Simon
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simonxfraser.bsky.social
Simon
@simonxfraser.bsky.social
No AI. Alternative photography. IR and alchemy.

Prone to the bee in my bonnet.
It pissed of rain all day... That was the probable reason.
But news gathering from a comfortable, dry office has space to fill.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
'Notable reduction' in Bonfire Night disruption
Police say between Halloween and Bonfire Night, 833 calls needed a local or specialist response, almost 500 fewer than last year.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 6, 2025 at 10:55 AM
Childhood dreams fulfilled..

Random posting.

Nikon D800 #Strathaven #MiniatureSteamRailway
November 5, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Reposted by Simon
Today in 1974, the missile submarine USS James Madison (SSBN-627) collided with a Soviet attack submarine in shallow waters as it departed the sub base at Holy Loch, Scotland, leaving a 9-foot scratch on the Madison’s hull. The United States did not report the accident to avoid embarrassing the UK.
November 3, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Tree of the Year... Argyle Street Glasgow.

#IR #InfraRed #Digital #720nm
November 1, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Glasgow Botanic Garden. Kibble Palace. Today.
November 1, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Reposted by Simon
I currently pay $18,646/yr (no subsidies) for privately purchased Blue Cross/Blue Shield silver tier PPO health insurance with a $7,000/pp deductible for myself and my daughter. We are both healthy.

In 2026, silver becomes bronze _and_ increases by 30.6% to $24,354—an extra $475/mo or $5,708/yr. 🤯
Oh Yeah GIF
ALT: Oh Yeah GIF
media.tenor.com
October 29, 2025 at 3:32 PM
We used to listen to this on her Dansette record player. Terrible mono sound but she had this album and I didn't mind the two mile walk home to my flat off Byres Road in Glasgow at 2am.
Some 50+ years ago.

Its crap.

youtu.be/UEjAaLu8Dhs
Child in Time (1995 Remaster)
YouTube video by Deep Purple - Topic
youtu.be
October 29, 2025 at 1:27 AM
My old friend Jake. Gone these five years. Feeling a bit down tonight.
October 28, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Forty eight hour notice. My hip replacement surgery is postponed for a month. No anaesthetist available... probably getting better money in private hospitals.

It's time the UK health service had a serious shake out. It's stopped being about people and become a self licking ice cream cone.
#NHS
October 28, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Chill free speech.

Go for the vulnerable first. Then journalists will be watchful and careful what they say and who they upset.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
British journalist Sami Hamdi was reportedly detained on Sunday morning by federal immigration authorities at San Francisco international airport, in apparent retaliation for the Muslim political commentator’s criticism of Israel while touring the US.
ICE detains British journalist after criticism of Israel on US tour
Trump ally Laura Loomer took credit for Sami Hamdi’s detainment in move denounced as ‘affront to free speech’
www.theguardian.com
October 27, 2025 at 12:38 AM
Early for my hospital appointment. That's three cars booked for parking in a disabled bay without a badge.
October 20, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Any proper Labour government would say no to parasiting off mostly working people.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Betfred says all its shops may close if Reeves hikes gambling tax
The company's co-founder says it would be forced to close all its sites, putting 7,500 jobs at risk, if gambling taxes go up.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 19, 2025 at 1:11 AM
Laptop kaput... It got water spilled on it while plugged in. This component has blown and there is a short on the input.
Oh well...
October 16, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Checks and balances... how quaint..
I’m old enough to remember when we had a system of checks & balances that involved Congress, when Congress controlled the purse and legislated, and the president respected the Constitution & rule of law. I’m old enough to remember when a U.S. president wouldn’t want to be King George or a dictator.
October 16, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Reposted by Simon
Always remember ...
October 15, 2025 at 12:29 PM
The Triumph of the Prick.
Just in case the dramatically low Leni Riefenstahl-style angle was too subtle, they used a word from her most famous movie
October 14, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Reposted by Simon
You might wonder why I’m lurking next to a leisure centre just outside Glasgow…
October 11, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Visited this monument to Ayrshire and Scottish coal mining and the great industries it supported.
Looks great in silhouette but the site is neglected and unmaintained.
A memorial and a huge tourist opportunity but nobody cares.

#Ayrshire #Barony #Coalmining #Heritage #Scotland
October 11, 2025 at 10:01 AM
I didn't know my phone had manual focus and manual exposure 🤔

So much colour thus autumn... and the toadstools..
But I can't get down to them so it's berries..
October 10, 2025 at 1:09 AM
When senior politicians lie people stop believing.
This is a lie.

There are many criticisms you might sensibly and truthfully make of the Sentencing Council and the Sentencing Guidelines. I’ve been making them for years.

But this is an outright lie. Pure fabrication. A fraud on the public.
October 7, 2025 at 9:25 AM
I find it hard not to agree. We seem to be on the wrong side in this. One wonders why?
A march in Manchester today of people waving the flag of the Zionist state. Not only does this hate march make Muslims, Arabs and many others feel terribly unsafe, it is waving the flag of a terror state actively engaged in genocide. Dozens more human beings were murdered by that state today.
October 5, 2025 at 9:58 PM
New camera. Fujica half frame from about 1965. f1.9 lens.
The 1/500 speed is a bit slow but it's no problem.

Looks like it's half frame Sunday...

#Halfframe
October 5, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Reposted by Simon
I started taking a picture a day when I turned 30 in 2015. 3654 pictures later I loaded them all up and made a time lapse video. Nearly 2 and a half minutes of me getting fat bald and depressed. Never deleted something quicker. What a waste of time and effort.
October 4, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Reposted by Simon
💙 HAPPY World Cyanotype Day 2025 💙
Wishing you a BLUEtiful day!
Make a cyanotype on the theme CULTIVATING COMMUNITY and send it by Oct 3! Free and open to all!
👉 www.alternativephotography.com/world-cyanot...

#worldcyanotypeday #cyanotypes
September 27, 2025 at 5:50 AM
Digital ID with photo and optional biometrics. Be identified any crowd. Never be lost in a city.
Makes identifying dead bodies easier.
Work for cash ? No problem. We will stop cash next. Card only.

A lovely distraction with added long term benefits from a future surveillance state.

#IDcards
What are digital ID cards, how will they work and will they be mandatory?
The IDs will not have to be carried day-to-day, but they will be compulsory for anyone wanting to work.
www.bbc.co.uk
September 26, 2025 at 12:23 PM