Nostr notes by Madeleine Morris

I had such a crush on her. I wasn't particularly mad about ...

2026-10-31T13:27:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…m7js
_________________________

I had such a crush on her. I wasn't particularly mad about their music.

It's coming up to my 4th year on Mastodon. Four years of a ...

2026-10-31T08:14:09Z

It's coming up to my 4th year on Mastodon.

Four years of a much happier SM experience.

Thank you to my admin, stux⚡️ (npub1s20…twmm) and to the wonderful people I follow. You have made my life much richer, kinder, and more interesting. #anniversary

I am sorry I've been a little absent today. Life intervened.

2026-10-31T00:34:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…wqet
_________________________

I am sorry I've been a little absent today. Life intervened.

I've notice some of the spam has petered off, but the ...

2026-10-26T23:56:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…cf99
_________________________

I've notice some of the spam has petered off, but the nonsense AI bots have increased.

As to the one 'stockpiling weapons & training people to ...

2026-10-26T13:31:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…qah9
_________________________

As to the one 'stockpiling weapons & training people to shoot'...

That makes me really suspect his motives. If you are so 'anti-fascist' that you'll do that but can't be fucked to even vote, then I suspect the anti-fascism is just an excuse to play rambo.

At the end of the day, that decision not to vote reflects a lack ...

2026-10-26T13:17:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…4uc3
_________________________

At the end of the day, that decision not to vote reflects a lack of care for one's fellow human.

And really, that's not a friend.

If you reply to this thread, attempting to explain why you ...

2026-10-26T13:02:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…t23t
_________________________

If you reply to this thread, attempting to explain why you aren't going to vote, I'm going to block you immediately without responding.

This is my personal ethical stance.

Nostr event nevent1qqst9kjc7f5j5n75qk8mpm7pahy7n8xmt66nh5jxk77q6kl47yggkgqzyz306qa82fjvkyxaq9005anyxkcmrzcl3kytxcptryr69dncnm4vup35dqq

2026-10-26T13:00:56Z

RE: https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:xvr6x3yam5mq4a6q2suxbt5u/post/3myq2w3wsck6w

If you follow me, or I follow you, I do hope you'll read this. I mean it very sincerely.

If you CAN vote in the US #midterms but have chosen not to, I would ask you in all seriousness to block me.

I recognize your absolute right to make that choice. But, for me, it is a choice that reflects a basic lack of concern for yourself and, more especially, for others.

If you 'don't care' or 'hate both sides' so much that you will not help curtail Trump's obscene use of power, you are dead to me.

quoting
note1jkm…yjz9

Ugh.

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:kjjuf5djl5yu3gxvoxi5xfoz/post/3myq2utjlik2f

Look, I am not in any way excusing the mayhem or the violent ...

2026-10-24T20:15:22Z

In reply to nevent1q…pvx4
_________________________

Look, I am not in any way excusing the mayhem or the violent response. People get hurt, people get maimed. And psychologically, it isn't good for law enforcement to fire anything on its own citizens either.

But it has an impact. It provokes a response. It triggers serious debate. It destabilises an unacceptable status quo.

Which is kind of what anyone who decides to take to the street and protest wants, right?

So... I take a rather different view of what is going on in ...

2026-10-24T19:43:40Z

So... I take a rather different view of what is going on in France.

It seems, coming out onto the streets actually forces some debate in France. Which means, unlike in the UK (Yes, I was on that friggin enormous Rejoin march in London that elicited zero response from the fucking Tory Government) and the US (how many thousands in how many cities?) the French system apparently DOES feel the need to respond to protest.

Like a real democracy

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/24/hundreds-of-thousands-march-across-france-in-protests-over-schools-and-policing

It will be the last time they ever use it though. 😂

2026-10-23T13:34:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…7dpv
_________________________

It will be the last time they ever use it though. 😂

Better yet. Tell them to go to any AI chat bot and vibe code it ...

2026-10-23T12:47:18Z

In reply to nevent1q…xwgu
_________________________

Better yet. Tell them to go to any AI chat bot and vibe code it themselves.

And this... this is evil And yes, I'm using the word very ...

2026-10-22T21:05:36Z

And this... this is evil

And yes, I'm using the word very consciously.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2026/oct/22/how-alabamas-republicans-are-disenfranchising-black-voters-video

And before you say that the vaccine doesn't make you immune, ...

2026-10-22T14:03:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…8jhx
_________________________

And before you say that the vaccine doesn't make you immune, and you can still spread it to others....

Yes, this is true. But your case will be milder, and shorter, and you won't be shedding so much virus.

Be a good person - to yourself and others. Get your vaccine.

If you are thinking of skipping your Covid jab this year, because ...

2026-10-22T13:58:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…r7f0
_________________________

If you are thinking of skipping your Covid jab this year, because it wasn't so bad the last time, just consider for one moment the anxiety you can save other people who care for you from having to worry about you when you get it again. Or worry about you infecting them.

Or do you like making other people anxious about you?

