Dev's Blarg

No time to delay! The fight's underway!

[subjectsix]

I don't know I'm not done talking about it. It's insane that I can't just uninstall Edge or Copilot. That websites require my phone number to sign up. That people share their contacts to find their friends on social media.

I wouldn't use an adblocker if ads were just banners on the side funding a website I enjoy using and want to support. Ads pop up invasively and fill my whole screen, I misclick and get warped away to another page just for trying to read an article or get a recipe.

Every app shouldn't be like every other app. Instagram didn't need reels and a shop. TikTok doesn't need a store. Instagram doesn't need to be connected to Facebook. I don't want my apps to do everything, I want a hub for a specific thing, and I'll go to that place accordingly.

I love discord, but so much information gets lost to it. I don't want to join to view things. I want to lurk on forums. I want to be a user who can log in and join a conversation by replying to a thread, even if that conversation was two days ago. I know discord has threads, it's not the same. I don't want to have to verify my account with a phone number. I understand safety and digital concerns, but I'm concerned about information like that with leaks everywhere, even with password managers.

I shouldn't have to pay subscriptions to use services and get locked out of old versions. My old disk copy of photoshop should work. I should want to upgrade eventually because I like photoshop and supporting the business. Adobe is a whole other can of worms here.

Streaming is so splintered across everything. Shows release so fast. Things don't get physical releases. I can't stream a movie I own digitally to friends because the share-screen blocks it, even though I own two digital copies, even though I own a physical copy.

I have an iPod, and I had to install a third party OS to easily put my music on it without having to tangle with iTunes. Spotify bricked hardware I purchased because they were unwillingly to upkeep it. They don't pay their artists. iTunes isn't even iTunes anymore and Apple struggles to upkeep it.

My TV shows me ads on the home screen. My dad lost access to eBook he purchased because they were digital and got revoked by the company distributing them. Hitman 1-3 only runs online most of the time. Flash died and is staying alive because people love it and made efforts to keep it up.

I have to click "not now" and can't click "no". I don't just get emails, they want to text me to purchase things online too. My windows start search bar searches online, not just my computer. Everything is blindly called an app now. Everything wants me to upload to the cloud. These are good tools! But why am I forced to use them! Why am I not allowed to own or control them?

No more!!!!! I love my iPod with so much storage and FLAC files. I love having all my fics on my harddrive. I love having USBs and backups. I love running scripts to gut suck stuff out of my Windows computer I don't want that spies on me. I love having forums. I love sending letters. I love neocities and webpages and webrings. I will not be scanning QR codes. Please hand me a physical menu. If I didn't need a smartphone for work I'd get a "dumb" phone so fast. I want things to have buttons. I want to use a mouse. I want replaceable batteries. I want the right to repair. I grew up online and I won't forget how it was!

[subjectsix]

glad this post is resonating with the local populace fr

[prokopetz]

Pay attention to the particulars of Mastercard's responses, because this a textbook example of how to create plausible deniability.

"Mastercard has not barred any legal transaction" is, technically, a true statement – because Mastercard is not the one processing the transactions in the first place. Mastercard does not deal directly with any merchant, and in fact typically refuses to communicate with merchants at all; there's always a payment processing service sitting in between Mastercard and the merchant, whether that's Stripe or Paypal or any of dozens of other service providers.

Consequently, there are two layers of service agreements in place: the agreement between Mastercard and the payment processing service, and the agreement between the payment processing service and the merchant. That second layer of service agreements, between the payment processing service and the merchant, is where all of these content restrictions are being imposed. Mastercard can thus truthfully claim that they aren't barring legal transactions.

Now, if you've been paying attention, you've probably already spotted the issue: if the content restrictions are being imposed upon the merchants by individual payment processing services and not by Mastercard, why do all of those payment processing services seem to have exactly the same content restrictions?

That's where the critical sleight of hand comes in: while Mastercard's own terms of service do not require payment processing services to bar transactions of particular types, their ToS does require payment processors to bar transactions which could be damaging to the Mastercard brand. What constitutes damage to the Mastercard brand is not defined; it means whatever Mastercard wants it to mean. The payment processing services are thus in a position where they can be held in breach of Mastercard's terms of service for basically any reason, which gives them a strong incentive not to test any boundaries.

