@jhoneyball welcome

Musk and X threatening all-out war with the European Union merely means that they will end up being stuffed with their own equivalent of the Northern Irish protocol.

A short memory of how I built 38 useful Twitter bots in 2009: https://bensmith.blog/posts/i-invented-tweeting-trains-probably

Hello fediverse, lil cry for help: I’m looking to speak to someone with vitelliform macular dystrophy caused vision loss, so I can ask about their experience with the onset of symptoms. I was diagnosed ~3 years ago and until recently hadn’t experienced symptoms, I believe I now am but would love to chat to others about their experiences. Compulsory masto disclaimer: I’m not looking for advice other than the specific ask above, thank you. Boosts much appreciated 💖

Sometimes there is hope for humanity.

I’m sat in well known burger place at a Dublin train station. My train isn’t for another hour.

A homeless couple are holding hands and sharing a single coffee and the minute it’s done a member of staff asks them to leave. It’s not busy and he’s been hovering around for a while. From the look of him I don’t think he wanted to say anything but was ordered to by a faceless manager of the franchise. Rather than risk his job he did as he was told.

The man sat at the next table interjects and says “they’re with me!” The absolutely are not. The staff member leaves and the man turns to the couple, says something I can’t hear and leaves.

He comes back around five minutes later. He has two meals for them and some bottles of water.

The lady cries. The man shakes his hand and thanks him, his face showing he is clearly touched by this strangers kindness.

The kind man finishes his meal and the homeless couple stand and thank him as leaves. They are taking their time eating their meal and smiles are lovely.

And do you know what makes this entire situation better? The Samaritan never once got his phone out and took pictures of his good deed.

As much as I think society is going to hell, what with the rise of the far right, the bigotry and the hatred talk that goes on, this scene gives me hope.

Would I have done something similar? I’d like to think so.

A short poll to satisfy my curiosity; please #retoot

I am a man of a certain age and it has just occurred to me that no one has ever given me #flowers. I like flowers.🌷🌸🌹🌺🌻🌼

If you identify as a man, has anyone ever given you flowers? If not, why do you think that is?

From the New York Times

It’s time to log out. I’ll be putting the About #Chromebooks blog on hiatus for a bit. Possibly for good. Here’s why and what’s next.
https://myconscious.stream/blog/Logging-out-of-Chromebooks-for-a-while/

@davidallengreen sorry for the delay. The link in Empty City takes me to a page not found error in Bailii

@davidallengreen the link to the Horizon issues judgement doesn’t seem to be correct on the email I received today. The article is fascinating and thought provoking

@patrickhadfield Brexit has worked entirely as planned. It was only ever a device to protect high tax (none) payers, reduce consumer protection and enrich disaster capitalists like Rees-Mogg. It was never in the interests of the vast majority of us! The sooner we are back in the better. I miss being a citizen of Europe and despise being a subject of the crown. As for the ‘taking control of our borders’ we were never in the Schengen area and always had control of our borders!

🆕 episode: *Electric vehicles (are like smartphones)*

The team discuss electric vehicles, their software and how they're like phones (but bigger, with wheels).

https://www.361podcast.com/s21e06

Douglas Barrowman, PPE Medpro, the BVI loan and the struck-off solicitor.

No answers, but a good few questions: https://www.taxpolicy.org.uk/2023/12/29/struck_off/

Last year, the Times and then The Daily Mirror reported that Douglas Barrowman and Michelle Mone owned (and sometimes lived in) a house in Belgravia which was held by an offshore trust.

Which means she was a beneficiary (or the trustees acted in breach of trust).

Guess whether Mone disclosed her interest in the trust in the House of Lords register of members' interests? https://www.taxpolicy.org.uk/2023/12/29/more_mone/

dont feel bad for using your local library and its services if you have a good local library system. literally use the hell out of its services if you can, it gives them justification to keep getting funding

this post is sponsored by Big Library

We’ve just published a detailed analysis of how libel firm Carter-Ruck acted for OneCoin, a massive cryptocurrency fraud. The evidence is reasonably clear that Carter-Ruck were reckless in choosing to act for OneCoin and how they acted. They missed obvious signs of fraud. That had serious consequences.

https://www.taxpolicy.org.uk/2023/12/18/carter-ruck/

Just as we now have ministers for legal and illegal migration respectively, we probably now also need ministers for lawful and unlawful procurement.