futurebird

futurebird , 1 day ago to Random stuff

If it's a problem that a judges daughter works for Democrats it's a problem that a judge was appointed by the defendant.

futurebird , 1 day ago to Random stuff

Trump has said FOUR times that he will withhold federal funding from schools that require vaccines. Not just COVID. ALL.

This is most schools. This is hitting me where I work. This will lead to children dead from measles. It's obvious, inevitable.

Someone on here said they just couldn't bear to vote for Biden to keep Trump from office since at least under Trump there were better masking rules.

I hope that person sees this.

Worse is worse.

edit: because I don't know measles from smallpox

futurebird , 3 days ago to Random stuff

It's perfect. Bravo Jonathan Yeo. I don't know if it was a choice... or just how the paint chose to speak. But you got him. Perfectly. WOW.

Very much how I think of monarchs... down to the damn butterfly. LMAO

futurebird , 4 days ago to Random stuff

My nervous Formica subsericea colony. These are black field ants. When I turn on the light they panic. A newly emerged worker (called a callow) cowers as her sisters stampede over her. She is newly emerged and not strong enough to run and freak out.

One of her sisters picks her up and she tucks her legs in like a pupae so she is easy to carry. In a few days she will be a lovely black like her older sisters.

The light gray ant picked up by a sister.
Side view of callow and fully hardened exoskeleton.

futurebird , 5 days ago to Random stuff

I've been reading some history books about Europe in the middle ages. The matter of the education of kings is incredibly interesting. It seemed nearly universally recognized that an excellent education is essential to a family holding on to power. And even in the controversies of the day (such as religion) children of the ruling class were exposed to a surprisingly wide range of ideas. Including those treated as heresy for the general population.

futurebird , 6 days ago to Random stuff

You are trying to get out of a pit with your friends, the sides are slippery and there is a guy at the top who sometimes throws things at you and you know he's helping other people to make even more pits that are even deeper someplace else. There is a slim chance he could be replaced by another guy who will start filling all the pits in with a bulldozer. Do you keep the jerk or brave the dozer?

Hard choice. I guess?

futurebird , 7 days ago to Random stuff

Someone said it's important say this publicly in the US: so I will. (And I think each of us should, online and to friends)

This November I will vote for Biden.

I would regard not voting for Biden, particularly in: PA, OH, MI, WI, IN, IL,VA, GA, FL, AZ, ME, NC, NH, etc. as a huge error. I'd be disappointed to find out anyone I knew didn't vote. It's one of a long list of things we need to do. We can't skip it.

And still? We deserve better choices, and in the future we shall have them.

futurebird , 7 days ago to Random stuff

Politicians and political commentators whine about young people not buying homes and starting families (not getting married) and then do NOTHING to help the young people (who do exist) who would love to do one or more of these things but can't because it's too damn expensive.

Build housing and coops where young people want to live. Protect their jobs with unions. Make health care not an issue.

Do not make some marriages impossible because you don't like the genders.

Not rocket science.

futurebird , 13 days ago to Random stuff

"... averages 31 years, with the longest recorded lifespan reaching 51 years. This meter-sized beetle is native to Mexico and Central America, where it inhabits dry and arid environments...."

Meter sized?

METER SIZED?

I need to stop using google the first few results it shows for simple insect questions are always GPT garbage ... LORDY.

futurebird , 17 days ago to Random stuff

“Fluent Python” is an excellent example of a “good programming language book” — it’s not cluttered with “enterprise examples” it’s focused on how python works and goes into detail on edge cases. This lets one write code with real confidence that you know everything it’s doing. It is also written with the aim to justify why python is the way that it is. Which I need or I get irritated.

If you like python you should probably have a pdf or buy a copy.

Now which book on Java is analogous?

futurebird , 19 days ago to Random stuff

A single-board command-line computer using the esp32. Look at it! It's cute. Can't buy it yet the creator is starting some kind of online commune for single-board computer freaks. I bet some of you are around here, go say hi at his forum it only has like two posts and its making me sad.

https://a.singleboard.computer/

Green_Footballs , 19 days ago to Random stuff

Will always be the ultimate image of Republican cowardice.

