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Simon Waters

@gnufan.bsky.social
95 followers 215 following 95 posts

Just this guy

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Reposted by Simon Waters
Marcus Chown @marcuschown.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
“Legitimate concerns” is the new racist fig leaf 
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Fared Al Mahlool | فريد المحلول @faredalmahlool.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Around 70% of hospital electricity generators in the Gaza Strip have stopped working due to shortages of fuel, oil, and spare parts, the Health Ministry said.
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Michael Marshall @mrmmarsh.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
While some early mouse studies show promise for a dasatinib and quercetin longevity cocktail, evidence doesn't yet suggest humans can benefit
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Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Parliamentary motion against Mahmood's vicious immigration reforms gathering further signatures. Think it's pretty clear there's going to be concessions but they'd need to go very far indeed for the plan to be even halfway acceptable inews.co.uk/news/politic...
inews.co.uk
Mahmood's 'hardline' immigration reforms hit by growing rebellion
More Labour MPs to publicly oppose Home Secretary's changes to indefinite leave to remain
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Met Office - weather and climate @metoffice.gov.uk · 11/08/2026
⚠️⚠️ Amber weather warning issued ⚠️⚠️ Extreme heat across eastern parts of England Thursday 0900 – 2359 Latest info 👉 bit.ly/WxWarning Stay #WeatherAware ⚠️
Amber extreme heat warning bounded by a line London to The Wash to Lincoln to Sheffield to Birmingham to Reading to London.

Temperatures:
Sheffield = 35°C
Lincoln = 35°C
Peterborough = 36°C
Birmingham = 37°C
Cambridge = 36°C
Oxford = 36°C
London = 37°C

Very high temperatures. Impacts on transport, infrastructure and health are possible.
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Met Office - weather and climate @metoffice.gov.uk · 11/08/2026
A surge of heat will see temperatures soar over the next few days🌡️ Here's how high they could climb in each nation
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Eliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Reform donor Arron Banks urged to set out extent of surveillance of journalists www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Reform donor Arron Banks urged to set out extent of surveillance of journalists
Industry body says use of private investigators against reporters is ‘attack on our democracy’ after Banks apparently admitted doing so
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Count Binface @countbinface.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
You may have seen I broadcast a message to planet Earth from the edge of space. I thought it was equally important to speak to deep space about you and your lovely little planet. But I thought humans might like to see it too, so here it is. #Clacton #VoteBinface
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Callum Anderson MP @callumandersonmp.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
I stand by every word I said here. The strength and resilience shown by residents of Newton Longville has been nothing short of remarkable. www.bucksherald.co.uk/news/emergen...
bucksherald.co.uk
Aylesbury Vale MP hails 'extraordinary' community response to suspected gas explosion
An MP, with constituents in the Aylesbury Vale area, has praised villagers’ response to a major suspected gas explosion.
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Peter Jukes @peterjukes.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Don’t know if this is a real Banksy - but I hope it is
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Simon Waters @gnufan.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
So it wasn't "Good! Use your aggressive feelings, boy. Let the hate flow through you." ? May have to rewatch it.
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Marcus Chown @marcuschown.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Globally, millions are on the move - because of climate change, war, poverty etc - and the numbers are mushrooming. Pulling up the drawbridge cannot work. A solution requires rich countries to confront the causes rather than descend into populism. We must find a way to reduce global inequality.
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Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
It's funny how no-one ever asks where the money is coming from when you announce a cut in immigration.
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Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 22/07/2026
Does Not Rhyme -through -cough -though -rough -bough Does Rhyme -pony -bologna
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Simon Waters @gnufan.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Some of the recent comments about the Fabian Society have been hilarious. Here it is subversively noting that co-operative farming is more resilient, & pursuing their evil socialist agenda of greater food security.
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Humanists UK @humanists.uk · 17/07/2026
From William Beveridge's five giant evils to today's populism – Neil Kinnock and Prof. Colin Tyler trace the humanist ideas behind the welfare state, and why building real human contact across communities matters more than ever. #UnholyHistories out now. unholyhistories.humanists.uk
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Eliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
There's certain people who have to learn the difference between an organisation "disappearing" vs not posting on X anymore. I just watched a video of two very self-serious people who clearly spend too much time on X talking about how Bellingcat has just vanished.
