h2g2bob @h2g2bob@mastodon.dbatley.com

My latest post on where we are with Covid in England (likely at, or just after, the peak but it's been a big wave).

And a look ahead...

https://open.substack.com/pub/christinapagel/p/is-the-current-covid-wave-in-england?r=8zv6v&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

🏢 40,000 polling stations are now open across 30,800 individual polling places.

Find yours! 👇

🗳️ https://wheredoivote.co.uk/ 🗳️

#generalelection #GE2024

the sqlite codebase is a gem.

tldr; mcaffee made a shit ton of sqlite files in the temp folder causing people to call the sqlite devs phone angrily. now they name all files etilqs to prevent this.

Britain’s last coal fired power station has received its last delivery of coal in anticipation of closure at the end of September. As we look ahead to that historic milestone it is fascinating to look back at how quickly coal has departed the scene. Ten years ago it was still the dominant source of electrical power. More efficient gas burning power squeezed it out, with just over half the greenhouse gas emissions. Now, already, gas burning is being squeezed out too.

Do future historians a favour: #archive the UK general election.

Four archives are collecting general election leaflets. Instead of throwing your leaflets away, please consider sending them to one of the following.

University of #Bristol https://specialcollections.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/2024/06/05/general-election-4-july-2024-an-appeal-for-election-leaflets/

#London School of Economics: https://www.lse.ac.uk/library/whats-on/exhibitions/the-power-to-vote

University of Strathclyde, #Scotland https://guides.lib.strath.ac.uk/archives/electionephemera

National Library of #Wales https://www.library.wales/welshpoliticalarchive

#ukpolitics #GE2024 #histodons #archives

New blog! Who's on the ballot? We take a look at what our candidate database can tell us about the people standing for election on 4 July.

👩 30% of candidates are female.

⌛ Their average year of birth is 1973.

🔙 1,219 also contested the 2019 general election.

🎩 550 former MPs are standing for election.

🏛️ 1,055 candidates have recent (2018-present) experience as a councillor.

🍪 The overall favourite biscuit is the digestive.

https://democracyclub.org.uk/blog/2024/06/29/whos-on-the-ballot-a-look-at-democracy-clubs-general-election-database/

#generalelection2024

🤳 Guess a general election candidate's party based on their photo.

https://www.guesscandidatesparty.uk/

#ukpolitics #GE2024

So BBC released an online version of the Hitch Hickers guide to the Galaxy text adventure game. enhanced 30th anniversary edition. And guess what folks, it's fully screen reader friendly, Enjoy! https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1g84m0sXpnNCv84GpN2PLZG/the-game-30th-anniversary-edition

I feel like surely people on this network would appreciate knowing that the BBC sound effect library, from which you may freely download, has 716 distinct recordings of clocks specifically https://sound-effects.bbcrewind.co.uk/

If you're not on the UK electoral register, and wish to vote in the general election on 4th July 2024, you can register online before 23.59 on the 18th of June.

If you're a student living away from home, you can register in both places - but you can only vote in one constituency.

If you have no permanent address, you can still register to vote.

https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Your Four-Eyed Horsemen are galloping back into action July 5th. w/ special guests Wreck The System!
Live. Online.
https://4eyed.square.site

Google asks every app to have a Privacy Policy to be accepted in the Play Store. So, xScreenSaver had to write a privacy policy.

Here you go:

https://www.jwz.org/xscreensaver/google.html

Today I'm launching the latest game in the #CellTower cinematic universe: #Celtix

It's a daily puzzle game about making Celtic knots — enjoy!

And remember, if you start today then nobody can ever get a better streak than you.

https://www.andrewt.net/puzzles/celtix/

The Santander e-bikes are a game-changer in London. I use them all the time (even as someone whose default travelling mode is my own bike) - they're fun, you still get a bit of exercise, you don't arrive sweaty, and you get to see what's going on in the city.

And for June, Santander bikes are free and e-bikes are only £1 per journey (cheaper than any other transport method) on SUNDAYS. See here for details and give them a go:

https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/santander-cycles/discounts

City cycling is the future!

UK general election sees RECORD NUMBER of candidates stand.

4,519 parliamentary candidates have been nominated to stand on 4 July. The previous record was 4,150, in 2010.

Find out who's on your ballot at https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/

Get the data: https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/

#ukpolitics #generalelection #elections @politicalscience @elections

🗓️ Tomorrow is 'SoPN day': close of nominations for the general election, when councils will publish the final candidate lists ('Statements of Persons Nominated').

We'll be collecting all of these documents and entering the data into our candidate database. The tracker on the front page of our candidates site will display our progress: https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/

You can help crowdsource this information, including contact details for candidates, by creating an account: https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/volunteer/

My latest tech history column is now up on Every!

In 1981, Don Estridge broke every rule IBM had to create the IBM PC. He invented an entire industry and gifted it to the company he loved.

IBM never forgave him for it. This is his story. #technology #history https://every.to/the-crazy-ones/the-misfit-who-built-the-ibm-pc