Alison Macmillan
@alisonmacmillan.bsky.social
Software engineer. Interested in knitting, crochet, gardening, maths, physics, politics, geopolitics and much more.
Reposted by Alison Macmillan
Reposted by Alison Macmillan
Side-by-side sunset images from Earth and Mars show the Sun smaller from Mars, which is 50% farther from the Sun. Earth's sunset glows orange, while Mars' appears blue due to dust scattering.
Left Image Credit: Damia Bouic
Right Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, MSSS; Processing: Damia Bouic
Left Image Credit: Damia Bouic
Right Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, MSSS; Processing: Damia Bouic
June 15, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Side-by-side sunset images from Earth and Mars show the Sun smaller from Mars, which is 50% farther from the Sun. Earth's sunset glows orange, while Mars' appears blue due to dust scattering.
Left Image Credit: Damia Bouic
Right Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, MSSS; Processing: Damia Bouic
Left Image Credit: Damia Bouic
Right Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, MSSS; Processing: Damia Bouic
Reposted by Alison Macmillan
I don't know why but this counter showing bluesky growth in numbers is oddly quite soothing.
A sort of numerical low-fi
A sort of numerical low-fi
May 24, 2025 at 1:22 PM
I don't know why but this counter showing bluesky growth in numbers is oddly quite soothing.
A sort of numerical low-fi
A sort of numerical low-fi
Reposted by Alison Macmillan
Great, moving piece by @janerockhouse.bsky.social about witnessing an attempted suicide in #Birmingham today
No matter how desperate things seem, there is help out there.
Call Samaritans 116 123 any time, day or night
open.substack.com/pub/insidebi...
No matter how desperate things seem, there is help out there.
Call Samaritans 116 123 any time, day or night
open.substack.com/pub/insidebi...
Saving a life at New Street station
This morning, someone tried to die but a stranger wouldn't let him
open.substack.com
May 20, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Great, moving piece by @janerockhouse.bsky.social about witnessing an attempted suicide in #Birmingham today
No matter how desperate things seem, there is help out there.
Call Samaritans 116 123 any time, day or night
open.substack.com/pub/insidebi...
No matter how desperate things seem, there is help out there.
Call Samaritans 116 123 any time, day or night
open.substack.com/pub/insidebi...
Reposted by Alison Macmillan
Puffins at sunset anyone?
May 14, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Puffins at sunset anyone?
Reposted by Alison Macmillan
Tonight’s ‘Unspun World’, BBC Two, 11.05: Why Israel blocks food & medicine to Gaza, what China really thinks about Trump, why India & Pakistan were glad to stop fighting, and how Iran hires thugs to kill people around the world. On IPlayer & BBC World if it’s past your bedtime.
May 14, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Tonight’s ‘Unspun World’, BBC Two, 11.05: Why Israel blocks food & medicine to Gaza, what China really thinks about Trump, why India & Pakistan were glad to stop fighting, and how Iran hires thugs to kill people around the world. On IPlayer & BBC World if it’s past your bedtime.
Reposted by Alison Macmillan
Grid operators in Portugal say hot weather triggered "induced atmospheric vibration" in high voltage lines, causing the massive power cuts on the Iberian Peninsula today.
This is yet to be confirmed by Spain etc. But if I am interpreting this right, it's jaw-dropping.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c9...
This is yet to be confirmed by Spain etc. But if I am interpreting this right, it's jaw-dropping.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c9...
Spain-Portugal power outage latest: Power cut chaos in Spain and Portugal caused by 'rare' atmospheric phenomenon, says operator
Trains, traffic lights, card payments, and phone networks have been hit, as an EU official also rules out a cyber attack as the cause.
www.bbc.co.uk
April 28, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Grid operators in Portugal say hot weather triggered "induced atmospheric vibration" in high voltage lines, causing the massive power cuts on the Iberian Peninsula today.
This is yet to be confirmed by Spain etc. But if I am interpreting this right, it's jaw-dropping.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c9...
This is yet to be confirmed by Spain etc. But if I am interpreting this right, it's jaw-dropping.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c9...
Reposted by Alison Macmillan
Spain is going to experience a rarer event than a blackout: a black start. All grids operate at a set frequency (Spain: 50Hz) and that's achieved by spinning turbines in gas, coal, nuclear or hydro power plants. Getting to that stable frequency takes time. More: www.nationalgrid.com/sites/defaul...
