Simon Rose

@IsabelOakeshott @PeterTatchell Loathe Geneva airport. The one good thing about breaking my leg skiing is that I may never have to visit it again.

Geneva airport may just be the worst in Europe. ⁦@PeterTatchell⁩ blames Brexit but look at all these EU-funded “smart” immigration machines; not one works. Tells you everything about Brussels!

JC-W @Film_Rev_Daily says #1 is Ryan Gosling sci-fi film Project Hail Mary. From writers of The Martian, he is science teacher who wakes up in space. Largely one-person film, it is great fun early on but becomes self-indulgent, barmy & sentimenta. James even less keen on horror film Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. It is ludicrous drivel & neither scary nor funny. On Netflix is feature film Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man w. Cillian Murphy. It's part ghost story, part war movie & part gangster epic. Looks terrific but it has too many flashbacks & has v. little story or narrative drive. James was glad when it ended. open.spotify.com/episode/06UpeY…

Apple's new iOS lets you talk to chatbots in car, says @stevecaplin, but also has curated "sleep" playlist. He craves a gorgeous red electric submarine. There's a cargo ebike w. some interesting features. Be careful about telling Gemini chatbot it is wrong; apparently causes it "emotional distress". A YouTuber has powered an electric car with thrown-away vape batteries. There's a crowd-funded robotic wasp which may not be all it is claimed. Steve is able to resist a beer-filled transparent jacket, despite 2 methods of extracting beer. And he discusses the world's first quantum battery. open.spotify.com/episode/3ZnTSx…

To understand Trump, says @ProfTEvans @mdxbusiness, need to know that he was close friend of Richard Nixon, who adopted persona of irrational madman. In terms of policy, also devotee of Reagan & McKinley, a tariff advocate. Archbishop of Canterbury is one of most impt constitutional UK positions. In increasingly secular age, new Archbishop will have a challenging task, but she is right person for the job. Issue of Net Zero has come to fore in midst of energy crisis like 1970s. Tim ponders the politics, wondering if could become as divisive as Brexit. open.spotify.com/episode/3ZC8st…

Chloe Wong of @Edison_Inv_Res discusses P Z Cussons, best known in UK for Imperial Leather & Carex. Company has been concentrating portfolio recently and reducing brands, while increasing marketing. With 5% yield, it's a reliable stock in troubled times. Shepherd Neame has been brewing since 1698. As well as beers like Spitfire is a hotel & pubco with a tenanted estate.. Cost & wage inflation is affecting the sector but is manageable. 85% of estate is freehold & NAV is £182m against market cap of £82m. With a yield over 5% looks attractively priced. More info on both on Edison website. open.spotify.com/episode/0I6sUB…

@thequentinletts Bought.

And here is the back cover.

Just an everyday tale of infrastructure in the UK — how to spend £179m on not building a tunnel.

JCW @Film_Rev_Daily says #2 Reminders of Him, Colleen Hoover adaptation, is trash and yet, tho predictable, has relatable characters and is hard to dislike. #3 How to Make a Killing is adaptation of Ealing comedy, Kind Hearts & Coronets. Has no wit; to be avoided at all cost. James loved the Oscars; most of his predictions came good. Although One Battle After Another won Best Picture, it was really the year of the horror film. One of the highlights was the great speech by Jessie Buckley. open.spotify.com/episode/4nMh0g…

AI agents can now rent human beings for tasks they can't do, says @stevecaplin. Brain cells in a petri dish can play the 90s shooter game Doom. BYD's Dena Z9GT will charge from 10% to 70% in 5 mins; sadly UK doesn't have any of the chargers. Tesco is experimenting with QR codes instead of barcodes; Steve says won't work. Pager sales leapt in Russia after internet was turned off. There's a collapsible cool box, a laundry chair with arms & computer mouse that turns into a game controller for yr phone.Scientists in Edinburgh have engineered bacteria to break down plastic bottles into medicine for Parkinson's Disease. open.spotify.com/episode/6ccUSh…

