The right wing media are trying to create a stir over people pointing out the bigotry in Enid Blyton books.

You know, something which was being spoofed way back on the night Channel 4 launched in 1982? This isn't a new observation.

Americans! There's a reason I saw this band six times between July 2021 and December 2022. Now it's your turn to find out why. Go get some.

Excellent new album from my favourite folkpunk polkapirates The Dreadnoughts. Digital only for now but available on Bandcamp to buy or all the streaming services to leach. Get yeeself a cider or seven and enjoy...

https://thedreadnoughts.bandcamp.com/

Quite possibly my all time favourite album. Ok, so it's within the top five at least. And certainly the greatest debut. 25 blistering minutes of perfection, now with a bonus collection of b-sides. I've been after this on vinyl for 20 years. Now, at last, it is mine.

A polite reminder that, while the amazing and wonderful Suzy Izzard doesn't mind he/him pronouns... A lot of trans and non-binary people don't want you to use pronouns they've left behind. Remember to ask, and be respectful of the individual's choice.

Rik Mayall would have been 65 today. I usually like to joke about in a manner he'd approve of, telling the useless bastard to just stop being dead, okay? But this time around, more than ever... I just really miss him. I feel very lucky to have met him a couple of times and know that I made him smile, because his work continues to make me smile on a regular basis. The very pinnacle. Love ya (P)Rik.

Rik Mayall
7th March 1958 - 9th June 2014

Active weekend behind me. Rory Pond had a trip to the vet for a booster jab. We spent ages sorting out the last remnants of renovation upheaval in our home, then went to see indie legends Space. Yesterday involved enjoying some new vinyl and some childish stationary purchases.

The major theme of this week has been Karvanista.

He's my favourite Doctor Who character not called The Doctor. Last year they announced a figurine of him, but the company fell into administration before release. The stock finally made it out there (via two companies!) this week. Got em at last!

Apologies for the radio silence of late.

Twitter is down once again. But it seems like the communities I'm an active part of are staying put.

There are so many alternatives to join, and none of them seem to have gotten enough of a take-up yet. I hope one wins out. Could it be here?

Merry Chrimbo.

Me on 30th November vs Me on 1st December.

Absolutely loving the latest single from Aurelio Voltaire's impending album The Black Labyrinth.

Featuring Sterling Campbell, Gail Ann Dorsey, Gerry Leonard & Holly Palmer, and mixed by Mark Plati, no less. A really lovely homage to the ol' Goblin King himself.

https://aureliovoltaire.bandcamp.com/track/safe-in-your-love

Given Helena Bonham Carter is now defending JK Rowling's bigotry, a reminder that Kathy Burke was right about her all along.

Can't do that Spotify festival thing cos I don't use Spotify because they are scum, and nobody ever makes these things for Tidal, so...

Based on my most-played artists since Jan 2020, and only including people who are actually still a) alive and b) touring, if I was a billionaire planning my own festival, it might look something like this...

Just got the hi-res through for this...

My partner and I with three legends! "Night of the Living Dead" actresses Judith O'Dea & Judith Ridley, and "Dawn of the Dead" actress Gaylen Ross, on 5th Nov 2022. An honour to meet them all!

#weekendofthedead

This is the final nail in the coffin.

Anyone else finding all these other sites trying to be the new Twitter are just ridiculously quiet? At least CounterSocial has a bubbling community... just wish more than one person I knew prior to coming here would join it instead of Mastodon, Hive or whatever else is buzzing around with nobody posting on them...

What have you been doing to yourself?
What have you been doing to yourself?
What have you been doing to yourself?
It's the last thing you should do.

Nobody laughs anymore.
Nobody laughs anymore.
Nobody laughs anymore.
It's the worst thing you can do.

Save the last dance for me.
Catch the last bus with me.
Give the last kiss to me.
It's the safest thing to do.

Earlier this year, The Boys had a subplot in which an overspoilt manbaby didnt like the way things were running, so he took over the company, ousted everyone he didn't like, then immediately had a clusterfuck of chaos all around him with no-one left around smart enough to fix it.

I'm not saying Eric Kripke is a fortune teller, but I think we may need to start viewing this show in the same light as Russell T. Davies epic Years & Years.

Enjoying the newly released sessions and outtakes from Queen's "The Miracle" album.

It's far from their best work but it's nice to hear things in an embryonic form, even if the long leaked versions of some of them seem to hint that there's either more in the archives than we're getting, or some 2022 cut and shunting has gone on to present the best versions from multiple takes.