Alan Smith
@mralanjohnsmith.bsky.social
[Something vaguely political but non-committal]
[Own views disclaimer]
He/him
[Own views disclaimer]
He/him
At a time when people are already split into very different understandings of the world around them, many believing absolute fantasies created by malign actors, these tools will help cement those fantasies as realities.
Nano Banana Pro also seems to be good at moving the camera when recreating images, which can add a false sense of authenticity to sets of images, for example:
November 27, 2025 at 9:01 AM
At a time when people are already split into very different understandings of the world around them, many believing absolute fantasies created by malign actors, these tools will help cement those fantasies as realities.
I found this interesting. Not because the Guardian wants to use one paragraph to swipe at Your Party, but as a human story of people trying to navigate how to make good political change amid the inevitable internal problems of organisations.
Inside the rise and fall of Podemos: ‘We believed we had a stake in the future’
Inside the rise and fall of Podemos: ‘We believed we had a stake in the future’
The long read: The leftist party exploded out of Spain’s anti-austerity protests in 2011 and upended Spain’s entrenched two-party system. I was instantly captivated – and for the next decade, I worked for the party. But I ended up quitting politics in disappointment. What happened?
www.theguardian.com
November 27, 2025 at 8:55 AM
I found this interesting. Not because the Guardian wants to use one paragraph to swipe at Your Party, but as a human story of people trying to navigate how to make good political change amid the inevitable internal problems of organisations.
Here's a video rattling through the songs of our gig with InCORdis youtu.be/t0M-S-FkX6w?...
My favourite song is us all together at about 12 minutes. (Ay Carmela)
My favourite song is us all together at about 12 minutes. (Ay Carmela)
2025 INCORDIS i COMMONERS CHOIR
YouTube video by IgnasiSegon1
youtu.be
November 26, 2025 at 8:36 AM
Here's a video rattling through the songs of our gig with InCORdis youtu.be/t0M-S-FkX6w?...
My favourite song is us all together at about 12 minutes. (Ay Carmela)
My favourite song is us all together at about 12 minutes. (Ay Carmela)
Reposted by Alan Smith
Great to see the word “gobshite” in a headline. Streets ahead of the too twee “cockwomble”.
🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪
🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪
Anger as 'gobshite' climbs Laois Christmas Tree - News - Laois Nationalist
Anger as 'gobshite' climbs Laois Christmas Tree - News - Laois Nationalist
www.laois-nationalist.ie
November 24, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Great to see the word “gobshite” in a headline. Streets ahead of the too twee “cockwomble”.
🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪
🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪
“over-reliance on Earth”
I guess a fair reflection of Musk's views by Grok. Earth is pretty important to me, if I'm honest. I think we probably shouldn't strip it of anything of value then leave it to burn and go off and live on a space base on an inhospitable planet.
I guess a fair reflection of Musk's views by Grok. Earth is pretty important to me, if I'm honest. I think we probably shouldn't strip it of anything of value then leave it to burn and go off and live on a space base on an inhospitable planet.
I asked grok who was the better role model for humanity, Jesus Christ or Elon Musk. GUESS WHAT.
November 21, 2025 at 11:55 AM
“over-reliance on Earth”
I guess a fair reflection of Musk's views by Grok. Earth is pretty important to me, if I'm honest. I think we probably shouldn't strip it of anything of value then leave it to burn and go off and live on a space base on an inhospitable planet.
I guess a fair reflection of Musk's views by Grok. Earth is pretty important to me, if I'm honest. I think we probably shouldn't strip it of anything of value then leave it to burn and go off and live on a space base on an inhospitable planet.
Reposted by Alan Smith
I often struggle to come up with tangible examples of English devolution but this is one. Greater Manchester is doing its own £1bn regeneration investment fund
on.ft.com/43InqRk
on.ft.com/43InqRk
Greater Manchester to launch £1bn public investment fund
[FREE TO READ] City region aims to capitalise on sustained economic growth with first fund of its kind
on.ft.com
November 19, 2025 at 11:20 PM
I often struggle to come up with tangible examples of English devolution but this is one. Greater Manchester is doing its own £1bn regeneration investment fund
on.ft.com/43InqRk
on.ft.com/43InqRk
Not the main issue but does this imply Mars Inc. is still operating in Russia? (Still thereby helping fund Putin's war with its taxes?) Russian soldiers fueled by American rations?
