Alan Fresco
@alanf.bsky.social
An opinionated Edinburger mainly interested in the outdoors, science and politics.
Currently raging against the dying of the light.
Currently raging against the dying of the light.
Reposted by Alan Fresco
'Speaking outside his chateau in France, former Brexit Party and UKIP MEP Coburn answered "no" when a BBC journalist asked him whether he had ever been paid to give a speech to promote pro-Russian campaigners.'...........Oh the irony...Brexit, UKIP.... lives in rural France #CompleteChancer
November 28, 2025 at 11:47 AM
'Speaking outside his chateau in France, former Brexit Party and UKIP MEP Coburn answered "no" when a BBC journalist asked him whether he had ever been paid to give a speech to promote pro-Russian campaigners.'...........Oh the irony...Brexit, UKIP.... lives in rural France #CompleteChancer
Reposted by Alan Fresco
You can’t make this up:
"Speaking outside his chateau in France, former Brexit Party and UKIP MEP Coburn answered "no" when a BBC journalist asked him whether he had ever been paid to give a speech to promote pro-Russian campaigners."
"Speaking outside his chateau in France, former Brexit Party and UKIP MEP Coburn answered "no" when a BBC journalist asked him whether he had ever been paid to give a speech to promote pro-Russian campaigners."
Former Brexit Party MEP denies taking payment from pro-Russian campaign
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 10:35 AM
You can’t make this up:
"Speaking outside his chateau in France, former Brexit Party and UKIP MEP Coburn answered "no" when a BBC journalist asked him whether he had ever been paid to give a speech to promote pro-Russian campaigners."
"Speaking outside his chateau in France, former Brexit Party and UKIP MEP Coburn answered "no" when a BBC journalist asked him whether he had ever been paid to give a speech to promote pro-Russian campaigners."
Reposted by Alan Fresco
AI will enable productivity gains, they said…
AI-enabled NIMBYism has come to clean energy deployment. Virtually all the examples mentioned in this piece are wind, solar and transmission projects. 💡🔌
How Scottish campaigners are using AI to battle rural planning applications
Tool allows individuals to send unique, complex objections of about 4,000 words within a couple of minutes
www.ft.com
November 27, 2025 at 8:07 PM
AI will enable productivity gains, they said…
Reposted by Alan Fresco
Don't miss it 7:30pm ITV a special episode of my show with the practicals everyone needs to know about the budget. And I'm putting your questions to the Chancellor focusing on tax, savings, pensions, EVs, Student finance and far more.
(you'll be able to watch it back after on itvx too)
(you'll be able to watch it back after on itvx too)
November 27, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Don't miss it 7:30pm ITV a special episode of my show with the practicals everyone needs to know about the budget. And I'm putting your questions to the Chancellor focusing on tax, savings, pensions, EVs, Student finance and far more.
(you'll be able to watch it back after on itvx too)
(you'll be able to watch it back after on itvx too)
Reposted by Alan Fresco
Remembering Jimi Hendrix on his birthday 🎂
📷 Gered Mankowitz, 1967
National Portrait Gallery, London
"You never told me he was *that* fucking good."
- Eric Clapton
📷 Gered Mankowitz, 1967
National Portrait Gallery, London
"You never told me he was *that* fucking good."
- Eric Clapton
November 27, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Remembering Jimi Hendrix on his birthday 🎂
📷 Gered Mankowitz, 1967
National Portrait Gallery, London
"You never told me he was *that* fucking good."
- Eric Clapton
📷 Gered Mankowitz, 1967
National Portrait Gallery, London
"You never told me he was *that* fucking good."
- Eric Clapton
Reposted by Alan Fresco
Nano Banana Pro also seems to be good at moving the camera when recreating images, which can add a false sense of authenticity to sets of images, for example:
November 27, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Nano Banana Pro also seems to be good at moving the camera when recreating images, which can add a false sense of authenticity to sets of images, for example:
<thinks back to conference calls with a bunch of folk in China in an echoey conference room and a French bloke in California driving to the airport>
It also strikes me that reading verbatim transcripts would be very time consuming thus we'll end up with an AI assistant summarising meetings for us.
It also strikes me that reading verbatim transcripts would be very time consuming thus we'll end up with an AI assistant summarising meetings for us.
The risks of relying on AI note takers and summarisation tools are non-trivial. No one wants to be in the uncanny valley of meetings with 6 notetakers for absent attendees, with unverified, potentially incorrect, notes circulating but it's happening more & more www.careful.industries/blog/2025-11...
Nine risks caused by AI notetakers — Careful Industries
AI transcription tools are not currently mature or reliable enough to be regarded as an always on, single-source of truth for meeting notes. Nine common risks, and six possible mitigations.
www.careful.industries
November 27, 2025 at 9:13 AM
<thinks back to conference calls with a bunch of folk in China in an echoey conference room and a French bloke in California driving to the airport>
It also strikes me that reading verbatim transcripts would be very time consuming thus we'll end up with an AI assistant summarising meetings for us.
