“the numbers from the #guadalupe #flooding are insane. 11.4” of rain on #july4th, an estimated 100 billion gallons of #rain fell in #kerrcounty. which is about what goes over niagara falls in a day.
A copywriter talks about how her employment is changing
Now her job is helping companies recover from #AI drek they deployed on their websites. She frequently needs to rewrite the whole website
So our future is not employment to write copy/ code, but clean up AI disaster zones
It's Bastiat's "broken window" fallacy in #economics (the notion that breaking things stimulates the economy, but you're wasting your time treading water rather than making progress)
Ok, I'm is dog tired, & still in pain. Tried to remove a few of the fence panels yesterday, part of the ongoing project here, & hurt my right arm, a bad thing when you're a righty. Causied my bicep & tricep to cramp up, & seem to have done a bit of damage as the tri is still hurting today. Got the panels done first thing this morn using a ratchet strap, though I almost broke a post & the strap getting that panel free thanks to a vine attached to the fence.
I made a page on my website about how to get a passport for trans people because jfc this shit is a lot but it's really important to me that you get the things you need in life, like a passport tramns.info/passports.htm
Magical backdoor only for "the good guys" is a complete fantasy 🔑✨
Let's say the strategy is akin to creating a MagicalKey that unlocks every door (a magical key because thinking encryption backdoors would only be used by "the good guys" is a great example of magical thinking).
Imagine only 1000 police officers have MagicalKeys.
Overtime, let's say only 1% of the police officers accidentally lose their MagicalKey. Now 10 MagicalKeys are lost in the wild and could be used by anyone else, for any purposes, including crime.
Then, let's say only 0.1% of police officers get corrupted by a crime gang. That's just one right? This corrupted "good guy" lets the gang create a double of the MagicalKey. Which crime gang wouldn't want a key that can magically open any door?
Now, the gang creates doubles of the MagicalKey they have. They use it subtly at first to avoid detection. They make sure they never leave traces behind, so victims have no idea their door got unlocked.
During this time, they steal your data, they sell it, they use it to impersonate you, they use it to harm you and your loved ones.
Then, another criminal figures out on their own how to emulate a MagicalKey without even having access to one.
The criminal creates a reproducible mold for this Emulated-MagicalKey and sells it to other criminals on the criminal market. Now, the MagicalKey™️ is available to any criminals looking for it.
Restrictions on the backdoor are off. Your personal data is up for grabs.
This is what is going to happen if backdoors are implemented in end-to-end encryption. But don't worry they say, "it's only for the good guys!".
At least, the criminals' data will also be up for grabs, right?
Nope! The criminals knew about this, so they just started using different channels that weren't impacted.
Criminals will have their privacy intact, they don't care about using illegal tools, but your legal privacy protections will be gone.
Backdoored end-to-end encryption isn't end-to-end anymore, it's just open-ended encryption. This offers pretty much no protection at all.
Encryption is not a crime, encryption protects all of us. Encryption, and especially end-to-end encryption, is an essential tool to protect everyone online.
Even when used as a monitor for your Mac, an LG or Samsung smart TV will periodically capture what's on screen and send it to company servers. Here's how to stop that terrible behavior.
I used to think packaged pre-cut veg at the supermarket was for lazy people.
Then a disabled person pointed out it was a lifeline for them because they lived alone and couldn’t cut it up themselves most days.
I had never even considered that. It changed my perspective and I think from then on when something seems “lazy” I always ask myself “is this just accessible?” And it’s nearly always the latter.
It’s not hard to listen to someone when they say something is not accessible and it’s not difficult to shift your perspective. I don’t know why so many people won’t.
The thing is, pre-cut veg *is* for lazy people. Laziness isn’t a crime. It’s also convenient for busy parents and folks working long hours.
Accessibility is for everyone. It is extremely rare that something accessible to a disabled person makes things *less* accessible for the non-disabled.
@Troggie I know that one, I do the 20 minute meal kits from Hello Fresh or frozen meals in a bad because far too often I don't have the energy or time to do a full meal from scratch at my age.
exactly. Also, disabled people are a minority with ultimately not that much buying power. Which means without abled people also buying it, stores might get rid of it because it doesn't sell well. So "lazy" people are actually very helpful here.
