MostlyTato

grrrr_shark, 1 year ago to random

For a couple of years now, a QAnon-type antivaxxer has been writing inflammatory anti-vax statements in chalk at the main bus stop in front of our main train station in Winterthur.

It is directly in front of a store, and was mostly ignored until they started writing things like "vaxxie lives don't matter", and suddenly, the store or the city started washing them off.

It was vaguely amusing when it was just "No sex with vaxxed people!". It seemed delusional and mostly harmless, though the people behind it were anything but as a group. But they escalated, and along with Swiss right-wing rhetoric, when it got to death wishes, I guess that was the line.

Anyway, they went away for a while, and then came back briefly, but were ignored again.

But tonight, in the same handwriting and place, there was a new message:

"Climate change is a lie."

So when people say we have to engage in dialogue with these folks?

No. They are part of a weird death cult and can fuck off into the sun.

MostlyTato, 1 year ago to random

What a grim day for what is left of the United Kingdom as feudalism once again gets cemented into the national consciousness as something to cheer for, whilst any dissenting voices are silenced by an insidious new oven-baked law.
But then, I expect most of these Potato People fell for the Brexit scam too.
At least the elections give a vague glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe they will stop voting to cut their own throats.
#Coronation #NotMyKing #KingCharles #Fascism #Tories #GTTO

glennf, 1 year ago to random

Still reading and hearing takes that Mastodon has “failed” as a Twitter alternative. Listen, it’s ok if it doesn’t work for someone—unlike Twitter, I think Mastodon requires more effort and cultivation to produce an experience that feels meaningful. It’s been worth it for me. But there is definitely a smell of…not sour grapes but people making broad assumptions based on their own experience while ignoring millions of other people. Will Mastodon top 100 million? Who knows. Who cares?

futurebird, 1 year ago to random

There are many different sides to the "Dave Debate"

Should people named Dave exist? Should they have rights? Are they people at all?

I'm not anti-Dave, in fact I am a great supporter of Daves. I just think we need to ask some questions. But if you ask these questions people get so mad.

Shouldn't we at least have a sober reasonable discussion? What's wrong with that?

Skepticat, 1 year ago to fediverse

Read this, then lost 1.5 hours in a rabbit hole of comments.

The comments have given me a different perspective.

For so many folks, who were here years before Twitter imploded, it's a hostile takeover of their homeland.

Those of us who arrived from the wreckage, well we're the Americans in that homeland. Taking and demanding.

I seriously want to take a moment to give thanks to #Mastodon and apologize to the homelands.

Thank you, Mastodon.

GWillow, 1 year ago to random

Going to ask a potentially dumb q, since there are so many scientists/astronomers/etc on here: given how old the universe is, and how many billions of star systems there are, what is the probability that there are other intelligent life forms somewhere? Not talking about Vulcans with warp capability or little green men in flying saucers, just, I don't know...self-aware slime molds? Silica-based jellyfish swarms with complex language? You know, something.

Sheril, 1 year ago to science

About 250M years ago, 90% of species on Earth died during the Permian extinction. All of that loss created a lot of vacant niches to fill.

And not long after, the first mammals, our ancestors, appeared.

I find it comforting to remember that life on this pale blue dot will be resilient - whether we’re part of it or not. #science #nature #history #SharedPlanet