Martin Griffiths
@qwertymartin.bsky.social
Bristol-based lover of board games, music and books.
Reposted by Martin Griffiths
this week's newsletter is titled "aren't you tired of feeling insane all the time?" and I think it speaks for itself
it is also free to read
youngvulgarian.substack.com/p/arent-you-...
it is also free to read
youngvulgarian.substack.com/p/arent-you-...
November 21, 2025 at 10:18 AM
this week's newsletter is titled "aren't you tired of feeling insane all the time?" and I think it speaks for itself
it is also free to read
youngvulgarian.substack.com/p/arent-you-...
it is also free to read
youngvulgarian.substack.com/p/arent-you-...
Reposted by Martin Griffiths
This is the point. Policy *should not* be adjusted or fine-tuned in response to minor forecasting judgements. Decisions about whether or not to break a prominent manifesto promise *should not* depend on minor forecasting judgements. This stuff matters. We've got to do better than this.
I know it’s always like this. But one striking thing from the budget kite flying and kite pulling back in, is how major policy decisions are constantly being buffeted around by iterative forecast changes.
All feels a bit of a silly way to be making major economic policy & political decisions.
All feels a bit of a silly way to be making major economic policy & political decisions.
November 14, 2025 at 3:23 PM
This is the point. Policy *should not* be adjusted or fine-tuned in response to minor forecasting judgements. Decisions about whether or not to break a prominent manifesto promise *should not* depend on minor forecasting judgements. This stuff matters. We've got to do better than this.
Reposted by Martin Griffiths
If he does run I really hope his campaign slogan is "Chaos with Ed Miliband".
Verdict of one Labour grandee I just bumped into: “Ed Miliband is the person most likely to be the most next Prime Minister”.
November 13, 2025 at 1:14 PM
If he does run I really hope his campaign slogan is "Chaos with Ed Miliband".
Reposted by Martin Griffiths
This isn't a revolutionary government. But as a Labour government, it does need to be the people's representative to the system. So far it's acted as the system's representative to the people - "no, you can't have that, tough choices". And time is running out to deliver outcomes by the election
November 10, 2025 at 8:36 AM
This isn't a revolutionary government. But as a Labour government, it does need to be the people's representative to the system. So far it's acted as the system's representative to the people - "no, you can't have that, tough choices". And time is running out to deliver outcomes by the election
Reposted by Martin Griffiths
No more noble British tradition than resigning over some nonsense everyone is only pretending to be angry about rather than all of the actually bad things you've done.
November 9, 2025 at 6:10 PM
No more noble British tradition than resigning over some nonsense everyone is only pretending to be angry about rather than all of the actually bad things you've done.
Reposted by Martin Griffiths
Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.
June 19, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.
Reposted by Martin Griffiths
How to do best that?
Personal view but I think the worst place government can be in raising enough to piss people off but not enough to make a difference to anything they actually notice or care about - eg 1p on income tax that dissapears into an OBR black hole.
Personal view but I think the worst place government can be in raising enough to piss people off but not enough to make a difference to anything they actually notice or care about - eg 1p on income tax that dissapears into an OBR black hole.
October 29, 2025 at 9:10 AM
How to do best that?
Personal view but I think the worst place government can be in raising enough to piss people off but not enough to make a difference to anything they actually notice or care about - eg 1p on income tax that dissapears into an OBR black hole.
Personal view but I think the worst place government can be in raising enough to piss people off but not enough to make a difference to anything they actually notice or care about - eg 1p on income tax that dissapears into an OBR black hole.
Reposted by Martin Griffiths
Like, if Labour want LD and Green voters to like them and be willing to vote tactically for them, that has to be an active process, and a worryingly large number of Labour people's entitlement around such voters hardly helps that.
October 24, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Like, if Labour want LD and Green voters to like them and be willing to vote tactically for them, that has to be an active process, and a worryingly large number of Labour people's entitlement around such voters hardly helps that.
Reposted by Martin Griffiths
(if anyone would like to maybe start some sort of campaigning or pressure group of and on behalf of immigrants with ILR and settled status in Britain then I would be interested in helping, or indeed trying to get it off the ground myself, email in bio, etc)
October 22, 2025 at 9:55 AM
(if anyone would like to maybe start some sort of campaigning or pressure group of and on behalf of immigrants with ILR and settled status in Britain then I would be interested in helping, or indeed trying to get it off the ground myself, email in bio, etc)
Reposted by Martin Griffiths
This essentially means you cannot marry or form a long term relationship with a foreigner - if they fall sick, have a baby, lose their job, or just decide to take a break and write a book about cheeses of the West Country, they can be deported.
