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"Jacob Rees-Mogg says university protests against him were ‘legitimate, if noisy’"
Dear God, I do believe I actually have a sneaking admiration for the Moggster over this. What is the world coming to?
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/apr/27/jacob-rees-mogg-cardiff-university-protests
Dear God, I do believe I actually have a sneaking admiration for the Moggster over this. What is the world coming to?
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/apr/27/jacob-rees-mogg-cardiff-university-protests
An estival festival
Apr. 21st, 2024 10:40 pmSir Andrew Davis, one of the more famous old boys from Watford Boys Grammar School, dies at age 80.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVIq0wgU4Bo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVIq0wgU4Bo
Hugo Award finalists
Mar. 29th, 2024 04:51 pmHugo Award finalists for 2024 have been announced at Eastercon in Telford by awards administrator Nicholas Whyte. My immediate take-aways:
- Excellent speeches from both Esther (Glasgow Worldcon Chair) and Nicholas Whyte about what is known about last years Hugo Award problems (Spoiler: Not much) and the way forwards (as much transparancy as possible this year).
- The potential finalists who declined nomination or who didn’t meet the rules have already been announced, which is the first time this has been done at nomination stage.
- And the full nomination stats will be released ASAP after the ceremony in August as they always used to be.
- I think there may actually be MORE Chinese language finalists this year than last. As per WSFS constitution, all last years members have nominating rights for 2024 - but not voting rights (unless of course they rejoin by the deadline). Clearly Hugo Award Fandom (which I regard as an adjacent, but seperate, fandom to SF fandom itself) is as addictive to them as it is to us!
- The announcement video of the finalists was very well done, with the implicit message that the whole damn Glasgow team (plus Hugo Gernsbeck’s grandson! 😀) regard repairing as much of the damage from last year as possible as a priority for 2024.
- For the second year in a row, the Hugo Awards have two finalists from the North East of England – John Coxon and España Sheriff - which is great. #GannettFandomReborn?
- Based on the applause at the Hugo Award finalists announcement, the finalists seem to be a very well regarded bunch amongst Greater Fandom, which is a good first sign.
- Also, 66% of last year's episodes of #doctorwho are Hugo Award finalists, which must be the highest percentage ever for this show. (This falls into the category of dubious, but technically correct, statistics. But, as #Futurama reminds us, "technically correct" is the best kind of correct...
CW: Radio nerdery (UK edition)
Mar. 21st, 2024 05:25 pmGiven that the North East of England is almost equally far away from both Droitwich and Westerglen, we get very poor reception of both sites’ 198 KHz Long Wave #radio signal – they can even get in each other’s way. So, for the longest time, we’ve had a “filler” service on 603 Medium Wave to carry the #AM / LW service. This is now being dropped in April, meaning people will have to re-tune to FM (92.9 & friends), DAB, Freeview, Satellite or Internet.
Something that will affect all UK Long Wave #radio listeners is that, at the same time (early April) the separate #LW opt-outs for #Radio4 are being dropped, and the service will become a 24/7 relay of the FM service. The Daily Service, the extended edition of Yesterday in Parliament and Test Match Special are thus being scattered to the four winds.
But the Shipping Forecast is actually getting a promotion onto the main #Radio4 FM (92.9 etc.) service. Are there REALLY any nearshore boats out there these days that DON'T have another way of receiving a regular weather forecast?
https://radiotoday.co.uk/2024/03/date-set-for-the-closure-of-bbc-radio-4-medium-wave-frequencies/
Something that will affect all UK Long Wave #radio listeners is that, at the same time (early April) the separate #LW opt-outs for #Radio4 are being dropped, and the service will become a 24/7 relay of the FM service. The Daily Service, the extended edition of Yesterday in Parliament and Test Match Special are thus being scattered to the four winds.
But the Shipping Forecast is actually getting a promotion onto the main #Radio4 FM (92.9 etc.) service. Are there REALLY any nearshore boats out there these days that DON'T have another way of receiving a regular weather forecast?
https://radiotoday.co.uk/2024/03/date-set-for-the-closure-of-bbc-radio-4-medium-wave-frequencies/
Airport News
Feb. 25th, 2024 06:28 pmThe (currently closed) airport at Manston, near Ramsgate in Kent, is shown on Google Maps as “Manston International Airport.” If they are following the convention used by small airports in the United States, this must mean it has one flight a day to Cancun, Mexico...
The ULTIMATE off-site back-up.
