Douglas Ireland ✊​🌱
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douglasireland.com
Douglas Ireland ✊​🌱
@douglasireland.com
Morning person based in Paisley, Scotland.

"It takes much longer to get up north, the slow way." - Ian Dury

(any/all)

​Writing: douglasireland.com
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Hi, I am Douglas. 👋

Based in Paisley. Scottish Greens member and morning person. ✊🌱

I usually start the day with a lighthearted post, but I am here to connect on:

• Scottish Politics
• Environmental Justice
• Music & Culture

(any/all)

#Paisley #Scotland #ScotPol #ScottishGreens #Introductions
WFH today, off tomorrow.

This effectively makes any email received after lunchtime a "next week problem."

I have rarely felt such a deep sense of peace on a Thursday morning. The long weekend starts in 7 hours.

#WFH #LongWeekend #WorkLife #Paisley
November 27, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Reposted by Douglas Ireland ✊​🌱
Ok but I'm not the only one who saw Badenoch flanked by two copies of the same man, right?
November 26, 2025 at 2:14 PM
The latest Public Health Scotland stats are striking. 96.1% of Scots are registered with an NHS dentist. That is nearly twice the rate of access in England.

I moved here 10 years ago and had no trouble registering. Same again 18 months ago. The difference is night and day. (1/2)

#NHS #Scotland
NHS dental data monitoring report - Quarter ending September 2025 - NHS dental data monitoring report - Publications - Public Health Scotland
NHS dental data monitoring report, quarter ending September 2025
www.publichealthscotland.scot
November 26, 2025 at 2:15 PM
One of the underrated perks of a capsule wardrobe: getting ready at 7 AM requires zero brain power.

​No decisions, just grab and go. It leaves more mental energy for the important things. (Like mentally preparing for the ice outside).

#Minimalism #CapsuleWardrobe #MorningPerson #Paisley #Winter
November 26, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Hit 100 followers.

In internet terms, it's tiny. In "strangers standing in my lounge" terms, it's a fire hazard and a significant anxiety attack.

Thanks for being here.

#100Followers #Perspective #Introvert #Paisley
November 25, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Hardly surprising. When a democratic decision to make life slightly easier for a marginalised group is blocked, people are rightfully angry.

The "spike" isn't just bureaucracy; it's the fallout of a democratic failure

#GRR #TransRights #ScottishPolitics #Holyrood
Supreme Court gender ruling drove up complaints over Scottish politicians, standards chief says
Critics are spreading a 'false narrative' to 'undermine' watchdogs, MSPs are told
www.holyrood.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:51 PM
Reposted by Douglas Ireland ✊​🌱
A package hasn't "shipped" if you've only "created the label"
November 25, 2025 at 3:02 PM
The Guardian: "Nigel Farage responds to racism claims saying he never 'tried to hurt anybody'".

I've not read this, but it seems to be about Reform people being racist again and I just don't have the energy for it today.

#NigelFarage #ReformUK #Racism #UKPolitics
Nigel Farage responds to racism claims saying he never ‘tried to hurt anybody’
Reform leader denies racist or antisemitic behaviour ‘with intent’ at school, but says he can’t remember everything from 49 years ago
www.theguardian.com
November 25, 2025 at 12:07 PM
King Tuts lived up to the hype. Lovely, intimate venue and @softcult.band had a great vibe.

But the best part of gigs is discovering the support act. "She's Green" were brilliant. I enjoyed them just as much as the headliner! They are straight into my music rotation.

#ShesGreen #Shoegaze #NewMusic
November 25, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Tuesday morning performance review with my executive assistant (yes, his name is Chipshop).

He has reviewed my to-do list and decided the strategic priority for the day is 'napping on the rug' and 'sighing loudly.'

Hard to argue with his leadership style.

#DogLife #Chipshop #WFH #Management
November 25, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Reposted by Douglas Ireland ✊​🌱
NEW POLL: TWO-THIRDS OF SCOTS BACK AN INDEPENDENT PUPIL OPT-OUT FOR RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE
November 25, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Reposted by Douglas Ireland ✊​🌱
It might be a rare example of something being too good AND true, but the scale of the reveals and the hasty rollout of the feature AND the reliability IP-based geolocation makes me wonder if we should apply a tiny little bit of scepticism.
November 23, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Reposted by Douglas Ireland ✊​🌱
The principal of Edinburgh Uni earns around £420,000 a year. This week his staff were on strike over the threat of redundancies.

