@cdarwin@c.imGrand Staircase-Escalante’s stunning slot canyons and dramatic vistas make it instantly recognizable.
Bears Ears’ red-rock canyons house culturally significant petroglyphs and ancient dwellings that have endured for centuries.
Right now they are facing unprecedented attacks–again.
Donald Trump just took executive action to virtually eliminate both of these iconic Utah national monuments,
slashing their boundaries by more than 90%.
Vital wildlife habitats,
@pre@boing.worldBurnham has been made leader of the Labour party then. No other candidates got the required number of nominations so it's a coronation.
He has a few things to say.
He's proud. The party is united, he says, and now they'll put that power of unity to give people hope back. And he is ready to build on Kier's foundation. Thanks Kier, for all the NHS work and renters rights and rebuilding the nation's reputation (??).
He does like to name-check all the various towns and unions of the country. Just listing them. They made Labour, apparently.
We must recognize that this generation of politicians, including Burnham himself, have failed. Four decades of neoliberalism have not been kind to all those places he listed.
He pledges to be better, and will do five things.
1) Work relentlessly to build a culture of one Labour team. No infighting. Wants to eradicate the split. End factional politics.
I guess end Starmer's war on the left then? 🤨
2) Work to build a new politics. This is the last chance for change, and we must take it together. Tell people what Labour will do, not just pick fights with other parties. Seek consensus with those other parties instead, to improve the political discourse.
3) Change political direction: know exactly where he stands and set a direction that is distinctively Labour. No out-greening greens or out-reforming reform or wearing tory clothes. Boldly confidently authentically Labour.
Housing, water, energy, transport, all broken due to privatization and concentration of wealth and power.
Four decades of political power draining from regions to corporations and central government ends now.
Take back the slogan "take back control" from the right, who gave away power to corps and quangos.
Life should be more affordable.
4) Be a leader for the north, south, east and west, for Scotland and Northern Ireland (aw, shame for the midlanders 🤣 ).
Gonna do to everywhere what he done for Manchester he reckons.
Kids shouldn't have to leave their home towns to prosper.
5) Take power back from westminster and give it to the place where you live.
More power for regions, to run trains for passengers not shareholders. Improve high-streets, and back shops and pubs, and education, and reindustrialization.
He's gonna be pro-business.
Add all that together and he reckons we'll bring back hope.
Thanks a few people in particular.
He says he knows what he believes and what he wants to do, he has a plan. He wants change, to be close to the people.
He wants it to be Andy 4 us. Labour 4 us. Bring back hope.
#ukpol #burnham #labourParty
@Mediagazer@mstdn.socialAll eight major streamers together cost about $151/month without ads or bundles, up from $90 in 2022, as prices rose more than 3x faster than inflation (James Hibberd/The Hollywood Reporter)
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business
@sysop408@sfba.socialI'm on a deep programming binge right now. My least favorite thing to do when I'm like this is trying to have coherent conversations with anyone. It's hard to string more than three words together right now.
I can still write just fine. It's interesting that it's mostly my verbal abilities that are affected. A friend of mine who used to be a developer once asked me in all seriousness, "Does programming cause brain damage? Do you recover from this?"
@pre@boing.worldStarted up some improv again now the summer is over. Eight weeks of practice together then a few shows in November.
Three hour sessions are like 50% more hardcore than two hour sessions.
Seems like the instructor is more interventionist than most. More notes and suggestions as we go.
Same note to me as usual though: Slow down, be more grounded, let it simmer a bit first.
He mentioned Lord Of The Rings, and how its all world-building and slow pacing for the first twenty minutes before the action starts.
Is it? Wouldn't know. I got bored and turned it off before the end. Dreadfully dull story I thought. Just marching up and down. 😆
I'm sure they're right though. It's a hangover from the way you train early with short form. There, if something doesn't happen in the first 2 minutes it doesn't happen at all and you gotta establish setting and relationships immediately.
But I notice also that these days half the podcasts and youtube shows start with a clip from the middle. And I usually skip right to minute five anyway because I don't care about the introductions.
#improv #writing #london
@markrsmith@smithtodon.org“I like to think that there's a special corner of heaven where Mister Rogers, Bob Ross, Henri Nouwen, Betty White, Chadwick Boseman, and Robin Williams all hang out together... and they're welcoming Dolly with open arms right now.”
#dollyparton
@tiotasram@kolektiva.socialWish inspiration hadn't struck right at 1 a.m. when I have to teach tomorrow, but we'll see if I can get back to sleep now that I'm done with a draft of this story. Glad to have my first entry in my "incredulous young historians of the future" series actually written instead of just imagined. There are surely some typos ahead...
