Sir Almaviva
@ilcontealmaviva.bsky.social
Lover of trams, classical music, maths, tea and cats. Member of the cycling lobby. 🇮🇹 immigrant in 🇬🇧. Refugees are welcome, racists are not.
Lover of "Italian Effeminacy and Italian Nonsense" (i.e. opera, according to Jonathan Swift)
Lover of "Italian Effeminacy and Italian Nonsense" (i.e. opera, according to Jonathan Swift)
Pinned
Let's see if I can keep it up, but I am going to try to do a thread with all the books I read in 2025, starting from the following post.
Is briscola left-coded?
Is tressette right-coded?
Is scopa the centrist option?
Find out in the new episode of "Questions no one has ever asked, for a good reason"
Is tressette right-coded?
Is scopa the centrist option?
Find out in the new episode of "Questions no one has ever asked, for a good reason"
November 26, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Is briscola left-coded?
Is tressette right-coded?
Is scopa the centrist option?
Find out in the new episode of "Questions no one has ever asked, for a good reason"
Is tressette right-coded?
Is scopa the centrist option?
Find out in the new episode of "Questions no one has ever asked, for a good reason"
On this: protected cycle lanes should not be a "nice to have". They are a key part of urban infrastructure, especially in times of climate crisis when we need to shift modes towards public transport and active travel.
They are going to soon complete a cycle lane that will be very useful for me on my commute, of course on Facebook people are complaining that it will create congestion. As we know everything creates congestion, apart from cars.
November 26, 2025 at 2:47 PM
On this: protected cycle lanes should not be a "nice to have". They are a key part of urban infrastructure, especially in times of climate crisis when we need to shift modes towards public transport and active travel.
They are going to soon complete a cycle lane that will be very useful for me on my commute, of course on Facebook people are complaining that it will create congestion. As we know everything creates congestion, apart from cars.
November 26, 2025 at 2:41 PM
They are going to soon complete a cycle lane that will be very useful for me on my commute, of course on Facebook people are complaining that it will create congestion. As we know everything creates congestion, apart from cars.
Some good news.
So it looks like Rachel Reeves has *not* abolished or cut back the cycle to work scheme. Perhaps she has read the Treasury's own 2023 assessment of the scheme, which found that in terms of creating modal shift, and thus boosting public health, it is very, very effective.
www.gov.uk/government/p...
www.gov.uk/government/p...
Evaluation of the Cycle to Work Scheme: quantitative and qualitative research
www.gov.uk
November 26, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Some good news.
Reposted by Sir Almaviva
Earlier this year, day after day, we saw politicians and hacks criticising and slagging off people with anxiety, depression, autism, ADHD and more - castigating them for rising PIP claims, acting like their PIP claims were a scourge on society
Will they apologise? Somehow I think they won't.
Will they apologise? Somehow I think they won't.
November 26, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Earlier this year, day after day, we saw politicians and hacks criticising and slagging off people with anxiety, depression, autism, ADHD and more - castigating them for rising PIP claims, acting like their PIP claims were a scourge on society
Will they apologise? Somehow I think they won't.
Will they apologise? Somehow I think they won't.
That's good news
This is such important news. Hundreds of thousands of children taken out of poverty with the stroke of a pen.
Two-child benefit limit is officially scrapped in Budget 2025
Rachel Reeves confirms policy that restricts what benefits families can receive will be removed
www.liverpoolecho.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 1:09 PM
That's good news
Amazing.
So this happened in Oslo yesterday. Four articulated buses got stuck in a roundabout.
November 26, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Amazing.
In a scale from 1 to 10 of "bad driving" (1 being very good driving, 10 being very bad) Uber drivers are approximately at 150.
November 26, 2025 at 8:32 AM
In a scale from 1 to 10 of "bad driving" (1 being very good driving, 10 being very bad) Uber drivers are approximately at 150.
This interesting DG recording combines Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde with Xiaogang Ye's musical setting of the poems in the original Chinese, which I thought was quite good, and completely different from Mahler's [I did not listen to M. this time, so I can't say anything about the performance]
November 26, 2025 at 7:19 AM
This interesting DG recording combines Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde with Xiaogang Ye's musical setting of the poems in the original Chinese, which I thought was quite good, and completely different from Mahler's [I did not listen to M. this time, so I can't say anything about the performance]
Reform/the Tories want to deport millions of legal residents, Labour has decided that racism and xenophobia are a reasonable response to immigration, so it goes to @zackpolanski.bsky.social's credit that he has been a very clear pro-immigrant voice, while others have abandoned the realm of decency.
November 25, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Reform/the Tories want to deport millions of legal residents, Labour has decided that racism and xenophobia are a reasonable response to immigration, so it goes to @zackpolanski.bsky.social's credit that he has been a very clear pro-immigrant voice, while others have abandoned the realm of decency.
Keeping the fuel duty cut while stopping rail electrification is a bit on the nose.
When can you declare an emergency over?
The 5p “emergency” petrol tax cut was introduced in March 2022, to offset a spike in prices
They are now about 30p down on that month, & about 50p down on the absolute peak
The 5p “emergency” petrol tax cut was introduced in March 2022, to offset a spike in prices
They are now about 30p down on that month, & about 50p down on the absolute peak
November 25, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Keeping the fuel duty cut while stopping rail electrification is a bit on the nose.
Reposted by Sir Almaviva
James you really don't want to be opening up the "but it does rather say something about his moral fiber doesn't it" box until Labour has a new leader!!!
November 25, 2025 at 11:45 AM
James you really don't want to be opening up the "but it does rather say something about his moral fiber doesn't it" box until Labour has a new leader!!!
