Ben Van der Velde
@vanderlaugh.bsky.social
Half-man, Half-beast, Half-Mop. Terrible at fractions.
Have a gander here: www.benvandervelde.com
Photo (c) Andy Hollingworth Archive
Have a gander here: www.benvandervelde.com
Photo (c) Andy Hollingworth Archive
Reposted by Ben Van der Velde
If you use GMail, AI (Gemini) was turned on yesterday by default and now scans all of your content for machine learning. To turn off, go to Settings>General and scroll down. Uncheck the box for "Smart features."
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
November 20, 2025 at 5:32 PM
If you use GMail, AI (Gemini) was turned on yesterday by default and now scans all of your content for machine learning. To turn off, go to Settings>General and scroll down. Uncheck the box for "Smart features."
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
Read that article in The Times and it is so revolting. Full of "won't someone protect our womenfolk from the swarms of swarthy men" and referring to British ICE-style raids as badass.
Properly gross.
Properly gross.
VERY funny that Labour are being pointlessly cruel and haemorrhaging support from their base and yet none of what they're offering is ever going to be enough for the people whose approval they're seeking, WHO could have predicted it
November 20, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Read that article in The Times and it is so revolting. Full of "won't someone protect our womenfolk from the swarms of swarthy men" and referring to British ICE-style raids as badass.
Properly gross.
Properly gross.
Reposted by Ben Van der Velde
Sea lions are seals that are missing an electron
July 19, 2025 at 10:42 AM
Sea lions are seals that are missing an electron
Reposted by Ben Van der Velde
Dick Advocaat is the head coach of the Curaçao football team, who will be the first ever alcoholic drink managed by an alcoholic drink to play at a World Cup finals.
November 19, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Dick Advocaat is the head coach of the Curaçao football team, who will be the first ever alcoholic drink managed by an alcoholic drink to play at a World Cup finals.
Reposted by Ben Van der Velde
I don't use the word lightly, but this is really just evil isn't it. "Your identity makes us uncomfortable so be gone from public spaces." Fuck off.
I mean come on: we'll ask but reserve right to exclude you on the basis of how you look. Oh, and if you try to use your birth sex specific facilities we'll kick you out of those as well.
Get fucked.
Get fucked.
November 20, 2025 at 12:08 AM
I don't use the word lightly, but this is really just evil isn't it. "Your identity makes us uncomfortable so be gone from public spaces." Fuck off.
It's so odd. I expected Starmer to let us down, but not this quickly or to this extreme degree.
His moral compass is made of jelly.
His moral compass is made of jelly.
Keir Starmer, you used to be a human rights lawyer, ffs. If that guy’s still in there somewhere, he needs to come out and stop this inhumane nonsense and stop it now.
November 19, 2025 at 3:21 PM
It's so odd. I expected Starmer to let us down, but not this quickly or to this extreme degree.
His moral compass is made of jelly.
His moral compass is made of jelly.
Reposted by Ben Van der Velde
Alf Dubs is a 92 year old man who spent his life fighting for refugees, and in particular for refugee children. He fought the Tories tooth and nail during their last three terms, only to see Labour adopt far-right policies on immigration.
“But to use children as a weapon ... I’m lost for words.”
“But to use children as a weapon ... I’m lost for words.”
Labour Peer Who Fled The Nazis Condemns His Party's Immigration Crackdown
Lord Dubs said he was "lost for words".
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk
November 19, 2025 at 8:20 AM
Alf Dubs is a 92 year old man who spent his life fighting for refugees, and in particular for refugee children. He fought the Tories tooth and nail during their last three terms, only to see Labour adopt far-right policies on immigration.
“But to use children as a weapon ... I’m lost for words.”
“But to use children as a weapon ... I’m lost for words.”
Reposted by Ben Van der Velde
Fifteen years of ideological choices to strangle & gut the public realm - NHS to schools to social services to local museums - is what underlies the anger "tearing our country apart"; immigration is simply the scapegoat that the far right are pushing people toward.
Why can't Labour just say this?
Why can't Labour just say this?
November 18, 2025 at 10:42 AM
Fifteen years of ideological choices to strangle & gut the public realm - NHS to schools to social services to local museums - is what underlies the anger "tearing our country apart"; immigration is simply the scapegoat that the far right are pushing people toward.
Why can't Labour just say this?
