Online fraud & Cybercrime | West Midlands Police

Online fraud & Cybercrime | West Midlands Police: Excerpt: 

″With the internet at the centre of daily life, it's inevitable that there are many kinds of fraud to go along with it. This can be anything from identity theft, online transactions, dating scams and more, all designed to fool you and take your money. Follow our advice to protect yourself from the activities of online fraudsters.″

Source: westmidlands.police.uk

Advice about fraud | West Midlands Police

Advice about fraud | West Midlands Police: Excerpt: 

″Every year, the British public loses billions of pounds to fraudsters. With scams ranging from the simplest confidence trick to the most sophisticated high-tech online fraud, it pays to keep up to date with the latest news and advice. ″

Source: westmidlands.police.uk

Book club’s AI insults readers with ‘bigoted and racist’ put-downs

Book club’s AI insults readers with ‘bigoted and racist’ put-downs: 

Excerpt: ″Fable scraps ‘wrap’ feature after member was called a ‘diversity devotee’ and another was told to ‘surface for the occasional white author’″

Source: thetimes.com

The Most Powerful Crypto Bro in Washington Has Very Weird Beliefs | The New Republic

The Most Powerful Crypto Bro in Washington Has Very Weird Beliefs | The New Republic: 

Excerpt: ″“We’re actually losing freedoms,” added Armstrong, who has an estimated net worth of $8.4 billion. “So I would like us to all in crypto think about how we actually go create physical places in the world to preserve freedom over the long term. I think that’s ultimately crypto’s destiny.”″

Source: newrepublic.com

US stops sharing air quality data from embassies worldwide. Scientists say that cuts out a vital resource for global health | CNN

Cough, cough, cough: https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/05/world/us-air-quality-pollution-intl-hnk/index.html 

The Bullshit Stinking Up Silicon Valley | Ed Zitron on enshittification

The Bullshit Stinking Up Silicon Valley | Ed Zitron: 

Excerpt: ″Ed Zitron is one of Silicon Valley’s fiercest critics. Since A.I’s arrival, Ed has virulently exposed its singular lack of intelligence, its huge energy demands, and the dangerous way its hoovering up attention and capital on nothing more than the vague promises of a couple of zealots. He joins me to reveals the myths that abound in the Valley, and the reality that everyone has run out of ideas. He explains that Big Tech is no longer run by techologists but by “barely smart” capitalists who are desperately banking on A.I. to create a new hyper growth market to pull their flailing companies out of their slumps. He walks us through the “enshittification” of tech — why things are getting worse, who’s in charge, who’s pretending to have ideas, and how these powerful men build up their images as geniuses rather than grossly wealthy headless chickens.″

Source: planetcritical.com

New UK governance and regulatory requirements coming up in 2024

What’s on the horizon? New UK governance and regulatory requirements coming up in 2024: 

Excerpt: ″The introduction of a new corporate Failure to Prevent Fraud (FTPF) offence for large companies″ qwith large companies being a company or partnership that meets two or more of the following criteria:

1. Annual turnover of more than £36 million
2. Total assets exceeding £18 million
3. More than 250 employees

AI adds: the UK government has introduced a new offence making it a criminal act for organisations to fail to prevent fraud committed by their employees or associated persons. This offence was established under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023. ​gibsondunn.com+6ganintegrity.com+6morganlewis.com+6theguardian.com+4thetimes.co.uk+4gibsondunn.com+4

Under this legislation, an organisation can be held criminally liable if an associated person, such as an employee or agent, commits a specified fraud offence with the intention of benefiting the organisation or its clients. Notably, this liability applies even if senior management was unaware of the fraudulent activity. ​ganintegrity.com+2gibsondunn.com+2morganlewis.com+2

However, organisations have a defence if they can demonstrate that they had "reasonable" measures in place to prevent such fraud. ​

Penalties for organisations found guilty of this offence include unlimited fines, potential reputational damage, and exposure to civil litigation. While there is no provision for individual liability under this specific offence, individuals involved in the underlying fraud can still be held personally accountable under existing fraud laws. ​akingump.com

The offence applies to fraud committed under UK law or targeting UK victims, regardless of where the organisation or associated person is based. ​cadwalader.com

Primary source, the law itself and diligent.com

HG Wells: A visionary who should be remembered for his social predictions, not just his scientific ones

HG Wells: A visionary who should be remembered for his social predictions, not just his scientific ones: 

Excerpt: ″writing in the preface to a 1941 reissue of The War in the Air, he chose for his epitaph the words: “I told you so. You damned fools”.″

Source: independent.co.uk

HG Wells on technology consequences and professors of forethought - BBC

HG Wells on technology consequences and professors of forethought - BBC: 

Excerpt: ″He believes that now is the time to create a faculty of professors who can prepare the country for the changes that advances in technology will inevitably bring.″

Source: bbc.co.uk

CV5 7HJ (Tile Hill) Broadband Availability

CV5 7HJ (Tile Hill) Broadband Availability: 

Excerpt: ″enabled (estimated speed: 900 Mbps)″

Has bunc hof other data by postcode.

