Mastodon Feed: Posts

adam@social.lol ("Adam Newbold :usa_distress:") wrote:

Fuck you, Mr. Milchick. #Severance

Boosted by adam@social.lol ("Adam Newbold :usa_distress:"):
bw@social.lol ("Blake Watson :prami:") wrote:

I’m getting worried about my ability to physically use a mouse. I use some cool voice control tools but they make me speak like a computer. I’m increasingly tired of computers not “getting me.”

https://blakewatson.com/journal/my-computer-treats-me-like-a-computer/

jscalzi@threads.net ("John Scalzi") wrote:

Hey, Ohio: Vaccinate your fucking kids

https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/ohio-reports-its-first-measles-case-of-the-year/2N2ES7UBJNAU5ISKFODCN4XSEM/

pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:

I'm hauling my palps out of octodon.social and moving to @pzmyers@freethought.online. I'll see you there!

Boosted by pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑"):
fkamiah17@syzito.xyz ("MiniMia 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🇵🇸") wrote:

The (Jewish) President of Mexico, Claudia Scheinbaum - who has an 80% approval rating - welcomed the Palestinian Ambassador and recognised the Palestinian state yesterday ✊ 🇵🇸

#FreePalestine

jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:

ouch, now seems a really foolish time for a tuition increase. I think the RIT Board is iut of touch on this one ☹️

graduate education will be particularly hurt… the pool of potential students is further reduced through such a large increase. this is neither good for RIT nor good for the community.

https://www.reddit.com/r/rit/s/TCwf2hy5rC

Boosted by jwz:
violetblue ("Violet Blue") wrote:

New by me: US measles updates, a bad bird flu development, #LongCovid cost to US $2-6.5 billion annually, 3 vaccine doses cut Long Covid risk over 60%, Australia: 1 in 5 have Long Covid, Ensitrelvir prevents Covid after exposure (!!!), cat photos to delight you, more

https://www.patreon.com/posts/covid-march-20-124753023

Boosted by isagalaev ("Ivan Sagalaev :flag_wbw:"):
QasimRashid ("Qasim Rashid, Esq.") wrote:

Wow. Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum officially recognizes Palestine as a state. Here she welcomes Palestinian ambassador Nadya Rasheed.

Sheinbaum is Jewish, supports Palestinian self-determination, & unapologetically condemns Netanyahu's attacks on Gaza.

Historic & inspiring leadership. ❤️✊🏽

Boosted by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
CdnCurmudgeon ("Canadian Curmudgeon") wrote:

https://charlieangus.substack.com/p/niemoller-and-the-dangerous-state
In January, the US Travel Association tried to warn Donald Trump to tone down the rhetoric about Canada as an enemy threat because American industry is heavily dependent on Canadian tourism dollars. They reported that even a 10% reduction in Canadian visits to states like Florida and Arizona would cost the travel industry $2.1 billion in lost revenue and 140,000 lost hospitality jobs. #cdnpoli

Boosted by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
wendysiegelman ("Wendy Siegelman") wrote:

FBI agent who accused agency of political bias arrested at New York airport

Johnathan Buma, who said concerns about Rudy Giuliani were ignored, charged with disclosing classified info

Feds allege Buma printed 130 files in Oct 2023 before going on leave

#JonathanBuma #Giuliani #FBI

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/20/fbi-agent-arrested-new-york

Boosted by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
AaronDavid@beige.party wrote:

If you follow me, you have a sense of humour. If you're reading this, you're a reader. I’ve put this story online, free, gratis and for nothing, it's a twelve minute read. If you like it, maybe you’ll be curious enough to risk 99p for one of my short story collections. Maybe you’ll be smart enough to save some money by buying a compilation. Maybe you’ll be brave enough to buy my novel. Whatever happens, I hope you enjoy ‘Vincent'. http://aarondavid.co.uk/Vincent.html #freeread #shortstory #funny #pleaseboost

Boosted by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
ben@werd.social ("Ben Werdmuller") wrote:

Divide I've noticed: people who have never experienced systemic oppression in their own or their family's lives are treating this like business as usual. Those who have family memories of camps, unjust incarceration, or are part of vulnerable communities, are freaking out. Listen to the latter.