It's time we got the pay of uni and college bosses back under control. MSPs can back my plans to do that on Wednesday.

www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politic...
'Obscene' pay of uni fatcat bosses targeted in new proposals before MSPs
Greens co-leader Ross Greer has tabled amendments to a Scottish Government Bill to curb the earnings of top execs at universities and colleges.
www.dailyrecord.co.uk
November 23, 2025 at 1:17 PM
The state of the book pile on my bedside table is getting ridiculous. It's genuinely wobbling.

I'm telling myself I'll read a chapter, but the reality is I'll manage about two pages before I nod off.

Just hope I don't knock the whole thing over. Goodnight.

#Books #Reading #Goodnight #Tsundoku
Tsundoku - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
November 25, 2025 at 12:29 AM
Reaching for the headphones. The 3 PM slump requires a soundtrack.

​Currently playing The Cure. The shimmering guitars on 'Pictures of You' actually match this crisp, bright winter sky perfectly.

​Cold air, cold sounds.

#WorkMode #TheCure #Monday #Winter #Music
Pictures Of You (Remastered)
YouTube video by The Cure - Topic
music.youtube.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:19 PM
​Is Brexit to blame? Spoiler: Yes.

​I’m critical of the obsession with GDP as a metric, but deliberate economic self-harm isn't a strategy. It's destruction.

​We are paying a high price for a nostalgic fantasy, and it hits the poorest hardest.

#Economics #ScottishPolitics #Brexit
The UK’s weak economic growth and Brexit: Is the worst over?
The UK’s decision to leave the European Union has left lasting impacts on the country’s economy. While many of the repercussions appear to be longstanding, including low productivity, Euronews Busines...
www.euronews.com
November 24, 2025 at 12:35 PM
The joy of a capsule wardrobe isn't just 'style.' It's the decision fatigue I save every morning.

I have exactly three 'work' outfits. If you see me twice in a week, yes, I am wearing the same jumper. No, I do not care.

Efficiency is its own aesthetic.

#Minimalism #CapsuleWardrobe #SimpleLiving
November 24, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Reposted by Douglas Ireland ✊​🌱
This is a remarkable paper on the climate-induced heatwave death in Europe and how they will increase in a warming world.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Increasing risk of mass human heat mortality if historical weather patterns recur - Nature Climate Change
The authors couple calculations of historical heatwave intensity at present and future global temperatures with exposure–response functions to quantify mortality from extreme heat events in Europe. Th...
www.nature.com
November 23, 2025 at 9:10 AM
I’m writing a blog post for next week about the quiet resistance of "dumb" tech.

This cost £13 from Argos. It doesn’t track my sleep. It doesn’t ping me with emails I don’t want to read. It just tells me when it’s tea time.

Sometimes that is all the upgrade you need.

#Casio #DigitalMinimalism
November 23, 2025 at 6:22 PM
​Update on yesterday: The finish line has unexpectedly moved closer! My afternoon plans are cancelled.

​I still have to get through a packed morning, but knowing I have a date with a celebratory nap later is powering me through.

​Eyes on the (new, fluffier) prize.

#WeekendWin #NapTime
Heading into a very busy weekend.

I am powering through purely on the promise of the sit down that is waiting for me at the finish line on Sunday night.

Eyes on the prize.

#Weekend #Busy #Motivation #Saturday
November 23, 2025 at 9:36 AM
Reposted by Douglas Ireland ✊​🌱
Fixed it for you. Idiots! If the exclusion is based on appearance then it will certainly impact cis folks as well as trans folks.
November 20, 2025 at 5:37 PM
@alexscotgreens.bsky.social is also in this photo. Give him a follow, he's new to Bluesky.
"Winding our way down..." Gerry Rafferty Drive. Great shift with the team today.

Good energy and good company for my first time out on the doors.

@scottishgreens.org @ren-inv-greens.bsky.social @caramckeegreens.bsky.social

#ScottishGreens #Paisley #Canvassing #Teamwork #BakerStreet
November 22, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Reposted by Douglas Ireland ✊​🌱
"Winding our way down..." Gerry Rafferty Drive. Great shift with the team today.

Good energy and good company for my first time out on the doors.

@scottishgreens.org @ren-inv-greens.bsky.social @caramckeegreens.bsky.social

#ScottishGreens #Paisley #Canvassing #Teamwork #BakerStreet
November 22, 2025 at 6:57 PM
"Winding our way down..." Gerry Rafferty Drive. Great shift with the team today.

Good energy and good company for my first time out on the doors.

@scottishgreens.org @ren-inv-greens.bsky.social @caramckeegreens.bsky.social

#ScottishGreens #Paisley #Canvassing #Teamwork #BakerStreet
November 22, 2025 at 6:57 PM