Source: thinkbroadband.com

How DOGE’s mass firings detonated a crisis at a nuclear weapons agency - The Washington Post

How DOGE’s mass firings detonated a crisis at a nuclear weapons agency - The Washington Post:

Excerpt: ″The employees of the National Nuclear Security Administration are stewards of a sprawling government system that keeps 5,000 nuclear warheads secure and ready. They make sure radiation doesn’t leak, weapons don’t mistakenly detonate and plutonium doesn’t get into the wrong hands.″

Source: washingtonpost.com

H. G. Wells and the Uncertainties of Progress — The Public Domain Review

H. G. Wells and the Uncertainties of Progress — The Public Domain Review: 

Excerpt: ″Even when a new technology starts to catch on, it may be hard to imagine what the consequences of its success will be. In a 1932 radio talk, Wells used the example of the growing chaos on the roads to point out how difficult it had been to foresee the consequences of making motor cars available to a wider public when they were first introduced. It was now obvious that the road network would have to be redesigned to cope with the increased traffic. He called for the universities to have “Professors of Foresight” to grapple with the unintended consequences posed by future inventions.″

Source: publicdomainreview.org

Exchange closures

Find my exchange?
https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2025/02/openreach-to-start-closure-of-105-national-uk-exchanges-in-april-2025.html

21st Century Opportunities and Challenges - Google Books

21st Century Opportunities and Challenges - Google Books: 

Excerpt: ″An Age of Destruction Or an Age of Transformation″

Source: google.co.uk

Rachel Maddow Shows Who Benefits From Trump's Attack On Zelenskyy - YouTube

Rachel Maddow Shows Who Benefits From Trump's Attack On Zelenskyy - YouTube: 

Excerpt: ″ the key question that if the American people don't want America siding with Russia, who benefits from Trump's behavior?″

Source: youtube.com

Trump’s explosive clash with Zelenskyy: read the full transcript

Trump’s explosive clash with Zelenskyy: read the full transcript | Donald Trump | The Guardian: 

Excerpt: ″You’re buried there. Your people are dying. You’re running low on soldiers. No, listen … And then you tell us, ‘I don’t want a ceasefire. I don’t want a ceasefire. I want to go and I want this.’ Trump: You’re not acting at all thankful. And that’s not a nice thing. I’ll be honest, that’s not a nice thing.″

Source: theguardian.com

Pancreatitis | Johns Hopkins Medicine

Pancreatitis | Johns Hopkins Medicine: Excerpt: 

″Tips to help you get the most from a visit to your healthcare provider: 

1. Know the reason for your visit and what you want to happen. 
2. Before your visit, write down questions you want answered. 
3. Bring someone with you to help you ask questions and remember what your provider tells you. 
4. At the visit, write down the name of a new diagnosis, and any new medicines, treatments, or tests. Also write down any new instructions your provider gives you. 
5. Know why a new medicine or treatment is prescribed, and how it will help you. Also know what the side effects are and when they should be reported. 
6. Ask if your condition can be treated in other ways.
7. Know why a test or procedure is recommended and what the results could mean. 
8. Know what to expect if you do not take the medicine or have the test or procedure. 
9. If you have a follow-up appointment, write down the date, time, and purpose for that visit.
10. Know how you can contact your healthcare provider if you have questions, especially after office hours or on weekends and holidays.″

Source: hopkinsmedicine.org

Garage Shelves and Storage & Shelving at B&Q

Garage Shelves and Storage & Shelving at B&Q: 

Excerpt: ″RB BOSS Garage Shelving Units FastLok 5 Shelf MDF Red & Black Powder Coated Steel (H)1800mm (W)900mm (D)450mm″ £50.

Source: diy.com

How to flush DNS for Windows 10 and Windows 11 | Ubisoft Help

How to flush DNS for Windows 10 and Windows 11 | Ubisoft Help: 

Excerpt: ″The DNS cache stores the IP addresses of web servers that contain web pages which you have recently viewed. Sometimes these will contain obsolete information or bad results and need to be cleared to improve communication with web servers. ″

Source: ubisoft.com

Searching your mail – Fastmail

Searching your mail – Fastmail: 

Excerpt: ″NOT — the term that follows is excluded from search results. For example, since:"1 week ago" from:rob NOT subject:"new web interface" would find any messages from Rob in the last week where the subject line does not contain the words "new web interface".″

Source: fastmail.help

How delusional is it possible to be about AI?

How delusional is it possible to be about AI?: Excerpt: 

″It’s just phenomenally stupid to imagine that the big benefit of such unbelievably unrealistic productivity gains would be that Rachel Reeves will be able to balance the books a bit better.″

Source: substack.com

Can Keir Starmer strike a deal with Trump? It’s a balancing act

Can Keir Starmer strike a deal with Trump? It’s a balancing act: Excerpt: 

″ “AI is transformational,” the Starmer aide said. “What you’re talking about is a level of productivity growth that means everybody in the world, in ten years’ time, is going to be more productive than the most productive person in the world today. We have to make sure that we are in a position to quickly take advantage of it.”″

Source: archive.ph

Murders of Harry and Harriette Moore - Wikipedia

Murders of Harry and Harriette Moore - Wikipedia: 

Excerpt: ″Harry T. Moore and his wife, Harriette V. S. Moore, were pioneer activists and leaders of the early Civil Rights Movement in the United States and became the first martyrs of the movement. ″

December 25, 1951

Source: en.wikipedia.org

Beyond Cybercrime: New Perspectives on Crime, Harm and Digital Technologies

Beyond Cybercrime: New Perspectives on Crime, Harm and Digital Technologies | International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy: 

Excerpt: ″Collectively, the contributions broaden our theoretical and conceptual understandings of the technology–harm nexus and provide criminologists with new ways of moving beyond cybercrime. ″

Source: crimejusticejournal.com

UK anti-fraud efforts have failed and need ‘wholesale change,’ lawmakers say | The Record from Recorded Future News

UK anti-fraud efforts have failed and need ‘wholesale change,’ lawmakers say | The Record from Recorded Future News: 

