Mark L Flear

There’s something awfully off when images and videos of a woman who is clearly upset are being used to undermine her.

And we’re being asked to look, watch, repost, discuss…..

AKA: harm, hurt, make worse.

It’s misogynistic bullying and harassment.

Choose 💕 and empathy.

Emily Jackson @lselaw.bsky.social shares her reflections on writing: why, how and when.

This is the 12th contribution to the series.

Many thanks to Emily for her thoughts.

Article: doi.org/10.53386/nil...

A picture of violence: The 27 women killed in four years In at least 20 of the 27 deaths, the killers - or the suspects in their killings - were well-known to the women.

‘A picture of violence: The 27 women killed in four years’

Together in Pride, Together in Protest | ILGA-Europe Joint Statement by the European Trade Union Confederation and ILGA-Europe

LGBTI rights are workers’ rights. The ban on Budapest Pride is an attack on democracy and the right to organise. The European Trade Union Confederation and ILGA-Europe stand united in protest and solidarity. Read our joint statement: www.ilga-europe.org/news/togethe...

Man arrested after Ballymena 'spread with slurry overnight' ahead of town's first Pride parade Slurry has been spread near streets where a pride parade was due to finish up this afternoon.

Shout out to all the fab folk in Ballymena involved in cleaning the streets ahead of this afternoon's Pride event and making sure this latest bout of pure hate doesn't win out or define where they live:

www.thejournal.ie/ballymena-sl...

We are delighted to participate in @slsauk.bsky.social’s journals initiative!

See slsa.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?....

The 11th piece in our Reflections on Writing series is extra special.

Nicola Lacey @lselaw.bsky.social meditates on 45 years of writing by highlighting key projects, and describing the hurdles of peer review, loneliness, co-writing and self-doubt.

doi.org/10.53386/nil...

@lwdsc.bsky.social and Simon Halliday @lawstrath.bsky.social share their experiences of working and writing together!

This is the 10th piece in our Reflections on Writing Series.

doi.org/10.53386/nil...

We are delighted to publish the 9th article in our Reflections on Writing series.

Thanks so much to @sylviademars.me for her efforts at such a very busy time of year!

Full open access article: doi.org/10.53386/nil...

Series: doi.org/10.53386/nil...

MPs have personal beliefs, but also solemn duties: that’s why they must reject the assisted dying bill this week | Gordon Brown Our obligations to each other are ill served if laws focus unduly on those who want assisted dying. The priority should be the best palliative care, says former prime minister Gordon Brown

Vitally important intervention by Brown. 👀 ⬇️

Ah, the trains….. 🫣 a cab to the airport it has to be! (nice air conditioning is helping me to destress 😂😉😊☘️☘️☘️)

Windrush scandal victims got less compensation due to lack of legal advice funding, review finds Study finds claimants who challenged payouts after taking advice received huge increases, in one case from £300 to £170,000

‘While the Post Office and infected blood compensation schemes both offer applicants legal advice, the Windrush scheme is an exception among state compensation programmes in not providing this support’.

Why the difference in treatment? 🤔

Going Nuclear by Tim Gregory review – a boosterish case for atomic energy Safety concerns demand more space and consideration in this otherwise excellent work of popular science

🤔

www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/...

Mythica: A New History of Homer’s World, Through the Women Written Out of It by Emily Hauser THE INSTANT TIMES BESTSELLERAward-winning classicist and historian Emily Hauser takes readers on an epic journey to uncover the astonishing true story of the real women behind ancient Greece’s greates...

What sounds like a terrific and important book, sold by a terrific local bookshop in Ely, England. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇬🇧

My copy is ordered!

🤩

Rise up!

No 🤴! (AKA dictator)

Actually, I’ll go further.

For me, being British 🇬🇧 is to realise that it’s a mix of all of these things 👇. Just like the amazing 🤩 flag 🇬🇧 (except it doesn’t include Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿….. 🙄).

It’s the mix that makes Britishness for me.

The mix should be celebrated and cherished.

Unionist Irish language fears 'can be addressed' - Mark Drakeford It comes as disputes continue at Stormont over the Irish language, including rows about bilingual signage.

One can be British 🇬🇧 and speak and adore Irish ☘️, Welsh 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿, Scots Gaelic 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿, Cornish etc.

#Irish4All #NorthernIreland

‘Unionist Irish language fears can be addressed - former Welsh first minister’

Omagh Pride: Politicians 'not welcome' at County Tyrone parade The four Stormont executive parties were told they are "not welcome" at Omagh Pride on Saturday.

#Omagh #Pride ☘️❤️🌈🤘

‘First Pride parade since 'politician ban' takes place’.

Belfast: Anti-racism rally held after days of violence The protest follows days of violence which police say is being led by "bigots and racists".

Solidarity! ✊🏻❤️‍🩹🫶🌈

‘Anti-racism rally in Belfast after days of violence’ www.bbc.com/news/article...

🤘

You can’t see me bc I’m holding a flag but guys I live in a 2k person extremely rural town in one of the reddest counties of WI. So many people showed up there was a line all the way to the highway.

I often feel a bit afraid due to my identity in this area but #nokings brought out so many

Well said! #solidarity

The Ballymena violence has nothing to do with ‘protecting women’. It is racism, pure and simple | Sarah Creighton Northern Ireland has always seen high levels of violence against women and girls. Blaming migrants is a useful way to distract from that, says political commentator from Northern Ireland Sarah Creight...

Northern Ireland has always seen high levels of violence against women and girls. Blaming migrants is a useful way to distract from that. ‘If women in Northern Ireland rioted every time one of us was attacked, the country would lie in ashes.’ www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The Ballymena violence has nothing to do with ‘protecting women’. It is racism, pure and simple | Sarah Creighton Northern Ireland has always seen high levels of violence against women and girls. Blaming migrants is a useful way to distract from that, says political commentator from Northern Ireland Sarah Creight...

❤️‍🩹 to all those suffering through racism in Northern Ireland.

Time to make more of an effort to reach out to others, smile, show some kindness, spread a little empathy and compassion.

‘In an age of refugees seeking to escape their war-torn home-lands, an age of rising nationalism across the globe, an age in which many in Europe and the United States are suspicious of "the East" and its religious differences….the Aeneid has more to say to us than ever’ (p. xv)

Belfast Irish teacher says leaflets made students more determined Students at Aoife Nic Giolla Cheara's class found leaflets saying "English is our mother tongue" on their cars.

There’s room for all languages.

Language is vital to identity, knowing ourselves, how and what we even think.

Irish language doesn’t necessarily = nationalism. Let’s embrace Irish for all!

‘Anti-Irish language leaflets made us more determined to learn'

Brian Wilson was a musical genius. Are there any left? In pop, which equates genius with innovation, recent artists have not pioneered new forms like those from the 60s. Has the digital age sidelined invention and promoted the derivative for ever?

Madonna? Maybe Janet Jackson? Both have produced more hits, created more related art (videos, tours, images) than many of these mentioned in this article.

Why aren’t more women being thought of in this way? And what is a ‘musical’ genius anyway?

We’ve already seen ordinary civilians in the US treated the same way, just for asking questions.

Questioning is vital to democratic life.

It’s vital for developing and refining all areas of knowledge and expertise, including for effective and legitimate government.