Alastair Thomson
@alastairthomson.bsky.social
Accounting, dad jokes, and obscure musical references. Not necessarily in that order ...
@memrani.bsky.social Just noticed your follow... great to see you here, Mahta...!
I'm still mostly elsewhere, but as more of my pals pop up on here, I'm gradually switching the balance...
I'm still mostly elsewhere, but as more of my pals pop up on here, I'm gradually switching the balance...
April 5, 2025 at 7:23 AM
@memrani.bsky.social Just noticed your follow... great to see you here, Mahta...!
I'm still mostly elsewhere, but as more of my pals pop up on here, I'm gradually switching the balance...
I'm still mostly elsewhere, but as more of my pals pop up on here, I'm gradually switching the balance...
Ah, those were the days... ;-)
I read 1984 in my early 20s. Thought at the time: Great story mate. A bit far fetched though. 🙃🤞🦋
April 4, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Ah, those were the days... ;-)
Never thought of it like this before... 🤣🤣🤣
My dog likes to spend the day staring out of the window for stuff to bark at. That’s his version of doomscrolling, isn’t it?
January 20, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Never thought of it like this before... 🤣🤣🤣
I can do that now for essentially nothing with a pen and a paper diary, or in the Outlook subscription I already pay for.
But tell me again why AI companies are worth their gazillion dollar valuations...
But tell me again why AI companies are worth their gazillion dollar valuations...
ChatGPT can now handle reminders and to-dos
ChatGPT can now handle reminders and to-dos
ChatGPT just got a new automation feature for future tasks.
buff.ly
January 15, 2025 at 5:40 PM
I can do that now for essentially nothing with a pen and a paper diary, or in the Outlook subscription I already pay for.
But tell me again why AI companies are worth their gazillion dollar valuations...
But tell me again why AI companies are worth their gazillion dollar valuations...
Delighted to see the bot ladies over on Twitter seem to have rediscovered their enthusiasm for my more niche financial tweets...
For a moment there I thought they'd moved on to less exciting topics... ;-)
For a moment there I thought they'd moved on to less exciting topics... ;-)
January 12, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Delighted to see the bot ladies over on Twitter seem to have rediscovered their enthusiasm for my more niche financial tweets...
For a moment there I thought they'd moved on to less exciting topics... ;-)
For a moment there I thought they'd moved on to less exciting topics... ;-)
Top notch observation...
You’ve got to try really hard to piss off the two most mellow groups of people on the planet. The Canadians and the Danes.
January 8, 2025 at 7:09 AM
Top notch observation...
Although you rarely hear Peter, Paul and Mary mentioned any more, they were a pivotal part of the folk pop movement of the early 60s.
Their cover of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" is one of my all-time favourite records. The vocals are perfection itself...
Their cover of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" is one of my all-time favourite records. The vocals are perfection itself...
Peter Yarrow, singer-songwriter and founding member of the folk-music trio Peter, Paul and Mary, has died at 86. cnn.it/4gGn8Pp
January 8, 2025 at 6:54 AM
Although you rarely hear Peter, Paul and Mary mentioned any more, they were a pivotal part of the folk pop movement of the early 60s.
Their cover of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" is one of my all-time favourite records. The vocals are perfection itself...
Their cover of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" is one of my all-time favourite records. The vocals are perfection itself...
Hi @elroythecat.bsky.social ...!
Just noticed you're on here from a post Carolyn shared. Great to see you here...!
Just noticed you're on here from a post Carolyn shared. Great to see you here...!
January 8, 2025 at 6:45 AM
Hi @elroythecat.bsky.social ...!
Just noticed you're on here from a post Carolyn shared. Great to see you here...!
Just noticed you're on here from a post Carolyn shared. Great to see you here...!
Hi @carolyn-watson.bsky.social...!
It's always a joy to see lovely people I know from the other place pop up here... welcome to the resistance... ;-)
It's always a joy to see lovely people I know from the other place pop up here... welcome to the resistance... ;-)
January 8, 2025 at 6:44 AM
Hi @carolyn-watson.bsky.social...!
It's always a joy to see lovely people I know from the other place pop up here... welcome to the resistance... ;-)
It's always a joy to see lovely people I know from the other place pop up here... welcome to the resistance... ;-)
"Easy apply" is one of the recruitment industry's most puzzling practices.
If people can't be bothered to write a proper CV and cover letter, the odds of them being great performers in the job is close to zero...
If people can't be bothered to write a proper CV and cover letter, the odds of them being great performers in the job is close to zero...
A job posted an hour ago already has 107 applicants.
It’s an “easy apply”.
This market is wild.
It’s an “easy apply”.
This market is wild.
January 7, 2025 at 8:36 AM
"Easy apply" is one of the recruitment industry's most puzzling practices.
If people can't be bothered to write a proper CV and cover letter, the odds of them being great performers in the job is close to zero...
If people can't be bothered to write a proper CV and cover letter, the odds of them being great performers in the job is close to zero...
Interesting read...
Who is up for a short thread on the intriguing parallels between OpenAI and Enron, as told by one of Enron's investment bankers -- that is to say, me? Here goes...
January 7, 2025 at 7:10 AM
Interesting read...
Vul-can you feel the love tonight... 🎶
January 4, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Vul-can you feel the love tonight... 🎶
I know politicians think they're exempt from the law, but if an MP's background and past conduct means they couldn't get a job in a school, they shouldn't be allowed to stand for parliament...
Ditto local councillors.
Ditto local councillors.
MPs and peers could be forced to submit to criminal record checks under proposals submitted by a new Labour MP
Many local authorities already run DBS checks on elected officials but it's not standard practice in parliament
news.sky.com/story/parlia...
