@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social
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HighlandLawyer

@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social

Law, IT, & other stuff.
North Scotland

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foone, to random
@foone@digipres.club avatar

Terrible idea: Christian programmer who comments their code with references to Bible verses which are applicable to the code's situation

HighlandLawyer,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@foone
// Matt 20:16
void reverseArray(int arr[], int start, int end)
{
while (start < end) {
int temp = arr[start];
arr[start] = arr[end];
arr[end] = temp;
start++;
end--;
}
}

HornedLivestock, to random
@HornedLivestock@mastodon.scot avatar

I am a fair bit irritated by way too many news outlets and their insistence, either directly or by talking head, on framing the water issues in England and associated regulation as being a "UK" problem.

Gonna say it loud for the thickos:

THIS IS AN ENGLAND AND WALES PROBLEM. OFWAT DOESN'T REGULATE IN SCOTLAND. SCOTTISH WATER ISN'T A PRIVATE COMPANY.

Maybe try and stop shitting in the sea, then drinking it.

HighlandLawyer,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@HornedLivestock
It is deliberately framed like that to hide from the general public in England & Wales that there is one simple way to solve these problems; Scotland's publicly owned water provides a clear counter-example of how it could be- not perfect but a damn sight better.

(That's not the only reason why it is framed like that, but pretty certain it is one of the reasons)

cstross, to random
@cstross@wandering.shop avatar

UK government adviser on disruptive protest accused of conflict of interest:

John Woodcock, whose review proposes bans for protest groups, has lobbying links to firms in arms and fossil fuel sectors (and is recommending bans on protests against both those industries)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/17/government-adviser-on-disruptive-protest-accused-of-conflict-of-interest

HighlandLawyer,
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@BashStKid @glitzersachen @cstross
Well those last few words hit the nail on the neck...

Although less fatally there are two current methods to remove someone from the House of Lords: if they are convicted & sentenced to 1year+ imprisonment; or if expelled by vote of the House for misconduct.

HighlandLawyer,
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@simon_brooke @BashStKid @glitzersachen @cstross
Though having a democracy, rather than a system where less than 40% of the vote gives a massive majority in the legislature, would be a good first start

HighlandLawyer,
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@simon_brooke @BashStKid @glitzersachen @cstross
The last part has been a feature of English/British government for a millennium, albeit with "king" prior to creation of office of Prime Minister.
Of course if you have a democratically elected first chamber, you could have a second chamber filled by sortition: random selection of voters, required to do a term in office. Call it the National Lottery.

HighlandLawyer,
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@simon_brooke @BashStKid @glitzersachen @cstross
Like some modern democracies. But certainly, with a written constitution & a constitutional court that is an option; especially if you have a federal structure.

HighlandLawyer,
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@simon_brooke @BashStKid @glitzersachen @cstross
EU: the Parliament and the Council form a bicameral legislature.
Czech Republic, 1993: Deputies & Senate
Slovenia, 1991: Council & Assembly

HighlandLawyer,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@melanie @glitzersachen @BashStKid @simon_brooke @cstross
The EU bicameral legislative procedure was introduced in 1992, extended in 1999, and became the standard procedure in 2009. Prior to that the Council passed all the legislation.
I have no preference between unicameral or bicameral systems per se: another term for waste is redundancy. Question is what a 2nd chamber is meant to achieve, & what checks & balance apply to the legislature (however many chambers) in the constitution as a whole

HighlandLawyer,
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@melanie @glitzersachen @BashStKid @simon_brooke @cstross
A tangled mass of documents making up a constitution you say?

HighlandLawyer,
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@melanie @glitzersachen @BashStKid @simon_brooke @cstross
They'd have to hope PC Peter Grant can persuade her not to do anything too destructive...

Quinnypig, to random
@Quinnypig@awscommunity.social avatar

I'm sorry Slack, you're doing fucking WHAT with user DMs, messages, files, etc? I'm positive I'm not reading this correctly.

HighlandLawyer,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@Quinnypig

cstross, to random
@cstross@wandering.shop avatar

UK government planning nuclear site in Scotland

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9eze1dzy5no

This is pointless: Scotland is already self-sufficient on renewables. What we need is a new grid interconnect between Scotland and England so we can export our surplus energy to the south!

It's all about the lobbyists, of course:

"Its ambitions for up to a quarter of all electricity to come from nuclear power by 2050 are being led by government-backed body Great British Nuclear." (Who?)

HighlandLawyer,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@cstross
Arguably we don't need a new grid interconnect, we need the pricing regime changed so that we can benefit from all this renewable energy ourselves rather than being charged higher prices than the south of England are.
But yes, with a rational set-up, new interconnects from Scotland to England & Norway would be for the greater good.

peterbrown, to random
@peterbrown@mastodon.scot avatar

“Remarkably, food production doubled under the agrivoltaic system. And because water evaporation from the plants cooled the panels, the solar system itself generated 3% more electricity during the summer, showing how both food and solar production can perform better when done in collaboration”.

https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2021/12/solar-and-crop-production-research-shows-multi-solving-climate-benefits/

HighlandLawyer,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@peterbrown The UK govt currently operates on an evidence led basis: they see what the science says would be best for everyone, then do the exact opposite.

dgar, to random
@dgar@aus.social avatar

The harpsichord.

The affordable piano alternative for the baroque musician.

HighlandLawyer,
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@dgar
Put wheels on your harpsichord: excellent for baroque and roll.

