@samueljohnson@mstdn.social avatar

samueljohnson

@samueljohnson@mstdn.social

Scientist, MBA, ex IT professional, Irish & European
Lived 30+ years on 4 continents, now back in Ireland.

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

raghnallborders, to politics
@raghnallborders@mastodon.scot avatar

A reminder just what an equal and voluntary #union does and doesn't not look like.

#politics #scotland #libdembrexit #libdems #liberaldemocrats #labour #labourbrexit #torybrexit #tories #conservatives #IndyToRejoinEU #europeforscotland #EU2024 #GeneralElection #ge2024 #GE24 #uk #brexit

samueljohnson,
@samueljohnson@mstdn.social avatar

@raghnallborders Ireland was coerced into the UK, never voted for it, fought for hundreds of years to get out of it, still forced at gunpoint to accept partition of the country.

Come on in, the water's lovely.

samueljohnson, to random
@samueljohnson@mstdn.social avatar

Blowhard moron and bankrupt conspiracy peddler Alex Jones is claiming that Ireland is being "invaded" and "taken over"

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/may/26/refugee-lilian-seenoi-barr-braves-racist-abuse-northern-ireland-first-black-mayor-derry

Never mind the Down Survey or the Plantation of Ulster... There are some black people in Ireland!

Cry more Alex

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ireland-students-campaign-deportation-nigeria-nonso-muojeke-charlie-flanagan-a8582776.html

BrideOfLinux, to random
@BrideOfLinux@mastodon.opencloud.lu avatar

How to break your addiction to overpriced garbage: Best Free and Open Source Alternatives to Apple's Products - LinuxLinks https://www.linuxlinks.com/best-free-open-source-alternatives-apple-products/

samueljohnson,
@samueljohnson@mstdn.social avatar

@hoco @BrideOfLinux Have you tried asking ChatGPT? An alternative source is alternativeto.net

https://alternativeto.net/software/itunes/?platform=linux

Clementine is good but, like Christine, I have no experience with Apple.

dajb, to random
@dajb@social.coop avatar

Unexpected mention of my home county in this post, the sentiment of which I find difficult to disagree with

https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2024/05/24/going-sessile/

samueljohnson,
@samueljohnson@mstdn.social avatar

@dajb The trick is to move country and stay for several years. Then it's all novel and there's little friction. One learns relatively little merely passing through places and cultures.

samueljohnson,
@samueljohnson@mstdn.social avatar

@dajb Schooling is definitely a constraint but international schools exist all over the world.

randahl, to random
@randahl@mastodon.social avatar

"Sprechen Sie… Ukrainisch?"

In the absolutely awesome German state of Hesse, they are now introducing Ukrainian as an official elective course in school.

In Germany you must learn two foreign languages to obtain higher level school diplomas, and now Ukrainians can choose Ukrainian as that second foreign language. At the same time, native Germans get the chance to learn the language of 44 million Ukrainians too — which is great with Ukraine becoming an EU member state.
https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/05/24/german-state-to-introduce-ukrainian-as-second-foreign-language-at-schools/

samueljohnson,
@samueljohnson@mstdn.social avatar

@forthy42 @randahl Same thing has happened in the education system in Ireland. Presumably the view is that the Ukrainians are the best people to decide whether to learn what many expect will be a future EU language.

samueljohnson,
@samueljohnson@mstdn.social avatar

@forthy42 @randahl A stupid reason to reward aggression. The language doesn't belong to Putin and his kleptocratic allies.

mwl, to random
@mwl@io.mwl.io avatar

The #ryoms Kickstarter is $40 from $26,000.

Gonna go to bed with this hanging.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mwlucas/run-your-own-mail-server

samueljohnson,
@samueljohnson@mstdn.social avatar

@mwl I spent half an hour trying to give you money on kickstarter today (first time I'd logged in in years; have funded several things in the past). Had to give up.

"Oops.... Please unblock your adblocker"

Made no difference. I've opened a ticket but even that was a palaver. You might be losing out if my experience is indicative. I almost quit.

samueljohnson, to random
@samueljohnson@mstdn.social avatar

Have read about 14 different large language models today, some of which have special purposes.

How long before we see one for route planning for long journeys by EV?* Many complain, rightly, about the need to have multiple apps. I found even the best, "A Better Route Planner" , irritating and a struggle to use on an 8" Android tablet.