Boosted by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
briankrebs@infosec.exchange ("BrianKrebs") wrote:

Somehow I missed this Feb. 5 letter from Public Citizen to the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section, asking why President Trump is soliciting gifts in violation of 18 U.S.C. 201. Hard to argue with the conclusions that it is a violation. But I'd be surprised if this DOJ office still exists.

"Dear Officers,

We ask you to investigate whether President Donald J. Trump has violated 18 U.S.C. § 201, as implemented in 5 C.F.R. §2635, barring the president from soliciting gifts.

Federal law strictly regulates payments to government officials, including gifts. Although the president may receive gifts, he may not “solicit” gifts. These prohibitions begin with the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause and are reiterated in the anti-bribery statute, 18 U.S.C. § 201, and federal regulations, 5 C.F.R. § 2635. Although section 2635.205 lists several exemptions from the prohibition, none exempts soliciting purchases for personal gain.

As the Congressional Research Service has explained:

Under these regulations, the President is expressly exempt from the broad restrictions on receiving or accepting gifts from prohibited sources or gifts given because of his official position, and thus may accept gifts from the general public, even from “prohibited sources,” or gifts given because of his official position, as long as the President does not “solicit or coerce” the offering of gifts from such sources, nor accept a gift in return for an official act. [Emphasis added.]

President Trump’s promotion of a Trump meme appears to violate this prohibition. In a January 17 tweet, also apparently retweeted after January 20, Trump stated: “My NEW Official Trump Meme is HERE! It’s time to celebrate everything we stand for: WINNING! Join my very special Trump Community. GET YOUR $TRUMP NOW. Go to http://gettrumpmemes.com — Have Fun!” On Truth Social, he posted the same content, on January 21, at 6:19 PM.

Trump is the principal owner of the Trump Meme. The website explains that the memes are largely (80 percent) owned by CIC Digital LLC, “an affiliate of The Trump Organization.” CIC Digital is 100% owned by the Donald J Trump Revocable Trust. Donald Trump is the “sole beneficiary” of the revocable trust. Under the question on the website: “Is this an official Trump product?” the website answers: “Yes, this is the only Official Trump Meme, by President Donald J. Trump.”

As to why the public might be interested in sending money, the website explains: “On July 13, 2024, President Trump faced death and came up fighting! With his fist in the air and the iconic battle cry FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT, President Trump showed the world what a LEADER is made of. His strength and courage ignited a movement becoming the most memorable meme of the century. Now, you can get your piece of history. This Trump Meme celebrates a leader who doesn’t back down, no matter the odds. Join the Trump Community – we’re all about fighting for what matters. “Under the Trump meme website’s question, “What is a meme?” the website explains: “Merriam-Webster’s meme noun: 1: an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture.”

The website states that “Trump Memes . . . are not intended to be, or to be the subject of, an investment opportunity, investment contract, or security of any type.”

Accordingly, a person sending money for a Trump meme is not purchasing a tangible product. Instead, the person receives only a digital receipt (in a blockchain), which is similar to a donor sending a check and receiving digital confirmation that the check was received.

Beyond Trump’s own declaration that the Trump meme is not an investment, other cryptocurrency observers deride memes generally as without value. Former aide Anthony Scaramucci said Trump’s effort demeans broader cryptocurrency efforts, calling it “Idi Amin level corruption.” Another commenter said that the Trump meme “is effectively a ‘for sale’ sign on the White House.” Some, including an author in the Washington Post, characterized this token as a “sh—coin.”

In short, it appears Trump is not soliciting money in exchange for an investment or tangible product (such as a Bible, sports shoes, or a guitar), but soliciting money in exchange for nothing—that is, asking for a gift that will benefit him personally.

Beyond the issue of solicitation, the Constitution (Article 1, Section 9) forbids accepting money (specifically a “present” or “emolument”) or anything of value from any “king, prince, or foreign state.” Because of the nature of a cryptocurrency exchange, it is difficult to know whether foreign state actors are gifting the president by way of purchasing a Trump meme. We urge you to investigate this issue, as well."

https://www.citizen.org/article/doj-oge-must-investigate-potential-violation-of-federal-law-barring-gift-solicitation/

jscalzi@threads.net ("John Scalzi") wrote:

I have no doubt Meta's lawyers and accountants figured it would be cheaper to pay any potential fine than it would be to license the works (and yes, my work is in there, across several languages).