Excerpt: ″The British government’s response to fraud needs “a wholesale change in philosophy and practice,” according to the House of Commons Justice Committee.″

Source: therecord.media

AirPod hearing aids

How to…
https://www.independent.ie/business/technology/airpods-pro-2-can-now-be-used-as-clinical-hearing-aids-heres-what-theyre-like-and-how-to-activate-the-feature/a228856119.html

#CovConnects – Coventry City Council

#CovConnects – Coventry City Council: 

Excerpt: ″All Coventry residents should have equal opportunities to access digital technologies, services and supports in a way that helps them in their daily lives. #CovConnects aims to support residents on their digital journeys, working in partnership with organisations both locally and nationally, improving access for all.″

Source: coventry.gov.uk

Iowa GOP lawmakers again eye public school course on Bible | The Gazette

Iowa GOP lawmakers again eye public school course on Bible | The Gazette: 

Excerpt: ″Connie Ryan, executive director of Interfaith Alliance of Iowa, argues the bill is misguided and would give preference to one religion over others. “Courses about religion should expose students to critical thinking about various religions and sacred texts and a diversity of interpretations, including Christianity and the Bible,” Ryan said. “Unfortunately, Bible-specific courses can become nothing more than Sunday school lessons masquerading as instruction about religion.”″

Source: thegazette.com

Political Ideology, Religious Attendance And Mental Illness

Political Ideology, Religious Attendance And Mental Illness: 

Excerpt: ″I’m a social scientist, and for all the death and destruction that COVID-19 brought to the United States and every other country on Earth, it also gave us a tremendous window into how folks handled mental stress in near real time. ″

Source: religionunplugged.com

Donald Trump Was Recruited by the KGB Under Codename 'Krasnov' Claims Former Soviet Spy Chief – Byline Times

Yuri Shvets, another former Soviet spy residing in the US, claims that the USSR cultivated Donald Trump since the 1970s, supporting his political ambitions and flattering him. According to him, Trump became a target of Soviet and Czechoslovak intelligence in 1977 after marrying Czech model Ivana Zelníčková. 

https://bylinetimes.com/2025/02/21/donald-trump-was-recruited-by-the-kgb-under-codename-krasnov-claims-former-soviet-spy-chief/ 

Yandell Henderson | Biographical Memoirs: Volume 74 | The National Academies Press

Yandell Henderson | Biographical Memoirs: Volume 74 | The National Academies Press:

Excerpt: ″Henderson also advocated that the tail pipes of cars, buses, and trucks be placed at the tops of the vehicles and pointed vertically so that the hot exhaust gases would be vented upwards. He argued that this would reduce pollution by carbon monoxide and other toxic gases at street level.″

"Henderson maintained a lifelong interest in air pollution, particularly the effects of automobile exhaust gas on city streets, again being far ahead of his time."

See also: The Grand Rapids Press, Thu, Jan 03, 1924 ·Page 6

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 1998. Biographical Memoirs: Volume 74. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/6201.

Source: nap.nationalacademies.org

"Dr. Yandell Henderson, Professor of Applied Physiology at Yale University, suggested as a partial solution that automobile exhausts be extended from the horizontal position at the level of the axle to a vertical one discharging like a chimney at the height of seven or eight feet. He conducted extensive experiments on Fifth Avenue, New York, and other motor-congested highways, proved that CO, even when not so dense as to cause prostration, affects people who inhale it adversely. The gas is heavier than air, and when discharged near the ground it stays there at the level of pedestrians." 

                                                                                            —TIME May 26, 1924 12:00 AM GMT-4

"Dr. Miller Reese Hutchison, inventor of the Klaxon auto horn, acoustic devices for the deaf, etc., with a short-cut to the heart of the problem—a chemical compound, which, introduced into the gasoline, eliminates most of the monoxide from the exhaust fumes, as well as the bothersome carbon deposits in the cylinders. "

"The additive was marketed as Hutch-Olene," — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miller_Reese_Hutchison

Meta’s neurotech breakthrough reads minds without surgery. We should probably worry. | Vox

Meta's neurotech breakthrough reads minds without surgery. We should probably worry. | Vox
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/400146/meta-brain-reading-neurotech-privacy

Global 3D rocket launch and re-entry air pollutant and CO2 emissions at the onset of the megaconstellation era | Scientific Data

Global 3D rocket launch and re-entry air pollutant and CO2 emissions at the onset of the megaconstellation era | Scientific Data: 

Excerpt: ″The already frequent re-entry rates of satellites from megaconstellation missions, intentional design of megaconstellation satellites to undergo complete ablation (burn-up) on re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere (https://www.spacex.com/updates/#sustainability), and an increase in the cadence of rocket launches2 will increase the release of potentially harmful chemical byproducts into all layers of the atmosphere″

Source: nature.com

Averting Environmental Risks in the New Space Age - Federation of American Scientists

Averting Environmental Risks in the New Space Age - Federation of American Scientists: 

Excerpt: ″Mega-constellations are designed so their defunct satellites reenter the atmosphere and vaporize, releasing chemical compounds, including aluminum oxides. The Aerospace Corporation (an advisor to the U.S. Space Force) reports that this massive increase in the number of satellites reentering the atmosphere and releasing chemical compounds and particles could contribute to climate change through radiative forcing and ozone depletion.1 ″

Source: fas.org

DOGE Exposes Once-Secret Government Networks, Making Cyber-Espionage Easier than Ever

DOGE Exposes Once-Secret Government Networks, Making Cyber-Espionage Easier than Ever: 

Excerpt: ″Essentially, whatever is causing once-private government networks to suddenly be publicly observable is making the lives of Chinese and Russian hackers much easier–we’re doing the first stage of hacking campaigns, network reconnaissance, for them. With such easy insights into once-secret U.S. networks, the likelihood of data breaches impacting millions of Americans becomes that much higher.″

Source: cyberintel.substack.com

ISC2 Code of Ethics

1. ISC2 Code of Ethics: Excerpt: 

″Code of Ethics Preamble: The safety and welfare of society and the common good, duty to our principals, and duty to each other, require that we adhere, and be seen to adhere, to the highest ethical standards of behavior. Therefore, strict adherence to this Code is a condition of certification. 

