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Laughingjohn

@laughing-john.bsky.social
275 followers 622 following 590 posts

Programming, dotnet, C#, music, indie, history, archaeology, nature & animals esp dogs. F1 and WHU. Art, photography and books. Soft spot for Wales. 💙 💚 ⚒️

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Laughingjohn
Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 4h
I think it's absolutely fantastic. It shows what an extraordinary country I live in and that refugees can fully integrate and participate in society
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Chris Smith @ledredman.bsky.social · 6h
I just paid £123 ($160) to fill up our camper van with diesel. And that is with an 8% supermarket discount. It's really annoying to hear Americans whining about their still very low fuel prices, when their president has caused so much misery in the rest of the world.
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Laughingjohn @laughing-john.bsky.social · 9h
I get where you're coming from, but if we let it disappear I think we'll regret it. Just because it's bad now specifically for news/politics, doesn't mean it will be that way forever. And there are a lot of other good things it does/produces. In general I see public broadcasting as a good thing.
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Laughingjohn @laughing-john.bsky.social · 9h
Disagree with this Chris, the BBC will never be perfect, and there will be periods where it is better (subjective) than others. But I think it's worth every penny and a happy to pay the licence fee. Although admittedly I can afford it. Rather than dumping it we should strive to make it better.
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Laura Phillips @lauraphillips.bsky.social · 10h
Those who want further to defund the BBC and to see it die a slow and painful death, should think again, in my view. Try bringing up a family, especially one with wives and daughters, in #Afghanistan. Defunding the #BBC +wishing it dead, is what could be called a "luxury belief."
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Chris and his farmily of forever farm friends @caenhillcc.bsky.social · 15h
Birthday breakfast SURPRISE for Chris! He did not expect THIS😂🎉 #happybirthday #crazydonkey @carolineartist.bsky.social
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Laughingjohn @laughing-john.bsky.social · 15h
Happy birthday Chris, your videos make my day!
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 15h
Private equity puts PizzaExpress, Morrisons and Itsu up for sale. All devoured and declining brands, asset-stripped. PE has no long-term commitment to any product, people or place. Chances are another PE group will see opportunity for scavenging. archive.ph/DFYPq
ft.com
Private equity puts string of UK high street names up for sale
Owners of PizzaExpress, Morrisons and Itsu seeking exits as buyout groups cool on sector
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The Empty City @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Oh superb! Someone has got the glorious screenshot, of Russian Brexit bottery at its best. bsky.app/profile/marc...
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Laughingjohn @laughing-john.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Feels like there's a word missing there. In *the* budget?
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Arthur Snell @snellarthur.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
British Conservatives: "Russia has disgracefully interfered in politics in France, Germany, Sweden, Hungary, Moldova, Romania and invaded Ukraine. They even meddled in the US elections." Also British Conservatives: "What? Russia! Interfere in Brexit? Ridiculous! Just a tired old conspiracy theory."
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Bonkers Economics @martinwhitlock.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
A few days ago: 3K followers on Instagram. Now: 11K+ and counting. One post about our water privatisation struck a nerve, and it turns out people really do want economics explained plainly. www.instagram.com/bonkersecono...
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Peter Jukes @peterjukes.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Eight years ago
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Laughingjohn @laughing-john.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Recently got sent an AI scan that contained a few good spots but also some total BS. The problem is not so much the AI but the fact that management think we need to fix all of them regardless, so we're messing with Production code just to make it look like a non-problem is fixed to a AI scan. Crazy!
youtube.com
Software developers are not okay
YouTube video by Baldur Bjarnason
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Company behind Scotland’s biggest data centre proposal is owned by the treasurer of the UK Conservative party via British Virgin Islands. It could receive £23m public subsidy. BVI facilitates opacity and tax avoidance. Successive UK govts have defended the use of tax havens by wealthy elites.
theferret.scot
The Tory treasurer, an offshore company and Scotland’s biggest data centre plan
Scotland may be set to host one of the world’s most powerful data centres. The Conservative Party’s money man stands to benefit.
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Carole Cadwalladr @carolecadwalla.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
NEW: Prime Minister Andy Burnham finally breaks a decade of UK govt silence…& reveals there was ‘clear’ Russian interference in the Brexit vote. 1/
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Michelle says: Be kind. Always. ❤️ @snarkysillysad.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Brooks The Baby Musk Ox From The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center: #AGoodPlace
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Laughingjohn @laughing-john.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
The marvellous Robyn Hitchcock at the Union Chapel. @robynhitchcock.bsky.social
youtube.com
11 October 2026
YouTube video by Nick Whymark
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Gaia Vince @wanderinggaia.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Deport the Home Office
theguardian.com
Surgeon faces deportation as Home Office revokes refugee status for Syrians
UK classifies Syria as safe to return to despite UN refugee body’s advice
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Prof Bill McGuire @profbillmcguire.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
I am still collecting images to build a photo-collage of people reading The Fate of the World If you would like to be part of it, and join the great @chrisgpackham.bsky.social please send to me at bill.mcguire@w3z.co.uk
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Andy Brown @andybrown1951.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
@greenparty.org.uk now has way over 200,000 members so it needs its decisions to be made by elected delegates. Not a little over 1,000 people who pay to turn up at conference and vote for a sloppy motion that helps the enemies of every decent value it stands for. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Green Party wants to make sure it is 'not vulnerable to extremists'
The party's Westminster leader Ellie Chowns made the comments after ex-leader Caroline Lucas said some members had joined to vote in the Zionism motion.