Tory policy is to revoke permanent residence (ILR) for everybody who does not earn £38k - deporting most nurses who have ILR
This is put in the video as "who is unlikely to contribute more than they cost"
NB: video does not say EU settled status is exempt
No govt since Idi Amin has done this
This is put in the video as "who is unlikely to contribute more than they cost"
NB: video does not say EU settled status is exempt
No govt since Idi Amin has done this
October 22, 2025 at 9:42 AM
This essentially means you cannot marry or form a long term relationship with a foreigner - if they fall sick, have a baby, lose their job, or just decide to take a break and write a book about cheeses of the West Country, they can be deported.
Reposted by Martin Griffiths
I just cannot take this shit seriously. If you're a senior Labour figure and think that the party's stance is cowardly but are too afraid to put your name on the record saying it YOU ARE A COWARD.
Senior Labour figures have expressed dismay at the Party's "cowardly" and "incompetent" response to Tory shadow minister Katie Lam calling for legal migrants to "go home".
"What’s the point of us saying we’re anti-racist when we fail to call out racism," said one MP.
"What’s the point of us saying we’re anti-racist when we fail to call out racism," said one MP.
Exclusive: Labour Anger Erupts Over Party's Response To Katie Lam Immigration Row
"What’s the point of us saying we’re anti-racist when we fail to call out racism," said one MP.
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk
October 22, 2025 at 9:17 AM
I just cannot take this shit seriously. If you're a senior Labour figure and think that the party's stance is cowardly but are too afraid to put your name on the record saying it YOU ARE A COWARD.
Reposted by Martin Griffiths
bluesky has a problem: shit sucks real bad everywhere and that's what's on everybody's mind all the time. everything else also has this same problem
September 24, 2025 at 6:42 PM
bluesky has a problem: shit sucks real bad everywhere and that's what's on everybody's mind all the time. everything else also has this same problem
Reposted by Martin Griffiths
[me, a journalist who spends all day every day on a social media app where the discovery algorithm is personally controlled by its owner, captain birdseye] you know, a lot of people are talking about fish fingers, we should probably cover that
September 16, 2025 at 7:25 AM
[me, a journalist who spends all day every day on a social media app where the discovery algorithm is personally controlled by its owner, captain birdseye] you know, a lot of people are talking about fish fingers, we should probably cover that
Reposted by Martin Griffiths
Elon Musk openly called for violence on our streets yesterday.
I hope politicians from all parties come together to condemn his deeply dangerous and irresponsible rhetoric.
Britain must stand united against this clear attempt to undermine our democracy.
I hope politicians from all parties come together to condemn his deeply dangerous and irresponsible rhetoric.
Britain must stand united against this clear attempt to undermine our democracy.
September 14, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Elon Musk openly called for violence on our streets yesterday.
I hope politicians from all parties come together to condemn his deeply dangerous and irresponsible rhetoric.
Britain must stand united against this clear attempt to undermine our democracy.
I hope politicians from all parties come together to condemn his deeply dangerous and irresponsible rhetoric.
Britain must stand united against this clear attempt to undermine our democracy.
Reposted by Martin Griffiths
I do think, as a left of centre but broadly pragmatic voter, it should be a red light for the government that I am morally disgusted by them.
Keep thinking of arguments for why it would be completely insane to dump a prime minister with a huge majority just 14 months in, and also about how if he's not going to say a single word in opposition to the kind of shit we saw today then I no longer feel convinced by any of those arguments.
September 13, 2025 at 9:26 PM
I do think, as a left of centre but broadly pragmatic voter, it should be a red light for the government that I am morally disgusted by them.
Reposted by Martin Griffiths
Keep thinking of arguments for why it would be completely insane to dump a prime minister with a huge majority just 14 months in, and also about how if he's not going to say a single word in opposition to the kind of shit we saw today then I no longer feel convinced by any of those arguments.
September 13, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Keep thinking of arguments for why it would be completely insane to dump a prime minister with a huge majority just 14 months in, and also about how if he's not going to say a single word in opposition to the kind of shit we saw today then I no longer feel convinced by any of those arguments.
Reposted by Martin Griffiths
It isn’t about mistakes. Governments always make mistakes. It’s the entire strategy of trying to compete with Farage on his own agenda that’s misconceived. The current approach could be implemented flawlessly and it would still be a disaster. Give me a deputy leadership candidate willing to say so.
September 8, 2025 at 9:02 AM
It isn’t about mistakes. Governments always make mistakes. It’s the entire strategy of trying to compete with Farage on his own agenda that’s misconceived. The current approach could be implemented flawlessly and it would still be a disaster. Give me a deputy leadership candidate willing to say so.
Reposted by Martin Griffiths
The failure of the government to denounce these thugs is completely fucking sickening.