 Code of Ethics Canons: 

1. Protect society, the common good, necessary public trust and confidence, and the infrastructure. 
2. Act honorably, honestly, justly, responsibly, and legally. 
3. Provide diligent and competent service to principals.
4.  Advance and protect the profession.″

Source: isc2.org

The Truth About Musk, From His Biographer

The Truth About Musk, From His Biographer: 

Excerpt: ″“With no Whites here [in South Africa], the Blacks will go back to the trees.” —Errol Musk in a 2022 letter to his son Elon Given who Elon and Kimbal’s father Errol Musk is, and what he believes about racial hierarchies, and how he made much of his money in apartheid-era South Africa, it’s no surprise that Elon and Kimbal didn’t want anyone to know that not only were they living in America off daddy’s money in the 1990s but they never would have made it in business without him and his cash. Both Musk boys knew their father was a contemptible figure the likes of which no one in Silicon Valley would ever condone, so they lied about everything: their immigration status; the source of their startup money; their ability to conduct themselves in an office setting as professionals; even their personal politics, which were far right (Elon a bit more so than Kimbal), a fact they knew would never be accepted in California.″

Source: sethabramson.substack.com

Purine in fish

Handy chart:
https://www.purine-direkt.de/index.php?r=food-purin%2Findex2&catid=4&sort=-portion

Hake recipe

Give it a try:
https://www.bordbia.ie/recipes/fish-recipes/pan-fried-hake-with-lemon-and-herb-butter-sauce/

Would be nice

Should be done - pour down economics:
https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/national/uk-today/24936776.hmrc-income-tax-personal-allowance-rise-12-570/

HMRC Income tax personal allowance could increase from £12,570 to £20,000

Go for it - trickle across: https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/national/uk-today/24936776.hmrc-income-tax-personal-allowance-rise-12-570/?ref=yahoo#:~:text=HMRC%20Income%20tax%20personal%20allowance%20could%20increase%20from%20%C2%A312%2C570%20to%20%C2%A320%2C000,-Jade%20Wright&text=A%20petition%20to%20raise%20the,now%20be%20debated%20by%20MPs. 

GTR housing

Great to realise 
https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/new-homes-bringing-joy-gypsy-30996866

Trump Desperately Tries to Blame Anyone but Himself for Inflation | The New Republic

Trump Desperately Tries to Blame Anyone but Himself for Inflation | The New Republic: 

Excerpt: ″“I think we’re going to become a rich—look, we’re not that rich right now,” Trump said. “We owe $36 trillion. That’s because we let all these nations take advantage of us. Same thing, like $200 billion with Canada. We owe $300—we have a deficit with Mexico of $350 billion. I’m not going to do that. I’m not going to let that happen.” Last week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the Trump administration doesn’t “have a timeline” for alleviating the nation’s critically high cost of living.″

Source: newrepublic.com

‘Headed for technofascism’: the rightwing roots of Silicon Valley | Silicon Valley | The Guardian

‘Headed for technofascism’: the rightwing roots of Silicon Valley | Silicon Valley | The Guardian: 

Excerpt: ″An influential Silicon Valley publication runs a cover story lamenting the “pussification” of tech. A major tech CEO lambasts a Black civil rights leader’s calls for diversifying the tech workforce. Technologists rage against the “PC police”. No, this isn’t Silicon Valley in the age of Maga. It’s the tech industry of the 1990s, when observers first raised concerns about the rightwing bend of Silicon Valley and the potential for “technofascism”. Despite the industry’s (often undeserved) reputation for liberalism, its reactionary foundations were baked in almost from the beginning. As Silicon Valley enters a second Trump administration, the gendered roots of its original reactionary movement offer insight into today’s rightward turn.″

Source: theguardian.com

Of bitcoin, the South Sea Bubble and the madness of crowds

Of bitcoin, the South Sea Bubble and the madness of crowds: 

Excerpt: ″Furthermore, what on earth does the idea of a strategic bitcoin reserve mean? The US has a strategic oil reserve which it can use, in the case of a sudden surge in price or an interruption to supply. But when would US citizens suddenly need access to a lot of Bitcoin? If there were some national crisis, say a cyberattack that cut off the internet, you would need to use notes and coins. Bitcoin, to quote Blackadder, would be as much use as a chocolate teapot. ″

Source: philipcoggan.substack.com

The US State Department says humanitarian assistance can continue. Foreign aid workers say that’s not happening | CNN

The US State Department says humanitarian assistance can continue. Foreign aid workers say that’s not happening | CNN: 

Excerpt: ″one USAID employee told CNN. “The entire humanitarian architecture across the world has literally just collapsed because they have decided to stop allowing folks to work.” “Our payment systems have been taken over. We no longer can pay. We don’t have staff,” the USAID employee said, adding that has caused even supposedly exempt work to stop, in dire places like Syria, Yemen, Lebanon and Ethiopia.″