I'm feeling a little crabby. On a positive note, I just got ...

2026-10-22T13:56:59Z

I'm feeling a little crabby.

On a positive note, I just got vaccinated.

It was so offensive and disgusting, I could not actually watch ...

2026-10-21T20:44:55Z

It was so offensive and disgusting, I could not actually watch the entirety of the ITV Farage and Reform doc.

I literally can't spend that much time listening to racist, misogynist, corrupt fucks. It hurts my brain and my body revolts.

But it's probably the most powerful political expose in UK history. #ITV

If we want people to use their own voices, we need to understand ...

2026-10-20T08:04:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…6ekx
_________________________

If we want people to use their own voices, we need to understand what they're getting out of allowing #AI to speak for them (which in essence is always AI speaking pretending to have one's best interests at heart which is a laughable falsehood)

It also occurs to me that correcting someone when they do speak for themselves - inexpertly or haltingly or confusingly - is a fairly large wound to their self-esteem.

That fear of a lack of eloquence, I think, also drives people to AI.

I think one reason is that most chat bots are designed to ...

2026-10-20T07:58:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…v0pd
_________________________

I think one reason is that most chat bots are designed to encourage users to believe that they are 'working together'. This is utterly false, but it credits the user with work they aren't doing, which feels good.

Another could be that, despite all the outlets for personal expression, it is very easy to feel like one's voice isn't heard and doesn't matter. In that case, what does it matter if one's voice is being usurped.

Have you got any theories?

I have been giving some thought as to why Western societies (I ...

2026-10-20T07:55:18Z

I have been giving some thought as to why Western societies (I cannot speak for others) who put so much store in individuality and self expression and identity are so willing to let an #LLM in the form of an #AI chat bot speak for them. Because essentially, when you ask AI to write something for you, that is what you're doing.

Why are we so eager to have our own voices usurped? 1/

I really needed proof that there was still some vestige of reason ...

2026-10-20T07:39:11Z

I really needed proof that there was still some vestige of reason in the world this morning, and I got it

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/alberta-referendum-live-results-9.7385074

Nostr event nevent1qqsre9f9ankykfn6gzpnzxzddz2wrez43kjjsh580mfmrxqge9sw05szyz306qa82fjvkyxaq9005anyxkcmrzcl3kytxcptryr69dncnm4vu0l95kz

2026-10-19T21:34:48Z

Maybe we should all try being a little more French.🔥

The irony is that the only person who might - might - stop it is ...

2026-10-19T21:14:55Z

In reply to nevent1q…7dkm
_________________________

The irony is that the only person who might - might - stop it is Xi.

The only leader not pretending to be head of a democracy.

Trump, Putin and Xi are going to pretend to be the boys at Yalta ...

2026-10-19T21:09:43Z

Trump, Putin and Xi are going to pretend to be the boys at Yalta and divvy up Ukraine.

And we - all of us - have allowed it to get to this point.

I am so fucking ashamed of my generation.

RE: https://about.iftas.org/2026/10/17/share-google-spam/ I am of ...

2026-10-19T14:06:39Z

RE: https://about.iftas.org/2026/10/17/share-google-spam/

I am of the view that the price we pay for not being exposed to evil algorithms or constant ads is an obligation to help our unpaid instance admins in difficult times.

This is one of those times. There really is an onslaught of really nasty bots. And the admins can't always see them. Please report them when you do see them. It really does help.

quoting
note1z0l…r346

Malicious automated activities are hijacking accounts and then direct mentioning 30 to 40 accounts preceded by a URL that is a Google domain followed by a share dot google (URL-shortened) link (eg google.tld/share.google?q=VALUE)

IFTAS will refer to this activity as #sgSpam

This page will track helpful posts and mitigations for administrators and end users. See below.

**DO NOT CLICK/TAP ANY LINKS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE MESSAGES** – there are reports of these links serving malware.###

For Administratorshttps://infosec.exchange/@jerry/117457041484080186

https://social.lol/@neatnik/117456567939745803###

For End Users
Add two factor authentication to your account if your service supports it.
If you believe your password may have been compromised (or if you re-use passwords) change your password. Longer is better than complex.
You can check to see if password associated with the email address you used to create your account has been compromised: https://haveibeenpwned.com/">https://haveibeenpwned.com/
Where possible, use a password manager to ensure you use a unique password for every Internet service you use. https://ssd.eff.org/module/choosing-the-password-manager-that-s-right-for-you">EFF has good guidance on this decision.
If your service supports filtering/hiding messages, filter “share.google” or “/share.google?” – but be aware this will filter/hide messages that contain non-malicious links from other people who use Google products to share links online.
###

Something To Add?If you have specific guidance for Administrators or End Users you’d like IFTAS to review, please send it to IFTAS (npub1y2r…kvzk) or contact@iftas.org for review, please include the hashtag #sgSpam

If you live or visit Malaga and are craving a perfect coffee, ...