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Exeter Observer @exeterobserver.org · 11/07/2026
NEWS // Exeter UCU declares trade dispute over University of Exeter job cuts plan Union threatens strike action if university does not abandon scheme to make 150 academic staff redundant while putting more than 500 staff at risk. exeterobserver.org/2026/07/10/e...
exeterobserver.org
Exeter UCU declares trade dispute over University of Exeter job cuts plan - Exeter Observer
Union threatens strike action if university does not abandon scheme to make 150 academic staff redundant while putting more than 500 staff at risk and jeopardising 85% of humanities, arts and social s...
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PsychoSerenity @psychoserenity.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Considering Starmer used to be a human rights lawyer, the Labour party have passed an astonishing amount of legislation that clearly breaks human rights laws. Removing immunocompromised people's right to peaceful protest now. Little chance this will be fixed under Burnham either.
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Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
"If he wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin, I wont stop him." <stop stop he's dead gif>
Rachel Reeves
@RachelReevesMP
...
I will accept Nigel Farage's request to be appointed Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead.
It is a farce and a desperate distraction, and the people of Clacton deserve better.
But if he wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin, I won't stop him.
1:49 PM Jul 8, 2026
22K Views
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Ian johnson @simplyian.net · 07/07/2026
He's just vice signalling
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Count Binface @countbinface.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Any Clacton residents who want to nominate your friendly neighbourhood intergalactic space warrior, ping me a line!
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Rowenna. 2 ‘n’s. Ro-WEN-na. @missiggeek.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
One does not teach, model or incentivise digital health & safety through enforcing age-gated abstinence with mass surveillance and data-mining. But if you were designing a system for producing ideally helpless predator-ready victims en masse, it would look a lot like the UK’s latest move….
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Chelton's Bird and Wildlife Photography @bird-photography.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
A double-win on #stripes day today for #birdoftheday! The easy choice for me was a common loon, but this one caught a fish with some (short) stripes! #birds #bird #photography #ornithology #birdphotos #nature #naturephotography #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #commonloon #loon 🦉 🪶
Grasping a flounder in its beak, a common loon floats in rippling, dull, blue-green water. The bird's back is covered in checkered black and white stripes. Its neck has tightly packed vertical black and white stripes that are separated by a thick band of iridescent blue-green. Its smooth head is black and shines with a faint iridescent blue-green. Water droplets stick to its face and head. Its eyes are large, round, and bright red.

📷 Canon R5 Mk II
Canon RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM
Canon RF 1.4x Extender
Av, f/10, 1/400, ISO 1600, 700mm
4/11/26
Northern Oregon Coast
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Andrew Copson @andrewcopson.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Allowing vast, taxpayer-funded academy chains to entrench religious selection risks dividing communities & increasing segregation of children on grounds of faith or belief. @humanists.uk warned about this in 2021 and those fears are sadly being realised.
humanists.uk
Catholic academy trust expansion sparks warning over religious control of state schools
Humanists UK has warned that the proposed expansion of large faith-based academy trusts, St Joseph Catholic Multi Academy Trust, risks entrenching religious control over state-funded education, after ...
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Fabled Stained Glass @fabledstainedglass.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
This morning on Exmoor …
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Humanist Society Scotland @humanistsociety.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
The Bishops' Conference of Scotland has claimed people are "selectively quoting" the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to support an end to compulsory religious observance. Actually, the UN has directly and explicitly told the govt to introduce opt out rights.
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Dan Sohege @danielsohege.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
To save typing everything out, I have done a quick video on how Labour's latest attack on people seeking asylum, by halting work and study visas for Afghanistan, Sudan, Myanmar and Cameroon undermines its own arguments defending why they have cancelled other previously remaining resettlement routes.
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Alec Muffett @alecmuffett.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
TikTok incapable of delivering both user privacy *and* user safety, retains capability to surveil user communications alecmuffett.com/article/148043 #EndToEndEncryption #censorship #china #surveillance #tiktok
alecmuffett.com
TikTok incapable of delivering both user privacy *and* user safety, retains capability to surveil user communications
Nothing to do with it being Chinese, then? “TikTok told the BBC it believed end-to-end encryption prevented police and safety teams from being able to read direct messages if they needed to. …
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Simon Waters @gnufan.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
The problem with "This is not Winston Churchill" is Churchill declined an American request to intervene in Vietnam. Americans said Churchill was senile. Churchill privately regarded the American president as "weak and stupid". Starmer may have more in common with Churchill than he'll admit.
