@tokensane@mastodon.me.uk avatar

tokensane

@tokensane@mastodon.me.uk

Married, software dev, geek, science fiction fan, Linux user. searchable.

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mysteryharvest, to random

Uhh so there’s a new movie on Amazon and it’s actually really good? Very much in the spirit of ’s stand-alone Ankh-Morpork novels. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amazing_Maurice

tokensane,
@tokensane@mastodon.me.uk avatar

@mysteryharvest It's fun, but I think they maybe overdid the fairy story trope deconstruction thing, just a tad.

pluralistic, to random
@pluralistic@mamot.fr avatar

Call me a conspiratorialist if you must. But when CEOs get on earnings calls and brag about how covid, war, and scare-stories about let them hike their prices and rake in never-before-seen profit margins, I think it's reasonable to blame inflation on greed, not on workers getting a couple of relief checks during the lockdown.

1/

tokensane,
@tokensane@mastodon.me.uk avatar

@pluralistic Actually eliminating buffer stocks seems to have been a factor in the Great Moderation https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/great-moderation.asp. Buffer stocks increase the time delay between demand and supply, creating instability. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_distribution_game

likesohushhush, to random
@likesohushhush@mastodon.xyz avatar

Is “The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents” (the book) by suitable/enjoyable for a bright 8 year old? Looking for presents for my nieces.

tokensane,
@tokensane@mastodon.me.uk avatar

@likesohushhush Yes. But I think the gnomes trilogy might do better.

kcarruthers, to random
@kcarruthers@mastodon.social avatar

deleted_by_author

    •
    tokensane,
    @tokensane@mastodon.me.uk avatar

    @TashTaylor @kcarruthers Check other apps with the same font settings. Could be something in the font rendering.

    tokensane, to gaming
    @tokensane@mastodon.me.uk avatar

    Currently playing Oolite, a modern rewrite of the classic BBC Micro game Elite, only with slightly more modern graphics.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oolite_(video_game)

    cstross, to random
    @cstross@wandering.shop avatar

    TRIPLETS SEPARATED AT BIRTH!!!

    Decorative Kleenex box cover
    A human turd in a baroque Kleenex box cover, or maybe a State Coach. (His name is Donald Trump.)

    tokensane,
    @tokensane@mastodon.me.uk avatar

    @lotographia @cstross Did other countries have this advert?

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4P-nZZkQqTc

    If Trump saw that he probably thought it was a documentary.

    esther, to random

    It's May 1st, Labor Day in many places.

    A good day to remember that your employer is not your friend and your interests are almost certainly not aligned. They will drop you as soon as your cost exceeds the profit you generate for them.

    Yes, even if you have a "cushy" job right now. That only means that your cost-profit ratio right now is in your favour but that can change very fast. It also serves capitalists to make you think you're different/better than other workers so you don't feel solidarity with them.

    (and please don't tell me how your company is the exception, it probably isn't anyway)

    tokensane,
    @tokensane@mastodon.me.uk avatar

    @esther

    >your cost-profit ratio right now is in your favour

    Or your boss is empire-building and needs a big head-count for his own reasons.

    Large companies are not rational actors.
    https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/principal-agent-problem.asp

    tokensane,
    @tokensane@mastodon.me.uk avatar

    @rato @esther

    So why don't you go independent?

    scarfolk, to random

    Scarfolk Council public information messages for .

    1. Be aware that illegal morris dancers have been sighted in this area. Do NOT approach them. They are thought to be dangerous and armed with prohibited handkerchiefs.
    tokensane,
    @tokensane@mastodon.me.uk avatar

    @scarfolk They might do the Stick And Bucket Dance.

    ChrisMayLA6, to random
    @ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us avatar

    Hmmm.... I wonder whether these polling results have anything to do with the continued attacks on ?

    No, surely not, that would be waaaay toooo cynical

    Its almost like they want to ensure only their 'natural' supporters (who can easily afford University) can get a degree - they're not there yet but the direction of travel seems clear....

    tokensane,
    @tokensane@mastodon.me.uk avatar

    @cstross @ChrisMayLA6
    Well it's that or lose the election. But I guess that's democracy for you.

    tokensane,
    @tokensane@mastodon.me.uk avatar

    @petealexharris @cstross @ChrisMayLA6

    The SNP are only in Scotland, and get an automatic bonus from nationalists. Labour need to win a majority across the UK.

    I don't have a citation, but I bet Starmer's listening to his psephologists. He's on record as saying the point of fighting an election is to win. The last Labour leader to say that was Blair.

    Every time Labour does the Principled Vision thing it loses because principled visions have big attack surfaces.

    tokensane,
    @tokensane@mastodon.me.uk avatar

    @cstross @ChrisMayLA6

    I agree its depressing. There was an article in The Economist a while back which surveyed all the ways in which the Tory government was being cruel and unusual, and pointed out that all this stuff was in its platform and had been voted for. Its not Labour you need to reform, its the British electorate.

    futurebird, to random
    @futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

    A lot of people don't know the difference between capitalism and ... having markets and shopping and little coops and companies in non-super-essential economic sectors that operate independently.

    Markets existed before capitalism and will exist after.

    tokensane,
    @tokensane@mastodon.me.uk avatar

    @u0421793 @futurebird
    I'd define capital a bit differently. Chattel ownership means owning the stuff you personally use: your TV, furniture, car, house etc. It can also mean tools of your trade: a computer, workshop etc.

