Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 23/09/2026A reframing I plan to enlarge on further Rather than a “dispute” between “put upon” Argentina and the “big bad” UK, let’s call it out for what it is: an attempt by Argentina to bully a community of a few thousand people, some of whose families have been here for up to 9 generations and 188 years 021
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 23/09/2026I have read the official UN translation of President Milei’s speech and - on exactly two points - I agree with things he said (though not necessarily how he meant them) 100
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 18/09/2026I have conducted a few such experiments, with hair raising results in some cases and better ones in others … but as one of AP Herbert’s judges said “When a clock strikes thirteen, it makes you doubt if it was ever telling the right time” 030
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 16/09/2026We have had a spate of fake locations in the Falklands being posted on Google Maps: that one is the fictitious Diego Maradona Hotel may give a clue to the source and motivation I asked Google for comment on behalf of Falklands Radio and got a response from the comms manager for Argentina 100
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 14/09/2026My favourite piece of bad drafting was rather wordier but I was reminded of it by the sign indicating that those who take drinks outside will be asked to leave in summary, the only penalty for late 80s/early 90s GUSRC members who did not do duty during their duty weeks was … to be barred from duty! 110
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 14/09/2026Watching the peso slide towards 1300/£ after I bought mine for a forthcoming trip last month at 1250 Follow me for more personal finance tips 010
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 12/09/2026At least the Prussian franchise was based on *tax* paid, not donations paid 010
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 11/09/2026There’s a baker on my street/I’d like you all to know/He baked a great long baguette/For the Great French Bake Off show And when the story got around/They came from far and wide/And when they saw the size of it/The chic French ladies sighed… 010
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 10/09/2026Mum will finally be able to go to Iceland in the Falklands as a franchised store is now due to open in December However, I did not uncritically repeat the claim that Iceland is the first UK high street *brand* to open here (Peacocks and BHS might have disputed that had they still been around) 220
Reposted by Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird)Robert Hutton @roberthutton.co.uk · 08/09/2026Sanction Impossible: my SKETCH of Today in debating the Falklands and then Israel. thecritic.co.uk/sanc... 33510
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 08/09/2026Not for the first time over the last 15 years since Law 26.659 was made, I am reminded of what Ivor Jennings said about laws banning smoking on the streets of Paris 000
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 07/09/2026We have been given a high profile reminder that jury nullification cuts both ways 001
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 05/09/2026I was asked a number of times yesterday and the day before about how people here in the Falklands feel about Argentina Judging by Facebook comments, we are all far more excited about Iceland www.cityam.com/iceland-boss-richard-walker-vows-to-set-up-shop-on-falkland-islands/cityam.comIceland boss Richard Walker vows to open shop in Falkland IslandsThe boss of Iceland has waded into the fresh row over the Falkland Islands, vowing to open a supermarket in the British territory. 230
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 04/09/2026During last night’s address, I did wonder when President Milei was going to announce that Nescafé was made from a blend of three types of the finest coffee beans, specially roasted, for a richer smoother flavour youtu.be/7F0NCL0A-aY?...youtu.beGareth Hunt - Nescafe Coffee (1986)YouTube video by QuirkyFilms 000
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 04/09/2026Having spent chunks of today being asked to react to a speech that hadn’t been delivered yet, I can now look forward to a night of reacting to it now it has been My reaction: some of the speech was decades old, some of it 15 years old and even the new bit isn’t that new - the context *might* be new 120
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 28/08/2026I’m slightly confused by passports to go to Ireland discourse because I thought the Irish case of Pachero had established 15 years ago the CTA wasn’t really passport free and that someone might have to show a passport to prove that a passport did not have to be shown by them 100
Reposted by Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird)Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 21/08/2026As I remark from time to time, it is a lonely place on the Venn diagram in the space for those who support self-determination* for both Scotland and the Falklands * whatever the determination might be in both cases 011
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 21/08/2026We live in strange times: both Al Jazeera and The Guardian called the Falklands the Falkland Islands but *the BBC* used another name (beginning with M) *in an English translation* of THAT banner ... seriously? 110
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 18/08/2026It seems the FCDO now thinks it is a bigger hardship for its staff to work in the Falklands than in Argentina! Six cities were removed from the list of "hardship posts" in the last two years, but Stanley is one of the 144 cities still on it. www.bbc.com/news/article...bbc.comUK diplomats no longer get hardship bonus for being posted to Buenos AiresCivil servants are entitled to extra money for working in difficult or dangerous cities around the world. 110
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 17/08/2026A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “…Customers can be reassured that the Facewatch system has a 99.98% accuracy rate …” In other words, 2 in every 10,000 alerts are inaccurate How many supermarket visits are made to Sainsbury’s stores every single day??? www.theguardian.com/technology/2...theguardian.comSainsbury’s store pauses AI scanning after false shoplifting accusationSupermarket chain says ‘human error’, not its Facewatch technology, to blame for ejecting a customer 131
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 15/08/2026Thanks, Google! The new sleek version of Google Docs makes me use two steps for actions that only used to take one! 110
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 14/08/2026It’s Falklands Day, which is our National Day but not a public holiday We’ve had a message from the King and the Legislative Assembly has (or have? have, I think 😉) put out their own message It’s a nice message (not necessarily reflected by the recent PRP moratorium, but there you are … or go 😉) 020
