Old Fucking Punk @lwriemen@librem.one

If you're selling that over-expensive Peleton stationary bike you're sorry you bought, understand that the price for the buyer is actually almost $100 higher.

The company will force the buyer to fork that over as a "used equipment activation fee" -- pure corporate greed. They can get away with it, so they do it. Classic Doctorowian enshittification...

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/08/peloton-announces-95-used-equipment-activation-fee/?ai=

New at Media Nation: The nuances of Biden's 8% statement show why he was right — and why @politifact was wrong. #journalism

https://dankennedy.net/2024/08/24/the-nuances-of-bidens-8-statement-show-why-he-was-right-and-why-politifact-was-wrong/

Fact-Check My Ass (My Ass Won't Be Fact-Checked) https://www.dailykos.com/story/2024/8/23/2265167/-Cartoon-Newspaper-nit-picker-fact-checks-this-comic

You won't find a better summary and analysis of what has happened in presidential politics during the past month than this, by @scalzi (also @jscalzi).

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2024/08/23/political-thoughts-8-23-24/

"I have hope that at the end of this, Harris will be president, and Trump… well, honestly, I don’t really give a shit what happens to him, I just want him gone. Prison or Venezuela! Either would work for me. Let’s hope we’re going to get there. I think we’re on our way."

Words: “President Biden and I are working to end this war such that…the suffering in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.”

Actions: Another $20B in arms sales to Israel to continue the genocide.

Don’t piss on my head and tell me it’s raining.

#IsraeliAmericanGenocideOfThePalestinianPeople #Israel #USA #KamalaHarris #DNC #Palestine #Gaza #WestBank #genocide #ethnicCleansing #settlerColonialism #apartheid #gaslighting

Anywhere a company has an opportunity to put a computer inside of a product that did not have a computer before, they will use the change as an excuse to make your life worse https://indieweb.social/@lonseidman/113013390011693745

I didn't cross-post about the DNC here because I am lazy and don't cross-post. Nights 1-3 were enthusiasm boosts. Night 4 was a salute to cops and imaginary centrist undecided voters.

Watching an American politician give a speech is weird for non-Americans. They go
1. inspiring stories about how hard their parents worked
2. relatable values that led them into politics
3. well-observed points about policy, energy building
4. weird bit about thanking troops for nothing in particular
5. more energy, when we work together we can do anything
6. disturbing reference to killing enemies nobody in crowd seems to notice
7. demented yelling about being the best country
8. balloons.

Sam Altman says he wants to “give people another 10 years of healthy, vigorous life.”

In the US, the rich live up to 15 years longer than the poor. Changing that requires political action that many tech billionaires oppose, not more tech solutions.

https://disconnect.blog/sam-altman-doesnt-care-about-you/

#tech #ai #samaltman #berniesanders

GOOD NEWS: The US government has announced that it will again offer free at-home Covid tests starting in late September.

You will be able to get 4 more free test kits sent through the mail.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/23/covid-tests-us-will-offer-free-at-home-kits-starting-late-september.html

One more: My favorite lines from the entire cnvention came from Michelle Obama (why is that not a surprise?)

I did a screenshot because the text won't fit.

"The affirmative action of generational wealth" was perfect.

10-month-old baby paralysed in first Gaza case of type 2 polio for 25 years, WHO says https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/gaza-war-israel-hamas-polio-b2600879.html

It’s a shame that a political party that claims to support press freedom uses the newsworthiness of its convention as a price-gouging opportunity, to the detriment of small and independent news outlets.

https://www.wbez.org/2024/08/14/what-it-costs-to-cover-the-democratic-national-convention

On this day in Anarchist History we remember the execution on Sacco and Vanzetti, two Italian-American Anarchist Immigrants who were killed by the state after a sham of a trial.

https://kolektiva.media/w/w5XMtpaVRvF8E8M9evf6py

The fight to end US militarism is a long and hard one. But far more people than the left wing of the Democrats are ready for it. We need to build a broad and powerful movement, bigger than any candidate.

On a well-designed social media platform, it would be possible to have a quasi-private discussion about political nuance---not to mention emotional venting---but "followers only" is what we get here, so I guess here we are.

Oh and like any good open source project, it's also being rewritten in Rust

A few fragmentary thoughts about what anarchistic vision evokes for me:

* Deliberation rather than majoritarian voting

* Mutual aid rather than government programs or charity

* Empowerment rather than top-down instruction

Today I visited a natural burial cemetery with my parents, who are considering reserving plots there.

It was really gorgeous! It's all meadow and open woods rather than manicured lawn, and newer burial mounds can be seen here and there. This place (Panorama Burials) is doing lots of work to promote a healthy ecology (native plantings, removal of invasives, respect for tree root zones) but also maintain access.

I'd be pretty happy with that myself.