AI Bad. Humanity Good.

This is just rank Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism, based on the bigoted idea that there is something inherently scary about a president with the last name "El-Sayed." It is incumbent on all of us to call it out.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 3h ago

JD Vance: "We don't want the next administration, whoever -- god forbid you're gonna have President El-Sayed in three years ... "

I think this is something we have to rethink really hard. ALL the US use of these munitions, except for a small amount sent to Ukraine (but no more), has been in wars of Donald Trump's choice. If we don't start wars, we don't use them. This is worth reading.

Running on Empty - Lawyers, Guns & Money

I have a follow up to Cheryl’s post on munitions at 1945: The economics of munitions stockpiles have always been fraught, and the increasing sophistication of missiles has made calculations even more ...

lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com

‘The market’ didn’t decide that AI would be our future. Capital did. And when the devastating consequences of their decisions become clear, capital must be made to pay. graceblakeley.substack.com/p/data-centr...

Data Centres and Democracy

The AI boom was planned by capital. When it collapses, capital must be made to pay.

graceblakeley.substack.com

So, star bits, what have you been reading these days? 📚

In 1986, contracting HIV meant you were going to die, usually slowly, painfully, and alone. Now it's a chronic illness like hypertension. In 1986, gay and lesbian couples couldn't have their relationships legally recognized and had to adopt elaborate legal workarounds.

Constantine@ajaxsinger.bsky.social · 15h ago

Food, man. Food is so much better than it was in 1986. All of it. Poor-people food, restaurant food, fresh food, frozen food. Food is just a hell of a lot better.

Hello. All I would like for my birthday today is this boosted everywhere and any help anyone can manage. Rent and bills forever. License renewal today costs $41 And i have to make moxie an appointment that will be at least $300. Second half of rent due in a week and a half. Anythinf helps!

"Birthday Girl" Ella Tailor@garaktailor.com · 2d ago

Next set of goals are Second Half of August Rent by the 16th General Bills and existing in society. Moxie Yearly Check up for Prescription Food. Currently really just need like $5 to get out of the red. V:@/JKNotSoBad C:$:/JKNotsobad PP:@/comfortingmoo Everything helps. and gets a moxie picture.

Ofc anyone should be allowed to have as much consensual sex with as many people as they like, but I feel like the whole sex positivity movement really dropped the ball on those of us who don't actually need sex and/or romance to have fulfilling lives.

GOOD NEWS EVERYONE

U.S. Congressman Edwards withdraws from re-election campaign

Congressman chuck edwards withdrawls from his re-election campign.the news posted to his facebook page - at 5 am, this morning.in this lengtyh post you see on y

wlos.com

Water is returning to the African Sahel. After the catastrophic droughts of the late 20th century, aquifers from Senegal to Ethiopia are refilling, water tables in Niger have risen four metres, and Lake Chad has swollen to ten times its mid-1980s size. Yale E360 buff.ly/SUrDAnL #ShareGoodNewsToo

After Decades of Drought, Water Is Rising in the African Sahel

Warming has brought extreme rain to the parched Sahel, which is seeing aquifers refill as monsoons grow stronger. But heavier downpours alone cannot explain the groundwater revival, say hydrologists,…

buff.ly

You can/should read Emily Wilson's latest take on the Odyssey, but I'm logging on to convey my hairdresser's reaction. She was AGHAST that Nolan, with his million $ budget, gave Matt Damon ONLY 6 hair extensions. As a result, his hair did not blow around properly, & that ruined the film for her.

For the past five months the only refugees the USA has accepted are white South Africans fleeing equality & safety meanwhile they are disappearing or strapping ankle monitors on any Haitian they can get ahold of. It needs to be understood how thoroughly connected these two things are.

Now watching (for the first time!):

For no real reason I shall quote post this with the announcement that Bandcamp Friday is coming up.

Richard Kadrey@richardkadrey.bsky.social · 21h ago

Today's ambient writing music suggestion: Cities In Fog by Jeff Greinke. You can buy it on Bandcamp or listen on most of the major streaming platforms. It's a gorgeous, haunting album that you'll go back to often.

