Old Fucking Punk @lwriemen@librem.one

Staggering that the NZ govt has announced the end of funding for social science and humanities research from our main academic fund (Marsden). Science projects now also need to show economic benefits.

This change has happened seemingly without consultation or even signalling that it's coming. Many hours will now be wasted with researchers revising or throwing away the proposals they've been working on. Apart from anything, this is terrible governance.

https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/marsden-fund-refocused-science-purpose

#nzpol

"Trump propagandist finally admits election conspiracy movie is a fraud"

https://www.dailykos.com/story/2024/12/2/2289768/-Trump-propagandist-finally-admits-election-conspiracy-movie-is-a-fraud?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source=

D'Souza is one of most vile characters to have emerged in recent years. I hope the people he's harmed can get some -- what's that word? -- retribution.

BACKFLASH is out today! It's a stand-alone book from Dark Horse Comics written by Mat Johnson, (James Baldwin fellow, and winner of the Dos Passos prize.)
I loved drawing this book and I hope you'll love reading it. It's available from your local comic shop or bookstore, or if that's not an option, I've put some copies in my Etsy shop: https://stevelieberart.etsy.com/listing/1785631613/preorder-backflash-graphic-novel-by-mat

@nealcurtis @heyrochelle @lightweight I find it interesting (and also somewhat disappointing) that the experience a lot of 'leftists' want is convenient consumption funded by venture capitalists rather than the slower process building commons...

Which is why I appreciate @nealcurtis's discussion of underlying economic models and a preference for Mastodon in that article

@lightweight @leighelse @nzlemming @ThisCJ @stephen @futuresprog

Microsoft's historical record for usefulness/ honest ingenuity/ decent technology is...wanting. Usually lawyers. :)

A socialist commune in the Venezuelan Amazon draws inspiration from the collective practices of its Indigenous members.

https://geo.coop/articles/commune-nothing-new-here-rio-cataniapo-commune

The Toxic Avenger #3 is out next week! Here's a five page preview from Comics Beat. This issue has a big reveal as to where we are going with ol' Toxie.
https://www.comicsbeat.com/toxic-avenger-3/

More state and federal courts should follow Minnesota's lead in allowing cameras in the courtroom.

The public is more likely to trust that justice is being done if they can see it for themselves.

https://www.fox9.com/news/minnesota-courts-first-fox-9-cameras-allowed-murder-trial-under-new-rules

"We heard plenty from both political parties saying that if the other were to win, the country is going to descend into authoritarianism, and it'll be the demise of the democracy," Seth Stern said. "If either party sincerely believes that, then they need to get behind this bill."

https://the1a.org/segments/if-you-can-keep-it-the-press-and-the-press-act/

From trees to concrete spheres, see how Vanyu Krastev transforms everyday objects in Bulgaria into hilarious characters with just googly eyes! 👀✨ #StreetArt https://streetartutopia.com/2024/12/01/googly-eye-street-art-bulgaria/

Israel's defense minister Katz: if ceasefire collapses we will no longer differentiate 'between #Lebanon and Hezbollah' - https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/03/middle-east-crisis-live-ceasefire-israel-lebanon-syria-gaza?page=with:block-674ee37e8f0816c0cff85f0c#block-674ee37e8f0816c0cff85f0c sounds like #israel announcing another #genocide...

Hotter take: Instead of encouraging everyone to do self-care, hows about we encourage everyone to care for each other?

On this Giving Tuesday, remember that the nonprofit sector runs on the exploitation of labor, and if nonoprofits could make meaningful change, wealthy people wouldn't fund them.

Hot take: Self-care is a neoliberal concept. Care is something you do for others (or they do for you), but our society demands that all things - including care - be made the responsibility of each individual to do for themselves. Feeling burnt out? Depressed? Run down? It's your own fault for not doing enough self-care!

Good to see Braverman getting some love in MR. Labor and Monopoly Capital was my favorite econ text for a long time. Still an essential read. Not very often you find an economist who's spent real time on an assembly line.
https://monthlyreview.org/2024/12/01/braverman-monopoly-capital-and-ai-the-collective-worker-and-the-reunification-of-labor/

"The capitalist mode of production systematically destroys all-round skills where they exist, and brings into being skills and occupations that correspond to its needs. Technical capacities are henceforth distributed on a strict “need to know” basis."

Oh great, now the UAW is union-busting 😕

https://paydayreport.com/uaw-staff-union-strikes-over-union-busting-all-german-vw-plans-strike-usps-suspends-canadian-service-amid-strikes/

#Kwin just crashed. Then it returned, and most apps did too.

Except the one I wrote :P

Do newer toolkits just reconnect on a broken #Wayland connection?

#KDE

@bruces the irony is that the senior software engineer was writing Python.

In the least surprising news of the day, we find that UN-sponsored talks aimed at producing a treaty to reduce plastic production and pollution have failed. 🙁
____________________________________

Countries negotiating a global treaty to curb plastic pollution failed to reach agreement, with more than 100 nations wanting to cap production while a handful of oil producers were prepared only to target plastic waste.

Delegates remained far apart on the basic scope of a treaty and could agree only to postpone key decisions and to resume talks at a later date.

Plastic production is on track to triple by 2050, and microplastics have been found in the air, in fresh produce, and in human breast milk.

China, the United States, India, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia were the top five plastic-producing nations in 2023.
____________________________________

FULL STORY -- https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/over-100-countries-back-plastic-treaty-caps-talks-reach-fierce-finish-2024-11-30/
SEE ALSO -- https://www.politico.eu/article/un-plastic-treaty-talks-end-without-a-deal/

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#Politics #Economics #Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #Capitalism #BusinessAsUsual

If Substack RSS feeds are a "disaster" that is likely to be deliberate. https://www.manton.org/2024/12/01/substacks-rss-feeds.html