RE: https://www.threads.net/@theatlantic/post/DHbA1p6OHlW

slightlyoff@toot.cafe ("Alex Russell") wrote:

On reflection, I'm still not over Google Talk removing XMPP interop. Created the whole permission structure for today's busted social media landscape.

jscalzi@threads.net ("John Scalzi") wrote:

This fellow introduced a bill to make "Trump Derangement Syndrome" an "official" mental illness, but then experienced a minor problem bringing the bill to the floor

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/03/20/minnesota-sen-eichorn-could-be-ousted-over-solicitation-of-minor-arrest

jscalzi@threads.net ("John Scalzi") wrote:

If it doesn't have competitors sucked into a chocolate-filled tube or turned into a blueberry or carried away by quality control squirrels, it'll be bullshit

RE: https://www.threads.net/@hollywoodreporter/post/DHbjLKpOaMW

Boosted by jwz:
inthehands@hachyderm.io ("Paul Cantrell") wrote:

I have, much to my dismay, learned enough about stock trading to explain how to bet against Tesla as an individual, with your own money. Doing this can put downward pressure on Tesla’s stock price and hurt the company. (And if, like me, you’re betting that Tesla is grossly overvalued and #TeslaTakedown will hit it hard, then this might actually make you money — but don’t count on that!)

I’ll share what I’ve learned in a thread here. I hope it helps others, and I hope people with actual expertise will correct me if I say anything wrong.

1/

pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:

Stop being so predictable, Republicans!

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2025/03/20/egregiously-predictable/

Boosted by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
docdieterlen@urbanists.social ("Definitely Doc D") wrote:

New green battery tech - from red state Alabama

Doesn't require cooling, a big downside of lithium ion batteries.
Also cheaper to produce.

From inventor of Super Soaker.
He's also Tuskegee Institute engineer involved with stealth bomber, bunch of other stuff.

Cannot make this stuff up!

#battery #EV #storage #cleanenergy #electrification #innovation #Alabama #climatechange #climatehope

https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2025/03/visionary-alabama-inventor-lonnie-johnson-may-have-the-gamechanger-in-battery-technology.html

jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:

slightly more than 12 months ago, this was the test that ended up becoming Argh Studios Storyteller today https://arghstudios.com

cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen") wrote:

Startled the crud out of me when it started. 😆

Boosted by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
tfiebig@wybt.net ("Tobias Fiebig") wrote:

https://boycott-ietf127.org/

cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen") wrote:

Bloodywood's got a listening party starting soon for their recent album "Nu Delhi" if you're into that kind of thing and maybe need a break or distraction from the... uh... Well, you know.

https://bloodywood.bandcamp.com/live/nu-delhi-listening-party

Boosted by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
abraxas3d@defcon.social ("Abraxas3d") wrote:

He likes to sun himself on the very warm coffee machine too.

Anything warm, "yes please". Here he's got double happiness, from strong morning light and magic bean juice extractor heat.

He is a Chestnut eared aracari named Steve.

Boosted by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
roy@yoroy.eu ("Roy") wrote:

Needed this reminder myself today.
_
#letterpress #printmaking #poster

Boosted by jwz:
heidilifeldman ("Heidi Li Feldman") wrote:

Watch the clip of a town hall with a Republican Representative in a deep red part of Wyoming. You’ll be glad you did. https://bsky.app/profile/cwebbonline.com/post/3lksnak2afs2t

Boosted by jwz:
RadicalGraffiti@todon.eu ("Radical Graffiti") wrote:

Sticker spotted in Capitol Hill, Seattle

Boosted by jwz:
mathowie@xoxo.zone ("Matthew Haughey") wrote:

Columbia university could stand up for their students and professors as the Trump admin plays high-stakes chicken with them. Yes, they’d lose $400M in federal funds if they refused to make broad terrible changes.

But they have $14B in the bank.

If they roll over for Trump, they made a choice.

Boosted by jwz:
RadicalGraffiti@todon.eu ("Radical Graffiti") wrote:

"This machine funds fascists"
Pasteup spotted in Sebastopol, California, USA