Mastodon Feed
Boosted by aral@mastodon.ar.al ("Aral Balkan"):
dx@social.ridetrans.it ("🚲") wrote:
Just got contacted by a recruiter for a venture-backed startup looking to replace 911 operators with LLMs to triage emergency calls and boy I can’t express how much A) no I do not want to join your company, and B) how much I do not want to live in the world where 911 calls are handled by LLMs operated by for-profit companies
Mastodon FeedBoosted by aral@mastodon.ar.al ("Aral Balkan"):
OtterForce@zirk.us wrote:
Oh hey, @haymarketbooks is offering free books for a #FreePalestine!
https://haymarketbooks.org/blogs/495-free-ebooks-for-a-free-palestine
#LevePalestina #FromTheRiverToTheSea #BDSMovement #AllEyesOnGaza #GoodReads 🍉🇵🇸
Mastodon FeedBoosted by aral@mastodon.ar.al ("Aral Balkan"):
alfiekohn@sciences.social ("Alfie Kohn") wrote:
Continuous reports of AI's harmful impact serve as reminder that we need to continue using AI, but more responsibly
Mastodon FeedBoosted by aral@mastodon.ar.al ("Aral Balkan"):
jcolag ("John Colagioia") wrote:
The dark history of forced starvation as a weapon of war against Indigenous peoples https://theconversation.com/the-dark-history-of-forced-starvation-as-a-weapon-of-war-against-indigenous-peoples-262564
In 1791, President George Washington ordered Secretary of War Henry Knox to destroy farms and livestock of the Wea Tribe that lived along the Ohio River valley – a fertile area with a long history of growing corn, beans, squash and other fruits and vegetables.
Mastodon FeedBoosted by aral@mastodon.ar.al ("Aral Balkan"):
AlJazeera@flipboard.com ("Al Jazeera") wrote:
In Gaza City, we are saying goodbye
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2025/8/19/in-gaza-city-we-are-saying-goodbye?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypubPosted into Middle East News @middle-east-news-AlJazeera
Mastodon FeedBoosted by aral@mastodon.ar.al ("Aral Balkan"):
markhburton@mstdn.social ("Mark Burton") wrote:
Israel attacks displacement shelters to force Palestinians to southern Gaza | Israel-Palestine conflict News | Al Jazeera
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2025/8/19/israel-targets-displacement-shelters-in-central-gaza?traffic%5Fsource=rss
Mastodon FeedBoosted by aral@mastodon.ar.al ("Aral Balkan"):
franebleu@kolektiva.social wrote:
"We're breaking Gaza apart, leaving it as a pile of rubble, with total unprecedented destruction in the world. And the world still hasn't stopped us."
#Smotrich, asking the world to stop him
https://mastodon.social/@agitprop%5Fn%5Fabsurdity/115056114802396020
Mastodon FeedBoosted by aral@mastodon.ar.al ("Aral Balkan"):
agitprop_n_absurdity ("agitprop & absurdity") wrote:
Israel’s Minister of Finance Beelzebub Smotrich:
"We conquer, cleanse, and stay... On the way, we annihilate everything that still remains.….We're breaking Gaza apart, leaving it as a pile of rubble, total unprecedented destruction."
Mastodon FeedBoosted by aral@mastodon.ar.al ("Aral Balkan"):
Npars01@mstdn.social ("Nicole Parsons") wrote:
Examine the money that funded anti-protest laws.
The fossil fuel industry is bent on a course of replacing democracy with oil oligarchy & fossil fuel funded fascism.
Criminalizing protest is part of their strategy to keep frying the planet.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/26/anti-protest-laws-fossil-fuel-lobby
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/09/anti-protest-bills-trump
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/27/mountain-valley-pipeline-protest
Mastodon Feedfromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:
"Democrat warns US progressives against moving toward the center: ‘It lost me the election’"
If the Dems can't get it done by moving further right, then their corporate donors will settle for Trump's flavor of fascism. In their minds, whatever the cost fascism brings, is pennies compared to a more progressive, socialist government.
So, it's plutocracy (statusquo) or its fascism. Those are their choices. They won't move further left. Ever.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/19/india-walton-interview-progressives-democrats
Mastodon FeedBoosted by aral@mastodon.ar.al ("Aral Balkan"):
ErikUden@mastodon.de ("Erik Uden 🍑") wrote:
We're slowly seeing what leftists always warned about in the UK: all these laws against 'terrorism' are now expanding the definition to be used against every day citizens, from authors being arrested for donating money to activist organizations or hundreds being arrested for protesting a genocide.
It's never just a word, never just a law, and it'll never just affect everyone but you.
Mastodon FeedBoosted by aral@mastodon.ar.al ("Aral Balkan"):
royaards@newsie.social ("Tjeerd Royaards") wrote:
Today's editor's choice on @cartoonmovement, by Spanish cartoonist Saúl Cabanillas Hernández. Despite increasing repression, the voices to stop the genocide grow louder and louder.
Remember you can sign up for our daily cartoon newsletter here: https://cmdailycartoon.substack.com/
Mastodon FeedBoosted by aral@mastodon.ar.al ("Aral Balkan"):
peterjriley2024 ("Peter Riley") wrote:
Plasticine Action is a group of like-minded artists and concerned citizens, who want to be vocal against the rise in AI generated animation and art, and raise awareness of how AI is being used in an increasingly authoritarian manner.
