Tell it to stop

Wonder how Huffington Post writers feel about there being a "don't worry, you don't actually have to READ this" AI summary on their articles

Laptop keeps having unexpected shutdowns after a couple of hours of work, I am praying that it's just struggling with the heat and that I won't need to get a new computer while I'm recuperating from wedding costs

You can see how this turns into Labour getting re-elected but not exactly a case for leaping two-footed into a snap election.

Election Maps UK@electionmaps.uk · 9h ago

MRP Poll | Labour 81 Seats Short: LAB: 245 (+138) | 26% RFM: 174 (-112) | 23% CON: 99 (+19) | 21% LDM: 67 (-17) | 11% SNP: 25 (-8) | 2% PLC: 8 (-2) | 1% GRN: 7 (-13) | 10% Via @convergent-opinion.bsky.social, 25-30 Jul. Changes w/ 15 Jun MRP.

While it doesn't surprise me in the slightest, I missed the news of him defecting. He struck me as quite loyal to the identity of being a Tory.

Pascal Jacquemain@jacquep.bsky.social · yesterday

Rosindell is mad as a box of frogfaces.

Basically what I expect for Farage, think it's oversampling the Online for Binface. But if he clears 10% that's legitimately impressive.

Europe Elects@europeelects.bsky.social · 2d ago

UK, Clacton national parliament by-election, Survation poll: Farage (REFORM~NI): 73% (+27) Count Binface (CBP-*): 20% (new) Fox (RECLAIM-*): 2% (new) +/- vs. 2024 election Fieldwork: 16-24 July 2026 Sample size: 502 ➤ europeelects.eu/uk

BC followers may enjoy this for the insight into quite why the party that ran the province for 40 years was called that.

David Klemperer@dmk1793.bsky.social · 2d ago

I enormously enjoyed recording this PPF episode on Major Douglas’s Social Credit - a crank economic theory of the interwar period that caused immense frustration to mainstream intellectuals (including Keynes, Cole, Hobson and Gaitskell) but whose followers ended up taking power in Western Canada.

*to the tune of Born in the USA* High on their own supply

Who Targets Me@whotargets.me · 2d ago

Here's the spending share for the final week before the Mayoral by-election. Feels like a big miss from the Greens to spend so much for just 12% (and elimination) in the first round. They're usually more conservative in deploying resources when they're not going to win.

Downplay a book or movie: Twelve Disgruntled Men

Violet Blue®@violetblue.bsky.social · 3d ago

Downplay a book or movie: A Thing

Yes, specifically to annoy you

I need the most Lewes poster you have!

Train date night 🛤️

Did we ever find out what was going on with the Gatwick Drone?

G. Willow Wilson@gwillow.me · 6d ago

What's your personal great white whale of an unsolved mystery? The thing you desperately hope is solved before you die because you need to know the answer? Mine is the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum heist. Where the hell are the Rembrandts. I need the full story

Language learning is a great way to see some absolutely unhinged YouTube thumbnails

Thameslink is London's most underrated transport service IMO

I know 25% turnout isn't exactly good, but when it was 32% at the "proper" election in 2024, the campaign's been short and low key, and it's the middle of the summer holidays, I think it could be worse.

Finished work so now I can check on how the Brighton Wikipedia edit wars are progressing

Sickos Haha Yes

ALT: Sickos Haha Yes

static.klipy.com

Okay, you've had your fun with the notifications, that's enough notifications for today.

It's funny that turning it into a generic verb was clearly the intention behind Ask Jeeves. "Oh I don't know, I'll ask Jeeves", etc. But it closed too early for him to actually be an obsequious little AI valet who lives in your browser. Which I'd hate but evidently lots of people want.

Mark Harris@markharris.bsky.social · 2w ago

I'm actually fine with sounding old.

Really happy with a big bit of work I've just got to finished draft stage - both looks good and was a satisfying learning experience which will give me useful skills for the future. This year's been a lot of Large, Difficult Projects so it's good to get a bit of a boost from something.

Sing to me, O muse, of a spidered man

Particularly noticeable with Zack Polanski defenders but just general good advice: Making your skeet thread longer does not necessarily make it more persuasive.

My main observation about Making Plans for Nigel is that I can't take it seriously because of the idea of using Nigel as a child's name. Sometimes names make a comeback a couple of generations later, but I don't think that one will.

Ingenious tactic by HMRC of making the automatic woman on the employer helpline simply not listen to what you say

A nice bit of icing on the cake would be if Reform came third.

Luke Tryl@luketryl.bsky.social · last wk.

Our polling of Greater Manchester ahead of Thursday’s by-election shows Bev Craig holding a clear lead. First preference results: 🌹 LAB 39%
⏩ REF 19%
🟢 GREEN 14%
🌳 CON 12%
🔶 LIB DEM 8%
🔵 RESTORE 8%
⚪️ IND 1% N = 1,003 | Fieldwork 11-23/7

It really is a very similar country to Britain. Island nation, former imperial hegemon, cultural powerhouse beloved by American nerds, likes to address its chronic economic problems by pulling up the drawbridge and hoping they go away by themselves.

Jay Allen@gaiaslastlaugh.bsky.social · last wk.

Everyone defending Japan's tightening immigration policies to the death ignores the real issue, which is that Japan is facing severe economic problems and immigration causes precisely zero of them

Feels to me like with a few exceptions it's a chart of "how much of your summer is too hot for kids to be in school" (Ireland being three weeks longer than the UK is interesting though)

Nicolai von Ondarza@nvondarza.bsky.social · last wk.

Fun graph by the EU Commission on the length of summer holidays in the EU. To be frank, as a parent, even the six weeks in Germany feel long. How are parents supposed to bridge 14 weeks of summer holiday?

Extremely keen on this use of window boxes

I can only assume Andy saw my branding work and thought "seems like a good idea" compulsoryvoting.org.uk

Nick Garland@npjgarland.bsky.social · last wk.

1/ Great reporting in The Times on the emerging momentum behind support for compulsory voting, which @ippr.org called for a couple of weeks ago: www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Or to put it another way, we shuffle from Left Bloc 46%/Right Bloc 48% to Left Bloc 48%/Right Bloc 46%

Luke Tryl@luketryl.bsky.social · last wk.

Our latest voting intention sees cross over. Labour move ahead by 4. Their first lead since March 2025 & highest share since Nov 24 🌹 LAB 28% (+4)
⏩ REF 24% (-2)
🌳 CON 22% (nc)
🔶 LIB DEM 12% (+1)
🟢 GREEN 8% (-3)
🟡 SNP 2% (nc) N = 2061| Dates 24-27/7| Change w 22/7