@simonvarwell@mastodon.scot
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simonvarwell

@simonvarwell@mastodon.scot

Loves trains, the outdoors, travel, Esperanto, ambient and post-rock music, good food and scrontous beer. Hates car-centric societies, late stage capitalism and courgette. Slow reader, infrequent writer. Day job in education but I never talk about it here. He/him. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Avatar: white 40ish man with black woolly hat and backpack, standing in front of old red phone box and ruined church.
Banner: text saying “Geesperantistoj el la tuta mondo agu energie kontraŭ la internacia faŝismo!"

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

gwynnion, to random
@gwynnion@mastodon.social avatar

A lot of guys suddenly pretending to care about "academic plagiarism" like they cared about "ethics in gaming journalism."

simonvarwell,
@simonvarwell@mastodon.scot avatar

@gwynnion there was a post on Birdville ages back (I wish I could find it) saying something along the lines of how so much prejudice in today’s world could’ve been avoided/defeated if we’d recognised gamergate for what it was and could become. I think the point was that it sowed the seed for being able to unchallengedly say misogynistic, sexist, homophobic etc things online and establish such views as a sort of norm.

simonvarwell, to random Esperanto
@simonvarwell@mastodon.scot avatar

This is genuinely hilarious. UKGov commissions a report to demonstrate how awful Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods are. Report comes back praising them so report is buried.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/mar/08/low-traffic-neighbourhoods-generally-popular-report-ordered-by-sunak-finds

simonvarwell, to random Esperanto
@simonvarwell@mastodon.scot avatar

Not my joke, I heard it from someone the other day, but:

Two ducks are flying over Belfast. One says “quack, quack”.

The other says “I’m flayin’ as quack as a caan.”

simonvarwell, to random Esperanto
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I’ve got this somewhat charming odd friend who every year around now asks to borrow one of my musical instruments overnight then, sure as clockwork, texts me to tell me how heavy it is. It’s very weird and annoying.

He’s just been in touch to ask if he can have my guitar, and I said no. He said “how come?” And I replied…

“Last Christmas I gave you my harp. The very next day you gave it a weigh.”

simonvarwell, to random Esperanto
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Good news that ScotGov is to declare a housing crisis. Communities are being squeezed by second homes, short term lets and unequal land ownership.

However it is bizarre that reserve powers will be blamed. So many competences in this area are devolved, eg equipping councils to ensure planning oversight of property usage, introducing a land value tax and so forth.

Such a paucity of imagination and ambition.

https://news.stv.tv/politics/scottish-government-to-declare-national-housing-emergency

simonvarwell, to random Esperanto
@simonvarwell@mastodon.scot avatar

Why’s it called “Learning How To Start Yoga In Victoria, Australia”

And not

Bendy Go

?

simonvarwell, to random Esperanto
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Ode to a rucksack.

As part of a big clearout, I got rid of my trusty old rucksack. It’s battered, stained and has lost a few straps, so I don’t mourn its passing - but I do celebrate its life.

I can’t remember precisely how old it is but I recall taking it on a camp aged 15. Since then it’s been to uni with me, been on countless ferries and trains, crossed Europe to Kosovo and back in 1999, been my trusty steed on my big travels of 2001, and been there in the journeys of my first two books.

simonvarwell, to random Esperanto
@simonvarwell@mastodon.scot avatar

Hurrah! It was an absolute knife-edge, but Highland Council has finally approved the end of most through-traffic on Inverness’s main city centre thoroughfare. This despite selfish bluster from motorists, ignorant ranting from businesses who don’t understand where their customers come from, and vile propaganda from local press.

There’s still a distance to go, and no doubt legal action, but there’s hope (and clean air) for once.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-66810518

TheBreadmonkey, to random
@TheBreadmonkey@beige.party avatar

One does not simply block into Mordor

https://geektyrant.com/news/lego-reveals-massive-5471-piece-lord-of-the-rings-dark-tower-of-mordor-set

simonvarwell,
@simonvarwell@mastodon.scot avatar

@TheBreadmonkey Build-o Baggins.

simonvarwell, to random Esperanto
@simonvarwell@mastodon.scot avatar

Two years. Slava Ukraini.

simonvarwell, to random Esperanto
@simonvarwell@mastodon.scot avatar

I often dwell on how generations heading into middle age are in weird in-between times: while older generations’ experiences were mostly not digitised and today’s young folk are over-digitised, only some of my generation’s past is digitised. That leaves us in an existence where life is patchily recalled.

