Jules @afewbugs@librem.one

every time ciabatta is eaten or mentioned in my presence i will tell everyone did you know ciabatta wasnt invented until 1982, it is younger than beyonce and natalie portman and pitbull. people always scoff and pull out their phones and then frown and look troubled. i am the ciabatta ruiner

Dandelion, refracted. I like this one because it shows an 'old' flower that almost appears to be dreaming of younger days, with the full-bloom flower refracted through the water droplet. I think it might be one of my favorite photos I've ever taken. (though still some technical aspects I'd like to improve upon...) #PhotoMonday #photography #macro #flowers #reflection #water #WSSA23 #weeds #weedscience

Roses are red,
Your passport is blue.
Now stand over there,
In that very long queue.

Let this be your periodic reminder that your local library has more free fantastic entertainment in the form of books, movies, music, and more than any subscription service you can pay for, especially when you count interlibrary loans.

RT @SR_Netherlands
Scientists and academics are currently blocking the private jet terminal at Schiphol with bikes.

We are in a climate emergency. We cannot allow the rich to continue fueling the flames with their unnecessary, planet-destroying luxury emissions. #BanPrivateJets #TaxFrequentFlyers

It strikes me that the vigils for #BriannaGhey are likely to be the first vigil many will have attended - what questions/tips do you think they have/need? I'm putting together a blog post (aimed at the Manchester one)...

#queer

Medical Transplant Ethics are a sham. Case in point:

If you donate one kidney, they call you a hero.

If you donate two kidneys, they call you a saint.

But, if you donate three kidneys, they call you a monster.

New | The newsletter is out.

Content warning for discussion in general terms of violence against women and of the specific cases mentioned.

THE EXCUSES

The cases of Brianna Ghey, Emma Pattison, and Lettie Pattison show that after certain kinds of killings, the press hunts for distractions and excuses.

*Please read before commenting*

https://brokenbottleboy.substack.com/p/the-excuses

"But the counterpoint in a media environment that demonizes trans people is refusing to acknowledge the very real violence and danger they face. When bad things happen to them and the media can’t get away with ignoring it, it must either be turned around and made their own fault, or turned into something completely decontextualized from their trans identity... nothing to do with the rising tide of hatred trans people face every day for simply living their lives..."

https://www.themarysue.com/transphobic-coverage-brianna-gheys-murder/

Apologies for linking to the other place, but here's a thread of vigils for #BriannaGhey that are happening in the next few days around the country

https://twitter.com/switchboardLGBT/status/1625168488712097792

Floral foam often just there, in the bottom of flower arrangements, ignored. But we need to shine a spotlight on it and find ways to avoid using it. Whatever you think about it, it's obviously a single-use plastic, but the problems go beyond that. There's a great piece here from Hakai magazine about the impact that it can have on marine life. This crumbly foam is an efficient producer of microplastics. #nofloralfoam #ocean #flowers #pollution

https://hakaimagazine.com/features/are-you-giving-flowers-with-a-side-of-plastic/

#SilentSunday

Heard of another excellent scientist leaving UK academia for a European company today.

The #Brexit brain drain is slow, but it is happening, people.

“The UK asylum policy approach is more akin to authoritarian nations that walk away from international human rights treaties, such as Russia or Belarus.

“We need an approach that replaces the chaos and cost, and focuses on compassion and competence, creating safe and orderly routes for refugees to reach the UK, such as refugee visas, and always give people a fair hearing so their rights are respected.”

Enver Solomon,
Refugee Council.

#RefugeesWelcome
#SafeRoutes

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/11/children-fleeing-danger-in-small-boats-should-be-deported-says-tory-thinktank

Vigils are being organised in pretty much every major city in the UK for #BriannaGhey

Glasgow - George Square, 16th Feb, 7pm

Liverpool - St George's Hall, 14th Feb, 7pm

Manchester - Sackville Gardens, 15th Feb, 7pm

I've seen there are plans for Bristol as well, and I suspect London will have one.

An in-depth look at using a naturally occurring bacteria to affect dengue fever transmission by mosquitoes https://undark.org/2023/02/13/why-singapore-is-breeding-millions-of-bacteria-infected-mosquitoes/

Headline from the Guardian --

"Ohio catastrophe is ‘wake-up call’ to dangers of deadly train derailments"
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/11/ohio-train-derailment-wake-up-call

Some people are making comparisons of this Ohio train wreck to the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl. But to me there's another historical event that seems far more similar and also provides an even more ominous warning for us: the chemical gas leak that occurred in Bhopal, India, in 1984, killing tens of thousands.

https://www.britannica.com/event/Bhopal-disaster

I'm old enough to remember when this happened, and it was horrific. Could something just as bad take place today in the United States?

As oil companies eagerly produce ever greater amounts of petrochemicals for making plastics and as demand for those plastics keeps increasing year after year, and as capitalists continue lobbying for relaxed safety regulations and lowered environmental protection to increase their profits, along with reduced wages and shabbier working conditions for train personnel, it all seems to create the perfect recipe for another deadly disaster.

Let's hope I'm wrong.

#chemicals #disaster #AntiCapitalism #KeepItInTheGround

Absolutely tragic what happened to Brianna. Such a horrible thing to happen to a young girl 💔

A vigil is being held in Liverpool on Tuesday at St George's Hall, 7pm, for anyone local

#BriannaGhey #TransRightsAreHumanRights

Daytime TV normalising libraries as a place to keep warm. Not a place to educate and learn but a place to keep warm. Tory Britain in 2023! Oh, and the Tories are responsible for the closure of many of them too…..