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Boosted by baldur@toot.cafe ("Baldur Bjarnason"):
emilymbender@dair-community.social ("Prof. Emily M. Bender(she/her)") wrote:

AI is good for … democracy?

@alex and I think not. But of course the hypemongers would try this angle too giving us great fodder for the next Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000 livestream:

Monday, December 1, noon Pacific
https://twitch.tv/dair%5Finstitute

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baldur@toot.cafe ("Baldur Bjarnason") wrote:

Here are a few experiments in black and white, all taken in the area around a dilapidated summer cabin #iceland #blackandwhite

The chimney of the summer cabin and it's mossy roof
The shadow of the photographer over a steam plume.
Over the ruined wall of a greenhouse, we see the summer cabin.
The sun shines through a row of incredibly straight trees

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baldur@toot.cafe ("Baldur Bjarnason") wrote:

The area around the town, Hveragerði, has a distinct aesthetic when it's still and cold and the geothermal steam sits over the landscape #iceland #landscape #nature

Two people meet while out on a walk through a field with steam plumes on either side.
Steam covers grass and encrusts them with a bit of ice
Steam wafts up between the trees. The grass looks almost white in the cold

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

Today in History: George Harrison dies at 13:30 in L.A., 2001

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

Today in History: Giacomo Puccini dies due to throat cancer in Brussels, Belgium, 1924

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

Today in History: Erich Korngold dies in Hollywood, 1957

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

Today in History: Pau Casals born in Vendrell, Catalonia, 1876

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

Today in History: John Mayall born in Cheshire, England, 1933

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Boosted by ChrisWere@toot.wales ("Chris Were ⁂🐧🌱☕"):
LesleyPhillipsArt@toot.wales ("Lesley Phillips art") wrote:

Thanks to everyone for the likes and shares Diolch yn fawr iawn

Trefdraeth, Sir Benfro

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Boosted by ChrisWere@toot.wales ("Chris Were ⁂🐧🌱☕"):
DocAtCDI wrote:

A thief tried to steal the paintings at the Louvre in Paris. He was caught two blocks away when he ran out of gas. He said: I had no Monet to buy Degas to make the Van Gogh. But I tried because I had nothing Toulouse.

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Boosted by taral ("JP Sugarbroad"):
MorpheusB@aus.social ("Morpheus Being") wrote:

#Joke #Humour

I had a call from a scammer the other day

Me: “Hello.”

NOT-Microsoft support: “Hello. This is Bob Bobson from Microsoft Support. We are seeing a lot of virus activity from your device.”

Me: “Oh no. My device? Are you sure?”

NOT-Microsoft support: “Oh yes, we have many reports.”

Me: “Oh jeez. How can I fix it?”>;
NOT-Microsoft support: “It’s OK sir. We can help you right now. Are you in front of your device sir?”

Me: “Yes. I was just about to use it. I’m glad you called.”

NOT-Microsoft support: “Yes sir, we are going to help you. Can you please push the Start button?”

Me: “I think it's already on.”

NOT-Microsoft support: “Okay, sir. Now you want to click on Control Panel.”

Me: “I don’t see that.”

NOT-Microsoft support: “Do you see a bunch of information above the Start button?”

Me: “Yes.”

NOT-Microsoft support: “That is your Control Panel.”

Me: “Wow, I didn’t realize it had a name.”

NOT-Microsoft support: “Yes sir, now press on Internet Options.”

Me: “Yeah, I definitely don’t see any Internet options. I don’t think I purchased that feature. This is just a cheap one.”

NOT-Microsoft support: “They all have the Internet sir. Press the Start button again.”

Me: “OK, it’s the same as before.”

NOT-Microsoft support: “That’s OK sir. We are going to restart your device. Can you please turn it off?”

Me: “Ummm…I don’t know how. I’ve never turned it off. Since I bought it, it just kind of stays on all the time.”

NOT-Microsoft support: “There must be an off button on your device. How do you stop it when it’s running?”

