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Reposted by Irim Sarwar

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 1h

This is what one of the biggest Diwali celebrations outside of India looks like.

Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate light overcoming darkness, hope overcoming hardship, and unity in our diversity.

A person stands on stage addressing a large crowd gathered in Trafalgar Square for Diwali on the Square. Colourful tents and festival stalls fill the area behind the crowd, with the National Gallery visible in the background.

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Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 2h

I bang on about this a lot: I think the combination of a global pandemic, underregulated internet/SM, collapse/corruption of trustworthy media, plus now unregulated genAI, is a wildly toxic environment for radicalisation & mental health. We see the results of that in our politics & lives every day

James Austin @jamesdaustin.bsky.social · 15h

Everyone knows at least one person (normally, but not exclusively, a guy) whose gone properly mental due to net rabbit holes.

We see public figures regularly go mad and destroy themselves.

And we have, at a policy level, just decided to put our fingers in our ears and go nahnahnah

Alastair Meeks @alastairmeeks.bsky.social · 16h

Last night I heard of another friend of a friend who has been lost to a rabbit hole of online propaganda. We need to start treating this as a serious public health concern.

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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 17h

“A viral and ridiculous image, such as a cute cartoonish frog standing off against a row of heavily-equipped militarised police, or even national reserve members, tells the story far more quickly than official statements ever could. It also spreads further and faster.” inews.co.uk/opinion/trum...

Trump’s movement was fuelled by Pepe the Frog — now another amphibian is pushing back

A new figure has emerged at anti-ICE protests in Portland - a man wearing an inflatable frog costume

inews.co.uk

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Adam Kinzinger @adamkinzinger.substack.com · 11h

If you would have described the traits of hard core MAGAs and Trump ten years ago…. Those very same people would have called those people SNOWFLAKES.

Constantly whining, always the victim, always angry at everyone else.

a sign that says snowflake on it with a red light behind it

ALT: a sign that says snowflake on it with a red light behind it

media.tenor.com

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Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 12h

If there's one thing authoritarians can't stand, it's being laughed at. Keep on keeping on, folks.

justfara @justfara.bsky.social · 12h

'He's a coward': Onlookers ridicule 'cranky' JD Vance after wild ABC interview

www.rawstory.com/jd-vance-moc...

'He's a coward': Onlookers ridicule 'cranky' JD Vance after wild ABC interview

Vice President JD Vance was hit with extensive mockery on Sunday after his interview with ABC.Vance over the weekend lashed out at ABC's George Stephanopoulos after the host pulled the plug on an inte...

www.rawstory.com

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Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 13h

Things not on my Sarum weekend bingo card: a methodist minister in a 33 button cassock and academic gown.

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Christopher Webb @cwebbonline.com · 3d

Sometimes we need a moment, but if you tune out completely, they win. Fascism doesn’t need your support, just your silence.

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Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 2d

What Trump did was nothing extraordinary or special to him. He had financial incentives that pushed him to do it.

What he proved is that America always had the way, not the will.

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Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 2d

If you're asking why Biden didn't do diddly in 2023, when it was clear Israel's reaction was going to be genocide/scorched earth, bear in mind that he horrified Begin by saying that he'd kill all the women and children.

He could have cut off arms sales and this would have been done two years ago.

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Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 2d

Shot:

www.cherwell.org/2025/09/24/o...

Chaser:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

And this, everyone, is why who does the rankings & how they do them matter.

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Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 2d

Here's a thought, @theguardian.com - stop focusing on the crybaby man and start focusing on the brave woman. Who *cares*?

Focus on the winner, for heaven's sake, nobody cares what a narcissist thinks. But this obsession w/ placating them is why we're here.

So Trump did not get the Nobel peace prize. But by choosing Machado, the committee has picked a political figure who has praised the US president, which might lessen the fallout.

In public comments, Machado has thanked Trump for his “commitment to freedom and democracy in Venezuela”.

She was also on this year’s TIME Magazine “100 most influential People” list. The justification was delivered by no other than Marco Rubio, US secretary of state, who said she was “the personification of resilience, tenacity, and patriotism”.

Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 3d

Starve narcissists of attention; stop giving it to them.

Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 3d

Stop stop STOP taking this seriously! What is *wrong with you people*? Who cares? This is why bullies carry on and on and on.

Good answer from the Nobel Committee.

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Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 3d

Accurate.

Stephen Moran. @moranstephen1000.bsky.social · 3d

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Paul Eric Scannell @pauleric70.bsky.social · 3d

Will Netanyahu torpedo the ‘Gaza peace plan’ sooner rather than later?

Here’s Noam Chomsky explaining the cyclical pattern of Israel reaching a ceasefire with Hamas, and then openly breaking the ceasefire and resuming the slaughter.

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Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 3d

Oxford cyclists. This guy set up an obstacle course on the football pitch at Cutteslowe Park & was cycling around it at speed, ruining the grass, doing wheelies, not giving a hoot that kids are going to play there this weekend and he's ruining the pitch.

Go find a bicycle track, dude.

Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 4d

Let alone actually have reading, textual analysis, synthesis, interpersonal, problem-solving, and administrative skills that would make so many MBAs and lab types sit in a corner and cry?

You know, the skills you *actually* need for a job.

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Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 4d

What the heck, Microsoft?

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Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 5d

Special shout out to @ox.ac.uk who, despite having an overall safeguarding policy, claims that the clubs/organisations it funds and requires to *apply for affiliation w/ the university* somehow don't come under it and 18 yo students have to make up their own policies.

Do better.

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Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 5d

Clearly Rafael Behr and I have completely different ideas about what constitutes 'intellectual'.

Quite frankly, Badenoch's words are propaganda and don't even touch the edges of 'intellectual'.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Badenoch’s ‘thoughtful Conservatism’ turns out to be just the slower road to Faragism | Rafael Behr

The Tory leader’s intellectual meanderings have shrunk her party into little more than a holding pen for future Reform party candidates, says Guardian columnist Rafael Behr

www.theguardian.com

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Henry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 5d

I know this is uncomfortable to admit, but there is a small area in England's second city where people are just not integrated with the rest of society. Many of them hold views that arguably go against British values.

Yes, we need to talk about the Tory conference in Manchester.

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Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 5d

Having said that, loving it. Amanda Redman is magnificent as his mum.

#MurderBeforeEvensong

Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 5d

You know I'm Gen X b/c my reaction was WAIT, Fine Young Cannibals didn't come out till DECEMBER 1988/early 1989, and it's only April 1988 according to his sermon writing.

#MurderBeforeEvensong

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Sophie W @biologizing.bsky.social · 5d

The Newfoundland and Labrador public libraries continue to make the absolute best free pins that you can just have if you go to borrow a book

A pin on a desk, it has a codfish silhouette holding a library card, with the words "having fun isn't hard when you've got a library cod"

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Irim Sarwar @irimtated.bsky.social · 5d

*crying laughing*

Milhouse the 25th @milhouse25.bsky.social · 6d

There were signs: allegations that Quispe removed chairs from a church property to use in a chicken restaurant which was part of a chain that he was said to have had a financial interest in. “The chain is called Patas Arriba, a phrase meaning “upside down” but which translates as “legs in the air”