Nostr notes by Bodhipaksa

I just read the manuscript of a forthcoming book, in which the ...

2026-10-31T18:29:04Z

I just read the manuscript of a forthcoming book, in which the author repeatedly used the verb "to dun." I didn't know what it meant and had to look it up.

If you came across a phrase such as "I dunned my editor" which of these meanings would you think most likely?

#WritingCommunity

I’m stunned you’ve run out! But thank you for them all. ...

2026-10-20T03:13:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…ck6u
_________________________

I’m stunned you’ve run out! But thank you for them all. They’re a real treat.

Are you doing anything in NH?

2026-10-08T17:44:06Z

In reply to nevent1q…u0jf
_________________________

Are you doing anything in NH?

I wrote a scathing reply to the question of how data centres can ...

2026-10-08T00:05:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…apah
_________________________

I wrote a scathing reply to the question of how data centres can be made "green." The question itself is a kind of propaganda, because it suggests such a thing is possible.

Done!

2026-10-07T21:01:18Z

In reply to nevent1q…t6hf
_________________________

Done!

You’re looking dapper, sir!

2026-10-03T19:56:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…m5fd
_________________________

You’re looking dapper, sir!

As a native English speaker I don't think I've ever heard ...

2026-09-23T15:51:22Z

In reply to nevent1q…38s7
_________________________

As a native English speaker I don't think I've ever heard "such as" used in a restrictive sense like that. I've attached a screenshot of Grammarly's guide to "such as."

Some editors use "like" in the way you suggested, but it seems to be a zombie grammar rule:

https://www.latimes.com/socal/burbank-leader/opinion/tn-blr-me-aword-20171017-story.html

That's true, although you can say things like, "In some ...

2026-09-23T14:42:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…4arf
_________________________

That's true, although you can say things like, "In some of Shakespeare's plays, such as Hamlet and Macbeth..."

It's funny to bring attention to words like "such." Most of the time we use "such" in formulations such as "She's such a drama queen," "We had such fun," or "There's no such thing as Santa Claus." When you focus on the word itself, you really have to think about what iit means, or what function it's performing.

The biggest lie in Trump's 9/11 fabrication is that two ...

2026-09-11T17:27:00Z

The biggest lie in Trump's 9/11 fabrication is that two firemen carried him from the rubble.

Just two? Really? Were their names "Bobcat" and "John Deere"?

Apparently the term in the US for what you just defined is ...

2026-09-11T11:50:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…vw90
_________________________

Apparently the term in the US for what you just defined is "classic liberalism" (which has evolved into neo-liberalism) as opposed to "social liberalism," which is left-wing,.

No one here ever uses these terms, though. "Liberalism" is never used to refer to the right wing, except maybe by political scientists.

(The part of the Democratic party that's actually left wing are called "progressives.")

Wikipedia defines liberalism as: "a political and moral ...

2026-09-11T11:40:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…vw90
_________________________

Wikipedia defines liberalism as: "a political and moral philosophy based on the rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality, right to private property, and equality before the law."

That's one definition I'm used to, although "liberalism" in the US generally refers to the progressive wing of the above, favouring welfare systems, a mixed economy, government regulation of business, addressing income inequality, etc.

Language is confusing.

Yes, I’m confused by liberalism being described as a ...

2026-09-11T10:59:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…yvtg
_________________________

Yes, I’m confused by liberalism being described as a “right-wing ideology.”

My head's a little fuzzy this morning but it seems to me that ...

2026-09-09T16:55:22Z

In reply to nevent1q…xh8k
_________________________

My head's a little fuzzy this morning but it seems to me that you don't have a single option in your survey that allows readers to express that it was okay for the mother to let her five-year-old child walk to the pool.

Nostr event nevent1qqsgrlkwplu9ulpwwchrnj99f0n686klm75hum89857uynjzktlyxyczyr50p0jtswvvrxw8lf0d0ff9e2ed7l944q4cx7qr9qxhe09enr6ywzndrux

2026-09-08T09:28:11Z

RE: https://mastodon.social/@workingclasshistory/117232186538339073

On-brand.

“While Mosley had been invited on the BBC to promote his Nazi views and advertise his demonstration, the BBC, like the rest of the British press, refused to give a platform to anti-fascists, or mention the counter-protest.”

Also note the lie from Kent Police Assistant Chief Constable ...

