Paul Cowling
@picowlo.bsky.social
710 followers 790 following 1.4K posts
Far from the madding crowds... Politics, society, culture and stuff. Views from the shores of the Baltic
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picowlo.bsky.social
What this site needs is more posts on wooden boatbuilding...... 😉 #clinkerboat #Boat #boatbuilding #sailing
View of a traditional wooden Vänersnipa looking along the boat. Two tradional boats, a Vänersnipa and a Gotlänskt Tvåmänning sailing with spritsail rig and topsails A wooden boat in the workshop with mast, poles and oars laid in
picowlo.bsky.social
She was probably dating his AI at the same time. 🙃
Reposted by Paul Cowling
olaspannar.bsky.social
Med dagens mätning från SVT/Verian skulle rödgröna få egen majoritet. Tidöpartierna har backat netto 21 mandat sedan förra valet. Avståndet till oppositionen ökar igen. Sverige har en djupt impopulär regering

www.svt.se/special/valj...
Grafik över mandaten i riksdagen fördelade efter dagens mätning från SVT/Verian
Reposted by Paul Cowling
sturdyalex.bsky.social
Imagine being the UK diplomat having to respond to these "concerns" about how intel is handled, knowing that on the other side the people in charge are Kash Patel, Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Hegseth, and Donald Trump.
White House anger over UK spy case fiasco
US warns of damage to shared intelligence
Caroline Wheeler Political Editor
George Grylls
Washington Correspondent
Gabriel Pogrund Whitehall Editor
The White House has warned Sir Keir Starmer that the failure to prosecute two alleged Chinese spies risks undermining the special relationship and could threaten intelligence-sharing between Brit ain and the US.
President Trump is understood to be concerned about the UK's reliability after charges against two Britons accused of spying for Bei jing were dropped. The case against Chris Cash, 30, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, 33, an aca demic, collapsed last month after the government failed to provide evidence that China was a threat to national security.
A senior Trump administration official said: "The United States has been warning allies about the Chi nese threat to our combined national security since Preside Trump first came into office in 2017. The US government exercises mation with foreign governments subject to adversarial coercion and influence. We are especially
careful in jurisdictions where our adversaries can act with impunity." Senior Republicans insisted that
the prosecution go ahead. John Moolenaar, chairman of the House of Representatives' China commit tee, said: "As a target of [Chinese state) espionage, it is my hope that the UK government will not allow this case to falter and will take the steps necessary to ensure a clear message is sent and proper justice is served."
Trump's administration has pre viously warned against allowing a Chinese mega-embassy to be built near London financial centres. The American president is understood to have raised the matter person ally with Starmer.
While the prime minister is sof tening Britain's position on China, Trump reignited his trade war with Beijing on Friday, raising tariffs to 130 per cent after China blocked the export of critical minerals used in the defence and tech industries.
picowlo.bsky.social
Removing gas from domestic heating should be an important piece in climate based energy policy.
janrosenow.bsky.social
NEW ANALYSIS: More than 80% of UK social housing still relies on gas boilers keeping bills exposed to international gas markets and climate targets out of reach.

I’ve explored how other European countries are tackling this at scale, and what the UK can learn.

www.sureserve.co.uk/news-and-pro...
Phasing out gas in European social housing - what the UK can learn
www.sureserve.co.uk
Reposted by Paul Cowling
sino-charleston.bsky.social
In the end, they always fall! #silenceisnotanoption #sino_charleston
Reposted by Paul Cowling
watchyourrepssc.bsky.social
Books aren’t banned to protect people—they’re banned to protect power. Censors fear empathy, truth, and change. So read what they forbid, share what they fear, and educate yourself with the stories they tried to erase. Knowledge is rebellion. #BannedBooksWeek
picowlo.bsky.social
Proud Mary... Tina Turner and Creedence Clearwater Revival.👍
picowlo.bsky.social
In a normal world when a crime is committed law enforcement agencies work to find out whodunit. Starting out with a suspect and looking for what crime you can pin on them is in no form just.
Reposted by Paul Cowling
boelbrynedal.bsky.social
Svenska folket vill ha en annan politik. Ge oss upprustade tågbanor, satsningar på klimatet, stark välfärd och tilltro till mänskliga rättigheter.
picowlo.bsky.social
In a case like this it's surprising that Soros doesn't sue for slander.
picowlo.bsky.social
Although, as they say, "one bad apple spoils the barrel"
picowlo.bsky.social
Disappointing that reporting on this overshadows her achievements with references to Trump.
Not everything revolves around the vanity of the US President.
picowlo.bsky.social
Say this more and say it louder
greenparty.org.uk
“You can’t blame austerity on one hand, but then say it’s the immigrants. The immigrants haven’t caused austerity.”

Zack Polanski takes on Reform’s Zia Yusuf over spreading of misinformation on #BBCQT
Reposted by Paul Cowling
skolinkvisition.bsky.social
Forskare vid Institutet för näringslivsforskning har skrivit artikel om att dagens skolsystem inte fungerar. Istället för konkurrens som gynnar alla har vi fått cream-skimming, segregation, lobbyism, expanderande koncerner och marknadsföringsbrus.
tankesmedjanbalans.se/naringslivsf...
Reposted by Paul Cowling
brenttoderian.bsky.social
“In London cyclists now outnumber cars in the City by 2 to 1. Paris, where they now outnumber motorists across the whole city, is catching up with Europe’s traditional bike capitals, Amsterdam & Copenhagen…In Copenhagen, bikes account for almost half of commuter trips to work/school.” @economist.com
Forget EVs. Cycling is revolutionising transport
Pedal power is booming, spinning up a new culture war
www.economist.com
picowlo.bsky.social
Maybe disbar people from being directors if they can't abide by minimum wage legislation?
Reposted by Paul Cowling
motherjones.com
Masked agents snatching people at work, church, their child’s daycare. A return of family separations. States are lining up to run their own detention centers.

Anti-immigrant animus is now being paired with unprecedented funding, manpower, and technology.

We report from inside the American gulag.
American Gulag
The brutal rollout of Trump's police state.
www.motherjones.com
picowlo.bsky.social
Pity the kids that get picked up from school by that...
Reposted by Paul Cowling
getprdone.bsky.social
With five parties on double digits, the first-past-the-post voting system makes a complete mockery of any semblance of a fair elections.

It’s way past-time to make seats match votes and GET PR DONE
Graphic via @joshhousden.bsky.social
#getPRdone
#MakeSeatsMatchVotes
#ProportionalRepresentation
picowlo.bsky.social
While Swedish citizens are unlawfully detained by Israel the Swedish Prime Minister strikes a blow for cinnamon bun day...
emmapersson.bsky.social
Kristersson samtidigt som svenska medborgare är olagligt frihetsberövade av Israel och torteras:
Reposted by Paul Cowling
andygjburge.bsky.social
Today is the 89th anniversary of The Battle of Cable Street when the people of the East End of London halted the march of Oswald Mosley’s Blackshirts through Stepney. Never has there been a more important time to remember this and other heroic events of Autumn 1936

historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/Hi...
Reposted by Paul Cowling
picowlo.bsky.social
No amount of playing the system will compensate for a 30% of the vote party getting 50 times the number of seats of a 10% party.
Electoral reform is long overdue