oldak
LightNews LightNews
oldak.bsky.social
oldak
@oldak.bsky.social
320 followers 1.1K following 910 posts
Internationalist. Financial services/fintech via neurobiology. Automation, self-sufficiency, open culture, global democracy, federalism, PR 🌐🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈

Twitter: https://x.com/oldak
Mastodon: https://mstdn.social/@oldak
Threads: https://threads.net/@adamcrealock
Posts Replies Media Videos
oldak.bsky.social
Now that's rage-bait, if I've ever seen it
How-To Geek headline: "The USB-C Deception: How a Universal Standard Created More Problems Than It Solved"
August 31, 2025 at 3:16 PM
oldak.bsky.social
I don't think someone having an opinion warrants a push notification "Exclusive"?
The Guardian Exclusive: Starmer and Reeves should consider wealth tax, says former shadow chancellor
July 31, 2025 at 5:02 PM
oldak.bsky.social
If you are a lost leprechaun in Valencia, your first steps should be to try and find your way back to the magical realm. You might try to find other leprechauns, or look for a pot of gold to indicate your location. While in Valencia, you may also try to blend in with the locals, perhaps by trying some tapas or visiting the local markets. Here's a more detailed approach: 1. Find Your Way Back: Seek Out Other Leprechauns: Look for signs of other leprechauns, like hidden pathways or areas with a strong sense of magic. Follow the Gold: Leprechauns are known to guard pots of gold, so following the trail of gold could lead you back to your home.
June 6, 2025 at 10:17 PM
oldak.bsky.social
This newspaper is not huge on copyediting
NYPost with multiple copy mistakes in two paragraphs: "If convicted, Doyle faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if he is convicted. Doyle served in the Royal Marines for four years in the early 90s, and neighbors describe him as a "normal" and "well-balance" middle-class father who now owns his own business, according to the Telegraph."
May 30, 2025 at 12:26 PM
oldak.bsky.social
Don't make me tap the movie poster bluetacked to my bedroom wall
He's Just Not That Into You
May 29, 2025 at 1:01 PM
oldak.bsky.social
Particularly since a 16th century Spanish galleon would have flown the Cross of Burgundy
Cross of Burgundy: saw-toothed (raguly) form of the Cross of Saint Andrew, the patron saint of Burgundy. Red on white.
May 29, 2025 at 10:53 AM
oldak.bsky.social
We were too busy worrying a out inheritance tax and polluted some rivers by mistake
May 23, 2025 at 9:35 PM
oldak.bsky.social
US equity markets are not taking Trump's threat to impose paralyzing tariffs on the US' largest trading partner in four business days very seriously…
S&P500 down 0.78% on the day.
May 23, 2025 at 3:08 PM
oldak.bsky.social
Getting ancient Minoa/Atlantis myth flashbacks
The Independent push notification: Tsunami warning after magnitude 6 earthquake strikes off Crete coast in Greece
May 22, 2025 at 11:40 AM
oldak.bsky.social
I've only got two in my collection.
Max and HBO Max apps.
May 14, 2025 at 3:12 PM
oldak.bsky.social
There are, apparently, some who take vape-everywhere too far.
GB News Ryanair passenger arrested upon landing after 'vaping through the whole flight' from Manchester to Spain 1 month ago
May 8, 2025 at 1:55 PM
oldak.bsky.social
"The political barrier to adopting a VAT in the US has been that “liberals think it’s regressive and conservatives think it’s a money machine,” Harvard economist and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers famously said in 1988."
Lower Consumption Taxes, Higher Income Taxes in the US compared to OECD average
May 7, 2025 at 1:30 PM
oldak.bsky.social
Warren Buffett to step down at year-end
Warren Buffett to step down at year-end
May 3, 2025 at 6:21 PM
oldak.bsky.social
Cyan Gosling
Ryan Gosling wearing a cyan suit.
May 2, 2025 at 7:52 PM
oldak.bsky.social
Me right now at a dinner party
They haven't seen USDTWD party meme
May 2, 2025 at 6:20 PM
oldak.bsky.social
Map of Ukraine's mineral resources.
May 1, 2025 at 9:37 PM
oldak.bsky.social
Bessent losing his equity premium.
FinTwitter @fintwitter.bsky.social WH Press Sec. Leavitt & US Treasury Secretary Bessent have ended the press conference. now now FinTwitter @fintwitter.bsky.social U.S. S&P 500 E-MINIS DOWN 0.48%, NASDAQ 100 E-MINIS DOWN 0.64%, DOW E-MINIS DOWN 0.01%
April 29, 2025 at 1:10 PM
oldak.bsky.social
For context
In Canada, it is rare for the Sovereign to be present in person in Parliament. Only once, on October 14, 1957, has the Sovereign – Queen Elizabeth II – opened a Parliament. Twenty years later, on October 18, 1977, she opened the 3rd Session of the 30th Parliament.
