill cavity where a tablet has been taken, with the remaining tablets still sealed in their foil pockets. The white cardboard box displays "28 Tablets" in a blue circle, dosage instructions reading "26 x Dexamfetamine 5mg tablets, take one tablet once a day," an dispensing date of 25/11/25, and a barcode. The packaging has blue pharmacy stamps visible.
November 28, 2025 at 9:08 PM
theaardvark.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy
Out out with MrsVark on a school night to see The Lottery Winners.
Photo: Two people taking a selfie at a concert venue. On the left, a woman with vibrant purple hair and large round black-framed glasses smiles at the camera, wearing a black top with gold embroidered detailing. On the right, a bald man with a full purple beard and thick black-framed glasses looks directly at the camera. Behind them, several other concert-goers are seated in dim lighting with stage equipment and blue lighting visible in the background. Both are positioned close to the camera in typical selfie style.
November 25, 2025 at 8:25 PM
theaardvark.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy
I was really proud to be asked to host the stage and entertainment at Burntwood Rotary's Christmas light switch on at Swan Island this evening.
I was even more chuffed that people really seemed to enjoy my on-stage waffle.
It's been nearly 10 years since I […]

[Original post on mastodon.me.uk]
Photo: Man with purple beard, glasses, and burgundy Christmas jumper holding a red microphone addresses a large crowd at a Christmas lights switch-on event. The audience, many wearing Santa hats, fills the street behind him under coloured stage lighting. Photo: Three people posing for selfie outside a shop with Christmas decorations. Left: man with purple beard wearing black and white striped scarf. Centre: Mrs Claus in red costume with white curly wig and pearl necklace. Right: Father Christmas in traditional red suit with white beard, giving thumbs up.
November 23, 2025 at 7:29 PM
theaardvark.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy
Do dogs cause autism?*

https://www.youcanknowthings.com/do-dogs-cause-autism/

A parody of the CDC's new (forced) position on vaccines and #autism.

#neurodivergence #neuropsicy #fucktrump #rfkjr
Photo. Composite image showing two graphics side by side with sarcastic red text overlaid. On the left: a line graph titled "Dogs continue to dominate after 2020 spike" showing dog ownership (dark blue line) rising from 33.9M in 1991 to 59.8M households by 2020, whilst cat ownership (light purple line) fluctuates between 28M and 42.1M. Red text reads "Dog ownership is increasing!" Below is a scatter plot showing autism prevalence rising from 1 in 150 to 1 in 36 between 2000 and 2020, with red text stating "So is autism!!" At the bottom, a navy blue banner with white text: "Exposure to household furry pets influences the gut microbiota of infants at 3-4 months following various birth scenarios" with citation details. On the right: a scientific diagram from an academic paper titled "The Possible Role of the Microbiota-Gut-Brain-Axis in Autism Spectrum Disorder" showing a stylised human torso with brain, vagal afferents, blood stream, spinal afferents, and gut microbes illustrated, with arrows indicating the connection between gut bacteria and brain. Dysbiosis label at bottom. The juxtaposition sarcastically implies correlation equals causation.
November 23, 2025 at 1:11 PM
theaardvark.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy
Party on! Cheese before bed. Basically the same as doing some psychedelics, right?
#cheese #pickledonions
Photo: A wrapped piece of Cathedral City mature cheddar cheese sits on a well-worn wooden surface. The burgundy wrapper features white text reading "CATHEDRAL CITY" with "SINCE 1966" beneath, and a red banner stating "OUR MATURE CHEDDAR". Behind the cheese sits a jar of pickled onions with visible branding. The cheese is positioned in front, slightly off-centre, with the jar partially visible in the background.
November 23, 2025 at 12:29 AM
theaardvark.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy
Adding these to the "slightly odd but nice" list.
Photo: A row of 8 Hot Honey Jaffa Cakes arranged in their clear plastic wrapping in front of the opened box on a wooden desk. The cakes are lined up showing their distinctive layers: golden sponge base and dark chocolate topping. A black computer keyboard is partially visible in the background. The cakes look remarkably normal despite their allegedly spicy honey twist, though one suspects that's about to change upon tasting.
November 19, 2025 at 8:16 PM
theaardvark.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy
I'm not the Paul Taylor who is Chief Unify Officer at Transforming the Bay with Christ in San Francisco, where he connects pastors and churches across the Bay Area.

https://vator.tv/transforming-the-bay-area-amid-a-christian-revival/

#paultaylor
#notthispaultaylor
#notthepaultaylor
Photo: Video call screenshot of Paul Taylor, a white man in his 40s with receding grey hair and grey stuble, wearing a black shirt with small white pattern, smiling at the camera. Behind him are shelving units with books, decorative items, and framed artwork on the walls - the sort of carefully curated home office background that suggests someone who spends a lot of time on video calls trying to unite people around a common cause, which is presumably easier to do when you've got an inoffensive bookshelf arrangement and aren't backlit by a window making you look like a witness protection interview.
November 19, 2025 at 6:55 PM
theaardvark.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy
Today's Burntwood Afternoon Cinema is rammed! Nearly 100 people, more than we've ever had before. We had to set out another 5 road of seats after this photo was taken.
I started this monthly community cinema to reduce social isolation by giving people […]

