@staringatclouds@mstdn.social cover
@staringatclouds@mstdn.social avatar

staringatclouds

@[email protected]

Partner of Mrs SaC

I'm an old biddy, retired, interested in science, sci fi, humour, cute animal videos, real ale, good food all the usual stuff

Sadly I've become rather political as my Gov't seems intent on destroying my country & I hate politics

LGBTQ+ ally, atheist/humanist if you're religious that's OK

Religion is like a penis, it's OK to have one & be proud of it
But don't thrust it anywhere without an invite by someone old enough to understand what it is

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. View on remote instance

@stux@mstdn.social avatar stux , to random

As a kid the best bday presents always was LEGO's so I had quite a collection from the past 3 decades but the time has come..

We simply don't have space for it anymore so I'm selling about 80% or something but the prices people are willing to give these days kinda make me even sadder

Some if most is about 30% left from the price I paid for it once, didn't expect that

staringatclouds ,
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@stux According to Mrs SaC, in the UK complete boxed sets which have been discontinued go for a lot more than their original price

If it's not been opened the price can go through the roof

If you don't mind exporting to the UK have a look at https://www.webuybricks.co.uk/

They'll give you a figure for UK pricing

Also you can try eBay & see if you can get a bidding war going

@transworld@masto.ai avatar transworld , to random
staringatclouds ,
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@transworld Gender Criticals capture another key agency

@staringatclouds@mstdn.social avatar staringatclouds , to random

Breaking Wind in the Willows

@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar futurebird , to random

The media have decided to call this storm a "bomb cyclone" I think this is underachieving.

Why not a Torrent of Terror? or a Ner'Do'Well Easter... or maybe a Snowsplosion?

staringatclouds ,
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@futurebird Snowstormageddon ?

@transworld@masto.ai avatar transworld , to random

TWIBS: Conservatives Fabricate Connection Between Trans People and Mass Shootings

https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/twibs-trans-mass-shooters-lie

staringatclouds ,
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@transworld 🤦‍♀️

@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us avatar ChrisMayLA6 , to random

The hostility of the Labour party to migrants steps up with Shabana Mahmood's proposal to double the time to gain settled status would double (to 20 years) if migrants have been in receipt of public funds... this is pretty grim stuff, but even more un-just would be the inclusion of in-work benefits which are in effect not to benefits for migrants but (as I have pointed out often) a subsidy to low-wage employers' profits.

This move is a disgrace!

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/feb/20/uk-migrant-families-vital-in-work-benefits-hardship-avoid-punishment

staringatclouds ,
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@ChrisMayLA6 I read it as signalling that immigrants will never be granted settled status

The carrot will be dangled just out of reach, permanently

They'll be worked until they can't anymore, then they'll be deported on some trumped up pretext

@Crystal_Fish_Caves@mstdn.party avatar Crystal_Fish_Caves , to random

Someone is either hammered or just really sick of their job. Or both.

plain label soda description is Rosarite refried beans

plain label soda description is Rosarite refried beans
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staringatclouds ,
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@Crystal_Fish_Caves Menu extruded by AI maybe ?

@pluralistic@mamot.fr avatar pluralistic , to random

Six years ago today, after 19 years with Boing Boing, during which time I wrote tens of thousands of blog posts, I started a new, solo blog, with the semi-ironic name "Pluralistic."

--

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this thread to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2026/02/18/now-we-are-six/#stock-buyback

1/

A screengrab from the first episode of 'The Prisoner,' showing Number Six (Patrick McGoohan) lying unconscious on the beach after being bowled over by a giant white sphere (a 'Rover'). The image has been altered; my head has been superimposed on McGoohan's body; TV scan lines have been added, and the image has been given a vertical 'ripple' of the sort that appears in a badly tuned broadcast TV signal.
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staringatclouds ,
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@aj @stf @pluralistic That's not a man that's Rover

@staringatclouds@mstdn.social avatar staringatclouds , to random

OK UK Andrew has been arrested

Possible surprise for the BBC, I'm not interested about the details of the arrest, he's been arrested, done, next item

However there is going to be nothing else on the BBC for the foreseeable future & very little on other news channels

So as the Government says "Now is a good time to release bad news"

Keep your eyes open & check alternate news sources, for anything they sneak out

@JoBlakely@mastodon.social avatar JoBlakely , to random

Monty Python’s Flying Fish

staringatclouds ,
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@JoBlakely Eternal Sunfish of the Spotless Mind


@transworld@masto.ai avatar transworld , to random

Trump’s ‘SAVE America Act’ Could Make it Impossible for Some Trans People to Vote

https://transitics.substack.com/p/trumps-save-america-act-could-make

staringatclouds ,
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@transworld That's the idea