    Capital ownership means owning anything else, especially things you sell/rent to others, and things you hire others to work at.

    There's a grey area between the two, but its not very wide.

    RichardJMurphy, to random
    @RichardJMurphy@mas.to avatar

    Three things could guarantee Labour an election victory and they are refusing to do any of them https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2023/04/30/three-things-could-guarantee-labour-an-election-victory-and-they-are-refusing-to-do-any-of-them/

    tokensane,
    @tokensane@mastodon.me.uk avatar

    @RichardJMurphy Unfortunately about 25% of the population are so amazingly primitive that they still think Brexit is a pretty neat idea. That's enough to swing the next election. In their view Brexit can never fail, it can only be betrayed. So Starmer needs to avoid pissing them off, lest they decide to vote against him.

    Frederik_Borgesius, to random
    @Frederik_Borgesius@akademienl.social avatar

    Question about the Digital Services Act, mostly to EU lawyers I guess.

    The DSA (art. 3(w)) defines 'commercial communication' by referring to the eCommerce Directive.

    But many DSA provisions concern 'advertising'. I didn't spot a definition of 'advertising'.

    • Is 'advertising' defined anywhere?
    • Should we see 'commercial communication' and 'advertising' as synonyms?
    • More generally: do I miss something?

    Thank you!

    tokensane,
    @tokensane@mastodon.me.uk avatar

    @Frederik_Borgesius
    This would be a good question on the Stack Exchange law site: https://law.stackexchange.com/

    AmyDentata, to random

    Techies: Google search keeps getting worse and worse! Autocomplete keeps getting worse and worse!

    Also techies: AI is going to make everything better!

    tokensane,
    @tokensane@mastodon.me.uk avatar

    @AmyDentata And if someone built a working real perpetual motion machine you can bet that physicists would be excited about it.

    jonathanhogg, to random
    @jonathanhogg@mastodon.social avatar

    Prepare to be assimilated…

    tokensane,
    @tokensane@mastodon.me.uk avatar

    @jonathanhogg Paging @JeriLRyan see pic at top of thread.

    leetxdd, to politics

    So the government has set a date to debate the petition asking them not to follow the EHRCs' recommendations regarding trans folk and the equality act. They've set the date 12th June.

    Is this when we'll find out the future of the trans community? 😬

    tokensane,
    @tokensane@mastodon.me.uk avatar

    @leetxdd
    Unfortunately you won't find out much. The "debate" consists of a bunch of interested MPs standing up and saying what they think, along with the government responding "thank you for your valuable input, but we're going to carry on anyway".

    SalusaSecondus, to random
    @SalusaSecondus@wandering.shop avatar

    While not the same, this article about the makes me think of "Halting State" by @cstross. As always, that is a book I recommend that everyone involved in information security read. (It's also just a generally wonderful read.)

    https://news.yahoo.com/russians-trying-help-kremlin-being-080124434.html

    tokensane,
    @tokensane@mastodon.me.uk avatar

    @SalusaSecondus @cstross Also "Distraction" by @bruces . Its got a subplot about computers that track the borderline crazy and then spam them with messages about how an opposition politician is an agent of the devil and only you can stop him.

    davidallengreen, to random
    @davidallengreen@mastodon.green avatar

    Remember everyone: that someone can get the top BBC job while not disclosing a relationship with the Prime Minister does not mean they are the "elite".

    Oh no, the "elite" are those watching all this happen from the outside.

    tokensane,
    @tokensane@mastodon.me.uk avatar

    @davidallengreen Oh! You mean these people.
    https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness

    ChrisMayLA6, to random
    @ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us avatar

    One index of how the are just getting richer & richer is how much they spend on

    Perhaps the most extraordinary thing is since 2010, in the wake of the global financial crisis, which for many UK remains a high-point in income/wealth they have yet to get back to.... spending on luxury goods has doubled!!!

    I don't know who these people are but they sure as hell are having a better financial time of the last decade than the rest of us!!

    tokensane,
    @tokensane@mastodon.me.uk avatar

    @ChrisMayLA6 What happens when you subtract inflation from that graph?

    tokensane,
    @tokensane@mastodon.me.uk avatar

    @ChrisMayLA6 To answer my own question, prices since 2000 have gone up by 77%, while that graph has roughly tripled.

    Meyerweb, to random
    @Meyerweb@mastodon.social avatar

    NOTE: your password must contain:

    • an uppercase letter
    • a lowercase letter
    • a number
    • the illusion of security
    • a special character
    tokensane,
    @tokensane@mastodon.me.uk avatar

    @Meyerweb My password includes that very special character that I'm in a relationship with.

    tokensane, to random
    @tokensane@mastodon.me.uk avatar

    Bumpy road ahead.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cyxknddlwd5o

    QasimRashid, to random
    @QasimRashid@mastodon.social avatar

    A quick history lesson. From 1940-1980:
    •Wealthiest paid 70-94% marginal tax
    •0 of them went broke from taxation
    •0 of them left USA
    •All remained exceedingly wealthy
    •Manufacturing boomed
    •The middle class was 62% of US economy (It's now 40% post 'trickle down scamenomics)
    •We had the strongest middle class growth in US History

    Let's do that again. Stop protecting billionaires. Start taxing them.

    tokensane,
    @tokensane@mastodon.me.uk avatar

    @QasimRashid @kcarruthers

    Turns out its more complicated than that. https://slate.com/business/2017/08/the-history-of-tax-rates-for-the-rich.html

    Hat tip to @mlibby for finding the link.

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