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Mark

@worgztheowl.bsky.social

1.2K followers 2K following 12K posts

Recovering showbiz hack. Now in pictures/video. Up for LaserQuest with Andy C.

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Mark @worgztheowl.bsky.social · Feb 15

After JD Vance disgraced himself, and the British Trumpists did the same. Feels like a good moment to reshare this Substack on how MAGA can create a new progressive British patriotism.
substack.com/home/post/p-...

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Mark @worgztheowl.bsky.social · 3h

It is a bit like Corbyn's prospectus in 2017 and 2019. In 2017 I would argue was quite hopelessly optimistic and economically illiterate but had costings that you could imagine working if shared assumptions. 2019, yeah throw shit at a wall and not so much.

Mark @worgztheowl.bsky.social · 3h

The Liz Truss problem was ambition and sequencing. I.e. you can't do massive tax cuts or spending increases in Britain without explaining how to pay for it. She did but highly implausibly after the fact. Badenoch just seems to not be bothering.

Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 5h

I’m gonna defend Liz Truss, because I like to be blocked by two or so people every day, and say that her plans were 100 times more reasonable than these, in that she thought she would have enough time to bounce Tory MPs into backing spending cuts. Much less daft than anything Badenoch has said.

Chairman Moët @chairmanmoet.bsky.social · 6h

There's a touch of the Liz Truss about Kemi Badenoch. Both in the tax cut paid for by fantasy figures and also a belief there's This One Special Trick The British State Doesn't Want You To Know About! that will somehow solve everything.
Be rude to some civil servants and the UK's problems vanish!

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Mark @worgztheowl.bsky.social · 4h

Robert Jenrick thinks Black Grape is a variety of wine.

Mark @worgztheowl.bsky.social · 5h

Yes. And people like to feel are opting in. Could make e.g. fraud reporting much easier too.

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Mark @worgztheowl.bsky.social · 5h

I always think the mistake governments make with 'ID cards' is selling them as ID cards rather than just doing it as convenience thing, getting enough people to take up then going "oh this is mandatory from next year btw"

Disappointed Optimist @disappoptimism.bsky.social · 5h

I reckon I could call up 6/10 people who are against ID cards and get them to tell me their mothers maiden name and date of birth over the phone for free

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Dave Jorgenson @davejorgenson.bsky.social · 9h

The Post laid off seemingly the remaining of their liberal-leaning staff members on Opinion last Thursday, when some of them were observing Yom Kippur.

from @oliverdarcy.bsky.social for Status
status.news/p/washington-post-opinion-cuts-adam-oneal

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Joel @itsjoels.bsky.social · 10h

The arts are worthless, I see. Well, try watching telly, listening to the radio or to podcasts, wearing clothes, reading books, decorating your homes, dancing to music, driving a nice car or in fact doing anything fun, without the arts. Besides from animals, there would be no joy anywhere.

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Surrey Cricket @kiaoval.com · 9h

Historic moment for the club. 🪶

Last week, former Surrey and England player Molly Hide became the first woman to have a portrait displayed in the Kia Oval Long Room.

🤎| #SurreyCricket

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Mark @worgztheowl.bsky.social · 9h

Anyone fancy a pint?

Mark @worgztheowl.bsky.social · 9h

Consensus in the office - which is far from a hive of bleeding heart leftism - is that Jenrick is a "racist fuckwit".

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Sardonicus @sardonicus.eu · 11h

two women wearing shirts that read USA drinking team, they are smoking and holding a bottle

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Andrew R @excelpope.net · 9h

See yer da’s got a new car.

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Mark @worgztheowl.bsky.social · 9h

Frenchest terrorism ever.

AFP News Agency @en.afp.com · 10h

A French onion delivery made eyes water more than usual when Dutch authorities discovered two hand grenades hidden among the vegetables, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said on Wednesday ➡️ u.afp.com/Smme

File photo shows organic onions in Plouescat, western France, on September 9, 2014

Mark @worgztheowl.bsky.social · 10h

Bloomin' 'eck. Shakin' Stevens has been on the pies.

Javier Millei's Stars In Their Eyes performance of Behind the Green Door flopped with the audience.

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Richard Herring @herring1967.bsky.social · 10h

Also, why does he look like someone who has been artifically aged with make-up for a student production?

The Verge @theverge.com · May 26

Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry

Paul McCartne, Elton John and others signed an open letter.

buff.ly

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Mark @worgztheowl.bsky.social · 10h

There's some truth to that, but importantly, don't have the Brexit and austerity radicalisation ratchet that's "We got what we wanted and it didn't work, why?".

Whereas the centre-left is a case of being constrained by circumstances into policies that aren't what would pursue in an ideal world.

Mark @worgztheowl.bsky.social · 11h

"Says here I've got a delivery here for your missus, would you like to sign for it or should she?"

Meanwhile in Ukraine @meanwhileua.bsky.social · 11h

Meanwhile, on the border with the United States.

P.S. Are camouflaged Tomahawks already on their way to Ukraine?

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Sharon O'Dea @sharonodea.com · 12h

Kemi complains about Labour's magic money tree on spending then less than a minute later makes three pledges to cut taxes without explaining how it'll be paid for.

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Mark @worgztheowl.bsky.social · 11h

Boiled down her argument could be paraphrased as:

"Britain's Conservative government didn't build enough nuclear power because everyone was busy banging on about gender. Vote for me, a Conservative who loves banging on about gender!"

Mark @worgztheowl.bsky.social · 11h

Apart from anything else and not the point I know.

BUT WHO WAS IN GOVERNMENT WHEN THESE REACTORS WEREN'T BEING BUILT?!?!?!?!

Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 11h

Badenoch: "While Britain was redefining what a woman is, China built five nuclear reactors."

A perfect summary of conservative idiocy. Glorifying authoritarian post-communism for its efficiency while vilifying democracy for seeking nuance and respect.

It is the Right who hate their own countries.

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JWexTheSpa @jwsidders.bsky.social · 12h

The poisonous Robert Jenrick absolutely and inarguably nailed by @stephenkb.bsky.social. Shame on all those inside the Tory party and beyond who make excuses for his race-baiting.

Good morning. The big story of the final days of Conservative party conference has been provided by Robert Jenrick, who complained of not seeing a single white face while spending an hour and a half in Birmingham.

ep.ft.com

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Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 11h

Once again, I am asking where on earth the Short money *goes* and what they are spending it on. They are not doing meaningful parliamentary scrutiny. They are somehow less credible, spending-wise, than Reform, who are are a shoestring operation!

Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 12h

Good to see the Conservative Party committed to keeping the deficit down by *checks notes* spending £2 billion giving tax breaks for private education, creating a massive new deportation force and pledging to maintain pensioner benefits.

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Mark @worgztheowl.bsky.social · 11h

The women's Cricket World Cup is getting very interesting given how the 'weaker' sides are giving the favourites a scare.

Soz, that's not meant to be patronising. All international cricket has an issue with its haves and have-nots, which is sometimes magnified in the women's game due to funding.

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Paul Frame @paulframe85.bsky.social · 12h

And voters complained to the PM that being seen as soon as possible was bad youtu.be/Obrs1kTi9LE?...

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Mark @worgztheowl.bsky.social · 12h

It's related to her intellectual laziness, no? Like both Thatcher and Blair had little time for their opponents due to having extensively thought about philosophically why they thought their ideas were badly wrong. Badenoch it's very much a York Notes "Why Labour is bad according to Tories".