On social media pile-ons

Melissa Harrison:

Moreover, I’ve learned not to join in with Twitter pile-ons, or insult or mock people I disagree with. This is partly because I have no wish to add to the febrile atmosphere that permeates social media at the moment, and which I think is poisoning so much of our public debate. It’s also because the moment that you insult or belittle someone, the opportunity for progress in the discussion is lost because they’re not going to be open to anything else you say. Why should they?

Written four years ago. Still insightful. Still true.


Look at this cute fellah.

A robin at Woods Mill in Sussex

A buzzard, drifting lazily over the Woods Mill car park.

A common buzzard in flight.

Into the woods.

Two girls at Woods Mill nature reserve.


This “shed” is basically pornography for writers.


The absolute genius of “Black Lives Matter” as a phrase is that its very existence provokes evidence of its need, as people react negatively to what should be a simple statement of fact.


Evening sea swim.

A young girl on Shoreham Beach after her sea swim.

My procrastination is weird. For example, I’ve nearly finished what will become issue 2 of Coffee & Complexity — but I’ve barely started issue 1.

🤦🏼‍♂️


I’m doing my best to keep the bird feeders topped up today. The sudden cold snap means they’ll be looking for food more urgently - and some of them will be preparing to migrate.

Birds on a suet ball feeder in a West Sussex garden.