#SciFi #Writing #Technology #ShortStory
"The Age of Progress", a short story by Tiota Sram.
"Your assignment", said the teacher, "is to describe why the progressive vision of technology that gives us the name 'Age of Progress' today failed, and why it was actually a pessimistic view of technology. Your study guides have links to a few sources, but as usual you should synthesize information from at least two knowledge systems, and one of those shouldn't be family-based."
"Ugh", said Ye'xik, "this is gonna be tricky. Wasn't the whole problem with the Age of Progress that they were too optimistic about technology?"
"Well, they did talk a lot about the end of the world and extinction, and I did almost happen, right?" said Finan.
"Yeah, that's gotta count as pessimism, doesn't it?" Gedi chimed in.
"Well..." said Hallavia, with their usual deliberate tone, "I think it's not that simple, or at least it doesn't have to be."
The four of them were walking outside to have lunch, pondering the new assignment from this cycle's history and culture teacher. A brief silence fell as they pondered the Age of Progress.
"Maybe we should look at it through another history system?" offered Finan. "I mean, we've been learning about knowledge systems and lenses, and the 'Ages' lens of just one perspective with its own distortions, right?"
"My mab is working with my omeh on an oral history right now", said Gedi, "maybe I can use that as my second knowledge system? I'll see what they have to say about it!"
"We shouldn't all use the same knowledge systems though", said Ye'xik. "I think there's a bit of a thesis/antithesis thing going on here too? Like we were learning in ideas class?"
"Wait, I missed ideas last week", said Gedi, what's an antithesis?"
"It's just an opposite, really", said Ye'xik. "You take the thesis statement and construct any statement that contradicts it. The two form a pair, and then you can try to find a synthesis that combines both ideas."
"I didn't really get that part", Finan interrupted, "like, if they're contradictory, how could they be expressed together? Wouldn't you need to pick one that's true?... wait I guess maybe if you mixed different knowledge systems? But then would they really be contradictory?"
The group fell silent for a moment in thought.
Hallavi spoke up: "Incommensurate isn't the same as contradictory, I think. That's what it would be if you had two truths from different knowledge systems that didn't fit. Plus... not all knowledge systems have a concept of truth, or of contradiction?"
The group pondered this for a bit more.
"I think maybe there's lots of ways to be contradictory, even in a very logic-hungry knowledge system", said Gedi. "Then if your thesis and antithesis contradict in one way, you could find another sort out 'axis' in which they don't, and state your synthesis from there?"
"Oh, that makes sense", said Ye'xik.
"Anyways what were you saying about the Age of Progress, Ye'xik?" said Gedi.
"Wait", interrupted Hallavi, "Did that mashes sense to you, Finan?"
Finan had been silent, looking down at their feet, but replied "Oh yeah, thanks for checking Hallavi! I think I got the part about synthesis now, thanks Gedi. I was just thinking about optimism and pessimism more. Is that where you were going with this, Ye'xik?"
"Haha, yeah Finan, you got it", said Ye'xik. "Since optimism and pessimism can be opposites, does the teacher actually want us to form a synthesis of them?"
"Oh..." muttered Gedi, "that's a good idea."
"I think..." began Hallavi, pausing to collect their thoughts, "I think the teacher would have told us that, though. Obviously it's not a wrong way to approach this assignment because it incorporates pessimism, but teachers usually aren't too tricky. I think it's okay to be literal about the pessimism thing. And I think I have an idea..."
When Hallavi remained silent for a moment, Ye'xik opened their mouth to speak, but then looked at Hallavi and closed it again. Finan and Gedi were looking at Hallavi too. They pushed through the doors out to the meadow, and settled in their usual place to sit, pulling lunches out of their bags. Hallavi finally spoke up while the others were chewing: "The Age of Progress lasted from the Enlightenment to the Dim Times, and they believed that technology would always get better, no matter what. That's the progressive vision of technology our teacher was talking about. They thought it could solve any problem, and they wouldn't have to worry about weapons or extinctions or the climate or pollution or any of that stuff, because technology would eventually come up with a solution. They looked at the technology that solved problems like diseases or overcame engineering challenges and extrapolated too broadly, basically. That's the idea they had?"
The other three were all nodding their heads, knowing Hallavi needed room to think and put words together.
