@garius@mastodon.me.uk
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garius

@garius@mastodon.me.uk

Author of The Brexit Tapes. Historian. Strategy streamer. Tech/Transport Strategist. Editor of @lonrec. Orient fan. Made Neil Gaiman cry (in a good way). Business: business@longformist.co.uk

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garius, to history
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To understand Musk's renewed obsession with X and focus on financial services, you REALLY need to understand the X/Confinity merger that became PayPal.

And, particularly, the Peter Thiel-led coup that kicked Musk out as CEO/Chief Strategist.

Here's how that happened. 1/🧵

garius, to random
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I've been asked by a digital publication to do a regular column on forgotten or overlooked bits of tech and business history that changed stuff forever.

So what's your favourite weird nugget of obscure history or people in tech or business?

This is LITERALLY your chance to make me write about it 😄

garius, to Cats
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As a kid I was scared of the dark.

One night, my mum asked me what was scaring me and I mumbled something about ghosts or monsters coming at night.

"Oh don't worry about those," she said. "The cats chase them way. That's why they're awake when we're asleep."

I've loved that idea ever since. That at some point ancient humans and cats struck a pact:

We feed them and provide them with places to snooze in daylight. They protect us from the things that lurk between worlds at night.

garius, to history
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On 8th Oct 1952 the worst civilian rail disaster in UK history happened in London. 112 would die. 340 would be injured.

That accident, and the actions of one woman from Florida have saved THOUSANDS of lives since.

Because that disaster would help lead to the creation of paramedics. /1 🧵

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU60PgAjh0E&t=7s

garius, to random
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Jesus Christ I love Mastodon to bits but stop explaining my own jokes to me.

garius, to random
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To find your perfect Predator movie, just take the name of the first kids show you remember and add "vs Predator" to the end.

"Rainbow vs Predator"

garius, to animals
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Realised I've never shared Napoleon the feral kitty's story here, so here we go.

This is Napoleon, and this is the story of his nine-month journey from a hungry, desperate feral street cat to snuggly duvet monster. /1 🧵

kitty happily curled up in the nook of my arm on a bed.

garius, to random
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Fact of the day:

ISO3103 is the International Standard covering the serving of tea. It's there to ensure consistency in taste testing.

Key points:

  • Pot should be porcelain or earthenware
  • Milk should be added AFTER hot water

Ireland were the only country to object on its submission, noting there was no provision for pot-warming in the specification.

This was overruled.

garius, to history
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I'll do a thread tomorrow on the X dot com/Paypal merger because I think it's really important to understand how that went down to know why Musk is STILL salty about how X died (and about Peter Thiel) now.

But in the meantime, here is a quick, but telling, story called:

That Time Elon Totalled his McLaren F1 While Trying to Show Off in Front of Peter Thiel /1 🧵

garius, to Cats
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My chief engineer last night, getting all over the live practice data for Monaco as it comes in.

I think his main concern was the signs of wear on Lando Norris' gearbox.

garius, to random
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On 9th May 1386 the Treaty of Windsor was signed between Portugal and England, uniting the two countries in a perpetual alliance.

It remains the oldest remaining alliance in the world.

In WW2 it would TWICE play a quiet but critical part in the allies' victory over the Axis, to the watching disbelief of Roosevelt and the Americans.

Here's how the treaty came about, was lost, almost got cancelled, then helped Britain in its darkest hour. /1 🧵 #history #histodons #portugal #uk

garius, to random
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On 5th May 1945, the SS launched an assault on Itter Castle in Austria.

Defending the castle were a mix of US Army and Wehrmacht soldiers, and French politicians, celebrities who had been prisoners of war.

It remains one of the most unique battles of WW2, and the only major documented instance of the US Army and Wehrmacht fighting side-by-side.

Here's how this remarkable series of events unfolded /1 🧵

garius, to history
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On 16th March, 1968 Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson Jnr was flying helicopter reconnaissance for an attack on an alleged North Vietnamese-controlled village at My Lai.

As the ground attack developed below, Thompson realised he was in fact witnessing something something else:

A massacre.

He decided to act. /1 🧵

garius, to random
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I may have made a terrible mistake. He now has an army.

garius, to random
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What's the technical term for when you start measuring something to evaluate it, but then that shifts over time to people trying to meet the target not to do the actual thing.

Happens a lot in schools with exam results.

I know there is one.

garius, to Cats
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This article is genuinely interesting (cats are BIG on umami, apparently).

But I love that for all the science, the reason WHY a desert animal love fish still seems to come back to them just deciding they did one day. And then demanding it off our ancestors, who duly obliged. https://www.science.org/content/article/why-do-cats-love-tuna-so-much-scientists-may-finally-know?utm_campaign=SciMag&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=ownedSocial&fbclid=IwAR3dgpvT7dJfn_hEcBI-vQpemCRFv3IgSnzX6TuCkULmYzviwgGPtMrKXmg

garius, to Cats
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A thing I like about cats is that they have no filter.

If a cat loves and trusts you, it's not because they are inclined by breeding to do so. It's because, despite their innate narcissism, they have decided you are worthy of attention.

If a cat thinks you are a good person, and worthy of a snuggle, it is in spite of them. It is begrudging. It is beyond earned.

If a cat loves you then you HAVE to love yourself. It's practically an order. You have been found worthy. It's not your choice.

garius, to random
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Fediverse, the independent women's football team I support/volunteer for needs your help.

After a MASSIVE comeback win against a higher level team they're through in the cup.

But that means a long coach journey, and the competition grants no prize money to pay for travel.

This is an economic barrier, not a footballing one, that team's without a link to a men's team struggle to overcome. So we're crowdfunding for coach hire. /1 https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/cup-travel-expenses-for-distant-away-game#start

garius, to random
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Every local UK Facebook group is alternating posts of:

"WHY IS RENT SO HIGH ROUND HERE???"

And:

"Hey someone is trying to build a block of flats sign this petition to stop it."

garius, to random
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People who have 1yr+ streaks on Duolingo terrify me.

garius, to london
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URGENT: An elderly neighbour is facing eviction due to house payment issues with her lender caused by her (pending-divorce) husband.

Are there any UK charities/agencies/others I can put her in contact with to get help? Particularly/urgently in writing a Stay of Eviction request?

garius, to random
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I once watched a little old lady sit down on the Tube opposite me, smile and pull a full size mint Viennetta out of her shopping bag.

She proceeded to eat it like a giant choc-ice.

I aspire to age with that much style.

garius, to random
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Still one of the greatest paragraphs of all time.

garius, to random
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"Never laugh at someone for being interested in something you find weird or boring. That just means you don't know enough about it yet."

Something my (now sadly deceased) mum said to me when I was a teen.

Always stuck with me.

Truer now, in the era of social media, than ever.

garius, to Cats
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Meet Cecilia.

Turned up desperately ill, dehydrated and starving on our doorstep a while ago.

Now recovering well from major surgery to remove a huge polyp (hence the still slightly closed eye), thanks to Cats Protection's help.

We've agreed she can move in permanently. 🐈

She and Napoleon will be introduced slowly. Both are pretty un-territorial, they'll adjust to each other.

No way we were going to leave her without a perma-home, after she'd already been abandoned once as a kitten.

Healthy little torty kitty chilling happily on a cardboard scratching block.

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