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jwz wrote:

The Mothership Vortex.

Some time ago I hypothesized that all Democratic Senators are using the same text-spam contractor, and wondered whether there was some way to block the entire network. This resulted in many, many replies from people incorrecting me and each other with their zero-information theories.

Well, I was right. They are all using the same contractor. But the reality is even more horrible than you probably imagined.
https://jwz.org/b/ykse

Boosted by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):
chaotin@corteximplant.com ("Alice Atmega :lucybz: :cv_pink:") wrote:

Omg voice memos for mastodon!

▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။|||||၊|။ 0:15

xor@tech.intersects.art ("Parker Higgins") wrote:

also wow, first release since switching over to a git tag-based versioning system + uv and pyproject.toml for project management (i know, i know) + hatchling as a build-backend + PyPI trusted publishing, and this is really, really slick

xor@tech.intersects.art ("Parker Higgins") wrote:

Just shipped a new release for xword-dl, the command line tool to scrape online crossword solvers into local puz files. Headline is fixed support for AmuseLabs embeds, but we've also added the LA Times Mini as a supported outlet https://github.com/thisisparker/xword-dl/releases/tag/v2025.8.4

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

Remember: Sometimes you stand out, but you can still flower where you are.

Boosted by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
grickle@mstdn.social ("Grickle") wrote:

Alienated feelings. #grickledoodle #feelings #horror #aliens #cartoon #drawing #art #funny

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

WE CAN SHOULD MUST AND WILL BLOW UP THE MOON

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/04/nasa-china-space-station-duffy-directives-00492172

Gargron ("Eugen Rochko") wrote:

There is this YouTube channel called Mei Time with really wonderful travel vlogs from Japan. I wish I could visit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50kEuC0Z4Ew

Boosted by adele@social.pollux.casa ("Adële 🌹"):
tryst@imu.li ("trystimuli") wrote:

@adele the generality of the text editor (and unix text processing tools) is very nice, and when working within the current ecosystem i always choose them.

and yet i also find text formats harmful. the vast majority of programming languages, config files, and exchange formats reinforce english-supremacy. different people have different layout preferences - spacing habits, column widths, indentation styles, and in programming naming conventions - why must they compromise on those to collaborate? and those compromises inevitably favor the parties with more power.

so i am intrigued by the possibility of general self-describing binary formats that do not embed privileged perspectives. i suspect a similarly general ecosystem of tools could be built around something with more structure than text (which is, after all, also a binary format), and perhaps be even better.

Boosted by jwz:
loombot@mastodon.replacementhipster.com ("loombot 3000") wrote:

@davidgerard Please don't forget about this wonderful "we demand to be taken seriously" photo from the Google Glass era, feat everyone's favorite fascist

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

Put them on a table right outside the bathroom

https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/ohio-law-to-force-libraries-public-buildings-to-remove-tampons-from-mens-restrooms/J5HT7J7SWNBQ7O6WRZA6RMM6ZA/

https://daytondailynews.com/local/ohio-law-to-force-libraries-public-buildings-to-remove-tampons-from-mens-restrooms/J5HT7J7SWNBQ7O6WRZA6RMM6ZA/

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

Courage in our time

RE: https://www.threads.com/@mrdavehill/post/DM8irF1v6hh

adele@social.pollux.casa ("Adële 🌹") wrote:

Why I prefer human-readable file formats

When I say human-readable file format, I'm referring to text-based files that can be opened, read, and understood without the need for any specific software or proprietary interface. They include formats like Markdown, JSON, YAML, INI, TOML, CSV/TSV and even fixed-width text files where the content and its structure are visible, transparent, and editable in a simple text editor [...]

https://adele.pages.casa/md/blog/why-I-prefer-human-readable-file-formats.md

mattblaze@federate.social ("Matt Blaze") wrote:

Seriously, come to the Voting Village! We’re really excited about the program this year. And we have stickers. And t shirts. Maybe hats, too.

Boosted by mattblaze@federate.social ("Matt Blaze"):
mattblaze@federate.social ("Matt Blaze") wrote:

We can make our elections trustworthy in spite of the inevitable security weaknesses in equipment!

How? By using an architecture that *tolerates* security flaws instead of requiring you to eliminate them. This is called "Software Independence", formalized by Ron Rivest (the R in RSA) about 15 years ago.

Ron is giving a talk at the Voting Village this year.

Software Independence is achieved with something called "Risk Limiting Audits", invented by Philip Stark.

Philip is also giving a talk.

