Ian Martin

Ian Martin

@ianmartin.bsky.social

The Thick of It. The Death of Stalin. Veep. The Hartlepool Spy. Epic Space. Broken English. Avenue 5. Unhinged, and other books. Guardian, Architects' Journal, iPaper, Observer, whatever. Grandpa. STATE PENSIONER.

16.3K followers1.1K following8.6K posts

Ian Martin
@ianmartin.bsky.social

Saw something about how there are loads of rightwingers in favour of free movement who don't seem to realise that'll mean EU citizens living and working here and I'm not sure they mind. The racism that's now apparently mainstream and acceptable abhors Muslims and anyone with the wrong skin colour.

Ian Martin
@ianmartin.bsky.social

As I never tire of saying, my East End Grandad was a racist in the 1950s when it was unremarkable. White men like him hated black and brown people and Jews. When my Nanna came in from shopping he'd ask her if the conductor was black, in which case she's had to wash her hands. Now I'm a grandfather,

Ian Martin
@ianmartin.bsky.social

and it seems all this wrong skin tone fuckery is not only back, but tolerated. I'm glad I didn't for a moment foresee this happening when I was growing up, at a time when we all thought things would just get better, and less fucking stupid. Utterly depressing. What next, should we bring back polio?

Ian Martin reposted

Guy De Launey
@guydelauney.bsky.social

Ćalciland this morning. That's the former goon squad camp in front of the National Assembly in Belgrade. Masked men in black arrived at 7.30pm last night - then legged it when Vučić conceded. The Student List supporters cleared out the camp. For the first time in 18 months, it's safe to walk here.

Ian Martin reposted

Ian Martin
@ianmartin.bsky.social

1. Could you please just fucking hold the cold blobbing for a day or two, we've got Storm Boelo all FUCKING weekend, cheers. 2. They should start naming crises. Power Cut Caroline. Water Off Derek. Outage Penelope.

New Scientist@newscientist.com

A mysterious "cold blob" that has appeared off the coast of Greenland may be a warning sign that the AMOC is weakening, with potentially devastating consequences. Watch our video explainer now.

m.youtube.comThe Climate Disaster That May Have Already Begun

Ian Martin reposted

Michael Lobel
@mlobelart.bsky.social

Replying to @mlobelart.bsky.social

A reminder that James Baldwin and Richard Avedon were high school friends who worked together on their school's literary magazine and then collaborated on a 1964 book, Nothing Personal, with text by Baldwin & photos by Avedon

Ian Martin reposted

Sanjeev Kohli
@govindajeggy.bsky.social

“Ain’t no party like an S Club party”. BOLLOCKS. I went to a B*Witched party & it was EXACTLY the same as an S Club party. Same caterers. SAME MAGICIAN

Ian Martin reposted

Toby Miller
@tobytram.bsky.social

Posted about this a few years ago (last time I was in this tin chapel), but there’s a fascinating beauty in how the stained glass - Victorian colour transfers laid across the windows - deteriorate. A style of William Basinski / Bill Morrison erosion.

Toby Miller@tobytram.bsky.social

Despite the sign being left inside the tin tabernacle chapel was open. Purchased 100 years ago from a manufacturer in Euston; built over six months, in a spot that had known worship for 400 years. It was always reminds me - all the flat pack wood and echoes - of the ice skating rink in Heaven Gate

Ian Martin
@ianmartin.bsky.social

1. Could you please just fucking hold the cold blobbing for a day or two, we've got Storm Boelo all FUCKING weekend, cheers. 2. They should start naming crises. Power Cut Caroline. Water Off Derek. Outage Penelope.

New Scientist@newscientist.com

A mysterious "cold blob" that has appeared off the coast of Greenland may be a warning sign that the AMOC is weakening, with potentially devastating consequences. Watch our video explainer now.

m.youtube.comThe Climate Disaster That May Have Already Begun
Ian Martin
@ianmartin.bsky.social

Fucking HELL, Moose. ❤️

MꙬse Allain@mooseallain.bsky.social

Things I saw from the train: A field folded in two Water organised in lines Two farmers kissing A kissing gate The wind fighting everything Broken fields stitched together with power lines Crows tumbling through gaps in the air An archdeacon dithering A sad ghost (reflection?)

