iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 7h

Me, on hearing Ronaldo will probably never play for Portugal again.

Reporter in the Simpsons asking Krusty “but why now? why not 20 years ago?”, but adjusted to 5 years.

John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

If you’re thinking, there’s no way that the people of rural Ireland will be so easily fooled by the “sound billionaire” act, I’m afraid there are multiple precedents that suggest otherwise.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Ancient Greek and Roman history should come with government health warnings: “Enjoy in moderation; not to be consumed in absence of thought or context; not suitable for idiots”, etc.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

A ‘cultural Roman’ is a man who has watched so many AI-generated YouTube shorts in that robotic narrator voice about the Roman Empire that he now identifies as ‘culturally Roman’.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

The ‘cultural Roman’ line. Racist, stupid, and not very original. Often used in the past in England to justify anti-Irish racism, since Ireland, unlike England, was never “civilised” by the Romans.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Congratulations to Man City on beating the charge.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

My first post-education full-time job was as a research assistant on the statute law revision project at the Office of Attorney General of Ireland. I was part of a team that was charged with finding and reading all pre-independence English, Irish, British, and UK statutes. /1

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Just saw a headline, “Trump about to address UN General Assembly”. In other words, that’s me logging off for the rest of the day.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

It’s odd that dictators (or would-be dictators) are often called strongmen when ‘thin-skinned babies’ would be far more accurate. Trump being a case in point.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

MAGA loves America so much that it actually actively hates America and wants it to be Putin’s Russia but with hotdogs.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

As I always say, many hands make light work of spoiling the broth.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I wonder will Man Utd bring their show to the Edinburgh Fringe next year.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

It’s all fun and games until Ed Sheeran starts writing songs about his recent experiences.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Me, whenever post from Germany addressed to ‘Herrn dr. John Cotter’ arrives…

Paulie from the Sopranos in Naples saying, “Commendatori, like a Commander, I like that, that’s respect.”

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

It’s the constitutional equivalent of ‘dog bites man’ versus ‘man bites dog’ perhaps.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Maybe Piddington can get the band back together to negotiate its exit arrangements from and future relationship with the UK…

David Frost lurking, arms folded, looking truculent over the shoulder of a slightly out-of-focus Boris Johnson in the foreground, who while trying to affect a pensive, slightly bemused look actually appears slightly perplexed.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

In the latest from normal island, an English village’s meaningless stunt vote to leave the UK receives more coverage than an agreement of the leading parties of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales calling for independence referendums. We live in a theme park.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

“We believe the future of our nations belong in the European Union. We want to work together to rebuild and strengthen those European relationships, creating greater opportunities for trade, investment, culture and cooperation.” From yesterday’s agreement of the leaders of the SNP, Plaid, and SF.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Tbh, I don’t doubt that Trump will send everyone a cheque for $5,000. Right after he gets inflation to Weimar/Mugabe levels.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

The great thing about the internet is that everyone is expertly versed on irony and sarcasm.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

I’m always a little confused by more liberal/left British people regarding a preference for a united Ireland as some kind of attack on Britain. The same people are generally almost apologetic about Northern Ireland, portraying British sovereignty as something almost reluctant or embarrassing… /1

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Donald Trump will undoubtedly be applying his considerable intellectual heft and Stakhanovite work ethic to the achievement of a united Ireland.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Next Thursday Question Time comes from Dover. Fiona Bruce is joined by a panel of four masked protestors. And Nigel Farage. In front of a live audience equally balanced between balaclava- and non-balaclava-wearing members of the public.” /s

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

“You probably can’t tell from my facial expressions, given that I’m wearing a balaclava on a public road, but I can assure you, Officer, that my concerns are legitimate.”

