Notices by iona 🐝 (iona@social.coop), page 30

@mkwadee I might be in with a chance of getting into the cabinet if the current rate of attrition continues

Simple solutions for Brexit:

Allow Remain voting areas to Remain, and Leave voting areas to Leave. So, London and Scotland will be in the EU, Barnsley and Cheshire East will be out.

In a year's time, look at the relative strength of the economies of the various areas and give people the choice to change their minds once they realise what Brexit means for their bit of the world.

The fact that this is a "frequently asked question" makes me despair for humanity.

https://www.unitedutilities.com/hosepipe-ban-frequently-asked-questions/your-water-bill/i-pay-my-water-bill-i-should-be-able-to-use-as-much-water-as-i-like/

I've been using this USB stick for years, it is a bit slow but has Debian netinst on it, so I always know where it is.

It also acts as a souvenir of the days when local councils had money to waste on this sort of thing...

@davidbenque The Radio 4 headline on the 1pm news was something like:

"Vote Leave has accused the Electoral Commission of being politically motivated"

rather than

"Vote Leave broke electoral law"

@artsyhonker For what it's worth, I'm generally in favour of having a public broadcaster. One listen to US radio with its diet of right-wing rants, religious hellfire preaching and sportstalk drivel is enough to send me running back for Radio 4.

But I think there needs to be a bit more accountability in how they cover stories, and a bit more transparency in how they operate.

@artsyhonker Also tired of their constant use of "Brexiteer" and "Remainer".

The BBC's 'balance' was a big factor in the Brexit referendum result. The Today programme and TV news shows were packed with people making unchallenged pro-Brexit claims, because they needed to give 'equal time' to people in favour of Remain and Leave.

The fact that hours and hours of this dross was broadcast shouldn't have gone unchallenged at the time.

@mkwadee It makes it sound like a claim, rather than a fact proven by an official body.

It'd be like writing "Man 'guilty' of murder" when he's been found guilty. The quotes make it look like one bloke said it, rather than it's the truth.

BBC News! Stop using 'scare quotes' on your 'headlines' all the time.

The Vote Leave campaign broke electoral law. It has been proven, and officially announced by a government body. You 'do not' need to put it in 'quotes'.

It's the most annoying headline-writing 'habit'.

@switchingsocial https://www.hive.co.uk/ works in the UK, but coverage is patchy and I can't quite figure out how buying online "supports your local bookshop".

Otherwise, I just do a web search for "independent bookshops [city]" which tends to bring up relevant results.

@thamesynne Is Aberdeen's property market still overheating now that the oil industry is in a downturn? I was under the impression that tough times had hit the granite city.

Campbeltown I wouldn't recommend. I've been there quite a few times and it's so far from any other town. The local kids in their souped up cars drive round and round and round because there's literally nowhere else to go.

Bruichladdich (and the rest of Islay) is nice but blighted by holiday bungalows like so many places.

@porsupah @thamesynne Russia is complicated. People like to say "Russians are racist" and in a lot of ways it's true, there is a lot of racism in Russia, but it is also partly a result of Russia never having exploited an African empire and so never having had historic immigration from Africa.

In a way, our (W Europe's) greater tolerance comes from the fact that we spent centuries exploiting an empire and were exposed to people of different races. Like I say, it's complicated.

@thamesynne I can see your point, but as far as I can tell, the only thing Putin and cronies care about is getting as rich as possible through exploiting the massive resources of Russia while leaving the local population just about scraping by.

That's about as capitalist as you can get.

eBay buyers! If an item is collection only, it's collection only because it's old or fragile. It doesn't mean "hey I won your auction, now I'm going to send a random man-in-a-van courier because I live in fucking Brighton".

If I was prepared to pack and courier it, I'd pack and courier it and get a higher price due to having a wider national market. You're just trying it on.

@hollyamory My own home timeline is also quieter than it used to be, which suggests that the nice people I follow are posting less.

Perhaps it's natural, new social media sites tend to get quieter over time (while f*** Facebook gets busier) but perhaps others are also getting a bit fed up of being piled-on when posting.

My instance also doesn't help - they don't suspend instances that are routinely blocked elsewhere (shitposter club and the like). I am thinking of upping sticks.

Is it me, or is Mastodon getting an influx of unpleasant characters lately? I've had to do more mute/block in the past few days than I have in all the time I've been on here previously.

Apparently mentioning the word "Musk" fills your notifications with muppets rushing in to have a go at you.

So - for all the idiots out there, Musk Musk Musk Musk Musk

Just watched a good BBC documentary about North Ronaldsay island in Orkney: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bbbz7c

Unlike a lot of these "island life" documentaries (look, cool landscapes, Gaelic dances, sheep etc) the programme was really honest about real life in remote areas, the challenges faced by those who live there, particularly demographic and economic issues, the way it's become a retirement place.

Definitely recommended if you have a spare half hour and have any interest in rural life.

@thamesynne The rain is here <3

@kafkaesqueNomad Are you from Cheshire? I was born there :)