Laziness as a concept is about punishing disabled people for not being able to Do The Thing when the reason is either not acceptable or not articulate-able, e.g. executive dysfunction, sensory issues, migraines, etc.
I've heard similar arguments for precooked hard boiled eggs, but I've had such trouble monitoring how they're cooked and conflicting information on how to cook them and then properly peeling, that it's just easier to outsource it to professionals doing it better in bulk than I could
there's no shame these days against people buying store bought mass produced clothing instead of making your own either
Also, they often cut it better than I ever could. Shredding or thin slicing carrots or cheese or bread or whatever is a LOT of work and mess: better an expensive machine do it in bulk than me do it by hand.
Got another one for you. Buffets? The single least accessible means of providing food to a large number of people.
My perspective, as a cane-user: I am already one-handed. So immediately, I have the problem: how do I hold my plate, while also filling my plate? Rarely is there room on the buffet for a plate to be set down. Almost no one ever thinks to offer assistance to people who have disabilities in using the buffet.
Before I even get to the plate, of course, I have the problem of how they bring people to line up. If, as is often the case, they call it table by table, then I am almost certainly, by random chance, going to end up in a long line waiting to access the buffet. Standing is painful to me, even more so than walking.
So I'm exhausted and sore. I arrive at the buffet. I get a plate and cutlery, which somehow I manage to carry in one hand. I have to balance the plate on my cane-arm while trying to pile food on it with my non-dominant hand.
Moving down the buffet, I come to the dessert tables! Hurrah! Only the only way to get a dessert is to have...another plate!
So I get no dessert, because I don't have a free hand to get it with.
And that's just one person's disability. Wheelchair user? Reaching those bowls up high on the table is going to be hard. Visually impaired? How do you know what you're putting on your plate? What if there's something in it you're allergic to? Gonna read the card maybe?
Missing an upper limb? See above re: being effectively one-handed. Palsied hands? Good luck. And so on, and so on, and so on.
And yet, over and over, I go to conferences, ostensibly social justice-focused affairs, and *every time* they pick the cheapest option, and make no effort to accommodate people for whom the cheap option is the no-food option.
@oldladyplays this. As someone who frequently uses a cane, buffets are a nightmare. I’m fortunate in that I can limp without the cane, but it’s definitely a challenge.
I'm in a power chair. Not all cab co's have wheelchair accessible vans. If I'm lucky enough to find an accessible cab, I get to pay out the *ss to go anywhere because it's a special vehicle request.
I could ride my chair to my doc's office, but there's ONE driveway that's SO steep I can't go over it without risking tipping over. Same for the pharmacy, except it's a sidewalk gap that would force me into traffic.
@SpiritualAnnie @securingdev @oldladyplays I recently moved to Portland, Maine, and even as an able bodied person I am *stunned* by how wheelchair inaccessible this city is. Two of my doctor's offices have stairs and no elevator. You'd think a doctor's office would be better than that!
During the Vietnam War... Troops drug taking was endemic... Such that the US gov expected a massive drug problem from returning soldiers
Never happened... As stress was removed and the quality of life improved the need to take drugs dropped
Same everywhere as the quality of life improves, crime drops, drug taking drops, health improves especially mental health improves and suicides drops etc
The Role of Government is not to perpetuate austerity and enact cuts but to improve the quality of life and remove external stress for it's population not just the wealthy, the land owners, landlords etc
You cannot cut your way to improve the quality of life
Pipelines supplying Russian military explode in Russia's Far East
The damaged pipeline provides gas to several #Russian #military facilities on the coast of the Sea of Japan, including the 155th Marine Brigade of the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Armed Forces, the source told the Kyiv Independent.
The water pipeline destroyed in the explosion provided drinking water to military garrisons in the area.
Explosions near Russia's Vladivostok damaged a gas pipeline and destroyed a water pipeline that supplied military facilities in the area, an unnamed intelligence source told the Kyiv Independent on July 5.