Also married women

@rbreich@masto.ai avatar rbreich , to random
staringatclouds ,
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@rbreich

@stux I'd like to make a suggestion to the mastodon developers that any posted images have alt text added automatically unless the user posting the image has already added it

Do you know who I should talk to ?

staringatclouds ,
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@stux @rbreich Thank you kindly 👍

staringatclouds ,
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@stux Suggestion has been made, thanks again

@arstechnica@mastodon.social avatar arstechnica , to random

Gemini can now generate AI music for you, no lyrics required
With a simple prompt, you can generate 30 seconds of something like music.
https://arstechnica.com/google/2026/02/gemini-can-now-generate-ai-music-for-you-no-lyrics-required/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

staringatclouds ,
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@arstechnica Fuck that

@stux@mstdn.social avatar stux , (edited ) to random

How long are you active on the ?

staringatclouds ,
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@stux Since Musk bought Twitter

Actually slightly before so about 3ish years

I've also changed instance so this account is a bit younger

@lowqualityfacts@mstdn.social avatar lowqualityfacts , to random

Tonight's Low Quality Ad is for Spice Witch Hot Honey. Is hot honey witchcraft? Yes. Do I think it was a bit of an overreaction to hold the Salem Witch Trials over women making hot honey? Yes.
https://collabs.shop/3kjbzc

A bottle of Spice Witch Hot Honey with a yellow and black label featuring a large eye graphic. The label reads "Spice Witch," "100% Magical - 0% Boring," and "Hot Honey," noting it is crafted in Asheville, NC.
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staringatclouds ,
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@lowqualityfacts I pity the lactose intolerant, so many of them burned at the stake 😭

@transworld@masto.ai avatar transworld , to random
staringatclouds ,
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@transworld Beloved wants to know if they're going to wrap it round a certain person's neck & pull it tight

18+ @w3c@w3c.social avatar w3c , (edited ) to random

Love the web?

ウェブのこと、好き？
¿amas la web?
Vous aimez le web ?

We at W3C love the web.

Tell us, how did you come to love the web?

https://www.w3.org/support-us/

Two heart-shaped pieces of candy are shown. The red candy reads "LOVE THE WEB?" and the blue candy reads "W3.ORG/SUPPORT-US/".
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staringatclouds ,
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@w3c I was there when the web was created

I began on JANET & DARPANET as a student

@MelissaBearTrix@gives.hugz.online avatar MelissaBearTrix , to random

I'm having lunch

Can you guess what I'm having ?

Hugz & xXx

staringatclouds ,
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@MelissaBearTrix given they tummy trouble you're probably avoiding the ham & cheese croissant

So I'll go for a bacon & egg roll

Whatever you have I hope it's delicious 💋

@staringatclouds@mstdn.social avatar staringatclouds , to random

"To: GlaxoSmithKline

We’ve noticed you’ve quietly benefited from £3.4 billion in tax breaks via the Government’s patent box scheme

The scheme was meant to boost innovation and protect jobs, but instead you’ve cut UK jobs and moved manufacturing abroad

So this is an invoice for the full amount you’ve benefitted to date for your broken promises. It’s what you owe us, and our NHS"

Please consider signing this open letter

https://act.38degrees.org.uk/act/Sign-the-invoice-to-GlaxoSmithKline

@lowqualityfacts@mstdn.social avatar lowqualityfacts , to random

That's so scary.

78% of all plane crashes occur because the pilot gets the hiccups.
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staringatclouds ,
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@lowqualityfacts You'll be ok 119% of all statistics are made up

@transworld@masto.ai avatar transworld , to random
staringatclouds ,
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@transworld Paywall

@transworld@masto.ai avatar transworld , to random
staringatclouds ,
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@transworld Needs an account to read the full article

@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us avatar ChrisMayLA6 , to random

John Naughton stresses we should never forget that the development of Artificial Intelligence (so-called), has involved 'possible by the largest case of corporate theft in history.. [Big tech] was content just to mine our time & attention, but now it has moved on to appropriating the intellectual property of creative artists on a global scale'!

The theft of copyright(s) has a long history, but normally its been stolen from corporations, not by them!


https://observer.co.uk/news/columnists/article/paul-mccartneys-silent-song-tells-us-musicians-must-come-together-to-fight-the-ai-looters

staringatclouds ,
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@ChrisMayLA6 The reason LLM's stole other people's work to train on is because they can't work it out themselves

Truly intelligent beings created the work that was stolen

For example LLM's have absorbed every mathematical treatise

If they were intelligent they could have worked it out themselves

There wouldn't be a single unsolved millennium prize problem

They seem intelligent because they're regurgitating human genius

They can't solve problems humans haven't already answered

@Alice@beige.party avatar Alice , to random

Is a humanitarian a person who only eats humans?

staringatclouds ,
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@Alice So a cannibal only eats tinned humans ?

