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Alan Smith

@mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social
252 followers 649 following 1.5K posts

[Something vaguely political but non-committal] [Own views disclaimer] He/him

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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 12/10/2026
@mu.social app is in public testing (like Bluesky and integrated with Bluesky but to use with a Eurosky account to keep your account data off USA servers). More importantly, you can choose between a cat, fox or dog to wander across your screen like it's 1998 or something.
Options for pixely animal companions
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 20/09/2026
AI video fakes of cavalry guards seem popular on Facebook. Along with AI videos of young soldiers showing deference to old former soldiers. I can't quite pin down what the purpose of these fakes is.
Screenshot of AI generated video of child holding birthday cake for horse, ceremonial cavalry wearing a bearskin hat
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 10/09/2026
I will miss Megan. Here's one of my favourite photos of her (far left, as always).
A picket line in the snow outside University of Leeds. Front centre a snowman holding a picket placard. On the left, Megan Povey with arm raised in a fist salute
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 07/09/2026
Mischievously highlighting @emmaburnell.bsky.social's thoughtful @labourlist.bsky.social piece about disagreeing by persuasion rather than discipline. (Because very occasionally it feels like that.)
Section in the text highlighted is: No-one in the Labour Party agrees with anyone else in the Labour Party. The full sentence ends: on every single issue.
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 03/09/2026
Still from Land and Freedom, Ken Loach. Members of the International Brigades in the Spanish civil war
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 24/08/2026
First new postbox I've seen since Charles Windsor put the ridiculous hat on. The symbol of his term of office seems to be a sticker rather than cast from metal like the old ones. There's probably some meaning there.
New post box with large parcel drawerLogo C R III with a crown on top
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 15/08/2026
Today I learned that the guy who did those illustrations we dig out for May Day and Christmas looked kind of like Mads Mikkelsen
Illustration of woman in front of large garland - a garland for may day 1895 dedicated to the workers by Walter Crane
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 12/08/2026
Yes, something like that
Graphic showing Google search volume for "eyes hurt" heat map geographically following the path of a solar eclipse across the USA in 2024
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 05/08/2026
Our teenage children made us watch Backrooms. When I was a teenager or young adult I'd have thought it was brilliant. I'm now middle aged and I thought it was fairly shit. (Image from BBC Micro game Maze (1984))
Old graphics, green and purple rectangular walls, blue ceiling and floor
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 01/08/2026
Today many people in four counties: West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and the East Riding of Yorkshire (riding meaning a third) celebrate "Yorkshire Day", which was invented in the mid-1970s as a protest against county boundary changes.
Image of the ridings of Yorkshire
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 31/07/2026
Meta AI thinks you want this tattooed on you. (I am skeptical.)
Meta Al app