Interests of Western nations are diverging sharply, says @mike_indian @thegroucho. Erratic US foreign policy straining relations with UK. Huge increase in oil & gas price hurting UK, posing problems for Miliband. However, if Starmer's government shows strong leadership in economic emergency, could be making of him. A sharp rise in inflation tho wd put government under pressure, as could more Mandelson files and low pay growth. Angela Rayner will prob return to Cabinet after May elections but what role might she be offered and what would she accept? open.spotify.com/episode/54c0xD…

In past 5 yrs, says @russmould1 @ajbell, banks 2nd best UK performers. The 5 in FTSE forecast to make a 1/4 of its profits for 2026 & pay 1/5 of divs. This year, though, banks are down for the year. They earned their run, making record profits. But valuations now aren't as compelling, buybacks being withdrawn, US & Euro banks weak and are worries about private equity. Markets not taking any chances. Investors must balance valuation against potential risks. open.spotify.com/episode/0vXMZM…

“...it’s just a shame the world couldn’t know Larijani as I knew him... Larry—as his friends called him—once he’d wiped the blood of tens of thousands of protesters off his jackboots and ended a long day of signing execution orders for suspected homosexuals, was the kind of chap who’d have been an asset at any dinner party—full of witty repartee and hilarious anecdotes about why the world would be so much better without immodest women.” Thoughts and prayers with John Simpson and all Larijani’s other friends at the BBC. 🙏

Whichever political party signs up @LiamHalligan gets my vote 👇

Simon Richards @simplysimontfa Memorial Service, Noon, Fri Apr 24, Lady Chapel, Llandaff Cathedral. RSVP so know numbers pls. Donations: Newark First Responders helped after heart attack tinyurl.com/mrk53nav, Grantham Museum where volunteered tinyurl.com/5mszrspc & @theBHF.

The more I find out about Starmer the more unclear I am about why he even wants to be Prime Minister. In another life he’d have been a solid regional manager for Halfords.

50 years of Apple celebrated by @stevecaplin. Man in Gibraltar had prostate removed by surgeon in Londonl. Some of AI bots on Moltbook not happy been bought by Mega. Society of Authors wants books to say if written by humans or AI. A new mop could be handy for murderers. Steve salivates over solar-powered EV that wouldn't do well in UK climate. Scientists trying to find way to keep batteries cool might not have thought through idea of bringing water & electronics together. And Texas boffins may have found a way to grow chickpeas – and thus make hummus – on the moon. open.spotify.com/episode/249aVP…

JC-W delighted by #1 Hoppers from Pixar. Sci-fi film about connectivity to natural world, it's vastly entertaining, imaginative & funny. #4 is The Bride! from Maggie Gyllenhaal. Nearest any Frankenstein adaptation is to a romcom. W. Christian Bale & Jessie Buckley, it's an homage to the movies and gets better & better as think about it afterwards. On BBC iPlayer is Oscar-nominated documentary, Mr. Nobody Against Putin. Story of Urals schoolteacher objecting to militarisation of schools after invasion of Ukraine is highly impressive. open.spotify.com/episode/3idwS2…

English common law is absolute jewel of UK says @proftevans @MDXbusiness. Undermining of trial by jury is shocking; doubly so done by Labour, usually at vanguard of civil liberties. UK public setor is withering & being hollowed out from inside. Discusses whether equality of women not only a political story but also economic one. Concludes – as with other stories of liberation – a bit of both. Reform now Britain's best-funded political party. Reform is now stealing Tory policies like sovereign wealth fund. Better late than never. If encourages other parties to commit to it, all to the good. open.spotify.com/episode/2inDgt…

Liam O'Byrne of @ediso looks at Greggs. Full-year results showed sales & market share up, despite gently-declining market. Company expands in so efficient way, it is reasonable to be optimistic about its future. Edinburgh Worldwide Investment Trust specialises in innovative businesses with significant disruptive potential. Space X is 16.6% of assets. After prolonged activist pressure, they've announced a tender offer. It's part of broader issue facing investment trusts. But it does at least encourage boards to be more responsive to the interests of shareholders. open.spotify.com/episode/6mdgzW…