The Biden Scandal Goes Well Beyond the Aging Cover-Up
The Biden Scandal Goes Well Beyond the Aging Cover-Up | The Nation
The former president’s stubbornness and narcissism led to disastrous Trump victory.The Nation
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An EXTREMELY Simple Guide to Mastodon
I think this is the way we should communicate, when presented with the question on how to get on Mastodon:
Copy paste from the link:
How do I use Mastodon?
- Download the Mastodon app from the Apple app store or Play store.
- Create an account (just like Twitter or any other social media)
- Follow people, and get posting.
Why do tech journalists say it’s too confusing to catch on?
I have no fucking idea.
EDIT for clarification, don't take this too seriously:
This “guide” is a bit of a joke made out of frustration. If you actually want to know more, including why I feel it has potential to free us from the dystopian hellscape that is modern social media, here is the “real” guide to Mastodon. It still uses simple language (and has lots of pictures!):
Please share widely
A Simple Guide to Mastodon (And the Fediverse)
Written for humans by a human. Lots of pictures!Justin (Stay Grounded)
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then you need to decide your instance
Just use mastodon.social
If you feel like you want to join a more specific community then you can
We both know that is not how this should work. If everybody joins the same instance
But this doesn't happen. Mastodon.social is far from 90%, and the former CEO made the choice of letting control go to an entity that is no-profit, I think it's the right choice.
- The casual user joins mastodon.social (default highlighted choice). He can enjoy the Fediverse and discover its complexity with experience, not by understanding everything in advance.
- He can the move to another instance if he feels so, after undetstanding what this actually means
- The more advanced user probably already knows the instance thing, and maybe doesn't even use the offical app
I think it's the "basically" part in basically right back where we started that makes the difference. Even if 100% of Fediverse users were on a single instance, once that instance starts pulling Musk moves, the users can move somewhere else.
Only if that instance defederates from everyone else do we get the Twitter situation again. Or, since that's actually what happened, Truth Social, which I think is just a slightly modified Mastodon instance with federation disabled/deactivated.
Thanks for the honesty!
It used to blow my mind that the "omg how can the vote for Trump are they blind fanatics!n!?" would be the same "Omg how do you not see how easy this is!!?" people, but now I realize it's just people being loyal to their team, whatever it is.
exactly. and trying to downplay potential users as stupid before they've even used a social media platform isn't going to exactly make them want to stay. or even try in the first place.
just makes mastodon look like a place where nerds reign free and normal folks won't be able to participate effectively.
if you want to make mastodon a destination and not a niche corner to be avoided, this is not the way.
i agree with you completely.
edit: I should clarify, the "guide" above is the thing insulting users. the guide is inaccurate.
wha? you didn't. i just was agreeing with you the whole time.
was just adding my own frustrations to your own, as yours are true.
and trying to downplay potential users as stupid
Because they are
When I was frickin‘ 14, I managed to grasp the Idea of an Instance and managed to find an instance I liked and register there
And if some 25 y o goddamn Tech Journalists is dumber than a dude in 7th grade with a phone, maybe you should start thinking about if we are really all Albert Einsteins prodogy or if the bar is just set way too low for considering whats „Normal Intelligence“
When using the official Mastodon app (as suggested in the "guide") "instances" are not a factor at all (unless the user specifically goes out of their way). A new user could have never even heard of the term "instance" and the above steps would work fine.
You don’t just download the app, create an account, and go.
Actually with Mastodon this is literally how it works.
EDIT: I should say this is how it works now, it didn't always used to be this way. The official Mastodon app used to ask the user to pick an instance, but for a number of years now it defaults every new account to mastodon.social unless they opt out. There was a big brouhah about centralization but the Mastodon devs felt it made for easier on boarding.
Well, I'm confused. And has it caught on?
Disclosure: I've tried it out on my computer, not the app. Is the app more user-friendly?
E.g. I only just realized now why I've been so confused by Mastodon; the web page shows you replies before showing you what's being replied to, without the UI making it obvious that's what it's doing and what's connected together. Does the app fix that, and is there a way to get a fix in a web browser?