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

These days you can’t even dress all in black with a balaclava with all your mates and block a port without the police saying “careful now” and some people saying mean things about you on Bluesky. It’s politically correct, woke culture gone mad.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

If electorates don’t accept that Reform is done, then Britain is done. It’s as simple as that.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

The populist guide to the common law. Lesson 1: (a) Substantive legal rule we like, especially if old = common law made by good, old-fashioned, best in-the-world English/British judges. None of your continental muck here. /1

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Even if the antichrist is walking among us, a quick executive order to change his name to ‘America Demon’ should fix it.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Leaving aside Burnham’s more than dubious grasp of the GFA and the Northern Ireland Act, the high-handed arrogance with which he said that a unification referendum is off the table is something one might have hoped we’d have moved past. Especially disappointing from a Labour PM.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Eventually MAGA types will create a type of Orwellian newspeak which involves them just grunting “America” in substitution for all other words.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Mr Burns, I think we can trust Donald Trump’s US ambassador to Belgium.

Homer Simpson saying, “Mr Burns, I think we can trust the President of Cuba.”

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

I’ve just run a bath and decreed by executive order that the new body of water is to be known henceforth in our house as Lake Awesome. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

If the orange buffoon does decide to start calling Lake Ontario Lake America it would change the HOMES acronym for the Great Lakes to HAMES, which is what Trump is making of every situation to which he turns his hand. You may need to consult your Hiberno-English dictionaries.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

“The mere fact, added Target, that antiquarians had to go rummaging around in the history of Charlemagne and the Carolingians was proof enough that France had no constitution and it was now necessary to create one from scratch.” - Schama, Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution 🤔

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Sometimes I take my 7yo to play football in a playing field with goalposts (the kind I’d have loved as a kid). Never anyone there, except dogwalkers, visibly annoyed when they see us because they can’t let their dog off lead. It’s sad that playing fields have essentially been reduced to dog toilets.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Not only is it odd to suggest that academic freedom requires engaging with “race realists”, but I also think that these ideas were already engaged with thoroughly enough on the beaches of Normandy and elsewhere in the middle of the last century, so I’ll go back to my book and cup of tea, thanks.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

You cannot but admire Man Utd’s and Tottenham’s dedication to the bit.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Following Nigel Farage’s logic on investigations, next week, the electors of Clacton will decide whether to free Jesus or Barabbas.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

I’m also wondering whether some of these UK government alerts could be filtered so that only idiots receive them.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

The worst part of the UK government alert is that statistically more people now have a Billy Joel earworm than would otherwise have been the case.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

In a very public place when that government alert was issued and you could sense people were fairly underwhelmed on reading it.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

The voters of Clacton had one job, which is probably one more than the constituency will have in the future if they keep voting for joke candidates.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

British right-wing columnists suddenly waking up to the threat from the far right in 2026: “Guys, this tiger we’ve been riding since at least 2015 is, on closer inspection, a tiger.”

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

My own response to the Cameron deal at the time was one of anger. Cameron was given way too much, and I thought the symbolic disapplication of ‘ever closer union’ to the UK abhorrent. My emotional response was that the EU might be better off with the UK out. Obviously, in the cold light of day, … /1

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

It’s a feature of the English right that the more they bang on about the war, the less knowledgable they seem to be about that war; the more they insist on the primacy of the English language, the lesser their own grip on it; the more they insist on Christian values, the more unchristian they are.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Just got caught in one of those very atmospheric Bavarian thunder storms.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

I obviously welcome the idea in principle, but am on holiday so won’t have the time nor the energy to point out continuously that there are models other than the US and those models do work fine if conditions x, y, and z are also in place.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

I reckon Infantino can win Farage over with the 2027 FIFA Peace Prize.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Hear me out: UEFA and the other regional organising bodies form a new global body to regulate football. FIFA continues on as regulator of a new code: kayfabe football. Every four years there’s a kayfabe World Cup in some dictatorship or other which either Messi or Ronaldo always win.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Chris Philp: “You ought to have a basic grasp of the British shadow cabinet from 20 yards if you’re going to be in the French navy.”

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