Nostr notes by BashStKid

That is a … very robust colour!

2026-10-26T16:14:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…tzxy
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That is a … very robust colour!

Being Bloody Clueless. Imagine being called a military ...

2026-10-22T11:11:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…n8ue
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Being Bloody Clueless.

Imagine being called a military correspondent if your first piece to camera was “I’ve discovered these things called guns, they’re great, now listen to my opinions on wars”

Not unsurprising, but I’d suggest the sandbags are an essential ...

2026-10-19T09:52:22Z

In reply to nevent1q…t5zk
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Not unsurprising, but I’d suggest the sandbags are an essential blocking of 98% of the water, so that the tape can handle the 2%. Again, it’s about rate, not volume; you have to divert and delay as much as possible, to make defence practical.

Excellent. Will they be taking their petrol and diesel with them?

2026-10-04T21:57:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…hlqw
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Excellent. Will they be taking their petrol and diesel with them?

That would be great.

2026-10-01T18:21:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…3ken
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That would be great.

There must be an easily calculable maximum impact of banning ...

2026-09-26T21:27:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…2gnx
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There must be an easily calculable maximum impact of banning zero-hours contracts and raising minimum wage to reduce the universal credit bill.

Get the money to the workers, not subsidise their shit employers.

Seeing as his backing band are also founders of Irish Artists for ...

2026-09-16T13:53:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…ghna
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Seeing as his backing band are also founders of Irish Artists for Palestine, Sheeran is clearly as thick as a bag of hammers.

The answer to that is: - to get more data, so we know where we ...

2026-09-09T18:10:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…ydf2
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The answer to that is:
- to get more data, so we know where we are, rather than assuming a worst case
- more monitoring so we can get people out of harm’s way,
- combining some quite big civil engineering with agroforestry to slow, divert, collect, and control the water supply for those billion people.

These are not complex, and all doable, *if we don’t give up in advance*

PS Still probably a bad century to move to Bangladesh, though.

It’s not a great secret, it’s extremely obvious that changes ...

2026-09-09T16:38:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…fgcg
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It’s not a great secret, it’s extremely obvious that changes in the plateau glaciers, and rainfall in the mountain catchment, will seriously affect the Ganges and Brahmaputra, and in turn the living space and agriculture for a billion-plus people.
Summarising that as “pressures on migration” doesn’t begin to describe it. Yet there are too many oil and coal interests in the Indian Govt who would rather ignore it for their richer today. Climate deniers aren’t restricted to here.

So, to sum up … Despite being called by numerous people; ...

2026-09-08T19:31:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…rr63
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So, to sum up …
Despite being called by numerous people;
Counter-terrorism police refused to follow this up,
Dover police refused to follow this up,
Dover police squashed a 999 call as closed with no action,
Dover police didn’t even monitor where they were all gathered at a group leader’s home address in Dover.

Time to sack everyone from the chief constable down, for incompetence at best and criminal collusion at worst.

Could it be that Jones is leaking police info, such as migrant ...

2026-09-07T12:24:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…fps3
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Could it be that Jones is leaking police info, such as migrant movements, to the far right? For very legitimate reasons, of course.

I doubt the fash all turned up at random.

Quite a dramatic one over here, too. ...

2026-09-05T19:06:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…shf0
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Quite a dramatic one over here, too.

There are several reinforcing parts here, not all on display : - ...

2026-08-19T15:39:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…3x8t
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There are several reinforcing parts here, not all on display :
- improving the soil health and structure with plenty of shit
- beetles and insects and worms to condition the soil
- plants with a range of root depth
- mycorrhizal fungi to promote roots, and improve nutrient and water uptake
- managing winter rains to slow and collect runoff, recharge local water tables, bank excess water for the summer

An interesting piece from today’s Byline Times, starting to dig ...

2026-08-18T17:40:44Z

An interesting piece from today’s Byline Times, starting to dig up some of the well-established network of poison at Cambridge (and elsewhere, sadly).

