Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Paul Cowling @picowlo.bsky.social · Nov 12

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

8 4 73

Paul Cowling @picowlo.bsky.social · 14h

Pity the kids that get picked up from school by that...

Reposted by Paul Cowling

Get PR Done! @getprdone.bsky.social · 1d

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

19 20

Reposted by Paul Cowling

Not That Doctor @notthatdoctor.bsky.social · 3d

Patrick Stewart sketch: what has the ECHR ever done for us?

YouTube video by The Guardian

youtu.be

9 13

Paul Cowling @picowlo.bsky.social · 3d

While Swedish citizens are unlawfully detained by Israel the Swedish Prime Minister strikes a blow for cinnamon bun day...

Emma Persson @emmapersson.bsky.social · 4d

Kristersson samtidigt som svenska medborgare är olagligt frihetsberövade av Israel och torteras:

7 13

Reposted by Paul Cowling

Andy Burge 🇬🇧🇪🇺 @andygjburge.bsky.social · 4d

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...

14 25

Paul Cowling @picowlo.bsky.social · 4d

Greens. 9.9%?

Reposted by Paul Cowling

Mike Galsworthy @mikegalsworthy.bsky.social · 4d

History repeats.

280 5.6K 12K

Paul Cowling @picowlo.bsky.social · 4d

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

1 1

Paul Cowling @picowlo.bsky.social · 4d

The imbalance between vote share and seat counts really is shocking

Reposted by Paul Cowling

Machine Pun Kelly @kellyscaletta.bsky.social · 5d

Somewhere in America, a young Hispanic girl is hiding in an attic writing a diary.

310 3.6K 11K

Paul Cowling @picowlo.bsky.social · 4d

That looks like an interesting boat. Not your average plastic kayak. What is it?
(Today's a day off from building a sailing canoe 😀)

Paul Cowling @picowlo.bsky.social · 4d

Gaza needs a sea bound version of the Berlin airlift

Reposted by Paul Cowling

Jason Hickel @jasonhickel.bsky.social · 5d

Full solidarity with the flotilla, which represents the very best of humanity.

And eternal shame to the European states who refused to protect it from Israeli assault and establish a corridor for aid to Gaza.

1 93 380

Reposted by Paul Cowling

stefandraschan.bsky.social @stefandraschan.bsky.social · Jun 27

#climatecrisis #mercedesbenz #berlin 2025

9 16

Reposted by Paul Cowling

Bob @bobbobalina.bsky.social · 5d

"I am sick and tired of watching people with decent, compassionate values constantly be told to accommodate the views of people who lack decency or compassion...."

Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 5d

The politics of drawing a moral line: When we need to call out racism for what it is open.substack.com/pub/iandunt/...

The politics of drawing a moral line

The politics of drawing a moral line.

open.substack.com

4 55 250

Paul Cowling @picowlo.bsky.social · 6d

Ads are created by advertisers to appeal to their target audience - the people they think will buy their product.
It's up to them who they have in them - even tin plate aliens if they want. 😉
youtu.be/TBRCZLzn5pM?...

Classic Cadburys smash 1970's t.v advert

YouTube video by tommymobile1

youtu.be

Reposted by Paul Cowling

Marcus Chown @marcuschown.bsky.social · 6d

When will Labour get it through its thick skull:

YOU WILL NEVER OUT-FARAGE FARAGE

Zoe Gardner @zoejardiniere.bsky.social · 6d

People recognised as refugees fleeing persecution & granted the right to live in the UK to be denied the right to be joined safely by their spouse & children.

This Labour govt is a moral void, a stinking darkness, an empty hollow of cowardice & contempt. #r4today www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Starmer to end asylum ‘golden ticket’ of resettlement and family reunion rights

People granted asylum will have to earn right to invite family in plan charities call ‘straight from populist playbook’

www.theguardian.com

4 30 91

Reposted by Paul Cowling

chiller @thechiller.bsky.social · 10d

When the Greens are your enemy, you've f'ed up. Guess what, people want a progressive, green, inclusive country.

Not a party that thinks we're an "island of strangers", racism is a "valid concern", trans kids are too dangerous to exist, and the north sea should be drill, baby, drill.

LabourList @labourlist.bsky.social · 10d

Our event ‘Turning the rising Green tide’ in partnership with Hold Fast Labour is starting now in Meeting Room 11a ACC!

Featuring @_karin_c, @johnmcternan, @BellaSankey, @ThangamDebb, and @Scarlett__Mag of @StrategyMerlin.

3 24 70

Reposted by Paul Cowling

Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 11d

“Trump’s U.N. speech was a textbook example of what’s come to be known in science communication circles as the ‘gish gallop,’ wherein anti-science promoters attempt to overwhelm you with a fire hose of plausible-sounding but fundamentally false claims and talking points.” — @michaelemann.bsky.social

I’m a climate scientist. Trump’s U.N. address is a fire hose of misinformation

OPINION: “What Trump is really doing is advancing a plan laid down years ago by plutocrats and polluters. And making a mockery of our country as he does so,” Michael E. Mann writes.

www.sfchronicle.com

13 120 290

Paul Cowling @picowlo.bsky.social · 12d

... detta, och klimat. 🙂

Reposted by Paul Cowling

Eoghan Daltun 🌍 @irishrainforest.bsky.social · 12d

I spent the afternoon in the woods, in a haze of peace and loveliness. Then came home and heard on the news an Irish doctor working in Gaza describe the clearly systematic, mass targeting of Palestinian children by Israeli snipers.

It's just crazy making. How can such pure evil exist in the world?

4 29 140

Reposted by Paul Cowling

Oz Katerji @ozkaterji.bsky.social · 12d

Kind of feels like a big deal that a Reform/Brexit Party former MEP has been convicted of taking bribes to promote Russian interests in Ukraine, and it feels like a bigger deal that this isn’t being treated as the major scandal that it clearly is.

54 820 2K

Paul Cowling @picowlo.bsky.social · 14d

So that's why they have that big red button 'for energency use only'.

Paul Cowling @picowlo.bsky.social · 14d

Here's one for Professor Arronax

Rebecca R Helm @rebeccarhelm.bsky.social · 14d

I get that the news cycle is packed right now, but I just heard from a colleague at the Smithsonian that this is fully a GIANT SQUID BEING EATEN BY A SPERM WHALE and it’s possibly the first ever confirmed video according to a friend at NOAA

10 YEAR OLD ME IS LOSING HER MIND (a thread 🧵)

Paul Cowling @picowlo.bsky.social · 15d

A big win for the environment if millions of people are opting not to fly 👍