Hallavi continued: "So it seems like it's optimistic, because they thought it could do anything. But they were thinking about technology like I just talked about it: like an 'it' that could 'do'. That's not what we've been learning in our technology class. Invention is a social phenomenon, and technologies have both material and social bases, not to mention communities of practice and knowledge maintenance. So I think the idea of technological progress divorced from social participation is pessimistic, because it mythologizes technology in a way that makes it seem uncontrollable."
"Huh" said Gedi and Finan while at the same time Ye'xik said "mhmm".
Hallavi looked up shyly at the rest of them, but they were all looking back with admiration.
"I think you're right, Hallavi", said Ye'xik. "Or at least, that's probably what the teacher wanted us to puzzle out. Good thing they asked us to include two knowledge systems so we can each have our own perspectives to contribute, otherwise you'd go first and our presentations would all just be 'What Hallavi said'".
Hallavi blushed but Finan laughed "Hah! You're right and that Ye'xik."
Gedi was looking at their sandwich with some intensity. They looked at Hallavi then back at their sandwich. "It's like they thought they were strapped to an out-of-control rocket, when you put it that way", they said. "It must have been scary, really, to believe that technology was almost an entity, changing in an inevitable way. That word 'inevitable' really takes all the human agency out of it, doesn't it. And even though they kept saying that technology would inevitably solve problems, look at what the technologies they invented actually did!"
Finan shuddered. He added, "Really, it was their dominators who were saying it was inevitable wasn't it? Back then it wasn't like today where historians travel and sample all kinds of ideas, so the primary sources we're reading are almost all from dominators, right?"
Ye'xik responded "Yeah, I keep forgetting to account for that. It was such a weird and horrible time, it's kinda hard to believe everything we read and hear sometimes."
Gedi picked up the thread again "That makes it worse, right? All those dominators saying the stuff they're doing is inevitable, and lying to everyone's faces about it being progress and wonderful stuff, meanwhile two thirds of it is the most awful stuff there's ever been, I mean they could have literally killed everyone and ruined the whole planet, and they almost did."
"They did actually crush a lot of cultures beyond recognition so the survivors had to rebuild with only weak ties to their old traditions", said Hallavi with a quiet intensity.
They all were silent for a moment, pondering the horrors of a bygone age.
Finan broke the silence: "That's a terrible kind of pessimism, to believe that technologcal 'progress' is inevitable, at a time when most people are dominators somewhere in a hierarchy and the ones on top constantly talk about how technologies like medicines will 'save' the world while mostly inventing new technologies of violence. Everyone must have understood what they really meant based on the technologies they were actually developing and investing into. I think I still don't understand how the Age of Progress and the Dim Times could even happen".
"Yeah, and the pessimism is only part of our assignment", signed Ye'xik. "We still have to describe why the progressive vision failed, although I think maybe you just did a lot of that, Finan".
A gloom descended briefly, until Gedi said "Well, this assignment is supposed to take a week or two, right? Thanks to Hallavi we've already cracked the crux, I think, so we don't need to ruminate too much right this moment about ancient history, and we know things turned out okay in the end. Let's finish lunch and go climb a tree!"
@hex@kolektiva.social- Recognized creed and form of worship
The practice of "worship" is not necessarily theistic. There are plenty of secular churches, such as some of those from some Buddhist sects and Secular Humanist ones. You just need something that says what you believe.
Perhaps, what you believe is that "the system is dying and we must work together to create an alternative system." That's kind of all you need. Now, if you're reading this, then I might recommend your "practice of worship" look a whole lot like the "housing coop that looks like a convent/monastery," with a library and dispensary managed by the "Church" and "regular services" (we'll get to that) which are just the types of general assemblies/organizing meetings that you need to keep such things going. But I'm not here to tell you what to believe and how to practice it. ;)
@Techmeme@techhub.socialApple's planned move of Hide My Email aliases to private.icloud.com will let services easily distinguish them from normal iCloud email addresses and block them (Arseniy Shestakov)
https://arseniyshestakov.com/2026/06/16/apple-is-about-to-make-hide-my…
@tiotasram@kolektiva.socialI'm not big on the whole Christian "natural/artificial" binary, or the settler-colonialist concept of "wilderness" which erases indigenous stewardship in a bid to claim mid territory (see, e.g., tribes forced out of what are now national parks in the US). But I do enjoy getting out of urban/suburban environments and into places where the human impact on the land is minimal and/or synergistic with non-human flourishing.
I was thinking about why I enjoy this so much today while out on a stroller hike with my younger child, and came to the conclusion that it may be less about being in a "natural" space and more about being in a space whose flourishing is not tied to the capitalist necropolitical "growth" spiral.