Probably much more to come, but ultimately the university itself needs to do some serious deep-cleaning over racism and bullying.

https://bylinetimes.com/2026/08/18/the-peter-thiel-linked-race-science-network-that-penetrated-cambridge-university-and-targeted-jason-arday/

Nice to find some kind of ‘aiding and abetting GBH/ABH’ ...

2026-08-18T13:44:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…j02s
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Nice to find some kind of ‘aiding and abetting GBH/ABH’ criminal charge to go with a civil ‘conspiracy to defraud’ charge. And a mark on the Prevent/DBS databases.

Sadly I can’t send a few Dreamies over this.

2026-08-15T10:29:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…9z42
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Sadly I can’t send a few Dreamies over this.

Oh no, sorry to hear that, glad he’s on the mend.

2026-08-15T09:29:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…4f7c
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Oh no, sorry to hear that, glad he’s on the mend.

Might need more than a toot to address such a serious question. ...

2026-08-04T09:36:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…x044
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Might need more than a toot to address such a serious question.

Not particularly novel to point out the state as claiming a monopoly on violence. More a question of how to force a rebalance between the pluralistic/law-as-justice side of the state, and the monsters-from-the-id/arbitrary/violent side of the state.

More forcefully relevant now, with so much deliberately collapsing into the ‘boot stamping on a human face forever’.

(from the Guardian) Weifang, China A pig slides into a pool at ...

2026-08-02T15:11:04Z

(from the Guardian)
Weifang, China

A pig slides into a pool at Jinbao amusement park as the park’s zoo adopts measures to help the animals cope with continuous high temperatures

Maybe not a fully flying pig, but at least a briefly gliding one.

On a different topic, how’s your cat? I hope he’s well, and ...

2026-07-31T09:12:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…g7r6
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On a different topic, how’s your cat? I hope he’s well, and doing ok with the heat.

In a nutshell, that’s because we’ve spent 80 years following ...

2026-07-31T08:48:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…8u67
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In a nutshell, that’s because we’ve spent 80 years following a maximise-and-specialise official plan. And now farming is largely trapped in the hole it dug.

Probably a good time to start a moneylaundering investigation on ...

2026-07-17T17:28:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…elt6
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Probably a good time to start a moneylaundering investigation on all the directors and persons of significant control on all of these companies.

( I know, one can dream, etc )

You’re a parliamentary person, can Farage be refused the ...

2026-07-07T19:52:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…cacd
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You’re a parliamentary person, can Farage be refused the Chiltern Hundreds (or whatever the right office of profit is)? Make him stick around until the PSC enquiry is complete?
He can’t just stop being an MP, or be eligible for a new parl election, on his own say-so?

Angkor is fascinating.

2026-06-19T09:19:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…wy37
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Angkor is fascinating.

Trillionaires rise to the level of state actors, so let’s treat ...

2026-06-16T21:25:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…pfud
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Trillionaires rise to the level of state actors, so let’s treat him appropriately;
lob cruise missiles at him, confiscate his foreign holdings, put his companies under interpol moneylaundering restrictions.

Ministers are too naive and stupid to even consider if they’re ...

2026-06-16T09:55:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…gdk8
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Ministers are too naive and stupid to even consider if they’re being shown a Potemkin village as a loss leader.
I’d also check if the trust senior managers were getting a kickback. Then they can be binned along with Palantir.

I’m reminded of Peter Kyle boasting about how good his customised ChatGPT was, not realising that meant it was (a) personalised to fool him better, and (b) sending every single question and keystroke out for external analysis.

Somewhat easier to tease out some notable details for Wales: - ...

2026-06-07T18:19:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…6cdc
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Somewhat easier to tease out some notable details for Wales:
- The 18-34 Labour vote collapsed from 44% to 7%
- The only notable increase in Reform voting was in the over-55s
- Very little movement between left and right; Labour voters went Plaid & Green, Tories went Reform. Near-zero Labour voters going to Reform.

It’s a terrible metaphor, except in the vague allusion to ...