April 28, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Spain is going to experience a rarer event than a blackout: a black start. All grids operate at a set frequency (Spain: 50Hz) and that's achieved by spinning turbines in gas, coal, nuclear or hydro power plants. Getting to that stable frequency takes time. More: www.nationalgrid.com/sites/defaul...
Reposted by Alison Macmillan
He "has nothing to do with Russia", but the US President continues to attack the democratically elected leader of a country being invaded, and not the country doing the invading.
April 23, 2025 at 5:37 PM
He "has nothing to do with Russia", but the US President continues to attack the democratically elected leader of a country being invaded, and not the country doing the invading.
Reposted by Alison Macmillan
This was the moment that Fatima Hassouna found out that a documentary she is starring in was due to premier in the Cannes Film Festival. She was murdered 24 hours later.
April 17, 2025 at 11:06 PM
This was the moment that Fatima Hassouna found out that a documentary she is starring in was due to premier in the Cannes Film Festival. She was murdered 24 hours later.
Reposted by Alison Macmillan
as I keep saying, you can't put the shit back in the donkey
even if he scraps all the tariffs tomorrow, the damage is done
even if he scraps all the tariffs tomorrow, the damage is done
Really starting to agree with this from @nixonsimon.bsky.social
April 9, 2025 at 5:11 PM
as I keep saying, you can't put the shit back in the donkey
even if he scraps all the tariffs tomorrow, the damage is done
even if he scraps all the tariffs tomorrow, the damage is done
Reposted by Alison Macmillan
Deutsche Bank's George Saravelos has been having a very good crisis and his latest is... sobering. Take notes, kids, this is history in the making
April 9, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Deutsche Bank's George Saravelos has been having a very good crisis and his latest is... sobering. Take notes, kids, this is history in the making
Reposted by Alison Macmillan
Reposted by Alison Macmillan
For some bizarre reason I initially assumed this was for the benefit of tax payers, to allow them to access their data more easily.
But, of course, this is DOGE, so there was never any intention of benefitting ordinary people.
This is all about power, and the abuse of power.
But, of course, this is DOGE, so there was never any intention of benefitting ordinary people.
This is all about power, and the abuse of power.
SCOOP: DOGE is hosting a “hackathon” in DC next week with the goal of building one “mega API” for accessing all IRS data.
Palantir has been brought up as a potential partner.
www.wired.com/story/doge-h...
Palantir has been brought up as a potential partner.
www.wired.com/story/doge-h...
DOGE Is Planning a Hackathon at the IRS. It Wants Easier Access to Taxpayer Data
DOGE operatives have repeatedly referred to the software company Palantir as a possible partner in creating a “mega API” at the IRS, sources tell WIRED.
www.wired.com
April 6, 2025 at 8:26 AM
For some bizarre reason I initially assumed this was for the benefit of tax payers, to allow them to access their data more easily.
But, of course, this is DOGE, so there was never any intention of benefitting ordinary people.
This is all about power, and the abuse of power.
But, of course, this is DOGE, so there was never any intention of benefitting ordinary people.
This is all about power, and the abuse of power.
Reposted by Alison Macmillan
Exclusive: Former MI6 boss says Britain must get ready for war as Putin threatens Europe www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
Former MI6 boss says Britain must get ready for war as Putin threatens Europe
Exclusive: As a Russia-Ukrainian ceasefire looks no closer, Sir Alex Younger tells The Independent how the UK is too detached from the threat posed by Putin – and that our ‘collective effort’ needs to...
www.independent.co.uk
April 5, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Exclusive: Former MI6 boss says Britain must get ready for war as Putin threatens Europe www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
Reposted by Alison Macmillan
If you’re a military and you’re investigating yourself and you care at all about not winding up in this position, you look at your own ISR footage of the incident before you just release a version of the event based on what your soldiers said. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/04/w...
April 5, 2025 at 1:10 AM
If you’re a military and you’re investigating yourself and you care at all about not winding up in this position, you look at your own ISR footage of the incident before you just release a version of the event based on what your soldiers said. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/04/w...
