I used to marvel at the observational powers of some writers. To a great extent I still do. I am, somewhat unwillingly beginning to understand that this comes with the craft. I will offer an example.
Pre-writing me: Hey, look, they have a battery charger plugged into that power bar.
Writing me: A battery charger in their power bar. Interesting. I wonder why they chose this location. Did the charger come first and then get moved to accommodate the power bar? Is this a location central to what they use the batteries for? There's a little dust on the charger. Has the intended use been abandoned? Was there a project that needed rechargeable batteries that has now been left to rot? How did the success or failure of that project affect these people? Did it cause a conflict and if so was it resolved? And OMG stop already!
While this is undeniably useful for crafting a story, I am beginning to think this skill might be as much a curse as a blessing.
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Last month, during #ElonMuskβs appearance at CPAC, as he hoisted a #chainsaw in the air, stumbled over some of his words, & questioned whether there was really gold stored in Fort Knox, people on his social-media platformβ¦started posting about #ketamine.
#Musk has said he uses ketamine regularly, so for the past couple of years, public speculation has persisted about how much he takes, whether heβs currently high, or how it might affect his behavior.
#USpol #DOGE #Trump
theatlantic.com/health/archiveβ¦
What Ketamine Does to the Human Brain
Excessive use of the drug can make anyone feel like they rule the world.Shayla Love (The Atlantic)
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The WSJ has reported that #Musk also takes the drug recreationally, & in 2023, Ronan Farrow reported in The New Yorker that Muskβs βassociatesβ worried that #ketamine, βalongside his isolation & his increasingly embattled relationship with the press, might contribute to his tendency to make chaotic & impulsive statements & decisions.β
Excessive use of the drug can make anyone feel like they rule the world.
[it is also used in small doses under controlled conditions as a treatment for chronic MDD]
#Musk #Trump #DOGE #USpol
Tomorrow we're all supposed to start a week-long boycott of Amazon. If everyone does that, my monthly income will be cut by a quarter. I can deal with that if it helps teach the billionaires a lesson.
But if you want to buy one of my medieval mystery novels, do it today, okay?
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Perhaps this measure will help many US citizens to realize what evil villain they have handed their country over to.
If they voted for Trump they are likely on Meta, not Fedi, and sadly they probably approve of such actions.
I personally find it appalling. Though, I did not vote for Trump nor did I hand anything over to him or his administration. Unfortunately, I am bound by law to tolerate his actions for the next four years despite my objects. I can only make legal protests against such actions.
Rogue Project Friendica Instance Terms Of Services (TOS) & Rules
I have updated the Terms Of Services and Rules of Rogue Project's Friendica Instance.
Please keep in mind , if you use this Instance, that it is your responsibility to keep up with updates. I will however post when I do make any updates. You can find the TOS & Rules on the main menu of this Instance.
So it turns out the geniuses over at Bluesky trust the client app to fetch, and honestly report, webpage metadata for preview cards, so with a little tinkering in the debug tools you can post whatever news stories you like and they look exactly the same as real ones.
bsky.app/profile/andrewt.net/pβ¦
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tbf that's somewhat minor?
I mean that client is just sending arbitrary posts as well and you could just send wrong URLs that don't fit the text.
idk why you would ever do it that way, but i've seen worse.
- Mark Zuckerberg (3%, 5 votes)
- Mr Beast (8%, 13 votes)
- Davros (26%, 43 votes)
- Chappell Roan (62%, 102 votes)
Well Roan is the clear favourite, but electing a pope requires a two-thirds majority, which she didn't quite get, so it's black smoke this time.
bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-9β¦
The new pope should be:
How the next Pope is chosen - BBC News
The secret conclave that will determine the new Catholic leader and what happens nextBBC News
- Chappell Roan (20%, 69 votes)
- John Mastodon (8%, 30 votes)
- Luigi Mangione (43%, 148 votes)
- Michael Caine and all the cardinals are Muppets (26%, 91 votes)
BLACK SMOKE! We vote again!