2026-10-19T11:02:52Z

If you live or visit Malaga and are craving a perfect coffee, there’s a cafe called Santa cafe (holy coffee) which wipes the floor with every other cappuccino in the city by a mile. I recommend it.

Hello, I just received a private mention with that spammy google ...

2026-10-19T08:57:31Z

Hello, I just received a private mention with that spammy google link thing. If you get one, please don't just ignore it. Report it! Don't click the link.

RE: https://sfba.social/@drahardja/117459889855272962 Watching ...

2026-10-18T17:47:14Z

RE: https://sfba.social/@drahardja/117459889855272962

Watching the world evolve (or devolve) in the last decade, it has become so painfully clear that the people who run these platforms are not just careless, or incompetent, or ignorant.

They are quite clearly selective in what they permit and what they disallow. And their choices make it obvious that they are active, openly hostile enemies of civil, humane, flawed but improving societies.

quoting
note1t8v…dpqz

RE: https://mas.to/@fsinn/117423892102142792

“The platforms are not neutral infrastructure that bad actors have found a way to exploit. The platforms enable these operations. A destabilizing foreign influence campaign delivered through a platform engineered for addiction is not a misuse of the technology. It is the technology performing exactly as designed, for purposes its designers did not intend and have no structural incentive to prevent.”
note1rny…yt8p

I'm going to say something that sounds harsh, and I don't ...

2026-10-18T17:42:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…vtrz
_________________________

I'm going to say something that sounds harsh, and I don't enjoy saying it.

The people who won't change their habits simply aren't in enough pain yet.

But also, I think, we've been brainwashed into believing that democracy is easy - that it should be easy.

And for a while, for many, it really was. But no more.

Hey, Tom, no need to apologise at all. But I also want to warn ...

2026-10-18T16:31:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…s54p
_________________________

Hey, Tom, no need to apologise at all. But I also want to warn against the trap of nostalgia. It simply is so unproductive.

Love it or hate it, the internet has changed us profoundly - socially and individually. It isn't going away. The challenge is, to find a way to keep the things we cared about before it came, and to mitigate the obvious damage it can do.

We can never go home. But we can have some say in the new place we find ourself in.

@npub1h7a…m2up This technology is here to stay, it isn't ...

2026-10-18T07:13:02Z

tom jennings (npub1h7a…m2up) This technology is here to stay, it isn't going away.

It is what we do with it and what we demand of it and how we shape it (where we can) that matters. But we can and should mitigate the perils as much as we can.

And yes, you are right: the internet is not a safe space. But then where is a safe space?

I agree wholeheartedly that meeting in the flesh is good - not just to lessen dependence on digital communication - but because what is experienced in the body more powerful.

Maybe if there is a silver lining to what Meta did, it will serve ...

2026-10-17T23:12:29Z

In reply to nevent1q…7quy
_________________________

Maybe if there is a silver lining to what Meta did, it will serve as a wake-up call to other organising groups.

Bluesky is no better. It has no independence.

The during the civil rights era, people learned how to sit down ...

2026-10-17T22:14:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…a7ly
_________________________

The during the civil rights era, people learned how to sit down and take a beating without reacting violently.

All you are required to do is not depend on communications platforms owned by people who have profited by billions during the Trump presidency. People who have and are bankrolling his powerbase.

I've had a lot of snippy responses about my remarks on why ...

2026-10-17T22:08:07Z

I've had a lot of snippy responses about my remarks on why depending on platforms run by the tech oligarchy is a mistake.

But responses like "what are the alternatives?" "It's political censorship!" are chilling.

You cannot defeat an authoritarian oligarchy by complaining or demanding convenience. Authoritarians happily indulge in political censorship. They will use their corrupt grift-buddies to fuck you up. They will gleefully do every unfair thing.

How can you not know this yet?

So apparently all the coordination, planning and communications ...

2026-10-17T19:32:05Z

So apparently all the coordination, planning and communications for organising No Kings events on Instagram have disappeared and the account admins have been suspended.

So... here's the thing:

DON'T PLAN YOUR REVOLUTION ON THE KING'S BLACKBOARD.

The fact that organisers are depending on the availability of a platform run by any of the tech bros... well, it makes me think you aren't a terribly effective opposition.

I need to learn how to do that. I noticed that I was getting to ...

2026-10-17T10:33:49Z

In reply to nevent1q…46mm
_________________________

I need to learn how to do that. I noticed that I was getting to reports that were already dealt with. I'm up for following any kind of system that would be more efficient if anyone wants to propose one.

So I had a little adventure last night, helping to keep a tidal ...

2026-10-17T10:21:02Z

So I had a little adventure last night, helping to keep a tidal wave of bots at bay.

Until last night, I had never actually watched the full Fediverse-wide feed. I just want to say that we are supremely blessed to have stux⚡️ (npub1s20…twmm) as an admin for our instances. Our little corner of the Fediverse is remarkably peaceful and civil and humane. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

My mother used to serve this at the end of dinner parties and ...

2026-10-17T08:57:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…0tjt
_________________________

My mother used to serve this at the end of dinner parties and called it 'floating islands'.

RE: https://masto.ai/@Nonilex/117453794779199297 The insanity of ...

2026-10-17T08:35:12Z

RE: https://masto.ai/@Nonilex/117453794779199297

The insanity of this is that Trump is funding a country who is supplying armaments to Iran, who the US is at war with.

This is such a perfect illustration of the obscene veil of geopolitical nonsense when it's pulled back.

There are men who want to cling onto power. They will do anything, fund anyone, kill any number of civilians, ruin any number of healthy economies.... just to hang onto their own personal power a few minutes longer.

quoting
note1lkk…xxm6

The kompromat must be bad

#Trump Signs #ExecutiveOrder Exempting #Russia From #Sanctions #Legislation

The sanctions were part of legislation that was named after Senator #LindseyGraham, the South Carolina Republican who died in July.

#law #geopolitics #PutinsPuppet #Ukraine #allies #Europe #NATO #democracy #TrumpIsWeak
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/16/us/politics/trump-order-russia-sanctions.html?unlocked_article_code=1.JVE.CqB7.yppIsfqCy-Z_&smid=nytcore-ios-share

As a Canadian-British dual citizen, I am begging #Albertans to ...

2026-10-16T13:31:45Z

As a Canadian-British dual citizen, I am begging #Albertans to take my word for this.

The same forces who brainwashed so many people into voting for Brexit are drooling at the prospect of #Alberta voting for separation.

This is what they do: it's called divide and conquer. And while you might have many legitimate reasons to feel agrieved, isolation doesn't solve your problems. It exacerbates them greatly.

Brexit diminished the UK beyond imagining.

RE: https://furs.social/@Rycochet/117444985007444013 It will be ...

2026-10-15T13:35:01Z

RE: https://furs.social/@Rycochet/117444985007444013

It will be the wisest money anyone has ever spent.

If they can turn of parts of Starlink in the middle of a Russian attack, then they are worse than useless as a communications network. They are a trap pretending to be a telephone.

quoting
note1vev…xrsh

https://www.theregister.com/paas-and-iaas/2026/10/14/us-tech-giants-warn-europe-that-ditching-us-tech-giants-could-cost-115b/5303031 'It will cost you money to stop giving us money!' says group that likes money and wants to keep getting money.

Every one of them bent the knee to Trump so cannot be trusted any more than American government entities would trust Chinese owned companies.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/m7nYM93rb1g The whole transcript ...

2026-10-13T21:29:10Z

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/m7nYM93rb1g

The whole transcript is a portrait in absolutely brilliant geopolitical history and analysis.

Wow, it's beautiful. Hold on to that momentary feeling of awe ...

2026-10-13T08:28:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…h0nl
_________________________

Wow, it's beautiful. Hold on to that momentary feeling of awe through the day, if you can.

I woke up to realise something. There is an assumption that, with ...

2026-10-13T06:12:47Z

I woke up to realise something.

There is an assumption that, with the fall of the Berlin wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the West won the cold war.

The human mind looks for finality. But the world keeps turning.

Russia has won the cold war without firing a bullet. The US elected Donald Trump twice.

It wasn't that the #AI kept giving me wrong answers. It was ...

2026-10-11T19:46:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…6gtw
_________________________

It wasn't that the #AI kept giving me wrong answers. It was that some were so staggeringly wrong, and some were right, and unconsciously it started to erode my motivation to find a definitive answer completely.

I got over it a day later, but it slithers into your critical thinking space and fucks with it very badly.

This is truly disturbing. And if I'm honest, I recognise the ...

2026-10-11T19:43:42Z

This is truly disturbing. And if I'm honest, I recognise the response after using #AI on glaze recipes.

https://news.berkeley.edu/2026/10/09/using-ai-for-just-10-minutes-erodes-your-ability-to-persist-at-hard-things/

Israel is commiting genocide in Gaza. Trump has just sold Ukraine ...

2026-10-10T15:26:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…rq6f
_________________________

Israel is commiting genocide in Gaza. Trump has just sold Ukraine down the river to the Russians.

I literally don't give a fuck that Titanium dioxide has possible neurotoxins in it.

Life is short. It's always too short. Fuck those assholes whose mission in life is to make me scared of living well.

For those of you who aren't making glazes, be warned. There ...

2026-10-10T15:19:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…adg2
_________________________

For those of you who aren't making glazes, be warned. There are no ingredients in glaze making that are safe. Either it can hurt you if you breathe it in, or if you swallow it. Even getting some of it on your skin is not good for you.

Like... fuck... don't lick the cobalt. Maybe don't snort the lithium.

Fuck.

Oh please god save me from the sanctimony that is Facebook. I ...

2026-10-10T15:15:11Z

Oh please god save me from the sanctimony that is Facebook.

I fucking hate it there but I'm enrolled in a glaze course that has a discussion group on the platform.

I will take a straight edged razor to the next fucking person who tells me some or other material used in glaze-making is dangerous.

I swear. I'm so fucking tired of this pedantry and sanctimony.

So, I think it would be good for the rest of the civilised world ...

2026-10-09T22:16:06Z

In reply to nevent1q…6a3c
_________________________

So, I think it would be good for the rest of the civilised world to impose sanctions on the US.

RE: https://xoxo.zone/@kevbob/117412727304475246 I feel the need ...

2026-10-09T22:11:11Z

RE: https://xoxo.zone/@kevbob/117412727304475246

I feel the need to state the obvious. Trump is doing this deal with Putin in the hopes of bring down the price of US diesel before the midterms so he can squeeze a few more votes his way.

quoting
note14jt…ghzp

US to buy diesel from Russia which will fund the war on Ukraine. I am fucking ill.

#uspol #ukraine #ukrainewar

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm1dwgr666wno

After teaching at undergrad level for 15 years and earning a ...

2026-10-09T15:38:58Z

After teaching at undergrad level for 15 years and earning a doctorate, I really only learned one valuable thing that was broadly applicable.

Shame never taught anyone anything. It just alienates them.

I hesitate to make hyperbolic statements. And I need to be honest ...

2026-10-09T12:13:20Z

I hesitate to make hyperbolic statements. And I need to be honest - I profoundly disagree with the death penalty - so this is, I think, colouring my response.

But the proposed public broadcast of an execution feels like a point of no return.

At least with public hangings, people had to find the motivation to get to the site.

It would just be too easy for people to choose to witness this state murder. I think the psychic wound this will do, the appetites it will encourage, will be very bad.

It's a her, but you weren't to know. I misnamed her when ...

2026-10-08T14:48:55Z

In reply to nevent1q…4qk6
_________________________

It's a her, but you weren't to know. I misnamed her when she was a kitten. hahaha.

yes, she's really loud. You can hear her from another room. It's nuts.

It's just time we stopped fantasizing about some ideal ...

2026-10-08T14:29:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…g3gj
_________________________

It's just time we stopped fantasizing about some ideal structure of authority in which abuse doesn't occur.

Let us instead acknowledge its inevitability and make the cost of that abuse so astronomically high and public that it serves as an inhibitor.

RE: https://mstdn.social/@Remittancegirl/117404419108578618 ...

2026-10-08T13:54:04Z

RE: https://mstdn.social/@Remittancegirl/117404419108578618

Because it's Thursday and by now you're up and the shit is hitting the fan. Just remember, Jacques' purr comes free of charge and there's no maximum dosage of it. Enjoy.

quoting
note1u35…t70k

This is Jacques' purr. Just in case you require a little soothing today. #cats #catsofMastodon
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/117/404/414/861/935/903/original/5990517a884fe2ab.mp3

Just a reminder that there is no power structure in existence in ...

2026-10-08T13:52:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…w8c7
_________________________

Just a reminder that there is no power structure in existence in which members of it don't abuse their positions. Not a one.

RE: https://journa.host/@fulelo/117405490545121132 I don't ...

2026-10-08T13:47:45Z

RE: https://journa.host/@fulelo/117405490545121132

I don't think our reaction should be shock or wondering what's going on in Scotland. I think it should be... well, if there's 50 in Scotland, there's probably 1000 in England. But no one's asking.

quoting
note16s8…6aks

#BBCNews - Up to 50 Scottish police officers suspended over alleged crimes against women
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqe9l0r105l8o

Very sad news. #maricarmen , the 87 year old who was forcibly ...

2026-10-08T10:14:07Z

Very sad news. #maricarmen , the 87 year old who was forcibly evicted from her lifelong home has died.

Indeed she was murdered by greedy bastards who didn’t give a shit about anything other than profit.

And I think this happens very frequently but goes unnoticed. Cruelty kills

This is Jacques' purr. Just in case you require a little ...

2026-10-08T08:47:46Z

This is Jacques' purr. Just in case you require a little soothing today. #cats #catsofMastodon
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/117/404/414/861/935/903/original/5990517a884fe2ab.mp3

Does Donald Trump know the San Diego is the home port of the US ...

2026-10-07T17:04:23Z

Does Donald Trump know the San Diego is the home port of the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet?

As the nights grow a little cooler, Dora tends to sleep nestled ...

2026-10-06T15:52:43Z

As the nights grow a little cooler, Dora tends to sleep nestled into the curve of my back. When I’m not in bed, the guitar will do #cats #CatsOfMastodon

So far, these are the ones that have made the cut. Yes, I know it ...

2026-10-04T14:54:34Z

So far, these are the ones that have made the cut.

Yes, I know it just looks like ragged brushstrokes - but with Hakeme, the stroke has to be strong and intentional. If it's hesitant, it shows.

And those I don't keep. So the rest are drying because I had to wash off the slip, because the strokes were crap.
#pottery #ceramics

I've got a commission for 10 more of these and 4 larger ...

2026-10-04T08:47:53Z

I've got a commission for 10 more of these and 4 larger plates.

Yes, I know this clay looks cool, but frankly it's a total bitch to work with.

#ceramics #pottery #lowfire

RE: https://mstdn.social/@Remittancegirl/117353999276587259 BTW, ...

2026-09-29T13:40:59Z

RE: https://mstdn.social/@Remittancegirl/117353999276587259

BTW, if you would like to have a go at calcining colemanite (which mitigates some of its misbehaviour in glazes) here's a link to Damian's excellent instructions: https://glazy.org/posts/661047/calcining-colemanite

There is a really good reason to do it. It's packs the most tremendous boron punch to a glaze. Better than commercial boron frits.

#pottery #ceramics #glaze #glazeChemistry

quoting
note1jef…vrmq

An exceedingly generous Uruguayan guy gave me step-by-step instructions on how to do it, as he does it all the time for exactly the same reason - to end his reliance on Ferro Frits.

His instructions were to slowly take the colemanite up to 680C and hold it there until the heat coming out of the top hole in the kiln stops steaming up a glass or mirror.

I followed his instructions, but was interested to see if the colemanite gave off its water at the temp #AI suggested.

I find it very difficult not to come to this conclusion myself.

2026-09-29T12:27:57Z

In reply to nevent1q…j5ck
_________________________

I find it very difficult not to come to this conclusion myself.

RE: https://radikal.social/@malte/117354154268154895 This is so ...

2026-09-29T12:23:06Z

RE: https://radikal.social/@malte/117354154268154895

This is so relevant.

But the lesson is that AI is not 'worse' giving answers in a field he has knowledge in. It's just that in that field, he can be absolutely sure it IS wrong.

quoting
note1pzn…20q2

I find the same thing to be true every time I have searched something in those generative LLMs in a field where I have lots of previous knowledge. The worst results I get in those fields where I have some expertise. The fields where I could most easily be convinced are the fields I have very little knowledge in - and am easily impressed by the plausible sounding answers. Because I know this split, it frustrates me that the answers in those other cases sound so plausible.

If #AI can be wrong on this, it can be wrong on the correct ...

2026-09-29T11:13:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…u7z3
_________________________

If #AI can be wrong on this, it can be wrong on the correct internal temperature for safe to consume chicken.

It might give you the right answer, but it might give you the wrong answer. And I have to wonder - yes this is a little conspiratorial - if that isn't the point.

If you cannot uneducate a population, perhaps you can flood it with information that is so deeply unreliable as to make any fact at all tenuous and ephemeral. 7/

Chemical properties, like when a given compound gives off its ...

2026-09-29T11:10:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…hml7
_________________________

Chemical properties, like when a given compound gives off its bound water, are not mysteries or unknowns. They are well documented in standard manuals that have been around for, probably, more than 100 years and are most definitely somewhere on the internet.

The thing is... the info #AI gave me was flat out FALSE. And I want you do consider that if it can be wrong on a piece of data that is so solid and well-documented, it can be wrong on anything. It is likely wrong on MOST THINGS. /6

At 415C (google AI's temperature advice) it was giving off no ...

2026-09-29T11:08:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…snl8
_________________________

At 415C (google AI's temperature advice) it was giving off no steam at all. It didn't start liberating bound water until 550C at which it was so much, that I didn't even need a mirror. I could actually SEE the steam. And by 680C - where I held it for 15 minutes, it petered out and stopped.

But I want to point out that if I'd believed Google's AI, I would have used the mirror, saw no steam, assumed all the water had already been boiled off, and considered the colemanite calcined. 5/

An exceedingly generous Uruguayan guy gave me step-by-step ...

2026-09-29T11:05:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…875f
_________________________

An exceedingly generous Uruguayan guy gave me step-by-step instructions on how to do it, as he does it all the time for exactly the same reason - to end his reliance on Ferro Frits.

His instructions were to slowly take the colemanite up to 680C and hold it there until the heat coming out of the top hole in the kiln stops steaming up a glass or mirror.

I followed his instructions, but was interested to see if the colemanite gave off its water at the temp #AI suggested.

There is a lot of molecular water bound up in Colemanite, and ...

2026-09-29T11:01:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…r7nw
_________________________

There is a lot of molecular water bound up in Colemanite, and that can cause bubbling, pinholing and other issues during #glaze firing. The answer is to calcine the colemanite. Essentially put the material into your kiln, and boil off the molecularly bound water.

I didn't know how to do this, so I searched for instructions. Google #AI told me that colemanite should be taken up to 415C and this will caline it.

Luckily, I did not trust it. I asked a human on Glazy. 3/

In my attempt to learn how to make #pottery #glazes, I have been ...

2026-09-29T10:58:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…qdmn
_________________________

In my attempt to learn how to make #pottery #glazes, I have been trying to find materials that free me from the obligation of having to use Ferro Frits which are manufactured in the US, because with all the tariff shit and the ecological cost of shipping, well, it's neither feasible in the long term nor is it environmentally ethical.

Colemanite, mined in Turkey, is an excellent source of boron for use in glaze making but it has a little problem 2/

So, I have a warning for anyone who depends on #AI for advice or ...

2026-09-29T10:55:29Z

So, I have a warning for anyone who depends on #AI for advice or technical information for anything.

This story is going to take a bit, but I want to relate it completely because it shows a pattern of supplying fundamentally false information on a topic where, in technical circles, the information is solidly documented and the technique is entirely reproducible.
1/

This was #Malaga tonight #niundesahuiciomas ...

2026-09-28T20:29:03Z

This was #Malaga tonight #niundesahuiciomas

No worries at all. It really doesn't phase me. But I do think ...

2026-09-28T12:40:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…mcsl
_________________________

No worries at all. It really doesn't phase me. But I do think it needs to be publicly shamed.

I want to be extremely clear on this matter: 1. This private ...

2026-09-28T11:58:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…rjvv
_________________________

I want to be extremely clear on this matter:

1. This private message was unsolicited.
2. I AM a Jew. And calling out the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza is an ethical act that everyone who calls themself a Jew should be supportive of.
3. These fuckers who portray everything as a zero sum game are psychopaths.
4. Ensuring a safe and decent life for Palestinians does NOT preclude Israelis from having one too. To falsely paint it as a zero sum game is to promote genocide.

This is what this cowardly, vile, hateful person sent me by ...

2026-09-28T11:41:57Z

This is what this cowardly, vile, hateful person sent me by Private Mention.

Please block them.

Bot: Has this interaction been successful YES/NO Me: No. Bot: ...

2026-09-28T11:04:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…xlj7
_________________________

Bot: Has this interaction been successful YES/NO

Me: No.

Bot: Please reword your concern so I can understand it clearly.

Me: No. I have been very clear and if a real human were interacting with me they would understand immediately. I'm not going to reformulate my words to accommodate an AI that's taken the job of a human.

Let me illustrate the stupidity of the Ikea chatbot: Hello. This ...

2026-09-28T11:03:10Z

Let me illustrate the stupidity of the Ikea chatbot:

Hello. This is in reference to order #____. This shipment contained a product I did not order and was not charged for.

Bot: Please bring it back to your nearest Ikea store.

Me: I don't have a car and I'm not paying to take a train to travel to my closest Ikea store to return something I didn't order.

Bot: For a fee of 1 Euro, you can drop it off at your nearest post office.

Me: Why would I pay to return something I didn't order?

The fallout from the eviction of a 87 year old woman, Maricarmen, ...

2026-09-27T15:38:11Z

The fallout from the eviction of a 87 year old woman, Maricarmen, from her life-long flat in Madrid has really shaken things up here. I'm so glad to see it.

One woman interviewed from the huge protest said:

"Why is it that our governments and our laws give more rights to a tiny few to make profits, but no rights for the majority to have a roof over their heads?Our taxes fund the existence of these governments and legal systems. Something needs to change! We can't keep paying to get fucked."

This table of amounts, temperatures and melt-points must exist, ...

2026-09-27T13:47:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…k8yr
_________________________

This table of amounts, temperatures and melt-points must exist, because we've had borosilicate glass for over 100 fucking years. There must be a formula, a table, because a shit ton of industrial ceramics simply wouldn't have existed without it.

The fact that so many people would rather indulge in the mystics of glaze than actually having a base grasp of the chemistry is so interesting.

I got a shit-ton of man-splaining. I got a shit-ton of ...

2026-09-27T13:41:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…c5zs
_________________________

I got a shit-ton of man-splaining. I got a shit-ton of US-Centricism. I got a shit-ton of privilege and derision for working with earthenware. Which, I have to tell you, subtly hides a lot of prejudice because earthenware is THE pottery medium of developing countries.

But I didn't get an answer to what is a very straightforward question of chemistry.

And that says a lot. #pottery #ceramics #glaze

So... I've run into a really interesting brick wall within ...

2026-09-27T13:40:06Z

So... I've run into a really interesting brick wall within the #glaze community.

I asked if anyone knew if there was a table that charted the ratio of boron to silica and alumina necessary to melt it at a given temperature.

Oh, they said, it so much depends on what glaze you're talking about. Oh, you don't understand. Oh, buy some Ferro Frits and shut up. Oh, why aren't you firing at cone 10 anyway? You're not a real ceramicist if you don't.

But did I get an answer?

No. No I did not. 1/

This was the outcome of yesterday evening's experimentation. ...

2026-09-25T21:09:28Z

In reply to nevent1q…af2j
_________________________

This was the outcome of yesterday evening's experimentation. I can't exactly say these are very matte. They're more satinish. The mottling is rather interesting and I'm wondering if that is simply me not mixing the zirconium silicate well enough, or a result of using a fairly low series of drop and holds to encourage crystal growth.

Also, the teal isn't exactly muted, although I do like both colours. Although the second is what I would call a scrotal pink.

