ML2 @mathlover@social.cleverlibre.org

yesterday: "man, I wonder how much of the corona relief VAT cut will actually go to consumers. it might not be much."

today: hard discounters frantically putting up "we are passing the full VAT cut to consumers" signs

yeah okay in retrospect we should have expected that. german groceries is cutthroat.

Facebook bans ‘violent network’ of far-right boogaloo accounts - Facebook took action to remove a network of accounts Tuesday related to the “boogaloo” movement, a ... more: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/0JxWJigfX6E/ #onlineextremism #facebook #social #tc

Sharing this for general interest plus we have Next Cloud of course

It's clear that you can’t count on large tech companies to secure data sufficiently. The more important point is that passwords do not offer sufficient security. Most experts agree that it is time for a radical change. But how? A few solutions exist!

https://t.co/rQM3aJ1zR7?amp=1

@freemo @design_RG @rgx

The Chinese government just made its oppressive domination over Hong Kong indisputable.

A new law suggests that taking part in the protests could be interpreted as a crime with a maximum penalty of life in prison. Also, anyone suspected of breaking the law can be put under (more) surveillance.

And what if you want to flee the country, because you don't enjoy being a 1984 character? The "crime of secession" has a maximum penalty of—you guessed it—life in prison.

And may the odds be ever in your favour...

Summary of the security law:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-52765838

#FreeHongKong #FreeChina #dictatorship

I think I’ve started mentally tuning out online petitions. I know their reasoning, but too many things have happened which seem to exponentially generate more of them and I just don’t have the capacity to register the details of each one anymore

We're losing the Arts sigh...

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/29/business/cirque-du-soleil-bankruptcy/index.html

Sometimes I think with nostalgia about my discovery of Mastodon, and how deeply immersed I quickly became. Oh, that amazing Toots, the wonderful people, the creativity. Alas, sitting in one spot reading and typing isn't the best activity for an optimal me, so instead of getting immersed in social media of any kind (or even online research), I generally avoid it. I like to think about the virtual encounters I've had over the years, wonder about the people and sometimes even check to see what's up

RT @nytimes
Two Friends in Texas Were Tested for Coronavirus. One Bill Was $199. The Other? $6,408. written by Sarah Kliff in The Upshot on https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/29/upshot/coronavirus-tests-unpredictable-prices.html?partner=IFTTT #NYTimes #news #popular #rss
https://mstdn.social/@nytimes/104430982920192579

Today in Gothic Horror:

"Romsey man is 'absolutely relieved' after escaping flat infested with moths."

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/18546840.romsey-man-absolutely-relieved-escaping-flat-infested-moths/

I'm going to try and move away from Spotify in the next few weeks. My current plan is to use NewPipe and playlists for streaming music on my phone and DVD/youtube-dl (https://github.com/yausername/dvd/) in order to save music. And I can continue to use invidious/yewtu.be along with FreeTube for music on my desktop.

Though I enjoy the ease of use and features with Spotify, along with the ability to support creators, I still feel the level of tracking and coupling with Facebook to be concerning. On top of this the money that creators get is considerably less than buying their music directly. This way I can use the money that I'd have spent on premium to buy albums direct from the creators (most are independent so even labels won't get a cut).

#opensource #music #privacy #spotify

"In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you." -- Buddha

For those who celebrate (or demand) a political stand from companies, media channels, celebrities, a poet once said:

"Your friendship is a fog
That disappears when the wind redirects"

China is committing genocide in Xinjiang Province:

https://apnews.com/269b3de1af34e17c1941a514f78d764c