@gmcgath@liberdon.com
@gmcgath@liberdon.com avatar

gmcgath

@gmcgath@liberdon.com

Freelance writer. Lover of #liberty, #music, and #cats. Author of The Magic Battery, Spells of War, Files that Last, and Tomorrow's Songs Today.

Lately doing lots of writing on history for Liberty Fund. https://oll.libertyfund.org/person/gary-mcgath

I sometimes discuss upsetting subjects. If that's not what you want, don't follow.

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

gmcgath, to random
@gmcgath@liberdon.com avatar

It would be nice if the "" Party completely shredded when he speaks to their convention. The odds of it happening are somewhere between zero and zero. https://www.thebulwark.com/p/libertarian-party-questions-for-trump

stefan, to internet
@stefan@stefanbohacek.online avatar

Do NOT, under any circumstances, link to any of the websites listed here!

"You may not provide a link to this website from any other website without first obtaining Associated’s prior written consent."

"You may only link to our Web site or mobile application with Our express written permission."

"Users may not link any other website to the Website without obtaining the prior written consent of Office of His Majesty’s Coroner for the City of Sunderland."

https://malcolmcoles.com/no-linking/

#internet

gmcgath,
@gmcgath@liberdon.com avatar

@stefan Maybe a reverse-psychology way of getting people to link to their sites?

eff, to random
@eff@mastodon.social avatar

Checking a box to access public Wi-Fi does not waive Fourth Amendment rights. We hope the Oregon Supreme Court will agree. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/03/eff-asks-oregon-supreme-court-not-limit-fourth-amendemtn-rights-based-terms

gmcgath,
@gmcgath@liberdon.com avatar

@eff I've seen Wi-Fi terms in highway rest areas (I think it was in NY state) that explicitly say you have no reasonable expectation of privacy. Naturally, I declined and didn't use the Wi-Fi.

gmcgath, to Ukraine
@gmcgath@liberdon.com avatar

It really wouldn't surprise me if encouraged the Islamic State attack in so he could blame . In other places that would be a far-out conspiracy theory, but with Putin many things are plausible. https://news.yahoo.com/russian-detains-11-people-concert-081734658.html

gmcgath, to boston
@gmcgath@liberdon.com avatar

My review of last night's excellent performance of Peer Gynt by the Symphony Orchestra and others. https://garymcgath.com/wp/peer-gynt/

rstockm, to random German
@rstockm@chaos.social avatar

Quelle: Internet.

gmcgath,
@gmcgath@liberdon.com avatar

@mjgardner https://xkcd.com/1897/

gmcgath, to random
@gmcgath@liberdon.com avatar

tries "fueling mental health crisis" as a new excuse for and getting around the . https://finance.yahoo.com/news/1-york-mayor-sues-social-232437187.html

briankrebs, to random

If you've ever wondered why some Wi-Fi is free (like in hotels), it's because typically data about your browsing is sold to countless ad companies that will happily buy it.

Had to use the hotel WiFi recently on a trip, and after clicking "agree" to their terms of service, the Little Snitch firewall on my Mac went bonkers. I must have denied 20-30 outbound requests to advertising networks. It still worked, though, so I'm guessing I didn't manage to block all of it.

gmcgath,
@gmcgath@liberdon.com avatar

@briankrebs You, a security guru, didn't use a VPN when going through hotel Wi-Fi?

gmcgath, to China
@gmcgath@liberdon.com avatar

In 2010, Neil Gaiman's children's books weren't sold in China because they showed "disrespect for authority."
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/may/24/neil-gaiman-interview-good-omens

In 2015, Neil Gaiman signed a letter to Xi Jinping protesting the jailing of authors in .
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/sep/21/neil-gaiman-authors-chinese-president-jailed-writers

In 2023, "The Sound of Her Wings," an episode of his Sandman series, was disqualified for a for unspecified reasons.

There's no proof yet these were connected, but we can speculate.

aardrian, to random
@aardrian@toot.cafe avatar

As holiday fundraising campaigns continue, remember that the is fundamentally an evangelical anti-LGBTQ organization that campaigns against equal rights while pushing its religious agenda.

Donate elsewhere.

Refs (stance on LGBTQIA):
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Salvation_Army#Stance_on_LGBT_issues

gmcgath,
@gmcgath@liberdon.com avatar

@aardrian The has been improving on LGBTQ issues, but it still says flatly that only people who follow Jesus get salvation. In other words, they say all atheists, religious Jews, Buddhists, Muslims, etc. are going to Hell. The SA too often gets a pass on this.

gmcgath, to reddit
@gmcgath@liberdon.com avatar

What I find most lacking on Mastodon is discussions of questions. If I post a question on some difficult issue, I might get a favorite or two, but rarely a thoughtful response. I've given up trying.

For all its faults, offers a high chance of getting an answer. After taking a break from it, I've started using it again, being more careful to avoid the toxic parts.

wjmaggos, to Russia
@wjmaggos@liberal.city avatar

I'm sure would be fine with no longer "occupying" and allowing for an "independent state" on their border in the same way that calls "free".

