Ian Watoop
@watoop.bsky.social
Inevitably will be posting about UK politics or board games.
Not a big fan of where the human race has taken the planet at the moment.
Trying hard to keep the lights on in dark times.
Not a big fan of where the human race has taken the planet at the moment.
Trying hard to keep the lights on in dark times.
Now the bank will not let me complete any transactions "as I have an active chat open".
So many sighs.
So many sighs.
Update - now have access after complaining.
Bank says transfer is 'over daily limit'.
Chat says "we aim to get back to you within 6 hours".
Total enshittification.
Bank says transfer is 'over daily limit'.
Chat says "we aim to get back to you within 6 hours".
Total enshittification.
The modern world.
All I want to do is put some money in my cash ISA.
"Please record a video of your face"
(records video of face)
"This won't take long"
(takes 5 minutes)
"We are reviewing your account and will get back to you".
All I want to do is put some money in my cash ISA.
"Please record a video of your face"
(records video of face)
"This won't take long"
(takes 5 minutes)
"We are reviewing your account and will get back to you".
November 27, 2025 at 10:19 AM
Now the bank will not let me complete any transactions "as I have an active chat open".
So many sighs.
So many sighs.
Update - now have access after complaining.
Bank says transfer is 'over daily limit'.
Chat says "we aim to get back to you within 6 hours".
Total enshittification.
Bank says transfer is 'over daily limit'.
Chat says "we aim to get back to you within 6 hours".
Total enshittification.
The modern world.
All I want to do is put some money in my cash ISA.
"Please record a video of your face"
(records video of face)
"This won't take long"
(takes 5 minutes)
"We are reviewing your account and will get back to you".
All I want to do is put some money in my cash ISA.
"Please record a video of your face"
(records video of face)
"This won't take long"
(takes 5 minutes)
"We are reviewing your account and will get back to you".
November 27, 2025 at 10:02 AM
Update - now have access after complaining.
Bank says transfer is 'over daily limit'.
Chat says "we aim to get back to you within 6 hours".
Total enshittification.
Bank says transfer is 'over daily limit'.
Chat says "we aim to get back to you within 6 hours".
Total enshittification.
Will Labour learn that trying to please the Right is always doomed to failure?
Of course it won't......
Of course it won't......
The predictable crushing uniformity of the coverage of this Budget tells you an awful lot about the priorities of those papers, and also why there's actually quite a lot to praise in it bylinetimes.com/2025/11/26/t...
November 27, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Will Labour learn that trying to please the Right is always doomed to failure?
Of course it won't......
Of course it won't......
The modern world.
All I want to do is put some money in my cash ISA.
"Please record a video of your face"
(records video of face)
"This won't take long"
(takes 5 minutes)
"We are reviewing your account and will get back to you".
All I want to do is put some money in my cash ISA.
"Please record a video of your face"
(records video of face)
"This won't take long"
(takes 5 minutes)
"We are reviewing your account and will get back to you".
November 27, 2025 at 9:14 AM
The modern world.
All I want to do is put some money in my cash ISA.
"Please record a video of your face"
(records video of face)
"This won't take long"
(takes 5 minutes)
"We are reviewing your account and will get back to you".
All I want to do is put some money in my cash ISA.
"Please record a video of your face"
(records video of face)
"This won't take long"
(takes 5 minutes)
"We are reviewing your account and will get back to you".
First students, now tourists. Good luck with that economic growth agenda.
Mayors in England to get power to impose tourism tax on overnight visitors at 'modest' rate - www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
November 25, 2025 at 3:35 PM
First students, now tourists. Good luck with that economic growth agenda.
It's a bit early but here are the best 'new to me' board games of 2025:
Panamax
Bus
Inferno
Through Ice and Snow
Galactic Cruise
World Without End
Strike!
Startups
#boardgames
Panamax
Bus
Inferno
Through Ice and Snow
Galactic Cruise
World Without End
Strike!
Startups
#boardgames
November 19, 2025 at 7:45 PM
It's a bit early but here are the best 'new to me' board games of 2025:
Panamax
Bus
Inferno
Through Ice and Snow
Galactic Cruise
World Without End
Strike!
