There are people who hate art precisely because its value isn’t tied to utility or productivity.
We call them Philistines.
Philistines only crave comfort—technology, convenience, consumption. The idea that art might make you a better person offends them. Even worse if the art doesn’t flatter them.
What defines a Philistine is their demand that art serve an immediate function. If it doesn’t, they dismiss it as worthless.
The situation in North Gaza is beyond catastrophic.
Entire neighborhoods are being wiped off the map — home by home, street by street.
People have no electricity, no clean water, no food.
Displaced families are sleeping on rubble. Children cry from hunger. Disease is spreading.
There are no hospitals left. No aid. No safe zones.
#GazaIsBleeding
#NorthGaza
#LetGazaLive
#CeasefireNOW
#EndTheSiege
#GazansUnderAttack
#GazaGenocide
#StandWithPalestine
#SaveGaza
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Hello Fediverse I want to make a short announcement about the social.trom.tf Friendica instance run by my friend @tio
Currently that instance is going through a big server migration process and it will take a couple of hours for it to get finished. So if you mention or send anyone messages during this time it might not reach them.
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A whole new meaning to "spin dry"Connextras experiment: https://youtu.be/0xLzDF7PZW8Original video: https://youtu.be/j_QfX0SYCE8Other stuff:Technology Connec...YouTube
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Look, EU, it is difficult to take you seriously when you forced all this cookie notification bullshit on us.Infosec Exchange
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Genuine question:
If I hosted my own private analytics tracker (something like Matomo (née Piwik), e.g.) just so I could have funny numbers to look at because I like to look at numbers but do nothing meaningful with them, would that require a cookie banner?
I'd pondered about just having a static notice in the footer of my site that just says "This site uses some functional cookies and one (1) tracking cookie for a self-hosted analytics dashboard because I like to look at Numbers™."
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Eurostar security is great, the pulled my bag aside and opened it. - “What’s in this toiletry bag?”
- “My toiletries”
Agent then found my Lovense plugs. Spent a good amount of time trying to put them back into their drawstring bag while I stared at them impatiently. 😼
Then they got to my Densha de Go Shinkansen controller, looked lost for a bit, then waved me though. 😸
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The image features a social media post with a black background and white text. The post is from a user named "katepaintspaws" and is timestamped "1d" (one day ago). The text discusses the number of migrants in hotels awaiting asylum decisions in the U.K., stating there are approximately 32,000. It then compares this number to the capacity of Wembley Stadium, suggesting that a third of the stadium's 90,000 seats would be equivalent to the number of migrants. The post criticizes the use of this comparison by groups like Reform UK Ltd to influence public opinion. The background of the post includes a fiery image, possibly symbolizing unrest or conflict. The bottom right corner of the image has a watermark with the letter "X" inside a circle.
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🌱 Energy used: 0.195 Wh
No Rush'ing to judgement.
I think the real Nazis don't like being associated with strong, independent women LOL
UBI is unconditional and universal. We can build support for it by removing work requirements from any existing program and/or making any existing program universal and paired with higher taxes on those with higher incomes. When it comes to amount, I'd like to see any unconditional universal amount. #UBI
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Interesting point. 😃
However I do think attacking dead people won’t solve any problems associated with the other 2 mentioned.
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How nipples expose everyday hypocrisies around our understanding of women’s bodies and why it's important to rethink their place in culture.Rohina Katoch Sehra (HuffPost UK)
It appears I neglected to announce the existence of last week’s episode of Reverse Trivia.
Here it is for your viewing pleasure. But beware, at least one of us sings!
youtu.be/X2LebcZ7CkM?si=hJ5JU-…
Words, water, and a vicious insult to Lancashire.The Technical Difficulties are:🟥 TOM SCOTT: http://tomscott.com - https://instagram.com/tomscottgo🟨 GARY B...YouTube
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My mom taught me that people are poor because they were too lazy to help themselves get a job. To give them money would just let them not have to work, and they would go buy beer with it.
Now that I am poor due to being disabled, I know the truth. I am poor because I did not get the help I needed.
Independant human, a lie. We all still need help. Sometimes people need the help because they CANT do the things to get out of poverty.
Some of us cant work, because there are no jobs they can do.
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I've started doing a bit of streaming over on Joystick. Not worked out a steady schedule yet, just playing a few games when it feels like a good time.