The new pope should be:
- Luigi Mangione (49%, 96 votes)
- 10,000 bees in a cassock (27%, 53 votes)
- Tom Holland (as Rihanna) (17%, 34 votes)
- ChatGPT (6%, 12 votes)
BLACK SMOKE! We vote again!
The new pope should be:
- Luigi Mangione (66%, 177 votes)
- John Locke (philosopher) (4%, 11 votes)
- John Locke (Lost character) (9%, 26 votes)
- Johnlock (BBC Sherlock fan ship) (19%, 51 votes)
WHITE SMOKE! We have a two-thirds majority and Luigi Mangione is elected pope! The Times is already covering it over on Bluesky
bsky.app/profile/andrewt.net/pβ¦
I just figured out the ending of one of my WIPs. Of course, that just means I have another 50k words to write to complete the novel. I may actually have some backing to let me complete that, too. It feels weird that I'm completing a novel that happens in the middle of my timeline, instead of providing a proper starting point for readers, but then I suppose that it really doesn't matter as I have no idea how the beginning gets to this middle point, specifically. I mean, I do, but there are significant gaps that need to be filled in before I can consider the starting novel a complete work. And before all that, I have to figure out how to get published.
#WordWeavers
#WritersCoffeeClub
#TimeTravelAuthors
#PennedPossibilities
#EngenderedWriting
I recommend Kindle Direct Publishing. It is a great way for Indie Writers to get their work out there.
like this
The memo still hasnβt made it to everyone about the systemic function of the #TeslaTakedown protests. I still keep getting well-meaning quesitons like the one below from @tymwol.
The purpose is β’notβ’ just to register symbolic discontent. The purpose is β’notβ’ just to take individual action that directly harms Musk.
The purpose is to tank demand for Teslaβs product, and thus tank their stock price. This is Muskβs biggest vulnerability, Smaugβs exposed belly.
1/ hachyderm.io/@tymwol/114111199β¦
Timothy Wolodzko (@tymwol@hachyderm.io)
@inthehands yeah, but I donβt think that it hurts Elon if you buy a car from him and destroy it. You paid for it, so itβs yours. Itβs like burning your books to protest against Amazon.Hachyderm.io
- Make the Tesla brand a PRACTICAL LIABILITY: maybe you donβt feel bad about buying one, butβ¦people vandalize them, and so many people are getting rid of them that the resale value is going to be crap for a long time. Owning one is a headache, and youβre going to lose a lot of money on it.
(I get a lot of replies to the effect of βHow does it hurt Musk to get rid of a car you already bought??β Get your systems thinking hat on! A supply glut in the used market both creates downward price pressure on new cars β’andβ’ changes peopleβs financial expectations when buying a new one.)
4/
- Make the Tesla brand FRIGHTENING: They surveil you. They trap you inside. They burn people alive on a regular basis. Theyβre extremely vulnerable to hacking, even more than other modern cars with OTA software updates. One of these days, some hacker is going to make every Tesla in the country drive through its garage doorβ¦or worse. Driving a Tesla puts you in danger.
(This isnβt just logical; itβs visceral. Bombard people with images of Teslas vandalized, smashed, on fire. Make it a Pavlovian reaction: Tesla = danger, chaos, destruction.)
5/
Quick checklist for #TeslaTakedown action:
- Does it make Teslas socially toxic?
- Does it make Tesla a practical liability?
- Does it make Teslas feel dangerous?
Any or all = good.
Do not underestimate the power of brand death over consumers and investors. The brand is already associated with fascism. Amplify that. Judo it. Take them town.
Search for a local event here: teslatakedown.com
/end
Tesla Takedown | Take action at Tesla showrooms everywhere.
The stakes couldnβt be higher. No one is coming to save usβnot politicians, not the media.Tesla Takedown
Im profoundly disturbed that a Macalester professor who teaches young people would encourage this behavior.
abcnews.go.com/US/tesla-vehiclβ¦
Tesla vehicles vandalized across US since Elon Musk began White House role
The company's stock has tumbled nearly 48% this year.Megan Forrester (ABC News)
@rob
You're still at it?! I had you on timed mute, but I can tell you're going to be permanently obnoxious β endless heckling replies that didn't really understand what you read, responding to something you have in your head from someone else β so Iβll be blocking you permanently shortly.