This is vile. Local guy speaks to Sky News about the impact of asylum seekers protests. Watch what happens and share widely
September 4, 2025 at 9:03 PM
The failure of the government to denounce these thugs is completely fucking sickening.
Reposted by Martin Griffiths
(One of the reasons so many people are convinced by LLMs is because they aren’t experts in anything)
September 3, 2025 at 1:38 PM
(One of the reasons so many people are convinced by LLMs is because they aren’t experts in anything)
Reposted by Martin Griffiths
Something is being completely missed in the Graham Linehan / broader UK ‘free speech’ row – and it’s that much of this is a direct consequence of Elon Musk no longer doing anything like what’s required to moderate X in line with UK and European law. 🧵
September 3, 2025 at 9:27 AM
Something is being completely missed in the Graham Linehan / broader UK ‘free speech’ row – and it’s that much of this is a direct consequence of Elon Musk no longer doing anything like what’s required to moderate X in line with UK and European law. 🧵
Reposted by Martin Griffiths
No it can't suffer, you shitwits. Stop anthropomorphising a probability engine. There is some truly fucking dreadful coverage of AI, and the idiot Guardian is one of the worst offenders.
Can AIs suffer? Big tech and users grapple with one of most unsettling questions of our times
Can AIs suffer? Big tech and users grapple with one of most unsettling questions of our times
As first AI-led rights advocacy group is founded, industry is divided on whether models are, or can be, sentient
www.theguardian.com
August 26, 2025 at 7:46 AM
No it can't suffer, you shitwits. Stop anthropomorphising a probability engine. There is some truly fucking dreadful coverage of AI, and the idiot Guardian is one of the worst offenders.
Reposted by Martin Griffiths
Their memorials are history. Ours are political. Because as always, there are two sexualities - straight, and political.
Two genders - male, and political.
Two religions - Christian, and political.
Two races - white, and political.
Two genders - male, and political.
Two religions - Christian, and political.
Two races - white, and political.
Workers under cover of night removed a rainbow crosswalk outside of the former Pulse nightclub, apparently as part of state and federal transportation officials’ aim to wipe “political banners” from public roadways. www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/08/21/r...
Rainbow crosswalk outside Pulse nightclub removed overnight
“We did everything according to state law, everything was compliant,” said Patty Sheehan, the city’s first openly gay elected official. “FDOT never moves that quickly with anything.R…
www.orlandosentinel.com
August 22, 2025 at 7:45 AM
Their memorials are history. Ours are political. Because as always, there are two sexualities - straight, and political.
Two genders - male, and political.
Two religions - Christian, and political.
Two races - white, and political.
Two genders - male, and political.
Two religions - Christian, and political.
Two races - white, and political.
Careful, Spider (a mate's shoegaze band)
Jyotsna Srikanth (Carnatic classical violinist)
Horsegirl (not HorsegiirL)
PULP
Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band (seeing them again this weekend)
Jyotsna Srikanth (Carnatic classical violinist)
Horsegirl (not HorsegiirL)
PULP
Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band (seeing them again this weekend)
This required some thinking! Reverse order:
OnlyOneOf
Kaarija
Scritti Politti
Poppy
Adam Ant
OnlyOneOf
Kaarija
Scritti Politti
Poppy
Adam Ant
Last 5 Concerts - probably over course of about 15 years
Smashing Pumpkins
Aespa
Killers
Weird Al Yankovic
Dinosaur Jr
Smashing Pumpkins
Aespa
Killers
Weird Al Yankovic
Dinosaur Jr
August 21, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Careful, Spider (a mate's shoegaze band)
Jyotsna Srikanth (Carnatic classical violinist)
Horsegirl (not HorsegiirL)
PULP
Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band (seeing them again this weekend)
Jyotsna Srikanth (Carnatic classical violinist)
Horsegirl (not HorsegiirL)
PULP
Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band (seeing them again this weekend)
Reposted by Martin Griffiths
"if people who hate us are calling for it, we must listen. if people who don't hate us are calling for it, ignore them"
August 20, 2025 at 2:56 PM
"if people who hate us are calling for it, we must listen. if people who don't hate us are calling for it, ignore them"
Reposted by Martin Griffiths
Bridging contemporary indie rock and 20th-century West African folk, "Somewhere Only We Go” by Tommy WÁ is our Album of the Day.
Tommy WÁ, “Somewhere Only We Go”
The Ghanian musician bridges contemporary indie rock and 20th-century West African folk.
daily.bandcamp.com
August 8, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Bridging contemporary indie rock and 20th-century West African folk, "Somewhere Only We Go” by Tommy WÁ is our Album of the Day.