Latest Posts by trailsandt - Page 2
You cannot imagine how much I wish this!!!!!
I started with computers, hacking a Commodore 64, building my own board for new chips,
When there were no mice to click. ! You had to type everything. And write your code to make it work.
When I got a power Mac and access to real processing chips, I thought I was in heaven.
Now there are so many barriers to doing any of that, and they tell me this makes it better for me !
NO, IT DOESN’T. !
When I actually buy something I get to do whatever the fuck I want with it, because I bought it. !
I take complete responsibility for doing risky things. That’s all on me.
I miss the old, good internet, but I don’t want to bring it back.
I want a new, good internet. One where users can’t be locked in because we make it legal to:
• reverse-engineer products and services, so you can leave a social media platform but still send and receive messages from the people you leave behind;
• jailbreak your devices so you can remove antifeatures like surveillance, ink-locking or repair-blocking; • move your media and files out of the silo whence they originated and into any player you want.
I want a new, good internet where we constrain the conduct of tech companies, banning unfair labor practices, deceptive marketing, corporate hostage-taking and other forms of rent-extraction.
I want a new, good internet where it’s both illegal to impose bossware on your employees, and where those employees can legally hack the bossware their bosses shove down their throats.
I want a new, good internet where creative workers and their audiences can reliably connect with one another, where news reporting isn’t held hostage to extractive processes.
I want a new, good internet where we seize the means of computation so that the digital infrastructure that connects our romantic, personal, political, civic, economic, educational and family and social lives is operated by and for the people who use it.
-Enshitternet: The old, good internet deserves a new, good internet
Unrestrained and immoral capitalism at the level of greed and pursuit of profit that kills the underlying source of it all. The “middle class. What a joke we are forced to live. 😖
This is how you unrig the system. You vote for Democrats and progressives. #VoteBlue
Keep Wall St from manipulating Main St.
Capitalism is not equitable or sustainable. Unending pursuit of ‘profit’ ( or any other single minded objective ) at the cost of subjugating and exploiting the people doing the work to produce said ‘profit’ —— never ends as well as you think.
How long can an extreme ultra-capitalist nation survive without becoming an authoritarian dystopia?
I’ve been pondering that today, but it’s occurred to me that it’s worth noting this extremist capitalist society called the United States did start out as an authoritarian dystopia.
I had originally typed “for a massive number of people living within it” to the end of the sentence above, but I’ve erased it because that’s what all dystopias are. They are never horrific dictatorships to everyone. There is always an in-group that lives in relative comfort with relative freedom that simply does not consider the suffering of others to be relevant to their lives.
The US was built by a wealthy merchant class to be that dystopia where those merchants and landowners were the in-group, replacing the king and his appointees. The country shifted toward freedom for all, toward democracy over time, not away from it. The right to vote was first held only by male landowners of the upper class, it was not designed to be egalitarian for all. The notion that it was ever meant to be for all people is a lie we tell ourselves so we can feel special about our country’s founding, but it’s still a lie, and it’s a dangerous one.
Accepting this history, and considering it, changes the question. It becomes:
How long can an extreme ultra-capitalist nation survive without returning to an authoritarian dystopia?
That’s a more tangible premise to consider. It shifts the argument from an inevitable economic condition in the hands of capital, to a political one in the hands of people. Extreme capitalist oligarchy has always been in direct opposition to full democracy, because under democracy, capital’s power can be overruled by the will of the people. When the needs of the people cannot override the interests of wealth, then democracy is no longer functioning; an oligarchy has control. Maintaining that control in the face of increasing hardship for people inevitably requires more power. This premise leads us to look at how oligarchy may strengthen its grip.
We can look right now and see precisely which elected politicians are arguing that the US is not (and should not be) a democracy, but a republic. We can see exactly who is arguing for a return to constitutional principles, while suggesting we suspend the Constitution. We can see exactly who preaches “Law & Order” while ignoring the law. We can see exactly who claims that some votes should count more than others, and that their candidate is “the real winner.” We can also listen and learn exactly who is paying them to do that. We can then gauge their support and the support for their ideas to see how much time we have left before we empower people to undo the past century of incomplete social progress.
An oddity of today is that the US is hurtling in two directions at once. One is toward a more empowered people, with unions rising, differences celebrated and enjoyed, and a support for struggling individuals. The other is accelerating wealth inequality, indifference to suffering, and desperation driving down wages while increasing profits. Both are happening, both are accelerating. That’s not sustainable.
The highly dedicated people pushing hard in both of those directions often see the other side as a destabilizing anti-American force, determined to upend whatever greatness we have. And they’re both right about that, it’s just that one sees America as a fully-formed sacred ideal that’s been lost, and the other sees it as a process for building a more perfect Union. This is the divide that the nation was born with, and the same divide that led to the Civil War.