Why can't Labour just say this?
Sweet merry fuck what a ridiculous football match. Never been prouder to be Scottish.*
*Married to one, born within 100 miles of it and love me some Haggis.
*Married to one, born within 100 miles of it and love me some Haggis.
November 18, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Sweet merry fuck what a ridiculous football match. Never been prouder to be Scottish.*
*Married to one, born within 100 miles of it and love me some Haggis.
*Married to one, born within 100 miles of it and love me some Haggis.
Reposted by Ben Van der Velde
mr president sir theres a story coming about how you intervened to help a sex criminal. no sir, not that sex criminal you helped….no not that one either…sir, please stop guessing sex criminals that you helped. ill give you a hint sir, hes a trafficker. no sir, not that trafficker a different one
NEW: When Andrew Tate landed in the US, Customs & Border Protection seized his electronic devices. But @propublica.org found that a White House official told DHS to return the devices, emphasizing that the request came from the White House.
By @robert-faturechi.bsky.social & Avi Asher-Schapiro
By @robert-faturechi.bsky.social & Avi Asher-Schapiro
The White House Intervened on Behalf of Accused Sex Trafficker Andrew Tate During a Federal Investigation
Federal authorities were chided for seizing electronic devices from Tate and his brother, and told to return them, records and interviews show. Experts said the intervention was highly inappropriate.
www.propublica.org
November 18, 2025 at 1:10 PM
mr president sir theres a story coming about how you intervened to help a sex criminal. no sir, not that sex criminal you helped….no not that one either…sir, please stop guessing sex criminals that you helped. ill give you a hint sir, hes a trafficker. no sir, not that trafficker a different one
Reposted by Ben Van der Velde
Have been thinking about “immigration has been tearing this country apart.” Surely I’m not the only person to think that it isn’t true, but inflamed rhetoric about immigration by politicians is what is tearing this country apart and so statements like that only makes it worse.
November 18, 2025 at 6:37 AM
Have been thinking about “immigration has been tearing this country apart.” Surely I’m not the only person to think that it isn’t true, but inflamed rhetoric about immigration by politicians is what is tearing this country apart and so statements like that only makes it worse.
It really is remarkable when I hear a politician speak this way and I think "well that is absolutely the answer I'd give if I were in his seat."
And then realise how rare that experience is.
And then realise how rare that experience is.
A Government of cowards.
Rather than tackle inequality - they've gone for pensioners, disabled people and now it's people fleeing war and persecution.
They can't get away with this.
Join.greenparty.org.uk
Rather than tackle inequality - they've gone for pensioners, disabled people and now it's people fleeing war and persecution.
They can't get away with this.
Join.greenparty.org.uk
November 18, 2025 at 8:35 AM
It really is remarkable when I hear a politician speak this way and I think "well that is absolutely the answer I'd give if I were in his seat."
And then realise how rare that experience is.
And then realise how rare that experience is.
So...hopefully now their repulsive immigration policies have been announced, Labour are gonna haemorrhage even more voters to the Greens and Lib Dems in the polls. Then what?
I assume the party of government will finally tack away from Reform.
Right...?
Right?
#anakinandpadmememe
I assume the party of government will finally tack away from Reform.
Right...?
Right?
#anakinandpadmememe
November 17, 2025 at 10:30 PM
So...hopefully now their repulsive immigration policies have been announced, Labour are gonna haemorrhage even more voters to the Greens and Lib Dems in the polls. Then what?
I assume the party of government will finally tack away from Reform.
Right...?
Right?
#anakinandpadmememe
I assume the party of government will finally tack away from Reform.
Right...?
Right?
#anakinandpadmememe
Reposted by Ben Van der Velde
So depressing that any political issue in this country is either about immigration or is blamed on immigration. We need someone with a voice brave enough to call this out for what it is; hysteria, deflection of blame and good old fashioned racism. Shame on any party or person involved.
November 16, 2025 at 1:33 PM
So depressing that any political issue in this country is either about immigration or is blamed on immigration. We need someone with a voice brave enough to call this out for what it is; hysteria, deflection of blame and good old fashioned racism. Shame on any party or person involved.
