@Steve@social.coop cover
@Steve@social.coop avatar

Steve

@[email protected]

Cooperator, interpreter and translator, Linux user, fair-trader, cyclist, single dad, not necessarily in that order.

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@georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random

This is the guy Trump named as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Great going, America.

A social media post from FactPost quoting RFK Jr. saying, “I’m not scared of a germ. I used to snort cocaine off of toilet seats.” The image shows him seated in a podcast studio with a microphone, an American flag backdrop, and shelves behind him.
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@georgetakei Future generations will read this stuff and wonder if someone is pulling their leg.

@Binder@petrous.vislae.town avatar Binder , to random

Hibernation is when one does the bear minimum.

Steve ,
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@Binder That's why a bear can rest at ease.

@peter@thepit.social avatar peter , to random

Gemini sucks so Google is paying for reinforcement learning from human feedback.

Steve ,
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@peter Pretty sure this is what @pluralistic calls a "reverse centaur," a worker who serves the machine.

@Steve@social.coop avatar Steve , to random

Of Mice Andor Men


@Steve@social.coop avatar Steve , to random

The Restaurant at the End of Stephen Universe


@pooblemoo@mastodon.scot avatar pooblemoo , to random

The Story of Harry O


Steve ,
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Catch-22 Jump Street


@Steve@social.coop avatar Steve , to random

I can't skip work today, at least not entirely. I have an important client call, and then another call about homelessness (on the coldest day of the year). Both were scheduled long ago.

Still, I'm there in spirit with the general strike in Minneapolis!

@w7voa@journa.host avatar w7voa , to random

NBC - Defense Secretary Hegseth today was given a final copy of the completed DoD Inspector General report that examined his sharing sensitive military information on a Signal group chat back in March. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/pentagon-inspector-general-investigation-signalgate-complete-rcna247030

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@w7voa Into what, now? Oh, right, THAT scandal. I'd almost forgotten about that one.

@Steve@social.coop avatar Steve , to random

I'm having a hard time convincing my kids that if you combine the leftovers into stew, they're no longer leftovers, but rather, a completely new dish.

@lowqualityfacts@mstdn.social avatar lowqualityfacts , to random

Me: Introverts, assemble!

Introverts: Absolutely not.

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@lowqualityfacts This assembling could have been an email

@Steve@social.coop avatar Steve , to random

It's common knowledge that the English names for the days of the week are pagan in origin: Woden's day, Thor's day, Freya's day, Saturn's day. My question is, how did they survive the piety of the Middle Ages?

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My hypothesis is that church officials tried to make changes at the local level, but these changes were not coordinated or standardized, so they never caught on.

@TheBreadmonkey@beige.party avatar TheBreadmonkey , to random

Not saying I've eaten a lot of spaghetti for dinner but Christopher Nolan's just been in touch to acquire the rights to my story

Steve ,
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@TheBreadmonkey @adhdeanasl @kimlockhartga Daniel Day Lewis would be a better choice.

nicholasgrossman.bsky.social , to random

If only our society took major crimes by rich people as seriously as minor crimes by poor people. Ideally more seriously. But as seriously would be a big improvement.

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@nicholasgrossman[email protected] The underlying problem is that the rich write the laws. Also, the rich oversee enforcement of the laws.

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@lritter @nicholasgrossman[email protected] It's not hard to convince people that politicians are corrupt, because there's always a kernel of truth to it. Sometimes that kernel is small, and sometimes it's big.

The poor have some legislation in their favor, but it's won at a high price, and the rich immediately seek to undermine it, exploit it for their own ends, or repeal it.

@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar futurebird , to random

Mathematics is a language. But innumeracy is also a language and our president is fluent.

It's not just that he exaggerates, lies, and says things that make no sense when talking about numbers "often" no this is something deeper.

He is deeply committed to never speaking about any statistic or numerical fact in a way that would suggest that it's important to understand how basic math works, or even that it exists at all.

This isn't just ignorance or laziness, it's one of his core values.

Steve ,
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@JessTheUnstill @futurebird It's hard to distinguish being stupid and being deliberately deceptive, because both result in flagrantly inaccurate statements. What we can say with confidence is that Trump thinks WE'RE stupid. He's not entirely right, but he's not entirely wrong, either. There's a segment of the population with a low-enough level of education and a high-enough level of economic stress that they want someone to rescue them... and someone to scapegoat for their suffering.

@georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random

New campaign ad for Dems just dropped.

A tweet from Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) reads: “Bannon promising everyone a good time.” Below it is a post from Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) quoting Steve Bannon: “If we lose the midterms and we lose 2028, some in this room are going to prison, myself included.” The attached photo shows Steve Bannon standing behind a podium at an event with a backdrop that reads “THE ACADEMY” and “BELLATOR Awards.”
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@georgetakei I only wish he'd be more specific about which crimes he's admitting to.

@JessTheUnstill@infosec.exchange avatar JessTheUnstill , to random

[Thread, post or comment was deleted by the author]

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    Steve ,
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    @JessTheUnstill Beer is better from a bottle than form a can, so, yeah, there's something to this.

    @randahl@mastodon.social avatar randahl , to random

    One day this social media exchange will be presented as evidence in a court room, and I cannot wait.

    JD Vance condoning the killing of suspected criminals without due process, also known as murder.
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    @randahl I hope the trials are televised live.

    @indivisibleteam@mastodon.social avatar indivisibleteam , to random

    Trump and Republicans slashed over $1.1 trillion from Medicaid and cut healthcare tax credits that lower costs for millions of working families — all while delivering billions in tax breaks to insurance CEOs and Big Pharma. Join the fight to protect healthcare: https://economicsecurity.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Take-Action-on-the-Healthcare-Heist-2.pdf

    video/mp4

    Steve ,
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    @indivisibleteam The reason it's a difficult choice for politicians is that they have to decide between their campaign donors and their electorate.

    @TheBreadmonkey@beige.party avatar TheBreadmonkey , to random

    I'm ahead of you all and am already celebrating Christmas 2026

    Steve ,
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    @Nickiquote @TheBreadmonkey For Christmas 2026, I'm planning to give my kids a few extra cans of food I discovered under some smoldering rubble.

    @Steve@social.coop avatar Steve , to random

    Is this the casualest of casual Fridays?

    @stux@mstdn.social avatar stux , to random

    “The term "antifa" is short for anti-fascist;“

    EVERYONE. And I mean EVERYONE should be antifa, if not, only “fascist” is left

    It’s pretty disgraceful how parties and governments think of classifying it as terrorists

    In my eyes those parties and governments are the real terrorists

    I am

    Steve ,
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    @Binder@petrous.vislae.town avatar Binder , to random

    Just overheard someone laughingly decline offer of a free Covid vaccination, calling “the whole thing” silly. So that’s how today is shaping up.

    Steve ,
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    @Eatsbluecrayon @Binder I got mine this past Sunday, and then had to spend Monday in bed. So, I'd allow for that possibility.

    @dangillmor@mastodon.social avatar dangillmor , to random

    Some of the most prominent "Young Republicans" are fascists and overt racists, with violent plans for people they despise.

    And they're really unhappy that their group chat just leaked.

    https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/14/private-chat-among-young-gop-club-members-00592146

    Steve ,
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    @dangillmor If you're embarrassed to have people learn what your political beliefs are, shouldn't that tell you something about your political beliefs?

    @georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random

    That’s because his picture isn’t close to accurate.

    A tweet by Aaron Blake says: “‘Insurrection.’ ‘Invasion.’ ‘Rebellion.’ ‘War ravaged Portland.’ Trump keeps painting a hellscape to justify expanding his power. Judges keep saying his picture isn’t close to accurate.” Below is a photo of Donald Trump walking past a wall where his shadow appears in profile.
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    @georgetakei Truth is the first victim of war, which may explain why Trump wants a war.

    @Lana@beige.party avatar Lana , to random

    One thing that isn't being talked about much in this moment is how Trump has:

    • shut down the US Government, meaning no paychecks for nonessential personnel
    • ordered national guard troops from California and Texas to invade Illinois

    This orange asshole is actually trying to get people to do a fascism for free.

    Steve ,
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    @Lana I'm listening to Mike Duncan's History of Rome podcast (highly recommended!). One of the big takeaways is that you really need to pay your soldiers.

    But... we all know that Trump has a long history of not paying people.

    Steve ,
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    @Remittancegirl @Lana We should keep a running tally of the portions of Trump's base that he has betrayed...