“Plasticine Action” t-shirts fundraiser https://plasticineaction.com/
Medical Aid for Palestinians
https://www.map.org.uk/Police Arrest “Plasticine Action” t-shirt wearing protester
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/18/protester-arrested-wearing-plasticine-action-t-shirt-palestine-gaza-protest
Mastodon FeedBoosted by ChrisWere@toot.wales ("Chris Were ⁂🐧🌱☕"):
chris@video.thepolarbear.co.uk ("Chris Were but on PeerTube") wrote:
Chris learns Vim
Mastodon FeedBoosted by ChrisWere@toot.wales ("Chris Were ⁂🐧🌱☕"):
ChrisWere@toot.wales ("Chris Were ⁂🐧🌱☕") wrote:
I did a new blog post about my new favourite static site generator called blop.
https://chriswere.wales/posts/a-blop-in-the-bucket/
Mastodon FeedBoosted by aral@mastodon.ar.al ("Aral Balkan"):
Aseelsehwel@mas.to ("Aseelsehwel🇵🇸") wrote:
Every Tuesday, I ask for your help to feed my family. We need $500 each week for my family of 6. Every single dollar makes a real difference If you’re unable to donate, please consider sharing — it might reach someone who can help. Thank you so much for your continued kindness and support. Here’s the donation link and our full story 👇
#gaza
100/500$
https://chuffed.org/project/138285-help-sehwel-family-with-their-medical-treatment
Mastodon FeedBoosted by slightlyoff@toot.cafe ("Alex Russell"):
jonny@neuromatch.social ("jonny (good kind)") wrote:
All the LLM tools are like 100 pages of markdown pleading with the model to be a real boy and 100k lines of boilerplate, but it's the 100 lines of handrolled crypto and 100 lines of hardcoded leaking every byte of data that passes through them that really makes them shine
Mastodon Feedmattblaze@federate.social ("Matt Blaze") wrote:
The Lincoln Memorial, an iconic DC tourist attraction, is crowded and bustling year round. But in the middle of the night, when it's empty and quiet, it becomes a very different place. It's solemn and peaceful in a way that takes you by surprise. I lingered longer than I needed to when taking this photo.
Part of my "slightly better versions of the pictures of local attractions than you might find hanging in your hotel room" series.
Mastodon Feedmattblaze@federate.social ("Matt Blaze") wrote:
Captured with the Rodenstock 90mm/5.6 HR Digaron (@ f/7.1) and the PhaseOne IQ4-150 "Achromatic" back. 12mm of vertical shift kept the geometry in line. The sharp lens and achromatic back reveal a lot of detail zoomed in at full resolution (full res is downloadable on flickr).
This is a very simple composition, the frame filled with the Memorial from roughly the perspective shown on the $5 bill. The National Parks Service does a superb job lighting the site.
Mastodon Feedmattblaze@federate.social ("Matt Blaze") wrote:
Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC, 2020.
All the pixels, open 24 hours a day, at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattblaze/50402933763/
Mastodon Feedchipotle@mstdn.social ("Watts Martin") wrote:
I’m still very slowly poking at a SwiftUI-based creative writing app, learning Swift as I go, but the more I see people talking about macOS SwiftUI problems, Liquid Glass bugs, etc., the louder the little voice saying “are you sure Electron is so bad” gets
Mastodon FeedmacOS warning me about Docker like it hasn't let me run Electron apps unchecked for years. 😂
Can't wait for it to find out what I've been doing with brew install --cask.
Mastodon FeedGargron ("Eugen Rochko") wrote:
Their numbers grow… Because I receive the batch production samples for quality control. #Plushtodon
Mastodon Feedjscalzi@threads.net ("John Scalzi") wrote:
Hey! I have two - yes! two! - books out today, being the new trade paperback versions of The Human Division and The End of All Things. This completes the repackaging of the first six books of the OMW series, with new covers and intros by me, ahead of The Shattering Peace coming out next month.
Mastodon FeedBoosted by aral@mastodon.ar.al ("Aral Balkan"):
Aseelsehwel@mas.to ("Aseelsehwel🇵🇸") wrote:
Every Tuesday, I ask for your help to feed my family. We need $500 each week for my family of 6. Every single dollar makes a real difference If you’re unable to donate, please consider sharing — it might reach someone who can help. Thank you so much for your continued kindness and support. Here’s the donation link and our full story 👇
#gaza
100/500$
https://chuffed.org/project/138285-help-sehwel-family-with-their-medical-treatment
Mastodon FeedBoosted by aral@mastodon.ar.al ("Aral Balkan"):
Aseelsehwel@mas.to ("Aseelsehwel🇵🇸") wrote:
Today is Tuesday, and every week on this day I try to raise donations to feed my family for a whole week. I swear to you that I am unable to do so today, after a night I couldn’t sleep because of the bombing, filled with anxiety and fear.
#gaza @palestine
Mastodon FeedBoosted by aral@mastodon.ar.al ("Aral Balkan"):
Aseelsehwel@mas.to ("Aseelsehwel🇵🇸") wrote:
It was a very harsh and bloody night, and its hell hasn’t stopped until now.
Mastodon Feedaral@mastodon.ar.al ("Aral Balkan") wrote:
I don’t understand why we must spend billions of dollars and waste so much water for AI.
I just created an “AI-generated image” from the original using a few dabs of the retouch tool in the Photos app.
Might have taken a sip of water afterwards but that was it.
(Is there a word/phrase for taking a regular image and making it look like it was AI generated? There should be.)
Mastodon FeedBoosted by aral@mastodon.ar.al ("Aral Balkan"):
clarinette@mastodon.online ("Datarainbow Privacy Assistant✅") wrote:
@aral @Aseelsehwel it’s a terrible genocide https://x.com/suppressednws/status/1957277313403343077?s=46
Mastodon FeedBoosted by aral@mastodon.ar.al ("Aral Balkan"):
Aseelsehwel@mas.to ("Aseelsehwel🇵🇸") wrote:
@esoteric_programmer @aral
The sound of gunfire from the quadcopter, the sniper, the crane, and also the tank’s machine gun — all happening at the same moment — is the reason the sound is unclear.