Me: “In those cases, I usually press the big button.”

NOT-Microsoft support: “OK sir. Please press that button.”

Me: “Ok.”

NOT-Microsoft support: “Is your device off?”

Me: “No. The door popped open.”

NOT-Microsoft support: “Door? Is there a disc inside the door?”

Me: “No, there’s a burrito.”

NOT-Microsoft support: “Why is there a burrito in your computer?”

Me: “Computer? I thought you said this was microwave support.”

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Boosted by taral ("JP Sugarbroad"):
davidrevoy@framapiaf.org ("David Revoy") wrote:

The Correct Incantation

#webcomic #krita #miniFantasyTheater

A comic in four panels: Panel 1. The gothic sorceress, dressed in dark, flowing robes, stands in the middle of a desolated land. She gazes at the colorful mechanical parrot flying near her shoulder: the Avian Intelligent Parrot. The sorceress asks with a hint of curiosity. > Gothic sorceress: "Hey, Avian Intelligence, what's the incantation for summoning a fireball?" > AI Parrot: ":sparkle emoji: The correct incantation for a fireball is "IgnisMe"." Panel 2. The gothic sorceress cracks a wicked smile, her eyes shining with anticipation as she raises her hands in front of her, fingers spread and ready to cast. > Gothic sorceress: "Alright, let's give it a shot... IgnisMe!" Panel 2(small insert in previous panel). Only the eyes of the gothic sorceress are visible in a large flame. > Gothic sorceress: "?!!" Panel 3. The gothic sorceress is burnt, her face contorted in a mix of shock, anger, and pain. Flames and smoke dance around her, her dark robes burnt and tattered, revealing exposed parts of her anatomy. > Gothic sorceress: "You #*$%@& bird! You gave me a self-immolation spell instead of a fireball spell!" Panel 4. As the sorceress facepalms, the Avian Intelligent parrot replies with stoicism. > AI Parrot: ":sparkle emoji: You're absolutely right! The correct incantation for a fireball is "PyroBolus"."

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Boosted by jwz:
adwright ("TheWholeTruthXX 🎨 ❤️ 🍁 🛡️") wrote:

So back in 1944, a German U-Boat Commander named Heinz-Wilhelm Eck did exactly what US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth ordered US military forces to do - kill the survivors of a destroyed boat at sea.

Now, as then, this is considered a War Crime.

In 1945, Commander Eck was tried, found guilty with his own logs condemning him and executed by firing squad by the Allies.

USA, this is where you are now.

Doing literal war crimes every nation condemned the Nazis for.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinz-Wilhelm%5FEck

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

Commanders specifically ordered Navy SEALs to fire on and kill two survivors of (alleged) drug boat sinking in September. "The order was to kill everybody".

Analyzing this as an unlawful order or as homicide or as a war crime is, of course, necessary, but at the same time it seems morally inadequate. It's a revolting, shameful stain on our country.

https://wapo.st/49KbUJ1 [gift link]

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

I love walking with our neighbor

extreme closeup view of large curly blonde dog head staring directly into the camera

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

technology, economics, and identity… when all three go through a period of rapid change at the same time, revolutionary shifts & backlashes seem to happen

(reading Zakaria’s latest book)

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

Y'all, I spend a few weeks every year in the data about global networks, devices, and (web) content,[1] and my eyebrows may never return to their previous position after encountering the "device hoarding" discourse.

The deep, abiding immorality of the anti-right-to-repair/pro-e-waste contingent has never been so nakedly transparent, and yet so seemingly ascendant. Burn it with fire.

[1]: https://infrequently.org/series/performance-inequality/

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Boosted by slightlyoff@toot.cafe ("Alex Russell"):
georgetakei@universeodon.com ("George Takei :verified: 🏳️‍🌈🖖🏽") wrote:

Young people in the U.S. have been priced out of their dreams. Stop acting like it’s their fault.