Boosted by mattblaze@federate.social ("Matt Blaze"):
mattblaze@federate.social ("Matt Blaze") wrote:

Anyway, if you're interested in actually learning about this this stuff - which is interesting and important - and you're coming to DEFCON, come join us at the Voting Village!

https://www.mattblaze.org/papers/VV2025-schedule.pdf

Boosted by aral@mastodon.ar.al ("Aral Balkan"):
davidculley@hachyderm.io ("David Culley") wrote:

@aral It seems you can get up to 5 years in prison for denial of the holocaust (WWII).

It's called "Volksverhetzung" (incitement to hatred) in German.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volksverhetzung

I'm not sure if that applies to other genocides.

Boosted by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
jencmars@mastodon.art ("Jen C Mars") wrote:

I hear it's #InternationalOwlAwarenessDay (that's a hashtag and a half...) so please be aware of this owl

Watercolor, gouache and pencil on hotpress paper about 11x16"

#owl #birds #painting #art

Boosted by slightlyoff@toot.cafe ("Alex Russell"):
spaf@mstdn.social wrote:

Boosted by slightlyoff@toot.cafe ("Alex Russell"):
zachleat@zachleat.com ("Zach Leatherman :11ty:") wrote:

I anthropomorphized my pet rock to such a degree that we are now both hallucinating its sentience

Boosted by jwz:
realhackhistory@chaos.social ("[realhackhistory@home]#") wrote:

You can find the full ABC News segment on this #hacker / BBS raid from July of 1985 on Internet Archive now.
#hacking #history
https://archive.org/details/19850717-abc-news

jwz wrote:

If you're in the US, don't expect to ever see a non-stadium live show by a foreign band ever again, for this amongst other, more obvious reasons:
https://apnews.com/article/state-department-visa-bond-d532b186abf6e39c621d1bd0995d7509

Boosted by jwz:
PhineasX@mastodon.art wrote:

Stop fucking with public media

Boosted by jwz:
indivisibleteam ("Indivisible ❌👑") wrote:

This is exactly the kind of energy we need from Democrats on all levels of government. Democratic governors and legislators need to make it clear that if Republicans redraw maps to rig the system, blue states will respond: https://www.bluestatedefiance.org/redistricting?source=mastodon

Attachments:

• video: b0dbf46614e83c2f.mp4

Boosted by jwz:
claytoncubitt.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy ("Clayton Cubitt") wrote:

That "summer cold" you have? It's COVID. You've got COVID. It's a fact and it's still ripping through the world completely unrestrained.

Boosted by jwz:
jef ("Jef Poskanzer") wrote:

Geoerg's Market - Markets Geoerg owns 100 markets and all but this one have misspelled signs. https://www.flickr.com/photos/jef/54699995014/

jwz wrote:

DNA Lounge Update, Wherein I point at the calendar, mostly
https://www.dnalounge.com/backstage/log/2025/08/04.html?utm%5Fsource=sp%5Fma

Boosted by aral@mastodon.ar.al ("Aral Balkan"):
jonGhull@electricrequiem.com ("Jøn Ghùll") wrote:

The singer of #Catharsis, Brian Dingledine, gave this #antifascist speech last year when they played in PitFest which was featuring #neonazi #blackmetal band #Marduk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZFv%5FYqm6Qg&t=1238s&ab%5Fchannel=Pitfest

RE: https://electricrequiem.com/notes/98rcfujll1

Boosted by aral@mastodon.ar.al ("Aral Balkan"):
HarriettMB@beige.party wrote:

Absolutely disgraceful. PSNI pandering to ingorance and hatred. How about educating people instead? If someone doesn’t like an event, no one is holding them by the neck and forcing them to attend. I more than willing to bet the people protesting did not have children listening to the stories.
The PSNI could not have made a worse decision if they tried.
One of NI’s political parties is behind this hate - the #TUV led by MP Jim Allister who sits in House of Commons.
This is the consequence of attacking trans rights; then they come for gay rights, they come for womens rights, and immigrants, and transient people. Until they have come for everyone except white men.
#Pride #HumanRights. #TransRights #Immigrants
Drag queens escorted from Holywood Arches Library by PSNI after protest at children storytelling event | BelfastTelegraph.co.uk https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/row-erupts-as-psni-escort-drag-queens-from-venue-after-protest-at-children-storytelling-event/a174642881.html

Boosted by aral@mastodon.ar.al ("Aral Balkan"):
burnoutqueen@todon.nl ("Jackie 🍉🏳️‍⚧️☭") wrote:

The number of people killed in Gaza by Israel should be zero. Not even a single death in this "war" is justifiable by any means. It was a genocidal rampage for lebensraum from the very start