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Graeme Swanson @swansonian.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Watching a video about the mass extinction of the dinosaurs. It's so nice to hear about a species of animals being wiped out that is 100 percent not because humans wanted to eat or wear it.
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Andy Brown @andybrown1951.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Anyone else think having British care homes sold off for over a billion by a very wealthy man to a consortium from California is not a healthy way to provide a service? www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/business/del...
yorkshirepost.co.uk
'Delighted': Yorkshire businessman's care home company seals £1.1bn deal with US firm
A Yorkshire company which develops UK care homes and owned by one of the region’s wealthiest entrepreneurs has sealed a £1.1bn deal to sell 45 properties to a Californian investment firm.
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Laughingjohn @laughing-john.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Sounds like a nightmare, wish you all the best! I followed one pub development where the owners tried to persuade the planners that the pub was a shop (to make it easier to get planning approval) by putting a few items for sale on the pub tables. The inspectors report was v. funny. Dodgy f*ckers!
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Reform Party UK Exposed @reformexposed.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Reform MP raises concerns about second homes – then buys one for £800,000 Sarah Pochin bought Anglesey property two days after writing to minister about impact of second home ownership on rural communities www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Reform MP raises concerns about second homes – then buys one for £800,000
Sarah Pochin bought Anglesey property two days after writing to minister about impact of second homes on rural communities
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Laughingjohn @laughing-john.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
It's common for developers to have multiple companies, I'm not sure why, I've seen one per development when looking into pubs being developed, often with the pub as part of the name. 😡
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Matt Binder @mattbinder.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
the tech industry is about to invent books
Andrew Yeung 
@andruyeung
X.com
We created gyms because modern day work no
longer required physical activity. Without exercise,
our muscles atrophy.
I predict we'll need gyms for our brains too, once Al
starts doing our knowledge work.
10:53 PM • 10/4/26 • 1.3M Views
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Chris Smith @ledredman.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
The USA is not a civilised country :
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Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 06/10/2026
It's not looking good for Nigel Farage 👀
huffingtonpost.co.uk
Reform UK Slump Continues As Labour Hit Near Two-Year Opinion Poll High
Nigel Farage’s party continues to lose support.
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Elaine Burke @elaineburke.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
The core of this idea is the belief that his technology is the only way to do good, and no other ideas are possible. And these people who have very limited ideas and outlooks are called 'innovators'.
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Rob Baron @rob-baron.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
I have heard rumours that Richard Tice heads a company called Britain Means Business, that has no employees and sells no products but takes in very large donations from foreign based people and forwards them to Reform UK Ltd. I can't believe this is true, but if it is it should bring down Reform.
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Protect the Wild @protectthewild.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Queen guitarist Brian May told The Times: “Data centres are a massive evil and have to be fought. My message to Andy Burnham is clear: stop it now before it’s too late. It’s trashing our future." We definitely agree with him. Do you?
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A_Nurse__🇮🇪 🇪🇺 @iamanurseiam.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
So, the author of the Green Party's Zionism is Racism motion that calls for the state of Isreal to cease to exist Lubna Speitan Had originally signed up for Corbyn's Your Party What's the opposite of being shocked? www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Tension and dissent: inside the Green party’s antisemitism struggle
With a fast-expanding membership and historic electoral gains in sight, the Israel–Palestine debate is testing party unity
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Zia Weise @ziaweise.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
A climate nightmare lurks in the Atlantic. Europe is starting to pay attention. Just out — my long read on European governments waking up to the threat of a possible collapse of the AMOC, the ocean currents that keep our continent's climate mild: www.politico.eu/article/clim...
politico.eu
A climate nightmare lurks in the Atlantic. Europe is starting to pay attention.
A slowdown of ocean currents that would disrupt life on the continent on an unthinkable scale.