*Teslas w large screen and charger network may not need it but even efficient batteries and built-in navigation are insufficient for rivals.

davidallengreen, to random
@davidallengreen@mastodon.green avatar

Why has nobody pointed this out before?

samueljohnson,
@samueljohnson@mstdn.social avatar

@davidallengreen But JRM said "the Irish should know their place". Surely if "Perfidious Albion on speed" means anything it means coercing the Irish. It's only been 800 years.

mwichary, to random
@mwichary@mastodon.online avatar

Has anyone written about how textual generative AI feels strangely close to toxic masculinity in some respects? The absolute confidence in everything stated, the lack of understanding of the consequences of getting that confidence wrong for important questions, the semi-gaslighty feeling when it “corrects” itself when you call it out on something. It so often feels like talking to someone one would despise and avoid in “real life.” I’m curious if anyone did some writing on this.

samueljohnson,
@samueljohnson@mstdn.social avatar

@mwichary FWIW in my experience ChatGPT (haven't used anything else as much) differs from your typical mansplainer in one respect: instead of doubling down when contradicted it apologises and says "you're absolutely right" - - then, of course, tells you what you already know, which is kinda mansplainey.

samueljohnson,
@samueljohnson@mstdn.social avatar

@mwichary I like it. I will think of it as "gasjective".

Someone I knew long ago: "let's be subjective about this"
Friend interjects: "surely you mean objective"
SIKLA: "yeah, whatever"

BrideOfLinux, to random
@BrideOfLinux@mastodon.opencloud.lu avatar

Actually, just the act of using Windows should be enough to woo you away from Windows: These cool KDE Plasma features could woo you from Windows https://www.zdnet.com/article/these-cool-kde-plasma-features-could-woo-you-from-windows/

samueljohnson,
@samueljohnson@mstdn.social avatar

@BrideOfLinux Have you ever tried going back to it? I mean just to solve a problem for someone? 7 was the last tolerable version imo. After that 🤦.

Funnily enough, by chance, my main laptop for the last few years belonged to Microsoft's IT manager in Ireland. He did a clean install of Windows 10 and talked it up. He was surprised when I said I'd be wiping it. 😁

samueljohnson,
@samueljohnson@mstdn.social avatar

@BrideOfLinux I have a box w a Windows 10 SSD in it that has had one use, approximately annually: updating my Garmin satnav which came with lifetime update of maps of Europe, real-time traffic data news, reading of text messages, hands-free Bluetooth w phone and more.

Haven't used it since Covid and am now trying in-car (EV) navigation in France as an alternative to Android Auto. I think the satnav is about to be redundant & Windows w it. Here (🇪🇺) govts provide online tax forms. 😋

RickiTarr, to random
@RickiTarr@beige.party avatar

Okay, since I'm on laundry today, a little story.

When hubs and I first got married, we were very much enjoying our little Honeymoon Bubble, and we were being lazy as Hell. We didn't do many chores, but the laundry we really let go. We weren't wearing many clothes at home anyway, so why bother. Anyhow, after weeks we finally reached the swimming suit bottoms situation, and decided it was time. It was loads and loads of laundry that needed done, so I had my husband back the trunk of the car up to a window of the house, then he popped the trunk, and I started tossing laundry out of the window into the trunk. We went to the bank, got about $30 bucks in quarters, and found the emptiest laundry mat we could, and did it all in one fell swoop. We folded it all and loaded it back into the car using those wheeled laundry carts. We never let it get that bad again, and decided it was time to be adults, and do regular chores, but it still makes me laugh imagining what the neighbors and the laundry attendant thought.

Feel free to share your own laundry story, if you feel like it, I love hearing people's stories!

samueljohnson,
@samueljohnson@mstdn.social avatar

@Holberg @RickiTarr Hah hah. I think I can top this. I put too much soap in a washing machine on first visit to London as a teenager. Machine burst open disgorging bubbles (didn't notice at first, had my back to it, wet noises underfoot alerted me). I dared disturb old lady in the back who didn't want to be interrupted doing her ironing. GET OUT! But...! Come back at 5.

5PM

Place full of gorgeous girls.

"It's him"
"First time away from home love?"