Alan, try free Al tools

Photo of me deadpan face holding up a chalk board with Alan Smith written on it

Reimagine this as tattoo art

Try it
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 28/07/2026
I'm feeling pretty safe in West Yorkshire (unless there's been a big development I haven't heard about)
BBC News (Scotland) article: How afraid should we be off jellyfish off UK shores
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 16/06/2026
Ok, so if I use Bluesky/Blacksky/Eurosky through @mu.social I get an edit button. But still it means using it on a browser not a standalone app. Is the edit button enough of a plus to use the browser? What? I can have an animated cat??
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 29/05/2026
Not impressed by having to say twice that I don't want my data shared with third parties
Vauxhall.co.uk website intelligent assistant suggests "stay in touch", I reply option "I do not consent", it replies "join our partners!" and again gives me the options "I consent" or "I do not consent"
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 23/05/2026
Just sharing this update from earlier in the week. (At University of Leeds.)
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 11/05/2026
Thanks, owl app
Blue button with text: nice Alan
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 11/05/2026
I guess this means different things in different parts of the country.
First Bus ad on screen on bus reads: did you know? you can also tap off with the driver
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 08/05/2026
I see Reform UK are ludicrously peddling 'neither left nor right' bullshit today, so I'm hauling this evergreen image out
Freddy from Scooby Do unmasks a tied up villain. Text over masked villain: neither left nor right; text over unmasked villain: right.
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 08/05/2026
This one, I mean. That's not a union jack. Are some in Reform keen on Irish reunification?
Vote count observer wearing jacket with massive union jack design except without the diagonal red cross
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 18/04/2026
(I'm not joking that they're campaigning on this - here's a screenshot of F*rage's Facebook campaign page)
Chart with Farage's comment: Reform voters drink proper milk
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 18/04/2026
This feels like a crime against data graphics. By expressing each milk type out of 100, hiding the percentage-of-a-percentage, it gives the wrong impression Labour voters, who mainly drink cows' milk, prefer powdered or almond milk. Which F*rage is using as a culture wedge. (Data in reply.)
6 charts titled Reform UK leads among Coe milk drinkers, Labour leads among almond, oat and soy milk drinkers, from More In Common April 2026
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 28/03/2026
This is a nice exhibition at Leeds art gallery, good for people who like moonlight. The first is John Atkinson Grimshaw, “Reflections on the Aire - on strike” (1879). The curators think this photo of strikers looking across at a stopped iron foundry might be the first painting of a strike. (1/2) ...
moonlight on still river, silhouettes of figures on this side, of still factories on the other side small holiday home at evening with moon glowing in sky and light from inside glowing from the windows
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 21/03/2026
I guess they needed a reward after all that hard work. Here they are standing around a car.
1926 photo of police standing around looking at the remains or a burned out car on its side
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 21/03/2026
This is a special commemorative truncheon issued to police officers for their role in assaulting trade union members in the 1926 general strike (100 years ago this year). It's at an exhibition on strikes at the People's History Museum in Manchester. (@commonerschoir.bsky.social sang at the opening.)
Dark wooden truncheon with gold or similar looking pictures and lettering. Pictures and words are not clear in the photo.
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 06/03/2026
Earlier I was looking to see if there is a German translation/equivalent. This is why I ignore the AI suggestions.
Screenshot
Al Overview