Putin would get to blockade most of it via land, air and sea. Ukrainian travel in and out would be restricted, while Russians and others would not be. Imports and exports would be severely limited. Russia would still get to bomb them to deal with any resistance as necessary.

You know, to preserve Russia's sense of security.

gmcgath,
@gmcgath@liberdon.com avatar

@wjmaggos That was the status of Poland, East Germany, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, etc. for several decades.

gmcgath,
@gmcgath@liberdon.com avatar

@wjmaggos There were no cases of Poles or Hungarians bursting into Russian towns and indiscriminately murdering and raping Russians.

gmcgath,
@gmcgath@liberdon.com avatar

@wjmaggos You mean fucking mass murder.

wjmaggos, (edited ) to random
@wjmaggos@liberal.city avatar

The social network where each journalistic outlet, government agency and institution has its own instance will obviously become the best place for news eventually. Where no third-party can ever decide whether or not we see what gets posted/boosted by the people we follow, and nothing else shows up in our feed either.

It's just taking way too fucking long for them to figure this out and join us here.

gmcgath,
@gmcgath@liberdon.com avatar

@wjmaggos
It just feels like reinventing websites with RSS feeds.

vicgrinberg, to random
@vicgrinberg@mastodon.social avatar

People post because they want to vent, to share their frustration, to make others laugh or shake heads. If ppl post to get advice, they usually ask.

So: You want to give advice?

Has the person explicitly asked for it? No? Then don't.

But you really, really want to give advice! Still: no!

But your advice is really relevant! Still: no.

But you also know the person well (you follow them & they you & you interacted): ask if they want advice. If they don't explicitly say yes - it's still a no.

gmcgath,
@gmcgath@liberdon.com avatar

@vicgrinberg. "Don't give advice! Don't ever give advice! I know you didn't ask my opinion, but I advise you not to give advice!" I wonder how many people got the joke.

macrumors, to random
@macrumors@mastodon.social avatar

Apple CEO Tim Cook Visits China Amid Reports of Lower iPhone 15 Sales https://www.macrumors.com/2023/10/17/cook-visits-china-amid-reports-of-iphone-15-sales/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

gmcgath,
@gmcgath@liberdon.com avatar

@macrumors Will he drop in on Worldcon? He's in the right city.

wjmaggos, (edited ) to fediverse
@wjmaggos@liberal.city avatar

It's hard to convince the big names to embrace the because the rise of media decentralization threatens their unearned power. The ask isn't that they simply exchange one platform for another, but that they reject the whole idea of being able to buy attention. What rich person or corporation or well-funded media organization wants to do that? They are scared of a truly empowered network of regular people, as they should be.

gmcgath,
@gmcgath@liberdon.com avatar

@wjmaggos Thus, the fediverse fails to fill an economic need, the ability to trade money for visibility? But nothing about federated models precludes the ability to offer advertising space. It's practically inevitable that it will happen. Markets adapt to new circumstances.

gmcgath,
@gmcgath@liberdon.com avatar

@wjmaggos Reputations don't spontaneously build themselves, however much we'd like them to. If advertising were suddenly abolished, the companies with the biggest market share would be in a much more comfortable position, with high visibility because of inertia, while upstarts would find it impossible to get noticed.

gmcgath,
@gmcgath@liberdon.com avatar

@wjmaggos @volkris Ad blockers do a pretty decent job. I use uBlock Origin, which lets me tailor what I want to block and what I want to see.

wjmaggos, to random
@wjmaggos@liberal.city avatar

Usually I think it's good to be an asshole to assholes. Sometimes I'm not so sure. I guess the question is how are they to decent people and do they fairly separate individuals from groups. Less animosity in the world is great but I do think bullies will only reconsider their actions when they are forced to.

gmcgath,
@gmcgath@liberdon.com avatar

@wjmaggos It rarely does any good. People aren't persuaded or even dissuaded by insults. Usually it's better not to engage with them.

gmcgath,
@gmcgath@liberdon.com avatar

@wjmaggos They thrive on attention. If they're affecting others, it's important to speak up, but keep the high ground. "When you wrestle a pig in mud, you'll both get dirty, and the pig will enjoy it."

gmcgath, to random
@gmcgath@liberdon.com avatar

While I've often complained about the overuse of the word , the " Palestinian Solidarity Groups" are fully deserving of the term. https://www.theday.com/state/20231010/31-harvard-student-groups-side-with-hamas-blame-israel/

gmcgath,
@gmcgath@liberdon.com avatar

@wjmaggos Sorry about the paywall; I block JavaScript for the nytimes site, so I don't see the paywall.

Let's take the best case; mass killing of the innocent ends a war against an evil government (Hiroshima). Even there, it sets a precedent whose much deadlier consequences the world barely avoided.

More typically (9/11 or Hamas), it increases the opponent's resolve, encourages retaliation in kind, and draws attention away from legitimate grievances.

fribbledom, to random
@fribbledom@mastodon.social avatar

Everyone thinks they're unique until they have to decide on a username.

gmcgath,
@gmcgath@liberdon.com avatar

@fribbledom The only conflicts I've ever had on mine have been with impersonators.

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