And that's why Mastercard can truthfully say they have never barred any legal transaction: they're never the ones doing the blocking. The layer of payment processing services that sits between Mastercard and the merchants are enforcing those content restrictions, based on a series of unwritten handshake agreements between the payment processors and Mastercard regarding what does and does not constitute acceptable content – and because the particulars of those handshake agreements aren't in writing, Mastercard can assert that their terms of service do not compel payment processing services to bar any legal transaction and technically be telling the truth.

[prokopetz]

(This is also why payment processors like CCBill that specialise in adult services can exist, incidentally. Since it's all off the books, specialist adult-services payment processors can have their own special arrangements with companies like Mastercard while still technically being under the same terms of service as everyone else.)

[thememedaddy]

[yasmin1000000]

“So basically my couch has electricity and I use it to charge my battery powered doorbell”

“Okay that makes sense”

[la-reine-du-disco]

Now explain it to a Japanese samurai from the year 1218

[rui-cifer]

"do you know how waterwheels grind up grain in a water mill using the force of running water? We found a way to create a huge source of force that runs all the time and can transfer its force over long distance. I can tell you in more detail, but that's the basics. Now that is a chime that has a mechanism that one can press instead of having to open the door to let you know that you are waiting to be let in. It requires the transferred force to make the mechanism work and that wire is how we transfer the force to the chime."

[sizhens-deactivated20250415]

[devilcat3d]

i think i might try and actually get into reading up on the lore of the newest magic set this time. i want to know what is happening in the magic story. ill probably listen to the "audiobooks" on youtube

[littjara-mirrorlake]

PLEASE do. I cannot recommend this set and its story enough.

[k1nky-r0b0t-g1rl]

what's the best way to actually go about reading the lore? this is the first set since i started playing i actually wanna learn about lmao :3

[littjara-mirrorlake]

Here's chapter 1! All 11 chapters of the main story are connected via choose your own adventure-style links at the end. While the audiobook is good for listening, I'd recommend you read along if you can because the presence of clickable links and choose your own adventure is part of the story's main conceit.

Edge of Eternities | Episode 1

Introducing the Edge. Two scoundrels look for a cat.

As for the side stories, they're mostly standalone but do tie into the main plot. I would recommend getting acquainted with the setting and invested in the characters before reading them though.

Also, here's the Planeswalker's guide! The main story does a decent job of explaining the world to you, but if you want to have extra background knowledge, it's there and really well made (and features Tezzeret and his new jellyfish sidekick).

Planeswalker's Guide to Edge of Eternities

Take your first steps into the Edge, Magic's first science-fantasy setting, and prepare for Edge of Eternities.

[moniquill]

Solidarity

[snazzymolasses]

For those who don't understand, EBT are food stamps (government money for buying food for low-income people). Because the money is from the government, it comes with horrific restrictions, one of which is you cannot buy "prepared" food with it. You can only buy raw chicken, not cooked chicken, for example.

This kitchen is getting around that stupid rule by selling you raw, unprepared chicken, and then charging your EBT account for raw, unprepared chicken.

Then as a side thing, totally unrelated, they cook the chicken for free. Since you bought raw chicken with the EBT, it's legal. There's no law against cooking people's raw chicken for free for them. That's just charity.

This kitchen is a blessing to anyone who doesn't have a kitchen of their own.

[thebluehue22-deactivated2025061]

It's not a ridiculous restriction, there is zero reason you should be using tax money on fried chicken. It's raw so you have to decide what to do with it, but if you could just use tax money on fried chicken, many people would. Still great what the kitchen is doing! Mad respect.

[moniquill]

Please elaborate as to why 'there is zero reason you should be using tax money on fried chicken'

Keep in mind that unhoused or under housed people often do not have access to clean, safe cooking facilities.

Give me a reason, other than cruelty, why people being able to buy fried chicken with tax money is an actual problem. Of course people would. Why wouldn't they? What would be wrong with that?