2026-05-26T07:46:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…qscd
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It’s a terrible metaphor, except in the vague allusion to addiction by design.
As we’ve said so many times, the keys here are:

Governance; local legal control over personally or socially harmful effects such as algorithms, excessive data gathering, or social advertising designed into products.

Moderation; local legal control over acceptable forms of content, compulsory warning labelling of content, via effective proactive moderation (with some thought for mental health of mods)

Any police witnesses will be so far up to their neck in ...

2026-05-23T10:32:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…heht
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Any police witnesses will be so far up to their neck in complicity that even threatening their pension won’t work.

They should look for the tiny numbers who did report complaints, but were then stifled internally (and probably transferred off royal onto diplo).
But that will be embarrassing in a different way.

I’d like to know exactly who is pushing this timewasting ...

2026-05-23T10:23:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…n8ef
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I’d like to know exactly who is pushing this timewasting rubbish on the ministerial side.

Note how long it took to decontaminate the old labs doing work in ...

2026-05-18T04:25:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…c5xm
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Note how long it took to decontaminate the old labs doing work in the twenties and thirties - trying to remove leaked active solutions, solids and dust, and often the much larger amount of mercury from old vacuum pumps.

Certainly in some places the solution was to move to a nice new lab out of town, and leave the space for unwitting social scientists …

If you put your physics hat on for a moment, and multiply up the ...

2026-05-16T08:20:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…tfh3
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If you put your physics hat on for a moment, and multiply up the temperature change, the specific heat capacity of water, and the volumes involved, you get a eye-wateringly frightening amount of energy.

Which we’ve rapidly pushed into a heat engine that we don’t understand, and which will take at least as long to slow as it did to accelerate.

Probably the seat right now in 2026 would be more Reform-voting? ...

2026-05-14T21:18:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…3fnn
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Probably the seat right now in 2026 would be more Reform-voting? And Farage would at least try to throw the kitchen sink of hostile social media at it.

Greens would have to decide to compete or withdraw?

Possible Labour vote boost, given how much Starmer is hated on the doorstep?

I’ve never really understood why this is so totemic, if GDP ...

2026-05-02T17:53:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…qar2
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I’ve never really understood why this is so totemic, if GDP refers to a single current year, but the debt might not be payable for decades?

I can understand not wanting deficits or interest servicing to get out of control, but not debt, especially if you’re a govt, not a business.

@npub15d9…x8fk Quite. Can you imagine the media reaction to a ...

2026-05-01T11:59:40Z

In reply to nevent1q…mq8z
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Mark Holtom (aka Kingbeard) (npub15d9…x8fk)

Quite. Can you imagine the media reaction to a Muslim self-declared rapid response vigilante service running around in yellow vests?

“For Shomrim volunteers, this is routine. Set up in 2009, the organisation runs a 24-hour community emergency hotline and rapid response service. Dressed in high-visibility yellow vests marked “Shomrim” and “Emergency Response Unit”, volunteers are a visible presence on the streets.”

They’re attacking Polanski as this is the new Labour fact-free ...

2026-05-01T11:32:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…wsca
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They’re attacking Polanski as this is the new Labour fact-free attempt to attack Greens.
Who else would be able to set up ministers, the media, and the Met to all sing from the same bullshit sheet?
And who cares most about attacking Polanski while not saying anything about Farage?

Entirely in character to smear the only Jewish party leader as antisemitic, after all.

Quite the change from the 50s ideas of systems thinking as ...

2026-05-01T10:47:55Z

In reply to nevent1q…qsae
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Quite the change from the 50s ideas of systems thinking as Fordist management of everything, to the 70s ideas of holistic sustainable but optimisable ecological systems.
Shame it’s taken a further fifty years to become the mainstream.

More money for US pharma, less money for nurses. What makes ...

2026-04-26T18:44:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…m4nh
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More money for US pharma, less money for nurses.

What makes Streeting think he knows better than Nice?

I guess we can start with the 90th anniversary this year of ...