Startups
#boardgames
Panamax
Bus
Inferno
Through Ice and Snow
Galactic Cruise
World Without End
Strike!
Startups
#boardgames
Played Inferno for the first time last night.
It was very, very good - certainly a top 5 for this year.
You need a few rounds to 'understand' the point scoring arc but there was lots of player interaction with the shared Hell board.
Length maybe 20 mins too long but definitely a keeper. #boardgames
It was very, very good - certainly a top 5 for this year.
You need a few rounds to 'understand' the point scoring arc but there was lots of player interaction with the shared Hell board.
Length maybe 20 mins too long but definitely a keeper. #boardgames
November 19, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Played Inferno for the first time last night.
It was very, very good - certainly a top 5 for this year.
You need a few rounds to 'understand' the point scoring arc but there was lots of player interaction with the shared Hell board.
Length maybe 20 mins too long but definitely a keeper. #boardgames
It was very, very good - certainly a top 5 for this year.
You need a few rounds to 'understand' the point scoring arc but there was lots of player interaction with the shared Hell board.
Length maybe 20 mins too long but definitely a keeper. #boardgames
Just listened to 10 minutes of analysis on Radio 4 about the new asylum measures.
A lot about party politics etc.
Not once was the question asked "is this morally right?"
A lot about party politics etc.
Not once was the question asked "is this morally right?"
November 17, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Just listened to 10 minutes of analysis on Radio 4 about the new asylum measures.
A lot about party politics etc.
Not once was the question asked "is this morally right?"
A lot about party politics etc.
Not once was the question asked "is this morally right?"
Just ..... no.
Government to ramp up deportations by overriding ECHR in fresh immigration crackdown
I would never have believed we would see a headline like this under a Labour government
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
I would never have believed we would see a headline like this under a Labour government
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
Labour to ramp up deportations by overriding ECHR
Home secretary will attempt to change way ECHR is interpreted by UK judges – as critics hit out over proposals
www.independent.co.uk
November 17, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Just ..... no.
Let's consider the people of Ukraine for this rather than the hysterical negativity about 'people on boats'.
Is this how we want to treat people fleeing from war?
Is this how we want to treat people fleeing from war?
It almost seems like Labour has become 'a black op' to get Reform into power.
How can they be so foolish?
All anyone with any moral sense will remember from this is that "the UK wanted to steal the jewellery of refugees".
How can they be so foolish?
All anyone with any moral sense will remember from this is that "the UK wanted to steal the jewellery of refugees".
November 17, 2025 at 10:47 AM
Let's consider the people of Ukraine for this rather than the hysterical negativity about 'people on boats'.
Is this how we want to treat people fleeing from war?
Is this how we want to treat people fleeing from war?
It almost seems like Labour has become 'a black op' to get Reform into power.
How can they be so foolish?
All anyone with any moral sense will remember from this is that "the UK wanted to steal the jewellery of refugees".
How can they be so foolish?
All anyone with any moral sense will remember from this is that "the UK wanted to steal the jewellery of refugees".
November 17, 2025 at 10:44 AM
It almost seems like Labour has become 'a black op' to get Reform into power.
How can they be so foolish?
All anyone with any moral sense will remember from this is that "the UK wanted to steal the jewellery of refugees".
How can they be so foolish?
All anyone with any moral sense will remember from this is that "the UK wanted to steal the jewellery of refugees".
Reposted by Ian Watoop
Imagine having a thumping majority in parliament and deciding to use it for something as squalid as this.
November 17, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Imagine having a thumping majority in parliament and deciding to use it for something as squalid as this.
WTAF are we doing here? www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Asylum seekers’ jewellery could be seized to pay for processing costs, says Home Office minister
Idea borrowed from Denmark is latest attempt to reduce number of people seeking asylum in UK
www.theguardian.com
November 17, 2025 at 9:53 AM
WTAF are we doing here? www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
After 30 years, Labour has lost us.
November 16, 2025 at 10:19 AM
After 30 years, Labour has lost us.