KeithDJohnson , 19 days ago to Random stuff

I'm a Tenured College Professor. I'm Quitting. Here's Why.
by Jessica Wildfire

"Most of my professor friends can't support themselves. That includes the fancy tenured professors, even at nice schools. They have sugar mamas & sugar daddies. They're married to lawyers and bankers, or IT managers. If they're like me, they've got a secret side hustle.

Here's an irony:

My university forces everyone to disclose outside income. So if you have a second job or a side hustle, you're technically supposed to report it. You're supposed to ask them for permission. They can say no.

That's right, the same university that gave me a chocolate bar for a raise also says I can't take on a second job to support my family. They're worried it would distract me from all the free work I'm doing for them." https://www.okdoomer.io/im-a-professor-heres-why-im-walking-away-from-my-tenure/

futurebird , 19 days ago to Random stuff

Ever since I broke my leg I sometimes trip. It's scary since I'm scared I'll land in a way that set off a lot of pain. But what's worse is I'm not doing so great being reasonable about it after. I first feel very stupid for falling over, then upset that I'm so up set about something so stupid.

Whoever designed emotions was and idiot and should be fired.

Like obviously I have a mostly metal leg, not walking perfectly is normal. But I still beat myself up for not being more careful. WHY.

futurebird , 22 days ago to Random stuff

Trump has never said anything nasty about David Pecker, the National Enquirer publisher, and self-proclaimed practitioner of "checkbook journalism" (a pair of words that make my skin crawl)-- even as Pecker gives highly damaging testimony.

Pecker has not said anything mean about Trump. Just reported on his crimes. Is Trump just sensitive to those who tease & insult him?

Why is he silent? We know it ain't that gag order. (The only ones gagging are all the judges scared to jail him)

futurebird , 22 days ago to Random stuff

More seriously, can someone steel-man the case for executive power being less effective if subject to future evaluations and constraints?

I don't think I've ever looked at any singular leader of any organization and thought "the problem is they can't do what they want easily enough"

When I was younger I might have said that the director of a film or play can do better work if they are an unquestioned dictator... but I've grown to even reject that idea.

w7voa , 22 days ago to Random stuff

(AP) — President Joe Biden’s administration on Friday formally began planning for a potential presidential transition, aiming to ensure continuity of government no matter the outcome of November’s general election. https://apnews.com/article/presidential-transition-biden-trump-prepare-2312bba2b6202cd8ddd0e6c7f59ab28b

futurebird , 24 days ago to Random stuff

This guy is very focused on growing little trees into very big trees.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ah5OtWQIW4

taylorlorenz , 24 days ago to Random stuff

Stanford Professor Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who advocates for mass COVID infection, rails against masking and who has cast doubt on the utility/safety of the mRNA COVD vaccines, just won an award with major prize money from one of the most powerful right-wing foundations in America. https://www.importantcontext.news/p/covid-contrarian-doctor-scores-big

futurebird , 25 days ago to Random stuff

If the supreme court jumps in and overturns the Jan. 6 convictions of 100s of people who attacked the capitol it will be one of the most politically charged actions taken by this court and in a politically charged environment.

There are many laws that might need revision, scrutiny, but they reached out through space and time to grab this hot potato.

It's a joke.

taylorlorenz , 25 days ago to Random stuff

“These emails tell a dramatic story about how Google’s finance and advertising teams, led by Raghavan with the blessing of CEO Sundar Pichai, actively worked to make Google worse to make the company more money.” https://www.wheresyoured.at/the-men-who-killed-google/

Teri_Kanefield , 25 days ago (edited 25 days ago) to Random stuff

If you read my weekend blog post, you know that I've been pointing out that the predicate crime in the Trump trial is not clear.

(For what I mean, see my weekend blog post).

Here is what the Washington Post reported.

See screenshots #1 and #2.

Here is the law: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/ELN/17-152?utm_medium=email&wpisrc=nl-nationalpopup&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=wp_the_trump_trials

To be clear: I have no idea how this trial will turn out. I cannot substitute my judgment for the jury because I am not seeing what they are seeing.