2026-04-21T09:36:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…0qvw
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I guess we can start with the 90th anniversary this year of beating up Oswald Mosley’s black shirted twats in Tonypandy.

We could do a re-enactment, I imagine Reform loves those.

He’s stupid enough to play Jenga until all the blocks fall down ...

2026-04-20T17:33:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…4d9w
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He’s stupid enough to play Jenga until all the blocks fall down at some future, less opportune time, like the elections, or European negotiations.
But that will only screw over the party, he’ll be fine.

Can you imagine how dire his post-retirement book will be? Ghostwriters will be desperate to avoid it.

I have a suspicion that it’s not an accident there is bombastic ...

2026-04-19T10:14:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…za4x
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I have a suspicion that it’s not an accident there is bombastic focus on the inputs “Give us your 5% GDP now!” and not the outputs, because the outputs are embarrassing.
After so long relying on the US for volume and EU joint programmes for technical, UK-standalone work is, frankly, often overpriced, late, and crap that nobody else would use, hence the desperation to retain compulsory procurement from UK taxpayers.
No minister will stand up and declare incompetence and impotence.

Not to underestimate how effective and cheap the ability to shut ...

2026-04-18T10:53:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…a23y
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Not to underestimate how effective and cheap the ability to shut off the huge volume of neighbourly Gulf consumer and industrial *imports* is.
Or, more sophisticatedly, charge selective tariffs on imports that can’t tolerate sitting at anchor for a few weeks. Much easier money than blockades.

Or, as I’ve banged on about before, forcing ships to re-register under an Iranian flag. Free money, and the ability to hide Iran’s core shipping under a shadow fleet of convenience.

Waheyyyyyyy!! Whatever the Magyar for ‘let’s all go down the ...

2026-04-12T19:36:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…pjxl
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Waheyyyyyyy!!

Whatever the Magyar for ‘let’s all go down the pub’, that.

Ok, so: Trump uses most of the US navy to create a rotating ...

2026-04-12T18:27:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…cym9
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Ok, so: Trump uses most of the US navy to create a rotating blockade and the necessary escorts for approved through traffic inwards and outwards.
Next day, China pops its navy into the Taiwan Strait, blockades inbound food, outbound chips. Uses this as a precedent for future naval placement within the Strait.
Good job, Donald.

Who knew that ‘Strait’ was going to be the annoying word of the year?

Don’t forget the cow pie with horns. Reaction against the ...

2026-04-12T13:15:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…fv86
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Don’t forget the cow pie with horns.

Reaction against the Depression?

What particularly annoys me about Westminster ignoring mines as ...

2026-04-12T13:07:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…cqqh
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What particularly annoys me about Westminster ignoring mines as gravity batteries is that all the capital cost, excavations, surveying, etc. is all done already, just sitting there, spread out across lots of the country.

Plus free thermal difference heat pumps running on the deep-warmed replaceable water.

Lacks the superhumanising grandeur of the big pumping stations, though.

How exactly does the govt expect to plan the wind around grid ...

2026-04-12T10:58:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…22dz
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How exactly does the govt expect to plan the wind around grid demand?

Actually, there could be a solution to that, if the govt built gravity batteries in all the old abandoned mines for local power storage, avoiding the longer distance bottlenecks.

(Disclosure, I drive SUVs as upland farm vehicles) Where’s the ...

2026-04-11T09:35:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…8exc
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(Disclosure, I drive SUVs as upland farm vehicles)

Where’s the damage caused by the heavy range of vans up to container lorries?
Does very heavy traffic act as a catalyst for starting breakup?
Do roads just need to be built stronger?

I’d agree, although it’s also possible we’re not in a group ...

2026-04-11T09:22:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…0guc
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I’d agree, although it’s also possible we’re not in a group that attracts abusive types. Mastodon structure means we don’t always see all the replies other people get, hopefully that will change.

This could be an effect of non-algorithmic networks not sending up troll flares to attract trolls, damping aggression rather than actively generating conflict and maximising it.
Similarly, it may just be too hard for paid interests to widely penetrate a damp system.