@Xoa Gray Normally when I use a phone, that's not really a problem, outside of calls and texts, when I do something on the phone, having a specialized app is fine, as long as it does the job well. Back when I had a Galaxy, I could never get into Samsung's desktop mode as I have a very specific way I surf the web with how I divide content across tabs and move between them, and on Android your forced to use apps for some of that content. Don't get me started on smart homes and smart devices, no thank you.
My big issue is when an app is used where it's only purpose is data collection. Or like where it doesn't make things any better. Take my scooter for instance. You can't unlock the full speed, or change some settings without specifically a smartphone app. I hate this. I want the settings available on the scooter. I don't want the smartphone to be the control panel for every devise I own. That isn't to say i hate there being an app. I just want it to be optional.
@Xoa Gray Yeah, I definitely agree there, that's why I hate the smart home stuff, there's no good reason for it, a computer in your fridge? Or better still your washing machine, no extra functionality, just tracking.
Yeah, not to mention when things go wrong. I'm reminded of that time some company, I forget which at the moment updated their microwaves with firmware for a toaster oven. It broke tons of Microwaves. Just because someone put a file in the wrong place.
Edit: Here it is, it was Electrolux. They accidentally pushed steam oven firmware to Microwaves.
I believe the Science Fiction / Fantasy view of TACO Don's actions. That is the remove the old, dependent, anyone who has immigrated to the U.S., POC resistors, resistors in general, scum as he would think of them. His aim to leave him as Dictator, the royalty to kiss his ass, the Knights to help run things, the soldiers to enforce and the serfs to sweep the floors.
In 1776, drafting the DOI, Jefferson zeroed in on an abusive & malleable justice system. He accused the king of depriving colonists of trial by jury & for “transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences.”
Trump’s IMM agenda reflects modern shades of these notorious offenses:🚨condemning many 1000s—of #immigrants TO TORTURE in other Cs w/o #dueprocess gtd by the CON...
Growing up, I attended Sunday school every week. My teachers were Bill Watterson, Gary Trudeau, Berkeley Breathed, Charles M. Schulz, and Gary Larson. The best part was being able to show up in my pajamas and eat pancakes during class.
A post by Tadhg Hickey - "In my day, you'd have to go on gruelling training camps in South Armagh and Pakistan to become a terrorist. Now some vegan prick just picks up a sign, and he's Osama Bin Laden. They have it too easy."
This is the website of Karen Kaspar. Shop for vibrant art, nature art, modern art, and more. Designs are available to purchase as canvas prints, framed prints, posters, greeting cards, apparel, and other products. Visual artist.
If you use Twitch for any kind of streaming, this resource by Liz Wait can help you make your Twitch channel more accessible to people with disabilities.
I'm trying to cut down on my card habit, but I couldn't pass this one up.
Rally 100% plastic playing cards.
Published by US Games Systems, but they usually outsource their printing to other major manufacturers. In this case, the cards were printed in Italy, which makes me suspect they were made by Modiano.
The cards feel much like Modiano's plastic poker cards, but Rally is standard index instead of jumbo, and the index is only on the left corners; Modiano puts them on all four corners.
The quality is comparable to the Copag Elite and Bicycle Prestige, but those decks cost $10-12 while Rally is only $6. I would rate this as a great buy. If you're looking for a new deck of cards, I'd highly recommend these.
Hey all, do I know any calcium imaging people here?
We have a problem with our Inscopix miniscopes (NVista 2.0): We have 2 broken miniscopes and Inscopix does not provide service for this old model anymore.
We cannot afford to purchase a completely new system, so we're hoping to find someone who can do repairs. Ideally this would be a company in Europe/EU, but US might work too.
One of my relatives who works at an international airport told me she saw someone deported yesterday — turns out the guy was smuggling drugs and was caught by customs, then was politely told to get back on a plane and return to where it came from.
No masks, no guns, no violence, no concentration camps. Just a "No, go home."
And this was a guy ACTIVELY TRAFFICKING DRUGS.
So, no, Trump/Miller's kidnappings are not policing or security. They are racist fascism.
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Falling forward 🌵
in reply to agitprop & absurdity • • •