Nostr notes by rob

Road sign I've passed a couple of times recently: "We are ...

2026-07-31T20:24:44Z

Road sign I've passed a couple of times recently: "We are working out of sight, so you may not see us". Did the sign writer realise they were raising questions about the #philosophy of reality?

"Burnham to announce plans for new North Sea oil and gas ...

2026-07-18T08:55:11Z

"Burnham to announce plans for new North Sea oil and gas drilling". Bloody hell. Starmer took a few weeks to disappoint me. Burnham's done it before he's even in office. #UKPolitics

that's been my thinking for a long time. let them take money ...

2026-05-07T08:34:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…g3w5
_________________________

that's been my thinking for a long time. let them take money from whoever they want, but don't let them vote on anything they have a financial interest in. Think of all those Tory landlords who couldn't vote on anything to do with housing.

I agree. "Job-hoarding" makes it sound like the young ...

2026-04-21T09:08:22Z

In reply to nevent1q…u3lw
_________________________

I agree. "Job-hoarding" makes it sound like the young person's fault. They're stuffed by the system people our age have slowly and quite deliberately created over the last forty years.

"This UN resolution did not settle the reparations debate. It ...

2026-04-08T08:40:27Z

"This UN resolution did not settle the reparations debate. It exposed who wants the wealth from #slavery to remain history’s most profitable amnesia. And it reminded the world that justice delayed is not justice denied." https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/apr/08/slave-trade-uk-eu-ghana-un-resolution-slavery #ukpolitics

I've just finished Robert Nozick's Anarchy, State and ...

2026-04-04T10:37:18Z

I've just finished Robert Nozick's Anarchy, State and Utopia. The final paragraph is inspiring. Pity the rest of the book didn't live up to it. #philosophy

I'd be interested to see examples of that happening. (Some of ...

2026-03-22T10:30:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…2dwe
_________________________

I'd be interested to see examples of that happening. (Some of the claims made in the article about trusts reducing waiting lists seem unlikely, so I'd like to know more about what really happened there too.)

Currently reading Nozick's Anarchy, State, and Utopia. ...

2026-03-20T12:07:23Z

Currently reading Nozick's Anarchy, State, and Utopia.

"[X and Y] are more interesting questions, but concerning these I have nothing especially interesting to say."

If only all philosophers were this self aware. #philosophy

2/2 (not their feelings about it, but their actual reality) that ...

2026-03-19T14:47:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…fm7v
_________________________

2/2 (not their feelings about it, but their actual reality) that it is useless as a concept. You can argue whether "trust" is the right word to use; my point is that the benefits of growth in GDP are so unequally distributed that for most people it is a meaningless measure.

I was going to leave this because I feared we'd get into a ...

2026-03-19T14:46:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…pm6u
_________________________

I was going to leave this because I feared we'd get into a morass of linguistic philosophy, but I couldn't help myself, so... While there is clearly a technical meaning in which the term "GDP" can be deemed trustworthy, that meaning is very rarely deployed. In common commentary the dominant meaning is GPD-has-gone-up-therefore-everybody-is-better-off, and that is so at odds with people's actual experience 1/2

"people's distrust of GDP" - is it not actually ...

2026-03-19T09:59:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…huv8
_________________________

"people's distrust of GDP" - is it not actually objective experience, that for many people GPD does not measure their own circumstances due to increased inequality, which GDP takes no account of? That is to say, the issue is not that people don't trust GDP, it is that GDP is untrustworthy.

to be fair, a lot of people think that, but I think there are ...

2026-03-05T16:37:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…dlw3
_________________________

to be fair, a lot of people think that, but I think there are quite a few in amongst them who know how to kowtow while following their own more calculating plans in relative privacy. I am certain that Trump and those who are there only because of sycophancy were incapable of the detailed and purposeful planning required for the assault on Iran.

2/2 his view of "US leadership of the world economy" ...

2026-03-05T12:42:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…fw0d
_________________________

2/2 his view of "US leadership of the world economy" doesn't extend beyond this moment of being able to throw is toys at a weaker country. Some in his administration may have a longer and more intelligent, even if rapacious view, but they will be powerless to change course when the Commander in Chief decides to walk away.

"Trump" as a shorthand for "US government" ...

2026-03-05T12:41:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…6qx6
_________________________

"Trump" as a shorthand for "US government" sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. In this case "Trump seems intent on trashing..." I doubt that is the case, although it may be for the more calculating of his supporters. The truest thing I've read (I can't remember where, maybe the Economist) is that Trump wants a big win ie he'll use the USA's firepower to trash Iran and then simply walk away in a week or two's time, not caring that others have to clear up the mess. 1/2

I bet my violin is smaller than yours. 😎

2026-02-27T19:02:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…tutj
_________________________

I bet my violin is smaller than yours. 😎

I am in the middle of a similar process, though I'm taking ...

2026-02-19T17:19:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…833t
_________________________

I am in the middle of a similar process, though I'm taking longer over it. I know of no process other then doing them one by one. So, each time I get an email from one of them, I go into the account and change it. Flow to gmail is already much slower than it was.

I already got one person to switch, which is a real triumph, ...

2026-01-26T14:29:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…npay
_________________________

I already got one person to switch, which is a real triumph, given what they're like. Worth at least two other people, I reckon. 😉

I decided to move to #Linux when it became apparent what Windows ...

2026-01-26T14:02:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…g6mq
_________________________

I decided to move to #Linux when it became apparent what Windows 11 was about. There are some minor inconveniences, but I haven't looked back. And my laptops are so much faster.

I wonder how many of them have stopped and asked themselves what ...

2026-01-11T17:18:29Z

In reply to nevent1q…4qqn
_________________________

I wonder how many of them have stopped and asked themselves what he would need the money for. He's still got his life and limbs, he's got a massive bureaucracy behind him that will stump up for any (let's face it, unlikely) legal charges. What desperate need does he have that they think they are providing for?

Em dash is the last resort. When a party of writers, grammarians, ...

2025-12-27T11:10:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…vzfd
_________________________

Em dash is the last resort. When a party of writers, grammarians, librarians, proof readers, historians, Trappists and philologists has fallen silent, just say "em dash". Several hours later the house will be trashed, several guests will be in hospital, riots will have spread through the neighbourhood and the police will have called in special forces to deal with the last proof reader holding out on the roof top.

Or, check Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dash#Em_dash

I'd be surprised if they did not have provision for work ...

2025-10-24T18:38:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…s8f9
_________________________

I'd be surprised if they did not have provision for work experience, so by definition a volunteer policy.