Source: edition.cnn.com

Prime Minister sets out blueprint to turbocharge AI - GOV.UK

Prime Minister sets out blueprint to turbocharge AI - GOV.UK: 

Excerpt: ″Backing AI to the hilt can also lead to more money in the pockets of working people...Today’s plan mainlines AI into the veins of this enterprising nation...for too long we have allowed blockers to control the public discourse and get in the way of growth in this sector.″

Source: gov.uk

AI Opportunities Action Plan - GOV.UK

AI Opportunities Action Plan - GOV.UK: 

Excerpt: ″Establish a copyright-cleared British media asset training data set, which can be licensed internationally at scale. This could be done through partnering with bodies that hold valuable cultural data like the National Archives, Natural History Museum, British Library and the BBC to develop a commercial proposition for sharing their data to advance AI.″

Source: gov.uk

Yes, Musk said Americans will suffer 'temporary hardship' due to govt cost-cutting measures | Snopes.com

Yes, Musk said Americans will suffer 'temporary hardship' due to govt cost-cutting measures | Snopes.com: 

Excerpt: ″Musk did indeed say that Americans would suffer "temporary hardship" as a result of the spending curbs he and Trump planned to implement in the federal government. ″

Source: snopes.com

Comment: A vote for Musk/Trump was a vote for "temporary hardship [to] ensure long term prosperity." The voters are getting what they voted for, or failed to vote against.

Elon is now delivering that hardship. Will it be temporary like he promised? Will it ensure long term prosperity like he promised? 

Birthright citizenship lawsuit: Pro-life Republican states target babies.

Birthright citizenship lawsuit: Pro-life Republican states target babies.: 

Excerpt: ″The guarantee of birthright citizenship ensures that such children are not punished for the alleged sins of their parents, operating as a great equalizer: Here, every citizen has the same freedoms, no matter the circumstances under which they came into the world. Monday’s brief, however, reveals that many Republican AGs reject this principle: They want to divide the citizenry into two classes—true citizens, who were born to American parents, and interlopers, who were not. These states hold a grudge against the latter group and resent the fact that they must treat these children with equal dignity.″

Source: slate.com

Gaza Largo

Hamas numbers
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/06/middleeast/netanyahu-endorses-trump-gaza-plan-intl-hnk/index.html

Email Checker: Verify Any Email Address for Free

Email Checker: Verify Any Email Address for Free: 

Excerpt: ″Verify anyone's email address thanks to our free email checker tool.″

Source: mailmeteor.com

Substantial chance that rocket debris will fall into busy flight path, researchers say | The Independent

https://www.independent.co.uk/space/rocket-launch-spacex-planes-danger-debris-b2692856.html 

We do not want an American-style healthcare system the UK

We do not want an American-style healthcare system in the UK. It would be catastrophic for millions: 

Excerpt: ″“Americans spend more money on health care on a per capita basis than people in any other developed nation, yet almost half say they've struggled recently to pay for medical treatment or prescription drugs, according to a new study from Gallup and West Health … About 45% of those polled by the organizations said they'd recently had to skip treatment or medicine either because of cost or lack of easy access.”″

Source: jujuliagrace.substack.com

As Trump Attacks Diversity, a Racist Undercurrent Surfaces - The New York Times

As Trump Attacks Diversity, a Racist Undercurrent Surfaces - The New York Times

"His attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion aren't about a particular program or some acronym — they're just a sanitized substitute for the racist comments that can no longer be spoken openly," Margaret Huang, the Southern Poverty Law Center's president and chief executive"

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/03/us/politics/trump-diversity-racism.html

Celebrities get new right to fight against AI piracy

Celebrities get new right to fight against AI piracy: 

Excerpt: ″Senior figures in the creative sector are scathing about the government’s plans, accusing the technology secretary Peter Kyle of having drunk “big tech’s Kool-Aid” and selling out an industry that is worth £126 billion to the economy″

Source: thetimes.com

BPI says AI proposals risk 'destroying the UK's status as a creative superpower' | Labels | Music Week

BPI says AI proposals risk 'destroying the UK's status as a creative superpower' | Labels | Music Week:

Excerpt: ″While there is much to welcome in the ambitions of the AI Action Plan to improve public services and ways of working, this publication does nothing to explain why upending our gold standard copyright system is required to achieve these goals,” said BPI (British Phonographic Industry) CEO Dr Jo Twist OBE.″

Source: musicweek.com

Celebrities get new right to fight against AI piracy

Celebrities get new right to fight against AI piracy: Excerpt: ″Musicians, artists and authors would be given the right to opt out from allowing companies to train AI models on their material under a system to be called “rights reservation”.″

Source: thetimes.com

Big cars are going global. I hope other countries don't make these mistakes.

Big cars are going global. I hope other countries don't make these mistakes.: Excerpt: ″Like a disease, car bloat is spreading. The United States is patient zero: 4 out of 5 new cars in the U.S. are now SUVs or pickups, a sharp increase from a few decades ago. Now, oversized cars are becoming almost as common in Berlin and Beijing as they are in Baltimore. SUVs alone comprised nearly half of car sales worldwide in 2023, up from 20 percent 15 years ago. The global ascent of giant cars is an ominous trend for climate change, as well as for road safety in the rich and developing worlds alike.″

Source: slate.com

‘Mainlined into UK’s veins’: Labour announces huge public rollout of AI

‘Mainlined into UK’s veins’: Labour announces huge public rollout of AI | Politics | The Guardian: Excerpt: ″Susie Alegre, a barrister specialising in technology and human rights, cited the Post Office scandal “as a reminder of the dangers of putting too much faith in technology without the resources for effective accountability”. She said: “Any plan for Britain’s future with AI needs to look at real-world consequences for people and the planet and cannot afford to look away from uncomfortable truths.”″

