@EricLawton@spore.social cover
@EricLawton@spore.social avatar

EricLawton

@EricLawton@spore.social

Natural philosopher (STEM background), retired IT Architect.
Supporting public policy based on kindness, respect and evidence.
#socialSystems #science #philosophy #garden #politics

Cis, het: he.

Settler on the traditional territories the Mississauga branch of the Ojibwa Nation.

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. For a complete list of posts, browse on the original instance.

RickiTarr , to random
@RickiTarr@beige.party avatar

I talk to people from the UK pretty regularly, I watch a lot of BBC programming, I read a lot of books by authors from the UK, but sometimes they will suddenly use a word I've never heard in my life, and I'm beginning to think they are pranking us, and every other person from the UK is in on the joke, and just validates whatever the other person says!

EricLawton ,
@EricLawton@spore.social avatar

@RolloTreadway

When I first took my wife to Lancashire (Bolton, pronounced Bouɂn; ɂ = glottal stop), I had to translate my nana's Lanky to Canadian, though she mostly understood my parents.

@RickiTarr

EricLawton , to random
@EricLawton@spore.social avatar

This Monstera is getting monstrous.

Though they grow to 20 metres in the wild.

EricLawton , to random
@EricLawton@spore.social avatar

Joe Biden Is Shipping Weapons to Israel Every 36 Hours

https://jacobin.com/2024/03/biden-weapons-israel-gaza-palestine/

> The Biden administration has been able to maintain a low profile by spreading arms provision to Israel across more than 100 smaller munitions sales — allowing the president to posture as a peacekeeper while US weapons wipe Gaza off the map.

pluralistic , to random
@pluralistic@mamot.fr avatar

Bruce Schneier coined the term "feudal security" to describe Big Tech's offer: "move into my fortress - lock yourself into my technology - and I will keep you safe from all the marauders roaming the land":

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/05/battery-vampire/#drained

--

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this thread to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/03/13/hey-look-over-there/#lets-you-and-he-fight

1/

EricLawton ,
@EricLawton@spore.social avatar

@pluralistic

Isn't this the promise of nation-states?

"It's a tried-and-true bullying tactic: convince your victim that only you can keep them safe so they surrender their agency to you, so the victim comes under your power and can't escape your cruelty and exploitation."

wdlindsy , to random
@wdlindsy@toad.social avatar

Mark Jacobs on the (puerile — my word) boredom of New York Times reporters faced with a Trump-Biden rematch:

"The most important reason that this year’s election is no rerun is that Trump’s dictator talk has gotten progressively worse. It’s clear that this November’s election will be a referendum on democracy vs. fascism. It will be an election to decide whether it’s our last fair election."


/1

https://www.stopthepresses.news/p/some-journalists-seem-bored-by-the

EricLawton ,
@EricLawton@spore.social avatar

@wdlindsy

Even worse: if you're a journalist and you find this election entertaining.

EricLawton , to random
@EricLawton@spore.social avatar

Ford government defeats attempt to exempt trucks from Hwy. 407 tolls

Their reason? The highway is a private business, which they can't control.

But it was publicly owned, and it was a Conservative government thar sold it for far less than it was worth.

Privatisation is a con game by the wealthy.

And so is the Conservative Party.

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/ford-government-defeats-attempt-to-exempt-trucks-from-hwy-407-tolls/article_0237e1ca-da4f-11ee-bbb0-977cea78aec6.html?li_source=LI&li_medium=politics

EricLawton , to random
@EricLawton@spore.social avatar

Israel-Gaza war latest: More than 100 reported killed as crowd waits for Gaza aid - BBC News

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-middle-east-68438112

FediTips , to random
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services avatar

You might have noticed some people publish much longer posts than the usual 500 character limit. There are three ways this is possible:

-The server owner has customised their Mastodon server's software to change the character limit

-The server owner has installed a pre-customised version of Mastodon such as Glitch or Hometown

-The server isn't running on Mastodon software at all, but something totally different such as Friendica, WordPress etc

More info:
➡️ https://fedi.tips/why-do-some-people-on-mastodon-and-the-fediverse-have-bigger-character-limits

EricLawton ,
@EricLawton@spore.social avatar

@Z_Zed_Zed

I do (write a blog). I tried federating it, in the hopes that WordPress would do what it does on my site and truncate with a link.

But no. So now I don't even follow myself but toot a short form with a link, by hand.

Sigh.

@FediTips

EricLawton ,
@EricLawton@spore.social avatar

@FediTips

I haven't seen any. I'll look closer.

@Z_Zed_Zed

EricLawton ,
@EricLawton@spore.social avatar

@FediTips.

Not a business account, so no plug-ins.

"On the plug-in for independently hosted sites (or wordpress.com sites with business/commerce plans), you can choose how much of your posts are shown on Mastodon"

So that's why I don't see an option. 😥

Thanks anyway.

wordpress.com
@Z_Zed_Zed

EricLawton , to random
@EricLawton@spore.social avatar

A brazen admission of an attempt to stack the courts:

Doug Ford defends ‘patronage’ appointments of ex-staffers, says he wants ‘like-minded’ Ontario judges

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/doug-ford-defends-patronage-appointments-of-ex-staffers-says-he-wants-like-minded-ontario-judges/article_85bcd434-d25b-11ee-b59c-bb5445f38856.html

“I’m appointing like-minded people that believe in what we believe in,” Ford said, responding to a Star report that his ex-staffers will be selecting Ontario judges. “I’m not going to appoint some NDP or some Liberal.”

futurebird , (edited ) to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

Normally the ants I spot in videos are fairly common species, but this video had a real treat.

Rare ant alert! The ants on the Psudobombax sp. are Cephalotes sp. (often called 'turtle ants' for their broad heads) possibly Cephalotes atratus? They have hard exoskeletons. They are arboreal & known for their ability to jump from a tree branch then & glide back to the trunk without hitting the ground. A magnificent ant on an excellent plant!

https://youtu.be/QQWdT5TrEzw?list=TLPQMTcwMjIwMjQgKP_ZQpmceg&t=643

EricLawton ,
@EricLawton@spore.social avatar

@futurebird

You make this guy seem like a man of limited ambitions.

"‘Total immersive obsession’: meet the man on a mission to record every bird in Ireland "

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/18/sean-ronayne-mission-record-every-bird-species-ireland-irish-wildlife-sounds-birdsong

EricLawton , to random
@EricLawton@spore.social avatar

Now will they believe there's a ?

Snow sports at B.C. Winter Games cancelled due to lack of snow | CBC News

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/snow-sports-at-b-c-winter-games-cancelled-1.7109780?cmp=rss

EricLawton , to random
@EricLawton@spore.social avatar

If you don't like immigrants, call your representatives.

Tell them to

  • increase your country's aid to countries which provide the most immigrants
  • forgive their loans
  • make sure the aid goes to providing good jobs, not just to buying your country's products (looking at you, UK)
  • control your corporations. Make sure they
    -- pay fair wages
    -- pay the full value of extracted resources
    -- don't pollute
  • …

I assure you, most immigrants would stay home if you did.

1/2

breadandcircuses , to random
@breadandcircuses@climatejustice.social avatar

[Thread, post or comment was deleted by the author]

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    EricLawton ,
    @EricLawton@spore.social avatar

    @breadandcircuses

    Congratulations, youngster!

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