@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social
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HighlandLawyer

@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social

Law, IT, & other stuff.
North Scotland

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

I have a soft spot for Stroma (not stoma - that’s something else). We have friends round and… nobody else wanted any. Is it wrong that I made this imprint by myself?

A bottle of Stroma liqueur next to a glass. The bottle is half-full.

HighlandLawyer,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@simonvarwell
Not unless you intend driving.
Used to be called Pulteney Liqueur, though I think when they changed the name they might have started adding some non Old Pulteney into the mix.

danjac, to random
@danjac@masto.ai avatar

Guys I figured out how to find 78 Tory candidates in a hurry

Conservatives plan to bring back mandatory National Service
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpddxy9r4mdo

HighlandLawyer,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@BackFromTheDud @danjac
If National Service is brought back, they should start with the ones who missed out in the 1960s and work forward from there. Would slow the impact on the economy too, since they're all retired now, so not taking people out of the workforce.

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

It’s been a busy week, ending thankfully with an afternoon off enabling a wee wander round the city centre to get a few things. We moved house a month ago to the edge of town so it was nice to be in the centre for the first time since then. In a way I suspect I’ll enjoy the city centre more because I’ll plan ahead and make the most of it: visiting the spice shop, off-licence etc.

Now sitting in the garden listening to music, enjoying a beer (Aldi, sadly) and mulling over the General Election.

HighlandLawyer,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@simonvarwell @peterbrown
Tactical vote suggests SNP because Tories were in second place last time. OTOH quite a bit behind in 2nd place, & if you want to vote for what you support rather than tactically that's your choice.
https://tactical.vote/inverness-skye-and-west-ross-shire/

Beedazzled, to random
@Beedazzled@mastodon.green avatar

One-year-old Massah was born in UK - now she's being ordered to leave to 'maintain integrity of immigration laws' | Politics News | Sky News what a nasty country we are under the tories https://news.sky.com/story/one-year-old-massah-was-born-in-uk-now-shes-being-ordered-to-leave-to-maintain-integrity-of-immigration-laws-13142190

HighlandLawyer,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@Roadwarrior29 @Beedazzled
Xenophobic mugs...

masukomi, to esperanto
@masukomi@connectified.com avatar

I'm seriously thinking about quitting Duolingo, because the more advanced the conjugations get the less clue i have what the fuck is going on because they literally Never explain Anything.

Ex. In "el" means "from" & "de" means "of"

I came FROM the United States
Mi venis EL Usono.

The House OF Usher
La domo DE Usher.

and yet, it's insisting that when you go FROM France to Germany it's

...DE Francio al Germanio

and that EL Franco is definitely wrong.

WHY?!

HighlandLawyer,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@jrdnzr @masukomi
Also once you've got the basics of grammar from Lernu and are actually at the stage of being able to read Esperanto, there is PMEG
https://bertilow.com/pmeg/

pluralistic, to random
@pluralistic@mamot.fr avatar

Oh, fuck you, British Airways.

HighlandLawyer,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@tob @pluralistic

Pineywoozle, to random
@Pineywoozle@masto.ai avatar

I just had pizza and ice cream for breakfast and I’m not sure wether to be happy or appalled.

🤣 🤣 🤣

HighlandLawyer,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@Pineywoozle Bread, vegetable, possibly meat, dairy, & a little sugar for a morning energy boost. Seems a perfectly reasonable morning meal.

HighlandLawyer,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@Pineywoozle If it pleases you to imagine that image on a video link with a court, with me saying "I am not a heilan coo m'lord", then enjoy the thought.

On the internet no-one knows that you're a dog, though these days it's certainly full enough of bull.

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,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@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,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@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,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@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,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@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,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@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,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@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,
@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social avatar

@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,
@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.

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