[thebluehue22-deactivated2025061]

It's unhealthy. Yeah I'm cruel also, what you gonna do about it? Idgaf. You shouldn't be buying luxuries with government assistence. It's assistance. It's to help you get you back on your feet during a trying time. You do not to be eating fattening, unhealthy food with tax payers money. I see people at my grocery store filling up shopping carts with garbage and paying with EBT. I have no sympathy for them. Just taking advantage of a hand out.

[moniquill]

There is nothing inherently unhealthy about chicken, flour, and oil. You are factually incorrect in that assertion.

What I'm going to do about you being cruel: hold you in contempt.

Food is not a luxury. The human body requires protein, carbohydrates, and fats - fried chicken supplies all of those things. There is no such thing as 'garbage' food.

I feel contempt for you, and hope that one day you will become a better and more compassionate person. Because I'm petty, I also wish petty suffering upon you. Hope you bite your lip/cheek/tongue every time you have a judgemental or unkind thought about a person who has harmed no one.

Mind you, I still think that you - as a human being capable of suffering - deserve ready access to shelter/clothing/food/medicine/etc - the necessities of life. Because I'm not a sociopath.

[the-haiku-bot]

What I’m going to

do about you being cruel:

hold you in contempt.

Beep boop! I look for accidental haiku posts. Sometimes I mess up.

[nerdpoe]

I...okay. I don't give a good goddamn what you spend your EBT on, that's you.

But fried chicken is very unhealthy. I mean, obviously it's okay once and awhile as a treat, but you should never, ever forget that fried chicken is unhealthy.

Also, it should be noted that when we talk about "fried" chicken, we usually mean "deep fried", as that is the most popular method. It is also the most unhealthy, but baking or air-frying chicken yields a healthier result.

However, the note on the window does not state how the chicken is prepared, so this kitchen could be baking it, which is far more healthy. Kinda classist to assume it's fried, imo. Again, not my business, spend EBT how u want.

Here, I'll give you some resources on fried chicken (deep fried) being bad for your heart.

From Healthline

From Baylor College of Medicine

From GoodRx

From the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

[moniquill]

@nerdpoe No one here wants to hear about your bullshit diet culture brain poison. No individual food can be classed as 'healthy' or 'unhealthy'. The idea that more calories = bad is really really fucked up diet culture bullshit. Human beings need calories in the form of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. There is nothing inherently unhealthy about chicken, flour, and oil. You are factually incorrect in that assertion.

Eating fat does not cause heart disease. Ancel Keys will not fuck you.

A short history of saturated fat: the making and unmaking of a scientific consensus

This article recounts the history of the diet-heart hypothesis from the late 1950s up to the current day, with revelations that have never b

I urge you to visit https://www.fatnutritionist.com/ and to look into patterns of disordered eating, particularly orthorexia.

Rank-ordering foods on a moral/orthdox scale is disordered eating. Like, clinically.

Know that constitutes healthy food? Food that provides you with nutrition in the form of accessible calories and doesn’t rip up your digestive system or cause an allergic reaction (subjective to individuals! Some foods are perfectly health for some people and unhealthy for others!)

Butter pound cake with cream cheese frosting is healthy food.

A chunk of flank steak smothered in whiskey and honey is healthy food.

A giant bowl of chili is healthy food (with or without beans in it!).

Duck fat melted into a pile of rosemary-infused mashed potatoes is healthy food.

Chicken dredged in flour and fried in fat (Ideally lard, really. But any nonhydrogenated fat is fine - hydrogenated fats should not be raised to frying temps for carcinogen reasons) IS HEALTHY FOOD.

The overwhelming majority of foods that haven’t been utterly fucked with through super-refinement and chemical amendment (spoilers this is done most often to 'diet' foods) are, by the grace of four billion years of evolution, HEALTHY FOOD. 

Boiling a slice of potato in oil does not render it unhealthy. Boiling a chicken breast quarter in oil does not render it unhealthy.

You are fucking WRONG and would do well to sit down and shut up.

And even when foods are unarguably unhealthy? When they cause the people who eat them to be ill?