Source: theguardian.com

A Woman With a Rare Gene Mutation Fights to Avoid Her Mother’s Fate

A Woman With a Rare Gene Mutation Fights to Avoid Her Mother’s Fate - The New York Times: Excerpt: ″Will Linde receive a useful treatment before her mind begins to slip away? Of the 10 tau experts interviewed for this article, nine said they were optimistic that it would happen, whether with a drug like Biogen’s that suppresses tau or, in the longer term, a gene-editing cure.″

Source: nytimes.com

Teams Solve Problems Faster When They’re More Cognitively Diverse

Teams Solve Problems Faster When They’re More Cognitively Diverse: Excerpt: ″Functional bias is a problem for teams facing new uncertain and complex situations because, with little cognitive diversity, the team will have limited ability to see things differently, engage in different ways (e.g., experiment versus analyzing), or create new options. Similarly, when organizations initiate change programs, they often seek out and identify advocates or change agents to support activities. Those selected often have a similar approach to change. This lack of cognitive diversity has two impacts. First, it reduces the opportunity to strengthen the proposition with input from people who think differently. Second, it fails to represent the cognitive diversity of the employee population, reducing the impact of the initiatives.″

Source: hbr.org

How a Mole Infiltrated the Highest Ranks of American Militias — ProPublica

Check out: https://www.propublica.org/article/ap3-oath-keepers-militia-mole 

Dr. Strangelove - Wikipedia

Dr. Strangelove - Wikipedia: Excerpt: ″The film is considered one of the best comedy films and one of the greatest films of all time. In 1998, the American Film Institute ranked it 26th in its list of the best American films (in the 2007 edition, the film ranked 39th), and in 2000, it was listed as number three on its list of the funniest American films. In 1989, the United States Library of Congress included Dr. Strangelove as one of the first 25 films selected for preservation in the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[7][8]″

Source: en.wikipedia.org

Gods in the machine? The rise of artificial intelligence may result in new religions

Gods in the machine? The rise of artificial intelligence may result in new religions: Excerpt: ″We are about to witness the birth of a new kind of religion. In the next few years, or perhaps even months, we will see the emergence of sects devoted to the worship of artificial intelligence (AI).″

Source: Gods in the machine? The rise of artificial intelligence may result in new religions

New research explores hidden health risks of hereditary hemochromatosis

New research explores hidden health risks of hereditary hemochromatosis: Excerpt: ″To summarize, the study reported that individuals who were homozygous for the C282Y mutation in the HFE genes had a higher risk of diabetes and liver disease, even if their iron levels were normal. Furthermore, the mutation was found to significantly increase the mortality risk among individuals with diabetes, emphasizing the need for broader diagnostic criteria and targeted management.″

Source: news-medical.net

Activate Windows - Microsoft Support

Activate Windows - Microsoft Support: Excerpt: ″You'll first want to find out if your Windows 11 is activated and linked to your Microsoft account.″

Source: Activate Windows - Microsoft Support

What Is The National Device Bank | Reusing Devices For Digital Inclusion | Good Things Foundation

Excerpt: ″The National Device Bank is powered by Good Things Foundation. It provides refurbished laptops, mobile phones and tablets to individuals who may not have access to a device. ″

Source: What Is The National Device Bank | Reusing Devices For Digital Inclusion | Good Things Foundation

Meditation Diminishes Bias Toward Negative Information - Neuroscience News

Excerpt: ″A new study reveals that daily mindfulness meditation can help reduce individuals’ tendency to avoid negative information. The practice of regular mindfulness meditation allows people to better process uncomfortable emotions, thus enabling them to handle negative information more objectively.″

Source: Meditation Diminishes Bias Toward Negative Information - Neuroscience News

2023 Landscape - AI Now Institute

Excerpt: ″This report highlights a set of approaches that, in concert, will collectively enable us to confront tech power. Some of these are bold policy reforms that underscore the need for bright-line rules and structural curbs. ″

Source: 2023 Landscape - AI Now Institute

Cybersecurity is a public health crisis, so why don’t we treat it that way? | Infosec

Excerpt: ″The past year of dealing with the Coronavirus has made one thing clear: Institutions have a variety of  processes and tools that use data to measure and inform public health across the globe. Cybersecurity, like public health, has a similar worldwide scope, so why is our cyber public health so lacking in guidance?″

Source: Cybersecurity is a public health crisis, so why don’t we treat it that way? | Infosec

From Small Scheme to Pilot Scheme

Excerpt: ″Coventry based charity, Carers Trust Heart of England are celebrating their historic 50th anniversary this October with a celebratory ball at the Windmill Village Hotel in Coventry.″

From Small Scheme to Pilot Scheme

Can computers think? No. They can’t actually do anything | Aeon Essays

Can computers think? No. They can’t actually do anything | Aeon Essays: ″the tendency of some scientists to take for granted what can only be described as a wildly simplistic picture of human and animal cognitive life. They rely unchecked on one-sided, indeed, milquetoast conceptions of human activity, skill and cognitive accomplishment. The surreptitious substitution (to use a phrase of Edmund Husserl’s) of this thin gruel version of the mind at work – a substitution that I hope to convince you traces back to Alan Turing and the very origins of AI – is the decisive move in the conjuring trick.″

Travellers denied entry to UK as new eVisa system falters

Travellers denied entry to UK as new eVisa system falters: ″Biometric residence permits held by foreign nationals to prove their immigration status have expired but the electronic visas that replaced them are not working″