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
As long as the Tories are threatening to leave the ECHR, they aren’t a serious party. Consider it the ultimate red flag. Any party who’d take this entirely unnecessary and ruinous risk with our rights and our country’s security and wellbeing should never get its hands on power. (Letter, Times)
Value of the
ECHR
Sir, In dangerous times, serious countries do not retreat into splendid isolation. They build alliances, multiply their influence and strengthen institutions. Key among those is the 46-member Council of Europe, at its heart the European Convention on Human Rights.As former independent reviewers of terrorism legislation we have seen at close quarters that the ECHR is not just a human rights instrument. It is a national security asset. Terrorist networks, hostile states, organised crime gangs and people smugglers do not respect borders. Tackling them requires arrangements for the closest possible co-operation with our neighbours, including through joint investigations and police access to European passenger, fingerprint, DNA and vehicle data.These arrangements expressly depend on internationally agreed human rights standards, applied by a supranational court. We detect no political willingness to excuse the UK from compliance with standards to which the rest of Europe already subscribes. As authoritarian powers grow more aggressive and democratic institutions face mounting pressure, Britain should not be abandoning one of its greatest postwar achievements.
The question is not whether we can afford to remain within the ECHR. It is whether, in an increasingly perilous world, we can afford not to.
Lord Carlile of Berriew, Lord Anderson of Ipswich, Sir Max Hill
Independent reviewers of terrorism legislation, 2001-18
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Danny Fearns @dannyfearns.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
The Tory Party spent 15 yrs running down public services. They hollowed out every public service to the point of collapse, they profited enormously from the Covid pandemic, they went through Prime Ministers like a game of musical chairs. They're saying they will get it right next time.
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Alasdair Mackenzie @alasdairmackenzie.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Obviously dunking on Kuenssberg is easy, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it. In this piece you’ll look in vain for any indication that the Tories are on historically catastrophic %ages, or that Badenoch has turned them decisively to the far right, or that those facts might be somehow connected
bbc.co.uk
Laura Kuenssberg: Kemi Badenoch has cemented her image. Now she wants to take her party back to its roots
The Conservative leader is expected to set out a return to core conservative principles at the party’s annual conference.
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Liam Thorp @liamthorp.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Austerity 2.0 is it chaps? I’m always amazed at how these guys derive genuine excitement at the idea of slashing public services
theguardian.com
Tories plan to extend cuts beyond £47bn previously pledged, leak reveals
Exclusive: Shadow chancellor Andrew Griffith told party members last year he had discussed making further savings if they win next election
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Chris and his farmily of forever farm friends @caenhillcc.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Greetings and good morning it’s the Saturday farm rush hour with Nutmeg & Willow the cat
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Luke Cooper @lukecooper100.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Will the AI bubble burst and what will the aftermath look like? I wrote up a mini lit review on the blog focusing on google’s plan for world domination :) mafiapoliticsglobaldisorder.substack.com/p/scoping-th...
mafiapoliticsglobaldisorder.substack.com
Scoping the AI bubble: Google’s strategy and the new capitalism
Or why, when boom turns to bust, these sectors may become even more oligopolistic.
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Parody Nigel Farage @parodypm.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
"I should just point out that we don't have any Lib Dems on the panel as they only have 71 MPs, but Suella Braverman is here because Reform have 8 MPs"
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
UK law firm partners collect record pay, up to £2.5m per equity partner. Partners treated as self-employed. Firms don't pay employer national insurance (ENI) on profit taken by partners. £150k ENI dodged for every £1m profit shared. Public purse deprived. Must end this tax perk. archive.ph/vJCIj
ft.com
Top UK law firm partners take home record pay
Spate of listings in Hong Kong boosted IPO work and related transactions
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Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
“Brexit was a huge loss both for the British people and for the European project as a whole. If the United Kingdom were to make such a decision, Spain would welcome it with open arms and once again embrace our friends in Britain.” - President Sánchez
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The Bear @bearlypolitics.co.uk · 01/10/2026
Bad news, everyone - Brexit has apparently caused the entire United Kingdom to detach from Europe and drift several thousand miles west. We are now slowly approaching Newfoundland. Can someone please let Eurostar now there might be some issues.
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Jane @localnotail.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
I still worry about the safety of this woman in Crowborough.
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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Not forgetting Hannan’s famous assertion that “of course we won’t be leaving the single market or customs union”. Somewhat cynical, as in brass neck, drawing a salary and now pension as a Euro MP for 21 years to then coengineer Brexit.
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Peter Geoghegan @petergeoghegan.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
🔴 We asked Tony Blair's think tank about charging businesses £500k for political access at party conferences and why one of its sponsor's logos disappeared after our reporting last week on TBI's alleged cash for access scheme This is what they said
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Elaine Burke @elaineburke.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Astoundingly, not a headline from The Onion.
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Chris Wade-Evans @cwadeevans.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Palantir are fucking evil and should be nowhere near our government, police or health care.
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Alan Rew @alanrew.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
@philsturgeon.com FYI www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Half a million trees to be planted in England in three years, says government
Exclusive: Environment secretary Angela Eagle to make pledge as part of efforts to protect against extreme weather
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