@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us avatar ChrisMayLA6 , to random

Mikey Erhardt on Rachel Reeves' attitude to disabled people:

'If the number of Disabled people is rising, it has nothing to do with people suddenly deciding to shirk off work by claiming benefits, as Reeves & her colleagues seem to want us to think. It’s a result of a recklessly handled pandemic, a chronically underfunded healthcare system & a drop in living conditions that’s making people sicker'!

Will disabled people vote Labour again? seems unlikely...

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/rachel-reeves-budget-fails-disabled-people-labour-party/

staringatclouds ,
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@ChrisMayLA6 Will anyone vote Labour again ?

@georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random

If a phone still works fine, it’s not “device hoarding” to keep using it. It’s common sense.

Screenshot of a CNBC headline that reads: “How device hoarding by Americans is costing economy.” The subtext says Americans are holding onto devices longer than ever, which may be smart for consumers but can reduce productivity.
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staringatclouds ,
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@georgetakei Encouraging (forcing) people to upgrade their phones is one reason phone batteries aren't removable in almost every modern phone

@opensuse@fosstodon.org avatar opensuse , to random

: Don’t let OS upgrades force you into new hardware. Tumbleweed delivers rolling updates, fresh Mesa + , and one-line installs for , , . Play more, configure less. https://news.opensuse.org/2025/05/16/why-gaming-w-opensuse-is-a-good-move/

staringatclouds ,
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@killyourfm @opensuse I've been using Zorin for several years now & the only time I've had to use the command line was to make a script that cd'd to the right folder & used wine to start a game

The game is over 25 years old, ran on win95 & requires a bit of effort to make it run on later windows versions

staringatclouds ,
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@killyourfm @opensuse I've never used steam

@TheBreadmonkey@beige.party avatar TheBreadmonkey , to random

I basically tick all of the boxes here!

Aristocrat, 79, offers $65,000 for wife who can manage two castles, can handle a shotgun and is a 'good breeder'

https://www.themirror.com/news/weird-news/aristocrat-searching-wife-good-breeder-1525428

staringatclouds ,
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@TheBreadmonkey Well I was going to suggest my missisis sister

But she doesn't have a coat of arms

@lowqualityfacts@mstdn.social avatar lowqualityfacts , to random

What would you write in your Pope page?

Each Pope gets to add one new page to the Bible.
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staringatclouds ,
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@lowqualityfacts This book is a work of fiction & not to be taken seriously. This book has been translated, interpreted, retranslated, reinterpreted, discarded, reinterpreted again, missing bits guessed at, then rewritten to suit political agendas, then reinterpreted and rewritten multiple times by men seeking control over others. Any resemblance between persons living or dead & persons depicted in these pages is purely coincidental. Reader discretion required. Take with a large pinch of salt.

@stux@mstdn.social avatar stux , to random
staringatclouds ,
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@stux Nope, there's a lot of us

@Crystal_Fish_Caves@mstdn.party avatar Crystal_Fish_Caves , to random

I WILL SURVIVE!!!

on a long enough timeline, everything will become sentient


a fruit cake why? I cannot say. A million years ago, Johnny Carson did a joke about how there are really only 5 fruitcakes in existence. We just all keep passing them around. He was right. they are nice to look at I suppose until you dare put a piece in your mouth. swallow it I dare you.
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staringatclouds ,
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@Crystal_Fish_Caves People don't like fruitcake ?

Please send any you have to me along with any sprouts you don't want**

I'll make sure you never see them again

** Please wrap the cake separate from the sprouts

@lowqualityfacts@mstdn.social avatar lowqualityfacts , to random

Tonight's Low Quality Ad is for this Octopus Crochet Kit. If you get tired of crocheting, you can give up early and make a squid instead. I lost interest fast, so mine is a one-legged octopus that survived a horrific submarine crash.
https://collabs.shop/bgbcvx

A blue crocheted octopus.
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staringatclouds ,
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@lowqualityfacts Did you know that two of those tentacles get used as legs much more than the others

Comes in handy when they put a hat & raincoat on to sneak into a cinema

@thejapantimes@mastodon.social avatar thejapantimes , to random

Early evidence suggests that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, when given shortly before cancer immunotherapy, may significantly boost survival rates by activating the immune system. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/11/12/world/can-covid-19-vaccine-save-cancer-patients/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon

staringatclouds ,
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@thejapantimes Trump would still defund them

@stux@mstdn.social avatar stux , to random

mstdn.social, masto.ai & mastodon.coffee are now running v4.5.0

quote me!

staringatclouds ,
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@stux I'd actually forgotten you were doing this today, I didn't notice any disruption, so well done & thank you

I just need to work out how to quote a toot using Tusky

@Alice@beige.party avatar Alice , to random

Poor little pumpkin is sad that Halloween is over.

