ML2 @mathlover@social.cleverlibre.org

Sinema has left Dem Party but...

Just to clarify: Sinema is NOT caucusing with GOP.

Dems still have their 51-seat majority.

She's doing this to stop AZ Dems from running Dem candidate in AZ vs. her, which would split the vote between her and that candidate -- and give Senate seat to a Kari Lake.

She's trying to save her political career, and this may sadly do it.

Did Elon Musk buy #RaspberryPi while I wasn't looking? Their weirdly hostile, tone deaf social media makes it seem that way. Disappointing and strange.

I'm following a thread about the #Mastodon / #Fediverse practice of blocking entire instances, and a person is saying they won't be bothering to publish #COVID data here as they can't trust that their instance won't end up on a block list.

They will stick to publishing to #Twitter since the issue doesn't exist over there.

The decision to block an instance involves balancing pros and cons, and I worry people may be under-appreciating the costs, the value lost, especially when norms are set.

$12 billion: The cost of expanding the Child Tax Credit to 19 million children who had not been able to receive the full benefits

$858 billion: The cost of the latest defense bill

Can you guess which one Congress claims it can't afford to fund?

Anyone else feeling that real mix of darkening December days and end-of-semester just... draining all your focus?

... I have a little sun lamp. I should actually USE it.

If you live in the US, this is a worthy charity to donate to: https://standardebooks.org/donate

They take public domain ebooks from Project Gutenberg and Wikisource and then improve the formatting to professional standards. They take books from the public domain and they release the final product back into the public domain (i.e. use Creative Commons Zero waivers). They need 75 patrons to help sustain themselves.

Donate if you can, please!

Twitter Blue will be more expensive on iPhone to offset App Store fees https://9to5mac.com/2022/12/08/twitter-blue-pricing-iphone/

I see Putin is threatening to use nukes again. Really starting to feel like "dying man trying desperately to still seem scary" to me.

How is 2022 already almost over?

If we have to have crazy conspiracy theorist wingnuts why couldn’t we get some who think billionaires and the rich are secretly Mammon cultists

The New York Times Guild is walking out for one day - today 12/8 - so please stay off New York Times platforms until 11:59 p.m tonight. I’m gonna break my Wordle streak – how about you?
#NYTimesGuild #PicketLine #nyt #union

Mainstream media journalist: It's too hard to build an audience on Mastodon! I cross-post the same shouty posts and one-sentence slogans as I do on the fowl app, and they just get no traction here! It must be because it's just too complicated for people to read posts from other instances or something!

Me: Okay, do you follow many interesting people here?

Journo: No.

Me: Do you reply to posts and engage with other people?

Journo: No.

Me: Do you like and share many other people's posts?

Journo: No.

Me: Do you post anything interesting, insightful or funny? Or just shouty denouncements?

Journo: Oh, I don't just cross-post shouty posts and slogans — I also do self-promotion! Subscribe now to read my latest article!

Me: Could the problem be that you've relied entirely on an algorithm that's fine-tuned to incite people by distributing the most provocative content widely to generate ad views? That the core issues are that you don't engage, contribute little to the online community, and share little content of real value and substance? That you're essentially no different to the social media bullies you so often denounce in your paywalled articles?

Journo: No. The problem isn't me, the problem is Mastodon!

#TwitterMigration #Twitter #Mastodon

I can't call my doctor today because voice calls are broken on pmOS.

I don't emphasize the importance of prioritizing mobile phone functionality to throw shade at pmOS, but because it's important for people's lives.

;#KimStanleyRobinson's 2020 novel #MinistryForTheFuture was a groundbreaking work: it's the tale of a detailed, plausible transition from a world on a collision course with civilization-ending climate catastrophe to one where the challenge is met, with humanity collectively deciding to save itself:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/12/03/ministry-for-the-future/#ksr

1/

The biggest constitutional change for a century?

Labour’s report would transfer major powers from Westminster to nations and regions, and formalise and protect the constitution.

#Labour
Via @bylineseast@mas.to
https://eastangliabylines.co.uk/the-biggest-constitutional-change-for-a-century/

Would be great to see #governments not so blatantly endorse a product. 48 CFR § 1452.203-70 prohibits. #Microsoft
#Word should be replaced with something else. Maybe #OpenDocument Text? Wouldn't you agree @libreoffice?

In my news feed at the same time:
In Ukraine: There is no power, but fortunately people can still shop for food using flashlights and cash.
In Denmark: Danish trade association HORESTA is making yet another effort to convince politicians to allow businesses not to support cash payment anymore — while there is an actual war going on in Europe.

I am on my way to the #Biodiversity #COP15 in #Montreal. I am looking forward to meeting wonderful friends and colleagues, but I also go with a bit of a heavy heart. We need #transformative proposals that tackle the root causes of the destruction of #nature, not more of the same. ☘️❤️

Accelerating Antarctic ice, liars headed to court, spacecraft, snowmaking machines and trying our hand at --intentionally-- tampering with the atmosphere are only a few of the explosively complicated effects of anthropogenic climate change covered in this week's Skeptical Science New Research, #49 for 2022 and counting back up to #1.

There are 142 articles published in 57 journals with ~1,011 contributing authors in this week's edition.