Howard Hollingsbee
@hhbee.bsky.social
Ancient Mariner
Aged heavy helicopter pilot
Long ago company director
Avid Europhile
Centre left politics
Philosophy and Hispanic studies.
Despairing of the world’s most powerful country and person.
Aged heavy helicopter pilot
Long ago company director
Avid Europhile
Centre left politics
Philosophy and Hispanic studies.
Despairing of the world’s most powerful country and person.
From this year’s brilliant Reith Lecturer, Rutger Bregden:
The Bermuda Triangle.
Top US universities grads ending up in
Finance
Consultancy
Corporate law
Tripled since 1980s
Yep.
The Bermuda Triangle.
Top US universities grads ending up in
Finance
Consultancy
Corporate law
Tripled since 1980s
Yep.
November 28, 2025 at 3:14 PM
From this year’s brilliant Reith Lecturer, Rutger Bregden:
The Bermuda Triangle.
Top US universities grads ending up in
Finance
Consultancy
Corporate law
Tripled since 1980s
Yep.
The Bermuda Triangle.
Top US universities grads ending up in
Finance
Consultancy
Corporate law
Tripled since 1980s
Yep.
Yvette Cooper for PM. Not Wes “look at my dazzling white shirt and shiny tie “ Streeting.
November 25, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Yvette Cooper for PM. Not Wes “look at my dazzling white shirt and shiny tie “ Streeting.
I really, really hope that the government is working up extensive contingency plans. Even the first “accidental” Russian severing of a major undersea data trunk cable will cause untold havoc. Just look at our reliance on sophisticated technology for even the most mundane task/activity.
November 25, 2025 at 11:50 AM
I really, really hope that the government is working up extensive contingency plans. Even the first “accidental” Russian severing of a major undersea data trunk cable will cause untold havoc. Just look at our reliance on sophisticated technology for even the most mundane task/activity.
“Add to Playlist”. Such a good programme (if you’re a music nerd…)
November 25, 2025 at 11:46 AM
“Add to Playlist”. Such a good programme (if you’re a music nerd…)
Since the days of Stalin and probably before, it’s been wise to listen carefully to what Russia says and then, equally carefully, assume an opposite intent. Never truer than now.
November 25, 2025 at 9:07 AM
Since the days of Stalin and probably before, it’s been wise to listen carefully to what Russia says and then, equally carefully, assume an opposite intent. Never truer than now.
news.sky.com/story/ukrain...
So - They should be grateful for his selling them down the Swanee? And why would he do that? As ever with The Orange: follow the money
So - They should be grateful for his selling them down the Swanee? And why would he do that? As ever with The Orange: follow the money
Ukraine war latest: Trump says Ukraine leaders have shown 'zero gratitude' - as Europe counters US-Russia peace plan
Donald Trump has criticised Ukraine's leadership, claiming it has shown "zero gratitude". It comes after the US leader said his peace plan was not his final offer. Meanwhile, US, Ukrainian and Western...
news.sky.com
November 23, 2025 at 2:46 PM
news.sky.com/story/ukrain...
So - They should be grateful for his selling them down the Swanee? And why would he do that? As ever with The Orange: follow the money
So - They should be grateful for his selling them down the Swanee? And why would he do that? As ever with The Orange: follow the money
“European warmongers”….. says the man who unambiguously invaded Ukraine. Having already previously just annexed part of it.
November 22, 2025 at 2:14 PM
“European warmongers”….. says the man who unambiguously invaded Ukraine. Having already previously just annexed part of it.
So that steaming, tinsel-dusted pile of orange dogshit is STILL determined to sell Ukraine down the river. Has there ever been a worse time of world ‘diplomacy’?
November 21, 2025 at 5:08 PM
So that steaming, tinsel-dusted pile of orange dogshit is STILL determined to sell Ukraine down the river. Has there ever been a worse time of world ‘diplomacy’?
‘Sun a steel ball glowing
Behind endless blowing sand
Sun a steel ball glowing
Dust of fallen empires
Slowly flowing through my hands
Use me while you can’
Bruce Cockburn 1999.
His poetry hardly needs the desert blues guitar behind it but that is superb too.
Behind endless blowing sand
Sun a steel ball glowing
Dust of fallen empires
Slowly flowing through my hands
Use me while you can’
Bruce Cockburn 1999.
His poetry hardly needs the desert blues guitar behind it but that is superb too.
November 21, 2025 at 3:17 PM
‘Sun a steel ball glowing
Behind endless blowing sand
Sun a steel ball glowing
Dust of fallen empires
Slowly flowing through my hands
Use me while you can’
Bruce Cockburn 1999.
His poetry hardly needs the desert blues guitar behind it but that is superb too.
Behind endless blowing sand
Sun a steel ball glowing
Dust of fallen empires
Slowly flowing through my hands
Use me while you can’
Bruce Cockburn 1999.
His poetry hardly needs the desert blues guitar behind it but that is superb too.
So, Lord Gove, from the comfort the various benefits and elevations hours piled on him, after his senior part in it all, apologises for the mistakes, during Covid, made by the shambolic, incompetent, corrupt, cronyism-ridden administration in power. British politics is terminally fucked.
November 21, 2025 at 1:50 PM
So, Lord Gove, from the comfort the various benefits and elevations hours piled on him, after his senior part in it all, apologises for the mistakes, during Covid, made by the shambolic, incompetent, corrupt, cronyism-ridden administration in power. British politics is terminally fucked.