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Simon Waters @gnufan.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
So I need to have eaten 50g of cheese a day, 25 years ago, I mean on average maybe, there was a bit of a fondue phase....
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Robin Ince @robinince.bsky.social · 13/12/2025
Very sad that I felt I had no choice but to resign from The Infinite Monkey Cage - a victory for the transphobes and other bigots - I did it because so much of the media has chosen to believe the kind and empathetic people are a fiction - they are real and so often unrepresented.
This is the saddest day of my professional life.
Today is not only the final recording of the latest series of The Infinite Monkey Cage, it is my last ever Monkey Cage.
I never thought that I would have to leave the show. I always imagined going on until | dropped dead under the studio lights due to a brain aneurysm caused by my final attempt to understand notions of quantum gravity or the shock of being told about fly maggot infestations in the sacks of macaque monkeys.
I resigned in September, after sixteen years of dedication to the show,
A show that I named and helped develop over all those years.
Unfortunately, my opinions outside the BBC have been considered problematic for sometime, whether it has been voicing support for the trans community, criticism of Donald Trump, numerous other outlandish opinions, including once gently criticising Stephen Fry.
These things were considered to conflict with being a freelance BBC science presenterIn a recent meeting where BBC Studio executives again voiced problems with me, I realised my choices.
Obedience and being quieter to remain making Monkey Cage, or 'Resign and have the freedom to speak out against what I believe are injustices'.
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I chose the latter.
It broke my heart.
I love this show and I love the audience, and it is because of the audience in particular, that this decision was so difficult to make.
I kept thinking about all the extremist voices promoting hate and division. They are being given so many platforms, while voices that represent kindness, open mindedness, empathy seem to be scarcer and scarcer.
I felt I couldn't pamper myself with the luxury of silence.
One of my many privileges is that I am able to resign and I can speak out even if it is to the detriment of my career.I have thought a lot about my heroes, Sinead O Connor, James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, and so many more.
I think of Sinead's words, "the job of an artist is to be themselves at any cost".
James Baldwin said prejudice was really just a word for cowardice.
Audre Lorde, viewing her life, wrote that her only regrets were her silences.
I think of my father as I resign, he brought me up to believe in fairness , justice and kindness.
Though my heart is broken, it is also full of fire.
I apologise to our incredible listeners for my departure, your love of the show means a great deal.
I am so sorry to let you down.
I hope that you can understand my reasoning.
I have to accept that I am not what the current
BBC expects of their freelance presenters.Despite this I should add that I have always worked far more than my contracted hours to try and ensure the show was always the best it could be, as well as making myself accessible and responsive to the audience wherever and whenever I met them. Every night, we have recorded, I have been filled with determination to make the best show possible. This was not
"just a job"
I hope that with my departure I can be a better ally to the LGBTQ community, to the neurodivergent community, to activists fighting against those who aim to brutalise society, to those currently in prison on hunger strike, and to all those who fight for a more inclusive world.
From many conversations, I know there are many Monkey Cage listeners who support these communities and activists too.
The strawberry is dead.
Long live the strawberry. B
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Simon Waters @gnufan.bsky.social · 03/10/2025
I failed to succumb to Google Play's upselling.
Google Play Notifications and offers: Be good to yourself and others. Find apps focused on well-being, the environment and other important topics.Something went wrong.
Item not found.
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Naomi Smith @pimlicat.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
The former leader of Reform UK in Wales, Nathan Gill, has pleaded guilty to eight bribery charges while being an elected member of the European Parliament. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Ex-Reform UK Wales leader Nathan Gill pleads guilty to bribery charges
Nathan Gill admits eight charges of bribery while being a Member of the European Parliament.
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Met Office - weather and climate @metoffice.gov.uk · 04/09/2025
Watch the full video 👉 youtu.be/JeezeLVllzM @cast-centre.bsky.social @lwhitmarsh.bsky.social @stuartbrocklehurst.bsky.social 2/2 🧵
youtu.be
Communicating about the future - Climate Conversations
Communicating information about our climate and how its changing has always been a difficult task; whether it’s providing the latest facts and figures or information on new initiatives and projects…
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Sophie Petzal @sonicscrewup.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
As a Jew I am far, FAR more alarmed by our institutions equating me and other Jews with the IDF, who are responsible for the murder of over 80,000 Palestinians, by dint of framing any critique against the IDF as ‘antisemitism.’ Linking all Jews to the IDF is *actual* fucking antisemitism.
