iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by James Ball

Luke Ontario @coolhand.bsky.social · 17h

I have no idea if this is true but the collage kills me

A black lemur in a leafy tree with its mouth open as if singing, beside an inset photo of Pavarotti striking a similar pose. Text reads: “New research shows lemurs use operatic techniques when they sing, to reach high notes.” Classic FM.

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Heather Burns @heatherburnstech.bsky.social · 33m

As per my previous blogging about real history being age-gated, a folk song merely about the 1966 Aberfan disaster now requires age verification. Which is a fairly awful irony. Chapeau @cjforms.bsky.social

YouTube screen cap showing “sign in to confirm your age. This video may be inappropriate for some users”. The song is about Aberfan.

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Sam Macrory @sammacrory.bsky.social · 51m

NEW:"There is no reason for delay. Burnham has a huge majority & a mandate to establish the National Care Service from the 2024 manifesto" @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social for @instituteforgovernment.org.uk on why Burnham should accelerate care reforms www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/article/comm...

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

Andy Burnham should establish the National Care Service this parliament | Institute for Government

There is no reason to delay plans for potentially three years.

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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 49m

At this point I would honestly prefer that the UK authorities said nothing on this than they kept dribbling out cryptic clues like it's a murder mystery evening. "What if I told you one of them rang 999 himself?" "We've bailed them, but it's still Iran, what might that mean?" Not. Helpful.

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Jo Kibble (Political Animal) @politicanimal.bsky.social · 1h

We rightly give Home Office ministers a hard time here for many things, but in their defence, not one of them has ever ordered the Identity & Passport Service to mail out passports in envelopes that might as well be printed with the words ‘Important identity document enclosed: please steal’.

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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 4h

"Progressive rhetoric" suggests he really didn't put much research in before he launched this deeply shabby attack.

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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 4h

Amateur hour: even if you hate the proposal, you surely join the commission, play spoiler, and engineer a reason to walk out that makes the government bad or factional (insist on including party finance reforms Labour would hate, etc) Just saying "no" outright is surely what Burnham *wanted*.

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ironeconomist.bsky.social @ironeconomist.bsky.social · 6h

Someone wishes for the good old days and the monkeys paw has decided we should do: (1) a 1970s oil crisis (2) a 1990s tech cycle (3) a 2010s eurozone debt crisis All at once.

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Henry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 9h

Man City have shown zero remorse and are still belittling the legal process. Hard to see how they can expect any leniency.

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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 7h

I am from Yorkshire. I have listened to far too many political speeches. I favour the practicalities over poetry every time. In other words, I'm a tough crowd. And yet…that Burnham speech really did have a certain something, didn't it?

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Andrew Harrison @nndroid.bsky.social · 7h

I was genuinely choked up by AB’s passion and honesty in his conference speech. It even got @jamesrball.com's lip wobbling. We convene at a God-awful hour to talk about a piece of oratory that really will go down in history.

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Oh God, What Now? – the politics podcast @ohgodwhatnow.bsky.social · 8h

🌹 BONUS BURNHAMCAST 🌹 The PM stuns and rouses Labour’s Liverpool conference with a bold address promising to usher in a new era. Have we just heard the “Wonderwall” of political speeches? The New World's political editor @jamesrball.com and @nndroid.bsky.social weigh in ➡️ linktr.ee/ohgodwhatnow...

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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 19h

Imagine how dumb this would look to the rest of the world if they understood English, huh

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YouGov @yougov.co.uk · 22h

SNAP POLL / By 48% to 28%, Britons support Andy Burnham's proposal to change the triple lock in order to help fund part of a national care service yougov.com/en-gb/daily-... yougov.com/en-gb/daily-... yougov.com/en-gb/daily-...

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e.w. niedermeyer @niedermeyer.online · 22h

between the metaverse, the pervert glasses, and now this fuzzy avatar mess, Meta is on a generational run of real-world Black Mirror episodes

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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 22h

"Another one bites the dust" fits perfectly but singing it too loudly is discouraged, I believe

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Ciaran Martin @ciaranm.bsky.social · 23h

I was wrong. It’s happening

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Dan Diamond @ddiamond.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Russell Brand, who's awaiting trial in London next month on rape and sexual assault charges, will moderate a panel at DC's MAHA summit tomorrow on reforming a U.S. health agency

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Erika McEntarfer @erikamcentarfer.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

“AI is identifying more billable conditions, not sicker patients“ interesting article on AI cost pressure in health care

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Scott Wortley @scottwortley.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

10/10. No notes.

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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 29/09/2026

"By embracing electoral reform, tackling the triple lock, and reopening the question of Brexit, Andy Burnham has embraced Labour’s new core vote – younger, economically insecure, liberal Brits, instead of holding on to an imagined voter of a bygone era."

thenewworld.co.uk

Vigour, passion, purpose: Why Andy Burnham’s bold speech will be talked about for many years to come

On social care, PR, Brexit, water, housing and more, the PM signalled seismic change and a willingness to tackle the toughest issues

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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 29/09/2026

"Burnham is taking a bet no other politician in recent British history has made: instead of platitudes or populism, he is trying to set out in plain terms a political offer, with trade-offs, and hope the public can be persuaded to back it. Even his critics must surely acknowledge it’s refreshing."

thenewworld.co.uk

Vigour, passion, purpose: Why Andy Burnham’s bold speech will be talked about for many years to come