What is limitarianism? Professor Ingrid Robeyns explains - In the media - Utrecht University

What is limitarianism? Professor Ingrid Robeyns explains - In the media - Utrecht University: ″It is absurd to have people sitting on millions and billions that only serve to further accumulate more and more. All the money that people don't need for their own well-being we could use to drive the climate transition.″

A Day in the Life of a Prolific Voice Phishing Crew – Krebs on Security

A Day in the Life of a Prolific Voice Phishing Crew – Krebs on Security: ″new details about the internal operations of a prolific voice phishing gang show the group routinely abuses legitimate services at Apple and Google to force a variety of outbound communications to their users, including emails, automated phone calls and system-level messages sent to all signed-in devices.″

What Happens When US Hospitals Binge on Nurse Practitioners - Bloomberg

What Happens When US Hospitals Binge on Nurse Practitioners - Bloomberg: ″Faster to train and cheaper to employ than doctors, NPs help American health-care companies’ bottom line—but can risk patient safety.″

The world’s next big environmental problem could come from space

The world’s next big environmental problem could come from space | MIT Technology Review: ″The amount of space debris vaporizing in Earth’s atmosphere has more than doubled in the past few years, says Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics who has built a second career as a leading space debris tracker..″

Sam Altman's World now wants to link AI agents to your digital identity | TechCrunch

Sam Altman's World now wants to link AI agents to your digital identity | TechCrunch: ″Instead, online businesses now seem to be preparing for a future in which some of their user interactions will be facilitated by AI agents. “If an agent comes in with a blue check mark and says, ‘Yes, I’m a bot. Don’t worry, don’t freak out. I’m actually here to buy a hot dog for Tiago,’ then those businesses can let that [agent] in,” said Sada. The problem with letting in every AI agent, or every bot on the internet, is that it could open your website up to DDOS attacks, scams, or other bad actors. By only allowing in a couple AI agents per person, Sada says, businesses can access new users through these agents without risking the integrity of their site.″

Diagnosis - FND Hope International

Diagnosis - FND Hope International: ″In my experience the commonest scenario at the onset of FND is the combination of a “typical” physical event (illness, injury) and a period prior to this of hard work a degree of fatigue caused by this and “normal” chronic life stressors that affect many people. The physical triggering event is usually something that would be expected to get better, for example a flu that would be expected to go after a few days rest, but instead symptoms continue and functional symptoms emerge. Sometimes this process can be very quick and dramatic or sometimes much slower.″

Hyperparathyroidism: What It Is, Symptoms & Treatment

• Hyperparathyroidism: What It Is, Symptoms & Treatment: ″Symptoms of hyperparathyroidism, especially in people with high calcium levels, include: 
• Joint or bone pain. 
• Muscle weakness. 
• Tiredness (fatigue). 
• Depression. 
• Trouble concentrating. 
• Loss of appetite. 
• Nausea and vomiting. 
• Confusion or forgetfulness. 
• Increased thirst and frequent need to pee. 
• Constipation.″

Pheochromocytoma - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

Pheochromocytoma - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic: ″A pheochromocytoma (fee-o-kroe-moe-sy-TOE-muh) is a rare tumor that grows in an adrenal gland. Most often, the tumor is not cancer. When a tumor isn't cancer, it's called benign.″

The Serenity Barn Yoga & Pilates Studio

The Serenity Barn Yoga & Pilates Studio | Amy Bell | Leamington Spa: Nestled in the heart of the Warwickshire countryside, just one mile away from Southam, The Serenity Barn is a stunning wellbeing studio. 

Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: Symptoms & Treatment

Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: Symptoms & Treatment: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is increased pressure in your skull. It occurs because of cerebrospinal fluid buildup around your brain. The cause is unknown. It can affect your vision and cause headaches, nausea or ringing in your ears. Treatments are available.

Also, the symptoms:

• Changes in eyesight, such as blurry vision or double vision
• Vision loss, especially in the peripheral vision
• Feeling dizzy or nauseated
• Vomiting
• Neck stiffness
• Trouble walking
• Frequent headaches, often along with nausea or vomiting
• Persistent ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
• Forgetfulness
• Depression

You may find that certain symptoms increase when you're exerting yourself. Exercise tends to raise the pressure in the skull.

Myth of spare capacity in private health care sector straining to help the NHS – Keep Our NHS Public

Myth of spare capacity in private health care sector straining to help the NHS – Keep Our NHS Public: The total number of NHS hospital beds in England has more than halved over the past 30 years, from around 299,000 in 1987/88 to 141,000 in 2019/20.However, the private sector remains much smaller with 8,900 beds, and relies almost entirely on senior doctors who already work for the NHS.

Did Elon Musk’s ‘Salute’ Cripple The Tesla Robotaxi?

Did Elon Musk’s ‘Salute’ Cripple The Tesla Robotaxi?: The world has been abuzz over the salute done by Elon Musk at the inauguration. Was it a Nazi salute? Was it deliberate or inadvertent? Real or misinterpreted? A troll? Musk has said little that’s concrete. In the end though, when it comes to his brand—which is all about image—it doesn’t matter what he meant, only what people think it means.

How Right-Wing Christians Brought Us the Tech Bro Dystopia

How Right-Wing Christians Brought Us the Tech Bro Dystopia: Crypto and AI, the new fads, are functionally just new means of continuing the macroeconomic trend in place since the Reagan years—funneling more and more of America’s wealth to a tiny sliver of people at the top.