5/ "Food, water, and ammunition are limited to what they brought with them, plus whatever they found, and maybe 0.5 liters of water and a couple of Snickers if they're lucky. In short, in addition to combat, you also need to focus on survival."
November 19, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Not the main issue but does this imply Mars Inc. is still operating in Russia? (Still thereby helping fund Putin's war with its taxes?) Russian soldiers fueled by American rations?
Trump will be inwardly regretting he can't have troublesome journalists killed
We are doing our best not to dismember any more journalists with bone saws www.ft.com/content/dc11...
November 19, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Trump will be inwardly regretting he can't have troublesome journalists killed
I don't believe in ghosts but I think people have an inherent "spooked" setting and once something triggers that I'm frightened of the ghosts I don't believe in.
do you believe in ghosts or are you like me, a person who finds themself saying all the time “I absolutely don’t believe in ghosts, but this place has ghosts.”
November 19, 2025 at 8:12 AM
I don't believe in ghosts but I think people have an inherent "spooked" setting and once something triggers that I'm frightened of the ghosts I don't believe in.
Some people's approach to negotiations is that it's better to lose than to compromise. That way you can hold your head up as pure and wronged. (Victory just around the corner.) I think that approach prioritises the vanity of the decision maker over the needs of the constituents.
November 19, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Some people's approach to negotiations is that it's better to lose than to compromise. That way you can hold your head up as pure and wronged. (Victory just around the corner.) I think that approach prioritises the vanity of the decision maker over the needs of the constituents.
Overton window.
Labour now down to 18% in our latest @ipsosintheuk.bsky.social voting intention, the joint lowest we've ever had them - prev. May 2009 (expenses scandal, economic crisis). What's happening in 3 charts ...
November 17, 2025 at 10:55 AM
Overton window.
Hard to argue with that. Labour MPs need to show that they didn't get elected to deliver cruelty-for-votes. Labour MPs need to topple Keir Starmer and those around him. Do it now.
November 17, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Hard to argue with that. Labour MPs need to show that they didn't get elected to deliver cruelty-for-votes. Labour MPs need to topple Keir Starmer and those around him. Do it now.
If Keir Starmer wants a one-term government before handing it back to the right, he could at least make it a less shit one-term government.
November 17, 2025 at 8:58 AM
If Keir Starmer wants a one-term government before handing it back to the right, he could at least make it a less shit one-term government.
Tony Blair realised he could take left votes for granted and tack centre, even centre right, to take some votes from the Tories. Keir Starmer and Shabana Mahmood have tacked so far to the right that they will lose all progressive votes. Labour MPs must stop them.
November 17, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Tony Blair realised he could take left votes for granted and tack centre, even centre right, to take some votes from the Tories. Keir Starmer and Shabana Mahmood have tacked so far to the right that they will lose all progressive votes. Labour MPs must stop them.
Reposted by Alan Smith
Six weeks since the PM said Britain faced a choice between decency or division and our bad, obviously, for not understanding that he was in fact Team Division
November 17, 2025 at 8:42 AM
Six weeks since the PM said Britain faced a choice between decency or division and our bad, obviously, for not understanding that he was in fact Team Division
If Britain's far right leader knows what New Labour's appeal to racists is doing, driving the political centre further and further right, why the hell don't Keir Starmer and those around him? Or, assuming they do know, why do they think that's an acceptable price for power?
Not everyone is unhappy about the Government's descent into anti-refugee politics
November 16, 2025 at 1:12 PM
If Britain's far right leader knows what New Labour's appeal to racists is doing, driving the political centre further and further right, why the hell don't Keir Starmer and those around him? Or, assuming they do know, why do they think that's an acceptable price for power?
Labour MPs, please get rid of Keir Starmer now. Don't wait until after the May elections to use that as the justification. The May elections are really important and needlessly letting him disastrously lead us into those elections will be detrimental to people's lives.
NEW from Ipsos
Satisfaction with the PM remains unchanged since September, continuing to be the worst ever recorded by Ipsos for a Prime Minister, going back to 1977…
Satisfaction with the PM remains unchanged since September, continuing to be the worst ever recorded by Ipsos for a Prime Minister, going back to 1977…
November 16, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Labour MPs, please get rid of Keir Starmer now. Don't wait until after the May elections to use that as the justification. The May elections are really important and needlessly letting him disastrously lead us into those elections will be detrimental to people's lives.
Shabana Mahmood wants to deport our friends, colleagues and classmates to try to win more votes from people who don't like foreigners.