Jack-o-lantern on the steps to a porch. It's almost two weeks after Halloween, so it is in a state of decomposition where it has squished down resulting in a sad face.
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staringatclouds ,
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@Alice sob I could a been a pie sniff

@Crystal_Fish_Caves@mstdn.party avatar Crystal_Fish_Caves , to random

It never ceases to amaze me, the high caliber, intelligent, witty, compassionate and successful people I find amongst my followers here, so I just have to ask,

Y'all lost?

(Maybe using Dirk Gently's navigational technique?)

😸

staringatclouds ,
@staringatclouds@mstdn.social avatar

@Crystal_Fish_Caves Well
You look like you know what you're doing so I follow you

You following me at the same time is what confuses me

@arstechnica@mastodon.social avatar arstechnica , to random
staringatclouds ,
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@arstechnica I must admit to a little disappointment that it's not some new quantum mechanical drive technology, it's a traditional rocket called Neutron

@lowqualityfacts@mstdn.social avatar lowqualityfacts , to random

Today's Low Quality Ad is for this Beastie Boys shirt. Did you know that the Beastie Boys were conjoined triplets? Elbow to chest and shoulder to shoulder, as seen here.
https://collabs.shop/3rxnrq

A Black tshirt with the Beastie Boys on it.
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staringatclouds ,
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@lowqualityfacts This came as something of a surprise to their mothers

@arstechnica@mastodon.social avatar arstechnica , to random

Being too nice online is a dead giveaway for AI bots, study suggests
New "computational Turing test" reportedly catches AI pretending to be human with 80% accuracy.
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2025/11/being-too-nice-online-is-a-dead-giveaway-for-ai-bots-study-suggests/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

staringatclouds ,
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@arstechnica Well fuck !

🤦‍♀️

@csilverman@mastodon.social avatar csilverman , to random

A crimson sunset, somewhere barren and snow-covered. The sun is a blazing yellow dot on a purple horizon, casting yellow light across the snow. To the left is a small shack that looks like a convenience store. It has a large window, the harsh white light reflecting off the snow, with a small sign that reads "open" in neon green letters. Towering over the shack is a large illuminated sign like something you'd see for a gas station. The sign has a glowing yellow smiley face at the top, and a smaller white sign that says "open" in red letters. The painting is signed "Chris Silverman".
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staringatclouds ,
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@csilverman The trap is set, now it waits...

@lowqualityfacts@mstdn.social avatar lowqualityfacts , to random

Did you know that the word abominable means repugnantly hateful, detestable, or loathsome? Think about that the next time you call a yeti "the abominable snowman". Tonight's Low Quality Ad is for this Yeti Plush. Please be nice to him.
https://collabs.shop/qxynii

A small frowning yeti Plush with black beady eyes.
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staringatclouds ,
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@lowqualityfacts Aww a sad yeti

Have a hug 🫂 sad yeti

@Crystal_Fish_Caves@mstdn.party avatar Crystal_Fish_Caves , to random

TIL a "Baby Bouncer" has nothing to do with the person ejecting unruly toddlers from the Ballpit.

staringatclouds ,
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@Crystal_Fish_Caves tears up application form

@lowqualityfacts@mstdn.social avatar lowqualityfacts , to random

That's good to know.

You can quickly cure a hangover by taping an egg to your forehead.
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staringatclouds ,
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@lowqualityfacts ... without the shell

@lowqualityfacts@mstdn.social avatar lowqualityfacts , to random

Historians were incredibly disappointed when they discovered this.

The Great Pyramid of Giza was built to store hamburger buns.
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staringatclouds ,
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@lowqualityfacts The Sphinx was built to store hotdog buns

The Colossus of Rhodes ate all the buns though

@lowqualityfacts@mstdn.social avatar lowqualityfacts , to random

I can confirm that my cats have no interest in watching Frasier.

Frasier was meant to be the first sitcom for cats, but the vast majority of its viewership came from humans.
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staringatclouds ,
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@lowqualityfacts It was casting a Jack Russell as Eddie that did it

If they'd gone with a Persian or a Siamese, cats would have watched in droves