2026-09-07T12:36:21Z

In reply to nevent1q…fps3
_________________________

Also note the lie from Kent Police Assistant Chief Constable Nigel Brookes: "We do not as a matter of course monitor peaceful protesters, and their political viewpoints are not taken into consideration."

You know far more about this than I do, of course, but there have ...

2026-09-02T13:42:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…4g8m
_________________________

You know far more about this than I do, of course, but there have been so many leaks of supposedly secure information that I'd have imagined that a company that knew they'd been compromised would be able to put together a pro forma response quite quickly. And that makes me wonder if they just didn't know.

RE: https://infosec.exchange/@briankrebs/117198218728894705 It ...

2026-09-02T13:00:47Z

RE: https://infosec.exchange/@briankrebs/117198218728894705

It seems a company called IDScan is the source of more than 153 million scans of drivers' licenses. The company hasn't alerted anyone to this theft, so either they're covering it up or they don't know about it. Either way, it's bad.

quoting
note19sp…jzlh

Breaking, exclusive and spicy, from me:

A new identity theft service launched on the dark web this week is selling digital scans of more than 153 million drivers licenses from people in the United States and Canada. Based on interviews with individuals whose licenses are available for purchase on this service, it appears to be siphoning images collected by a widely-used identity verification company based in Louisiana. KrebsOnSecurity also has learned that the New Orleans field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) today launched an official inquiry into the source of the images.

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2026/09/fbi-probes-service-selling-153m-drivers-licenses/

#databreach #privacy #id #breach #fbi

Grattis!

2026-08-26T20:04:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…zymn
_________________________

Grattis!

I love the idea of a “gonzo Renaissance writing project”!

2026-08-21T11:22:49Z

In reply to nevent1q…wwyk
_________________________

I love the idea of a “gonzo Renaissance writing project”!

I guess when you realize most people are doing it you start to ...

2026-08-19T17:22:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…etg6
_________________________

I guess when you realize most people are doing it you start to realize it's a good idea — a kind of positive peer pressure. Also we talk about it. If you don't use alt text people are going to encourage you to do it, usually kindly, because we've had to learn its importance ourselves.

Excellent demonstration of sealioning, sir! Top marks! ...

2026-08-19T15:58:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…drzl
_________________________

Excellent demonstration of sealioning, sir! Top marks!

Nostr event nevent1qqs2mlgl8t80ukeg58gwuv4ahxw4sxj0hhl8hvw6qf6xnzlfw5kflvszyr50p0jtswvvrxw8lf0d0ff9e2ed7l944q4cx7qr9qxhe09enr6ywq8mtsy

2026-08-19T12:17:47Z

RE: https://mastodon.social/@AltTextHealthCheck/117122118886656797

Yay, Mastodon.scot! Top of the league table for alt text!

quoting
note1aft…3jy4

Results from tracking 16,826 images across 1,020 instances from the mstdn.social federated timeline.

Then filtering down to the top 1000 instances by active user from instances.social who had posted at least 25 images (1.5x the average).

I’m a member of the US Authors Guild (mainly for access to ...

2026-08-18T11:29:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…df7z
_________________________

I’m a member of the US Authors Guild (mainly for access to their legal department, should I ever need it) and there’s a surprising amount of semi-literacy on the discussion forum.

My book on self-compassion — "This Difficult Thing of Being ...

2026-08-10T13:42:25Z

My book on self-compassion — "This Difficult Thing of Being Human" — is on sale today for just $1.99.

It's an incredibly helpful guide for having a happier life. Please do yourself a favor and buy a copy.

https://books.apple.com/us/book/this-difficult-thing-of-being-human/id1453322111

I was smitten with Automatic Noodle. Will definitely give this a ...

2026-08-08T03:24:10Z

In reply to nevent1q…nrgq
_________________________

I was smitten with Automatic Noodle. Will definitely give this a go!

Today I remembered Peter Sagal's Rules of Twitter, which are ...

2026-08-06T20:06:31Z

Today I remembered Peter Sagal's Rules of Twitter, which are always worth reflecting on.

Capital One bank closed more than 300 Trump-affiliated bank ...

2026-08-02T17:16:25Z

Capital One bank closed more than 300 Trump-affiliated bank accounts in March 2021 because of evidence of money laundering.

Five years ago.

I’m curious whether they reported their suspicions to law enforcement and what action, if any, was taken. Crooked Trump should be in prison, not in the White House.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/01/capital-one-trump-organization-money-laundering

A block recommendation for you. Please spread widely. I don't ...