How Right-Wing Christians Brought Us the Tech Bro Dystopia

How Right-Wing Christians Brought Us the Tech Bro Dystopia: Crypto%20and%20AI%2C%20the%20new%20fads%2C%20are%20functionally%20just%20new%20means%20of%20continuing%20the%20macroeconomic%20trend%20in%20place%20since%20the%20Reagan%20years%u2014funneling%20more%20and%20more%20of%20America%u2019s%20wealth%20to%20a%20tiny%20sliver%20of%20people%20at%20the%20top.

Cybersecurity is a public health crisis, so why don’t we treat it that way? | Infosec

Cybersecurity is a public health crisis, so why don’t we treat it that way? | Infosec: Cybersecurity, like public health, has a similar worldwide scope, so why is our cyber public health so lacking in guidance?

Big cars are going global. I hope other countries don't make these mistakes.

Big cars are going global. I hope other countries don't make these mistakes.: The United States is patient zero: 4 out of 5 new cars in the U.S. are now SUVs or pickups, a sharp increase from a few decades ago. Now, oversized cars are becoming almost as common in Berlin and Beijing as they are in Baltimore. SUVs alone comprised nearly half of car sales worldwide in 2023, up from 20 percent 15 years ago. The global ascent of giant cars is an ominous trend for climate change, as well as for road safety in the rich and developing worlds alike.

Never Forgive Them

Never Forgive Them: The people running the majority of internet services have used a combination of monopolies and a cartel-like commitment to growth-at-all-costs thinking to make war with the user, turning the customer into something between a lab rat and an unpaid intern, with the goal to juice as much value from the interaction as possible.

How%20AI%20could%20take%20over%20elections%20%u2013%20and%20undermine%20democracy

How%20AI%20could%20take%20over%20elections%20%u2013%20and%20undermine%20democracy: Political scientists and pundits would have much to say about why one or the other AI prevailed, but likely no one would really know. The president will have been elected not because his or her policy proposals or political ideas persuaded more Americans, but because he or she had the more effective AI.

Inside the culture clash dominating the AI debate - POLITICO

Inside the culture clash dominating the AI debate - POLITICO: The most ardent advocates of effective altruism, or EA, believe researchers are only months or years away from building an AI superintelligence able to outsmart the world’s collective efforts to control it. Through either its own volition or via terrorists seeking to develop deadly bioweapons, such an AI could wipe out humanity, they say. And some, including noted EA thinker Eliezer Yudkowsky, believe even a nuclear holocaust would be preferable to an unchecked AI future.

The Canaries

The Canaries: Today, the average person in the South-East of England is �195,400 wealthier than their counterpart in the North of England; this gap is projected to increase to �229,000 by 2029. Today, 30% of children live in relative poverty; this is projected to increase to 33% by 2028

Private care is not the answer to the NHS crisis

Private care is not the answer to the NHS crisis: But%20NHS%20waiting%20lists%20have%20grown%20to%20unprecedented%20levels.%20In%20March%202023%2C%20there%20were%207.3%20million%20people%20waiting%20for%20%u201Cnon-urgent%u201D%20elective%20care%2C%20such%20as%20knee%20replacements%20and%20cataract%20surgery%2C%20almost%20double%20the%20amount%20in%20May%202020.

Myth%20of%20spare%20capacity%20in%20private%20health%20care%20sector%20straining%20to%20help%20the%20NHS%20%u2013%20Keep%20Our%20NHS%20Public

Myth%20of%20spare%20capacity%20in%20private%20health%20care%20sector%20straining%20to%20help%20the%20NHS%20%u2013%20Keep%20Our%20NHS%20Public: The total number of NHS hospital beds in England has more than halved over the past 30 years, from around 299,000 in 1987/88 to 141,000 in 2019/20.However, the private sector remains much smaller with 8,900 beds, and relies almost entirely on senior doctors who already work for the NHS.

New Digital Skills Poll: Gaps Widen as Get Online Week Approaches

New Digital Skills Poll: Gaps Widen as Get Online Week Approaches
https://mailchi.mp/goodthingsfoundation.org/get-online-week-special?e=cf56c751be

Fears for UK boomer radicalisation on Facebook after Meta drops factcheckers | Facebook | The Guardian

Fears for UK boomer radicalisation on Facebook after Meta drops factcheckers | Facebook | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/12/fears-for-uk-boomer-radicalisation-on-facebook-after-meta-drops-factcheckers

Door cams UK

Check out this 
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/security-camera-ring-doorbell-cctv-rules-law-154529203.html

The air we breathe can have profound health effects: BBC

The%20far-reaching%20impacts%20of%2: The air we breathe can have profound effects on our physical and mental health.

In progress | OpenLearn - Open University

In progress | OpenLearn - Open University: Criminology beyond crime Advanced level Society, Politics & Law course

How AI could take over elections – and undermine democracy

How AI could take over elections – and undermine democracy: Could organizations use artificial intelligence language models such as ChatGPT to induce voters to behave in specific ways?

Early Career Researcher First Book Prize | Oxford Academic

Early Career Researcher First Book Prize | Oxford Academic
https://academic.oup.com/pages/early-career-researcher-first-book-prize

Air fryer jacket potatoes

Convert to C. 
https://detoxinista.com/air-fryer-baked-potatoes/

Do pensioners need to file a tax return? DWP State Pension warning as HMRC deadline in weeks - LancsLive

https://www.lancs.live/news/cost-of-living/pensioners-need-file-tax-return-30695319 

LLM Could Generate Thousands of Malware Variants | SC Media UK

LLM Could Generate Thousands of Malware Variants | SC Media UK
https://insight.scmagazineuk.com/llm-could-generate-thousands-of-malware-variants