The German phrase that translates to "The people united will never be defeated" is "El pueblo unido jamás será vencido"
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 06/03/2026
I see the Tories are running adverts saying only the Tories will increase the size of the army. The Tories cut the army from 100,000 to less than 75,000. commonslibrary.parliament.uk/uk-army-to-b...
Graph showing cut described, 2010 to 2015, labelled "redundancy programme"
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 01/03/2026
Happened upon a demonstration I wasn't expecting in Leeds today. Lots of people from Iran or with Iranian heritage - of all ages - singing and cheering at the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei. Some held photos of relatives recently killed by Iranian government forces.
The old flag of Iran with the flags of the UK, Israel and USA flying above a demonstration (no people shown) in Dortmund Square, Leeds, UK
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 28/01/2026
Things looking nice in the mist
Weir in the misty dark lit by lights reflected in waterLights and trees in misty dark, lights reflected in waterTerrace of houses by park next to river, misty dark lit by streetlights
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 27/01/2026
[Don't start an argument with bigots in a comments section. Don't start an argument with bigots in a comments section. Don't start an argument with bigots in a comments section.] OK, stepping away from Facebook before I lose my common sense. imgs.xkcd.com/comics/duty_...
Line drawing cartoon of person at computer desk. Dialogue:
"Are you coming to bed?"
"I can't, this is important."
"What?"
"Someone is wrong on the internet"
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 25/01/2026
What's that cross-body strap with the buckle on that Bovino is wearing?
Illinois Nazis leader from The Blues Brothers
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 25/01/2026
Not a new observation, has probably been made by many others in the last 186 years, but Bristol Temple Meads is an attractive station.
Rail lines curve under frame-supported roof with curved lines of skylights; red brick buildings line the platforms underneath, at one side the front of the covered area is a stone-clad building with small castellated towers
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 21/01/2026
I just caught myself watching Trump's plane hoping for it to turn around (because of a medical emergency). I blame him for causing such bad thoughts.
Flight radar screenshot of Boeing C32A called SAM47 operated by United States air force, left ADW Camp Springs, destination not available
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 12/01/2026
This looks bad! Why have I suddenly got random blocks all over my PC screen?
Blocks of big pixel colours on top of email
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 03/01/2026
I guess never stand between the US military and profits for US oil companies en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...
Wikipedia chart of oil reserves by country with Venezuela at the top
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 26/12/2025
I don't know the iPhone equivalent but if you use Google Keep Notes for your shopping list you can do this by nesting lists. When you untick the main item all the sub items are unticked. For example:
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 03/12/2025
I have resorted to telling Facebook that I don't care how they choose to categorise a popular film from the 1980s. (I may be grumpy.) (The image shows Google search trends for the novel idea that "Die Hard is a Christmas movie".)
small annual peaks starting around 2009, getting popular annually from 2016
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 07/11/2025
Just putting this image out there, because it is probably useful
Sofa with notice staying Do not use I am broken
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 01/11/2025
What if this was just a flattering portrait of Vlad Dracula and he actually looked more like his dad (who apparently looked like a toy wooden soldier)?
Vlad the impaler, glamorous clothes and long hair, big moustache, slim face and big eyes, odd looking but maybe an attractive portrait Painting of Vlad the Impaler's dad. Looks like a wooden toy soldier with a big moustache. Round head.
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 20/10/2025
Before pavements were council-provided free car parking, they used to be for people to walk on and push prams on. (I am old and grumpy.)
Cars parked entirely on a pavement (sidewalk) leaving the narrow road clear
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 20/10/2025
What happened to the owl‽
Duo owl in pink wig with purple batwing-looking short tutu-like dress, muscular legs with a garter on one leg.
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 24/09/2025
I have two work laptops (closed ecosystems from two employers), both HP. This is where the delete key is on each one.
Power key top right, delete key to the left of it Delete key top right, power key to the left of it
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 25/08/2025
There must have been a terrible rainstorm up near Beamsley earlier, on this barmy summer's day. Because otherwise why would the storm overflow have let sewage in the beck?
image from Yorkshire Water Storm Overflow Map shows discharge at 11.17 for 4 minutes
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 11/08/2025
Out to walk the dog and vote for industrial action
Posting ballot paper in a red pillar box
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 08/08/2025
I've been off work on leave for 6 days. A spider has spun a metaphor under my desk.
Spider's web between the edge and leg of a desk
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 04/08/2025
I'm not sure those things go slow enough for me to do anything about it. (But it's fine, it's quite windy, and one thing I've learned from the FlightRadar app is the RAF only seems to practice in good weather. (I hope that doesn't become a problem in a war.) (I hope that's not a national secret.)
Red sign white capital letters: Beware of jet blasts props and rotors - low flying aircraft
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 04/08/2025
Occasionally my family mock me for my fear of bulls. I present this exhibit of a scary tonne of muscle.
Very powerful looking bull lying down
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 02/08/2025
I've an awful feeling we'll find out that it doesn't apply to traditional English broadswords
UK Labour party Facebook post, white text on black background, just says: "Labour has banned ninja swords."
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 01/08/2025
A swallow feeding its chicks. In a railway station waiting room with the door propped open.
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 01/08/2025
Yorkshire Day is a 50 year old commemoration of the dissolution of Yorkshire. The county is dead; long live the North! (Am I doing that right?)
Map of Northumbria around 700CE, covering the north of England and southern Scotland.
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Alan Smith @mralanjohnsmith.eurosky.social · 24/07/2025
Took son to see Derren Brown's new show. (Tickets were a Christmas present). Many times thought: “Wow, that's amazing!” Only to think it through a little bit more and think: ”No, that seems impossible!” The more I think about it the more incredible each thing seems. (And all done with kindness.)
A section of roof and ceiling of Leeds Grand Theatre, an uplight lighting golden details coming out from green and red
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