My village only posts important information on Facebook. I don't have a Facebook account.

Many US government offices and departments, esp on the local level, only post official messages on proprietary social media platforms like Twitter X and esp, Facebook. That is the only place they post, not even on their websites.

In times of emergencies or critical events, this means people not on those platforms miss out.

We need a strong law in the US that says if a gov office, federal, state or local, posts info to the public primarily online, they must do so in an open fashion. Alternatives could be adding RSS, cross-posting to their website, etc.

Locking citizens out because they choose not to use a platform is bad.

When I was a kid, I sometimes wondered how a sprinkler "knew" how to change directions without being powered with electronics. I think it wasn't until I was in my late 30s that I came across this GIF and I realized how insanely genius a simple sprinkler really is.

EDIT: Some people have kindly pointed out that this GIF was in fact from a demonstration on how different gears function and not from an actual sprinkler as I had originally led to believe. Other people have been assholes about it.

Are you still on #Spotify?

Spotify’s CEO Daniel Ek has raised €600M for his new startup, which is developing AI TECH FOR WAR. Ek still owns 9% of Spotify, but has 37% voting control. His net worth went from $2.5B to $10B in the last two years alone, on the back of paying musicians a pittance in royalties.

And don’t forget:

• Spotify spent $250M of your subscription dollars to invite Joe Rogan to spew his disinformation on their platform.
• They’re still trying to embrace and extinguish Podcasts.
• They’re developing in-house, AI-generated “music” so users will play them (royalty-free) instead of music created by humans (who demand royalty).

And now, he’s using his wealth, created by your subscriptions, to fund tech that will use AI to literally murder humans in war.

Stop funding him. Quit Spotify now.

#QuitSpotify #music #ai #militaryTech #techbro

“Spotify’s CEO invests $1 billion into an AI military start-up — and musicians are fuming”

https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/spotifys-ceo-invests-1-billion-into-an-ai-military-startup-and-musicians-are-fuming/news-story/78805666e2374281801622066dc87319

"I have been cursed," the man said.

"With what?" the witch asked.

"That's the thing, the cute warlock shouted 'Curse you!' and I felt it hit."

"I see. I can't remove it, but I could give it direction."

"That's what I hoped. Can you make it 'No woman will want to marry you'?"

"Heh. Sure."

#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

I used to think packaged pre-cut veg at the supermarket was for lazy people.

Then a disabled person pointed out it was a lifeline for them because they lived alone and couldn’t cut it up themselves most days.

I had never even considered that. It changed my perspective and I think from then on when something seems “lazy” I always ask myself “is this just accessible?”
And it’s nearly always the latter.

It’s not hard to listen to someone when they say something is not accessible and it’s not difficult to shift your perspective.
I don’t know why so many people won’t.