@dariosoldi @liaizon (looks around) Yup.

Buckminster Fuller used to point out that it makes no sense to say "sit down" or "stand up" as we live on a (more or less) sphere.

Anyway, we can add Markin, and Markout!

@theogrin @blogdiva @GossiTheDog @signalapp

omg a browser plugin that marks any open tab as containing DRM enforced content.

Signal have rolled out an update to all users that stops Microsoft Recall from capturing Signal conversations.

I’ve tested this and it works. Brilliant work by the @signalapp team. 💪

They call on Microsoft to build better, as there was no standardised way as an app developer to do this. Because Signal is open source, now app developers have a template to protect their users from Windows.

https://signal.org/blog/signal-doesnt-recall/

Kevin ‘Rashid’ Johnson injured in transit to South Carolina prison, put in solitary confinement, denied access to medical care and communications, is now on hunger strike and asking for "maximum publicity and pressure".

☎⚡ +18642434700, +18037371752, +18038968540

https://sfbayview.com/2025/05/serious-kevin-rashid-johnson-injured-in-transit-to-south-carolina-prison-now-on-hunger-strike/

Donate to the Solidarity Share Fair! We're seeking clothes, bags, tents, tarps, sleeping bags, hygiene products, and other survival gear. You can drop it off at the Share Fair on May 31st or at Dark Pine Coffee from now until the 30th. Email donations@neighborhoodanarchists.org with any questions
Thank you!

A rant on why I think we need realistic Solarpunk, plus some other things 1/2 ☀️

Felt compelled to make this. It will finally stop floating around in my head 🎉

Podcast over here if you're interested: https://podcast.tomasino.org/@SolarpunkPrompts

#solarPunk #hopePunk #art #myArt #comics #sustainability

@douglal @gwaldby SpaceX is likely to maintain its huge lead over other launch companies and agencies for a decade or two. I'd give leadership credit to Gwynne Shotwell more than Musk, but of course it's really the work of thousands of engineers,* building on decades of government investment.

Musk however, is not a reliable steward of this much power. Could always nationalize them! :-)

* Miners, truckers, etc., etc.

@douglal @gwaldby This is their "old" rocket Falcon 9, their clear market leader (and non-crashing) rocket. SpaceX launches for US government including military and a lot of other customers, but pays themselves for most of the launches, to put more and more Starlink satellites in orbit. Those bring a lot of income.

Their new rocket Starship, is much bigger, in testing, and blew up twice in the same way. Another test launches soon, if that fails in the same way they have a real problem.

“I listened to NSF staff say DOGE had the authority to give thumbs up or down to grant applications which had been systematically vetted by layers of subject matter experts.

Our closed-to-the-public deliberations were observed by Zachary Terrell from the DOGE team. Through his Zoom screen, he showed more interest in his water bottle & his cuticles than the discussion. Terrell..accessed the NSF awards system to block the dispersal of approved grants.“

https://time.com/7285045/resigning-national-science-foundation-library-congress/ #science #uspol

The ebook of my first novel, last year's Nebula and Ignyte-winning, Le Guin and Hugo-nominated THE SAINT OF BRIGHT DOORS, is on sale at $2.99 right now across most ebook retailers! If you were holding out for a really good deal 👉🏾👉🏾 https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-saint-of-bright-doors-vajra-chandrasekera/20464402?ean=9781250847393&digital=t

This is one of the more disgusting moves I've seen from this admin. We invaded and took over their country, never figured out how to get things oflowing in an independent and solid way there, and then left.

The *least* we can do is welcome, indefinitely, some fraction of the individuals who've managed to escape the mess we were so much a part of making. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/12/temporary-protected-status-afghans-00342250

My second novel RAKESFALL is an Otherwise Award winner and a finalist for the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction novel
https://vajra.me/2025/05/11/rakesfall-is-an-otherwise-award-winner-and-locus-best-science-fiction-novel-finalist/

'The office published the draft [PDF below] of Part 3, which addresses the use of copyrighted works in the development of generative AI systems, on May 9th.

The draft notes that generative AI systems “draw on massive troves of data, including copyrighted works” and asks: “Do any of the acts involved require the copyright owners’ consent or compensation?”' https://www.copyright.gov/ai/Copyright-and-Artificial-Intelligence-Part-3-Generative-AI-Training-Report-Pre-Publication-Version.pdf #llms #llm #ai #copyright

"The head of the US Copyright Office has reportedly been fired, the day after agency concluded that builders of AI models use of copyrighted material went beyond existing doctrines of fair use." https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/12/us_copyright_office_ai_copyright/ 1/2

@xs4me2 @TCatInReality I'm not having a problem identifying helpful things to do, quite the contrary — there are so many that the second-biggest challenge I face is staying focused on the ones it makes sense for *me* to focus on.

If you are looking for ideas, or people to work with, let me know! Or is it something else?

What do you care about? What is your theory of change?

@xs4me2 @TCatInReality So many opportunities, they're pissing off so many people:

Immigrants, scientists, trans, disabled, anyone/thing "woke" or DEI, etc.

Heard a full-time encampment started at the Capitol May 1. Local May Day was good, next year will be bigger. Similarly, July 4 this year, and next (2026 will be 250 years).

Voting to cut Medicaid & Social Security will draw a surge of attention. Trump's escalation with Yemen into war will have it's time in the limelight.

Gruber's on it today:

"I swear I’m trying — I’ve been trying since before he took office again — to pay attention only to what Trump and his lickspittle loathsome hateful idiot minions do, not just what they say. But when they even say they’re “actively looking at” suspending habeas corpus, justified by an “invasion” that obviously doesn’t exist, I think it’s on everyone to just stand up and say “Fuck that. This is America.”

https://daringfireball.net/linked/2025/05/09/trump-habeas-corpus

Talk is starting now! At @cbase ! https://c-tube.c-base.org/w/nUK259rHZk5RsANhrofMqx

In 12 hours ± 3 .5 to 4.5 hours the ancient Soviet Venus lander #Kosmos482 will reenter Earth's atmosphere: on 10 May at 5:46 UTC ± 3.4 hours according to https://magazin.tu-braunschweig.de/pi-post/kosmos-482-vor-wiedereintritt-tu-braunschweig-berechnet-eintrittszeitraum/ (graphic from there), at 6:11 UTC ± 4 hours according to https://aerospace.org/reentries/6073, at 6:30 UTC ± 4.1 hours according to https://sattrackcam.blogspot.com/2025/04/kosmos-842-descent-craft-reentry.html, at 6:26 UTC ± 4.4 hours according to https://blogs.esa.int/rocketscience/2025/05/07/reentry-prediction-soviet-era-venera-venus-lander-cosmos-482-descent-craft/ and at 5:59 UTC ± 4.4 hours according to https://www.eusst.eu/newsroom/eu-sst-monitors-reentry-object-cosmos-482/ - all players are using different models but arrive at very similar windows for the reentry; some may update their predictions further at the given URLs.

The next Solidarity Share Fair is Saturday, May 31st! 12-4pm @ the First United Methodist Church. (Masks required 12-1)
Volunteer! Donate! Provide a service! Come get free food, supples, and services. Listen to music and hang out. <3
https://solidaritysharefair.org/