ZachWeinersmith, to random
@ZachWeinersmith@mastodon.social avatar

So, after putting it down for many years, I'm back to trying to read HG Wells' corpus. Interesting thing: all of his famous, lasting, books were published between 1895-1899, when he was aged 29 to 33. There are other novels, lots of philosophical and political thought, but so far I would say none of it comes close to that first few years.

Having read lots of it my feeling is that he was very smart but used up his original ideas quickly and his political thought verged on silly.

HighlandLawyer,
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@ZachWeinersmith Part of the zeitgeist at the time; at least he was imposing restrictions on his technocratic leader class.
On a related topic, the 1936 film adaptation of The Shape of Things to Come... stylish AF but politically <ouch/>

foone, to random
@foone@digipres.club avatar

Having one of those fun days at work where I have to ask "hey, is the edison cylinder phonograph supposed to be on?"

HighlandLawyer,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@foone Thought you would have a hand-crank punched tape music box.

RichardJMurphy, to random
@RichardJMurphy@mas.to avatar

The Greens were the biggest winners in the local elections, so why aren’t they getting fair air time? https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/07/the-greens-were-the-biggest-winners-in-the-local-elections-so-why-arent-they-getting-fair-air-time/
Proportionately, the Greens won most seats at the recent local elections, but they are denied airtime, and we get Reform instead. Why?

HighlandLawyer,
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@steviesyerda @OliverNoble @simon_brooke @Kellys
Except the establishment in England would keep all those symbols; they've already said that England & Wales would be the "continuing state" of the UK, with Scotland as a new state, so would keep the name, flag, UN seat, treaty obligations, etc. Essentially they'd ignore Scotland, which is already happening with the common use of "UK" when they mean England only.
Any change in England would have to be pushed from the bottom up.

HighlandLawyer,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@fitheach @steviesyerda @OliverNoble @simon_brooke @Kellys
Yes, it's not a particularly wise decision on the part of UK/E&W, but it's what they're determined on. Having two successor states with no continuing state would probably be a much better outcome for E&W, but hey if they want sole responsibility for the national debt & all treaty obligations, while giving Scotland a completely clean slate, that's their choice. Don't blame us if English voters subsequently crucify them for it.

RejoinEU, to random
@RejoinEU@mastodon.online avatar

The Daily Heil doesn't approve of our choices of elected representatives.

This fash-rag supported the Nazis, and evidently nothing has changed except the first name of the Rothermere-of-the-day.

This front page is (yet another) subversion of our democracy, demonstrating that the time has come to take the UK print press out of the hands of press-baron "proprietor" oligarchs, in favour of Boards of Trustees.

HighlandLawyer,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@RejoinEU
Scottish Daily Heil running a completely different story, though same politics of course.

ZachWeinersmith, to random
@ZachWeinersmith@mastodon.social avatar

Every Chinese Food Recipe:

Heat wok to 4 billion degrees.
Add one atom of oil, any kind.
Add garlic and onions.
Add black sauce of doom 1.
Black sauce of doom 2.
Chilies.
Black sauce of doom 3.
Protein.
Raise heat to 6 billion degrees.
Plate.
Garnish with scallions.

HighlandLawyer,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@ZachWeinersmith You missed the ginger

dgar, to random
@dgar@aus.social avatar

My local bank manager wears a cowboy hat and calls himself the Loan Arranger.

HighlandLawyer,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@dgar But the repayment department wants you to call them Pronto

cstross, to random
@cstross@wandering.shop avatar

New blog entry: On mistaking a transient state for a permanent one: https://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2024/05/on-mistaking-a-transient-state.html

HighlandLawyer,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@cstross In terms of long term infrastructure, that gives a use case for "space manufacture" in the form of a permanent structure for receiving, recycling, & processing satellites. Pull old satellites out of orbit, open them up for a refurbish with updated tech & refuel, pop them back into orbit; no need to go in & out of the gravity well per satellite, simply send & recieve bulk materials to the station.

Finally a plausible excuse for an L5 O'Neill cylinder!

simonvarwell, to random Esperanto
@simonvarwell@mastodon.scot avatar

Overheard from a passer-by just now:

“There’s one in Dornoch. There was one in Tain, but it got vandalised.”

You can now join me in wondering what they were talking about.

HighlandLawyer,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@simonvarwell
Public toilets? The ones in Tain were vandalised last year. Total guess though, could be many things.

kaia, to random
@kaia@brotka.st avatar

weekly reminder what they took from us: sealable USB sticks :sadcat:

HighlandLawyer,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@fzer0 @kaia @cstross But it needs a little well or indentations to hold the wax; on a smooth USB stick the whole seal can slide off cleanly.
Now you can put a USB stick in a paper envelope & apply the seal to the envelope, but that's using extra resources & isn't so elegant.

simon_brooke, to random
@simon_brooke@mastodon.scot avatar

"this is why any government in Holyrood is destined not to deliver. It can't, because London created a system that was bound to fail as a way of securing continuous control whilst ensuring that blame would be directed inward in Scotland itself, as might well happen now" -- @RichardJMurphy

https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/04/26/scotlands-political-problem/

HighlandLawyer,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@MadeyeTheCarnaptious @iaruffell @Shivviness @simon_brooke @ferryoons @RichardJMurphy
Also on a practical note, the UK currently does not have a force like the Spanish Guardia Civil which could control the whole of Scotland by force. That could of course change under a new administration, but it would cost a lot.

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