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James O’Brien @mrjamesob.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
And on it goes. Israeli politicians using UK media to stoke up outrage around Bob Vylan & Kneecap must be laughing their heads off at how easy it all is. I think this brings the Palestinian death toll *since the Glastonbury performance* in to triple figures. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Israeli strike on Gaza seafront cafe kills at least 20 Palestinians, witnesses and rescuers say
The outdoor cafe was frequently used by journalists, activists and local residents.
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Simon Waters @gnufan.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
Odd decision by BBC news at 6 to run the broadcasting of protests about the IDF at Glastonbury, above the IDF killing journalists in Gaza by targeting a seaside café where journalists are known to work. @glastonburyfestivals.co.uk #bbc
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Simon Waters @gnufan.bsky.social · 22/05/2025
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Target mosquito parasites with drugs to cut malaria, study says
Normally the insects are targeted with insecticide, but US researchers say anti-malaria drugs absorbed through their legs can stop them spreading disease.
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Simon Waters @gnufan.bsky.social · 21/05/2025
#pint25 Josh explaining the difference between Parkinson's and dementia with Lewy bodies.
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Simon Waters @gnufan.bsky.social · 27/04/2025
There were talks at BSides Exeter on both hacking the iPod Nano, & hacking Cisco phones such as those in the Oval Office, it says a lot about our failure to set norms in computer security that the iPods took months, whereas the phones revealed their built-in snooping feature in a few days.
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Victoria McIntosh @vmcntosh.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
I’m not shy about my disdain for employee “productivity” monitoring tools or the security risks they pose, so feeling a bit vindicated right now. Remember: if a third party can see your screen, how do you know someone can’t spy on the third party?
cybernews.com
Employee monitoring app leaks 21 million screenshots in real time
WorkComposer surveillance app exposes 21 million employee screenshots in real-time. Sensitive business data and credentials now accessible on the open web.
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Comfortably Numb @numb.comfortab.ly · 02/03/2025
Added alt text.
An ad in a London Underground train. The ad features a graph depicting Tesla's share price from January to February, with a downward trend. The text at the top reads, "HATE DOESN'T SELL. JUST ASK TESLA." On the right side of the ad, there is an image of Elon Musk in a suit, extending his right arm in a Nazi salute. The red trend line of the stock graph aligns with his outstretched hand, emphasizing the gesture.
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Simon Waters @gnufan.bsky.social · 17/01/2025
He's right about login code UI, he's right about not using login codes, he is right that passkey UX is terrible. Shun shared secrets for MFA, or authentication in general. But never forget any extra factors add security.
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Project Liberal 🗽 @handle.invalid · 20/12/2024
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Simon Waters @gnufan.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
If they told everyone would public pressure mean the telecoms companies have to up security to the point they can actually evict these hackers from their network?
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 06/12/2024
Pneumonia is one of the most common causes of death among older people, especially in winter. Now we have vaccines against several pathogens that cause it. That's great! And now pneumococcal pneumonia vaccines are recommended for anyone age 50 or older. www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-...
scientificamerican.com
New Pneumonia Vaccine Guidelines Could Save More People from Deadly Disease
Pneumonia is one of the leading causes of death in older adults and young children—vaccinations are an effective way to reduce illness
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Simon Waters @gnufan.bsky.social · 02/12/2024
I always regret that a female student & fellow tuttee at University didn't feel confident to complain about our tutor to me immediately he revealed the kind of man he was when it was just her in tutorials. He got moved out swiftly but I suspect they just moved the problem elsewhere.
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Pessimists Archive @pessimistsarc.bsky.social · 02/12/2024
'Brainrot' isn't a new word... It has been used as a pejorative for new media consumption habits as far back as 1866... Our new post: newsletter.pessimistsarchive.org/p/the-1800s-... cc @jeffjarvis.bsky.social
newsletter.pessimistsarchive.org
The 1800s Had 'Brainrot' Too!
The Oxford Dictionary just added "brainrot" as its newest official word—a tongue in cheek term for consuming too much short-form social media content.
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