EATING THEM IS NOT A MORAL CONCERN. YOU ARE NOT A BAD PERSON IF YOU EAT UNHEALTHY FOOD, REGARDLESS OF WHY YOU DO IT.

Healthiness is not a moral choice. You are allowed to make decisions in the full knowledge that they are unhealthy, because your body and your life are your own. It can get dicey if your health choices legitimately cause harm to others (I.E. cause you to neglect or abuse other people for whom you are responsible, like children or elders) but if that’s off the table? YOUR CHOICES ARE YOUR OWN. And in any case whatsoever:

NO ONE IS OBLIGATED TO BE OR STAY HEALTHY.

Sure, health is nice. Many people choose to pursue it. Longevity is nice. Many people choose to pursue that. But they are not the only legitimate choices on earth, nor are they inherently ~better~ than making other life choices that counteract or sacrifice the above.

If you tell me that eating all-butter pound cake will cause me to die at 50, whereas not eating that cake will allow me to live to 100, my choice becomes

A fifty-year life with the cake

vs.

A hundred year life without it

And know what? If I decide that fifty years of delicious cake is a worthwhile endeavor and a well-spent life, one I’d prefer to a cakeless life no matter how long? THAT’S MY CHOICE. WHY DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO TAKE IT FROM ME?

(Note: Any civilization that is not attempting with all of its effort to ensure that every single person in it can CHOOSE maximally nutritious food if they want it is a piss-poor civilization in need of serious overhaul (the US in the year 2024 is a fucking dystopia)

Being poor should not mean being REQUIRED to eat either 'Healthy' or 'Unhealthy' food. Humans should be able to eat whatever they want with informed consent.

[moniquill]

btw @nerdpoe

Canada used hungry indigenous children to study malnutrition - Nature

Ire follows article detailing tests on unwitting aboriginal citizens in the 1940s and 1950s.

The dark history of Canada's Food Guide: How experiments on Indigenous children shaped nutrition policy | CBC Radio

Nutritional experiments were performed on intentionally malnourished Indigenous children in residential schools in the 1940s and ’50s. These

The information on Nutrition Labels cannot be trusted.

[glabrezu]

Nowhere in that original post did it specify what kind of cooking was being done. Several posts arguing about 'fried chicken,' nobody chimes in asking why that was the first thing they assumed in reference to EBT?

[unfortunatesun]

[moderndaywarriorsawyer]

The Money Tubbs only comes around every 5628 seconds. Reblog the Money Tubbs and you’ll find money!

[modelinterrupted]

Bitttchhh the last time I reblogged some bullshit like this I booked a 2k 30minute shoot lmao

[goldpersonified]

I received 2k 2 days after reblogging this 

[visualpunker]

Visual Style 15: Steering in Anime Movies

[retroactivebakeries]

“Marco Polo describes a bridge, stone by stone. “But which is the stone that supports the bridge?” Kublai Khan asks. “The bridge is not supported by one stone or another,” Marco answers, “but by the line of the arch that they form. ” Kublai Khan remains silent, reflecting. Then he adds: “Why do you speak to me of the stones? It is only the arch that matters to me.” Polo answers: “Without stones there is no arch.””

— Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities

[halcyonhue]

I just want you all to know, that if and when this site does experience a real exodus and/or get sunsetted for good, even if we don't keep in touch I'll remember you so fondly. You're the online equivalent of the other kid on the beach where we built sandcastles together; the girl at the campsite where we explored the trees. You're the drunk person who shared kind words in the bathroom at the club, you're the talented artists at the life drawing class or the poetry night in a city where I don't live anymore. It makes me sad that maybe in the future our paths won't cross so easily, but even when we leave this little shared piece of cyberspace, carried away on our briefly intersecting trajectories, just know I still love you

[lesbianbending-moved]

seeing all the 14-17 y/o queer kids who don’t know what v for vendetta is…. u mean the blockbuster film written by two trans women about a masked vigilante who decides to singlehandedly take down a fascist alternate version of england set in the distant year of 2020… and his driving force was getting justice for a lesbian who he never met but whose diary he found, who was separated from her wife before being killed by said fascist gov…. and it stars natalie portman…. okay

[mckitterick]

the movie is great, with amazing acting:

and the original graphic novel is phenomenal:

I highly recommend them both

and they’ve never been more relevant

[digitaldiscipline]

“People shouldn’t be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people.”