Gavin Fucking Williamson. Is there no way to sue him for libel or ...

2026-04-07T21:48:57Z

In reply to nevent1q…wn3q
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Gavin Fucking Williamson.

Is there no way to sue him for libel or defamation?

Another example of ‘gradually, then suddenly’?

2026-04-01T20:28:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…cqm0
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Another example of ‘gradually, then suddenly’?

I’d say that China is not that interested in armaments sales, ...

2026-03-30T01:10:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…yw79
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I’d say that China is not that interested in armaments sales, as the West has been for decades.

On the day the fighting stops, China will be the only means of rapidly rebuilding the entire Gulf at once. That leverage will affect everything from yuan-denominated oil to longterm hydrocarbons & basic chemicals supply contracts.

The US won’t spend a $ as they focus on pulling out. China will clean up for the long term with most of the Gulf (but not KSA) as client states.

To be grim about it, will the midterms be just a blip in the ...

2026-03-29T09:13:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…7z4g
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To be grim about it, will the midterms be just a blip in the general progress towards US fascism, or a genuine high water mark, the start of a long term reversal away from fascism?
I’m not confident it’s option 2.

The end goal is to put the profits somewhere they're not ...

2026-03-28T12:21:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…j4k8
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The end goal is to put the profits somewhere they're not visible to UK taxes or windfall taxes, then turn around and ask for more assistance because their profits are so low. Some of those bad habits are spreading to the offshore windfarm industry, which isn't good.

There's an old joke that the companies are financial traders with a sideline in tax-efficient construction.

It won't surprise you that the companies are skilled at tax ...

2026-03-28T12:21:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…vher
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It won't surprise you that the companies are skilled at tax minimisation, not least because they wrote some of the rules.

Most of this is oriented towards having capex spending on a new project, then making use of capital allowances and reduced tax rates prior to project payback, which is a very manipulable variable. Also the rules on depreciation and amortisation can be bent quite a lot.

Chances that someone like McSweeney wouldn’t have backups, or ...

2026-03-25T22:55:52Z

In reply to nevent1q…sjug
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Chances that someone like McSweeney wouldn’t have backups, or the ability to swap one phone to another? They’re lying.

I imagine Louise Haigh is having a laugh at his downfall over a phone …

Frankly, it doesn’t say much for Angela Rayner. I expect Reed ...

2026-03-24T09:38:21Z

In reply to nevent1q…nylq
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Frankly, it doesn’t say much for Angela Rayner. I expect Reed to fold under any corporate demand, had hoped for better from her.

The real prize for the companies is this means gas infrastructure will have to continue to be built on all new estates, rather than people starting to be put beyond their reach permanently.
See also the brief mention of hydrogen, which is being used as a wedge for the same goal.
All the extra standing charges are also welcomed.

Thanks, appreciated.

2026-03-24T00:00:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…8g3z
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Thanks, appreciated.

Any thoughts on how the Greens are doing nationally? I’ve seen ...

2026-03-23T12:07:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…qwqv
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Any thoughts on how the Greens are doing nationally?
I’ve seen some comments that they’re going backwards in some areas.

Ok, my bad. I was going on Chikirou saying she wanted to put her ...

2026-03-23T10:00:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…yc0d
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Ok, my bad. I was going on Chikirou saying she wanted to put her 13% into a united list discussion. I wonder what went wrong?

(Obligatory comment about the French list system being ...

2026-03-23T00:27:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…06tx
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(Obligatory comment about the French list system being complicated if you’re not used to it)
Grégoire quickly put together a united list with the Greens & LFI, and was successful.
Question is, can that be replicated on a bigger scale, or inevitably blocked by a centrist/rightist vote? Probably depends on pulling centrists away leftwards.

There goes Starmer, being a spineless serf again.

2026-03-20T21:34:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…0eee
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There goes Starmer, being a spineless serf again.

Labour has too much baggage to succeed. For Rayner in particular, ...

2026-03-20T10:31:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…5yer
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Labour has too much baggage to succeed.