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 14/08/2026I’ve heard of people being bad losers, but it would appear that the person assuming that he got the most votes in Clacton is threatening to be a bad winner 010
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 12/08/2026Quite apart from any other considerations, it makes me nervous that another 50-something product of the Clyde with a Falklands connection might end up on the scrapheap ... 000
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 07/08/2026If you really must pass water Kindly ask the Pullman porter To place a vessel in the vestibule If the porter isn’t here Try the bin that’s at the rear The one up front is likely to be full 100
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 05/08/2026The Falkland Islands Company dates back in one form or another to 1862 For the last few years, it was part of a three-legged corporate stool called FIH Grouo plc, an AIM-quoted company But FIH sold off the Portsmouth Harbour Ferry Company and is now selling off Momart, the arts logistics company 100
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 31/07/2026I had written another thing that has now been published as well (after editing and with a lot of input from David Lang’s widow) A biography of David Lang, Attorney General of the Falkland Islands for 19 years (previously of Turks & Caicos and Nauru) www.falklandsbiographies.org/biographies/...falklandsbiographies.orgDFB 010
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 31/07/2026Today I learned that there are both World Indoor Bowls Championships and World Bowls Indoor Championships Blackball meets Monty Python’s Life of Brian 110
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 31/07/2026I’m on loan to the Falklands Radio Newsroom and, for the next seven weeks from today, I’ll be taking the lead on telling the Falkland Islands what is happening … and asking MLAs a few (sometimes cheeky) questions too 020
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 29/07/2026I wrote a thing Memories of an eventful race at the last (ever?) Commonwealth Games regatta www.the-emigre.com/column/eight...the-emigre.comEight Big Men in Black-and-White Tracksuits — The EmigreAs the Commonwealth Games return to Scotland, Ronnie MacLennan Baird recalls his controversial appointment as a Technical Aide at the 1986 regatta. 010
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 28/07/2026It is, but I have long thought I would to hear an arrangement of just the brass parts - that would stand on its own as an amazing fanfare 001
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 24/07/2026Was this placed by Google’s IP lawyers worried about genericisation? h/t @chloecumming.bsky.social and @jamiebear.uk 010
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 23/07/2026It did fit me 40 years ago! As the #CommonwealthGames open this evening in #Glasgow, I’ve been showing off my volunteer’s tracksuit from 1986 - I was a technical aide for the rowing at Strathclyde Park, part of the timing crew 110
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 23/07/2026I checked again ahead of another trip later in the year Still the same, so still no business 010
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 21/07/2026“I’ll do what I should have did” 000
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 21/07/2026I used text recognition to ALT text the statement and it even picked up the motto on the bottom of the Falkland Islands crest ..: which it recognised as “Genre The Rich” rather than “Desire The Right” There are some rich people here, but note that the mean and median GDP per capita figures differ! 010
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 21/07/2026It has taken a day and a half but the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly has finally issued a message congratulating Andy Burnham on becoming Prime Minister and thanking Sir Keir Starmer for his support for the Falklands while in office 100
Reposted by Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird)מיידלבאס ↙︎↙︎↙︎ @pharisee.bsky.social · 21/07/2026i feel like a lot of people don't realise how much power the falkland islands/gibraltar/bermuda/other BOTs actually have and think they're just ruled by westminster 1191
Reposted by Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird)Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 21/07/2026We’re sourcing our reshuffle news from an alternate timeline of the 1980s… 9464115
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 20/07/2026- Such a shame it wasn’t called the Business, innovation, Science and Trade Office - Why would that be a sha… Ah, BISTO! 020
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 19/07/2026Now, here’s a real half time show youtube.com/watch?v=mgQo...youtube.comGregory's Girl (1981) - "Reverse, down, trap, up: Turn, steady, kick"YouTube video by I, Kino 000
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 19/07/2026A sending off! … in the All-Ireland Hurling Final, that is 100
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 19/07/2026A book I would recommend is The Money Game by “Adam Smith” (George Goodman) It looks back at the stock market excesses of the early 60s from the late 60s, just as things were getting excessive again It’s an entertaining period piece and it contains insights that seem ever more timeless … 020
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 19/07/2026Watch it, enjoy it … and understand why the BBC really felt the need to make it (I’ll go back later and rewatch it to try and spot all the nods to the original and to the Julie Walters and Small World promos too) 100
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 19/07/2026Now that’s over, it’s the climax of a packed day of sporting coverage with live coverage about to start of (checks notes) Los Angeles Knight Riders v Washington Freedom in the grand final of (checks notes again) Major League Cricket 000
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 18/07/2026Presumably, this is just a ploy to try and stop Messi winning the Golden Boot? 000
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 18/07/2026Objectively, this is hilarious! 000
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 18/07/2026A boy who plays for a school with a really bad football team until it signs a new striker goes on a date 100
Ronnie MB (Ronnie MacLennan Baird) @rmbflk.bsky.social · 18/07/2026The last few days of the Falklands being in the news for the wrong reasons (again) frustrate me Just like Yellow Pages: we are not just here for the nasty things in life, like a Pentagon memo or a waved banner, we’re here for the nice things too youtu.be/Zh8iXc2d71U?...youtu.beJR Hartley Advert - Yellow Pages - Advert CommercialYouTube video by Advert Commercial 100