Sign in

Marcus Flavin

@lmbsaflavin.bsky.social
731 followers 878 following 286 posts

Chancery barrister (Lincoln's Inn & King's Inns Dublin) , dilettante, onetime early med. historian, books, music, cats, SF&F fan, Catholic. OP3. Lives WYorks, Chambers in London, & often found in Greece. Views my own & subject to change with the weather.

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
⤵️ @bryce.lol · 27/09/2026
If we shadows have offended, Think but this, and all is mended, That you have but slumber’d here While these visions did appear. And this weak and idle theme No more yielding but a dream, Gentles, do not reprehend: if you pardon, we will mend; And, as I am an honest Puck, Show is over, off you fuck.
10602170
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Mags L Halliday @magslhalliday.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Every year on 19 December, the famous Christmas lights at Mousehole in Cornwall are dimmed between 8 and 9pm, leaving just the Cross and Angels shining down across the village and out to sea.
10830433
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
John Oxley @joxley.jmoxley.co.uk · 12/09/2026
This is the most shamefully soft-soaped coverage of these thugs that you could possibly imagine. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Anti-migrant activists like Danny Tommo are changing tactics
Patriot Platform wants to build a group of working-class voters to influence political parties on the right.
41665207
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
timoconnorbl.bsky.social @timoconnorbl.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
You cannot and should not trust as source of information something that will change maps at the ineffective whim of a demented man. Change your search engines.
2197
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Anne M. Carpenter @catholickungfu.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
RIP Dolly Parton. Here is my favorite essay about her. www.plough.com/articles/dol...
plough.com
Dolly Parton Is Magnificent | Plough
The beloved Tennessee singer-songwriter gets the joke. Do the rest of us?
1236
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Alex Zalben @azalben.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Here's the official announcement of Parton's passing from her reps, along with the request that in lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at www.imaginationlibrary.com
NASHVILLE, TN (August 25, 2026) – Global icon and humanitarian, Dolly Parton, known to the world as a beloved singer, songwriter, philanthropist, actress, playwright, and author died peacefully today in Nashville, Tennessee. She was 80 years old.

 

Dolly is preceded in death by her beloved husband of 59 years Carl Thomas Dean (1942 – 2025), her mother Avie Lee Caroline Owens (1923 – 2003), and father, Robert Lee Parton, Sr. (1921 – 2000). 

 

A rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see, Dolly will forever stand as an inspiration not only through her timeless music and prolific songwriting, but also her wit, warmth, and kindness that made us all feel like family. Dolly Parton’s legacy is one of love, compassion, and resilience. With a seven-decade career, she inspired multiple generations of artists and fans with her music and an unwavering commitment to making the world a better place. Her songs will continue to resonate with people of all ages, and her philanthropic work will have a lasting impact.

 

At Dolly’s request, a small, private service will be held for immediate family. Dolly’s fans and friends from around the world are encouraged to pay tribute to Dolly on social media by tagging @DollyParton or by leaving a message at www.dollyparton.com.         

 

In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at www.imaginationlibrary.com.
69135088679
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Ralph Janik @ralphjanik.com · 25/08/2026
"My boobs are fake, my hair's fake, but what is real is my voice and my heart"
1291
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Scott Wortley @scottwortley.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
watched LA confidential again over the weekend and despite it being adapted from a novel, and a sequel to a previous novel, with important info about one of the main characters in another novel not even in the series LA confidential is in you don't need homework to watch it.
332
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
EMILY WILSON @emilyrcwilson.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
I cannot rest from discourse. I will see that film again tomorrow. I will drink life to the lees. Again I will enjoy greatly, will suffer greatly, both with those that love me, and in Pleasantville NY. I am become a meme. Film showing: burnsfilmcenter.org/booking/the-...
burnsfilmcenter.org
The Odyssey : Jacob Burns Film Center
The Odyssey, Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Christopher Nolan, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Odysseus, Greek, Classic, Antiquity
802806296
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
EMILY WILSON @emilyrcwilson.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
No professional accomplishment has ever made me happier than this. theonion.com/translator-o...
theonion.com
Translator Of Original ‘Minions’ Epic Poem Slams ‘Sexless, Bloodless’ Film Adaptation
PHILADELPHIA—In a 4,500-word essay published in Harper’s Magazine, Emily Wilson, known for her popular translation of the Minions epic poem, blasted the latest film Thursday as a “sexless, bloodless” ...
257239344577
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Mateusz Fafinski @calthalas.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Half the planet is having a massive fight about how to correctly interpret an Ancient Greek poem but go ahead, close some more humanities departments.
3558911659
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Twlldun @twlldun.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
43 year old Zack Polanski, who has been competing in electoral politics for 11 years:
1520222
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Standplaats Kraków could really use some cash! @standplaatskrk.pl · 25/07/2026
 fipindustries on tumblr:

I cannot stand the parodies of modern major general,
they're overdone and simply not as good as the original.
They've done them about everything, whatever topic, big or small.
And when i notice one of them my eyes will always start to roll.

