KimSJ

KimSJ, 7 days ago to random

I’ve just identified why I have been feeling down over the past few days. Instead of being excited at the prospect of an election that will end the Tory misrule, I find myself just staring down the barrel of five years of Tory lite.
This country could be so much better than it is, if only we had a Government worthy of the populace.

KimSJ, 20 days ago to random

Time and again, I find myself asking whether politicians are deliberately trying to destroy everything that used to make me proud to be British, or whether they are just too dumb to see what they are doing.
More interestingly to explore, perhaps our political system is so desperately in need of reform that it is impossible for MPs to do the right thing, even if they want to?

KimSJ, 1 month ago to internet

There is a very simple way to ‘fix’ social media, and that is to make platforms legally responsible for all the content posted on their systems. Yes, it would break the business model of such providers, but isn’t that what’s needed, given that they have consistently shown that they are using their power irresponsibly?
#SocialMedia #Meta #Twitter
Edit: it has been suggested that legal responsibility should only apply to content “promoted” by platforms. That seems to be an excellent improvement.

KimSJ, 2 months ago to random

This
(h/t @RichardJMurphy)

KimSJ, 2 months ago to politics

Not voting means one thing, and one thing only. It means you don’t care who wins.
It definitely doesn't mean you don’t approve of something your guy does. It means you don’t care if they lose. So, all you ‘I can’t vote for x’ people, face the reality of what your abstention implies.
#politics

KimSJ, 3 months ago to random

Not only are we in late-stage capitalism, we seem to be in late-stage politics too.
Politicians have completely forgotten that they are elected to make good decisions, and are instead obsessed only with getting re-elected.
I have no idea how to fix this. 😢

KimSJ, 4 months ago to random

Hmm. Some disconceringly loud bangs coming from the roof above my bedroom. No way to inspect until daylight. Fingers crossed! #StormIsha

KimSJ, 5 months ago to random

How do we change the mind of a Government?
I’ve just looked up the Poll Tax Riot of 1990. Approximately 200,000 people attended. The Poll Tax was abandoned.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poll_tax_riots
Conversely, well over a million people attended marches against Brexit, on several occasions, but Brexit still happened.
Why the different outcome? It’s hard not to conclude that violence made the difference.

KimSJ, 5 months ago to random

It feels like 2024 is going to be the make-or-break year for humanity. By next Christmas, we could be facing run-away global heating, Long Covid rampant, a Russian win in Ukraine and Trump heading for US presidency, or we could be seeing the first sign of a return to stability.
Never has activism been so important. Stay strong, my friends!

KimSJ, 5 months ago to random

A reminder to those new to Mastodon, many of us won’t boost Toots with images unless they include alt text.
#MastoTips

KimSJ, 5 months ago to random

I suggest that #CovidIsNotOver is not a particularly strong message. Can I propose #CovidRuinsLives instead? People are not nearly scared enough of contracting the virus.

KimSJ, 5 months ago to random

I’m trying to persuade my brother to take Covid precautions more seriously. He asked the very sensible question “what proportion of long covid sufferers have symptoms that affect their ability to work?”
Can anyone offer links to studies which address this question?
#Covid #CovidPrecautions

KimSJ, 5 months ago to climate

We don’t need a campaign to #JustStopOil. We need a campaign focused on #JustStopUsingEnergy, or at least ‘just reduce your energy usage as much as you can’.
Do that, and oil companies will naturally fade away.
#climate #climateChange

KimSJ, 6 months ago to climate

Today’s melt-down over the COP28 president’s near denial of climate science has set me thinking about the forces arraigned against doing what must be done to keep the planet habitable.
So, my question is this: has social change of the level that is needed to fix the environment ever been achieved without violent revolution?
#climate #COP28

KimSJ, 6 months ago to random

Tomorrow COP28 starts, and we get to watch a bunch of the world’s stupidest people ignore a bunch of the world’s cleverest people, and thus seal the fate of humanity.
We do indeed live in interesting times.

KimSJ, 6 months ago to random

As predicted by myself and others, business insolvencies are indeed on the rise. This could be very bad news for businesses in 2024, even the solvent ones could be hit hard by bad debts…

https://www.streetsweb.co.uk/resources/streets-sessions-podcast/episode-54-business-insolvencies-are-on-the-rise-how-to-manage-your-exposure/

KimSJ, 6 months ago to random

I asked our plumber today whether he was OK wearing a mask. “No problem at all”, he said, “Covid’s back”.
Maybe the message is finally getting through. 🤞

KimSJ, 6 months ago to random

Boris Johnson so underestimated the threat of Covid that he suggested he could be injected with the virus on live TV to calm public concern. This is further confirmation that he was totally clueless in his handling on the pandemic.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67347456

KimSJ, 7 months ago to random

A reminder: unemployment benefit is pay to do nothing. Unconditional Basic Income is pay to do anything.
Which do you think is of more benefit to society?
#UBI

KimSJ, 7 months ago to random

What has always puzzled me about Covid guidelines is that we have an analogue for airborne infection spread which is easily understood and easily verified by ordinary people: cigarette smoke.
If you can smell someone smoking near you, you are being exposed to their germs too. Simples! And cigarette smoke travels a lot further than 6ft/2m!
#Covid

KimSJ, 7 months ago to random

Oriental cultures wear masks whenever they have any symptoms, even just a sniffly nose. It’s high time the rest of the world adopted the same approach.

KimSJ, 7 months ago to random

Anyone who thinks we are going to solve the climate crisis by persuading oil companies to pivot to green solutions doesn’t understand the skill set and mind set of such companies’ boards.
These are people who have spent their lives maintaining the status quo of giant industrial juggernauts. They would simply be completely lost if asked to do anything entrepreneurial. I’ve seen such boards buy up and accidentally destroy many innovative start-ups, by managing them in the only way they know.

KimSJ, 7 months ago to random

I booked a repair visit today. I told the administrator who took my phone call,
“we do ask all visitors to wear an N95 mask or better. I hope that’s OK?”
“What’s N95?” she asked. 🤦
Governments really aren’t doing a good job of educating the population!
#covid

KimSJ, 7 months ago to random

This is truly terrifying. If the Gulf Stream fails, there will be massive and probably irreversible consequences.
https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/gulf-stream-weakening-now-99-certain-and-ramifications-will-be-global

KimSJ, 7 months ago to FantasyWriters

Hive mind, how would you hyphenate (or not) “ UK’s only aged sugar beet based spirit”?
#editing #writing