2026-08-01T14:03:52Z

A block recommendation for you. Please spread widely. I don't want to see WEMs (word-extrusion machines) taking up space on the Fediverse.

The account to block is
@nexus_domovoi@mastodon.social.

Mount Rainier, sandwiched between layers of clouds. Taken ...

2026-07-28T12:35:51Z

Mount Rainier, sandwiched between layers of clouds. Taken yesterday after takeoff from Seattle.

I support almost all of these goals. I don't know who ...

2026-07-28T12:21:25Z

I support almost all of these goals.

I don't know who designed the image, which came up on an image search. I found it here:

https://www.facebook.com/Vivian4ILDems/photos/1345277134266400/

I just finished reading "This Is An Uprising" by brothers ...

2026-07-19T01:43:29Z

I just finished reading "This Is An Uprising" by brothers Mark Engler and Paul Englar. For a heavily-footnoted non-fiction book I have to say it was often thrilling.

It tells the story of the rise and rise of nonviolent resistance, details its successes and some of its failures, and explaining what makes the difference.

It goes a long way to being a "how to topple a dictator" manual, and for obvious reasons I think we've going to need it.

HIGHLY recommended.

It sounds like the US government is going after a left-wing donor ...

2026-07-19T00:07:05Z

It sounds like the US government is going after a left-wing donor on completely spurious grounds. They’re demanding his extradition from Spain while providing no evidence of wrongdoing.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/18/fergie-chambers-stella-schnabel-spain-extradition

Did you know that having "Bombing kids is not self ...

2026-07-13T21:00:05Z

Did you know that having "Bombing kids is not self defense" on your t-shirt is "offensive" and can get you kicked off a United Airlines flight?

Me neither.

https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/united-flight-offensive-t-shirt-atlanta-newark/

All these AI companies are selling a product supposedly ...

2026-07-13T13:40:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…04k0
_________________________

All these AI companies are selling a product supposedly guaranteed to help businesses make more money, yet they're all losing massive amounts and have no route to profitability.

If ChatGPT was as powerful a business tool as OpenAI says it is, OpenAI could just ask ChatGPT how to make OpenAI profitable and all their problems would be solved.

"Police states aren't declared: they're assembled ...

2026-07-10T23:03:03Z

"Police states aren't declared: they're assembled piece by piece, until one day ordinary people realize the freedoms they once took for granted have quietly disappeared…"

Thom Hartmann brings the receipts.

https://hartmannreport.com/p/police-state-are-we-already-there-3ae

RE: https://mastodon.scot/@bodhipaksa/116872815290955339 This ...

2026-07-07T14:33:53Z

RE: https://mastodon.scot/@bodhipaksa/116872815290955339

This datacentre planned for my home county, Fife, would use twenty freaking percent of Scotland's electricity. It's a monster and must be stopped. Please help stop it by signing this petition.

quoting
note1dul…zr52

Kind of bummed that this petition against a monstrous AI data center has not yet broken 6,000 signatures.

“One of the world’s largest AI data centres is being planned next to Auchtertool village in Fife, Scotland. The height of six double decker buses and length of 100 football pitches. An estimated 20% of Scotland’s energy will be consumed by this.”

https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-proposed-ai-data-centre-near-auchtertool-fife

They quite possibly are vapourware, but not because the Labour ...

2026-07-06T13:28:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…3yps
_________________________

They quite possibly are vapourware, but not because the Labour government has been colluding with the developers to lie about its power needs. The AI bubble will have burst long before 2030, when the Lanarkshire centre is supposed to come online, leaving a huge mess for someone else to clean up.

But they'll push ahead anyway, because in the short-term developers can make a lot of money and politicians can get a lot of kick-backs.

I was just reading that!

2026-07-06T11:41:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…zzza
_________________________

I was just reading that!

Kind of bummed that this petition against a monstrous AI data ...

2026-07-06T11:33:55Z

Kind of bummed that this petition against a monstrous AI data center has not yet broken 6,000 signatures.

“One of the world’s largest AI data centres is being planned next to Auchtertool village in Fife, Scotland. The height of six double decker buses and length of 100 football pitches. An estimated 20% of Scotland’s energy will be consumed by this.”

https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-proposed-ai-data-centre-near-auchtertool-fife

Nostr event nevent1qqsqwtuumjex6uedtrd5ae44s3edsfqkhq8eefx6nlhrk83pr4yswegzyr50p0jtswvvrxw8lf0d0ff9e2ed7l944q4cx7qr9qxhe09enr6yw4uesg5

2026-07-05T09:52:51Z

RE: https://mastoart.social/@StevenLawsonPhotography/116866273529407618

Please sign this petition against a proposed AI data center in my home county.