Like, there's the baseline intrinsic beauty of flowers, trees, flowing water, etc. Then there's the pleasure of considering how these things fit together into an ecosystem and mutually support each other (and also compete/predate, etc.). But on top of all that, there's the sense that these things are part of a self-sustaining pattern that's capable of continuing without outside inputs and without creating external waste over vast, geologic timescales. The things I see when I look around in a city aren't like that. 100 or 1000 or 10000 years from now they'll be ruins, not necessarily because of human extinction or anything like that, but because the resource flows that create them are inseparable from a fundamentally unsustainable economy built around a paradoxical assumption of infinite exponential growth.
There *are* of course some human-built or -stewarded things in the world that are sustainably maintained, and ruins can have their own kind of beauty. But to me part of the joy of being on a hiking trail is to look around and see beautiful systems that will persist regardless of (most) human political outcomes that I spend a lot of energy worrying about.
Even in the extreme cases of climate change these things will eventually come back, albeit in an altered form. I don't want to ignore the incredibly destructive impact of humans on the environment, of course, but still, it's comforting to me to think about how the problems and brokenness of currently-dominant human cultures might change and scar but will not actually destroy the many systems on this planet that just don't depend on humans for their propagation.
@cdarwin@c.imThis is the most detailed picture of a human cell ever made 🧪
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DX1CGIZMKJs/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ
@hex@kolektiva.socialRE: https://todon.eu/@CrimethInc/117162698930485347
There was a time, 4 or 5 years ago, when my partner and I had a conversation. We had already fought last time, and now we had kids. We had the ability to leave, so we decided that we would if things got bad enough. We had to make a decision about when that would be, about what the trigger would be. It was Roe being overturned. It had happened in the past. We left as soon as we could.
If you haven't left, or can't leave, you need to make another decision. You need to decide if you're going to fight or hide. I'll tell you now, your best chance is if you fight before it's too late. If you try to keep your head down the best outcome you can hope for is to survive in shame.
If you decide to fight, then you need to decide when. I don't know what your life looks like, so I can't tell you where that line is. But you need to know what it is, because not knowing is the same as hiding. You need to talk to other people and know when they'll fight, because your best chances are together. Everyone should have a breaking point. A lot of folks may have blown right past it and not noticed, because it's all too overwhelming, because life is already too much without adding more. I understand, but without thinking about it you're making a different choice.
This is an extremely common platform for leftists. I remember my old roommate and their autistici email address. I have an account with them for organizing I did in the past. If you've ever listed to anything on the Channel Zero network, you've probably run across someone reading out a noblogs domain. This is an explicit attack on the left, and specifically on anarchists. This provides the legal framework for mass arrests targeting anarchists.
Will they do that? I don't know. They know they're unpopular and they know anarchists are a big part of the fight. Will they use those warehouses? They'll do what they can get away with.
What will you do to stop them? What will you do when they escalate? Figure out your escalation plan. What would it take to get you in the street? What would it take to get you on the barricades? If you don't have a plan, if you haven't at least thought about it, and maybe even talked about it, then you're deciding to let them do whatever they want.
Fascism is like a dying star that gets bigger even as it consumes itself before exploding. It has to have an enemy, so it will make enemies to feed on. You may be used to being safe when the state cracks down like this, but you never really were. Your turn was just so far off it seemed impossible. But now we're at the end. No one will be safe until this is over. So at the very least, make plans for when they come after you.
@hex@kolektiva.socialIf you want to know what Rubio is trying to do, go listen to the Revolutions podcast on 1848. Metternich built a conspiracy of kings that persecuted Liberals in order to protect European empires against revolution. It failed, of course, but he was able to hold things down (right until it all blew up in his face). The strategy was essentially mass surveillance, censorship, and general Draconian repressieve bullshit.
Rubio is trying to slap together an actual international conspiracy of governments to stomp on the face of humanity forever, and his opening offer is off-brand 70's fear mongering that no one takes seriously.
He may well be right, in some ways. The thing he calls "civilization" is white supremacist patriarchal Christian nationalism, modeled loosely on Pinochet's Chile, Franco's Spain, Mussolini's Italy, and Putin's Russia. Yeah, "the left" is a *huge* threat to that type of shit. In fact, we always win.
But Rubio is Dollar Tree Metternich, and he's not trying to stop a liberal revolution near the birth of liberalism. He's trying to stop a leftist revolution that's been refining itself now against these same tactics for hundreds of years.
We already have the playbook he's using (poorly). It's just funny that the famous Marx quote about history repeating, "the first as tragedy, then as farce," is so applicable to this Rubio as he rails against the laughable boogyman of "Marxism."
