Tom Foale @askquantum@qoto.org

"British Culture" is cheering at the drowning of refugees while your rights are taken away by your Posh overlords.
You think we're cute and twee with our silly words and traditions but a third of us are pure fascists, and another third just want to pretend it all away.
You should pity us, and be wary.

Had to visit the hospital with Tory Boy (for reasons I care not to go into)

So, moans about striking nurses, knowing I support them.

Moans about car park fees.

Moans about waiting for a procedure.

Still votes Tory.

Masks are not a lockdown.
Nor is testing before events.
Or getting boosters.
Or improving ventilation & filtration.

None of those interventions (despite some people's best efforts to claim otherwise) cause more harm than good. Every person who cares about the economy, jobs & quality of life will support sensible #COVID19 precautions, not oppose them.

Some people are advocating for millions more to die and many more to be chronically disabled. Reject their patent lack of sense & empathy.

The “Science News Cycle” by Jorge Cham is my favorite of his wonderful PHD Comics series. #science #news

Another stupid hot take about the Fediverse. This time courtesy of Megan McArdle from the Washington Post.

Apparently, Mastodon is doomed because it solves problems most users don't care about.

Just like Linux is a failure—because only hobbyists and IT professionals use it.

Except—unknown to Megan—Linux is a huge success which runs on everything (including your router).

Also Megan seems unaware that *actual* problem with social media really is centralization.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/01/17/twitter-mastodon-replacement-social-media/

RT @PrivateEyeNews: Being “invited” by HMRC to come clean about under-reported profits, and stumping up a surprise $4m bill under the new Google law - just two things that don’t stand in the way of the Conservatives taking your donations and making you party treasurer! Full story in new Eye today.

🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/catherinemep/status/1615666856165269504

RT @PaulbernalUK: It’s not normal to make seven figure settlements with HMRC

It’s not normal to have seven figure tax bills

It’s not normal to have seven figure amounts available to pay tax bills

&

It’s not normal to use Gibraltar-based companies to hold shares in trust for you to not pay tax

🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/catherinemep/status/1615667086046687233

RT @JohnWest_JAWS: You would be forgiven for thinking we don't have:

An ex chancellor with a shady £3 Million tax "deal" with the HMRC

A Home Secretary who is unapologetic for using hate speech reminiscent of fascism

A bill to strip away workers rights - indeed, human rights.

1/3

🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/catherinemep/status/1615666680629284866

Still find it both frustrating and counter-factual when the pundits refer to the size of different global economies and treat EU states as separate entities.

The EU is an economy with a single market, a common currency, a customs union and a competition policy. Treat it as such.

🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/alexstubb/status/1615657312122707968

They've done huge damage to our society, and it's time for change. Luckily, one deranged billionaire has made that really really obvious.

My personal rule for Twitter now is that I will not ordinarily contribute value to it. I will tweet criticism and explainers about Twitter, and I will promote alternatives to Twitter. That's all Elon is getting from me.

At #PMQs Sunak says stopping people striking is the answer to dangerous ambulance delays
That’s just reactionary rubbish. And how disgusting to blame ambulance workers & nurses who are striking precisely to try to prevent people dying due to this Govt's running down of our #NHS

🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/CarolineLucas/status/1615684285419384833

Really interesting post from @davidallengreen on the impact of AI tools on developing contracts. For me what's interesting is how it draws a parallel with developing software (a comparison he's also noted previously). #AITools #Law #Contract #SoftwareDevelopment

https://davidallengreen.com/2023/01/artificial-intelligence-and-how-it-will-affect-commercial-lawyering-and-legal-blogging/#comment-491976

Rishi Sunak talks of “union paymasters” - I dare him to look an NHS worker in the eye and repeat it. I’m sure he wouldn’t, because deep down he knows that those striking for fair pay are simply people seeking to make ends meet & trying to do the best for their families #PMQs

🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/CarolineLucas/status/1615684826501185536

"What Carole #Cadwalladr has done to #Facebook and #bigdata, and Edward #Snowden has done to the state security complex [& #privacy], the young Kazakhstani scientist Alexandra #Elbakyan has done to the multibillion-dollar industry that traps knowledge behind #paywalls. #SciHub, her pirate web scraper service, has done more than any government to tackle one of the biggest rip-offs of the modern era: the #capture of publicly funded research that should belong to us all."

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/sep/13/scientific-publishing-rip-off-taxpayers-fund-research

“Bolsonaro must not be given refuge in Florida, where he’s been hiding from accountability for his crimes,” Sen. Castro tweeted.

U.S., Canada, Mexico slam #Brazil unrest amid questions on #Bolsonaro’s #Florida stay - POLITICO

#MOG
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/09/us-canada-mexico-brazil-unrest-00077015

Rebecca Solnit sums up the #Thunberg - #Tate affair nicely, drawing the threads of climate denial and right wing machismo neatly together.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/dec/31/greta-thunberg-andrew-tate-tweet

#greta #thunberg ends year with one of the greatest #tweets in history

Beyond the entertainment value of what transpired over the past few days is a serious reminder of the intersection between #machismo, #misogyny, hostility to #climateaction & #climatescience, & the dank underworld of #rightwing characters like tate recruiting white boys and young men to their views.

#climatecrisis #tate #twitter #climatecrime #denialists #denialism

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/dec/31/greta-thunberg-andrew-tate-tweet

Art.

Greta Thunberg ends year with one of the greatest tweets in history - The Guardian https://apple.news/A4V6eiz3gSnuxlCPM2aR_iA

#thunberg
#ClimateFight
#StandUpForHumanRights

Does anyone know of custom #css for mastodon that allows resizing of the account profile information grid? #mastoadmin

Washington officials are preparing for a possible visit from Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on Wednesday, and he could address a joint session of Congress, sources say. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/washington-preparing-possible-zelenskyy-visit-wednesday-rcna62662