I’m not shy about which side I’m on. We have to keep pushing for stronger democracy and a happier people.
The other side, the one that sees America as built by prophets, that wants to ban history so their prophets won’t be questioned, that unrealistically imagines themselves to be the in-group the founders intended, will return us to their authoritarian dystopia. That is where all of their arguments originate, and where all of their arguments lead.
That’s why MAGA uses the word “again.” They mean to return us to a time they thought was great, where the in-group was clear and life was miserable for everyone else, because they genuinely believe they’ll be the new in-group. They won’t, they all can’t, but they will take us there quickly as soon as they can.
That certainly would appear to be the situation.
So why are so many still enamored of this party, the vast majority will not be able to enjoy the tax cutting the party is espousing. They are actually the ones that are paying the bills.
Important. Please understand how your own government actually works people.
By Frederick H. Decker
Common Dreams
Nov. 29, 2023
National news media often broadcast misinformation when discussing the debt of the United States government, erroneously targeting Social Security as the main culprit whether intentionally or from genuine ignorance.
The coverage of the federal debt by news media generally considered credible often mirrors, unfortunately, the falsehoods heard from Republican lawmakers in blaming Social Security as a major driver of the federal debt. Such misleading news coverage was embedded in a recent segment aired during the week of Thanksgiving on the PBS NewsHour, which is an hour I watch regularly to typically be informed by sound journalism. But in the segment at issue here, I witnessed misinformation broadcast to the public that could shape public opinion into thinking, quite erroneously, that Social Security needs gutting because it is the culprit increasing the federal debt. It isn’t.
This particular segment on the federal debt on PBS NewsHour was introduced on Tuesday November 21 by coanchor Amna Nawaz stating how the “U.S. government remains open this Thanksgiving week, thanks to a temporary funding deal Congress passed last week.” But when that temporary funding starts expiring in January, Nawaz added, “conservatives are signaling they won’t pass another funding deal without addressing a bigger issue, the swelling U.S. national debt.”
Then coanchor Geoff Bennett and correspondent Lisa Desjardins, standing before a screen with varying charts, discussed the growing interest paid on the federal debt. As Desjardins put it, “just the interest on our debt is so large [in the past year] that it is almost [the size of} the entire Department of Defense budget.” That statement may be true, but that was not the punchline of the segment.
Social Security hasn’t reduced available general revenue nor been the reason why politicians are not funding programs for younger constituencies.
The NewsHour segment ended mirroring the Republican Party’s mantra that Social Security is the major driver of the federal debt. As Desjardins concluded “the three largest drivers of the debt are in reality” Social Security, Medicare, and interest on the debt, with each in the chart displayed indicated as accounting respectively for 21.2%, 12.9%, and 10.5% of total federal expenditures. Desjardins added, “Really what’s happening here is Congress is not addressing the big drivers of the debt at all.”
In a recent piece with misinformation embedded in its title alone, “Why We’re Borrowing to Fund the Elderly While Neglecting Everyone Else,” columnist Catherine Rampell also implied that borrowing to fund Social Security benefits will, as she wrote, “continue to crowd out future spending obligations in years ahead” on programs for the young like “pre-K, or child care, or paid parental leave, or a more generous child tax credit.”
One problem in such depictions exemplified by the NewsHour and in Rampell’s article is that Social Security, specifically, is funded almost exclusively by its own revenue source. Not by borrowing, as Ms. Rampell implies without providing supportive evidence for that contention (because there isn’t any). Nor funded by general revenue as likely many believe when seeing typical charts on federal spending (like that shown in the segment aired on PBS NewsHour) that include Social Security expenditures, which are not at all funded by general revenue but, rather, by its separate targeted payroll and income taxes.
Actually, as I have written about previously, Social Security is today the entity owning the most debt, $2.7 trillion in Treasury securities (Monthly Treasury Report, Table 6, Schedule D as of October 31, 2023). More than the two foreign governments owning the most U.S. debt, Japan today owning U.S. securities valuing $1.1 trillion and China with under $1 trillion.
Surpluses in Social Security revenue by law have to be invested in U.S. securities. And revenue surpluses have over the years been the norm in the program. Thus, Social Security for years, in essence, funded the debt with its surplus revenue, not caused it.
Social Security hasn’t reduced available general revenue nor been the reason why politicians are not funding programs for younger constituencies as Ms. Rampell alludes to in her piece. Tax cuts during the Trump and Bush administrations, however, did help do that. Growth in deficits and debt, as analysis by the Center for American Progress indicates, has largely been driven by those tax cuts. Tax cuts reducing general revenue applicable to programs like the earlier expanded child tax credit that, before expiring, lifted more children out of poverty.