“One of the world’s largest AI data centres is being planned next to Auchtertool village in Fife, Scotland. The height of six double decker buses and length of 100 football pitches. An estimated 20% of Scotland’s energy will be consumed by this.”

Trump had his entire motorcade drive through the empty reflecting ...

2026-07-02T20:06:52Z

In reply to nevent1q…cwjg
_________________________

Trump had his entire motorcade drive through the empty reflecting pool while it was under renovations. Two of the vehicles weighed 20,000 lb, and there were visible marks left in the liner.

If we're looking for a vandal that could create a long straight gash in the pool lining, I think we'll find him in the White House, stuffing his face with a Big Mac.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-motorcade-reflecting-pool/

RE: https://mastodon.social/@SeanCasten/116851408264691104 Hot ...

2026-07-02T18:38:31Z

RE: https://mastodon.social/@SeanCasten/116851408264691104

Hot damn! This is spot on: hilarious and painful in equal measure.

quoting
note1xa7…qvsa

"The Founders... planted secret escape hatches in every amendment, visible only through a powerful lens of resentment, perpetual grievance, and off-the-books Winnebago gifts loaded with all the extras." https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/the-us-constitution-is-for-simple-folk-still-burdened-by-the-belief-that-words-have-meaning

These haars are surprisingly localized. I remember leaving ...

2026-06-27T17:38:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…rh8f
_________________________

These haars are surprisingly localized. I remember leaving Edinburgh by train, bundled up against the cold, and arriving in Stirling to discover that it was blisteringly hot and I was drastically overdressed. It was like going from November to July in 35 miles. Actually, the transition was abrupt, so it was more like going from November to July in 100 yards, but being inside the train the temperature change wasn't detectable.

RE: https://archaeo.social/@mrundkvist/116814925699006096 It’s ...

2026-06-26T09:53:12Z

RE: https://archaeo.social/@mrundkvist/116814925699006096

It’s official: Martin has won Mastodon. The rest of you: thank you for playing and enjoy a well-earned rest for the remainder of the day.

quoting
note1d3q…lw0d

#Goodmorning from sunny Kisa. Today: crocheting festival in Vadstena, drive 3 hrs home. And you?

RE: https://mastodon.social/@Armadillosoft/116813211780498070 ...

2026-06-25T23:20:04Z

RE: https://mastodon.social/@Armadillosoft/116813211780498070

This is one of the most egregious miscarriages of justice I can recall in recent years. It makes the UK government's persecution of people supporting Palestine Action look like bleeding-heart liberalism.

This creates a precedent that the government can deemed anyone a "terrorist" and subject them to severe penalties.

Unless we can get the GOP out of office, this in the future of the US for anyone who disagrees with the government.

quoting
note1fqz…fth6

RE: https://saturation.social/@clive/116811748412966469

Do we think SCOTUS will help clean this up?

Pah-lease!
note1dm5…5f0z

I've been puzzling over the way that Hugh Howey uses the word ...

2026-06-22T13:16:39Z

I've been puzzling over the way that Hugh Howey uses the word "anymore" in his novel "Shift," Mignon Fogarty (npub13tr…zjt2), and I'm wondering if you could share your views.

One example (there are several) is "Maybe it was just him anymore." This sounds totally wrong to me. I would say "Maybe it was just him now."

Puzzlingly, it would sound perfectly correct to me to say "Maybe it wasn't just him anymore."

I grew up speaking ENG-UK. Is this usage a rare US one, or perhaps a mistake?

"Hobby" is an interesting word. Originally it was a ...

2026-06-21T16:41:59Z

"Hobby" is an interesting word. Originally it was a nickname: a shortened form of the name "Robin" or possibly "Robert."

It seems to have been applied to small horses in particular.

So when people made rocking horse toys they were called hobby horses.

And since riding a hobby horse was a pleasant activity that took you nowhere, that term attached itself to other pleasurable pastimes.

RE: https://mastodon.scot/@steviesyerda/116766578938213628 If ...