I'm not sure, but i guess that it is replicating Twitter behaviour. I got used to that quickly.
But if you want a better experience you can easily find other front ends. I strongly suggest Phanpy that makes it really clear when a toot is part of a conversation/thread. It also does a lot of nice things like grouping boosts in horizontal carousels, collapsing long threads to avoid occpying the too many screens, and others, but it is still simple
Phanpy
First impression: "That's more like it!"
But then: "Wait... it's still not showing me the OP followed by replies." It shows me a reply, with some faded text above. I click on the faded text above, and still don't get the OP, eventually click on a group of microavatars with mouseover text "Go to top" and an up arrow, and at last see what the hell it is people are talking about, with replies below. I try going through settings, find no way to get it simply show me the OP in the first place.
I guess I'll have to keep trying out front-ends until I find one that works ~~in a way that is not obviously maddening~~ the way I need it to.
I'll try Ask Lemmy. lemmy.ca/post/44479417
(And wondering again if I should try Mbin or Piefed, and what the difference is.)
Good idea. I wanted to search their Github Issues to see if they already have a request for this but then I realized I don't know the correct technical terms to describe this. "Show OP with replies below directly in timeline"? Or "feed"? Or "home page"? Whatever is the porper Mastodon term for what it shows me when I load the main page.
Issues · cheeaun/phanpy
A minimalistic opinionated Mastodon web client. Contribute to cheeaun/phanpy development by creating an account on GitHub.GitHub
Unfortunately, it looks like Fedilab is a mobile app only.
Also, I've installed it on Android and the default does not show the OP above with replies grouped below.
Looking at its settings, maybe one might affect completely missing OPs, "Remote Conversations". I've enabled it and will see how it goes.
I can't find any setting to make it show replies grouped below the OP.
Correct, it is mobile only. Unfortunately, I think I must be misunderstanding what you're saying about the OP stuff. This is my view, the way I think about it at least, these are all "OPs", ones with a plus sign next to the leftward arrow have comments.
And then if I tap, I get the op with its comments underneath it.
Thanks for explaining that, now I can eventually see the OP.
I want more like the second picture by default (although I wish the tap would take me direct to the OP instead of to the reply and then I have to scroll up).
I don't want to see a main feed full of replies I don't understand because there's no context and have to decide whether it's worth tapping and scrolling up dozens (hundreds?) of times a day to find out what it's about.
I want by default to see the OP with replies underneath (perhaps the replies collapsed or collapsible). Then I can decide based on the OP, not guess by the reply, if I want to read through that thread or scroll past to the next.
Maybe it's cuz I'm new and all the content is new. Once I'm in, perhaps I'll want to see unaccompanied replies. But for now, I want to see OPs first, then replies once I've read the OP.
Senate unexpectedly passes the 'No Tax on Tips Act' in a unanimous vote
Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., called up the bipartisan bill for immediate passage, and no senator objected. The measure now goes to the House.
In a surprise move, the Republican-led Senate quickly passed the "No Tax on Tips Act" on Tuesday, giving its official stamp of approval to an idea that has gained traction since Donald Trump campaigned on it last year.
The legislation would create a tax deduction worth up to $25,000 for tips, limited to cash tips that workers report to employers for withholding purposes on payroll taxes. The tax break would also be restricted to employees who earn $160,000 or less in 2025, an amount that will rise with inflation in coming years.
Senate unexpectedly passes the 'No Tax on Tips Act' in a unanimous vote
The Republican-led Senate quickly passed the "No Tax On Tips Act," giving its official stamp of approval to an idea that has gained traction since Trump campaigned on it.Sahil Kapur (NBC News)
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Eric Trump Breaks Ground on $1.5B Resort in Country Desperate for Tariff Relief From His Dad
In 3... 2... 1...
Vietnam is a great country, love their little straw hats so no tariffs for them. They're awesome people like me.
