Steve Parks
@steveparks.me
Geeking out about writing, entrepreneurship, journalism, food, tech — or ideally a combination.
European, living/writing in France & running a business in UK.
https://www.steveparks.me
European, living/writing in France & running a business in UK.
https://www.steveparks.me
Pinned
Steve Parks
@steveparks.me
· May 7
I'm working on a Digital Detox.
It's a process of reviewing online services I use to prune out those with bad business practices, or who fund/support fascism and hate.
In this thread I'll collate my blog posts in which I document my findings.
Hopefully it can be useful to you too.
#DigitalDetox
It's a process of reviewing online services I use to prune out those with bad business practices, or who fund/support fascism and hate.
In this thread I'll collate my blog posts in which I document my findings.
Hopefully it can be useful to you too.
#DigitalDetox
Today’s Sunday lunch was in a really lovely ‘bbq brasserie’ further up the coast.
Afterwards I walked 12km back down the coast at sunset. The tide was out, so I did most of it over the rocks.
Afterwards I walked 12km back down the coast at sunset. The tide was out, so I did most of it over the rocks.
November 30, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Today’s Sunday lunch was in a really lovely ‘bbq brasserie’ further up the coast.
Afterwards I walked 12km back down the coast at sunset. The tide was out, so I did most of it over the rocks.
Afterwards I walked 12km back down the coast at sunset. The tide was out, so I did most of it over the rocks.
If you like chilled out late night piano music, give Luke Howard a go, starting with Oversky. Sublime
November 30, 2025 at 9:04 PM
If you like chilled out late night piano music, give Luke Howard a go, starting with Oversky. Sublime
I used to absolutely love reading Sunday newspapers.
It was an indulgence to just kick back and lose myself in reading about a whole load of fascinating topics I would never have thought to explore.
Now it feels like being beaten with a bouncy castle — alarming but ultimately just a load of puff.
It was an indulgence to just kick back and lose myself in reading about a whole load of fascinating topics I would never have thought to explore.
Now it feels like being beaten with a bouncy castle — alarming but ultimately just a load of puff.
November 30, 2025 at 8:07 PM
I used to absolutely love reading Sunday newspapers.
It was an indulgence to just kick back and lose myself in reading about a whole load of fascinating topics I would never have thought to explore.
Now it feels like being beaten with a bouncy castle — alarming but ultimately just a load of puff.
It was an indulgence to just kick back and lose myself in reading about a whole load of fascinating topics I would never have thought to explore.
Now it feels like being beaten with a bouncy castle — alarming but ultimately just a load of puff.
wHy aREn’t moRE peOPle paYInG for OuR nEWs WebSite??!
November 30, 2025 at 7:59 PM
wHy aREn’t moRE peOPle paYInG for OuR nEWs WebSite??!
Reposted by Steve Parks
"Ha ha, bitches, I got a new scooter!"
Clifford “Buzz” Grambo patrols the streets of Baltimore to keep his neighbors safe—and make federal agents uncomfortable.
Clifford “Buzz” Grambo patrols the streets of Baltimore to keep his neighbors safe—and make federal agents uncomfortable.
Meet the veteran who chases ICE on a scooter
Clifford “Buzz” Grambo patrols the streets of Baltimore to keep his neighbors safe—and make federal agents uncomfortable.
www.motherjones.com
November 30, 2025 at 4:01 PM
"Ha ha, bitches, I got a new scooter!"
Clifford “Buzz” Grambo patrols the streets of Baltimore to keep his neighbors safe—and make federal agents uncomfortable.
Clifford “Buzz” Grambo patrols the streets of Baltimore to keep his neighbors safe—and make federal agents uncomfortable.
Reposted by Steve Parks
I love this so much. Almost irrationally.
November 29, 2025 at 9:45 AM
I love this so much. Almost irrationally.
Step 3: have the NHS fix your hip
Step 1: ask Claude for stretch suggestions
Step 2: have nano banana generate an illustration of the stretch
Step 2: have nano banana generate an illustration of the stretch
November 28, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Step 3: have the NHS fix your hip
The NHS is going to be overrun this winter — with Covid, Flu, and whiplash for Daily Mail readers
This is how the Mail has covered a 70% fall in net migration.
The Government should stop kidding itself it will ever get credit for being anti-migration. They could cut numbers to zero and there would still be front pages blasting them for making the UK a socialist wasteland no one wants to come to
The Government should stop kidding itself it will ever get credit for being anti-migration. They could cut numbers to zero and there would still be front pages blasting them for making the UK a socialist wasteland no one wants to come to
November 28, 2025 at 1:33 PM
The NHS is going to be overrun this winter — with Covid, Flu, and whiplash for Daily Mail readers
Let's see the details of how the purchase of the chateau was funded.
