• Irish language to have equal status with English during Irish EU presidency

    Steve WoodsLanguage, Politics

    Ireland coat of armsThe presidency of the Council of Ministers rotates between the European Union’s member states every six months. The presidency is currently occupied by Cyprus until 30th June 2026.

    On 1st June 2026 the presidency switches to Ireland, which has announced that for the first time in its membership of the organisation, the Irish language will have equal status with English during its presidency.

    Irish is recognised by the Constitution of Ireland as the national and first official language of the Republic of Ireland (English being the other official language). However, in spite this, almost all government business and legislative debate is conducted in English.

    According to the Irish Times piece, all official documents, policy programmes and press releases will be in Irish and English, while content on the Irish presidency website will be available in Irish, English and French.

    Furthermore, the Irish government has also given a commitment that content requiring immediate publication, such as European Council decisions, will be published simultaneously in Irish and English where feasible and within a very short period of each other, if not, with the aim of ensuring that Irish has close to equal status to English during the six-month term of the presidency.

    The commitment to the Irish language even extends to encouraging the use of Irish at all formal council meetings in Brussels and Luxembourg and during informal meetings in Ireland.

    The Irish EU presidency will also feature cultural programmes involving Irish language literature, arts and music. This programme will be co-ordinated by Culture Ireland in consultation with the Department of the Gaeltacht.

    Whereas Irish used to be the first language of the majority of Ireland’s population before the 20th century, its usage has since declined considerably. According to Wikipedia, the total number of people (aged 3 and over) in Ireland who declared they could speak Irish in April 2022 was 1,873,997, representing 40% of respondents, but of these, 472,887 said they never spoke it and a further 551,993 said they only spoke it within the education system.Linguistic analyses of Irish speakers are therefore based primarily on the number of daily users in Ireland outside the education system, which in 2022 was 20,261 in the Gaeltacht and 51,707 outside it, totalling 71,968.

  • EU Commission investigates Grok and X under DSA

    Steve WoodsAI, Politics, Security, Social Media, Tech

    EU Commission logoThe European Commission has today announced a new formal investigation against X (the conduit of hate alleged social media platform formerly known as Twitter. Ed.) under the Digital Services Act (DSA). In parallel, the Commission extended its current investigation launched in December 2023 into X’s compliance with its recommender systems risk management obligations.

    The new investigation will examine whether the company properly assessed and mitigated risks associated with the deployment of Grok’s functionalities into X in the EU, including risks related to the dissemination of illegal content in the EU, such as manipulated sexually explicit images, including child sexual abuse material.

    These risks seem to have materialised, exposing EU citizens to serious harm. Consequently, the Commission will further investigate whether X complies with its DSA obligations to:

    • Diligently assess and mitigate systemic risks, including of the dissemination of illegal content, negative effects in relation to gender-based violence and serious negative consequences to physical and mental well-being stemming from deployments of Grok’s functionalities on its platform;
    • Conduct and transmit to the Commission an ad-hoc risk assessment report for Grok’s functionalities in the X service with a critical impact on X’s risk profile prior to their deployment.

    Furthermore, the Commission has extended its continuing formal proceedings initiated against X in December 2023 to determine if X has properly assessed and mitigated all systemic risks (as defined in the DSA) associated with its recommender systems, including the impact of its recently announced switch to a Grok-based recommender system.

    If proven, these failures would constitute infringements of Articles 34(1) and (2), 35(1) and 42(2) of the DSA. The Commission will now carry out an in-depth investigation as a matter of priority. The opening of formal proceedings does not prejudge its outcome.

    In the run-up to this investigation, the Commission has closely collaborated with Coimisiún na Meán, the Irish Digital Services Coordinator. In addition, Coimisiún na Meán will be associated with this investigation pursuant to Article 66(3) as the national Digital Services Coordinator in the EU country where X is based.

    The opening of formal proceedings empowers the Commission to take further enforcement steps, such as adopting a non-compliance decision. The Commission is also empowered to accept any commitment made by X to remedy the matters subject to the proceeding.

  • Reform candidate emulates tRump

    Steve WoodsAI, Language, Politics, Social Media

    On Terry Pratchett’s fictional Discworld, Ankh Morpork local newspaper publisher William de Worde remarks: “Lies could run round the world before the truth could get its boots on” in the novel The Truth.

    That turn of speed definitely applies today to internet memes, whether AI-generated slop or otherwise.

    It hasn’t taken long for the Farage fascist fan club otherwise known as Reform UK (Ltd.) to pick up on some of the latest garbage emanating from the White House (posts passim) and adapt it for their own Z-list candidate for mayor, Laila Cunningham, another Conservative Party defector who, amongst other things, want to dictate what women choose to wear.

    Reform UK reworking of White House AI, but featuring mayoral candidate Laila Cunningham in place of the alleged president and a bloody butcher's apron instead of the stars and stripes. The text on the image reads Choose a new path for London. Laila Cunningham for Mayor. Reform UK
    AI from the hard of thinking. Since when have there mountains on the banks of the Thames? And why are the two figures shown leaving no tracks in the snow?