The diction’s always slurry when they rush the
complicated words, and adding many fricatives will turn
it so cacophonous. The slanted rhymes are silly and they
keep just making more and more, please someone stop
the parodies of modern major general.

The scanning of the lyrics in the meter is unbearable,
they emphazise the syllables in ways that are untenable,
in short in matters musical, prosodic and ephemeral, i
cannot stand the parodies of modern major general!
5853329
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Joanna Hardy-Susskind @joannahs.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
This is the most extraordinary judgment I’ve read all year. If there was not about to be a reshuffle - I suspect it might have been a resigning matter for the Attorney General. www.judiciary.uk/judgments/r-...
judiciary.uk
R -v- X, Y and Z (follow on judgment) - Courts and Tribunals Judiciary
[2026] EWCA Crim 913Case Numbers: 202601875 A1202601873 A1202601874 A1 In the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)on appeal from the Crown Court at SouthamptonHis Honour Judge Rowland44SC0053025 17 Jul...
119630
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Andrew R @excelpope.net · 11/07/2026
1297
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Atlas Shvitzed @therafischwartz.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Unfortunately, a stunned Paris is how they all got into this whole mess to begin with
360159473256
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Gaby Hinsliff @gabyhinsliff.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
im sorry but everyone has gone mad www.lbc.co.uk/article/star...
lbc.co.uk
Sir Keir Starmer stepped in to stop FIFA bringing forward England vs Mexico kick-off | LBC
The Prime Minister is said to advised the FA to block the move over fears it would give the co-hosts an unfair advantage
147311
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
James Chalmers @jameschalmers.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
If you want to understand my interests, I have watched zero (0) minutes of this World Cup but somehow got suckered in just now to reading the FIFA Disciplinary Code and ruminating on the interaction of articles 27 and 66.
817418
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
timoconnorbl.bsky.social @timoconnorbl.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Good Lord above. In defiance of all likelihood, it's getting even worse. www.rbfa.be/en/news/upda...
rbfa.be
Royal Belgian FA
5156
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
James @northamptonian.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
Obituary from the Telegraph on Humphrey Smith, in a thread. The last part is possibly the most interesting.
Like the brewery smokestacks that dominate Tadcaster’s skyline, Humphrey Smith looms large over the North Yorkshire town and its inhabitants – even in death.

Across much of the country, the eccentric publican, who ran Samuel Smith’s brewery for more than six decades, was best known for banning smartphones and swearing in his avowedly old-fashioned pubs. Highly private, Humphrey felt more myth than man to much of the country.

Yet in Tadcaster, he was a towering figure who was impossible to ignore. Smith, who died this week aged 81 following a short illness, was something like a feudal lord: powerful but remote, austere yet benevolent and occasionally capricious too.

Based in his family business’s redbrick headquarters on the high street, Smith elicited both praise and resentment. As well as overseeing the production of beers such as Taddy Lager, he doled out local housing, decided which shops could open and supported a string of philanthropic causes – often in secret.

This week, the company flew a union flag at half mast above its high street offices in his honour.John Smith’s is based just up the road. The rival brewer and Samuel Smith’s are old enemies: with the latter set up following a family feud.

Smith’s legacy, say locals, will be complicated. Some praise him for conserving the town’s historic character, but others accuse him of trying to freeze the town in time.

“He was a very polite and charming man who kept himself to himself,” one shopkeeper, choosing their words carefully, told The Telegraph this week.

“He was an old-fashioned gentleman. He wanted to protect the town and keep it as it was.”

‘He’s killed business’

Yet another local businessman has a different view: “He wouldn’t let the town grow. He’s killed business and let things turn quiet.”

What unites almost everyone in Tadcaster is a reluctance to say anything – positive or negative – about Smith in public.

