My mum took me to an Andy Warhol at the NFT when I was one year's old. I apparently fell alseep through a graphic threesome. A born film critic.

My mum took me to an Andy Warhol at the NFT when I was one year's old. I apparently fell alseep through a graphic threesome. A born film critic.

Two writings from me on Massive Attack’s Unfinished Sympathy, 35-years-old. The first, my Guardian preview of a special BBC 6 Music documentary from earlier this week. The second, an extract from my own memoir-in-progress about the day the bailiffs paid a visit to our family, soon to be torn apart.

48% of creatives identify as neurodivergent: Here’s what the numbers say Only 18% of neurodivergent creative industry professionals request accommodations at work, per research from Understood, Havas and the 4As.

"Nearly one in two people in the creative industry, which includes advertising, marketing, public relations and media, identify as neurodivergent"

www.marketingdive.com/news/48-of-c...

I've been interviewing celebs for 30 years and can personally confirm, as a journo with ADHD (a huge number of hacks have ADHD, btw) that neurodivergent interviewers very often get better replies. Possibly because we ask more honest, interested, and unexpected questions.

www.itv.com/watch/the-as...

Cocteau Twins - Aikea-Guinea (Official Video) YouTube video by Cocteau Twins

So good to see my favourite Cocteau Twins' track at number 3 in today's Guardian's completely arbitrary Best Of list. I'd happily die to this.

youtu.be/Du7nKnKhhmU?...

The phrase "Soft Power" isn't used much in warfare these days, but Iran just kicked Trump's arse with it.

Incredible soundbite on R4 just now from a commentator. "The Iranians said, 'I beat your fist so hard with my face.'"

I'm Iraqi myself, but the Persian civilisation is one of the most extraordinary in world history; culturally, artistically, scientifically. Right up until the murderous fucks took control. To have it threatened - deemed for destruction (as if it ever could) by this worthless SHITKICKER is horrific.

Oh.

It's at times like this (or at least, this very particular time), you think: was any of this worth it?

Well, yeah. We were brilliant. It all fucked up at the end, but we were brilliant.

Consoling myself that I'm probably not the only one scrabbling around under the stairs to check the contents of my "emergency wicker basket" today. And possibly not the only Brit who optimistically thought a few tubs of 'sticky rib'-flavoured Pot Noodle would suffice.

Oh.

It was such a lovely day too.

Scratching Fanny: "Catch it" tonight...

Here's my @theguardian.com preview of a new series of #Uncanny Cold Cases, on BBC Radio 4, with @dannyrobins.bsky.social.

Editing a monster of a feature - so, in my happy place. I love cutting things down to their essences. For journos & writers, it's something close to Zen. Contrast this with Orwell's 1984 - "I love the destruction of words" - i.e. reducing thought. Real editing is about elucidation, not elimination.

Strange but true Apollo 13 story.

Strange but true Apollo 13 story.

Just reviewed a Radio 4 documentary about a famous 18th century poltergeist who made scratching noises, and was thought to be the ghost of a murdered woman named Fanny Lynes.

The poltergeist, perhaps inevitably, was nicknamed: "Scratching Fanny".

I shall never sleep again.

Just reviewed a Radio 4 documentary about a famous 18th century poltergeist who made scratching noises, and was thought to be the ghost of a murdered woman named Fanny Lynes.

The poltergeist, perhaps inevitably, was nicknamed: "Scratching Fanny".

I shall never sleep again.

Made it down after all. Couple of pics.

"Happy Easter", gently re-branded by the Jehovas Witnesses.

Bob Roberts - This World Turns YouTube video by Top Clips

Along with Children of Men, probably *the* most politically prescient movie of the past 35 years. And it was supposed to be a satire.

This world turns its back on God
We must die to join Him

www.youtube.com/watch?v=M04V...

Dreamt a woman called Charlotte, with tight blonde curls, like Julie Christie in Heaven Can Wait, introduced me to a word I'd never heard before: "Bectated." Looked it up when I awoke - I appear to have invented it. Or rather, Charlotte invented it. Just as I invented Charlotte.

This orange baboon has done a shit on the entire world. When this is all over, I'm going to be posting hate mail to the GOP for the rest of my life.

Had to check whether this is an especially ADHD thing. Apparently so: if a crime is committed, even if millions of miles away, you practically feel the urge to check you weren't actually involved. And this bizarre, irrational guilt is v much a hallmark of Neurodivergency. Another brainwrong classic.

I attended an HMRC webinar this morning on the new "Making Tax Digital" software system and utterly insane quarterly submission plan. It didn't go well.

Some of you people get likes for little more than clearing your throat. And then I check, and see you have thousands of followers. Follower count = likes. The tyranny of Twitter continues apace here...