I’d never imagined there being equality dimensions to this, however. A fascinating article.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/may/13/tv-episode-black-britain-gay-history

simonvarwell, to random Esperanto
@simonvarwell@mastodon.scot avatar

Yesterday I and the other admins of the Highlands and Islands rotational account on the birdsite sadly announced that HiVoices will close at the end of the year. Those of you who are recent exiles from there will recognise the reasons. It’s been a fun decade, and the account has shared some great stories in a growing and wonderful community, but as it passes its 10th birthday it’s time to wind up. Sad times but reflective of a wider sadness about that site. https://hivoices.wordpress.com/theend/

simonvarwell, (edited ) to random Esperanto
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Would you prefer your…

simonvarwell, to random Esperanto
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The Apprentice Boys of Derry are marching in Inverness in a couple of weeks, and there’s a petition doing the rounds to stop them. An Orange march in Stonehaven was stopped recently, so perhaps this can too. Please sign and share. https://chng.it/qHZ4Hb9vRL

simonvarwell, to random Esperanto
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Hrmph. Same to you.

simonvarwell, to random Esperanto
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Gutted to read that the wonderful Cromarty Cheese Shop will be closing. Bollocks to Brexit. https://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/news/award-winning-black-isle-business-set-to-close-its-doors-aft-330512/

simonvarwell, to random Esperanto
@simonvarwell@mastodon.scot avatar

Happy Burns Night!
Feliĉan Burns-Nokton!

Feliĉ’ al via vango grasa,
ĉef-ĉefo de la klan’ kolbasa!
Vi staras nepre plej altrasa
ĉe l’ tripa trupo,
inda je dankopreĝ’ ekstaza,
sen ĉia dubo!

simonvarwell, to random Esperanto
@simonvarwell@mastodon.scot avatar

Oh dear. I know how this ends.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-68014882

simonvarwell, to random Esperanto
@simonvarwell@mastodon.scot avatar

I hung out the other day with a bunch of very chatty (but slightly boring) Gaelic-speaking weather forecasters and they were all like blàth blàth blàth…

simonvarwell, to random Esperanto
@simonvarwell@mastodon.scot avatar

A lovely insight into the people behind the fabulous Walk Highlands website.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c72py4xg2w4o

simonvarwell, to random Esperanto
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The annoying thing about cooking rice is having to turn it over halfway through.

simonvarwell, to random Esperanto
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Well, it is Portugal, so there has to be a coffee and pastel de nata.

simonvarwell, to random Esperanto
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An inspiring if sobering read. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/apr/30/stuart-potts-man-who-turned-his-home-into-a-homeless-shelter

fionaorkneynews, to random
@fionaorkneynews@mastodon.scot avatar

Scotland Welcomed Increasing Numbers of Visitors Summer 2023

1,438,000 visitors came to Scotland last year between July and September - the peak tourist months. This is 14% more than visited over the same period before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. During summer 2023 Scotland welcomed visitors in ever increasing numbers: Figures for July to September 2019 - 2023

https://theorkneynews.scot/2024/01/26/scotland-welcomed-increasing-numbers-of-visitors-summer-2023/

simonvarwell,
@simonvarwell@mastodon.scot avatar

@fionaorkneynews @Glencoe @HighlandHen hi all, yes a tourist tax would be so important to upgrade roads, put in decent cycle lanes, fund public transport etc. Also a land value tax required to stop land hoarding and enable house building. Nothing wrong with tourism per se but the policy and infrastructure is playing a terribly sluggish game of catch-up. So many missed opportunities, to great cost.

simonvarwell, to random Esperanto
@simonvarwell@mastodon.scot avatar

The joys of a rail replacement bus, and thus the loss of three and a bit hours of work time, for the final leg of my journey. Ah well, I may as well kick back and share some photos of the last few days…

simonvarwell,
@simonvarwell@mastodon.scot avatar

So I was in Leeds for work earlier in the week, and that allowed for some sights…

An electricity box on a street. It’s grey, and on it is stencilled or painted “Leeds is for lovers” with the “o” replaced by a heart. There are three hearts on the top of the box too.
A canalside scene dominated by industrial red brick buildings. There is street art on the gable ends (one says “you and me” and the other, more distant, seems to be footballers).
A canalside scene, air modern glass buildings in the background. Next to the canal edge is a reflective silver sphere, perhaps two metres tall, with a silver figure about half its height in position of pushing it into the canal. I’ve no idea how far it’s moved it.

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