On social care, PR, Brexit, water, housing and more, the PM signalled seismic change and a willingness to tackle the toughest issues

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Mrs. Detective Pikajew, Esq. @clapifyoulikeme.favrd.social · 29/09/2026

This is like a fucking SNL skit where studios keep making hockey shows instead of gay shows

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Evan Bernick, a finite mode with a smol hooman and a lorg floof @evanbernick.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

this is hilarious. why would he think this is a mic drop. what is going on

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The New World @thenewworldmag.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Andy Burnham has just delivered his first speech as leader at the Labour Party Conference, and perhaps the most consequential British political speech in decades. Comment your thoughts below! 🚨 The New World is FREE until the end of 30th September. 🔗 Take a look around our website. Link in bio

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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 29/09/2026

Lord give me incremental change, but not today

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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 29/09/2026

OUT: Triple lock, but not for four years and only if Labour wins the next election IN: double lock plus

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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 29/09/2026

(The VAT on energy bills thing isn't a new announcement, it's the cut he announced in his first week coming into effect on Thursday.)

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Oh God, What Now? – the politics podcast @ohgodwhatnow.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

🙋🏼 We want YOUR questions for this week’s show. 🙋🏽‍♀️ Post ’em here or email to ogwn@podmasters.co.uk by 1pm on Weds 30. 🙋🏻‍♂️ Want to know more? FREE TO READ: www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow...

patreon.com

It’s BUT YOUR EMAILS time. What do you want to know? | Oh God, What Now?

Labour are in Liverpool, hanging the UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT sign over the Government. Is it working? What about the bizarre RAF Fairford episo

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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 29/09/2026

The Labour leader's conference speech, sponsored by Hallmark gift cards.

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Liberty @libertyhq.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

NEW: Liberty Investigates and The Guardian discover British Transport Police’s initial six-month trial of live facial recognition tech in London’s railway stations: - cost more than £320,000 - took nearly 100 hours of police time - resulted in no arrests www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

theguardian.com

Trial of live facial recognition in London stations ends with a false positive and no arrests

Freedom of information request finds six-month trial cost £320,000, used almost 100 police hours and led to just one – incorrect – alert

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Jack Tindale @jacktindale.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Crying at how the new intern at work was born in 2005 and knows about the Blair government because "we studied it in sociology".

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daughterofmrandmrss @nosregis.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

@jamesrball.com at the Labour Party Conference "The vibes could be much worse. People are having a nice time... I'm from Yorkshire. That's high praise from me!" As a Scot who lived in W.Yorks for 5 yrs I can concur that this is indeed very high praise ;) Top show again @ohgodwhatnow.bsky.social

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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 29/09/2026

Want to build a skyscraper where there are none? An obvious no: it would change the character of the area. What to build a skyscraper where they exist already? Absolutely not. Aren't there enough of the damn things already? Solution: never build high density housing in central London.

capx.co

Nimbys: no skyscrapers anywhere – even Vauxhall

If you can't build a tower between two towers, you can't build one anywhere

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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 29/09/2026

The bluesky heterosexuals really understand that they have to at least try to assimilate, and I respect that.

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Jordan @jordanpfot.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Manifestos are the mind killer.

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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 29/09/2026

Realities of Labour conference: you're attempting to listen to a Refugee Council-hosted panel on Labour's approach to asylum and it's drowned out by Steve Bray yammering on a microphone just outside the secure zone, to the Game of Thrones theme music.

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Oh God, What Now? – the politics podcast @ohgodwhatnow.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

🌹 NEW EPISODE 🌹 Hope again… again? Can Burnham and Healey get Labour a second first chance with the Liverpool conference? 🌹 With @rostaylor.bsky.social @rmcunliffe.bsky.social & @jamesrball.com 🌹 Listen linktr.ee/ohgodwhatnow...

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Paul Mainwood @paulmainwood.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Reminder that both the "mass vaccination = mass death" nutcases, and the "ongoing deadly pandemic" lot are proven wrong every day. Actuaries - whose jobs depend on getting death rates right regularly publish age-standardised mortality rates. Post-pandemic, back to a steady year-on-year improvement.

Chart showing standardaised mortality rates for England and Wales. After a steady improvement 2016-2019, and then a bunch of pandemic-driven bumps 2020-2022, the lines start improving again 2023-2026 which is shaping up to the best ever.

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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 28/09/2026

"Too often, centre-left governments force themselves into the role of defender of the status quo, taking the blame for failures that often aren’t even their fault, being the one to explain why things are bad, instead of being the people making them better."

thenewworld.co.uk

Memo to Burnham: this is how you beat the populists

Carney, Mamdani and Ossoff are all showing you can take on the raging right and win. But there’s one crucial lesson from them that Andy Burnham must learn

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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 28/09/2026

"What I need to know", Huffpost, is contained at the top of the news story, at least if it's competently written. What I don't need is three junk questions for engagement bait between the headline and the top of said story. Utter slop.

"What you need to know"

What conditions were imposed on the suspects' bail?
Which hostile state is being considered in the investigation?
Why did Trump criticize the suspects' bail decision?

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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 28/09/2026

The degradation of British politics has either made Suella Braverman – a former *attorney general* – this stupid and irresponsible, or else entirely indifferent to appearing as such to those who know the law if it gets her applause from her online fan base.

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