April 29, 2025 at 12:29 PM
oldak.bsky.social
Putin 2028? Will he win Arizona?

time.com/7280114/dona...
Do you think peace is still possible if Putin is President? I think peace is possible. You say if Putin is still president? Yeah, if Putin is President. Can there be peace if Putin is President of Russia? I think with me as president, there's—possible, if very probable. If somebody else is president, no chance.
April 25, 2025 at 11:27 AM
oldak.bsky.social
Trump is incoherent time.com/7280114/dona...
Mr. President, there was a period of time on April 9 when the bond market was under extreme stress and there was a risk of a financial crisis far beyond what the plummeting stock market suggested. I wasn’t worried. What did your advisers tell you, though? You were in the Oval Office with Scott Bessent and Howard Lutnick. What did they tell you to convince you to lift the reciprocal tariffs for the 90-day pause? They didn’t tell me. I did that. What made you decide? It wasn’t for that reason. It wasn’t for the bond market? No, it wasn’t for that reason. I'm doing that until we come up with the numbers that I want to come up with. I've met with a lot of countries. I've talked on the telephone. I don’t even want them to come in. You said the bond market was getting the yips. The bond market was getting the yips, but I wasn’t. Because I know what we have. I know what we have, but I also know we won't have it for long if we allowed four more years of the gross incompetence. This thing was just running—it was running as a free spirit. This was—this was the most incompetent president in history.
April 25, 2025 at 10:46 AM
oldak.bsky.social
Withnail & I: "We've gone on holiday by mistake."
April 24, 2025 at 1:01 PM
oldak.bsky.social
"Each 5% rally in the euro and other local currencies against the dollar shaves 1.5 to two percentage points off earnings growth in the MSCI Europe gauge, Morgan Stanley strategists estimate, describing the currency moves as “a broad-based drag.”" www.bloomberg.com/news/article... @bloomberg.com
S&P 500 is a domestic benchmark. S&P 500: 72% domestic revenue, 28% international revenue. NASDAQ 100: 54%, 46%. Stoxx Europe 600: 40%, 60%.
April 24, 2025 at 9:47 AM
oldak.bsky.social
Gemini's response to my follow-up question asking to confirm that it is "real-time", for context
Yes, I have access to up-to-date information through Google Search. Here's how it works: * Real-time Search Capability: When you ask a question about a current event or something requiring recent information, I can use Google Search to find relevant, fresh information from the web. You saw this in action with the tool code I generated in my previous response. * Information Synthesis: I don't just copy-paste the results. I process the information found in the search results to provide a comprehensive and relevant answer to your query. * Up-to-the-Minute (with caveats): While I can access information published very recently, "real-time" means I can access what's currently available and indexed by Google Search. There might be a very slight delay between an event happening, being reported, and then becoming searchable. * Distinction from Training Data: My core training data has a knowledge cut-off date, but my ability to use Google Search allows me to access information far beyond that date, including today's news. So, while I don't "know" things inherently in the way a human does in real-time, I can actively search for and process current information to answer your questions accurately, as demonstrated by the recent headlines found about Valencia and Spain.
April 21, 2025 at 10:36 AM
oldak.bsky.social
Gemini 2.5 Experimental, which should have access to real-time events, is lagging reality
Based on the current information (as of April 21, 2025), Pope Francis is alive and continues his duties as the head of the Catholic Church. Therefore, Spain has not declared any period of mourning related to his death. However, if a significant event like the death of a Pope were to occur, and Spain did declare a period of national mourning (often three days for very high-profile figures or major tragedies), here's what it typically means in practice: * Flags at Half-Mast: National flags on all public buildings (government offices, military bases, official institutions) across the country, and potentially Spanish embassies abroad, would be flown at half-mast as a sign of respect and grief. * Cancellation/Postponement of Official Events: Official celebratory events, inaugurations, receptions, or ceremonies organized by national, regional, or local governments would likely be cancelled or postponed during the mourning period. * Suspension of Certain Activities: Depending on the specific decree and the nature of the event being mourned, some public entertainment or sporting events might be suspended or altered, although this is less consistently applied than the cancellation of official government events. * Formal Expressions of Condolence: Government officials, including the Head of State (the King) and the Head of Government (the Prime Minister), would issue formal statements of condolence. * Media Coverage: News media would provide extensive coverage related to the event and the mourning period. In summary, while Pope Francis is currently alive, a national mourning period in Spain, if declared under different circumstances, primarily involves symbolic gestures like flying flags at half-mast and cancelling official celebrations to show collective respect and grief.
April 21, 2025 at 10:31 AM
oldak.bsky.social
April 11, 2025 at 3:22 PM