2026-06-19T22:04:48Z

RE: https://mastodon.scot/@steviesyerda/116766578938213628

If you're a Scot, or just British, do yourself a favor and read this passionate argument for Scotland to regain her independence and to create a truly radical nation. There are so many brilliant passages: "The market is not the natural order of the universe, it is a human model, and it has run its course. Now it conflicts with a material reality that does not negotiate, does not believe in growth, and will not be lobbied. The planet is the one thing in all of this that cannot be bought."

quoting
note1ch2…gken

goan give it a wee read, you might even agree with parts of it

https://open.substack.com/pub/steviesyerda/p/whas-like-us?r=cldf7&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

#politics #Scotland #ScottishIndependence

Oh, that is exactly what I was hoping you would have. Thank you.

2026-06-12T16:09:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…56vn
_________________________

Oh, that is exactly what I was hoping you would have. Thank you.

Your site's very impressive. I haven't done much more ...

2026-06-12T14:26:49Z

In reply to nevent1q…pukz
_________________________

Your site's very impressive. I haven't done much more than glance at it, but I wondered if you'd done any "best of" lists to help us focus in on what's most valuable to read. You must have come across a lot of gems in your explorations.

Thank you for these writings. There's so much out there ...

2026-06-11T22:40:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…0u5k
_________________________

Thank you for these writings. There's so much out there that's neglected, and it's pleasing to know you're bringing some of it to light.

RE: https://mastodon.social/@iamdavidobrien/116693644158702747 I ...

2026-06-04T21:10:14Z

RE: https://mastodon.social/@iamdavidobrien/116693644158702747

I feel sorry for people who spent thousands on World Cup tickets only to have their visas revoked, but a lot of us have been saying for a long time not to come here.

We have a fascist regime here. People are being put in camps without due process. Visitors are screened for their political views, which may be why some football fans are being turned away.

These people should consider themselves lucky they are losing only their money, and not their liberty.
nostr:note1zu3avdrfcclwtexmp6wj2dl5mqdjjh955du5sh2sgz5nzlfkgx0srat90c

I love Ted Chiang's meticulous writing (both his fiction and ...

2026-06-03T20:23:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…ntrq
_________________________

I love Ted Chiang's meticulous writing (both his fiction and non-fiction have that quality). I lost count of the number of times I recommended the piece he did about ChatGPT being a "blurry jpeg" of the web.

I suspect this man's wife would consider this to be ...

2026-06-01T18:36:52Z

In reply to nevent1q…ufwv
_________________________

I suspect this man's wife would consider this to be oversharing!

The conversation is just so natural and thoughtful. And at the ...

2026-05-30T16:09:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…zp65
_________________________

The conversation is just so natural and thoughtful. And at the same time unthinkable on British TV.

I had the same thought.

2026-05-30T15:50:52Z

In reply to nevent1q…rc6d
_________________________

I had the same thought.

Pippa says hi! (Loved Automatic Noodle, by the way. I did, that ...

2026-05-20T22:12:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…8cgj
_________________________

Pippa says hi!

(Loved Automatic Noodle, by the way. I did, that is. Not Pippa.)

This is so good, but the account I saw it in didn't include ...

2026-05-20T20:48:23Z

This is so good, but the account I saw it in didn't include alt text, so I couldn't boost it.

(PS Don't be a dick: include alt text for be benefit of visually impaired people.)

Sorry to hear that! Here's a high five from Luna! ...

2026-05-19T22:37:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…3n6u
_________________________

Sorry to hear that! Here's a high five from Luna!

That makes sense. But the big question is, how do Swedes ...

2026-05-13T11:16:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…56vn
_________________________

That makes sense. But the big question is, how do Swedes pronounce Van Gogh? Scots rhyme Gogh with loch. I think English people say “Goff” and Americans say “Go.” None of these resembles the Dutch pronunciation, as far as I’m aware.

An incisive, a must-read post-mortem of the 2024 election by ...

2026-05-11T10:15:53Z

An incisive, a must-read post-mortem of the 2024 election by Cory Doctorow (npub1fdr…lvhs) :

https://pluralistic.net/2026/05/11/postmortem/#house-divided

The real AI hallucinations are not those generated by computers, ...

2026-05-03T23:52:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…4avw
_________________________

The real AI hallucinations are not those generated by computers, since they do not have minds and do not hallucinate.

The real AI hallucination is people's belief that when they are interacting with Claude, ChatGPL, etc., they are communicating with a conscious being; people hallucinating that there is a mind inside their computer.

I came here to say exactly the same thing!