But before I do, just for the record, this thread contains my actual position on vandalizing Tesla β not the one you've imagined, but my actual position:
hachyderm.io/@inthehands/11409β¦
Bye, Rob.
Paul Cantrell (@inthehands@hachyderm.io)
I always get a little trickle of replies to these posts along the lines of βanyone who purchased a Tesla is stupid / has infinite money / deserves to be harmed / screw them all,β and I feel your anger, butβ¦justβ¦lookβ¦ 1/5Hachyderm.io
> They burn people alive on a regular basis.
They also poison people around with hydrogen fluoride when they burn. This is why using fire to vandalize them is a horrifying idea.
Yes this also implies that if they catch fire in one's garage for no reason whatsoever, one can *still* end-up with crippling long-term problems from the fumes.
Those things should never have been allowed in residential or public areas.
@lispi314
Iβm not thrilled about vehicle fires either β theyβre dangerous, wasteful, and (as you say) toxic β but Iβm also mindful of the context here. Weβre fighting a group of fascists attempting to end democracy. The potential social and environmental damage of β’thatβ’, the sheer quantity of suffering, is so many orders of magnitude larger than a few dozen vehicle firesβ¦well, not saying it makes vehicle fires OK or harmless, but I want to make sure that Iβm responding to these two things in a way that is proportional to the harm and keeps the larger context in mind.
Likeβ¦imagine somebody set a Nazi truck on fire in Germany in 1934. How would we feel about that in hindsight? Is the (very real) air pollution what would stand out to us?
Maybe youβre on the same page about all that already. I just feel like it needs saying.
ImageMagick
One of the most frequent issues with my Friendica instance is that the scripts using php-imagick are not handling exceptions. This is not a huge issue though it is an example of how a lot of the code base, in my opinion, is rushed and loosely implemented. I decided to learn more about ImageMagick in order to address some of these issues. I know it is a small issue, though we start small and work up to larger tasks right π.
I have used ImageMagick in the past to do some quick batch processing on files for the web. I love how it has grown in version 7. I will be testing soon. Will post any significant issues I find/ resolve.
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No worries man, I understand, sometimes we just need to vent. No harm, no foul.
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Vivaldi
email me at shaferbrownillus@gmail.com for rates and timeline
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Sarah O'Connor (FT) warns students taking up AI to get them through their studies may be counter-productive;
Good careers depend on employees being able to demonstrate they add value & if they depend on AI to deliver what they claim to know, why would employers not just 'employ' artificial intelligence directly?
While clinging to AI might be understandable in a time of student stress & anxiety, educators (universities) should help them resist the siren call of AI!
I completely concur!
#AI
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β¨ HIRE ME β¨
I'm a Full Stack software engineer with 5+ years of experience, looking for my next opportunity. My personal values include psychological safety, D&I, and direct communication.
Please share for reach β€
docs.google.com/document/d/11Rβ¦
Kate Efimova's Resume Public
Kate Efimova (925) 326-**** kate.efimova0@gmail.com Bay Area, CA LinkedIn GitHub Twitter Experience (5 yrs) Software Engineer II @Hint Health (2023 - 2025) Led βLocations & Providers Searchββ¦Google Docs
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#Mutualaid for March
Made 70% of last month's goalβthank you to everyone who helped make it happen.
If y'all contribute $162/day we'll be able to meet the goal this month!
18 of you are monthly patrons, which is a KEY way to help us get financially stable β₯οΈ
0/5000
cashapp/venmo: nullagent
@nat #blackmutualaid #mutualaidrequest #blackmastodon #helpfolkslive2025 #queermutualaid #solidarity #crowdfunding #mutualaidsaveslives #blacklivesmatter #reparations
Support nullagent on Ko-fi! β€οΈ. ko-fi.com/nullagent
Support nullagent's work with a donationKo-fi
#Mutualaid for March
Just $10 bucks away from covering the PO box renewal fee. Thanks so much for the help so far!
Having been housing insecure for a bit having a PO box is a tremendous safety net so I really appreciate the help maintaining that.
$245 / $5000
cashapp/venmo: nullagent
@nat #blackmutualaid #mutualaidrequest #blackmastodon #helpfolkslive2025 #queermutualaid #solidarity #crowdfunding #mutualaidsaveslives #blacklivesmatter #reparations
Support nullagent on Ko-fi! β€οΈ. ko-fi.com/nullagent
Support nullagent's work with a donationKo-fi
Thanks so much for the support so far this month!
We making slow progress on our March fundraising goal, can we break $500 before this weekend? We've got a couple bills (cell phone and credit card) due in the next few days.
So far y'all have really helped me survive capitalism while taking time to focus on our tiny human and look after my partner as they recover from childbirth.
$245 / $5000
Cashapp / Venmo / Paypal $nullagent
#MutualAidRequest #Parenting #BlackMastodon #HelpPeopleLive2025
URGENT:
Our phone and other bills are due tomorrow. Hoping for some help raising $250 by the 15th.
c/v: nullagent
#MutualAidRequest #helpfolkslive2025
Support nullagent on Ko-fi! β€οΈ. ko-fi.com/nullagent
Support nullagent's work with a donationKo-fi
URGENT:
Our phone and other bills are due today. We raised about 30% of what we need for bills this weekend. Just $175 to go, can you help us get across the finish line?
$238 / $250
c/v: nullagent
#MutualAidRequest #Helpfolkslive2025 #BlackLivesMatter
Support nullagent on Ko-fi! β€οΈ. ko-fi.com/nullagent
Support nullagent's work with a donationKo-fi
URGENT MUTUAL AID:
We're only 6% of the way to our goal for this month, we have to mail our rent check in a little over a week. Can you help us make rent on time?
260 / 5000
cashapp/venmo/wise: nullagent
@nat #blackmutualaid #mutualaidrequest #blackmastodon #helpfolkslive2025 #queermutualaid #solidarity #crowdfunding #mutualaidsaveslives #blacklivesmatter #reparations
Support nullagent on Ko-fi! β€οΈ. ko-fi.com/nullagent
Support nullagent's work with a donationKo-fi
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URGENT #MutualAid
We're urgently needing to send in our rent check, but there's more.
With @nat's postpartum depletion, I'm falling behind on work, and we need childcare ASAP to start catching up.
We got to 70% of our Feb goal; this month we're only 15% of the way.
So right now we need a HUGE push. I have over 4k followers and 18 monthly subscribers. If even 1% of y'all made a monthly donation, that would double my monthly patrons.
Support nullagent on Ko-fi! β€οΈ. ko-fi.com/nullagent
Support nullagent's work with a donationKo-fi
PS Thanks so much for your boosts and support. Got some racist hate on my fundraising posts this week. I really appreciate y'all recognizing that it's fucking hard to ask for help and it means a lot when this community comes thru for us.
cashapp/venmo/wise: nullagent
#blackmutualaid #MutualAidRequest #racism #blackmastodon #helpfolkslive2025 #blacklivesmatter #MutualAidSavesLives
Support nullagent on Ko-fi! β€οΈ. ko-fi.com/nullagent
Support nullagent's work with a donationKo-fi
EXTREMELY URGENT MUTUAL AID
Trying to send rent check TODAY but we still need $1920 (have $450 on hand). I know a lot of people are struggling and don't have much to give, but if you're able to help, it would mean SO much.
Help a Black activist & my partner & baby!
450/2220
cashapp: nullagent
#BlackMastodon #MutualAidRequest #helpfolkslive2025 #mosstodon #lichensubscribe
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In today's society The Bible is a book people can hold in their hands. So it is not as obvious to them that The Bible is not a book but is a collection of books. Revelation 22:18 is referring to the book of Revelation not the entire collection of books.
As to whether the Catholics added Apocrypha or it was removed by the Protestants is really of no concern to me. I am an Atheist, more specifically a Secular Buddhist and have no horse in the race. Though it is nice for people to practice tolerance and allow everyone to believe as they choose to believe.
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chat, and let's be very civil about this; Anyone not behaving will be blocked:
What debian flavor should I try out? Keep in mind my laptop is a 2-in-1 with touch and a fingerprint sensor
as much as i might be killed for this, Ubuntu
regular Ubuntu works just fine, and the annoyances can be removed with 5 minutes of your time
i personally daily drive Ubuntu and likeβ¦ itβs fine
itβs nothing to write home about. but it isnβt broken or βbadβ it just works ive had no real issues with it other than my own fuckups
The latest version of Debian will be just fine. Is there a reason you are limiting yourself to just Debian derivatives?
Congratulations to Gints Zilbalodis and the entire Flow film crew for the Academy Award win!
Flow is the manifestation of Blenderβs mission, where a small independent team is able to create a story that moves audiences worldwide.
Thank you for the shout out! 𧑠#b3d
Who wants a fluffy house? π
solarvault.uk/hairy-solar-paneβ¦
#ClimateChange #renewable #green #GreenEnergy #SolarPanels #solar
Hairy Solar Panels: A Revolutionary Leap in Renewable Energy
A groundbreaking innovation has emerged in the world of renewables: hairy solar panels. Find out more in our latest blog post.Lauren Crosby (Solarvault)
Personally, I prefer the Install a heating system solution. It involves less labor on my part. Who, wants to be out in the cold brushing Snow off your Solar Panels?
glHack - ArchiveGame
Web site: glhack.sourceforge.net Category: Games Sub-Category: RPG Platform: Linux, BSD, Unix-like License: GNU GPL Interface: GUI Wikipedia: First releaseβ¦pavroo (ArchiveGame)
Flow just won Best Animated Picture at the #Oscars. A film made in #Blender
They shouted out @Blender during the acceptance speech.
This is a great achievement for Open Source.
youtube.com/watch?v=edcULvPtKDβ¦
'Flow' Wins Best Animated Feature Film | 97th Oscars Speech (2025)
'Flow' (Gints Zilbalodis, MatΔ«ss KaΕΎa, Ron Dyens, Gregory Zalcman) with the Oscars for Best Animated Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards.Missed the 97th ...YouTube
There's a real chance millions of women voters will be disenfranchised soon. That's certainly the goal.
It is true: The proposed nazi SAVE Act, now considered a priority for Republicans in the House, will make it harder, if not practically impossible, for millions of women to vote.
newrepublic.com/article/191420β¦
The Christian Nationalist Plot to Disenfranchise Women Voters
The SAVE Act, which purports to fend off the phantasmal threat of voter fraud, would throw millions of women off the voting rolls.The New Republic
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... and here is the finished painting that I posted work in progress shots of yesterday - have a happy day with my happy tuxedo cat!
Happy tuxedo cat - handmade acrylic painting --> karen-kaspar.pixels.com/featurβ¦
#art #painting #cats #caturday #CatLovers #pets #cute #animals #kitten #AnimalArt #PetPortrait #tuxedocat #tuxedo #giftideas #handmade #TraditionalArt #kunst #cat #artist #arte #kittens #katze #BuyIntoArt #CatsOfMastodon #MastoArt #FediArt #FediGiftShop #MastodonArt #WhiskersWednesday
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Yesterday I figured I'd try setting up something I could use to work with my critique group. I was looking for collaborative editing, chat, etc. Nextcloud looked like a good candidate, so I gave it a go.
Well, Nextcloud is obviously designed to be an enterprise solution. That thing repeatedly hammered my poor little VPS into the ground on the simplest of operations. I took it out and restored Mattermost, which is great for chatting with a curated group and some other Slack-like tasks, but doesn't support collaborative editing.
The search continues.
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Janet Fraser
in reply to Alan Langford π¨π¦π§€π§ζ • • •Alan Langford π¨π¦π§€π§ζ
in reply to Janet Fraser • • •