It also strikes me that reading verbatim transcripts would be very time consuming thus we'll end up with an AI assistant summarising meetings for us.
Reposted by Alan Fresco
Great to see emissions beginning to fall as more and more renewable energy enters our grid. This is what happens when you set clear targets, and back them with a robust plan—unlike the Coalition’s zero target and zero plan, which would see both emissions and the cost of energy rise.
Australia records biggest annual drop in emissions outside pandemic
Record output from renewable energy means emissions from coal plants are down as Australia’s greenhouse output has fallen for the first time in years.
www.theage.com.au
November 26, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Great to see emissions beginning to fall as more and more renewable energy enters our grid. This is what happens when you set clear targets, and back them with a robust plan—unlike the Coalition’s zero target and zero plan, which would see both emissions and the cost of energy rise.
Reposted by Alan Fresco
Voyager 1 is almost one light-day from Earth. The intrepid #spacecraft will cross a major distance milestone in November 2026 - 16.1 billion miles. #Voyager1 #lightday
Link for more information: www.popsci.com/science/voya...
Link for more information: www.popsci.com/science/voya...
November 25, 2025 at 11:39 PM
Voyager 1 is almost one light-day from Earth. The intrepid #spacecraft will cross a major distance milestone in November 2026 - 16.1 billion miles. #Voyager1 #lightday
Link for more information: www.popsci.com/science/voya...
Link for more information: www.popsci.com/science/voya...
Reposted by Alan Fresco
![Comic. Panels up to the 10-year point are grayed out. New panels since the Ten Years comic, which chronicles the first ten years of PERSON 1's journey with cancer: (1) [two people in bed] PERSON 1 (woman): One more chapter? PERSON 2 (man): Don’t we both have to get up early? PERSON 1: Nnnnnggggh PERSON 2: Sure, good point. (2) [many people wearing masks, walking while looking at graphs on their phones] (3) [birds landing on people] PERSON 2 in beanie and scarf: Hah! They like *my* seeds best. PERSON 1 in scarf holding phone with a bird sitting on it: Wait, how do I take a picture of this one? (4) [two people rowing boats with tree landscape] (5) [Person 1 carries overflowing stack of things to Person 2 in bed] PERSON 1: I brought you honey lemon tea, more pillows, a cinnamon roll, Tylenol, another blanket, a– PERSON 2: It was just Appendicitis, I’m really– PERSON 1: *It is my turn to take care of you and I am going to do it right!* (6) [Two people in car] (7) [still in car) PERSON 1: Oh my god. PERSON 2: Oh my god. (8) [car driving] PERSON 1: Pull over! PERSON 2: I am! (9) [both people get out of car] (10) [Large colored panel of aurora borealis over water with both people looking on] (11) [Person 1 sits against tree while Person 2 lies on the ground] PERSON 1: Fifteen years. No sign of the cancer. (12) I *am* having some weird symptoms. Joint pain. Fatigue. I think I’m losing my close-up vision. PERSON 2: Yeah. Me too. (13) PERSON 2: I think we’re getting old. (14) PERSON 1: I guess that’s okay. PERSON 2: It’s all I wanted.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreihwhjblp5lyiwp63ouar7ocfea7evmckytoeo7rkfuoo4gw5rnrra@jpeg)
November 26, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Reposted by Alan Fresco
I see the most important thing about the budget is what it means for Rachel Reeves’ career prospects and not… what it means for the economy.
November 26, 2025 at 6:21 PM
I see the most important thing about the budget is what it means for Rachel Reeves’ career prospects and not… what it means for the economy.
Reposted by Alan Fresco
You think using AI uncritically won't be killing humans? Think again.
soranews24.com/2025/11/26/w...
soranews24.com/2025/11/26/w...
Wakayama senior uses AI to identify wild mushrooms, gets poisoned shortly after
There's mushroom for improvement.
soranews24.com
November 26, 2025 at 7:35 PM
You think using AI uncritically won't be killing humans? Think again.
soranews24.com/2025/11/26/w...
soranews24.com/2025/11/26/w...
Reposted by Alan Fresco
The OBR says that the VAT charge on private schools has raised more money than expected because fewer pupils have gone into the state sector
Never believe the Tories and their media.
Never believe the Tories and their media.
November 26, 2025 at 2:50 PM
The OBR says that the VAT charge on private schools has raised more money than expected because fewer pupils have gone into the state sector
Never believe the Tories and their media.
Never believe the Tories and their media.
Reposted by Alan Fresco
Big news, income tax is being charged this year.
(It has to be renewed each year or it ceases to apply. Because it's a temporary tax, introduced to fund the Napoleonic wars)
(It has to be renewed each year or it ceases to apply. Because it's a temporary tax, introduced to fund the Napoleonic wars)
November 26, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Big news, income tax is being charged this year.
