Giuliana Bland 🍉

A recent report says that voice notes are huge across the world… apart from in Britain. Here’s my two cents (or pennies) on why I dislike voice notes: 1. I don’t want to have to put in earphones or find a quiet place when out and about, just for you to tell me “yes” or “no” about whether you’re free for a cup of tea next Wednesday. 2. While I’m watching telly, I want to be able to glance down at my phone and get the information I need in text form. I don’t want to have to turn the telly off and listen to your private podcast that’s just for me. 3. I don’t want to wade through three minutes of waffle and chit-chat I never asked for when a thumbs-up emoji will do. 4. It makes me feel like you expect a voice note back - and I’m not doing that. 5. I have no interest in tangents about how you’ve just seen an interesting pigeon on the pavement. I asked if you could give me a lift to the station, and 12 minutes in you’re talking about a pigeon and I’ve missed my train. 6. The convenience is all yours. It’s quick to send a voice note, but much slower for me to consume it. It’s bad manners. I think that about covers it. Of course, if voice notes are a more accessible option for the sender (due to difficulty typing, vision impairment, language barriers, etc.), that’s completely understandable - a different kettle of fish! But if you just like waffling, I’d rather not be the waffle sounding board. (Really I think I’m just jealous of people who are able to talk coherently for minutes at a time).

What a picture! Israeli soldiers and settlers have prevented Palestinian children from going to school by blocking the routes with razor wire. So instead, the Palestinian children take out their school books and start studying right next to the masked Israeli soldiers.

A lot of misinformation from legacy media about Starlink’s entry into South Africa. Here’s the truth 👇 • ❌ “Starlink wants to bypass B-BBEE” ✅ False — it supports transformation via EEIP, a legal framework already used by companies like Microsoft, IBM, and Amazon Web Services. • ❌ “Starlink is asking for special treatment” ✅ No — it’s asking for equal rules so ALL satellite operators can compete fairly. • ❌ “EEIP is less beneficial than equity deals” ✅ Reality — Starlink’s plan would connect 5,000 rural schools with FREE high-speed internet, impacting millions of students every year. • ❌ “It won’t create local impact” ✅ It will partner with local businesses, create jobs, and boost the economy (broadband growth = GDP growth). • ❌ “It will become a monopoly” ✅ Impossible — Starlink operates globally in a competitive market across 150+ countries. • ❌ “Security & privacy risks” ✅ It will fully comply with South African laws like every other country it operates in. • ❌ “Starlink is already operating illegally” ✅ Wrong — it is NOT operating because it is still waiting for a license.

JD Vance: "Will you stand against the bureaucrats in Brussels? Will you stand for western civilization? Will you stand for freedom, truth, and the God of our fathers? Then, my friends, go to the polls and stand for Viktor Orban!"