    • farmers
    • small businesses
    • medium businesses
    • sincere Christians
    • people who took the Epstein issue seriously
    • and soon, the National Guard
    Steve ,
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    @JessTheUnstill @Remittancegirl @Lana Yes, that is the inescapable conclusion. It seems to me that we have an opportunity to expose the corrupt, corrosive, and ultimately self-defeating nature of racism. Trump's base thinks it can scapegoat half the population, which is like thinking you can pee in just one end of the pool.

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    @SuneAuken @JessTheUnstill @Remittancegirl @Lana Agreed. The opposite of valuing black lives is not valuing white lives, but valuing social hierarchy. And poor white people are just barely above poor black people.

    @georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random

    Thanks to the quick work by the judge here to stop this out of control White House.

    The image is an X post by Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney ) on X.com, reporting: "BREAKING: Immergut has granted Oregon and California's motion to block the new call-up of Guard troops to Portland. She says this effort to bring CA and TX troops to Oregon is in 'direct contravention' of her original order." The post includes a verified badge.
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    @georgetakei Yes, but Illinois needs an injunction, too.

    @Daojoan@mastodon.social avatar Daojoan , to random

    The "expert problem" speedrun:

    Year 1: Study topic, become expert
    Year 5: Realize how complex it is
    Year 10: Develop sophisticated nuanced view
    Year 15: Watch someone with 0 knowledge confidently explain everything wrong on Twitter
    Year 16: Give up and become a beekeeper

    Steve ,
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    @Daojoan Year 17: Make mead. Begin developing expertise in mead.

    @mayazimmerman@gamedev.lgbt avatar mayazimmerman , to random

    Boosts appreciated:

    Looking for dictation software I can use with Linux Mint (Firefox for the browser) that does not use AI or at least doesn't randomly have the AI respond to the things it's supposed to transcribe instead of transcribing them.

    This is an accessibility issue that I'm hoping can be solved because I want to write and really just can't currently.

    Steve ,
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    @mayazimmerman I use an app called Speech Note. It technically does use a form of AI, but it's entirely self-contained on the local computer, and does not phone home. It's a rather large install, and it's processor-intensive, but the accuracy is pretty good.

    @kevinrothrock@infosec.exchange avatar kevinrothrock , to random

    Just a fly-by of the Moon, but still looking forward to witnessing it. Would be the first crew to travel beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy7pegvz17yo

    Steve ,
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    @kevinrothrock How long until people start to claim it's being faked?

    @Daojoan@mastodon.social avatar Daojoan , to random

    conservatives when you call Kyle Rittenhouse a murderer: “this is cancel culture”

    conservatives watching jimmy kimmel: “this violates my sacred constitutional right to have my feelings cradled like a sickly lamb”

    A screenshot of a Variety post on X (Twitter). The post states that “Jimmy Kimmel Live” will be replaced Friday by a Charlie Kirk tribute special on Sinclair’s ABC affiliate stations. It explains that Sinclair is demanding Jimmy Kimmel apologize to Kirk’s family and make a donation to them and Turning Point USA. The post quotes Sinclair vice chairman Jason Smith, saying Kimmel’s remarks were “inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country.” He adds that broadcasters must promote respectful, constructive dialogue, and calls on the FCC to act against the control of local broadcasters by national networks.
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    Steve ,
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    @Daojoan Sinclair wants Kimmel to send a "meaningful personal donation" to TPUSA? I recommend a copy of A People's History of the United States, by Howard Zinn.

    @awmwrites@anarchism.space avatar awmwrites , to random

    Recommendations for a linux distro to put on a laptop for a layman?

    I'll mostly be using LibreOffice, Blender, PixiEditor, Godot, Calibre, and Firefox/Vivaldi, I'm not a programmer

    Steve ,
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    @awmwrites If you're new to Linux, then Linux Mint is the friendliest introduction, and also tends to be compatible with the most hardware.

    @Daojoan@mastodon.social avatar Daojoan , to random

    Bari Weiss receiving a payout in the hundreds of millions for sanewashing the far right and tut tutting at anyone even slightly progressive while I’m building 2 indie publications that collectively are making $20,000 a year…

    Don’t get me wrong. I love what I do.

    But I’d love it a whole lot more with a million bucks in funding, while right-wing media are making 100x that by destroying reasonable discourse.

    Steve ,
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    @Daojoan But if there were more reasonable discourse floating about, huge concentrations of wealth would be a lot harder to justify.

