@Wen@mastodon.scot avatar

Wen

@Wen@mastodon.scot

I am a climber, runner, cyclist and swimmer. In between that I run a small (but perfectly formed) analytics company, splitting my time between Edinburgh, The Highlands and The Borders, campaign for Scottish independence, bake bread and occasionally dabble in bad art.

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jbenjamint, to random
@jbenjamint@mastodon.scot avatar

There's part of me that thinks potentially Paula Vennells wasn't malicious, simply grossly incompetent, because that tallies with a lot of the business leaders I've come across.

Good at climbing the ladder, rubbish at actually running anything.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/live/2024/may/22/paula-vennells-post-office-horizon-it-inquiry-alan-bates-live-updates#top-of-blog

Wen,
@Wen@mastodon.scot avatar

@jbenjamint malicious by omission? Certainly uncaring by design.

scotlit, to literature
@scotlit@mastodon.scot avatar

Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) was born , 22 May, at 11 Picardy Place, Edinburgh – a 🎂 🧵

Bridget Kendall on BBC Sounds explores the life & work of the doctor & literary superstar who changed forever

1/11

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p054419v

Wen,
@Wen@mastodon.scot avatar

@scotlit glad you did it - Conan Doyle must be spinning in his grave 🙄

Geri, to random
@Geri@mastodon.online avatar

Out of the blue hypothesises that Martin Griffiths, the Sub-postmaster who took his own life, had mental health issues.

Wen,
@Wen@mastodon.scot avatar

@JackTheCat @Geri an appropriate jail term will suffice.

Wen,
@Wen@mastodon.scot avatar

@JackTheCat @Geri I think the chances are slight. Mone is an eejit and will get thrown to the wolves in time (at a profit), Vennels has become a liability to Westminster politicians. She is mince imho.

I won’t regret it, but she will just represent a wee bit of the corruption berg being top sliced.

Wen,
@Wen@mastodon.scot avatar

@Geri @JackTheCat plus fines

Wen,
@Wen@mastodon.scot avatar

@JackTheCat @Geri she’ll have the inside line on direct government corruption. Mone is a simple beneficiary and Vennels is at arms length.

JackTheCat, to random
@JackTheCat@mastodon.scot avatar

I said years ago that Scotland would end up like Florida but with added midges.

‘Never-ending’ UK rain made 10 times more likely by climate crisis, study says.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/22/never-ending-uk-rain-10-times-more-likely-climate-crisis-study?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Wen,
@Wen@mastodon.scot avatar

@JackTheCat We don't have mosquitos or alligators or pythons (not native, but…) though - yet 🤞🏻

jbond, to random
@jbond@mastodon.social avatar

A study in the UK has found that electric cars hit more pedestrians than petrol cars. Mostly because the pedestrians can't hear them. Without victim blaming, perhaps the pedestrians should pay more attention when entering the cars space? That space also contains bicycles and e-scooters which are similarly silent.

As a cyclist it's common to have to avoid a ped who stepped of the pavement into the road without looking. Presumably because they couldn't hear any danger.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/21/electric-cars-more-likely-to-hit-pedestrians-than-petrol-vehicles-study-finds

Wen,
@Wen@mastodon.scot avatar

@jbond @JackTheCat It would still not be a bad idea for both electric cars to have a sound maker (many do not - out 4 year old BMW doesn’t) and cyclists to use a bell. We drive carefully, knowing the car can be quiet under 20mph and our bikes have usable bells (very lightweight).

Wen,
@Wen@mastodon.scot avatar

@raymierussell @jbond @JackTheCat

I know. And many are sold with a very small, very lightweight pinger - which is effective. Most road bikes I see have had them removed! It is not a weight thing - just unthinking behaviour.

Wen,
@Wen@mastodon.scot avatar

@raymierussell @jbond @JackTheCat I haven't had that problem. Although my recumbent has a rather remarkable ‘Air Zound’

https://www.airzound.co.uk

which gets HGVs wondering…

Wen, to privacy
@Wen@mastodon.scot avatar

Who are the real extremists? The people challenging injustices or those trying to shut down our rights

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/may/22/extremists-injustices-rights-protest-society

But but but, the grate(ing) the gud - an ‘independent’ ex Labour MP says it is all OK, so shut up and cower in the cess pit plebs.

Wen, to UKpolitics
@Wen@mastodon.scot avatar

Martin Rowson on recent British scandals

Wen, to random
@Wen@mastodon.scot avatar

‘My songs spread like herpes’: why did satirical genius Tom Lehrer swap worldwide fame for obscurity?

https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/may/22/my-songs-spread-like-herpes-why-did-satirical-genius-tom-lehrer-swap-worldwide-fame-for-obscurity

The great (but not late) Tom Lehrer. I am amazed he never (apparently) got picked up for a ‘wee chat' by the authorities.