That’s perhaps understandable for a community that is so close-knit but also reflects the tycoon’s tight grip over the area.

“I’d rather not say,” smiled on shopkeeper apologetically when approached by The Telegraph.

You simply can’t separate Humphrey Smith from contemporary Tadcaster.

Nearly everyone there has worked for his brewery or knows someone who has, while his family’s vast landholdings mean entire swathes of the town haveeffectively been under his control for decades. Smith even built the local swimming pool in 1994 and gave it to the town.

To his critics, Smith’s stranglehold over Tadcaster has held back its economy and left it looking tired. In parts of the centre, there are empty shops and buildings that look dilapidated. Even three of the six local Samuel Smith pubs are vacant because of a lack of managers.

Georgina Platt, who works at Melanie’s Flowers, in the high street, says Smith’s support for independent shops has helped to preserve the town’s character, but admits it could now “do with some TLC”.
Smith once proposed a “vision for Tadcaster” that would have spruced up the town centre but it fell apart because of disagreements with the local council.

“Tadcaster’s a lovely town,” Platt adds. “What it needs now is just a little bit of support.”

The flagship Angel and White Horse, which sits next door to the brewery’s main building, has remained shut for the last few years.

A sign in the window urges couples to apply to run the venue, promising a “good salary” and a “rent-free flat provided with utility bills paid” – in exchange for a £1,000 deposit.
4155
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
👻 Jack Djinn Wail 🧞 @jacktindale.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
And so, Penelope Keith goes to her grave having never faced justice.
1824277
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
i think if you dress like this, you deserve to do a little corruption
3269186840
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Dr Jo Kershaw @mthrjo.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
A great scholar and a great human
0214
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Levi Roach @proflroach.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Absolutely stunned to hear of the passing of Rosamond McKitterick, who did me (like many others) a number of good turns at crucial points in my career. My thoughts are with her family and her many devoted students. May she rest in peace and rise in glory. #MedievalSky #Skystorians
A screenshot of an X-post announcing the passing of Rosamond McKitterick.
66915
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Dan Neidle @danneidle.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
UK tax has gone up significantly over the last 25 years But the tax paid by the average UK worker has not This apparent miracle was achieved by taxing “other people”: higher earners, capital, property, banks, etc The strategy has run out of road A 🧵 on what happens next.
47560204
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
You want to see Norway men’s national football team’s official photo for World Cup 2026 www.nytimes.com/athletic/733...
members of the Norway men’s national football team on a rocky shore, styled as a fierce group of ancient Vikings. They are dressed in elaborate historical costumes, including fur-trimmed capes, leather tunics, chainmail, and armor pieces, while holding traditional gear like circular wooden shields, spears, axes, swords, and blowing horns. In the background, longships rest on a calm body of water that cuts through a vast, dramatic fjord. The rugged landscape is framed by massive, steep green mountains, with a thin waterfall cascading down a cliff face on the left, all under a cloudy, overcast sky.
5762301446
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Twlldun @twlldun.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
This is how politicians of the Labour right used to deal with the fash, btw
47818239
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Laurie Penny @pennyred.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
To judge every member of a community on the basis of a crime committed by one member of that community is, of course, the very definition of prejudice.
212430
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Gaby Hinsliff @gabyhinsliff.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
I have a student son Henry Nowak’s age & I can’t imagine what it took for his family to respond outside court with the grace they did, asking that their son’s death not be used for division and hate. That Reform & Restore chose to throw that back in their faces makes me feel sick.
502215509
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Alexander Clarkson @aphclarkson.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Italian railways plan to introduce German passengers to a punctual service
47113
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
John Oxley @joxley.jmoxley.co.uk · 01/06/2026
Dear Ed, I wrote you, but you still ain't callin' I left my cell, my pager, and my home phone at the bottom I sent two letters back in autumn, you must not've got 'em
07210
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Nostalgic Things that go bump in the night @nostalgicthing.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
There’s an alternate universe where the Isner–Mahut match at Wimbledon has just entered the 654,321st game of the 5th set. Isner to serve.
3134
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Ol' Chef Dan @olchefdan.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Honestly, one of the funniest tweets I've ever seen.
737198323113
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Janine Gibson @janinegibson.ft.com · 15/05/2026