The Social Security program has nevertheless, according to reports by the Board of Trustees overseeing the program, recently incurred shortfalls in its dedicated revenue stream. In 2022, a 4% shortfall noted in the trustees’ current report (Table II.B1, page 7). And those recent shortfalls have been met simply by just cashing in some U.S. securities the program acquired over the years with revenue surpluses.
But true enough, within current parameters of the program, the trustees predict the program’s reserves (i.e., securities) will be depleted by 2033. Then relying solely on Social Security’s separate tax revenue, it is predicted only 77% of benefits due will be payable. That’s not being totally broke, but it would have an adverse effect on the income many elderly depend upon.
Raising the Social Security retirement age to purportedly reduce costs also has adverse effects that, as I discussed earlier, the Congressional Research Service among others have outlined. For one, among those of lesser means who also on average have lower life expectancies, increasing the retirement age would reduce their lifetime Social Security benefits collected disproportionately relative to reductions among higher income earners with typically longer life expectancies. Increasing the retirement age would, furthermore, disproportionately harm those retiring early due to work-related health impairment suffered most prevalently in blue-collar occupations.
A different option some propose to increase revenue is eliminating the cap on the income subject to the Social Security payroll tax. In 2024 the limit on income taxed will be $168,600. Income above that limit would not currently be taxed.
However Social Security is made solvent for the future, one thing is quite clear. Social Security has not been the reason for incurred and increasing U.S. debt.
A most unusual lovely “musical” alibet somewhat raucous interlude. Hit it Joe
Bang,
Kinda Awesome ❗️
I’m all scratched up and I can still taste spray paint in my mouth and my husband almost fell out of a tree BUT THE GHOST SCULPTURES ARE FINISHED!
They’re finally finished and I’m so happy with them!!
Some progress shots:
No better conceptualization for the second heating you get from making firewood and carrying water from the well than.
I’m old enough to have actually done that many times, and now on occasion still do and have a whole new appreciation of it. 🪵. 🔥. 💦
So you want to know why I’m disgusted with the U.S…..
I’m over 60 years old. I’ve formally had five jobs in my 42 + year professional year professional life. One by popular election, two by my own selection. Those three required that I take an oath to uphold the Constitution of this country. I took it personally and seriously. That conduct repulses me on so many different levels that I am without further words …..
I’m no legal expert, but if attempting to overturn a federal election conducted and certified as valid under the Constitutions of the United States and the state of Georgia, and in accordance with state and federal law, is now “part of the job” then people, all people, really ought to get to the range and practice. Because if the President’s Chief of Staff can pull that card to subvert an election, then our Republic truly is under mortal threat.
When the mace
Doesn’t smash your face
That’s amoreè
I go into the woods and trails and DO NOT ! ! ! Want to hear your music. The woods and trails have their own voices. That’s what I want to hear.
I will find you if you are disturbing the trees, critters (fur or feathers) or ME. I will first ask politely for you to stop the noise you are producing. The next steps are to be determined, but that noise should stop.
Whole hearted agreement with that sentiment @oni-with-an-iron-club..
Significantly over 60 years. There’s probably at least one more, Hopefully I’m wiser now and it will be in an entirely new setting. Almost looking forward to it. Top five life challenge. Anybody up for that. ?
Apparently, there is a certain level of baseline embarrassment that is now part and parcel of my life. 🫢 🫣
Luckily [ O M G So lucky ] there is a well loved and select group I now find I can trust with this anomaly (for me).
As luckily they don’t know a thing about this confession. Ha, ha, ha ha ha ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha oh fuck.
And so it goes…………..
Do you think any of them learned the obvious ?
A momir
I hate that this came from tictocky, but no better advertisement for physics and older people’s experiences.practical applications of their the knowledge. They drink and know things.
And he thought mom was naive....
I’ve tried to eliminate tictoks but sometimes one gets through. Of all of them this is the second one I’ve found useful and interesting. Stuff I didn’t know.
So all I need is to hem 10 yard of full length tartan weave and I’m good to go. Excellent. !
Getting back a little late. At least they left the light on. 💡
F. F. S. PEOPLE.
This is the point we’ve gotten to.
Even Elon Musk with his billions has learned his feelings do not control the world and everything in it.
Just fucking grow up ! ! !
I laughed at this until I realized I was really crying. BECAUSE TRUTH :
A small group of people ACTUALLY took the majority of sane ‘reasoning’ from the 21st century to the 14th century in less than 10 years. All with no archeological evidence to show in looked back.
Never wonder again how ancient cultures simply disappeared from view.
I LOVE this description!
Having been,on occasion, the person tied into a tree with the chainsaw in hand; you have got to KNOW/LIVE that knowledge or bad things will happen.