He put much if not all of his work into the public domain https://tomlehrersongs.com

#Lehrer #Songs #Satire

Wen, to UKpolitics
@Wen@mastodon.scot avatar

Arrest fewer people to save prison space, police chiefs told

http://archive.today/2024.05.21-200515/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/arrest-fewer-people-to-save-prison-space-police-chiefs-told-d95qsbgz9

cached

A damning indictment of British social policy and a blindness towards the need to treat the causes of criminality and rehabilitation/reducing reoffending. Anyone might think that US private companies who do so much damage in the US have a hand in government policy…

ChrisMayLA6, to politics
@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us avatar

In a transparent attempt to push the 'country's not safe under Labour' narrative, today Oliver Dowden launches a new Govt. website called Prepare which offers advice on stockpiling goods (food) for potential emergencies.

Advice includes holding 10liters per person per day stock of bottled water & food supplies that do not need to be cooked.

While this may bring advice in line with other countries with such 'resilience' planning, the timing looks pretty odd, does it not?

h/t FT

Wen,
@Wen@mastodon.scot avatar

@ChrisMayLA6 Watch for on the faux public broadcaster for further details.

ChrisMayLA6, to random
@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us avatar

As expected Lord Walney's report ('welcomed' by James Cleverly) represents an agenda to stifle and criminalise democratic protest.

This is a real and present danger, not so much from the Tories who will likely have too little time to get much of this near any legislative change, but from Labour whose instincts seems to have been becoming less & les permissive of protest over the last few years.

Democracy is in danger of being further constrained


https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/21/close-to-a-police-state-campaign-groups-condemn-uk-report-into-protests

Wen,
@Wen@mastodon.scot avatar

@MadeyeTheCarnaptious @ChrisMayLA6 Ahhh but. He is described as an ‘independent advisor’ - even from the private companies paying for his vittles.

Wen,
@Wen@mastodon.scot avatar

@MadeyeTheCarnaptious @ChrisMayLA6 You forget ex Labour MP

alanferrier, to random
@alanferrier@mastodon.scot avatar

Fixed that for you, New Statesman.

Fun fact: England is the only country in the world to have fully privatised its water and sewerage systems.

Via the Financial Times: "Scotland—which has its own state-owned water company—massively outperformed its neighbours with water standards similar to much of Scandinavia."

Wen,
@Wen@mastodon.scot avatar

@JimmyB @Thebratdragon @MadeyeTheCarnaptious @alanferrier They are easier to target, but don't forget the ‘client' lenders who are being paid higher than normal interest rates to lend to the company so that they can pay dividends. It is a deeply crooked mess.

Wen,
@Wen@mastodon.scot avatar

@Thebratdragon @JimmyB @MadeyeTheCarnaptious @alanferrier Unfortunately a deeply corrupt Westminster directs that the taxpayer is liable for.

Wen,
@Wen@mastodon.scot avatar

@JimmyB @Thebratdragon @MadeyeTheCarnaptious @alanferrier Profitable - in the short term, companies do and then the directors and a few shareholders make off like bandits before it all comes falling down.

Wen,
@Wen@mastodon.scot avatar

@JimmyB @Thebratdragon @MadeyeTheCarnaptious @alanferrier Some regulation over their investments would be useful. A ‘too big to fail' monopoly was always a blinkered investment.

Wen,
@Wen@mastodon.scot avatar

@Thebratdragon @JimmyB @MadeyeTheCarnaptious @alanferrier Not necessarily a Ponzi scheme even if the belief that they will be protected no matter what the managers of the fund get up to might be similar.

Wen,
@Wen@mastodon.scot avatar

@JimmyB @Thebratdragon @MadeyeTheCarnaptious @alanferrier The current political and legal system allows them to get away with it scot free.

Wen,
@Wen@mastodon.scot avatar

@JimmyB @Thebratdragon @MadeyeTheCarnaptious @alanferrier I quite agree. However what is actually going to ensure a maladministration hits the guilty hard where it hurts? Pissed off, organised, voting pensioners are a start.

Kierkegaanks, to random
@Kierkegaanks@beige.party avatar
Wen,
@Wen@mastodon.scot avatar

@Kierkegaanks @rberger

I prefer my old standby when a CD is not sounding so good. An expensive felt tip pen to ‘balance' the disk 😀

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