Putin has a bit of a history of having friendly banks make incredibly generous 'loans' to buy properties (for people he wants to buy), which later get written off.
So they can say they never took money directly from Russia.
Putin has a bit of a history of having friendly banks make incredibly generous 'loans' to buy properties (for people he wants to buy), which later get written off.
So they can say they never took money directly from Russia.
Well done BBC News’s Wyre Davies and Ben Summer for “doorstepping” ex UKIP MEP David Coburn outside his Normandy chateau.
Coburn has been named in connection with the pro-Russian influence campaign involving Nathan Gill but denies accepting payments in exchange for making pro-Russian statements.
Coburn has been named in connection with the pro-Russian influence campaign involving Nathan Gill but denies accepting payments in exchange for making pro-Russian statements.
Former Brexit Party MEP denies taking payment from pro-Russian campaign - BBC News
A prominent former MEP for Nigel Farage's old party denies taking bribes in a pro-Russian campaign.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 28, 2025 at 10:37 AM
Let's see the details of how the purchase of the chateau was funded.
Putin has a bit of a history of having friendly banks make incredibly generous 'loans' to buy properties (for people he wants to buy), which later get written off.
So they can say they never took money directly from Russia.
Putin has a bit of a history of having friendly banks make incredibly generous 'loans' to buy properties (for people he wants to buy), which later get written off.
So they can say they never took money directly from Russia.
Sucks for the OBR, but I bet hundreds of urgent projects have just kicked off across the UK public sector to fix the issue that attached documents are technically available on the web before scheduled web page updates go live on their site.
November 28, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Sucks for the OBR, but I bet hundreds of urgent projects have just kicked off across the UK public sector to fix the issue that attached documents are technically available on the web before scheduled web page updates go live on their site.
Time and again, Today seem to platform Tufton Street with no challenge or accountability, while sidelining real experts
The "guy making a case about low taxes" was in fact Karl Williams of the Centre for Policy Studies - author of the fictional/fabricated and now withdrawn "£234 billion" cost number cited by Katie Lam and Reform.
Funnily Amol Rajan didn't ask him about that.. 😉
Funnily Amol Rajan didn't ask him about that.. 😉
And again I wonder why a super expert like Portes is not on BBC4 today instead of a guy making a case about low taxes
November 28, 2025 at 10:23 AM
Time and again, Today seem to platform Tufton Street with no challenge or accountability, while sidelining real experts
Great activity to try with the kids this weekend
Really impressive to see this origami explanation from nano banana.
Step one - get a piece of grey square paper
Step two - by now it should be folded into the shape of an elephant.
🙃
Step one - get a piece of grey square paper
Step two - by now it should be folded into the shape of an elephant.
🙃
November 28, 2025 at 10:18 AM
Great activity to try with the kids this weekend
November 27, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Do you remember the days when budget coverage would involve some reporter on an OB in a pub because one of the biggest issues was whether there’d be another penny on a pint?
Simpler times
Simpler times
November 26, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Do you remember the days when budget coverage would involve some reporter on an OB in a pub because one of the biggest issues was whether there’d be another penny on a pint?
Simpler times
Simpler times
Oh wow, that was real!
I saw it scroll by in some live tweeting of the budget here, but thought it was just someone joking.
Love that the gov got bold enough about this to joke… but now could they get bold enough to ask police and security services to investigate all the evidence that has built up?
I saw it scroll by in some live tweeting of the budget here, but thought it was just someone joking.
Love that the gov got bold enough about this to joke… but now could they get bold enough to ask police and security services to investigate all the evidence that has built up?
The Commons isn’t usually the place for sharp comedy, but today’s Budget delivered a moment that made even the frontbench blink.
Let’s just say Russia came up… and Farage was the punchline ⤵️
@eastangliabylines.co.uk
Let’s just say Russia came up… and Farage was the punchline ⤵️
@eastangliabylines.co.uk
Reeves aims a searing ‘Russian assets’ gibe at Farage
Rachel Reeves used her Budget speech to jab at Nigel Farage, invoking Russia amid renewed security concerns
eastangliabylines.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Oh wow, that was real!
I saw it scroll by in some live tweeting of the budget here, but thought it was just someone joking.
