David Foster
@jckspk.bsky.social
Grandfather, pedestrian … but that’s enough about me ….
It has happened slowly, but military service has largely become 'someone else's problem' since 1989. A number of factors have contributed to this, including inexorable shrinkage in force numbers, but the hardest to recover from will be the loss of widespread family experiences of military duty.
December 20, 2025 at 5:27 PM
It has happened slowly, but military service has largely become 'someone else's problem' since 1989. A number of factors have contributed to this, including inexorable shrinkage in force numbers, but the hardest to recover from will be the loss of widespread family experiences of military duty.
I want to see it through, as quickly as humanly possible.
December 20, 2025 at 2:45 PM
I want to see it through, as quickly as humanly possible.
And they don't even know what 'Quisling' means.
December 19, 2025 at 6:45 PM
And they don't even know what 'Quisling' means.
Really pleased that @jonnelledge.bsky.social highlighted Vasily Grossman's 'Life and Fate'. A masterful and readable work that doesn't get enough attention; from a writer who lived through the events portrayed. In many ways it feels like a worthy complement to 'War and Peace'.
December 19, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Really pleased that @jonnelledge.bsky.social highlighted Vasily Grossman's 'Life and Fate'. A masterful and readable work that doesn't get enough attention; from a writer who lived through the events portrayed. In many ways it feels like a worthy complement to 'War and Peace'.
It's quite frustrating that the thinking seems so detached from both history and the current reality. I want to see cooperation, cohesion and common sense in the pursuit of a 'centre left' programme - facing outwards at the real world. That's where the political fight will be won or lost.
December 19, 2025 at 8:35 AM
It's quite frustrating that the thinking seems so detached from both history and the current reality. I want to see cooperation, cohesion and common sense in the pursuit of a 'centre left' programme - facing outwards at the real world. That's where the political fight will be won or lost.
But would have been more helpful to us laypersons with fewer acronyms; precision of terms gets in the way of communication sometimes. A general observation on specialist posts.
December 17, 2025 at 1:17 PM
But would have been more helpful to us laypersons with fewer acronyms; precision of terms gets in the way of communication sometimes. A general observation on specialist posts.
Do you know why the PM and SoS are taking this line? It confuses the heck out of me. Is it just a short term focus on NHS trust budgets? Is the budget structure itself at the root of this?
December 17, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Do you know why the PM and SoS are taking this line? It confuses the heck out of me. Is it just a short term focus on NHS trust budgets? Is the budget structure itself at the root of this?
Fantasy that is historically illiterate and ignorant. Insultingly so.
December 17, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Fantasy that is historically illiterate and ignorant. Insultingly so.
Like so much, the root of this ignorance is exceptionalism. A more common experience globally is still routine insecurity and personal threat of violence. Of course it can happen here, to everyone, without much warning or escape.
December 17, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Like so much, the root of this ignorance is exceptionalism. A more common experience globally is still routine insecurity and personal threat of violence. Of course it can happen here, to everyone, without much warning or escape.
Sadly, the ignorance is profound. A good start for modern education would be 'East West Street' Philippe Sands; also, I think 'Nuremberg' the contemporary movie by James Vanderbilt is powerful on the "banality of evil" and impoverishment of individual souls.
December 17, 2025 at 8:45 AM
Sadly, the ignorance is profound. A good start for modern education would be 'East West Street' Philippe Sands; also, I think 'Nuremberg' the contemporary movie by James Vanderbilt is powerful on the "banality of evil" and impoverishment of individual souls.
It will not be read widely....
December 16, 2025 at 5:22 PM
It will not be read widely....
My wife Who Is Fluent (see what I did there) suppresses a laugh Every Damn Time I try to speak French. I can usually put some words together that are understood - but it's not French.
December 16, 2025 at 12:33 PM
My wife Who Is Fluent (see what I did there) suppresses a laugh Every Damn Time I try to speak French. I can usually put some words together that are understood - but it's not French.
"detested by everyone except a few Bluesky clowndorks" may accurately convey your frustration, but doesn't seem to be an accurate judgement. Speaking as a Bluesky clowndork.
December 16, 2025 at 10:08 AM
"detested by everyone except a few Bluesky clowndorks" may accurately convey your frustration, but doesn't seem to be an accurate judgement. Speaking as a Bluesky clowndork.
Oh, I know what they are doing, as do they, but it is their cruelty and immorality which needs calling out even more than his - he's lost.
December 15, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Oh, I know what they are doing, as do they, but it is their cruelty and immorality which needs calling out even more than his - he's lost.
He's also clearly very unwell and needs help. I blame his enablers for not acting responsibly.
December 15, 2025 at 9:36 PM
He's also clearly very unwell and needs help. I blame his enablers for not acting responsibly.
I suspect it's not true of any group of mates, which is probably a good thing. Mateship can lead to groupthink very easily.
December 15, 2025 at 7:32 PM
I suspect it's not true of any group of mates, which is probably a good thing. Mateship can lead to groupthink very easily.
I suspect a lot of people my age, who grew up with not much 'stuff' and then were bombarded with advertising and examples equating accumulation with virtue, are deeply conditioned to buy and need help breaking out. It took me a lot of reflection and effort to change my own unconscious behaviour.
December 15, 2025 at 12:14 PM
I suspect a lot of people my age, who grew up with not much 'stuff' and then were bombarded with advertising and examples equating accumulation with virtue, are deeply conditioned to buy and need help breaking out. It took me a lot of reflection and effort to change my own unconscious behaviour.
"Getting Shouted At factory" - wonderfully coined. 👏
December 15, 2025 at 11:26 AM
"Getting Shouted At factory" - wonderfully coined. 👏
I think it is a simple as: racists don't have any arguments that stand up to the slightest scrutiny, just uninformed and unintelligent prejudices. Or, racists are wrong.
December 15, 2025 at 11:05 AM
I think it is a simple as: racists don't have any arguments that stand up to the slightest scrutiny, just uninformed and unintelligent prejudices. Or, racists are wrong.
It's been a gradual shift in our family. For myself I prefer a card showing a friend has made a donation on my behalf. The grandchildren draw things for me; my children get random gifts of books I would like to read - and vice versa. I like to treat birthdays as the occasion for presents for adults.
December 15, 2025 at 10:56 AM
It's been a gradual shift in our family. For myself I prefer a card showing a friend has made a donation on my behalf. The grandchildren draw things for me; my children get random gifts of books I would like to read - and vice versa. I like to treat birthdays as the occasion for presents for adults.
Surely you should take the credit?
December 15, 2025 at 10:47 AM
Surely you should take the credit?
So her fiction load goes up in the winter: cold indoors, warm outdoors. That works for me.
December 14, 2025 at 8:15 AM
So her fiction load goes up in the winter: cold indoors, warm outdoors. That works for me.