Eric Trump Breaks Ground on $1.5B Resort in Country Desperate for Tariff Relief From His Dad
President Donald Trump originally announced 46 percent tariff plans on Vietnam during his “Liberation Day” announcement.Ewan Palmer (The Daily Beast)
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Trump Spirals at Kennedy Center Dinner: “I’ll Shove It Up Their Ass”
Trump Spirals at Kennedy Center Dinner: “I’ll Shove It Up Their Ass”
The President of the United States, everyoneThe New Republic
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The full quote for context:
“And then they rigged the election, and then I said, ‘You know what I’ll do? I’ll run again and I’ll shove it up their ass,’” Trump told the audience.“If they would’ve left us alone, and wouldn’t have cheated on the election, and wouldn’t have rigged it, I would’ve been retired right now. I would’ve been happily doing something else, and instead they have me for four more years, can you believe that?” Trump continued.
Hey guys, he was forced to be president again.
Video of Joe Biden saying he had cancer in 2022 resurfaces
Video of Joe Biden Saying He Had Cancer in 2022 Resurfaces
A resurfaced video of Joe Biden appearing to say he had cancer three years ago has raised questions following his public diagnosis.Sophie Clark (Newsweek)
Fires drove record loss of world’s forests last year, ‘frightening’ data shows
Burning, worsened by global heating, overtook farming and logging as biggest cause of destruction of tropical forests
The destruction of the world’s forests reached the highest level ever recorded in 2024, driven by a surge in fires caused by global heating, according to “frightening” new data.
From the Brazilian Amazon to the Siberian taiga, Earth’s forests disappeared at a record rate last year, losing an area the size of Italy to agriculture, fires, logging and mining, according to analysis from the University of Maryland hosted on Global Forest Watch.
In tropical regions, home to the most biodiverse and carbon-dense forests on the planet, fire became the leading driver of loss for the first time since global records began. However, fire is not a natural part of tropical ecosystems. Boreal forests in Canada and Siberia continued to burn last year.
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Noem says Trump can deport who he wants, botches what 'habeas corpus' means
Noem says Trump can deport who he wants, botches what 'habeas corpus' means
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem spoke after White House aide Stephen Miller floated suspending the writ of habeas corpus for migrants.Erin Doherty (CNBC)
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Reminder: if habeas corpus is suspended for ANYBODY, it's suspended for EVERYBODY at the whim of Trump, ICE, feds, cops etc etc because all they have to do is falsely claim you're a migrant and you can be detained for ever, and the courts cannot intervene AT ALL, because you have been declared a migrant and you and every lawyer in the land have lost the right to have your case heard in court.
Americans, WAKE UP.
THEY ARE COMING FOR YOU.
Trump's big, oily bill | The anti-clean energy provisions in Trump's budget bill could raise household energy costs by as much as 7 percent.
Trump's big, oily bill
The anti-clean energy provisions in Trump's budget bill could raise household energy costs by as much as 7 percent.Emily Atkin (HEATED)
How do I identify predatory journals?
I'm been trying to expanding to my scientific literacy and that has involved looking at articles in scientific journals; i.e. the peer-reviewed literature. However, not all journals are trust-worthy. I would like to believe that academic search engines like Google Scholar would filter out "junk science" articles that I can't rely on that always happening. So how do I spot "predatory" or "pseudo-journals"?
Sometimes, it's quite obvious: "Answers Research Journal" makes it clear that they exist for creationist confirmation bias. This, however, isn't always the case.
I also can't always rely on a publication's reputation. In that oh-so famous example, Andrew Wakefield exploited The Lancet's venerable reputation to publish a fraudulent study with consequences that still reverberate to this day.
Thanks in advance.
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The US has $36 trillion in debt. What does that mean, and who owns it?
The US has $36 trillion in debt. What does that mean, and who owns it?
The US has the highest national debt in the world, a quarter of which is owned by other countries.Hanna Duggal (Al Jazeera)
Despite Backlash, Jake Tapper’s Book on Biden’s Decline Becomes a Bestseller Online
'Original Sin': Jake Tapper's Book on Biden Becomes Online Bestseller
Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson's book on President Biden's declining health has garnered backlash, but it quickly shot up the bestseller charts.Jonathan Zavaleta (Rolling Stone)
Godot Engine - Free and open source 2D and 3D game engine
Godot provides a huge set of common tools, so you can just focus on making your game without reinventing the wheel.Godot Engine
Trump unveils plans for $175B 'Golden Dome' missile defense shield
40 years later and we're back to Ronnie's Star Wars all over again.