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Implosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster - videoneat.com/documentaries/26…
This is the perfect example of why in this trade-based society things get fucked. Because people are focused on trading, making a profit. And these idiots did just that. Cut corners, then cut their lives short and of those who paid for their scam.
Tragic. But a very important example of how #TradeRuinsEverything
#documentary #bbc #titanic #titan
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I’m still like deer-in-the-headlights frozen since a colleague earlier this week just casually threw into a discussion about a complex, consequential, and costly legal question “well I checked on ChatGPT and it said…” as though that was some kind of mic drop.
I just wasn’t prepared for this. My jaw was on the floor.
Spoiler alert: ChatGPT was 100% wrong, like exactly the inverse of the true fact, of the complex, consequential, and costly legal question. A yes/no question where the answer was ‘no’ and ChatGPT said ‘yes’.
I bet they’ll keep using it though 🤷🏼♂️
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Found it.
Mom knows best.
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The latest crop of Nvidia GPUs are exceeding 1000W max TDP ratings, apparently. This is insanity and it needs to stop.
There is no reason for an AIB to consume so much more power than the rest of the PC platform.
It's literally like a cancer in how much it consumes as it continues to grow ever bigger and hungrier for more.
There needs to be a solid market for mid-range GPUs that offer good-enough performance at really good prices, and both Intel and AMD are in a position to provide that.
Let nvidia run away with it at the top end. It's clear gamers who chase top end performance are always going to pick nvidia, so it's a better business move imo to pursue the greater majority of the market that just wants something affordable and competent.
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Don’t know if everyone has heard yet but Liverpool pride totally fucked it and it’s cancelled.
Luckily, a charity has stepped in to save pride in Liverpool but they need our support in order to raise the necessary funds.
I really hope that Liverpool pride can run this year. I so rarely get the chance to dress up as a leather puppy these days. 🏳️🌈 🏳️⚧️
If you are in the UK please repost ^w^
gofundme.com/f/save-liverpool-…
#lgbt #pride #gayPride #liverpool #uk #unitedKingdom #pride2025
I tried a weird strategy on Lemmy and so far it seems to works.
There were 2-3 dudes systematically downvoting everything I post.
So what I did was artificially create myself a fan base consisting of just others accounts of me and upvoting everything. So with all those "fake" accounts and the few people following me for real, the post stay positive even with some moronic downvoters.
However, when posts already have 4-5 upvotes, the downvoters are surprisingly not present.
So my guess is they just want to demoralize newcomers by quickly making their post negatives. As soon as you gain a real audience, they move away, proving the fact they are assholes.
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If you ever think English is not a weird language just remember that read and lead rhyme and read and lead rhyme.
But read and lead don't rhyme, and neither do read and lead.
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Crissy Tish Addams
in reply to Chris Trottier • • •I only knew Philistines as meaning from bible studies (raised Christian, i'm non-practicing). It's very narrow-minded to be that today!
It's a very fitting label for the people who also dislike literature and music too (as apparently creative writing and some forms of music, according to them, serve no use other than "entertainment")
Chris Trottier
in reply to Crissy Tish Addams • • •@Crissy There’s a book that goes into this in far more detail called Revolt of the Masses by José Ortega y Gasset, written just before the Spanish Civil War. He called Philistines by another name: mass-men.
The idea behind this book is that mass-men and authoritarianism go hand-in-hand. And I would agree. Elon Musk, for example, is the consummate mass-man. He has no appreciation for aesthetics beyond utility, spectacle, or status.
This, by the way, is why the Cybertruck is so awful.
Crissy Tish Addams
in reply to Chris Trottier • • •thanks for sharing about the book & concept of mass men.
What's wonderful (and antithesis to the Cybertruck's shock value and hideous looks) is the Porsche 911, which balances performance with aesthetic coherence developed over decades of refinement!
My takeaway from learning about this is genuine excellence, thoughtful design, and authentic human connection is possible when we are being respectful and kind to all.
Which also raisesCritical Questions for #FediCollective and #PeerTube co-op like
1. How do we build businesses that serve mass markets without adopting mass man values?
2. Can technology be designed to elevate rather than reduce human experience?
3. What's the entrepreneur's responsibility to resist the race to the bottom in taste and standards?
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