Is it time to talk about free and open source software? I think it is!

This is something you don’t need Linux to enjoy. I started doing this on my MacBook and iPhone long before Linux entered the picture. There’s a lot of free and open source alternatives to proprietary software out there.

Here are some examples I use:

• Audacity
• Darktable
• Firefox
• GIMP
• Guvcview
• Inkscape
• Kdenlive (learning the basics rn)
• Krita
• LibreOffice
• Mastodon
• OpenRGB
• Piper
• SimpleNote
• Thunderbird
• VLC

And a bunch more I haven’t mentioned for various things!

#foss #opensource

New US policy designates NHS abortions as human rights breaches

The US State Department has classified state-funded abortion services, including those provided by the NHS, as human rights violations that it will report on in its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. This policy shift marks a fundamental rewriting of America’s approach to global human rights monitoring and places the NHS directly in the crosshairs of US diplomatic scrutiny.

https://humanists.uk/2025/11/27/new-us-policy-designates-nhs-abortions-as-human-rights-breaches/

Martin Sandbu (FT) joins the growing commentary suggesting one key solution to the UK's fiscal problems would be radical tax simplification:

It would make the system more efficient, reducing the complexity of the current system, both for the tax authorities & for tax payers.

It would also (if comprehensive) produce both wins & loses for everyone making it a likely easier political sell.

I've always thought tax simplification (including an asset levy) makes sense & I still do!

#politics

@samlitzinger

Voyager 1 is expected to reach the theorized Oort cloud in ~300 years and pass thru it in ~30,000 years.

In about 40,000 years, it will pass within 1.6 light-years of the star Gliese 445, which is currently 17.1 light-years from Earth, but will be just 3.45 light-years away at that time.

In 300,000 years, it will pass within less than 1 light-year of the M3V star TYC 3135–52–1.

V1 will go silent within the next 10-15 years.

https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/hubble-provides-interstellar-road-map-for-voyagers-galactic-trek/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gliese_445

END OF 10

"Support for Windows 10 ends on October 14, 2025.

Microsoft wants you to buy a new computer.

But what if you could make your current one fast and secure again?

If you bought your computer after 2010, there's most likely no reason to throw it out. By just installing an up-to-date GNU/Linux operating system you can keep using it for years to come.

Installing an OS may sound difficult, but you don't have to go it alone! With any luck, there are people in your area ready to help!"

https://endof10.org/

#Microsoft #Windows #Windows10 #Windows11 #Linux #FOSS