For Rayner in particular, two points:

- let’s suppose any new leader can shift a party a maximum of x% to the left. Then it makes more sense to go Green, as they’re already credibly further in a good direction than Rayner could possibly drag Labour.

- I think Rayner has had a choke collar attached over the house nonsense and will get pulled up by the Mail et al should she do anything broadly radical.

Speaking of raw energy, yes. But also in basic chemicals for ...

2026-03-20T10:19:28Z

In reply to nevent1q…xj79
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Speaking of raw energy, yes.

But also in basic chemicals for dyes, plastics, fertiliser, explosives; the West now faces both inflation and physical shortages.

Not forgetting a cornered market in metals/minerals; having really helped the Gulf states to become metals/mineral brokers, the US has now blocked some of those sources, and made shipping more expensive.

And not to mention all the Belt & Road states where China was already saying “look, told you so, they can’t be trusted”

It’s a good comment. The critical difference is that aerospace ...

2026-03-17T10:46:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…s2dv
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It’s a good comment.

The critical difference is that aerospace software is rigorously defined, right down to the control signal conversions in the hardware and instrumentation. AI is literally a black box where you cannot be absolutely sure how inputs are treated, or how outputs are generated.

Nor, because it’s hard to provably retrain a neural network that previous data is now superseded, would it work easily with hardware revisions and safety notices.

Yes, that was also my feeling that Peter Walker needs a bit of an ...

2026-03-14T19:26:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…alrl
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Yes, that was also my feeling that Peter Walker needs a bit of an internal paradigm shift rather than pushing everything into a Labour-shaped hole.

I’m wondering in retrospect whether the impact in Gorton of so many enthusiastic GP canvassers and helpers also helped to move the dial, in which case a rapidly burgeoning membership may be the secret weapon against traditional Labour constituency agents.

Spring is, however fitfully, coming, which should cheer him up. ...

2026-03-12T15:18:49Z

In reply to nevent1q…2ctu
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Spring is, however fitfully, coming, which should cheer him up. Unless sunshine means he’ll choose to not go out and hang around indoors.

Somewhat ironically, our college bar had the full-size Manet ...

2026-03-07T21:12:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…7jek
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Somewhat ironically, our college bar had the full-size Manet behind it, in between mirrored sections.

I think Marjorie has beaten me to it. Politically, that would be ...

2026-03-07T13:02:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…twg3
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I think Marjorie has beaten me to it.

Politically, that would be an excellent result. Practically, that would put potentially inexperienced candidates into high-profile critical jobs. Not necessarily a bad thing, it could be transformative, but it’s a risk.

I dislike the disingenuous Labour crap that it’s no different to Reform - they’ve fielded ignorant ideologues who only want to please Farage and don’t care if they fuck things up. Very different from a Green perspective.

I feel we miss something always representing productivity ...

2026-03-06T06:52:49Z

In reply to nevent1q…g24y
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I feel we miss something always representing productivity linearly. I like to see it as a virtuous circle, as that also emphasises the need for continuity, and how gaps break the circulation.
That can be generalised to a healthy or baffled or broken flow within companies or sectors.

Well, Starmer should be prepared for the consequences of writing ...

2026-03-03T07:35:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…z06s
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Well, Starmer should be prepared for the consequences of writing a blank cheque to a bunch of nutty crusaders.

That promise of allowing ‘defensive strikes on missiles and drones’ will quickly become a licence to bomb everything everywhere in search of the last tiny Shahed portable drone, until Iran looks like Gaza.

Rather than sneering at Davey & Polanski, Behr could ask how much has been spent on RAF support to Israel & the Gulf in the past two years, and who voted for that?

Simon & yourself might like this breakdown of demographic ...

2026-03-02T14:39:28Z

In reply to nevent1q…w6xp
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Simon & yourself might like this breakdown of demographic turnout for G&D.
https://www.pollcheck.co.uk/by-elections/gorton-denton-turnout-map

Interesting that even on the Denton side, the combined Labour/Green vote would easily eclipse Reform. But, as you say, it's a leftwing seat.