Many local authorities already run DBS checks on elected officials but it's not standard practice in parliament
news.sky.com/story/parlia...
Parliament urged to begin mandatory DBS criminal record checks on new MPs and peers
Many local authorities already run DBS checks on elected officials but it's not standard practice in parliament.
news.sky.com
January 4, 2025 at 11:47 AM
I know politicians think they're exempt from the law, but if an MP's background and past conduct means they couldn't get a job in a school, they shouldn't be allowed to stand for parliament...
Ditto local councillors.
Ditto local councillors.
To be fair, I've detested all politicians, irrespective of party, for most of my life.
There's something to be said for getting ahead of the curve on this...
There's something to be said for getting ahead of the curve on this...
Bertrand Russell wrote this over 100 years ago, in 1923. Hasn't aged a day.
January 1, 2025 at 9:31 AM
To be fair, I've detested all politicians, irrespective of party, for most of my life.
There's something to be said for getting ahead of the curve on this...
There's something to be said for getting ahead of the curve on this...
Your regular reminder that the problem isn't that public sector pensions are too high.
It's that private sector pensions are not generally funded at a high enough rate to ensure a reasonable standard of living in retirement.
This is a social crisis in the making 20/30 years from now...
It's that private sector pensions are not generally funded at a high enough rate to ensure a reasonable standard of living in retirement.
This is a social crisis in the making 20/30 years from now...
cutting public sector pensions in return for higher pay is interesting idea and Cabinet Office permanent secretary has been looking at it
but if it ever reaches ministers’ desks it seems unlikely to go ahead
1) huge billions cost upfront
2) the politics of giving big pay rise to public sector
but if it ever reaches ministers’ desks it seems unlikely to go ahead
1) huge billions cost upfront
2) the politics of giving big pay rise to public sector
December 31, 2024 at 1:34 PM
Your regular reminder that the problem isn't that public sector pensions are too high.
It's that private sector pensions are not generally funded at a high enough rate to ensure a reasonable standard of living in retirement.
This is a social crisis in the making 20/30 years from now...
It's that private sector pensions are not generally funded at a high enough rate to ensure a reasonable standard of living in retirement.
This is a social crisis in the making 20/30 years from now...
LinkedIn is cool because I was always wondering what it would be like if people I sort of knew wrote mediocre press releases about themselves.
December 31, 2024 at 10:13 AM
@rutharnold1.bsky.social Glad you made it over here, Ruth. Even just as an insurance policy... 🙏
December 28, 2024 at 9:53 PM
@rutharnold1.bsky.social Glad you made it over here, Ruth. Even just as an insurance policy... 🙏
Good to see romance is still alive and well in these troubled times... ;-)
My girlfriend says she wants a fairy tale wedding. Anyone know where I can get hold of a bear costume and 50lbs of porridge?
December 28, 2024 at 5:45 PM
Good to see romance is still alive and well in these troubled times... ;-)
Fair point...
we should be concerned about the impacts of social media on kids and teens, but i don’t think we’re worried nearly enough about what it’s doing to middle aged people and seniors
December 26, 2024 at 7:15 PM
Fair point...
Pretty much me any time I pass a bookshop... ;-)
Telling myself it’s ok to buy a new book ‘because it’s Christmas’ like I won’t be buying a new book ‘because it’s January/nearly Valentine’s Day/the start of spring/5 o’clock somewhere’
December 21, 2024 at 2:09 PM
Pretty much me any time I pass a bookshop... ;-)
Nipped out earlier to get the shopping done before total chaos breaks out in our local supermarket...
And look what I found @emelaarghh.bsky.social...!
I'll be thinking of my granny tomorrow morning when I have this taste from my childhood on a slice of breakfast toast...
And look what I found @emelaarghh.bsky.social...!
I'll be thinking of my granny tomorrow morning when I have this taste from my childhood on a slice of breakfast toast...
December 21, 2024 at 8:47 AM
Nipped out earlier to get the shopping done before total chaos breaks out in our local supermarket...
And look what I found @emelaarghh.bsky.social...!
I'll be thinking of my granny tomorrow morning when I have this taste from my childhood on a slice of breakfast toast...
And look what I found @emelaarghh.bsky.social...!
I'll be thinking of my granny tomorrow morning when I have this taste from my childhood on a slice of breakfast toast...
The stat you never knew you needed... ;-)
A list of ten countries and the number of heavy metal bands they have per 1 million people...
China = 0.1
Jamaica = 0.3
Thailand = 2
Albania = 3
South Korea = 4
Cuba = 6
Japan = 11
Russia = 14
Brazil = 18
Finland = 532
China = 0.1
Jamaica = 0.3
Thailand = 2
Albania = 3
South Korea = 4
Cuba = 6
Japan = 11
Russia = 14
Brazil = 18
Finland = 532
December 20, 2024 at 12:56 PM
The stat you never knew you needed... ;-)
Seems a bit late in the process not to have worked out what the costs might be before now...
Government does not know how much HS2 will cost, MPs told - www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
December 19, 2024 at 12:44 PM
Seems a bit late in the process not to have worked out what the costs might be before now...
This is brilliant...!
Did you know we laugh in fibonacci?
…
ha
ha
haha
hahaha
hahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha etc
…
ha
ha
haha
hahaha
hahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha etc
December 18, 2024 at 6:10 PM
This is brilliant...!
Pretty much accurate...
going to keep posting about this piece because I really think that everyone online should read it: www.wheresyoured.at/never-forgiv...
December 18, 2024 at 5:23 PM
Pretty much accurate...