Trevor B @trevorb@mastodon.sdf.org

It's not undermining democracy, IT IS democracy. 😠

Folks on Twitter seem to be earnestly saying that a petition with heading-for-4-million signatures is trying to undermine democracy, and it makes me angry! What the heck *is* democracy if it isn't the voices of a significant proportion of the population speaking en masse in an attempt to be heard and to influence government? Like, that's what the government is *for*, we made it to serve us, it only works if they listen, they're not listening so we need to get their attention.

The perils of cursive

"The people voted for pain."
Prime Minister
Theresa May

Reported by Vince Cable. Extraordinary statement by PM, if true. Sounds plausible.

#politics #Brexit #NoDeal

A significant factor is messaging these provide to opposing political parties. Although "the government" may not act on such feedback, often responding in generic tones, as a litmus test of public opinion - they DO serve an important comms purpose.

We're ALL burned out by Brexit

I refuse to bow & accept "the government" view as the only valid perspective, however. Realtime feedback matters. Don't stop fighting for representation!

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/241584

My Facebook feed is also full of people talking about how the petition is down.

It just proves how desperately undemocratic this whole process has been, if we've all been left so helpless that we're following one damn petition like it's our own heartbeat.

haha (Hulk #78, 2005.)

@maloki
[continued from last toot]

- Internation Women's Day puts focus on inequality and women's situation in the world... so do you mean congratulations with as in congratulations you're being discriminated?

- It's a day for women's liberation and not a birthday

Instead say you want to join the fight for an equal society.

@ jessicahallback

@maloki
This is why you shouldn't say congratulations on International Women's Day:

- To say congratulations to a woman on Internation Women's Day is like saying congratulations to starving people on World Hunger Day.

- Congratulations with lower pay or congratulations with womens risking being raped when they go home alone at night?

[continued in next toot]

@trevorb Oh yeah! Exactly!

This is a look I like to call Animal Print Medley

Potential security vulnerability discovered at Blenheim Palace this weekend.

'Aurora Express' by Tim Razumovsky, contemporary art with a strong retro-art deco feel.

I love these so much.

1st day on Mastodon: hi everyone, I'm interested in art, architecture, and cat pics!! 😊

3rd day on Mastodon: gonna find bigfoot and fuck him

This is cool!

The rover Europe sends to Mars in 2020 to look for life will carry the name of Rosalind Franklin. (She of the "what did Watson and Crick discover? Rosalind Franklin's notes!" joke I've seen going around.)

Plenty of stuff sent (or about to be sent) into space has men's names -- the Hubble and Webb telescopes, the Parker solar probe, etc -- but I can't think of anything that's had a woman's name so far.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-47151778