[Original post on mastodon.me.uk]
Photo of a community hall set up for cinema screening, taken from the back. Rows of burgundy upholstered chairs face a stage with dark red curtains. A large projection screen displays a blue slide with "Lichfield District Council" branding and a URL. Around 50-60 people, mostly older adults wearing winter coats in blues, greys, and beiges, are seated or standing in the aisles. Long tables with papers line the left side of the room. The hall has cream walls, a white drop ceiling with fluorescent lights and a disco ball, beige patterned curtains, and a parquet wood floor.
November 18, 2025 at 3:54 PM
theaardvark.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy
Range anxiety? What range anxiety?
Photo of a car dashboard display showing a top-down view of a white car with both front doors open in red. The display shows 4636 mi on the left, and on the right a battery icon at 1% with 5 mi of range remaining. The screen has a dark blue gradient background, photographed from the driver's seat with the windscreen and bonnet visible at the edges.
November 16, 2025 at 7:39 PM
theaardvark.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy
A jar full of tomorrow's regrets from my good friends Jason and Claire.
#pickledonions
Photo: Jar of "Psycho Onions" Ghost Pepper pickled onions on a wooden surface with a blurred figure in the background. The jar features a striking orange and black label with a skull and crossbones, a grinning psychotic character wearing a top hat, and text reading "Seriously Pickled Onions" and "Ghost Pepper" alongside "insanely hot & damn tasty". Behind the jar is a red box with rose patterns and yellow text partially reading "SHOW". The visible pickled onions appear golden in colour, floating in their liquid with what seems to be ghost pepper pieces. This appears to be pickled onion territory reserved for those who enjoy both vinegar and varying degrees of pain.
November 14, 2025 at 8:48 PM
theaardvark.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy
In a development that surprises almost no one, the Paul Taylor who bought a derelict church with his family's life savings is finding the renovation will cost more than expected.

I hope he succeeds in his goal to bring the building back into use without […]

[Original post on mastodon.me.uk]
Photo: Aerial view of a derelict Gothic Revival church with grey stone walls, pointed arch windows without glass, partially collapsed roof exposing timber beams, and two intact towers with spires. The building is surrounded by residential terraced houses with red-tiled roofs, parked cars on the street below - the sort of romantically ambitious restoration project that always costs three times the estimate and takes twice as long, assuming Paul Taylor doesn't run out of money.
November 12, 2025 at 12:02 PM
theaardvark.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy
Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!
#tinneddiabetes
Photo: An opened tin of Island Sun Sweetened Condensed Milk sitting on a wooden desk in front of a black computer keyboard. The tin's metal lid has been peeled back and curled upwards like a jagged metallic flower, with a teaspoon resting against the inside edge. The pale beige condensed milk is visible inside the tin.
November 11, 2025 at 11:16 PM
theaardvark.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy
I'm not the Paul Taylor who won The PASS Volunteer of the Year award at the VAFA (Victorian Amateur Football Association) 2025 award in Australia […]

[Original post on mastodon.me.uk]
Photo: Paul Taylor, a white man in his 60s with closely cropped grey hair, wearing a royal blue suit, white shirt and navy tie, holding a glass award trophy with blue base at a VAFA awards ceremony. He's smiling broadly in front of a navy blue backdrop featuring VAFA and William Buck Accountants & Advisors logos - the sort of genuinely pleased expression that suggests volunteering for amateur football in Victoria is significantly more rewarding than, say, writing about Dutch tulip paintings or flogging storage solutions.
November 7, 2025 at 2:44 PM
theaardvark.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy
Love spud!!!!!
Photo: A heart-shaped potato resting on a black cushion with a colourful 70s-style sunset design featuring concentric curved bands in coral red, orange, and yellow, with a dark silhouette of an aardvark in the centre. The potato sits directly on the aardvark figure. The potato has light brown skin with darker mottled patches and a natural cleft forming the heart shape.
November 7, 2025 at 2:13 PM
theaardvark.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy
I'm not the Paul Taylor who wrote "Dutch Flower Painting 1600 - 1720" in 1996, a book that, in hardback, can be purchased for a mere €230 USD.

https://www.amazon.com/Dutch-Flower-Painting-1600-1720-Taylor/dp/0300053908/

#paultaylor
#notthispaultaylor
#notthepaultaylor
Photo: Hardback book titled "Dutch Flower Painting 1600-1720" by Paul Taylor, published by Yale. The cover features a reproduction of a Dutch Golden Age still life painting with vibrant flowers, including a cream-coloured tulip with burgundy stripes, rust-red blooms, and various smaller flowers against a dark background. The spine is visible on the left, showing the title in white text - because apparently there's a Paul Taylor for every occasion, and this one decided to write about flowers instead of founding companies, asking uncomfortable political questions, or organising snowmobile rides.
November 6, 2025 at 4:30 PM