Update:
$25B to design the system??? No AI?
cbsnews.com/news/trump-golden-…
Trump announces $25 billion and architectural design for "Golden Dome" missile defense system
President Trump wants a "Golden Dome" missile defense system like Israel's Iron Dome.Kathryn Watson (CBS News)
I love seeing you say this in every post.
I hate that you have to say this in every post.
Elon Musk turns off Republicans’ cash gusher for midterms
Elon Musk says he has “done enough” to help MAGA Republicans win elections, signaling a shift in his kingmaker role as Donald Trump’s top campaign backer.
After months of watching his popularity plummet, the DOGE slasher-in-chief said he plans to cut back on funding political campaigns, a move that could dampen the Republicans’ efforts at next year’s midterm elections and in the lead up to the 2028 presidential election.
“I think, in terms of political spending, I’m going to do a lot less in the future,” Musk said, when asked at the Qatar Economic Forum on Tuesday if he would continue spending as much as he has in the past.
Scorned Elon Turns Off Republicans’ Cash Gusher for Midterms
After months of watching his stocks plummet, the DOGE boss plans to cut back on funding MAGA campaignsFarrah Tomazin (The Daily Beast)
He will fund them through PACs in secret like his peers
Nothing will meaningfully improve until the rich fear for their lives
Treating cold sores with anti-virals ‘may slash risk of developing Alzheimer’s’
cross-posted from: lemmy.world/post/29981554
cross-posted from: metawire.eu/post/105642
A study found that people who had suffered the herpes virus had an 80% increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Scientists ‘slash risk of Alzheimer’s’ with medicine used to treat cold sores
Researchers made a surprising connection between certain viral diseases and Alzheimer’sJane Kirby (The Independent)
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d00ery likes this.
FourGreenFields doesn't like this.
China to give $648m to WHO in next 5 years, official says
China to give $648m to WHO in next 5 years, official says
The UN agency is seeking extra funding to offset the loss of its top donor, the United States. Read more at straitstimes.com.The Straits Times
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US loses business travellers with demand dampened by political turmoil
US loses business travellers with demand dampened by political turmoil
Many fear that policies from the Trump administration are hurting the US' soft power and dampening demand to visit the country.Euronews (Euronews.com)
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Unless folks are just flying elsewhere? then no, if they're are staying home, excellent news!
yesmagazine.org/issue/life-aft…
Hour for hour, there’s no better way to warm the planet than to fly in a plane.
How Far Can We Get Without Flying?
Explore a diverse range of articles in the YES! Media archive. From justice to sustainability, discover insightful perspectives on shaping a better world. #YESMediaPeter Kalmus (YES! Magazine)
The Tate brothers will be extradited to the UK. After the election, Andrew announced he was leaving Romania
Original Article in Romanian
The Tate brothers will be extradited to the UK after they are tried in Romania, the British government said, according to The Telegraph, which quotes Security Minister Dan Jarvis.The announcement comes after Andrew Tate gave a post, the day after the presidential elections, in which he said he was leaving Romania and hinted that he was doing it because of the fact that Nicusor Dan came out as president.
Frații Tate vor fi extrădați în Marea Britanie. După alegeri, Andrew a anunțat că părăsește România
Anunțul vine după ce Andrew Tate a dat o postare, a doua zi după alegerile prezidențiale, în care a spus că părăsește România și a dat de înțeles că o face din cauza faptului că Nicușor Dan a ieșit pr...euronews.ro: Știri de ultimă oră, breaking news, #AllViews
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A lighter, a bottle of acceleratent, and a carton of salt. Won't kill him directly but between the pain and inevitable infection he will wish for death.
Pulled this one from my ancestor, though he just kicked that priest into a fire and then poured a bag of curing salt onto him but more or less the same method.
... Nicusor Dan came out as president.
Okay, that's it. I'm tired of hiding it. I'm going to come out as Prime Minister to my family.