(Likely at the likely expense of the votes of many people who value humanity over cruelty.)
(Likely at the likely expense of the votes of many people who value humanity over cruelty.)
Refugees established in UK may have to return if home countries become safe
Refugees established in UK may have to return if home countries become safe
Approach modelled on Denmark’s controversial system forms part of home secretary’s changes to asylum system
Refugees who have established lives with homes and families in the UK – including Ukrainians – will still face having to return if their home countries become safe, the home secretary has said.
Shabana Mahmood said the asylum system was “out of control and putting huge pressure on communities” as she announced plans to end the permanent status of refugees, who will need to reapply to remain in Britain every two and a half years. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 16, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Shabana Mahmood wants to deport our friends, colleagues and classmates to try to win more votes from people who don't like foreigners.
(Likely at the likely expense of the votes of many people who value humanity over cruelty.)
(Likely at the likely expense of the votes of many people who value humanity over cruelty.)
Reposting this on golden tickets
Famously, Willy Wonka’s golden tickets were, for Charlie, an almost impossibly remote chance to escape a lifetime of poverty and hunger.
Starmer to end asylum ‘golden ticket’ of resettlement and family reunion rights
November 16, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Reposting this on golden tickets
Cruel performative bullshit. I hate that there are so many people in my party prepared to be cruel to get votes to stay in power because they think they're the good people so should be in power. If you're prepared to be cruel to get votes you're not the good people.
UK to curtail asylum seekers’ automatic right to accommodation on.ft.com/3LHuJT9
UK to curtail asylum seekers’ automatic right to accommodation
Home secretary says Britain’s ‘generosity’ is ‘drawing illegal migrants’
on.ft.com
November 15, 2025 at 11:11 PM
Cruel performative bullshit. I hate that there are so many people in my party prepared to be cruel to get votes to stay in power because they think they're the good people so should be in power. If you're prepared to be cruel to get votes you're not the good people.
Reposted by Alan Smith
Part of this week’s newsletter was inspired by the post below. Was there a way to show the distance between normal Americans and the super wealthy?
1/8
www.howtoreadthisch.art/putting-the-...
1/8
www.howtoreadthisch.art/putting-the-...
November 15, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Part of this week’s newsletter was inspired by the post below. Was there a way to show the distance between normal Americans and the super wealthy?
1/8
www.howtoreadthisch.art/putting-the-...
1/8
www.howtoreadthisch.art/putting-the-...
I hope this is not what Shabana Mahmood announces on Monday. My son is already considering cancelling his Labour membership. My daughter is considering joining the Greens. There are already two right wing parties, Labour doesn't need to be another one.
This is as bad as anything proposed by Reform.
Leaving refugees in permanent limbo and unable to build a new life in the UK would be a complete abdication of our humanitarian responsibilities
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Leaving refugees in permanent limbo and unable to build a new life in the UK would be a complete abdication of our humanitarian responsibilities
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
UK set to limit refugees to temporary stays
Shabana Mahmood is expected to say the era of permanent protection for refugees is over, in major changes to the UK's asylum and immigration system.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 15, 2025 at 9:18 AM
I hope this is not what Shabana Mahmood announces on Monday. My son is already considering cancelling his Labour membership. My daughter is considering joining the Greens. There are already two right wing parties, Labour doesn't need to be another one.
Reposted by Alan Smith
Has Putin given Trump lessons on rewriting history? How long will it be until America celebrates Trump's Justice Day on January the 6th?
November 15, 2025 at 8:24 AM
Has Putin given Trump lessons on rewriting history? How long will it be until America celebrates Trump's Justice Day on January the 6th?
The quotation marks imply Trump thinks it isn't really an island
This may be Trump's perfect social media post. A true work of art. He confirms:
✅He personally directs criminal investigations.
✅He is targeting opponents.
✅Epstein "records" exist and he knows the contents.
Bonus points for connecting it to investigation of his fondness for Putin.👀
✅He personally directs criminal investigations.
✅He is targeting opponents.
✅Epstein "records" exist and he knows the contents.
Bonus points for connecting it to investigation of his fondness for Putin.👀
November 14, 2025 at 4:40 PM
The quotation marks imply Trump thinks it isn't really an island
What's a more polite, but similarly succinct, way to say 'performative bollocks'?
November 14, 2025 at 1:13 PM
What's a more polite, but similarly succinct, way to say 'performative bollocks'?