Reposted by Ian Watoop
A week of chaos, cowardice and negligence: Labour has managed to pack so many failures into a single five day period that it's becoming difficult to remember all the details iandunt.substack.com/p/a-week-of-...
A week of chaos, cowardice and negligence
Labour has managed to pack so much failure into a single week that it becomes hard to remember all the details.
iandunt.substack.com
November 14, 2025 at 12:00 PM
A week of chaos, cowardice and negligence: Labour has managed to pack so many failures into a single five day period that it's becoming difficult to remember all the details iandunt.substack.com/p/a-week-of-...
This is absolutely something I can get behind. I still have not heard of a sane rationale as to why this was ever introduced - we don't need 'politically partial' policing. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Police and crime commissioners to be abolished, government to announce
System introduced in 2012 across England and Wales has faced criticism from police chiefs
www.theguardian.com
November 13, 2025 at 11:59 AM
This is absolutely something I can get behind. I still have not heard of a sane rationale as to why this was ever introduced - we don't need 'politically partial' policing. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
This is ..... just sad. www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/n...
Anthony Joshua set to face Jake Paul in December heavyweight bout
Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul have agreed a December heavyweight fight in Miami, with Netflix set to confirm the bout after Gervonta Davis was dropped
www.theguardian.com
November 12, 2025 at 10:44 PM
This is ..... just sad. www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/n...
What will be interesting now is if any Trump 'loyalists' flip as they see the way this is going.
Once a tipping point is reached, he will be toast.
Once a tipping point is reached, he will be toast.
November 12, 2025 at 9:59 PM
What will be interesting now is if any Trump 'loyalists' flip as they see the way this is going.
Once a tipping point is reached, he will be toast.
Once a tipping point is reached, he will be toast.
I'm a sucker for night sky events but the idea that you set your phone camera up to see aurora lighting that you can't actually perceive with your own eyes seems a bit weird.
November 12, 2025 at 6:30 PM
I'm a sucker for night sky events but the idea that you set your phone camera up to see aurora lighting that you can't actually perceive with your own eyes seems a bit weird.
Reposted by Ian Watoop
Some of the most powerful and well-paid people in the world don't understand a lesson that every schoolchild knows: if you surrender to bullies, they will only bully you more
November 10, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Some of the most powerful and well-paid people in the world don't understand a lesson that every schoolchild knows: if you surrender to bullies, they will only bully you more
The world is basically Pottersville now isn't it?
Although there appears to be an absence of angels to reset it.
Although there appears to be an absence of angels to reset it.
November 10, 2025 at 4:01 PM
The world is basically Pottersville now isn't it?
Although there appears to be an absence of angels to reset it.
Although there appears to be an absence of angels to reset it.
Shouldn't we have a Celebrity Faithfuls as well though 'for balance'?
November 10, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Shouldn't we have a Celebrity Faithfuls as well though 'for balance'?
Reposted by Ian Watoop
Maybe Keir should demand the heads of major US news networks any time they imply Britain is on the brink of civil war or that we live under sharia law. Or does it not work both ways?
November 10, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Maybe Keir should demand the heads of major US news networks any time they imply Britain is on the brink of civil war or that we live under sharia law. Or does it not work both ways?
Reposted by Ian Watoop
I do like how, in the bit of Prescott's memo where he criticises the BBC for editing together different parts of Trump's speech, his own quote of "what Trump actually said" is... edited together from different parts of his speech.
November 10, 2025 at 9:45 AM
I do like how, in the bit of Prescott's memo where he criticises the BBC for editing together different parts of Trump's speech, his own quote of "what Trump actually said" is... edited together from different parts of his speech.
Airwaves full of media 'experts' and ex-media managers.
It's interesting how badly most of them come across on the media - you'd think they'd understand how to do it.
It's interesting how badly most of them come across on the media - you'd think they'd understand how to do it.
November 10, 2025 at 10:37 AM
Airwaves full of media 'experts' and ex-media managers.
It's interesting how badly most of them come across on the media - you'd think they'd understand how to do it.
It's interesting how badly most of them come across on the media - you'd think they'd understand how to do it.