    @gerrymcgovern@mastodon.green avatar gerrymcgovern , to random

    Green AI, green coal, and green uranium, and the battle between progress and sustainability

    "AI is emerging as both a driver of environmental strain and a potential force for sustainable solutions, raising urgent questions about whether innovation and ecological responsibility can truly advance together."
    https://dig.watch/updates/green-ai-and-the-battle-between-progress-and-sustainability

    The extraordinary, unbounded cynicism of the tech industry and its love of using the words "green", "clean" and "renewable".

    Steve ,
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    @gerrymcgovern I propose we actively push back on using the term "innovation" to describe tech that further damages the environment, and deliberately reserve it for tech that is sustainable, or, better still regenerative. This would be tech that is small-scale, recycled and recyclable, made from local materials, and relatively easy for the average person to understand and implement. This would stand in sharp contrast to tech that is resource-intensive, capital-intensive, and proprietary.

    @404mediaco@mastodon.social avatar 404mediaco , to random

    Constitution Sections on Due Process and Foreign Gifts Just Vanished from Congress' Website

    🔗 https://www.404media.co/constitution-sections-on-due-process-and-foreign-gifts-just-vanished-from-congress-website/

    Steve ,
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    @404mediaco Never attribute to malice what can be explained by stupidity. However, even this lot isn't that stupid.

    @georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random

    Who is Sydney Sweeney and why is the GOP creating imaginary outrage over her?

    Steve ,
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    @georgetakei The GOP loves nothing more than "owning the libs," except for maybe making up evidence for their cause, so why not do both at the same time?

    @mcc@mastodon.social avatar mcc , to random

    FYI you have a bit under 24 hours to get in on this kickstarter for a strangely cheap device which seems to be the first¹ cellphone in years, and maybe the last cellphone for years, to have a physical QWERTY keyboard

    https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jellyphone/titan-2-the-latest-5g-qwerty-physical-keyboard-smartphone/

    It's Unihertz and has a number of interesting features to it, but unfortunately no headphone jack.

    ¹ Although you might be interested to learn about this even-more-unusual eink device https://minimalcompany.com/collections/frontpage/products/minimal-phone?variant=49781905326382

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    @indivisibleteam@mastodon.social avatar indivisibleteam , to random

    Our Constitution is clear: Only Congress has the power to declare war.

    Yet, administrations too often bypass this fundamental check, plunging us into conflicts that cost countless lives, drain our resources, and destabilize entire regions.

    We cannot allow this to happen again. Sen. Kaine, Rep. Khanna, and Rep. Massie have introduced a War Powers Resolution. This means they can fast-track an up or down vote on preventing US military involvement in war with Iran.

    Steve ,
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    @indivisibleteam This is very hopeful. The practice of military operations that are war all but in name has violated the spirit of the law for generations. Putting an end to that would be a very positive move. I just hope it's written broadly, and not specifically for this current crisis.

    @georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random

    When the birthday parade list reads like a cautionary guide to history.

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    @georgetakei You can count on Trump to place below Turkmenistan.

    @georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random

    That was about insurrection. This is about rights protection.

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    @georgetakei To put this in different words, the protests happening now are protected by the Constitution, while January 6th was in express violation of the Constitution.

    @w7voa@journa.host avatar w7voa , to random

    CJR - Small-town newspapers shutting down due to the lack of a succession plan is a growing problem in nearly a dozen US states. https://www.cjr.org/analysis/small-town-newspapers-aging-succession.php

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    @w7voa This is an example of the "silver tsunami." It can often be addressed by selling to the workers.

    @w7voa@journa.host avatar w7voa , to random

    President Trump says if he hadn't ordered the deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles the city "would be burning down."

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    @w7voa That's the biggest lie he's told today. So far.

    @georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random
    Steve ,
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    @georgetakei He's obvious very wrong, but that's hardly new. I honestly believe that Republicans view even the mildest pushback as violent and illegitimate. They can't wait to escalate, and even the flimsy excuse will provide them with the reason to do so.

    @w7voa@journa.host avatar w7voa , to random

    Paramilitary forces engage protesters near an ICE raid at a Home Depot in Los Angeles County. KABC TV live stream: https://abc7.com/watch/live/

    Steve ,
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    @w7voa The Battle of Los Angeles.

    Trump vs. the people.

    So it begins.