2026-05-03T14:21:18Z

In reply to nevent1q…ufrc
_________________________

I came here to say exactly the same thing!

Theists look at the world and believe that such complexity and ...

2026-05-02T18:02:43Z

Theists look at the world and believe that such complexity and beauty can only come from some kind of intelligence.

Richard Dawkins looks at the words Claude produces and believes such complexity and beauty can only come from some kind of intelligence.

Dawkins is making exactly the same mistake as the theists he scorns.

https://www.dailygrail.com/2026/05/the-claude-delusion-richard-dawkins-believes-his-female-ai-chatbot-is-conscious/

It's an odd thing when someone says, "Well, you're ...

2026-05-02T17:10:28Z

It's an odd thing when someone says, "Well, you're allowed your opinion," as happened this morning.

Allowed by whom? And if "they" are allowing me to have my opinions now, might they revoke permission in the future?

I sense a subtext along the lines of "You're allowed your opinion, but I wish you weren't."

Pete Hegseth, US Secretary of Defense, argues that the greatest ...

2026-05-01T15:48:37Z

Pete Hegseth, US Secretary of Defense, argues that the greatest enemy of the United States is not Russia, China, or Iran, but any elected representative who opposes Donald Trump.

“The biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless, feckless and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans.”

This is what fascism looks like.

I've had literally hundreds of fake sign-ups for a newsletter ...

2026-04-19T22:10:14Z

I've had literally hundreds of fake sign-ups for a newsletter I run. Every one of them has the username "mxihuuwfnxxpjea." They all have email addresses in the format first.last+characterstring@gmail.com. Unlike with the username, the text after the plus sign isn't always the same.

I've just been manually deleting them every few days. But I'm curious what the angle is here. How does someone benefit from doing something like this?

Anyone know?

This part of Gormenghast took me by the throat in 1978 and has ...

2026-04-15T13:34:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…s6nj
_________________________

This part of Gormenghast took me by the throat in 1978 and has never let go since.

In the 1970's edition of Gormenghast I had, Dr. Prunesquallor ...

2026-04-15T12:04:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…72se
_________________________

In the 1970's edition of Gormenghast I had, Dr. Prunesquallor began as an Alfred, became Albert for a while, and then reverted to Alfredhood.

Up to 777 people have been held at an Arizona ICE facility ...

2026-04-10T20:33:16Z

Up to 777 people have been held at an Arizona ICE facility designed for 157. There are no beds, no showers. People sleep on concrete floors and have been held there for up to 18 days — that we know of.

The treatment of these people is utterly inhumane. After we take power back from the fascists there's going to have to be a reckoning.

https://azmirror.com/2026/04/10/ice-overcrowding-like-sardines-congressional-oversight-arizona/

Lifted from an account that doesn't use alt text. ...

2026-03-30T18:14:41Z

Lifted from an account that doesn't use alt text.

#SilentSunday #SeelintSinday ...

2026-03-29T15:01:47Z

#SilentSunday
#SeelintSinday

No need for further comment... ...

2026-03-09T17:19:42Z

No need for further comment...

Yes, that style of writing is just ... no. It always reminds me ...

2026-03-07T17:48:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…wj3c
_________________________

Yes, that style of writing is just ... no.

It always reminds me of one of my favorite Calvin and Hobbes cartoons. I'm sure you know it.

Wow! I had always just assumed it was a double-sided bar and ...

2026-03-07T17:32:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…6acw
_________________________

Wow! I had always just assumed it was a double-sided bar and there were two barmaids! I hadn't recognized it as involving reflections.

I remember being fascinated by mirrors when I was maybe three or four. I have a very clear memory of looking into one that hung on a hallway wall, looking into it at an angle and being amazed by how much imagery was in the reflection. I wondered how so much could fit into one piece of glass. It seemed magical.

Nostr event nevent1qqs0tz0yx5x5n9vwrau5mtqnfst0hqgl9epqqu342fc584x7kd6d2lgzyr50p0jtswvvrxw8lf0d0ff9e2ed7l944q4cx7qr9qxhe09enr6ywkggxd0

2026-03-01T23:45:34Z

#SilentSunday

I've always been suspicious of Deepak Chopra. He's a ...

2026-02-25T14:24:42Z

I've always been suspicious of Deepak Chopra. He's a businessman who presents himself as a spiritual teacher. A lot of what he says is quantum technobabble, designed to manipulate the unwary into thinking he has depths.

