Polly Mairead Davies

This is Ada Lovelace, daughter of Lord Byron and considered to be the first person to write a computer programme which was for Babbage's Analytical Machine. She died in 1842
In her honour, today is Ada Lovelace Day and is all about encouraging women and girls in mathematics, science and engineering.

The study of literature which explains the human condition, and can bring us closer together, held in disdain by politicians who wish to create discord. Those same who also hold science in contempt. Might it be education itself which they despise?

The face!
"I'm going to be told to move again. I was just trying to help." *sigh*

The hilarious reality that immigrants to the UK already have "digital ID" that it's illegal for them to do anything without.

Labour want to impose this draconian surveillance on your granny.

Er, no!

"The home secretary has warned of a “recipe for chaos” in criminal cases involving Palestine Action if the High Court is allowed to hear an appeal against its designation as a proscribed terror group." [Times]

Not overturn the case - just 'hear' the case.

Yes! Apply for this. Have a great time and meet interesting people. The only 100% sure way of not getting it is by not applying.

In many ways, the west has a Media problem more than anything else. We have allowed ourselves to become addicted to sensationalism and outrage, so that's what the media serves us.

I have a print of Dawn, and one of The Veil of Night, by this artist, arranged so the first rays of sunlight hit the former, and the last settle on the latter. They always get notice from any guests. I may have to get more, but need wall space.

a painting of a giant blue ox carrying a city on its horns.

Steady - watercolour and acryla gouache on paper

💙One day left to get prints on saIe!💙

Well, as I am a dishwasher in my home, they may very well have had.

"We are Huginn and Muninn, in disguise. Our Lord Odin, and his son, are not happy. Goodbye."
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"Oh, and thanks for the grain. It was tasty."

GPEW seeing a big spike in membership this month should bury all the complaints that having a strong pro-trans rights line would hurt their breadth of appeal.

As if the continued successes of the SGP weren't evidence enough of that.

Transphobia isn't popular or compelling on the left.

Mr. Menneer Dr. Watkins-Pitchford has discussed with me our policy on these change of sex cases and has expressed some anxiety that we are running & risk of finding ourselves some day implicated in a minor public scandal. We always recognised that there was a risk that however careful our enquiries, we may be led into issuing a contribution card of the "wrong" sex to a person who is not a genuine trans-sexual, but a pervert whose object is to masquerade in clothes of the opposite sex for purposes which, under our present laws, are criminal. The fact that we have issued “wrong” cards in some scores of cases for the past few years without serious trouble suggests that the risk is not very great, though it certainly does not imply that it can be ignored. If we were criticised for what we are doing we should, I think, have & very good defence. In the first place there is nothing unlawful about it. Secondly any reasonable person would agree that it is desirable, on medical and social grounds, to assist genuine victims of this condition to adjust themselves to life in the community. The great majority are respectable and unhappy people who find it impossible to carry on a normal life as persons of the sex attributed to them at birth. It is not uncommon for them to be reduded to a suicidal frame of mind. our action is invariably based on the best medical advice we can get from specialists who are in touch with the patients and specifically recommend that he or she should be assisted to live and work as a person of the other sex.

The possession of a national insurance card is not likely to be much help to anyone in the pursuit of criminal activities. On the face of things it is only useful for legitimate purposes of employment. It seems to me that the Ministry would only be likely to be oriticised if, in the course of his defence on a criminal charge, a person claimed that our having issued a card to him supported or authorised his masquerading as a person of the opposite sex. But masquerading is not, in itself, unlawlul, and it could not seriously be argued that we had abetted or condoned any criminal activity. In other words, the risk is really that we may be the subject of some damaging but ill-informed obiter dictum by & Magistrate or the press. I am confident that the right course is to accept this risk in the interests of the many genuine cases. It you agree, I propose that we should continue on the present lines. I shall of course be glad to consider any case in which Dr. Watkins-Pitchford feels doubtful about the application of our policy. (T. C. STEPHENS) 5th November, 1962. C.1. Copies to:- Dr. Watkins-Pitchford. Mr. Vaughan

1/🧵 Archive finds. This is the sweetest letter I’ve ever read at Kew.

On the pros and cons of issuing National Insurance contribution cards for trans people based on their lived gender. The “debate” sounds familiar, right?

YouTube video by Fin Hall Act My Age. Live on stage.

youtube.com/watch?v=1UO9...
ACT MY AGE. LIVE ON STAGE

"We must decry political violence in the strongest terms no matter who is the target, or our society collapses."

Why can't I see a single mention of Melissa Hortman on your feed, then?

That goes for you, too, Mr Prime Minister.

Yesterday, the largest far-right protest in UK history marched through London, led by racist Tommy Robinson.

Today, we say: They don’t speak for us — and they won’t have the last word.

This Wednesday we come together against Trump and for a better future. Do everything to be there.

Shot, chaser

Young men more likely to vote Green than Reform. Young men second most progressive group of any demographic. Combined right-wing vote barely bigger than Green vote alone for young men

Iona is standing with a beige background. The logos of AIberdeen Varsity and the Elphinstone Institute is on the poster. The text says "In Conversation with Iona Fyfe, Elphinstone Institute Public Lecture Series 18th September 18:00 Free"

I'm delighted to be participating in the Elphinstone Institute Public Lecture Series at the @uniofaberdeen.bsky.social on 18th September. The event is free to attend.

📍MacRobert Building
📅 18th September
⏰ 18:30
🎟️ Free
More info: lnkd.in/esDT4AfP

Seems like a good day to (re)post this reminder. The default position for so much we see online now needs to be 'doubt and verify', certainly before sharing 'Trust but verify' is a relic of a bygone era.

I do not want to give the police any credit, because too many bad apples have rotted the barrel, but is it possible that there are a few good coppers (oxymoron?) who are practising malicious compliance, arresting so many, the govt stance becomes unenforceable?

I doubt it, but it'd be interesting.

You're good like that.

That is an image. Not sure if I needed it in my head, but it's an image.

This is an absolutely essential article. The rise of the far-right has to be stopped.

"You don’t stop the rise of the far right by trying to be far-right lite, or creating fear."

Farage would be irrelevant if the media had treated him like the do left wing politicians and that's all you need to know about why he is where he is.

Iconic moment at the Downton Abbey premiere

A 'lifestyle product', so preying on people's insecurities, rather than a medicine, to actually help people. That's the company ethos, then. Fucking mediaeval quackery combined with end-stage capitalism.

The richest 2% of people now have more wealth than half the population combined.

Billionaires should never be getting tax breaks. But they are.

Some of Scotland’s richest people pay no business rates for their shooting estates.

No more tax breaks for the super rich!

You could be a lonesome writer on the hard convention trail.

The hatred pushed by the far-right is effective, because it frames the individual as of primary importance, with 'national pride' a nebulous concept, centred on "only good people like you", and absolving them of any blame by placing it always on Others (the scapegoat can vary, as required).