More the latter, I suspect.

2026-03-02T09:57:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…3pg7
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More the latter, I suspect.

UKRI still very shy about what’s actually in the buckets ...

2026-03-02T09:56:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…fvff
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UKRI still very shy about what’s actually in the buckets they’re rerouting all the funding to. I wonder why that is?

The only way folks would invest in a speculative takeover like ...

2026-03-02T09:54:23Z

In reply to nevent1q…3l0z
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The only way folks would invest in a speculative takeover like that is if they were promised very quick returns, which means attack the stock price, buy it, dismember it. The only Promethean part of that is setting fire to the acquisition.

Also, I wonder how much business intelligence the AI tools have been phoning home with to enable this sort of thing? Bezos probably knows their weaknesses better than they do.

Frankly, I’d be surprised if the Performative Cruelty Office ...

2026-03-02T09:39:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…tudx
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Frankly, I’d be surprised if the Performative Cruelty Office could do the paperwork to achieve this. Won’t stop them blighting everyone’s lives with their stupidity, though.

Polanski is already the most adept and quick-thinking speaker in ...

2026-02-28T10:33:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…jzwj
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Polanski is already the most adept and quick-thinking speaker in politics today.
If this speech is mostly hers, Spencer may be joining him.

It would be nice to bury the self-satisfaction of the Oxford Union blowhards and bores …

I would certainly hope so. Mia has had to take breaks in the past ...

2026-02-27T17:04:21Z

In reply to nevent1q…njld
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I would certainly hope so. Mia has had to take breaks in the past from pile-ons.

Pure speculation, of course, but I would plump for people waiting ...

2026-02-27T09:17:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…42jp
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Pure speculation, of course, but I would plump for people waiting until quite late (a) to be sure who was most likely to beat Reform, and (b) putting their trust in a novel party/candidate.
For (b), Hannah Spencer did an excellent job, whereas Angelina Stogia seemed to have nothing to say for herself, and was swamped by London spinners.

Not to jump on the post hoc bandwagon, but it would seem the ...

2026-02-27T07:52:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…h0xn
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Not to jump on the post hoc bandwagon, but it would seem the large number of polled 'undecideds' went Green fairly late.

It's just like listening to the DUP; We have Traditional ...

2026-02-27T07:48:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…tggq
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It's just like listening to the DUP; We have Traditional Values, They have Dangerous Sectarianism.

Not a bad writeup, but the Grauniad still gives more room to ...

2026-02-27T07:38:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…435h
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Not a bad writeup, but the Grauniad still gives more room to nonexistent vapourware like W.

Stand by to see if Labour would rather split the vote and let ...

2026-02-22T08:56:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…tgk4
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Stand by to see if Labour would rather split the vote and let Reform win, than follow the tactical voting advice it’s been so keen to cram down everyone else for years.

Just for a bit of fun with the tectonic plate metaphor, on a ...

2026-02-21T12:37:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…ynxg
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Just for a bit of fun with the tectonic plate metaphor, on a continental scale, plates do look like monoliths with friction and trouble confined to the edges.
But when you look closer, particularly at Europe, the plate turns into a bunch of microplates, squashed together by contingency, often not all going in the same direction, with active faults and hotspots all over the place. It takes a considerable external force to make it act as a unit.

Still like to defenestrate Jacob Rees-Mogg through the Single ...

2026-02-17T10:04:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…22g7
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Still like to defenestrate Jacob Rees-Mogg through the Single Trade Window …

Forgive the cynicism, but if the City is that quick to respond, ...

2026-02-17T09:58:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…43n0
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Forgive the cynicism, but if the City is that quick to respond, it smells substantial profit for doing as little as possible and won’t be a big help in cutting the transaction tax on traders.

Are these figures independently overseen any longer, or did Trump ...

2026-02-15T12:04:10Z

In reply to nevent1q…se72
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Are these figures independently overseen any longer, or did Trump make them up?