Have we tried ignoring Will Stancil until he goes away?

Whoever said this has never actually owned a cat. Things my cats have played with over the past month or so: * paper packaging from the Chewy box * mini jar of lip balm * my hair * empty vitamin bottle * rolled up socks * extendable back scratcher * Arizona green tea jug lid * fork

Cats of Yore@catsofyore.bsky.social · 20h ago

Someone once told me that it's "classist" to advocate for people to have indoor cats because you need to buy them lots of expensive toys. Marcel has been playing with the discarded stem of a fresh green bean for 20 minutes. 🤷‍♀️

“Climate change isn’t real.” Photo credit: screenshot of the Watch Duty app, Tuesday August 4, 2026 at 2:17PM

…. ARE WE UP AND RUNNING? I THINK WE MIGHT BE.

Not my best bias tape work ever but it has been 20+ years since I made any, and for that, it is pretty damn good.

Guys will listen to male influencer bullshit about needing to have a six pack and manipulate everyone and meanwhile women will go “you know who is the sexiest fucking guy I’ve ever seen?” and post this

Between the power outage (still not me thankfully) and the internet outage and now the thunderstorm it’s like a soft hurricane flashback here, and I’m not a fan.

I feel like at least some of this self corrects when you stop giving yourself mental medals like "ally" and just act normal with other people who are in fact for the most part, also just normal people

Kathryn Tewson@kathryntewson.bsky.social · yesterday

A PSA to my fellow cis people who are (or want to believe they are) trans allies If you are getting pushback from trans people and your reaction is to be all “no! not me! I’m one of the good ones!” please remember that “being one of the good ones” is something you DO, not something you ARE

Okay. Apparently the trees coming down did NOT start wildfires, so that’s good, but parts of the area still don’t have power (not me, thankfully, it’s too hot for that shit) and we’re not likely to get internet back until at least noon, I don’t know when the blacked out places will get power back.

here's a fun lil exercise for cis people: how many articles would a publication have to print calling for your extermination before you would expect people who care about you to stop giving them money? and how would you feel if their excuse for still supporting them is some fuckass crossword puzzle?

Another reason to have a DVD/Blu-ray collection, or a server with digital files: what happens when your internet service goes down and you want to rot on the couch? Anyway, I’m half-watching Clue while I take my sweet ass time getting around to sewing, since working on hotspot is not great.

A reminder: If you absolutely cannot boycott Amazon, don’t. But can you make them NOT your default? If every Amazon customer cut their spending by just 10%, Bezos would burst his facelift sutures. This doesn’t have to be an all or nothing.

Edmonton folks: do you know the identity of these two people who *stole a cat from a store that adopts out animals for local rescues and this kitty was about to go to her forever home* www.reddit.com/r/Edmonton/c...

From the Edmonton community on Reddit: Cat Stolen from Whyte Ave Pet Valu

Explore this post and more from the Edmonton community

reddit.com

If you still have your absentee ballot, you must return it to your local clerk’s office or ballot drop box before 8 pm tonight! Do not mail it. Let’s go win!

Just a reminder to avoid HP merch, especially in Edinburgh. It's tacky and you know better.

Ed Fortune@edfortune.com · last yr.

It's also worth pointing out that there seems to be a LOT of Wizarding World overstock knocking about. Pop into one of those tourist trap / cheap tat shops, and you'll see a lot this stuff. I'm not saying the Harry Potter brand is becoming connected to money laundering, but blimey is it sus.

The biggest technological revolution of our lifetime and it has nothing to do with AI, crypto, metaverse, robots or any of the other massively hyped "tech" the media always talks about instead

Sarah Taber@sarahtaber.bsky.social · 2d ago

Absolutely unbelievable how solar power has taken off worldwide during the Hormuz oil crisis. You don't have to hand it to him, but Trump may have done more to finally kick off a global civilization of effete librul solar users than anyone else in the West