Verdant Banana
in reply to gAlienLifeform • • •But that was point and how Hitler rose to power
One wolf party and one wolf in sheep's clothing party
supersquirrel
in reply to gAlienLifeform • • •gravitas_deficiency
in reply to supersquirrel • • •Toto
in reply to gAlienLifeform • • •gAlienLifeform
in reply to Toto • • •"What about"
thenation.com/article/politics…
Donald Trump and “Doc” Ronny Jackson Are Hypocrites About Drugs and Dementia | The Nation
The Nationthemeatbridge
in reply to gAlienLifeform • • •gAlienLifeform
in reply to themeatbridge • • •Plebcouncilman
in reply to gAlienLifeform • • •gAlienLifeform
in reply to Plebcouncilman • • •ovalofsand
in reply to gAlienLifeform • • •dhork
in reply to themeatbridge • • •themeatbridge
in reply to dhork • • •eldavi
in reply to gAlienLifeform • • •gAlienLifeform
in reply to eldavi • • •eldavi
in reply to gAlienLifeform • • •piefood
in reply to eldavi • • •eldavi
in reply to piefood • • •Eugene V. Debs' Ghost
in reply to gAlienLifeform • • •Facts get downvoted here, neat. Glad that "Nuh uh, my politician is better" is still on track when he failed to stop Trump and most of his promises.
At least .ml is honest in what they support, downvote, and remove.
gAlienLifeform
in reply to Eugene V. Debs' Ghost • • •Eugene V. Debs' Ghost
in reply to gAlienLifeform • • •I can see the difference, but both still make people never question their thought bubble and echo chambers.
I just find it funny (for lack of a better term) that .world says its better, but just banned one of my favorite users for using citations aginast a moderator.
SnarkoPolo
in reply to gAlienLifeform • • •absGeekNZ
in reply to SnarkoPolo • • •I don't think the "/s" was required.
I know Poe's law and all, but surely no-one could think that was serious.
WoodScientist
in reply to SnarkoPolo • • •This is MAGA-type thinking you're demonstrating. Democrats massively fucked up the 2024 election. It is important that those lessons be studied, learned from, and not repeated. Yes, Trump is worse, but that's completely irrelevant to the conversation at hand. We have another Trump term precisely because of the mistakes the DNC made during the election. Failing to listen to those mistakes doesn't help Democrats, and it doesn't help the country. Failing to learn from the mistakes of 2016 and 2020 are how we ended up with 2024 after all.
Do not for a second think Trump or some other MAGA candidate cannot win in 2028. Regardless of how bad Trump governs, even ignoring the potential for election shenanigans, it is entirely possible that Trump will win again in 2028. And every person that sticks their fingers in their ears and ignores all criticism of elected Democrats makes that event all the more likely.
Democrats ran on "we're not Trump" in 2016, 2020, and 2024. That strategy lost them both 2016 and 2024, and it would have lost them 2020 if not for covid.
Yet here y
... show moreThis is MAGA-type thinking you're demonstrating. Democrats massively fucked up the 2024 election. It is important that those lessons be studied, learned from, and not repeated. Yes, Trump is worse, but that's completely irrelevant to the conversation at hand. We have another Trump term precisely because of the mistakes the DNC made during the election. Failing to listen to those mistakes doesn't help Democrats, and it doesn't help the country. Failing to learn from the mistakes of 2016 and 2020 are how we ended up with 2024 after all.
Do not for a second think Trump or some other MAGA candidate cannot win in 2028. Regardless of how bad Trump governs, even ignoring the potential for election shenanigans, it is entirely possible that Trump will win again in 2028. And every person that sticks their fingers in their ears and ignores all criticism of elected Democrats makes that event all the more likely.
Democrats ran on "we're not Trump" in 2016, 2020, and 2024. That strategy lost them both 2016 and 2024, and it would have lost them 2020 if not for covid.
Yet here you are, still trying the same tired "we're not Trump" strategy. You're clearly insane, as you keep trying the same thing again and again, expecting a different result.
SnarkoPolo
in reply to gAlienLifeform • • •DragonTypeWyvern
in reply to gAlienLifeform • • •