Reposted by Alison Macmillan
Donald Trump is Liz Truss
April 4, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Donald Trump is Liz Truss
Reposted by Alison Macmillan
"We cannot overstate what has just happened. It took just 71 days for Donald Trump to wreck the American economy, mortally wound NATO, and destroy the American-led world order"
from @jvl.bsky.social
www.thebulwark.com/p/the-americ...
from @jvl.bsky.social
www.thebulwark.com/p/the-americ...
The American Age Is Over
Emergency Triad: The United States commits imperial suicide.
www.thebulwark.com
April 4, 2025 at 11:21 AM
"We cannot overstate what has just happened. It took just 71 days for Donald Trump to wreck the American economy, mortally wound NATO, and destroy the American-led world order"
from @jvl.bsky.social
www.thebulwark.com/p/the-americ...
from @jvl.bsky.social
www.thebulwark.com/p/the-americ...
Reposted by Alison Macmillan
Bye, Starlink.
* EXCLUSIVE -- GERMANY FUNDS UKRAINE ACCESS TO SATELLITE INTERNET SERVICE EUTELSAT - CEO SAYS
* EXCLUSIVE -- EUTELSAT COULD ADD 5,000 TO 10,000 MORE TERMINALS TO UKRAINE WITHIN WEEKS
@reuters.com
* EXCLUSIVE -- GERMANY FUNDS UKRAINE ACCESS TO SATELLITE INTERNET SERVICE EUTELSAT - CEO SAYS
* EXCLUSIVE -- EUTELSAT COULD ADD 5,000 TO 10,000 MORE TERMINALS TO UKRAINE WITHIN WEEKS
@reuters.com
April 4, 2025 at 11:37 AM
Bye, Starlink.
* EXCLUSIVE -- GERMANY FUNDS UKRAINE ACCESS TO SATELLITE INTERNET SERVICE EUTELSAT - CEO SAYS
* EXCLUSIVE -- EUTELSAT COULD ADD 5,000 TO 10,000 MORE TERMINALS TO UKRAINE WITHIN WEEKS
@reuters.com
* EXCLUSIVE -- GERMANY FUNDS UKRAINE ACCESS TO SATELLITE INTERNET SERVICE EUTELSAT - CEO SAYS
* EXCLUSIVE -- EUTELSAT COULD ADD 5,000 TO 10,000 MORE TERMINALS TO UKRAINE WITHIN WEEKS
@reuters.com
Reposted by Alison Macmillan
Where are the Russian tariffs?
April 3, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Where are the Russian tariffs?
Reposted by Alison Macmillan
If you were coming up with the action items to destroy American and advantage China and Russia you couldn’t have come up with a better plan for those two countries than Trump’s plan.
April 3, 2025 at 8:38 PM
If you were coming up with the action items to destroy American and advantage China and Russia you couldn’t have come up with a better plan for those two countries than Trump’s plan.
Reposted by Alison Macmillan
I first started reporting on the Republican-Russian-Musk plan to crash the US economy back in early 2021. Here's my piece from summer 2024. No one can say no one knew this was coming.
washingtonspectator.org/peter-thiel-...
washingtonspectator.org/peter-thiel-...
Peter Thiel and the American Apocalypse | Washington Spectator
Between the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race, and the rapid coalescence around Kamala Harris as the presumptive Democratic nominee, everyone’s rushing to…
washingtonspectator.org
April 3, 2025 at 3:23 PM
I first started reporting on the Republican-Russian-Musk plan to crash the US economy back in early 2021. Here's my piece from summer 2024. No one can say no one knew this was coming.
washingtonspectator.org/peter-thiel-...
washingtonspectator.org/peter-thiel-...
Reposted by Alison Macmillan
The editor of @TheEconomist on Trump’s tariffs: ‘flawed economics, inaccurate history & cockamamie calculations used to justify the most wrong-headed & damaging policy decision in decades… These mindless tariffs will cause chaos. Almost everything Mr Trump said… was deluded.’
April 3, 2025 at 5:58 PM
The editor of @TheEconomist on Trump’s tariffs: ‘flawed economics, inaccurate history & cockamamie calculations used to justify the most wrong-headed & damaging policy decision in decades… These mindless tariffs will cause chaos. Almost everything Mr Trump said… was deluded.’