Is there really no one in Washington who can explain to Trump, in the kindergarten language that he employs, that Putin is the evil aggressor here and appeasing him will not work, making USA look weak in the medium-longterm?
November 21, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Is there really no one in Washington who can explain to Trump, in the kindergarten language that he employs, that Putin is the evil aggressor here and appeasing him will not work, making USA look weak in the medium-longterm?
Tim Berners-Lee. Great episode of DID. ‘Brother in Arms’: superb song; sad reminder of how much luckier I was than some erstwhile colleagues.
November 21, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Tim Berners-Lee. Great episode of DID. ‘Brother in Arms’: superb song; sad reminder of how much luckier I was than some erstwhile colleagues.
Thing is: it was blatantly obvious at the time, that Johnson and his band of avaricious cronies only cared about themselves and what they could make out of the pandemic. They were incompetent too, of course but that hardly matters. If we ever hear from any of them again, it’ll be too soon.
November 20, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Thing is: it was blatantly obvious at the time, that Johnson and his band of avaricious cronies only cared about themselves and what they could make out of the pandemic. They were incompetent too, of course but that hardly matters. If we ever hear from any of them again, it’ll be too soon.
Give a not-very-clever bully control over a vast , geographically, resource-supply and financially independent country and society. Did anyone think he would give a damn about anything other than similarly powerful countries either useful or a threat to him?
November 19, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Give a not-very-clever bully control over a vast , geographically, resource-supply and financially independent country and society. Did anyone think he would give a damn about anything other than similarly powerful countries either useful or a threat to him?
Tories are deluding themselves if they have tamp duty is putting oldies off, from downsizing. It certainly doesn’t help first time buyers but it won’t help to fill the market
November 18, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Tories are deluding themselves if they have tamp duty is putting oldies off, from downsizing. It certainly doesn’t help first time buyers but it won’t help to fill the market
What a man for Trump to fête, in his bouncy castle, cheap tat White House. Beggars belief.
November 18, 2025 at 7:25 PM
What a man for Trump to fête, in his bouncy castle, cheap tat White House. Beggars belief.
We need more people. Young, working people. Let ‘em in, facilitate their work permits, ensure they are productive and valued Simples. Unless you’re bigoted and/or racist.
November 17, 2025 at 7:06 PM
We need more people. Young, working people. Let ‘em in, facilitate their work permits, ensure they are productive and valued Simples. Unless you’re bigoted and/or racist.
The hard right here, and inappropriately, in the US, were given a free pass, by that idiotic edit, to interfere even more deeply, in the culture and politics of UK. It’s maddening and sad.
November 15, 2025 at 2:13 PM
The hard right here, and inappropriately, in the US, were given a free pass, by that idiotic edit, to interfere even more deeply, in the culture and politics of UK. It’s maddening and sad.
Police and crime commissioners to be scrapped in England and Wales
‘Bout time too. A pointless waste of money that was intended, under previous government as another way of dusting them from all the scandals and crises while claiming credit for the few successes.
‘Bout time too. A pointless waste of money that was intended, under previous government as another way of dusting them from all the scandals and crises while claiming credit for the few successes.
November 13, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Police and crime commissioners to be scrapped in England and Wales
‘Bout time too. A pointless waste of money that was intended, under previous government as another way of dusting them from all the scandals and crises while claiming credit for the few successes.
‘Bout time too. A pointless waste of money that was intended, under previous government as another way of dusting them from all the scandals and crises while claiming credit for the few successes.
It feels like we’ve entered an Orwellian world of Newspeak. Yes, the directors made a stupid &pathetic mistake in that edit, but, if anything, the Beeb is biased towards the right. How would it not be, given Gibb and the other Johnson shoe-ins? Demonstrated also by disproportionate Reform airtime.
November 10, 2025 at 1:37 PM
It feels like we’ve entered an Orwellian world of Newspeak. Yes, the directors made a stupid &pathetic mistake in that edit, but, if anything, the Beeb is biased towards the right. How would it not be, given Gibb and the other Johnson shoe-ins? Demonstrated also by disproportionate Reform airtime.
Those BBC resignations: Fiddling with the footage was bad enough, even though it presented Trump as he actually was. The fact that those producers thought they could get away with it is truly pathetic.
November 10, 2025 at 7:41 AM
Those BBC resignations: Fiddling with the footage was bad enough, even though it presented Trump as he actually was. The fact that those producers thought they could get away with it is truly pathetic.
Watching KCIII at the Cenotaph this morning, I wasn’t sure if he was tired, bored, emotional or ill. Possibly all the above. We’ll never know.
November 9, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Watching KCIII at the Cenotaph this morning, I wasn’t sure if he was tired, bored, emotional or ill. Possibly all the above. We’ll never know.
One wonders why any suppliers continue to use Royal Mail Parcel Force. Amazon Prime and other couriers invariably meet the committed delivery date & time. In my experience, 2 out 3 Parcel Force undertakings are not met.
November 8, 2025 at 2:12 PM
One wonders why any suppliers continue to use Royal Mail Parcel Force. Amazon Prime and other couriers invariably meet the committed delivery date & time. In my experience, 2 out 3 Parcel Force undertakings are not met.
So depressed about what’s happening in the USA that I once loved…….
November 7, 2025 at 7:58 PM
So depressed about what’s happening in the USA that I once loved…….
ICE. Beyond the pits. Masked, unidentified. Why?
November 7, 2025 at 7:41 PM
ICE. Beyond the pits. Masked, unidentified. Why?