Notices by Simon Brooke (simon_brooke@mastodon.scot), page 4

@youronlyone @autistics @actuallyautistic I think that's a feature of aging. I could do all sorts of intellectual tasks in my twenties and thirties that I absolutely cannot do now.

I'm pretty sure that it's true of "neurotypical" people just as much as it is of us.

@SallyStrange furthermore, ANY economist who has not given thought to the consequences for the deep future of the actions they are recommending today, is an illiterate reckless amateur hooligan¹, who should not be allowed out of doors without a straight-jacket and a leper's bell.

¹ or 'economist', as they call illiterate reckless amateur hooligans in the kleptocrat-owned media.

@ecosaurian @Wen @Roadwarrior29 I cannot see any good outcome of the coming election. The #SNP will lose seats – and frankly they deserve to, they have no vision and their administration has become very lacklustre – and #Labour are only marginally less worse than the #Tories.

A plague on all their houses.

Well, that's a first.

I cycled to a meeting today, only a twenty kilometre round trip but more than three hundred and fifty metres of climb. I went, as I usually do these days, on my electric bike. The battery was fully charged, the motor was ready...

And I did not press the button.

Two years ago, I would have struggled to do this.

@CloudyMrs I didnae listen after they had said they were only going to have an Israeli spokesperson on. I don't have the patience or balance of mind to listen to a #Genocide apologist justifying genocide.

In this episode, The News Agents, who claim to be credible journalists, ask: "Is #Israel committing #genocide in #Gaza?"

To investigate, do they interview an Israeli spokesperson? Why, yes, of course.

A South African spokesperson? Errrr... No.

A Palestinian spokesperson? Dear $DEITY, no, of course not!

What happened to journalistic rigour? What happened to balance?

Episode webpage: https://www.global.com/

Media file: https://dax.captivate.fm/b33534be-98fe-4add-bdbb-1797a01aeba1/12-JAN-01.mp3?aw_0_1st.showid=c49390b9-6909-4cd3-a974-e270cf686f27&aw_0_1st.episodeid=a9254d65-0c4f-4e81-8baa-c6aec9082c5c

"The data strongly suggests centre-left parties can build a coalition of voters who believe a strong welfare state, effective public services and real investment, for example in the green transition, are essential" – Björn Bremer, quoted in

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/jan/10/adopting-rightwing-policies-does-not-help-centre-left-win-votes

"As an example, Bremer cited the UK Labour party’s losing 2015 election campaign, which focused on fiscal responsibility. “[When] voters really care about fiscal policy, they’ll go for the ‘issue owner’ – in this instance, the Conservatives""

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/jan/10/adopting-rightwing-policies-does-not-help-centre-left-win-votes

"Adopting rightwing policies on issues such as immigration and the economy does not help centre-left parties win votes, according to new analysis of European electoral and polling data"

Gasp. Who could possibly have guessed it? Someone should tell #Labour and the #SNP.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/jan/10/adopting-rightwing-policies-does-not-help-centre-left-win-votes

"The average social democratic voter today is very, very different from 50, even 20 years ago... this new constituency is actually both culturally progressive and economically leftwing"

Well, blow me down. Startling revelations.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/jan/10/adopting-rightwing-policies-does-not-help-centre-left-win-votes

“trying to imitate rightwing positions is just not a successful strategy for the left” – Professor Tarik Abou-Chadi, quoted in

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/jan/10/adopting-rightwing-policies-does-not-help-centre-left-win-votes

It's astonishing to me that this even needs to be said, but it's also very clear indeed that strategists at neither #Labour nor the #SNP understand this.

@raymierussell I think every responsible citizen should apply for this, whether or not they have existing photo ID. The requirement for voters to show ID is bad law, and we should deliberately overwhelm the system in silent protest.

There's a sense in which it's pointless trying to clean this floor at this time of year. Every time anyone comes into the house they inevitably bring mud in. But having the house filthy is really bad for my morale, so...

"in those cases, [Bing] went so far as to make serious false allegations of corruption that were presented as fact."

Where LLM #ChatBots make libellous allegations, should their publishers not be legally liable? When chatbots give advice following which results in damage, should their publishers not be legally liable?

Researchers say Bing made up facts about European elections - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/15/24003248/microsoft-ai-copilot-algorithm-watch-bing-election-misinformation

"I have spoken to many people in tech who are afraid that if they speak up, they’ll be unable to raise their next round, and lose 5-10 years of work on their venture, for their families and for their employees.

We must break the silence around the #genocide in #Gaza"

Extraordinarily powerful and courageous essay by @paulbiggar. Read it and weep.

https://blog.paulbiggar.com/i-cant-sleep/
H/t @yogthos

@CloudyMrs @peterbrown @therightarticle Craig Dalȝell (@thecommongreen) sent me a paper on land tax to comment on urgently a week ago, but I have to confess that due to stuff ging on in my life I haven't got round to dealing with it.

There are people working on it.

@CloudyMrs @peterbrown @therightarticle We could be talking about punitive levels of tax, though.

@CloudyMrs @therightarticle on the fourth point, decent access should be a legal requirement, and if it's not provided the land should automatically be transferred to community ownership.

Don't bribe people to allow you something you should have a right to, because the rich are rich enough to ignore bribes.

#LandReform

@CloudyMrs @therightarticle that includes offshore companies, including companies registered in secrecy jurisdictions, but if such companies own land they're *supposed to* tell Companies House who owns them.

contd...

https://theferret.scot/hundreds-foreign-property-owners-stay-secret-rules/

@CloudyMrs @therightarticle On the second point, there shouldn't be any 'cut-off' because, as you say, people would try to sneak around it; just a single continuous function.

cont'd...

https://www.journeyman.cc/blog/posts-output/2014-12-09-me-and-you-and-the-duke-of-buccleuch/