Reposted by Ben Van der Velde
Fun prank: Release 3 pigs numbered 1, 2 and 4 into a supermarket. Then when everyone's busy looking for pig 3, release pigs 5 to 807
November 15, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Fun prank: Release 3 pigs numbered 1, 2 and 4 into a supermarket. Then when everyone's busy looking for pig 3, release pigs 5 to 807
Reposted by Ben Van der Velde
Reposted by Ben Van der Velde
Horses and humans share a special bond because we are both half centaurs
November 12, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Horses and humans share a special bond because we are both half centaurs
Absolute 🎯🎯🎯 from Andrew
The thing about the BBC stuff is that its problems are similar to those of eg the NYT in that it elides imoartiality and objectivity, when they're very different things.
November 11, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Absolute 🎯🎯🎯 from Andrew
This is the thing that has made me so anxious and upset by the whole stupid BBC affair.
Trump is a bully jumping on a minor fuck-up. You defeat bullies by standing up to them. Most of us don't have the power or platform to do this and many who do possess it seem to have misplaced their spine.
Trump is a bully jumping on a minor fuck-up. You defeat bullies by standing up to them. Most of us don't have the power or platform to do this and many who do possess it seem to have misplaced their spine.
I fear we are seeing in the UK what has become abundantly clear in the US: for all their power and privilege, elites and institutions are absolute cowards in the face of right-wing authoritarianism. Weak, weak, weak, as Tony Blair once said
November 11, 2025 at 1:01 PM
This is the thing that has made me so anxious and upset by the whole stupid BBC affair.
Trump is a bully jumping on a minor fuck-up. You defeat bullies by standing up to them. Most of us don't have the power or platform to do this and many who do possess it seem to have misplaced their spine.
Trump is a bully jumping on a minor fuck-up. You defeat bullies by standing up to them. Most of us don't have the power or platform to do this and many who do possess it seem to have misplaced their spine.
Reposted by Ben Van der Velde
if you’re wondering what TV & radio would look like without the bbc if the right had its way, picture the state of our privatised rivers & seas, but instead it’s raw sewage pumped into your telly & speakers
November 11, 2025 at 12:28 PM
if you’re wondering what TV & radio would look like without the bbc if the right had its way, picture the state of our privatised rivers & seas, but instead it’s raw sewage pumped into your telly & speakers
Reposted by Ben Van der Velde
Perhaps the BBC could offer Trump one of his beloved deals: they'll apologise for broadcasting sections of his speech, if he apologises for trying to overthrow an election, lying about the result, pressuring election officials, urging a crowd to "fight like hell" & pardoning those who did just that.
November 11, 2025 at 8:09 AM
Perhaps the BBC could offer Trump one of his beloved deals: they'll apologise for broadcasting sections of his speech, if he apologises for trying to overthrow an election, lying about the result, pressuring election officials, urging a crowd to "fight like hell" & pardoning those who did just that.
Reposted by Ben Van der Velde
Trump literally posted an AI mock up of him dumping faeces on his own population from a fighter plane while wearing a crown, but yeah, the BBC should definitely issue a statement of contrition begging forgiveness for splicing together two sentences from the same speech just before a coup attempt. 🙄
November 10, 2025 at 11:34 AM
Trump literally posted an AI mock up of him dumping faeces on his own population from a fighter plane while wearing a crown, but yeah, the BBC should definitely issue a statement of contrition begging forgiveness for splicing together two sentences from the same speech just before a coup attempt. 🙄
Reposted by Ben Van der Velde
The president of a foreign country is trying to censor our TV. And loads of "pro-free speech British patriots" are cheering him on.
November 10, 2025 at 10:36 PM
The president of a foreign country is trying to censor our TV. And loads of "pro-free speech British patriots" are cheering him on.
I like this thread a lot. Thoughtful meditation about the broad umbrella that is remembrance and its true power (hint: it ain't really big paper poppies on lampposts.)
One of the most precious things about Remembrance is that it sets no political tests.
It asks only that we "remember", and that we do so in the silence of our own thoughts.
It doesn't dictate what we remember, how we remember or what lessons we draw.
That's between ourselves and our conscience.🧵
It asks only that we "remember", and that we do so in the silence of our own thoughts.
It doesn't dictate what we remember, how we remember or what lessons we draw.
That's between ourselves and our conscience.🧵
November 10, 2025 at 8:14 PM
I like this thread a lot. Thoughtful meditation about the broad umbrella that is remembrance and its true power (hint: it ain't really big paper poppies on lampposts.)