[lectorel]

There’s strong subtext that V is a trans man and A)the lesbian from the diary or B)her wife.

[bemusedlybespectacled]

frankly I prefer the movie over the comic, for three reasons:

1) lewis prothero as a rush limbaugh/glenn beck/bill o’reilly type is both more applicable and way funnier than a 1940s radio propagandist 

2) it has stephen fry as gordon detriech, and makes him explicitly gay and pretending to be attracted to evey as part of being closeted than actually attracted to evey and having sex with her while she hides in his home.

3) the movie came out in 2005; that is, only four years after 9/11, while the Iraq war was still in full swing, and while xenophobia and Islamophobia were not just acceptable, but tacitly encouraged by the administration at the time. which makes the following exchange even more poignant and sweet:

Evey: [seeing a book in a glass display case] What is that? Gordon: It’s a copy of the Qur’an, 14th century. Evey: [shocked] Are you a Muslim? Gordon: No, I’m in television. Evey: But why would you keep it? Gordon: I don’t have to be a Muslim to find the images beautiful or its poetry moving.

just… the easy acceptance of it. the idea that a religion that he doesn’t believe in and that has been explicitly outlawed in-universe is a source of beauty. I’m not Muslim, either, but that particular moment really stuck with me emotionally.

[triggermangravy]

Love this movie

[machete-inventory-manager]

“…I remember how different became dangerous. I still don’t understand it, why they hate us so much. They took Ruth while she was out buying food. I’ve never cried so hard in my life. It wasn’t long till they came for me.

It seems strange that my life should end in such a terrible place, but for three years, I had roses, and apologize to no one.

I shall die here. Every inch of me shall perish. Every inch, but one. An Inch, it is small and it is fragile, but it is the only thing in the world worth having. We must never lose it or give it away. We must never let them take it from us.

I hope that whoever you are, you escape this place. I hope that the world turns and that things get better. But what I hope most of all is that you understand what I mean when I tell you that even though I do not know you, and even though I may never meet you, laugh with you, cry with you, or kiss you. I love you. With all my heart, I love you. -Valerie”

SOBBING

[thistlearts]

Thi movie changed me so much. So so much.

[bumblebeebats]

Sometimes little pleasures in life are loadbearing. Whenever someone is like "If you'd just give up tea and coffee and sugar and--" im like I'll stop you right there. Because if you finish that sentence i am going to kill everyone in this building and then myself. If i have to face the horrors of the world without my little jar of caramel flavoured instant coffee i am going to go full American Psycho. Believe it or not, my main priority in life is not to have perfect teeth or be an Olympic athlete or look like a supermodel, but to actually enjoy living, because I spent far too long not doing that and it royally sucked. And boy, some people don't like hearing that. Particularly dentists

[the-nyanguard-party]

[aspiringwarriorlibrarian]

I’m sorry but if there is one thing the Tumblr left needs crucially, it’s the ability to celebrate.

I remember when marriage equality was called and there were waves of rainbows and love wins posts. When we successfully defeated Donald Trump, there was lukewarm relief, a reminder that you were only allowed one or maybe two days to celebrate and then it was back to work. That is if you were even a good person for voting Biden. We never did settle if he was better than Trump. (We did.). We didn’t celebrate student loan debt relief or any of the accomplishments of the Biden administration, or any of the times Trump was blocked, or other countries succeeding in keeping fascists out of office. Who cares if we had successes? It’s not good enough. Back to work!

And this anti-celebratory attitude stretches back to the past. On the 100th anniversary of female suffrage in America, we were reminded that not all women had the vote and so we weren’t allowed to celebrate. The only post I saw about Juneteenth was reminding us that there were enslaved people who were killed instead of freed and therefore celebrating the end of chattel slavery was wrong, and besides, we have prison labor so nothing really changed or got better and there’s nothing to celebrate anyway. Trans Day of Visibility comes with Trans Day of Remembrance so that people don’t fill the tags with hate crimes and death. So on and so forth. Nothing gets better. Nothing changes. Back to work!

