Twenty twenty five. Will we remember you in the annals of history? If we do, it will be as a footnote to the beginning of something. Something awful. Something revolutionary. It will probably be the former.

It doesn’t feel like the human race has moved forward in the past twelve months. Evolution is slowing. Kindness is at a premium. It’s getting harder to care that much about your common man and woman and those struggling in-between. Division is sewn constantly by pretty much all parts of the political and social spectrums whether intended or not.

Hard to see that changing much in 2026. Any optimism i have or have had for many years is in short supply going into the new year, which will come as little surprise to many who know me, but i can’t see it from anyone else anymore either. The kind of blinkered enthusiasm and over the top joy that always used to irritate me. i almost miss it.

Another year comes to its close. And tired Britain slows. i can’t remember if people felt good about entering 2025? Were we still looking forward to the Labour government being effective, at least borderline left leaning? That’s completely eroded as they now appear to be fascist shills, appealing to the gammon, racist, little Englanders as Reform disintegrates, in the hope that they can pick up the dregs. They aren’t going to oppose anything our special relationship friends across the Atlantic are doing, if anything they’re mimicking them by arresting people who oppose their paymasters.

What is fairly certain is more xenophobia, racism and ignorance dressed up as patriotism will prevail. As the rhetoric that our culture and sense of national pride is being dismantled, the irony is that the idea that the culture these flag shagging arseholes think we should be striving to protect either never did or certainly no longer does exist. If they think foreign lager, chinese, curry, multi millionaire footballers from across the globe and the owners from America and the Middle East, massive multinational conglomerates delivering their clothes, electronics, food, TV, music and social media is “British Culture" then they’ve securely set up camp up Farage’s arse.

Maybe there is hope with the Green Party. Zak Polanski is rattling some cages, pissing off the establishment, annoying Labour, Tories and Reform MPs and supporters alike. Beautiful. Hopefully that translates into membership, increasing polls and, ultimately, votes.

I don’t want to write this kind of thing again in 2026. Maybe i can leave this at the door to 2025 as it closes behind us. For all our sakes i hope so.

This is less about a change of subject matter and more about the irritation at the usability of the big blogging apps.

If, you’re like me, and you have so many fingers in lukewarm pies, then you need to be able to use an application that allows you to switch between accounts and different internet faces easily and quickly.

This is something i waited patiently for about 18 months for Substack to pull their finger out and fix but they haven’t. So I’m off. As far as The Professional Cynic is concerned anyway. The silly football podcast can stay there as it’s the most frequent and regular output i do.

Yet if I want to rant, eulogise about music or dissect clumsily and inaccurately about a moment in history, it appears to be easier to just use a different app entirely.
So I’m on Medium now. Which sounds like I’m going to try and contact the afterlife but i assure I’m not (because there is none).

The old wanging on is still there on Substack under the same moniker but I won’t be posting under it anymore in 2026. Hopefully it’ll be more frequent.
Merry Chrimbo and a peaceful New Year.