Feb. 25th, 2024 05:57 pmhttps://medium.com/arch-mission-foundation/third-times-a-charm-lunar-library-successfully-lands-on-the-moon-backup-of-human-civilization-1ef424ebe4f2
"Lunar Library Successfully Lands on the Moon — Backup of Human Civilization Will Last for Up To Billions of Years."
"Lunar Library Successfully Lands on the Moon — Backup of Human Civilization Will Last for Up To Billions of Years."
A bas les vaches !
Feb. 24th, 2024 12:39 pmOk, so according to the BBC's France correspondent, President Macron is still at the agricultural fair where there was a bit of fighting with extremist French farmers this morning, "but he is waiting for things to calm down before cutting the ribbon and patting a few cows on the bottom." (Actual quote. Really.) I mean, I studied French politics at 'O' level and at university, and I never remember "patting cows on the bottom" being listed as one of the duties of the French president. I must've not been paying attention that day...
Charity Begins in the Boardroom
Feb. 14th, 2024 02:19 pmI had never thought of this, but it's obvious in retrospect. Folks, donate directly, and Gift Aid it if you can.
RT steve@fedi.feltmarker.uk Just a reminder that, in the UK at least, the card terminal charity roundup donations allow these businesses to reduce their tax bill as the donation is recorded as given by them, not you. This, by extension, means less tax money available for the public.
RT steve@fedi.feltmarker.uk Just a reminder that, in the UK at least, the card terminal charity roundup donations allow these businesses to reduce their tax bill as the donation is recorded as given by them, not you. This, by extension, means less tax money available for the public.
P!nk to make the boys w!nk
Feb. 14th, 2024 08:13 amPop Star P!nk Left In Shock After Pregnant Fan Goes Into Labor In The Middle Of Her Show
https://www.comicsands.com/woman-labor-pink-concert-video-2667265211.html
1) Proof that you NEVER KNOW when you might need a skilled midwife nearby.
2) I trust that both mother and baby got free tickets for a future concert after they had to leave this one so precipitously through no fault of their own.
3) This isn’t even the weirdest thing to ever happen at a P!nk concert – apparently once a fan jumped on stage to present her with a wheel of cheese mid-song.
https://www.comicsands.com/woman-labor-pink-concert-video-2667265211.html
1) Proof that you NEVER KNOW when you might need a skilled midwife nearby.
2) I trust that both mother and baby got free tickets for a future concert after they had to leave this one so precipitously through no fault of their own.
3) This isn’t even the weirdest thing to ever happen at a P!nk concert – apparently once a fan jumped on stage to present her with a wheel of cheese mid-song.
Rochdale by-election
Feb. 13th, 2024 09:14 amTrying to think when there was last a GB by-election without a Labour candidate. I think Haltemprice and Howden in 2008, when David Davis stood for re-election to protest Labour's proposals of detention without charge for terrorism offences.
This by-election had a record 26 candidates - meaning that, if the votes had split evenly enough, all of the candidates (including the winner) would have lost their £500 deposit.
This by-election had a record 26 candidates - meaning that, if the votes had split evenly enough, all of the candidates (including the winner) would have lost their £500 deposit.
Even Dead Cats Bounce
Feb. 11th, 2024 03:39 pmSame Ol’ Same Ol’ : The debt of a collapsed company is being traded on in a secondary market for cents on the dollar.
The New Weirdness: Because it’s a cryptocurrency company, the market’s view of the correct number of cents on the dollar may yet prove to be more than 100.
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/10/as-sam-bankman-fried-awaits-jail-ftx-customers-await-full-repayment.html
The New Weirdness: Because it’s a cryptocurrency company, the market’s view of the correct number of cents on the dollar may yet prove to be more than 100.
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/10/as-sam-bankman-fried-awaits-jail-ftx-customers-await-full-repayment.html
Wings Over America
Feb. 11th, 2024 02:46 pmOne of the highlights of Superb Owl weekend is the keen competition between reporters for the most cheesy/pointless factoid. Vegas, I think we have a winner:
"The National Chicken Council predicts that 1.45 bn chicken wings will be eaten during the game."
"The National Chicken Council predicts that 1.45 bn chicken wings will be eaten during the game."
Sorry we missed you
Feb. 9th, 2024 11:45 amParcel delivery firm Yodel is having difficulty finding a buyer for its troubled UK operations. I’m guessing potential buyers are being put off by the thought that they might come home to a card in their letterbox saying that the company has been left around the back behind their wheelie bin - but no sign of the company itself.