Ugh this is so brilliant i wish i'd commissioned it. What went wrong for the Groucho? (Apart from everything) the-fence.com/dean-street-...
the-fence.com
Dean Street Comedown
How the Grouchy went Tory
43514
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Tobias Wilson-Bates @phdhurtbrain.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
In every academic book there is a secret second book hiding in the footnotes. Sometimes it is the first draft that had migrated there to escape the revisions. Sometimes it is the author's tortured secret rebuttal of their own claims, and sometimes it is the incipient form of the their next book.
441557278
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Dan Neidle @danneidle.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
UK tax is going to be the highest since 1945. But public spending won't increase; in fact most of us will experience a decline in public services. Here's why - in a thread that I'd love to be completely wrong.
725991
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Gordon Exall @civlittweet.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
www.civillitigationbrief.com/2026/04/20/a...
civillitigationbrief.com
A TRIBUTE TO GILES PEAKER: “NEARLY LEGAL” – AN EXTRAORDINARY MAN WITH EXTRAORDINARY TALENTS
I was distressed to read the news that the extraordinary talented Giles Peaker passed away last weekend. The news can be found on his blog “Nearly Legal”  which includes tribute from hi…
43916
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Justin Bates KC @justinbates.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
I am very much saddened to report that my friend, @nearlylegal.co.uk passed away this weekend. nearlylegal.co.uk/2026/04/gile...
nearlylegal.co.uk
Giles Peaker - Nearly Legal: Housing Law News and Comment
I am very sorry to announce that Giles passed away over the weekend. If and when there is further information that I can share, I will do so. For now, please take a moment to read the short obituary p...
6116559
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
G. Willow Wilson @gwillow.me · 13/04/2026
Do you need a good cry this morning
715818
Marcus Flavin @lmbsaflavin.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
Christus resurrexit! Χριστὸς ἀνέστη! Vidi aquam egredientem de templo, a latere dextro, alleluia: Et omnes, ad quos pervenit aqua ista, salvi facti sunt et dicent, alleluia. Confitémini Dómino; quóniam bonus: quóniam in saéculum misericórdia eius.
051
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
James Ingram @ingyingram.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Utterly obsessed with Nicolas Sarkozy's prison writings. Trop émotif
1616252
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
KJ Charles @kjcharleswriter.com · 24/03/2026
I really want every author pushing the use of GenAI in their workflow (like the one @societyofauthors.bsky.social was promoting in their magazine last week!) to sit with that. "What are LLMs really good at? They’re really good at averaging what everybody says." how ... aspirational.
314425
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Sean Jones KC @seanjones.org · 24/03/2026
Honestly, if you come at me with “What is ADHD supposed to be anyway? We never had it in my day!” be prepared for battle.
12745
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Charles Logan @charleswlogan.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
Solidarity with Emily Tucker and her open letter to students. Tucker writes, "But the great thing is, you don’t have to go along with this, and I urge you not to. You can refuse to use the chatbot. You can tell your professors that you don’t want them to use it or to require you to use it."
medium.com
An Open Letter to Georgetown Students, In Response to Recent Announcements about "Generative AI"
Image source: Bibliothèque nationale de France An Open Letter to Georgetown Students, In Response to Recent Announcements by the University about “Generative AI” Dear students, As you know, in …
10624228
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Lauren Fraser @walkyouhome.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
Controversial but - students *perceive* they have been failed when what has happened is they have failed to understand information retrieval is a skill requiring effort. I don't believe a zero friction experience is realistic or desirable in learning, actually.
251041208
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
News Eye @newseye.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Line of the year in the new edition of The Economist: "Although President Donald Trump says he has “destroyed 100% of Iran’s Military Capability”, the 0% that remains is playing havoc with the global economy..."
economist.com
How the Iran war is weakening Donald Trump
Donald Trump faces mounting political pressure as his war with Iran drives up petrol prices across America, threatening Republican prospects in the midterm elections.
19789317
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Ken Jennings @kenjennings.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
They’re telling me a great empire will be destroyed if I attack Persia. Even the oracles who don’t like me very much, very nasty, they all said to me, “Sir, it’s one of the great empires, and it’ll be destroyed. And all because you attacked Persia.” That’s what they’re telling me.
329203383675
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Rania Abouzeid @raniaab.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
Latest casualty figures from #Lebanon’s Health Ministry. The dead include 111 children #Beirut
13735
Reposted by Marcus Flavin
Twlldun @twlldun.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
*blinks*
1624143