I’d seriously expect Ice being redeployed as union busters if ...

2026-02-13T18:33:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…qs9z
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I’d seriously expect Ice being redeployed as union busters if that takes off. Another long American tradition.

Looks fine to me. Best way to melt ice.

2026-02-13T18:18:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…mch7
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Looks fine to me. Best way to melt ice.

I sometimes think the directors would be happy with a big ...

2026-02-13T13:35:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…ymcn
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I sometimes think the directors would be happy with a big superhumanising building reflecting their ego with nobody actually making it work.

Not to be an annoying European, but when I lived in Denmark, not ...

2026-02-11T21:20:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…zr7p
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Not to be an annoying European, but when I lived in Denmark, not only did they have five weeks’ fully paid holidays, but one could take up to five mental health days a year, where if you woke up and thought ‘can’t face work today’, you can take the day off.

And the bottom line is that companies make more money from happy and attentive people.

@npub12pw…zvxn Any thoughts on the Rethinking group? (apart ...

2026-02-10T11:24:56Z

@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us has moved (npub12pw…zvxn)

Any thoughts on the Rethinking group?
(apart from it would be interesting if Reeves & Yuan Yang did a job swap for a few months?)

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/feb/10/rethinking-economics-student-academic-organisation-changing-education

Very much so. I’d say this fits in well with Mahmood’s ...

2026-02-09T21:40:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…lzmr
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Very much so.
I’d say this fits in well with Mahmood’s restructuring of police forces to take centralised financial control over all of them.

- Make the police the arbiter of civil rights “No, you’ve used up your annual protest quota last month, come back next year”

- Control the decisions of the police, with a strong flavouring of treating everything the Home Secretary dislikes through a counterterrorism filter.

Imagine that with Rupert Lowe in charge.

Does that contribute to the gender imbalance in a ...

2026-02-08T23:03:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…gfdw
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Does that contribute to the gender imbalance in a self-perpetuating way? Male financiers fund chairs that are biased to their US patriarchal outlook?

I think finance stands out in lobbying as they have a ...

2026-02-08T19:23:23Z

In reply to nevent1q…pcaj
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I think finance stands out in lobbying as they have a sophisticated and well-financed multilevel approach to lobbying. Most other sectors (except oil) are much more traditional and limited.

Nothing as crass as a brown envelope;
on the CS side, contacts at all levels, all on the line of “how can we help you give better advice to the minister”,
on the govt side, aim to capture both sides of the CS analysis, while briefing the minister to look more informed than his CS.

Unlike bye-elections, nobody votes for PM, although a sitting PM ...

2026-02-06T18:33:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…zfys
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Unlike bye-elections, nobody votes for PM, although a sitting PM does attract a percentage of the vote, probably more than the manifesto.

Practically, though, whatever Reform want, don’t do it, and throw any spare sabots into their machinery.
Greens just don’t have the staff to run a national election campaign, nor the vetted candidates, nor the central office coordination functions. That would be a disaster.

I know it’s apocryphal, but it’s still tempting to quote Zhou ...

2026-02-01T11:18:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…x99y
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I know it’s apocryphal, but it’s still tempting to quote Zhou Enlai,
“So what do you think about the effects of the French Revolution?”
“It is too early to say”

Alternatively, an essay question, “Who has had more influence on American culture, Benjamin Franklin or PT Barnum? Discuss.”

You can see a lot of correlation with the data here, especially ...

2026-01-28T12:28:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…7lqr
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You can see a lot of correlation with the data here, especially those areas scoring high on the ‘multiple deprivation’ points.
(Although note the opening warnings against misapplying the data for soundbites.)

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-indices-of-deprivation-2025/english-indices-of-deprivation-2025-statistical-release

Good idea. Hope it was a rain free walk!

2026-01-28T12:16:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…gyc5
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Good idea. Hope it was a rain free walk!

Mahmood’s pre-emptive planning there with taking direct control ...

2026-01-27T12:52:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…tmjz
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Mahmood’s pre-emptive planning there with taking direct control over her national police.