Speak well: 3 (Italian, English, German)
Can understand a bit, and read without many problems: 2 (French, Spanish)
Currently learning: 1 (Thai)
Want to learn: too many to count.
Can understand a bit, and read without many problems: 2 (French, Spanish)
Currently learning: 1 (Thai)
Want to learn: too many to count.
Me: only 2 (Finnish and English).
I have studied others pretty extensively but you'll soon understand why I don't speak them: Akkadian, Sumerian, Old Persian, Book Pahlavi, Avestan, etc. ad inf. :D
I have studied others pretty extensively but you'll soon understand why I don't speak them: Akkadian, Sumerian, Old Persian, Book Pahlavi, Avestan, etc. ad inf. :D
How many languages do you actually speak?
I'll go first. Me: 4
#language #languages #languagelearning #linguistics #polyglot #writing #writingcommunity
I'll go first. Me: 4
#language #languages #languagelearning #linguistics #polyglot #writing #writingcommunity
November 25, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Speak well: 3 (Italian, English, German)
Can understand a bit, and read without many problems: 2 (French, Spanish)
Currently learning: 1 (Thai)
Want to learn: too many to count.
Can understand a bit, and read without many problems: 2 (French, Spanish)
Currently learning: 1 (Thai)
Want to learn: too many to count.
My experience of life in the UK has been of a successful multicultural society, which makes it mad that the broad consensus of the people in power is that we need to undo all this.
In 9 years so far in the UK I lived/worked/become friends with/married (just once 😉) people from England, Scotland, China, India, Vietnam, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Nigeria, Malawi, Russia, Germany, Greece, etc. We need to fight to preserve this against those who want to put an end to it.
November 25, 2025 at 8:11 AM
My experience of life in the UK has been of a successful multicultural society, which makes it mad that the broad consensus of the people in power is that we need to undo all this.
I love this aria, but I always think of that poor singer that (when the opera is staged) has to sing this (definitely not easy) aria and then does nothing for the rest of the opera.
alfredo kraus,il picciol legno ascendi,(guglielmo tell)
YouTube video by Giovanni Miranda
www.youtube.com
November 25, 2025 at 7:40 AM
I love this aria, but I always think of that poor singer that (when the opera is staged) has to sing this (definitely not easy) aria and then does nothing for the rest of the opera.
The next step will be the British government looking at the Tokugawa shogunate and going: "That's a nice immigration policy you have there"
November 25, 2025 at 7:26 AM
The next step will be the British government looking at the Tokugawa shogunate and going: "That's a nice immigration policy you have there"
If only the British political and media class used the extraordinary amount of energy they spend demonising immigrants, trans people, disabled people, benefit recipients, etc. to actually improve the living conditions of people living in Britain!
November 25, 2025 at 7:06 AM
If only the British political and media class used the extraordinary amount of energy they spend demonising immigrants, trans people, disabled people, benefit recipients, etc. to actually improve the living conditions of people living in Britain!
British politics, 2016-present:
Just utter imbeciles pulling out every cable that holds together the modern world in a desperate hunt for immigrants
November 25, 2025 at 6:58 AM
British politics, 2016-present:
I keep thinking about the fact that while my personal life is now at its best point in (at least) 5 years, British politics is a bin fire, with the political and media class giving us a constant stream or horrific stuff, like this from Philips.
Trevor Philips in the Times, calling for a Trump/Miller-style of random deportations based on skin colour.
archive.ph/RlXPj
archive.ph/RlXPj
November 25, 2025 at 6:34 AM
I keep thinking about the fact that while my personal life is now at its best point in (at least) 5 years, British politics is a bin fire, with the political and media class giving us a constant stream or horrific stuff, like this from Philips.
I have watched Eddie Izzard's show Dress to Kill many times and every time it makes me laugh so much. A perfect stand up show.
November 24, 2025 at 10:09 PM
I have watched Eddie Izzard's show Dress to Kill many times and every time it makes me laugh so much. A perfect stand up show.
Evil, inhumane stuff.
At least 160,000 people have been granted refugee status over the past five years. It now seems they are intended to be caught by the Government’s plans to make refugees wait up to 20 years for settlement - even for those just months away from ILR
www.thetimes.com/article/6f83...
www.thetimes.com/article/6f83...
November 24, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Evil, inhumane stuff.
The mining pits have closed 40 years ago, but Lord Glasman and his companions in Blue Labour are still hoping that if they only bankrupt enough universities and stop working-class people getting higher education, they will be able to force them down the pits again.
November 24, 2025 at 10:40 AM
The mining pits have closed 40 years ago, but Lord Glasman and his companions in Blue Labour are still hoping that if they only bankrupt enough universities and stop working-class people getting higher education, they will be able to force them down the pits again.
Under the Tories we could at least entertain the foolish hope that things could get better under the next government. Now that Labour have decided to double down on xenophobia (and other damaging policies, see universities) that hope is gone, and if Reform gets in they will be even worse. Fun times.
November 24, 2025 at 8:33 AM
Under the Tories we could at least entertain the foolish hope that things could get better under the next government. Now that Labour have decided to double down on xenophobia (and other damaging policies, see universities) that hope is gone, and if Reform gets in they will be even worse. Fun times.
That "disciogliea" 😍❤️
FRANCO CORELLI SINGS AGAIN PUCCINI TOSCA " E LUCEVAN LE STELLE" LIVE 1955 RARE
YouTube video by Jorge Liebermann
www.youtube.com
November 24, 2025 at 7:54 AM
That "disciogliea" 😍❤️
Reposted by Sir Almaviva