😊

It wasn't, just first washing machine.

samueljohnson,
@samueljohnson@mstdn.social avatar

@Holberg @RickiTarr The machine was like something out of Dr Who. The girls were from a nearby model agency. Mortifying doesn't begin to cover it. Lol.

andrewducker, to random
@andrewducker@mastodon.scot avatar

Link Post: What's the difference between the British and Finnish welfare systems? https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1789554549272850452.html

samueljohnson,
@samueljohnson@mstdn.social avatar

@andrewducker I highly recommend the recent 3 part series "The State We're In" by Darren McGarvey shown on BBC TV. One of the programmes compared education in UK and Finland.

itsfoss, (edited ) to linux
@itsfoss@mastodon.social avatar

Well, don't hold back! 🐧

samueljohnson,
@samueljohnson@mstdn.social avatar

@itsfoss Works for me.

dajb, to random
@dajb@social.coop avatar

More MSc stuff, because why wouldn't you be in a library studying on a lovely sunny day? https://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2024/05/11/tb871-three-purposeful-orientations-and-five-different-systems-approaches/

samueljohnson,
@samueljohnson@mstdn.social avatar

@dajb Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision Making by Sam Kaner et al. is worthwhile if you can find it. Training in person even better. (I have had some good fortune).

On a rainy day I'm going to look up some of these. 😋

dajb, to random
@dajb@social.coop avatar

A post about my current relative strengths and weaknesses when it comes to competencies: https://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2024/05/11/tb871-systems-practice-competencies/

samueljohnson,
@samueljohnson@mstdn.social avatar

@dajb Many connections between this and the practice of knowledge management (bringing smart people together and letting them talk is one take - - Larry Prusak, maybe the best storyteller I ever met). So many organisations have no idea what they know. Pausing to assess and to take stock and learn after actions is not the norm. The KM business became a bit of a fad like AI now but has many Arie de Geuss type stories of significant payoffs as result of such iterations.

dajb, to random
@dajb@social.coop avatar

A post relating to my MSc in which can be safely ignored by anyone coming here for the Friday shitposts

https://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2024/05/10/tb871-four-perspectives-on-systems-thinking/

samueljohnson,
@samueljohnson@mstdn.social avatar

@dajb Mintzberg is very good. My favourite demolition of a lot of purported excellence and genius of people who attribute success to strategy is Fooled by Randomness by Nicholas Nassim Taleb. Highly entertaining, opinionated and right, even if he also has a monstrous ego.

jackofalltrades, to climate
@jackofalltrades@mas.to avatar

It's very clear how desperate green tech advocates are to paint the current developments as a win for the climate. But by doing so they only reinforce the status quo.

https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/04/17/wind-energy-saw-record-growth-in-2023-which-countries-installed-the-most

#ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #climate #renewables #wind #solar #EnergyTransition

samueljohnson,
@samueljohnson@mstdn.social avatar

@yianiris @osma @jackofalltrades 🙄 Amsterdam, like the rest of the Netherlands, has highly developed and integrated public transport. Large numbers of people get by without cars most of the time. My former building in London has underground parking now w EV charging. Am currently en route from Geneva (back) to Cherbourg in an EV; charging infrastructure almost a non-issue and expanding rapidly w EU support. US might remain stuck in the past. Europe won't.

samueljohnson,
@samueljohnson@mstdn.social avatar

@yianiris @osma @jackofalltrades As for cursing, I'm laughing every time I "fill up" for a fraction of the cost I paid to fill up my last petrol car, a pretty economical VW Golf - - even on the motorway paying extra for fast DC charge. At home my cost actually negative at this time of year as I feed more into the grid w solar panels than I use to charge in a few hours overnight.

samueljohnson,
@samueljohnson@mstdn.social avatar

@yianiris @osma @jackofalltrades I have no idea what you're referring to regarding "my American home". I referred to a building in London which I owned a home in which has underground parking w charging for EVs (increasingly common). Your assertions about solar panels and wind power are simply wrong. Inform yourself by following @solar_chase (read her book too). Muting you now for lack of manners. Bye.

chriswho, to random
@chriswho@mstdn.social avatar
samueljohnson,
@samueljohnson@mstdn.social avatar

@amberage @yunchtime @chriswho I was referring to prescription drugs.

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