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@fediforum has just ended and I'm having a hard time deciding where am I going to put some energy first. So many exciting and important ideas were shared.

If you're interested in shaping the future of the #fediverse the #FediForum is a great place to start. I really enjoyed the friendly environment and the excitement around the open social web. These people are burning some piles of neurons creating tools, specs, research, governance, and more.

#fediforumattendee

#fediverse #fediforum #fediforumattendee @FediForum

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#FinishedReading #JenniferAckerman 's new book on the science (and, more briefly, ethnography) of #owls . This isn't the first book on #birds I've read from her, and I really connect to her sense of their wonder and beauty. She also has a knack of finding scientists and amateur owl enthusiasts with interesting and sometimes moving personal stories. #bookstodon @bookstodon #ornithology
@bookstodon group
in reply to RanaldClouston

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earthling

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For millennia, owls have captivated and intrigued us. Our fascination with these mysterious birds was first documented more than thirty thousand years ago in the Chauvet Cave paintings in southern France. With their forward gaze and quiet flight, owls are often a symbol of wisdom, knowledge, and foresight. But what does an owl really know? And what do we really know about owls?

#books
#owls

#Books #owls

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in reply to earthling

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Ronsboy67

@appassionato The one disappointment I had with the book is that it did not address at all the North Indic association of owls as a symbol of stupidity. That it could have a reputation the exact opposite of the traditional European one fascinates me, and one reader assured me that it was addressed in the book, so I was a bit let down to discover that it was not mentioned at all
@earthling

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in reply to earthling

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Ronsboy67

@appassionato
Yes, I did enjoy learning that about Lakshmi, although companion to a goddess of wealth is clearly another positive association.

But again, given that the title of the book is "what the owl KNOWS" it was, imo, a missed opportunity to examine a culture in which the owl is considered to know NOTHING. Especially given that she went to great lengths to reinforce the traditional Western European stereotype of the owl as a bird associated with wisdom

@earthling

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in reply to RanaldClouston

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Ronsboy67

Yes, his native Nepal. The author waxes long & lyrical, repeatedly about owls & their legendary wisdom, and gives brief mention to any contrary example.
Also, my statement was correct. She made no mention at all of North Indic (Hindi-Urdu-Panjabi) perceptions of the owl. Ullu da pattha is well-known insult in that part of the world, a great symbol of how the owl's reputation there does not fit the author's narrative, so is glossed over

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RanaldClouston

@ronsboy67 it's primarily a science book, not an anthropology book; there is a fairly short chapter on cultural associations of the owl which includes both positive and negative ones, but doesn't claim to be comprehensive. Presumably the researchers interviewed in that chapter would be the place to start if you wanted to look into the roots of cultural associations not mentioned by Ackerman.
@Ronsboy67

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Ronsboy67

Yes, it's a personal and subjective response on my part of course. But I have read the book carefully and slowly and she does actually devote significant coverage to cultural associations that fit her narrative. A perfectly understandable choice, and her absolute right as author, but for me the omission did disappoint.
This entry was edited (1 year ago)

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I'm looking for recommendations for an AI art generator program I can run locally on Linux. Which one(s) work best for you? I was on Kubuntu previously and the only one I could get to work was Invoke.ai, but now I'm on openSuse and am having trouble with that one that may be fixable but I'm wondering if it might just be easier to go with something else. Something easy to set up and use. Radeon RX 5700 XT if that's useful at all.

#linux #opensuse #aiart

#Linux #openSuse #aiart
in reply to Brodie Robertson

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Fabian【ファビアン】🏳️‍🌈

What I think is that this won't go anywhere. The whole theming stuff is wasted time on the developers side. I'd rather work on real issues then theme inconsistencies inside my app and if KDE touches the design infrastructure, the userbase will cry out loud.

It would however be so good and actually important to have a real platform design on KDE Plasma. Every time I try it plasma itself feels modern and fresh until I launch an app, that is like 'welcome to Windows 7'

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NOT A POPULAR MAN!

Elon Musk Created Personal security force of dozens

He has "barricaded himself behind a growing phalanx of armed bodyguards".

The billionaire previously received mostly harmless calls and messages, but now regularly faces harassment and threats.

This year, Tesla disclosed for the first time in documents that it paid $2.4 million for part of Musk's protection in 2023.
#AureFreePress #Musk #Twitter #x #Fediverse #Tesla #Breaking #BreakingNews

#fediverse #twitter #Tesla #musk #BREAKING #x #BreakingNews #aurefreepress

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In early June, my water heater died. I was hoping it would hang on a little longer, but here is the moment.

I knew if I had to replace it with the same kind, I'd be stuck for another 10 years of gas bills. And I really wanted a #HeatPump water heater (#HPWH going forward). They are crazy efficient, and also would allow me to turn off the gas line to my house. I've been trying to reduce fossil fuels since we bought this 100 year old house 24 years ago....

The saga begins. 🧵

#heatpump #hpwh
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