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Wednesday 22nd June 2022

7142/19662

Lots of online chatting again today. I recorded a RHLSTP Book Club with novelist Stephanie Merritt and then was straight into a call with Nihal Arthanayake on 5Live to discuss Taskmaster. And then at 9pm I was on a zoom call to Hawaii to talk to the charming astronomer Harriet Witt, who was going to tell me something quite extraordinary about testicles for my upcoming “Can I Have My Ball Back?” Podcast. An astronomer and balls? There is a connection, but it’s quite oblique. However it was an utterly fascinating chat about human cooperation and an unusual combination of sensitivity and masculinity. I think Harriet had been a bit cautious about talking to me in case I was going to take the piss out her information, but we got on like a house on fire. What a world where two people can discuss balls together from halfway around the planet.

I was a bit surprised and confused to be cced into this tweet from Ukrainian MP Lesia Vasylenko
She said  
"Every nation that welcomes war displaced Ukrainians is making a contribution to preventing #Russia’s genocide of Ukrainian nation. Grateful today to UK  for new policy allowing unaccompanied children to seek refuge in UK @pritipatel @michaelgove @Herring1967"

What was my twitter handle doing at the end there? Lesia (perhaps unsurprisingly) doesn’t follow me and whilst I am supportive of the people of Ukraine, I have not been working with the government to help unaccompanied children seek refuge here. I do work with the government but only on their most evil and despicable policies and am disgusted to see myself associated with something that might be seen as doing good (as I am sure both Priti and Michael are too). I never really anticipated by name being mentioned in the same breath as Priti Patel and Michael Gove (unless my plans for a Guy Fawkes style atrocity ever come to fruition).
I’d tweet Lesia back and ask her why I was included, but I think she might have more important issues to deal with. I am wracking my brain to try and think of who she might have meant to tweet, but can’t think of anyone in the government whose twitter name would begin with Herr. I don’t think Herr Hitler has a Twitter account, though I think he was involved with the Rwanda policy. 
It’s a bit of a mystery.

A fabulous RHLSTP with the turbo-mouthed Dara O Briain went up today Please give it a listen.
A few of you have asked about the videos for these. They are going to be one of the extras for our new RHLSTP subscription service on Acast Plus. You can become a Plusser! Or a Plusser Plus. Or a Plusser Plus Plus.
At the basic level for £2 a month you can get ad-free podcasts
As a Plusser Plus for £3 a month  you will get ad-free podcasts, plus bonus backstage interviews and early access to the podcasts.
As a Plusser Plus Plus for £5 a month you get all that stuff, plus a monthly bonus exclusive podcast from me (which at least to begin with will be me answering emergency questions posed by Ally) plus access to a website where you will be able to watch video versions of the episodes that we film (one will go up each week, obviously not all eps are filmed).
We will try to put up as much bonus content as possible in that top level. If any of those appeal then sign up here.
We’re starting things in earnest in July, but you can sign up NOW.

Our other monthly badger system will continue, but will now be just for people who want to back my non-commercial projects and won't include the RHLSTP based extras (but will still have my tour videos, monthly draw and any other bonus bits from the other podcasts). You can be a badger and a plusser or choose to be one or even neither. It’s literally up to you. 


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Can I Have My Ball Back? The book Buy here
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