Well done. Accolades. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
tyler, at the point where torsion is not applied makes a shallow pie cut(open face), The compression wood is then somewhat relieved, this opens the tree up for barber chairing which can be extremely fatal. The part I decieded to film at is when he stepped and bucked down into a lower and more ducked position incase of minor barber chairing which can occur but isn’t likely if you make your cuts right. Hickory like this is strong meaning a 5% hinge is critical. burrow cut/plunge cut into the center than move tword the face cut to make a 5% hinge. the back wood and the hinge spot are what we call fiber plates that are holding that tree together, the back is under tension, the hinge under compression. after moving forward to leave 5 % hinge, cut backwards in the plunge cut tword yourself till a tension fiber plate of 5% is remaining. When their is still potential for spring loading your spar/snag while bucked in, it isn’t wise to continue your borrow/ plunge cut out the back twords your face as you can buckle your arms and saw chuck your face or not get your saw out fast enough to prepare for the pop and release. Tyler is tied in to a tree adjacent to him but on MRS/DRT and not as a trunk anchor and not in the best spot, it’s back up so he doesnt whip if he gaphs or spikes out from spring back. The other method used often is called double bucking with a sinching method or spar anchor to prevent this. Either way you never cut twords your face on a spring loaded spar/snag. Tyler than finishes the back fiber plate off full throttle with a simple back cut. static lowers his chainsaw after knuckle pucking the chainbrake foreward and rushes to brace pushing away from the spar as it crashes to the grown missing the targets near by and freeing it’s self from the tree its few tips were tangled in.
Rights without responsibilities (used and accepted by both parties) is tyranny.
“I have the right”
TO SHUT THE FUCK UP. Nobody wants to hear your nonsensical, marginally sentient, Constitutionally misinterpreted, drivel about how you get to, for all intent and purposes, fuck all of your fellow citizens in the ass with a claw hammer because you have “rights”
Until you want to add “I have responsibilities” to the conversation, I don’t want to here a fucking word emanate from your yap.
How this got back to me, I don’t know, BUT thank you tumblr.
Complex hydrocarbon breakdown sure, decomposition, but heavy metals are already in their simplest forms. So that phase is just dilution is the solution to pollution. Ha!
How mushrooms clean up toxic messes
ABSOLUTELY FUCKING ABSOLUTELY
In the most 1776 manner, Do Not Tread On My/Any Library 🐍
SANCTUARIES AND REPOSITORIES OF KNOWLEDGE MUST EXIST !
Because Library is a safe place.
We only cohabitate with nature, it’s the greatest thought fallacy that we have dominion over Nature. Man has been here only a very short period of time, man will be replaced quite easily because we do not recognize how to sustainably live in relationship with nature. Nature will continue on over men’s bones and vast achievements. Nature does not have a ego.
I was in their environment, so I don’t blame them.
You often see this kind of comment made after someone is attacked by a shark or bear. And it took me a long time to understand, but that is a thoroughly wrong headed thought process.
We don’t enter sharks, bears, raccoons, or anything else’s environment. And they do not enter ours. We are a much a part of nature and the environment as any other living thing, and vice versa. You, me, everyone has a much call and cause to swim in the ocean or walk in the mountains any other living thing.
We keep separating ourselves from nature and the environment to the point we’re we get a God complex thinking we need to “save” it. Or, on the other end of the spectrum “it ain’t mine, so fuck it”. And because of it, we do really dumb shit to our own home.
They say all politics is local. Well, so is nature. And when you separate yourself from it, it becomes someone or something else problem, or responsibility. But the problem is, that ain’t the case. You cannot remove yourself from it, it is the natural world, and we are all part of it.
We have a much right and responsibility to hug trees and not pollute, as we do to fill a deep freeze with venison. We have as much right and responsibility to be good stewards of our home (nature) as we do to utilize the resources contained in it. And until we stop viewing tree huggers as hippy commies and hunters as evil murderers our house (nature) won’t be getting any cleaner or any better.
Until we stop thinking about nature in absolutes, we will continue to find it harder and harder to maintain, and live in, our home.
HA,!
Rebloging to get the #miserable bastards registered. !
Took off for a couple days. One day we did get to do hiking. These are from Starved Rock state park. The upper then lower ends. The river (Illinois) then canyons. River actually shows a grain barge going through the locks. Then Council Bluff (which from this aspect is a cave) A Native American site 8000years old. ! Yes we took the dog. That reoccurring person is my partner, who just can’t stay out of my photos. Ha !
Meet the closed bottle gentian.
It’s a native wildflower in these parts. These are in one of my garden views. Saw them a couple years back in state forest, so those I could not “rescue”. Not being able to find them anywhere else, I broke down and ordered them from Prairie Nursery.
The cool thing about this bottle neck type is that these are shown in fully blooming. The petals never open. But pollination does occur when a large bumblebee wrestles and forces it’s way inside.
Now if ever asked, I did not EVER engage in ANY type of similar behaviors ! However I can understand, this time of year my feet do get cold.
Being fully naked feels less naked than being naked with shoes on.