Ian Martin
@ianmartin.bsky.social

Ha ha, let's hope this doesn't find the fash conflicted. Perhaps the RBL will be added to their hate list along with the RNLI. Perhaps in due course everything with a 'Royal' prefix will be deemed traitorous.

Kevin Marks@kevinmarks.com

Anyone going on BBC this month should order one of these beforehand and let them sweat www.poppyshop.org.uk/products/pri...

poppyshop.org.ukRBL Pride Poppy BadgeAll profits from the Royal British Legion Pride Poppy Badge will go towards the Royal British Legion's work in supporting the Armed Forces community.

Ian Martin reposted

Andy Gait
@andygait.bsky.social

Replying to @ianmartin.bsky.social

So much great stuff you just happen to catch. Without it I would never have known Paul Temple, The Toff, Roger West etc. I would've never heard June Whitfield's excellent Marple. #SaveR4Extra

Ian Martin
@ianmartin.bsky.social

Yeah, no point in having soft power and keeping it in the attic.

Ed Hawk@edhawk74.bsky.social

Great shame that BBC Sounds is no longer accessible outside the UK. I would have loved to hear this.

Ian Martin
@ianmartin.bsky.social

#SaveR4Extra It's the serendipity, stupid. On this morning: not only James Naughtie mediating a conversation between Martin Amis and readers of London Fields, but preceding it a programme I remember looking forward to very much in 1989: Kingsley Amis and Martin, chatting amiably about...stuff.

Ian Martin
@ianmartin.bsky.social

That is such a brilliant photograph. Anti-Christ Liberace.

The Observer@theobserveruk.bsky.social

Trump has a macho man fixation. Is it time to Make America Gay Again? The president says studying the male form is ‘not my thing’, but can’t seem to stop commenting on every chiselled ab or toned bottom he sees ✍️ Evan Moffitt https://bit.ly/4z50mcR

bit.lyTrump has a macho man fixation. Is it time to Make Americ...The president says studying the male form is ‘not my thing’, but can’t seem to stop commenting on every chiselled ab or toned bottom he sees
Ian Martin
@ianmartin.bsky.social

Massive shout out to Queen Square Practice and the Royal Infirmary, both in Lancaster, for their determination to find out why I can no longer get upstairs in one go, however slowly. Stupid or fugitive blood, we don't know yet. Getting transfusions, infusions and closer to home, various amusions.

Ian Martin reposted

Simon Lucy
@lusaimon.com

Replying to @ianmartin.bsky.social

The major thing that will be lost is curation, along with the context provided by continuity and the sense of shared time which is the character of broadcasting. The current management are only interested in content and its cost/value. They aren't at all interested in the 5 Reithian purposes.

Ian Martin reposted

Charlotte Lydia Riley
@lottelydia.bsky.social

University of Nottingham, right now, is cutting 560 jobs. Do we need to rebrand universities as very large, very clean, land-based oil rigs to get government support?

Leo Hickman@leohickman.carbonbrief.org

From the govt's press release: "The developer estimates that Jackdaw will create 27 new direct jobs and safeguard 273 existing jobs that would otherwise be lost." Odd that so much is made about this being good for jobs. Your nearest out-of-town supermarket likely generates more jobs.

Ian Martin reposted

Anna H
@athenepallas.bsky.social

Microsoft CoPirate

KetAnthropic JoshAI@ketanjoshi.co

The first genuinely honest ad for generative AI I've ever seen, from Microsoft / CoPilot A mediocre white guy sees his non-white colleague getting praised for good work, he asks AI to *literally copy it*, and then he gets all the praise instead: www.ispot.tv/ad/SoDi/micr...

Ian Martin reposted

Brian Groom
@groomb.bsky.social

Tyne Pride at Wallsend, 1976, photo by Chris Killip. Biggest ship ever built on the Tyne, but also one of the last.

Ian Martin reposted

Kate Devlin
@drkatedevlin.bsky.social

It is when I watch the day begin from the train and the clouds are gone and the sun is bright and my mood lifts, my mind is bright, and my entire body reacts with physical relief that I realise I'm about as sophisticated as a plant.

Ian Martin reposted

Duille
@duille.com

Interior detail: Union Carbide buiding. SOM. 1960. Photo: Ezra Stoller. 1960.