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Alex von Tunzelmann

@alexvont.bsky.social

40K followers 3.1K following 7.1K posts

Historian, screenwriter, broadcaster. She/her. Latest book, FALLEN IDOLS, shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize 2022. HISTORY’S SECRET HEROES and THE LUCAN OBSESSION on BBC Radio 4. One of the Silk Road Slippers https://www.silkroadslippers.com

www.silkroadslippers.com

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Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · Oct 28

Fifty years ago, a possibly mistaken murder and the disappearance of a playboy aristocrat gripped the nation. My documentary The Lucan Obsession starts this lunchtime at 1.45pm on BBC Radio 4. Or you can binge all 10 eps (they’re only 15 mins each) on BBC Sounds now. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Graphic for The Lucan Obsession, featuring Lord Lucan, the Houses of Parliament, and a roulette wheel.

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Reposted by Alex von Tunzelmann

Goose @phatcussy.bsky.social · 4h

the world: idk about this AI slop. we should maybe not do that

the sweatiest guy you've ever seen: you don't understand. it's inevitable. it's coming to kill us. we have to make more

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Reposted by Alex von Tunzelmann

Juno Rylee Schultz @junoryleejournalism.com · 1d

David Simon, creator of ‘The Wire’, being interviewed by Ari Shapiro (NPR)

SHAPIRO: OK, so you've spent your career creating television without Al, and I could imagine today you thinking, boy, I wish I had had that tool to solve those thorny problems...
SIMON: What?
SHAPIRO: ...Or saying...
SIMON: You imagine that?
SHAPIRO: ...Boy, if that had existed, it would have screwed me over.
SIMON: I don't think Al can remotely challenge what writers do at a fundamentally creative level.
SHAPIRO: But if you're trying to transition from scene five to scene six, and you're stuck with that transition, you could imagine plugging that portion of the script into an Al and say, give me 10 ideas for how to transition this.
SIMON: I'd rather put a gun in my mouth.

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Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 17h

Yes, that’s also my experience – I’ve had it several times since 2020 and, while I’ve been very lucky to avoid the awful long-term effects some people have had, it’s been much more disruptive and lingering than a conventional cold. Hence why I would rather reduce my risk.

Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 19h

Oh I’m sorry if that was stressful! I just thought it was a really good thread. I don’t think a reply-guy describes someone who contributes positively to the discussion with interesting, relevant, well-referenced points!

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Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 19h

Whew yes the Pope! It still pleasantly surprises me whenever a church leader says something that actually sounds like Christian values

Lucius Fox In The Box @carnegro.bsky.social · 19h

Pope Leo is spitting.

www.npr.org/2025/10/09/n...

Leo questioned a world where the wealth of the elite grows
"exponentially" while many "millions of people die of hunger or survive in conditions unfit for human beings." He also criticized "ideologies that defend the absolute autonomy of the marketplace and financial speculation,"
with false promises "that a free-market economy will automatically solve the problem of poverty."

Leo described a "new tyranny," which shuns any kind of oversight and where the economy is structured "in such a way that sacrifices are demanded of the masses in order to serve the needs of the powerful." The poor, he wrote, are only allowed "drops that trickle down."

The pope openly challenged "prosperity theology" and called Christians to the practice of giving charity. "It will not solve the problem of world poverty, yet it must still be carried out, with intelligence, diligence and social responsibility," he wrote.

Popular movements that challenge "the empire of money," invite people to take on the cause to combat poverty alongside the poor, instead of on their behalf, and "make history," the pope said. It our duty, Leo said, to "make their voices heard, albeit in different ways, in order to point out and denounce such structural issues, even at the cost of appearing foolish or naïve."

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Reposted by Alex von Tunzelmann

Jenny Croft @jenniferlcroft.bsky.social · 21h

I took this picture of Olga and László in London in 2018. Congrats to Krasznahorkai and his translators, including George Szirtes and @ottiliemulzet.bsky.social, and long live a Central Europe free of dictators (foreign and domestic) and full of magnificent minds like these!

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Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 1d

That’s exactly how I feel. I don’t teach undergraduates any longer, but I often lead workshops etc with different groups of people, so I’m always encountering new bugs. I have a lot of work travel and fixed deadlines over the next few months so, if I can reduce my risk of illness, that’s worth it.

Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 1d

Yes - I normally do both at once but this time the GP surgery offered me flu but not Covid (seems to be happening to a lot of people on this thread). So I took the free flu one and paid for Covid a week later. I have a hurty arm this morning, but no serious symptoms.

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Reposted by Alex von Tunzelmann

The Bunker podcast – News without the nonsense @bunkerpod.bsky.social · 1d

🚨NEW EPISODE🚨
Viceroy City – Why governing Gaza could be beyond Tony Blair. @alexvont.bsky.social takes us on a tour of the inglorious history of viceregal rule 👉 linktr.ee/bunker_pod

#tonyblair #gaza #bunker

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Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 1d

There’s a search tool to find pharmacies offering it on the NHS website. The first one I went into didn’t offer a private option, but the second one did. Boots also offer it nationwide in many branches, though it’s slightly more expensive. www.nhs.uk/nhs-services...

Find a walk-in COVID-19 vaccination site

Find a walk-in COVID-19 vaccination site to get a COVID vaccination appointment without needing an appointment.

www.nhs.uk

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Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 1d

To be fair, I don’t know what their cost price is! It may well be more expensive than the NHS’s. Seems to be pretty standard that most places charge £85-£100 for the covid vaccine. Boots is more expensive than my local pharmacy at £98, though you’d think a big chain might have greater buying power.

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Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 1d

I don’t know! You’ll have to ask someone who works in that sector. I’m just a member of the public who wanted a vaccine.

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Reposted by Alex von Tunzelmann

David Roberts @volts.wtf · 1d

Portland is ... right there. It's a real place. People live in it. People can go look at it. You could call someone there right now.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Trump: "I don't know what could be worse than Portland. You don't even have stores anymore. They don't even put glass up. They put plywood on their windows."

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Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 1d

It counts as private healthcare, so they can charge what they like. Pharmacies are adding a markup to the cost price for their service just as they would for shampoo or perfume, or for a private prescription.

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Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 1d

Of course, individuals may well have different rationales for assessing their own risk – I explained mine in the first post of this thread. And as @stevensenior.bsky.social also notes, it would be better if the private jabs were cheaper, so more people could opt in. A private flu jab is under £20.

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Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 1d

Adding this mini-thread by @stevensenior.bsky.social in response to mine. It does at least explain the rationale behind why the NHS are not vaccinating more widely. bsky.app/profile/stev...

Steve Senior @stevensenior.bsky.social · 1d

Bit nerdy, but it's worth having a skim over the number needed to vaccinate figures here. E.g. to avoid one hospitalisation in otherwise healthy people JCVI estimated 60-100k would need to be vaccinated (based on Autumn 2024 data).

www.gov.uk/government/p...

Appendix A: estimating the number needed to vaccinate to prevent a COVID-19 hospitalisation in autumn 2024 in England

www.gov.uk

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Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 1d

Thank you – that’s really very interesting.

Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 1d

I quite agree. And of course the NHS pays a far lower price per vaccine than that. I thought they were trying to put the emphasis on preventive medicine!

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Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 1d

I won’t be trying it!

Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 1d

Oh, sorry, I misunderstood! Yes, staff aren’t getting it, even frontline workers. Which aside from anything else seems like a false economy – surely they don’t want these key workers to have to take more sick leave or risk more serious health issues?

Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 1d

Adding this helpful response from @sparkes66.bsky.social in case it’s of interest! bsky.app/profile/spar...

SueP @sparkes66.bsky.social · 1d

I paid £98 for a booster jab at Boots. Asthmatic and work in school so just seemed sensible. I had it at 4:30 in the afternoon - came home - took painkillers and slept through. Wasn’t aware of any side affects at all.

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Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 1d

Good grief, poor her. I hope she feels better soon!

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Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 1d

My GP surgery was quite happy to give me a flu jab. The nurse said she wished she could give me covid too, but she wasn’t allowed to. She said, “Even we don’t get it any more” – I think it’s pretty outrageous and very short sighted not to give it to frontline healthcare workers!

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Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 1d

Yes, definitely – I had that one last week!

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Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 1d

It was about three hours ago and I feel fine so far – a little tired, but I think that might equally be because I got up early this morning and have done quite a lot of walking today! Let’s see how I’m feeling by tomorrow, I guess…

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