    Whatever the direction Farage’s Reform is planning on taking the country, those mythical sunlit uplands of politics (© Winston Churchill, July 1940) do not seem to be involved.

  • President promises penguins

    Steve WoodsAI, Oddities, Politics, Social Media

    The disgraced 45th and current disgraceful 47th President of the United States, adjudicated sexual predator, condemned business fraudster, convicted felon and compulsive liar, one Donald John Trump (who is on a personal quest to Make America Grate Again or something similar. Ed.), has never been renowned for his intellectual prowess. This, plus his overweening narcissism, means that for his second spell of squatting in the Oval Office, he has surrounded himself with sycophantic staff who will not embarrass him mainly because they are just as stupid as their boss, if not more so.

    This stupidity was again on display yesterday on the White House social media accounts, with a post based on the lonely penguin meme from the Werner Herzog film Encounters at the End of the World. The meme features footage of a lone Adélie penguin wandering away from its colony in Antarctica and was posted in connection with the Tangerine Tyrant’s obsession with acquiring Greenland from Denmark, an ambition which has provoked both a consumer boycott (posts passim) and demonstrations in both Denmark itself and Greenland.

    Here’s what White House staffers embarrassed themselves and the entire Trump regime with yesterday.

    Under the caption embrace the penguin' a penguin carrying a US flag walks hand in hand with Donald Trump across a snowy mountainous landscape with a red and white Greenland flag on the left flank of the mountains

    Needless to say the image was produced with the aid of Artificial Ignorance, otherwise abbreviated to AI.

    Moreover, it goes without saying that the post attracted extensive mockery online. Here’s an example.

    Reworking of White House image, but featuring tRump in a clown outfit

    However, this criticism overlooks one vital fact; The Donald’s importing of penguins to Greenland is a far better use of US tax dollars than towing Greenland down to the southern polar region to enable it to be populated by penguins! 😀

  • Danish shoppers get app to help them avoid US products

    Steve WoodsPolitics, Tech

    German news website heise.de reports that a new app is available for Danish consumers to help avoid buying US consumer products in the wake of the efforts of the disgraced 45th President and disgraceful current 45th President of the United States, adjudicated sexual predator, condemned business fraudster, convicted felon and compulsive liar, one Donald John Trump (who is on a personal quest to Make America Grate Again or something similar. Ed.), to acquire the autonomous Danish territory of Greenland on spurious national security grounds.

    A wave of protest in Denmark gave rise to a Facebook group “Boycott goods from the USA“, in which some 100,000 Danes exchange ideas about how best to avoid American products. To put its membership into perspective, Denmark has around six million inhabitants.

    Although it is only available at present for Apple phones, an Android version is promised for the near future.

    Screenshot of UdenUSA app on phone
    Is it American? Get the answer in seconds

    According to the app store blurb:

    UdenUSA helps you identify and avoid American products in your everyday life. With our intuitive scanning function, you can easily check whether a product is American-owned and find Danish alternatives.

    Furthermore, app developer Pipper told the DPA press agency: “We noticed that it was important for many people to avoid food from the USA. But it’s not always so easy to recognise them in the supermarket.“

    The app is provided in two versions – a free version which allows users to scan 2-5 products per day and a subscription version for bulk purchases, which costs DKr. 19.00 per month.

    The developer’s website also pointedly asks visitors ‘Are you supporting Trump when you shop?

    The Irish Times also points out that the app is not without a few geeky touches. Users who scan a product using their camera phone are then confronted with the message: “Now hacking into the Pentagon … no, wait, don’t worry.“

  • Security and wearable animals

    Steve WoodsLanguage, Oddities, Security, Social Media

    A number of years ago, wearable technology looked set to become all the rage.

    Mention of it has declined noticeably in recent years. When, for instance, was the last time you heard of or encountered, say, Google Glass?

    On the other hand, wearable animals – or parts of animals – have a history that extends back into prehistory, in particular that epoch known as the Palaeolithic, the longest period in human history.

    Nevertheless, the manners in which animals or their parts have been used have adapted over the millennia in response to technological changes and development.

    A recent example of such an adaptation is shown below. It cropped up in your correspondent’s social media timeline today, although a reverse image search indicates it might have originated a couple of years ago.

    Social media post reads Please ensure you have your identity badger at all times. Below is a photo of a notice worded Security notice - All Employees Must Wear ID Badgers When Entering
    Why Is The First Letter of Each Word Capitalised?

    Are other identity animals available? Comment below.

  • A few corrections from Merriam Webster

    Steve WoodsLanguage, Social Media

    Shamelessly lifted from social media, Merriam-Webster is making an effort to remedy the modern vicious circle (not cycle. Ed.) of misquoted adages.