(It has to be renewed each year or it ceases to apply. Because it's a temporary tax, introduced to fund the Napoleonic wars)
(It has to be renewed each year or it ceases to apply. Because it's a temporary tax, introduced to fund the Napoleonic wars)
Reposted by Alan Fresco
new allegation concerning Farage’s behaviour when he was 18 years old
November 26, 2025 at 7:59 AM
new allegation concerning Farage’s behaviour when he was 18 years old
Reposted by Alan Fresco
🚨BOOM!! The Petition calling for a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy has now rocketed past 50,000 signatures! Let’s get it to 100,000. If a petition is what it’s going to take let’s get this done!
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
November 25, 2025 at 9:39 PM
🚨BOOM!! The Petition calling for a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy has now rocketed past 50,000 signatures! Let’s get it to 100,000. If a petition is what it’s going to take let’s get this done!
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
Reposted by Alan Fresco
This is called “chain refoulment” and it’s illegal under both U.S. and international law. And the State Department and ICE know very well what Ghana is doing and simply don’t care.
ICE deported a woman who owned a home in the US for 30 years. A judge banned ICE from deporting her to Sierra Leone where she had been tortured, so it deported her to Ghana, which kidnapped her and sent her back Sierra Leone anyway. ICE is part of this illegal conspiracy.
November 25, 2025 at 7:30 PM
This is called “chain refoulment” and it’s illegal under both U.S. and international law. And the State Department and ICE know very well what Ghana is doing and simply don’t care.
Reposted by Alan Fresco
RIP Jack Shepherd. A very fine actor indeed.
November 25, 2025 at 7:15 PM
RIP Jack Shepherd. A very fine actor indeed.
Reposted by Alan Fresco
Northumberland Reform councillor ordered to pay £38,000 debt to his own council
www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-e...
www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-e...
Northumberland Reform councillor ordered to pay £38,000 debt to his own council
Barry Elliott, a Reform councillor in the Blyth ward of Newsham, appeared in court on Tuesday in relation to more than £38,000 worth of council tax and business rates owed to Northumberland County Cou...
www.chroniclelive.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Northumberland Reform councillor ordered to pay £38,000 debt to his own council
www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-e...
www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-e...
He's right, the N. Sea oil windfall combined with selling off the family silver allowed Thatcher to crush the unions and wreck our manufacturing industry.
Does this address the mirage of Thatcherism transforming Britain for the better? There was no "economic miracle" for the UK in the 1980s: only the rich & powerful; economic growth pa was the same as the 1970s. The UK was kept afloat by North Sea oil, privatisation & an explosion of household debt.
New podcast OUT NOW! To celebrate the centenary of Margaret Thatcher, we have done a dive into the economics of Thatcherism. So if you don't know much about the 'Iron Lady' or just want to hear a discussion about her life & legacy, then have a listen. #EconSky podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
November 25, 2025 at 5:45 PM
He's right, the N. Sea oil windfall combined with selling off the family silver allowed Thatcher to crush the unions and wreck our manufacturing industry.
Reposted by Alan Fresco
Reposted by Alan Fresco
yes people call the friday after thanksgiving Brown Friday.
yes plumbers get lots of holiday calls.
yes it's because you overwork your disposals, pour fat/gravy/grease in your sink, and clog hosts' toilets.
holidays are hard enough as it is.
don't make them harder.
yes plumbers get lots of holiday calls.
yes it's because you overwork your disposals, pour fat/gravy/grease in your sink, and clog hosts' toilets.
holidays are hard enough as it is.
don't make them harder.
November 25, 2025 at 3:55 PM
yes people call the friday after thanksgiving Brown Friday.
yes plumbers get lots of holiday calls.
yes it's because you overwork your disposals, pour fat/gravy/grease in your sink, and clog hosts' toilets.
holidays are hard enough as it is.
don't make them harder.
yes plumbers get lots of holiday calls.
yes it's because you overwork your disposals, pour fat/gravy/grease in your sink, and clog hosts' toilets.
holidays are hard enough as it is.
don't make them harder.
Fiasco has a nice ring to it.
Options for Your Party's permanent name (YP is a placeholder) will be unveiled this week, before being put to an online poll this weekend, Sienna writes
“Our founding conference will be a festival of democracy," a YP spokesperson tells @politicshome.bsky.social
“Our founding conference will be a festival of democracy," a YP spokesperson tells @politicshome.bsky.social
November 25, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Fiasco has a nice ring to it.
Reposted by Alan Fresco
When Tony Blair came to power in 1997, the UK economy was bigger than China and India combined.
November 24, 2025 at 4:07 PM
When Tony Blair came to power in 1997, the UK economy was bigger than China and India combined.
Reposted by Alan Fresco
My attendance record in the European Parliament was the 4th worst out of 751 MEPs, yet I managed to turn up to vote AGAINST plans to tackle Russian misinformation.
Thankfully this is of no interest to the media.
Thankfully this is of no interest to the media.
November 24, 2025 at 9:20 PM
My attendance record in the European Parliament was the 4th worst out of 751 MEPs, yet I managed to turn up to vote AGAINST plans to tackle Russian misinformation.
Thankfully this is of no interest to the media.
Thankfully this is of no interest to the media.