1/

futurebird , 28 days ago to Random stuff

"The Why Files" is a youTube channel that regularly has videos with over a million views. They started as a kind of paranormal/fringe science channel that was mostly harmless, and that often debunked conspiracies.

But, they've moved beyond that in to material such as suppressed patents for cars that run on water. And treating climate change like it's a unresolved question. This has made their audience grow.

The things is they aren't just spitting lies. 1/

futurebird , 28 days ago to Random stuff

Thank the lord for Tish James. If you look at the research she did into this bond it made my head spin and I'm a math teacher. She understands all of these fancy finance games, and I guess you'd need to do her job in NYC. We have the worst/best "banking wizards" sometimes they break the laws of physics, sometimes they just break laws.

This bond is a stinker. I wonder what Trump promised the guy to let his company implode as sacrifice to avoid the full fee?

https://www.yahoo.com/news/letitia-james-says-company-put-162203280.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

futurebird , 29 days ago to Random stuff

So night terrors, sleep paralysis etc. seem to be a real thing. I've had "bad dreams" but never anything that sounds like these experiences. It sounds like it's scary. Scary like when you are home alone and hear a sound and don't know what it is.

I'm curious if people who can have this are can be aware that it's not real when it's happening.

When I get anxious I can also know "this is just that thing" and I'm sort of detached about it?

Can that happen with fear?

futurebird , 29 days ago to Random stuff

I noticed this plant in our garden. I thought it was a weed but I’m starting to think Pica may be either taking or dealing DRUGS. Some of the younger cats like to use this leaf as a decoration. I’m not too out of it to notice what she’s up to!

Pica mouth open high as a kite on nip

internetarchive , 29 days ago to Random stuff

Today, we filed our final brief in Hachette v. Internet Archive, the publishers’ lawsuit against our library. For four years we've been fighting for library rights—what our founder, @brewsterkahle, calls “a battle for the soul of libraries in the digital age.” https://blog.archive.org/2024/04/19/internet-archive-stands-firm-on-library-digital-rights-in-final-brief-of-hachette-v-internet-archive-lawsuit/

w7voa , 1 month ago to Random stuff

A juror in Trump's NYC criminal trial has just been excused after raising concerns about aspects of her identity that had been made public. The judge is now directing the media not to report jurors' answers to questions about where they work.

w7voa , 1 month ago to Random stuff

Trump campaign is asking for down-ballot candidates who use his name, image and likeness in fundraising appeals to give at least 5 percent of the proceeds to the campaign. https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/17/trump-campaign-fundraising-five-percent-00152830

dorgaldir , 1 month ago to ActuallyAutistic group Dutch

I feel this so hard. Why can't people just be clear about what they want?
#autism #actuallyAutistic @actuallyautistic
#feels

futurebird , 1 month ago to Random stuff

The way the supreme court is acting the chances of me living on the lamb in two years publishing illegal political 'zines on old ditto machines in people's basements is increasing far too quickly.

I like teaching math and having a mailing address and phone number.

:(

GossiTheDog , 1 month ago to Random stuff

AI Tech Bros are VERY UPSET that reviewers are REVIEWING PRODUCTS

futurebird , 1 month ago to Random stuff

Trump is upset he may miss his son's graduation because he's on trial.

Yeah, we do treat people in the criminal justice system harshly. People you have never thought about, people who have kids, and graduations, and moments missed forever.

But it's different now. He cries. It's happening to ME. To Me!

Nothing, no one, exists beyond the tip of some people's noses. They cannot see pain unless they feel it. Cannot recognize suffering unless it's their own.

What a stunted perspective.

futurebird , 1 month ago to Random stuff

Every now and then I hear conversations from outside of here about "the state of social media" and let me tell you: People are suffering. People are miserable. Many people feel addicted to social media but unable to have positive and valuable interactions in the space. Mostly, in the profit-driven social media space negative emotional reactions glue eyeballs as well as positive, so a heap of the experiences is just ... unpleasant.

Meanwhile around here things are different.
1/