Ah shite.

🇨🇩🫡

Only in Ireland would there be a lobbying cooling-off period *waiver application scheme*

"A record number of former government ministers, advisers and other officials sought waivers from the one-year cooling-off period from lobbying in 2025 after they left public office.

"Under the law governing lobbying, [such individuals] cannot begin lobbying the government until one year after they leave their roles."

https://www.thejournal.ie/government-ministers-lobbying-cooling-off-7087736-Jul2026/

via @TheJournal

LET'S FUCKING CONGOOO

[P.S. - I bet a fiver this is an upgrade from ye olde Lotus Notes - which honestly, these days, is sounding like an absolutely excellent software product, actually.]

eta:
[P.P.S. - Yes, France has consequently begun the process of yeeting Microsoft products into the sea: https://www.euronews.com/next/2026/01/27/france-to-ditch-us-platforms-microsoft-teams-zoom-for-sovereign-platform-amid-security-con]

RE: https://mastodon.ie/@dublininquirer/116843505303208023

June 2025:
France's national parliament representatives are unable to get a simple "Yes" from Microsoft's legal counsel for that jurisdiction, when asked whether he can guarantee that French public data managed under contract by Microsoft will never be accessed from the United States.

👉🏽 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoR2Y8uNShQ

July 2026:
Ireland's national parliament: "MOAR Microsoft!"

#OpenSource #DigitalAutonomy #DigitalSovereignty #BigTech #Surveillance

The Oireachtas is leaning into Microsoft for its comms, even as other European governments abandon US tech. Switching to the US big tech provider, for phone systems and more, comes at a time of fierce debate about tech sovereignty. https://www.dublininquirer.com/the-oireachtas-leans-into-microsoft-for-its-comms-even-as-other-european-governments-retreat/

@tayfonay Thank you for bringing this into my life. ❤️

#puffins #birds

I've adopted a formal policy of streaming the Explore.org Puffin Landing Ledge on the TV behind me in my home office as my official background for online meetings.

We all like to joke about July being "Gay Wrath Month" but it's actually Disability Pride Month, so have the Disability Pride Flag from VGAPride and my AST Premmia LX MS-DOS machine

If you're wondering what we spend the money on: we help with transport, materials and consumables costs, and hire in equipment and structures. This year we're supporting some workshops and making activities, and sourcing a planetarium!

Since the #EMFCamp announcement about dropping Mullvad sponsorship yesterday, we've had about £500 of new Art & Installations donations, which is super cool and we're really grateful. It will go towards supporting the amazing makers who bring their weird and wonderful things to the festival.

If you have a spare few quid and love the sort of quirky stuff that appears at the festival then you can find the donations page here:

https://www.emfcamp.org/tickets/sponsor

‘Extreme heat hits children – who have higher metabolisms and lower sweating rates. Their thermal comfort levels are, on average, 1.9-2.8C lower. Temps above 25C limit their cognitive performance. The government’s #ClimateChange Committee finds that “taking an exam on a 32C day leads to around a 10% lower likelihood of passing compared to a 22C day”.

Yet another advantage for private schools, which can generally afford better buildings and air-conditioned exam rooms.’

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/01/right-danger-heatwaves-children-class-politics-extreme-heat-billionaire-press

July is Disability Pride Month!
We stand in solidarity with our disabled siblings, team members and supporters!

#disabilitypride #disabilitypridemonth #transanddisabled

RE: https://mastodon.social/@esoastronomy/116844616500605008

The impact of satellite constellations on astronomy can get much worse. A new ESO study has quantified not only the effects of the satellite streaks, but also the overall increase in the sky brightness due to (a) millions of faint satellites that create a veil of diffuse light, and (b) sunlight scattered by space mirrors, even when not aiming directly at the observer. 👇 #astronomy #space

🚨 Beyond the limit 🚨

New ESO study finds that current proposals to launch 1.7+ million satellites into orbit would have devastating consequences for astronomy.

The most extreme proposals come from SpaceX & Reflect Orbital

1/4

📷 F. Kamphues, ESO/M. Kornmesser

#astrodon #astronomy #astrophysics #space #science #environment #pollution

current bullshit levels are 100%

(100%) ■■■■■■■■■■

Oh no. That's all our Apple money gone.

"Failure to take climate action could cost State €13bn, IFAC warns"

https://www.rte.ie/news/2026/0701/1581164-climate-change-cost/

#ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #MastoDaoine

Good morning, July.

https://jam.coop now has a more stream-lined interface for adding tracks to albums. You can select multiple files then reorder and rename them after upload.

#jamcoop #cooperatives

The critical thing to understand about this air conditioning debate is that fossil fuel companies should be held accountable for destroying the planet.