Love that the gov got bold enough about this to joke… but now could they get bold enough to ask police and security services to investigate all the evidence that has built up?
I saw it scroll by in some live tweeting of the budget here, but thought it was just someone joking.
Love that the gov got bold enough about this to joke… but now could they get bold enough to ask police and security services to investigate all the evidence that has built up?
I think there needs to be a kind of Darwin awards for cyber truck crashes, because they all seem to be done with some flair
November 26, 2025 at 8:16 PM
I think there needs to be a kind of Darwin awards for cyber truck crashes, because they all seem to be done with some flair
So the market had already priced in tax rises for banks.
They were assumed.
So why not just do them?!
They were assumed.
So why not just do them?!
UK bank shares bounce higher after they escape tax rises in Rachel Reeves' 2nd Budget
November 26, 2025 at 2:45 PM
So the market had already priced in tax rises for banks.
They were assumed.
So why not just do them?!
They were assumed.
So why not just do them?!
Have to agree with this really.
But... I'd hoped for something bigger. A bold rethinking of Britain for 2025. An equivalent of the New Deal to remake a country broken by Brexit and austerity. Something ambitious to get behind.
But I guess competent steady navigating of constraints will do, for now
But... I'd hoped for something bigger. A bold rethinking of Britain for 2025. An equivalent of the New Deal to remake a country broken by Brexit and austerity. Something ambitious to get behind.
But I guess competent steady navigating of constraints will do, for now
Probably unfashionable view but, given the economic and political constraints, I think Rachel Reeves did rather a good job...nice also to see a marriage of political conviction and fairness...
November 26, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Have to agree with this really.
But... I'd hoped for something bigger. A bold rethinking of Britain for 2025. An equivalent of the New Deal to remake a country broken by Brexit and austerity. Something ambitious to get behind.
But I guess competent steady navigating of constraints will do, for now
But... I'd hoped for something bigger. A bold rethinking of Britain for 2025. An equivalent of the New Deal to remake a country broken by Brexit and austerity. Something ambitious to get behind.
But I guess competent steady navigating of constraints will do, for now
Reposted by Steve Parks
I hope everyone at the OBR today remembers that f-ups are almost never one person's fault. They may want to blame the content person who set up the page, or the developer, or the head of digital, etc.
It's almost always a collision of minor mistakes that add up when there is no system to catch any.
It's almost always a collision of minor mistakes that add up when there is no system to catch any.
November 26, 2025 at 12:51 PM
I hope everyone at the OBR today remembers that f-ups are almost never one person's fault. They may want to blame the content person who set up the page, or the developer, or the head of digital, etc.
It's almost always a collision of minor mistakes that add up when there is no system to catch any.
It's almost always a collision of minor mistakes that add up when there is no system to catch any.
Has everyone hung their tax stocking by the fireplace?
Santa Chancellor is coming, and only leaves taxes for citizens whose country has been very very naughty for years on end. So the UK should get a bumper delivery!
Santa Chancellor is coming, and only leaves taxes for citizens whose country has been very very naughty for years on end. So the UK should get a bumper delivery!
November 26, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Has everyone hung their tax stocking by the fireplace?
Santa Chancellor is coming, and only leaves taxes for citizens whose country has been very very naughty for years on end. So the UK should get a bumper delivery!
Santa Chancellor is coming, and only leaves taxes for citizens whose country has been very very naughty for years on end. So the UK should get a bumper delivery!
👏👏👏
A small but significant step: Dutch national broadcaster NOS is leaving X.
“The volume of hateful comments and disinformation on X is enormous and flows freely. This also applies under our own posts, meaning we unintentionally contribute to their spread”
over.nos.nl/nieuws/nos-p...
“The volume of hateful comments and disinformation on X is enormous and flows freely. This also applies under our own posts, meaning we unintentionally contribute to their spread”
over.nos.nl/nieuws/nos-p...
NOS plaatst vanaf vandaag geen nieuwsberichten meer op X - Over NOS
De NOS en Nieuwsuur (NOS/NTR) zijn gestopt met posten op X. Het platform past niet meer bij onze visie op...
over.nos.nl
November 26, 2025 at 7:49 AM
👏👏👏
Reposted by Steve Parks
😬😱
Founders on LinkedIn still seem to be struggling with the difference between telling people about their humble beginnings and admitting to straight up committing fraud.
November 25, 2025 at 12:52 PM
😬😱
Stand by because, at this company, when one of them is toppled they tend to take all the others down too
November 25, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Stand by because, at this company, when one of them is toppled they tend to take all the others down too