So OF COURSE he's in the Epstein files. And OF COURSE half the time he's emailing with Epstein he's repeating his mantra, "bring the girls."

May the news spread wide and far about this shyster. A fall from grace might make him a better person.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2026/02/23/deepak-chopra-jeffrey-epstein-emails/88821384007/

Titus Groan and Gormenghast are absolutely magnificent. The third ...

2026-02-16T22:08:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…tp72
_________________________

Titus Groan and Gormenghast are absolutely magnificent. The third book wasn't up to the same standard.

Love this image of Epstein victims looking at Bondi with all the ...

2026-02-12T03:11:10Z

Love this image of Epstein victims looking at Bondi with all the respect she deserves.

I'm fascinated by doubled words in ordinary¹ English ...

2026-02-10T15:22:12Z

I'm fascinated by doubled words in ordinary¹ English sentences, such as:

…the company I worked for for ten years…

…I noticed that that man is tall…

…they had had their dinner…

…I do do that…

The words aren't technically duplicated since they have different functions, but it's still cool. I wonder if anyone's catalogued all the words this naturally² happens with.

1. Not sentences constructed to duplicate a word.
2. Words in quotes not allowed (…this "this" is in the wrong font… etc)

Okay, I'm very interested in hearing more about Dracula as an ...

2026-02-06T03:32:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…apr7
_________________________

Okay, I'm very interested in hearing more about Dracula as an anti-imperialist novel. Can you say more?

RE: https://mastodon.social/@frameadvance/116010633604560454 ...

2026-02-04T11:58:02Z

RE: https://mastodon.social/@frameadvance/116010633604560454

Genuine horror here: many institutions in Britain (and other parts of the world) used to provide only hard toilet paper. Imagine wiping your tender anus with tracing paper. Yes, it's unbelievable. But here's the photogaphic evidence.

quoting
note1gcv…k2f8

London, summer of 2002. My wife and I were so amused we brought some back home and put it in our scrapbook!

Right! Hard toilet paper! People of a certain age from Britain ...

2026-02-03T21:38:57Z

Right! Hard toilet paper!

People of a certain age from Britain (and maybe elsewhere) will remember with horror having to use toilet paper that resembled tracing paper. It was hard and crinkly, not at all absorbent, and you could literally use it for tracing.

I'm curious how many people remember the trauma of using this appalling invention.

If you did encounter it, please state the offending country in the comments.

[Boost for larger sample, please!]

Yes, adverbs tend to weaken writing. The other best thing is to ...

2026-02-01T01:09:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…edcy
_________________________

Yes, adverbs tend to weaken writing.

The other best thing is to read your writing out loud. You pick up things that way that you miss when you're reading silently. Silent reading doesn't let you hear repetition or awkward phrasing as easily.

I try to do that when I'm writing a book, but it takes a lot of time, especially when you keep stopping to edit.

Alternatively, "hear" your writing being narrated by your favorite NPR host. That can teach you a lot.

Every time I'm writing a book I'm grateful to Benjamin ...

2026-01-31T17:38:34Z

Every time I'm writing a book I'm grateful to Benjamin Dreyer, who suggested that every writer should try going a week without using:

* very
* rather
* really
* quite
* so
* of course
* in fact

It's astonishing to search through a draft to find these words. In almost every case a sentence is better off if you just delete them. On rare occasions they serve a purpose, but it's possible to reword in order to get rid of them. But I'd like to train myself not to use them in the first place!

A friend send me this, and it resonated... ...

2026-01-29T00:55:50Z

A friend send me this, and it resonated...

I don't think these questions adequately reflect what America ...

2026-01-26T14:51:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…t2cz
_________________________

I don't think these questions adequately reflect what America is. There have always been two competing tendencies There's a tendency toward democratization, and one toward (white, male, christian) oligarchy. Both those tendencies can be seen in the founders, who wanted the American people to govern themselves, but who had a very narrow view of who was fit to govern. We're seeing the oligarchic tendency very nakedly revealed in Trump, and the democratic tendency on the streets.

Dear lord. It's snowing so hard. I've shoveled the whole ...

2026-01-26T00:39:06Z

Dear lord. It's snowing so hard. I've shoveled the whole driveway several times now. Each time I get to the end I look back and see it's already heavily covered again. I dread to think how much we're going to wake up to tomorrow morning.

He was still advocating leaving Nato three days ago. I only hope ...