Will retry with less of everything.

Tonight I’m in pursuit of the perfect low fire matte glaze in ...

2026-09-24T22:35:38Z

Tonight I’m in pursuit of the perfect low fire matte glaze in muted green and mauve #glaze #ceramics #pottery

I have to say, this whole thing makes me really so angry. ...

2026-09-24T17:52:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…z9cl
_________________________

I have to say, this whole thing makes me really so angry. Especially because it has led to a lot of publicly acceptable foreigner-hate here in Spain. Which is totally fucking lazy. It is the governments of the municipalities and regions who have allowed this complete hollowing out of their city centres to accommodate AirBnBs.

To the shame of many on the left, they've decided it's much more social media worthy to direct their hate at foreigners rather than their own greedy capitalist leaders.

It is worth noting that this woman had lived in her rented flat ...

2026-09-24T17:34:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…wr03
_________________________

It is worth noting that this woman had lived in her rented flat since her childhood, and that one of the reasons she was so incredibly vulnerable was because under Franco, women could not own property in their own right, could not hold bank accounts without their father's or husband's signature, etc.

It IS disgusting to do this to an 87 year old woman. And I'm grateful to live in a place where this kind of barbarism still makes national news. Because in lots of places, it doesn't.

I'm really glad to see that it seems that most of Spain is ...

2026-09-24T17:31:54Z

I'm really glad to see that it seems that most of Spain is disgusted by the eviction of an 87 year old woman from her flat in Madrid because they new owners of the building panned to turn it into holiday let flats. #maricarmen

https://elpais.com/espana/madrid/2026-09-24/maricarmen-de-87-anos-pasa-su-primera-noche-sin-casa-en-el-hospital-acompanada-de-su-primo-vicente-y-con-un-cuadro-de-agotamiento-severo.html

No. He's just a regular and he does this regularly. And I bet ...

2026-09-23T14:22:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…ddad
_________________________

No. He's just a regular and he does this regularly.

And I bet it does his heart good. I bet he's a nice person.

Also, this guy. Don sees him almost every day on his walk up to ...

2026-09-23T14:18:59Z

Also, this guy. Don sees him almost every day on his walk up to the castle. Always hugging the same tree, too.

50% of Americans would list the current price of eggs.

2026-09-23T14:02:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…p3r4
_________________________

50% of Americans would list the current price of eggs.

RE: https://infosec.exchange/@xenontechs/117320636997457109 I ...

2026-09-23T13:46:48Z

RE: https://infosec.exchange/@xenontechs/117320636997457109

I have, in my old age, realized that in a capitalist, consumer society, no one knows how to value what is 'free'. And most feel it is inferior because it is free.

In Malaga, bus rides cost 1.40. ( 0.70 if you have a monthly pass, free if you're retired or disabled) It's eminently affordable to most people, but not free. What I notice in my city is that people really value the bus. People keep them clean. People enjoy riding in them.

So, not free, but reasonable.

quoting
note1zf7…zyg7

"reasonable" being "free", I suppose

I beg to differ. Not only are there lots of trains in God's ...

2026-09-23T13:38:10Z

In reply to nevent1q…dwrg
_________________________

I beg to differ. Not only are there lots of trains in God's kingdom, but they run on time and are reasonably priced.

Jumping for joy, laterally #cats #CatsOfMastodon ...

2026-09-19T08:10:26Z

Jumping for joy, laterally #cats #CatsOfMastodon

Today I’m trying out some black earthenware clay. It’s nice, ...

2026-09-15T14:41:02Z

Today I’m trying out some black earthenware clay. It’s nice, but is it ever messy! #pottery #ceramics

Here they are - the first three, from left to right, are my ...

2026-09-11T16:37:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…xjny
_________________________

Here they are - the first three, from left to right, are my attempt at a magic white style layer glaze that you use over another glaze, which creates a kind of white streaky effect. The two on the right are my attempt at a floating iron. It needs much more iron, and will require some mitigation of the way the iron will act as a frit and make it run more - it's pretty runny now! But nothing blew up, nothing stuck to the drip tray, nothing looks entirely like shit. #pottery #ceramics.

I took a little sneaky peek in the kiln at 200C. It seems my ...

2026-09-11T13:15:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…gzru
_________________________

I took a little sneaky peek in the kiln at 200C. It seems my madness has worked out. Pics at under 50C 😂

If I were a politician this is what I would say about right-wing ...

2026-09-11T11:42:16Z

If I were a politician this is what I would say about right-wing groups demand to examine the genitals of athletes:

While it is gratifying to think their motivation for doing this is to hate on Trans folk, (Because at least then they see you - even if it's seeing you and hating you), I think the motivation is much baser.

I think this whole spurious hysteria over Trans athletes is simply window dressing for their perverse desire to examine children's genitals with the blessing of the state.

I have a soft spot for dragonflies #pottery #ceramics ...

2026-09-11T06:22:47Z

I have a soft spot for dragonflies #pottery #ceramics