Screenshot of a tweet from Cory Archibald on X.com criticizing claims that young people are “hoarding” devices. The tweet says Boomers spent years telling young people to save money, and now blame them for not buying $1500 phones and for “costing the economy” by living at home. Below is a tweet from unusual_whales stating that $12 billion a year is being lost because younger people spend less on housing, transportation, and food due to living with family.

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Boosted by slightlyoff@toot.cafe ("Alex Russell"):
maxleibman@beige.party ("Max Leibman") wrote:

What quiet quitting and device hoarding have in common—besides being lies—is the worldview of people who believe in, worry about, and report on them.

The premise of quiet quitting and device hoarding alike is that you owe everything to your corporate masters. That giving less than everything to your job is "quitting," that spending less than every dime in your bank account is sabotaging the economy.

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Boosted by slightlyoff@toot.cafe ("Alex Russell"):
cstross@wandering.shop ("Charlie Stross") wrote:

Stanford Institute report on the economic impact of Brexit:

https://siepr.stanford.edu/publications/working-paper/economic-impact-brexit

It reduced UK GDP by 8%, investment by 18%, employment by 4%, and productivity by 4%. Also reduced Treasury tax revenue by £40-80Bn/year.

(Note that this is NOT a UK think tank but a US one so more likely to be ideologically in favour of Brexit as a starting point.)

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Boosted by slightlyoff@toot.cafe ("Alex Russell"):
waldo.net@bsky.brid.gy ("Waldo Jaquith") wrote:

When you’re extremely concerned about drugs coming from Central and South America.

Trump Announces Pardon for Hon...

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Boosted by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
BBC@c.im ("BBC News") wrote:

#BBC Trump says he will pardon ex-Honduras president convicted of drug trafficking https://w.st/JJpP

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

I can hear the sleet smashing against the house in the wind. f*ck Winter, with a pitchfork.

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Boosted by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
samlitzinger@journa.host ("Sam Litzinger") wrote:

College freshman is deported flying home for Thanksgiving surprise, despite court order

https://apnews.com/article/babson-student-deported-thanksgiving-467393d8d9b9ae6351f99de7b9cbfb98

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Boosted by ChrisWere@toot.wales ("Chris Were ⁂🐧🌱☕"):
LesleyPhillipsArt@toot.wales ("Lesley Phillips art") wrote:

Castell Coch

Castell Coch

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

Writing JavaScript for the first time in a while after doing exclusively Rust for months. It feels like moving from navigating a Virginia-class submarine with every conceivable technological aid and guardrail to sailing an inflatable pool raft across the ocean with a map on the back of a bar napkin.

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Boosted by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
N4JAW@mastodon.radio ("Jim "Ham on a Bike"") wrote:

I'm ready for some cold weather #hamradio #amateurradio #pota #parksontheair #morsecode CW #qrp #qrpradio activations in spite of #solarcycle25 #coronalholes creating increased levels of #solarwinds


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Boosted by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io ("mekka okereke :verified:") wrote:

The existence of leftover pie from Thursday, does not invalidate the need to bake more pies on Friday.

- ancient proverb, probably.

I'll do it again! Goofy meme with three pies below.

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Boosted by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
jockr ("Jock Rutherford 🌻🥥🌴") wrote:

'Made-up quote' in Canadian satire site The Beaverton fools Time Magazine | CBC News

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/beaverton-dupes-time-hoekstra-9.6996328

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Boosted by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
CarveHerName@mstdn.social wrote:

#OnThisDay, 28 Nov 1967, Jocelyn Bell Burnell discovers the existence of pulsars.

Not included in the 1974 Nobel prize for the discovery, Bell received a £3m prize for her work in 2018. She's used it to set up a foundation to improve the diversity in STEM.

#WomenInHistory #OTD #History #WomensHistory #WomenInSTEM #Histodons

Jocelyn Bell Burnell in the 1960s, in front of a radio telescope. she is a white woman with dark hair, wearing a sensible duffle coat given how cold it must have been out there.
Jocelyn Bell Burnell in the 2010s. She is a white woman with dark grey hair.