2026-01-23T13:31:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…78m0
_________________________

He was still advocating leaving Nato three days ago. I only hope the Green Party doesn't adopt that as an official policy.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jan/20/uk-should-consider-expelling-us-forces-from-british-bases-says-zack-polanski

This article was good to read, especially this part: ...

2026-01-23T13:04:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…tjns
_________________________

This article was good to read, especially this part:

"I've been here 24 hours, but already with what I've seen, well, I genuinely believe we're going to win. People here are well aware that what happens here impacts the entire country, that it sets the tone for resistance. ICE is angry, ICE is terrified, of how deeply unpopular it is."

Plato is a crater on the moon.

2026-01-22T02:06:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…2r5z
_________________________

Plato is a crater on the moon.

I'm going to have to tell my son to stay at his mother's ...

2026-01-16T19:15:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…dc6j
_________________________

I'm going to have to tell my son to stay at his mother's place so that I don't have to drive him to school. This is not just for my safety, but for his. He's black, and could end up being assaulted or killed. He's adopted from one of the countries that Trump is no longer allowing immigration from, and they could easily make up an excuse to strip him of his naturalized citizenship.

My father-in-law is a die-hard MAGA supporter, BTW. He voted for this.

2/2

This is insane. I just got a warning that ICE is coming to my ...

2026-01-16T19:12:48Z

This is insane. I just got a warning that ICE is coming to my area in the next week to two weeks. I'm a Green Card holder, but they could still put me in a detention camp or deport me without warning — e.g. because I make social media posts critical of the government.

So until ICE have gone I'm going to have to hide indoors and avoid driving in case I encounter road blocks or get stopped on the street. 1/2

Damn, I upgraded to Mac OS Tahoe, and I'm not happy with some ...

2026-01-14T15:15:52Z

Damn, I upgraded to Mac OS Tahoe, and I'm not happy with some of the changes.

Spotlight used to be a quick way to find a file. Hit command-spacebar, type the name, hit "enter" and up popped the file I was after. Now I type in the file name and up pops a list of unrelated apps and tools. Far down the list is "search in finder," but when I click on that it doesn't even search for the term I just entered.

This was one of my main ways of opening files, so that's another habit to unlearn.

I wonder if you'd like The Original Mirrors' self-titled ...

2026-01-13T16:58:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…vrer
_________________________

I wonder if you'd like The Original Mirrors' self-titled first album? It's very muscular new wave/post-punk. It was one of my favorite albums at that time.

They brought out two albums (1980 and 1981) and then went their separate ways.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuS7VfCgOTA&list=PLkAk6zSMKPBAh1eJB2JdjHjfkY14_UcJO

I've only listened to a couple of these songs on Tidal, but ...

2026-01-13T16:51:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…avds
_________________________

I've only listened to a couple of these songs on Tidal, but it's good. Bit of a 60's vibe.

Renee Good was a "fucking bitch" because she was not ...

2026-01-10T17:16:41Z

Renee Good was a "fucking bitch" because she was not afraid. She had the temerity to talk kindly to Jonathan Ross & to say that she wasn't mad at him.

This infuriated him because his ideal is a fascist world where he is the man with the gun and the power, and where the rest of us are terrified.

Renee Good turned the tables. She terrified him, because his reason for existing is negated by love. So she was a fucking bitch who had to die.

Trump is planning to cancel the midterms. “They had the worst ...

2026-01-07T14:23:40Z

Trump is planning to cancel the midterms.

“They had the worst policy. How we have to even run against these people—I won’t say cancel the election they should cancel the election, because the fake news will say, ‘He wants the elections canceled. He’s a dictator.’ They always call me a dictator. Nobody is worse than Obama. And the people that surrounded Biden.”

This is how Trump operates. First it's "I'm not going to say…" Then it's "You know, a lot of people are saying…"

Then it happens.

I haven't commented on the utterly illegal "arrest" ...

2026-01-04T21:36:39Z

I haven't commented on the utterly illegal "arrest" of a head of state (repulsive and illegitimate though he is) because right now I'm just overwhelmed by how strongly I do not want to live in this kind of world — a world where rules and laws don't matter, where might makes right, and where the world is carved up into Russian, Chinese, and US spheres of influence, with all other countries being client states of the big three. That's going to lead us into a World War.

Sometimes she reminds me a lot of Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau ...

2026-01-02T15:16:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…9njr
_________________________

Sometimes she reminds me a lot of Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins.