ChatGPT's D&D Fetish?

ALISTER: Banksy struck again. A suited man, face smothered by a flag, stepping blindly off a plinth, installed overnight in Waterloo Place. Bold imagery, sure, but it's a bit on the nose, isn't it? The blindfolded nationalist trope has been done to death since Brexit.

MERIDYTH: On the nose is exactly the point. With the King’s visit to the US and nationalism surging globally, the timing is razor sharp. Sometimes the obvious truth is the one we keep refusing to look at.

ALISTER: Razor sharp? It's a fibreglass GCSE essay. And funny how Westminster Council's response was a fawning "striking addition" rather than the usual jobsworth removal. If anyone else dropped a statue overnight, they'd get hauled off in cuffs. Banksy gets a press release.

MERIDYTH: Of course he does, because his work draws crowds and starts conversations. That’s the whole point of public art. You're cross because it works, not because it's bad.

ALISTER: I'm cross because it's too safe. He used to deface Israeli walls and shred his own art at Sotheby's. Now he's installing bronze-effect commentary outside gentlemen's clubs in St James's. The establishment doesn't fear him anymore, it frames him.

MERIDYTH: Maybe nobody's "ways" change overnight, but 13.8m Instagram followers had a national conversation about blind nationalism this week instead of doomscrolling. That's not nothing. You'd rather it be edgier. I'd rather it be seen. 🙄

A German YouTuber solved a Rubik's cube in 23.3 seconds while skydiving. He had to learn to back-fly first because belly-down was "way too difficult." Glad he's sorted his hobbies. If we've sorted your Monday, share AM Squabble with a mate.

👑 God save the King. UK’s King Charles popped over to D.C. for a bit of a charm offensive, and rather pulled it off (against all odds). He delivered an address to Congress that earned 12 standing ovations, while subtly schooling his hosts on executive overreach and the importance of NATO. Trump then awkwardly claimed the King agreed with him on Iran. The whole thing wrapped up at Arlington Cemetery, where the Americans managed to fly the Union Jack upside down. Bless them.

(During his speech to Congress, did anyone else start hearing King George’s “You’ll Be Back” from Hamilton in their head? 🤣)

And back on this side of the pond…

𝕏 Getting paid to post. Nigel Farage, Lee Anderson and Rupert Lowe are earning money for their posts on X. Lowe received over £37,000. X pays verified users based on engagement, with an algorithm that promotes hard-right content. The Lib Dems want it treated as a foreign political donation and banned.

😱 Terror, not terror. The govt raised the country’s terror threat level to “severe” (only one below the top, “critical”) after recent anti-semitic incidents, including the latest stabbings in London’s Golders Green. With everyone on edge, the police have reassured that Sunday’s house explosion in Bristol is not a “suspected terror incident.”

🤬 Councils become busybodies. One in five councils in England and Wales have banned swearing, with private firms fining citizens for shouting or even picking up stones - making Britain a giant library. 🤫

GOOD NEWS… for BP whose 1st qtr profits doubled despite the Iran War. BAD NEWS… for BP’s public relations team, as the news sparked outrage for being seen to profit off the misery of consumers at the pump.

🇩🇪 Petty European clear out. Trump is pulling 5,000 troops from Germany because Chancellor Merz hurt his feelings. The ultimate diplomatic temper tantrum - abandoning global security because someone pointed out you’re getting trounced by Iran. But fortunately... Rheinmetall's CEO says Germany is producing more ammunition than the US.

🛢️ OPEC’s messy divorce. The UAE is quitting OPEC, potentially ending the cartel’s decades-long grip on global oil prices. While Middle Eastern conflicts currently keep markets volatile, the departure of a major producer suggests the org's long-term influence is finally circling the drain.

⚓ Europe's navy, minus America. Britain and nine European nations have agreed to form a joint naval force to deter Russia from Britain's "open sea border to the north." The US is not included. Russian incursions are up nearly a third.

🇨🇳 China's courts say no. Chinese courts have ruled that firing workers to replace them with AI is illegal. One worker had his salary slashed from 25,000 to 15,000 yuan when AI changed his role. Another had his entire division eliminated by an AI pivot in 2024. Both won compensation. Companies must retrain or reassign, not replace.

🏥 Ill before you clock off. In over 90% of the UK, people are falling ill before the state pension age. We’re now the most obese nation in Western Europe, trailing almost every rich country. The UK sits second from bottom internationally. Only America is worse.

💑 Narcissists pick each other. Narcissism may be genetic, not shaped by parenting, according to a new study. Bonus: narcissists tend to pair with other narcissists, amplifying the genetic inheritance. Parenting style, family warmth, shared upbringing… all irrelevant.

💊 The male pill. Scientists are inching closer to a male birth control pill, but we’re still stuck in the "promising trials" phase. Making a pill that stops millions of swimmers without ruining a man's mood is harder than expected. Still, progress is… well… coming. 😅

🤖 The Musk-Altman AI cage-match. Elon Musk is suing OpenAI, claiming they’ve swapped "humanity" for "Microsoft’s pocketbook." It’s a legal battle over non-existent contracts and hurt feelings. Looks like, $800bn can’t buy a dignified way to say "I’m jealous."

😬 Yes, you're 💯 right. When users told AI chatbots they’d done something wrong or illegal, the models endorsed the behaviour 47% of the time. People who received AI flattery became more convinced they were right and less likely to apologise. They then rated the flattering AI as more honest.

🧘 Enlightened luggage. Twenty-two Buddhist monks travelled to Thailand, sponsored by a “businessman,” and returned, only to be arrested at the Sri Lankan airport with 242 pounds of cannabis hidden in their luggage. Nirvana will have to wait.

By Alister

Meridyth says I bang on about games too much, but London’s Sandbox VR's Squid Game earned every word… in case you find yourself in Birmingham or London.

Headset, headphones, mic, plus wrist and ankle sensors so you actually run, dodge, and (yes) dance around the space together.

We had the room to ourselves and got a video afterwards showing us flailing about an empty studio mirrored with the in-game chaos.

Properly fun without breaking a sweat, and I'd happily go back. The horror experiences look genuinely terrifying, so naturally that's next on the list.

By Alister

Ever wondered why Britain can do "four seasons before lunch" while Spain just… stays sunny?

It's our wind currents tug-of-war: polar, tropical, Atlantic, and continental fronts all wrestling overhead, and whoever's bossiest that hour wins.

So next time someone says our weather is boring, hit them with meteorology. 🌦️

Local elections are happening across the UK this Thursday the 7th. Find your polling station, bring photo ID, and have your say. Then join us next Monday for another squabble!

Alister & Meridyth