    Post reads This is coming from a place of love andnsupport, but... It’s ‘shoo-in, not ‘shoe-in? It’s ‘case in point; not ‘case and point’ It’s ‘moot point, not ‘mute point’ It’s ‘hunger pangs, not ‘hunger pains’ It’s ‘jibe with, not ‘jive with.
    One stands corrected

    Merriam-Webster describes itself as “America’s most trusted dictionary“. It’s also the USA’s oldest dictionary publisher, whose presses first started producing reference books in 1843, according to Wikipedia.

    Your ‘umble scribe hopes the company’s efforts are not in vain, as language skills generally seem to be declining. 🙁

  • Illiteracy or obstinacy?

    Steve WoodsBristol, Language, Politics

    The Tenovus charity shop on St Mark’s Road is currently closed for refurbishment.

    However, this does not seem to have been noticed by the local members of the Hard of Thinking Club, who are continuing to dump their donations outside the shop’s door.

    The operators/owners of the shop have recently decided to post a notice on the shop’s door shutter informing those generous but misguided patrons of the error of their ways.

    Notice reads: If you dump stuff here you are fly-tipping. Please stop. Asked with love and season's greetings from the residents of St Marks.
    Let’s ignore the writing on the wall.

    Just like other notices in Bristol, e.g. the ones that say no parking, Tenovus’ sign has been ignored.

    Is ignoring the notice due to illiteracy or plain, simple bloody-mindedness? Have your say in the comments.

    Meanwhile, if you see fly-tipping, any other environmental crime or something that needs fixing, you can report it to Bristol City Council here, otherwise central government’s GOV.UK site has a handy page to find your local authority in England, Scotland and Wales and notify it of such problems.

  • A message to Donald

    Steve WoodsLanguage, Politics, Social Media

    Your ‘umble scribe is unaware how many times a week – if any – the disgraced former 45th president and current disgraceful 47th president of the United States of America, insurrectionist, convicted felon, adjudicated sexual predator, business fraudster, congenital liar and golf cheat commonly known as Donald John Trump (who is on a mission to Make America Grate Again or something similar. Ed.) catches either a number 77, 87, 196, 452 or N87 from the bus stop at London’s Nine Elms Underground station, but it will do his narcissistic personality disorder no good at all.

    The poster below has this week appeared at the bus stop in response to the USA’s attack on Venezuela and kidnapping of its president, Nicolás Maduro, earlier this week.

    Of course, having the US military at one’s control does mean that The Donald, as commander-in-chief of the US armed forces, is able to call on their members to indulge in the ultimate ‘look over there‘ tactics when required to distract from his embarrassing local difficulties caused by his long-term friendship with the late American financier, human trafficker, child sex offender and serial rapist Jeffrey Epstein, as the thousands of documents known as the Epstein files slowly make their redacted way into the public domain and which he and his sycophantic subordinates seem very reluctant to release, despite the existence and imperative of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, not to mention the Tango Terrorists campaign trail promise to release the files.

    Poster reads No matter how many countries you invade, you'll still be a nonce
    There’s an old adage that says you can tell a man by the company he keeps.

    Before we end, a quick translation from EN-GB for any American readers. You will not find the definition of nonce as used above in a standard American dictionary; you’ll need a British one. It’s British prison slang to denote a person who commits a crime involving sex, especially sex with a child. This definition is taken from the Cambridge online English Dictionary.

    Which country will tRump invade next as a distraction from his next scandal? Have your say in the comments.

  • A chilly morning in Barton Hill

    Steve WoodsBristol, Politics, Social Media

    Yesterday the regular Barton Hill community litter pick took place on its usual day – the first Saturday of the month.

    It was a cold but fine morning with a ferocious wind chill factor, so wrapping up warm was essential.

    In addition, we had our best turn-out for a while with six hardy volunteers showing up outside the Wellspring Settlement.

    Some of the crew at the end of the pick.
    Some of the litter pickers and their haul.

    Overall, we picked for an hour and a quarter, with the areas covered including Ducie Road, Morley Street, Cobden Street, the Urban Park, Strawbridge Road and Tichbourne Road.

    A good haul of both recyclable materials and landfill were removed, 4 and 5 bags respectively, in addition to which we collected a few bulky items – suitcase, printer/scanner and broken furniture – for removal by Bristol Waste.

    Whilst working around the area, we also identified other matters that needed further attention (e.g. scruffy public open space) by either the council or Bristol Waste (e.g. properties that needed help with waste management and/or recycling).

    After finishing most of us returned to the Settlement to tea and biscuits, with 2 cuppas proving to be the minimum dose for unfreezing fingers.

    February’s pick will be on Saturday 7th February. Note it in your diaries!

    In the meantime, if you see fly-tipping, any other environmental crime or something that needs fixing, you can report it to Bristol City Council here, otherwise central government’s GOV.UK site has a handy page to find your local authority in England, Scotland and Wales and notify it of such problems.

Posts navigation