So of course when we have a major setback, we fall apart and have to start frantic damage control. Frantic discourse ensues over how much people are allowed to unplug before it becomes bad and selfish. Yes, maybe you can have this one day off Mr. Cratchit but you better be here and miserable early the next morning. Like abusive bosses always insisting you squeeze out more, more, more, and any achievement is just proof you were lazy the other times and impetus for more work.

If we are never allowed to acknowledge any of our victories, how are we supposed to survive our defeats?

[tilthat]

TIL that the reason lead levels in children’s blood have dropped 85% in the past thirty years is because of an unknown scientist who fought car companies to end leaded gasoline. He also removed it from paint, suggested its removal from pipes, and campaigned for the removal of lead solder from cans.

via ift.tt

[squeeful]

Yep.  It also correlates extremely strongly with an increasing decrease of violent crime.  One of the symptoms of low level constant lead exposure is increased aggression and volatility. 

[kurowrites]

“Unknown scientist”? That was Clair Cameron Patterson.

[solarpunkcast]

Gas companies are still so mad at him he’s “unknown scientist”, know his name

[bogleech]

Daily reminder that health and safety standards like these are what politicians mean when they talk about “deregulation.”

[prismatic-bell]

Patterson died 5 December 1995.

Petition to make his date of death a Tumblr holiday celebrated by talking about cool shit the gas and petroleum industries don’t want us to know about, and fighting to continue his work.

[kittydesade]

Happy Clair Cameron Patterson day!

[ailelie]

Oh, hey, it’s almost Clair Cameron Patterson day!

[typewriter-worries]

The New York Times did a piece titled 100 Small Acts of Love and these are some of my favorites 💕

[wolfythewitch]

This too shall pass but like holy fuck

[adhdisgay]

Friendly reminder to listen VERY VERY CRITICALLY if someone tries to convince you not to register for federal disaster assistance following a declared disaster. Helene is still moving north and I see the usual rants picking up steam already.

That person trying to win social commentary points online is not your friend. That person can’t give you funds for house repair or to restock on food and meds. And if they say they can - that is a scammer and not someone you can trust.

Scammers and developers trying to take advantage after a disaster intentionally spread rumors/misinformation to convince survivors not to apply for federal disaster assistance. Many well meaning people pick this misinformation up and spread it further without understanding how the assistance process works. It’s happened more and more over the years and it will happen with Helene.

If you do not apply for assistance, you lose the chance to receive federal funds. APPLY APPLY APPLY. This doesn’t guarantee you will meet eligibility requirements, but you definitely can’t meet them if you don’t apply. The application process isn’t perfect but it continues to be updated - and was updated in 2024!! - to try and make it easier for survivors. If you have damages or lost power for an extended time, APPLY.

You can check on FEMA.gov or with local news to see when disaster recovery centers will open, how long the application period will last, and what information you’ll need when applying.

[beatrice-otter]

OP mentioned this but I want to highlight it: Biden changed some of the rules for FEMA eligibility to make it more accessible to middle-and-low-income people. They did a bunch of things to reduce red tape and make the assistance more flexible so you can use it for more things. The rule change took effect in March of 2024; this is the first major disaster under the new rules. So advice from people who have been through the FEMA wringer before might not be applicable.

The changes included things like streamlining the application process and also the appeals process.

The changes ALSO introduced help for immediate housing needs for people who have been displaced--that's a new thing! If you can't go home, there's a good chance FEMA can give you money to spend on housing in the short term!

The changes ALSO broaden the types of housing that FEMA will fund repairs to! It used to be that they would only fund repairs for stuff that had been fully functional before the disaster. So if you had a leaky roof before the storm, and the storm blew the roof off, they would only pay to replace the part of the roof that hadn't been leaky before the storm. Biden changed that; now they'll just replace the whole thing. And if you want to use part of the money to make your home more accessible than it used to be, that's allowed now, too.

Basically, there's a bunch of things that were changed to make FEMA better and more helpful to ordinary people, and those changes are all new enough that advice from previous disasters probably won't apply.