Violette in Bloom

Discworld QOTD, from Maskerade “Nanny Ogg was basically a law-abiding person when she had no reason to break the law, and therefore had that kind of person’s attitude to law-enforcement officers, which was one of deep and permanent distrust.”

My heart is heavy. Walter Koenig, our Ensign Pavel Chekov, passed away early today. Walter and I met on the bridge of the Enterprise in the 1960s, and we stayed friends for nearly six decades. When Brad and I married in 2008, Walter stood beside us as our best man.

Congrats to Lula on overcoming Mark Zuckerberg and Donald Trump to defeat Hospital Pervert Jr., even as his opposition literally blocked off roads and turned off bus service during election day. Fascists are scary but they are always, 100% of the time, ultimately gigantic fucking losers.

republicans’ closing message could not be clearer: they are the party of pedophile rapists

The first genuinely honest ad for generative AI I've ever seen, from Microsoft / CoPilot A mediocre white guy sees his non-white colleague getting praised for good work, he asks AI to *literally copy it*, and then he gets all the praise instead: www.ispot.tv/ad/SoDi/micr...

WTF

So let me be absolutely clear, if these trends hold we're looking at the highest midterm turnout rate since 1902. You heard me right. 1902. That is your story

The Roads Have Eyes! 👁️ Turn on the Surveillance Layer in Map Options to see known license plate readers from Flock Safety, Motorola Solutions (Vigilant), Genetec, Axis Communications, Axon, Leonardo (ELSAG), Neology, Rekor, PlateSmart, Ubicquia, Verkada, and other outdoor surveillance cameras.

When they go low, their teeth are in convenient kicking range.

NEW: Prime Minister Andy Burnham finally breaks a decade of UK govt silence…& reveals there was ‘clear’ Russian interference in the Brexit vote. 1/

If I built an AI lab and it went rogue and deleted all student loan information, I'm betting they'd suddenly figure out how to prosecute me.

My statement on the ICE shooting in Marble Hill ⬇️

Edison: Yes, it's Thomas Edison's Frankenstein! Edison: brought to you by the miracle of Thomas Edison's greatest discovery- ELECTRICITY! Koontz: gosh! i thought benjamin franklin discovered electricity! Edison: Edison: get out Koontz: b-but Edison: GET OUT King: now thomas, dean didn't Edison: OUT

the reason “AI will create so much abundance we will have a utopian society” rhetoric falls so flat is that the people building it will never, ever share their bounty unless it is taken from them and we all know it

Here's a nearly 10-minute supercut of Troy Jackson taking it to Susan Collins during their debate tonight, including Jackson telling her "you can't eat road salt" and "Collins is like an arsonist who helped set the fire, and then she wants credit for bringing a cup of water to put it out"

Yes every woman has been harassed, many assaulted. But every woman has also experienced invisible loss from moments she avoided harassment. She felt a space becoming unsafe, so she left, while men stayed on. And in leaving, she lost: opportunities, experiences, learning, promotions, even simply fun.

MURRAY: The Trump admin falsely labeled birth control as abortion. Do you agree that an IUD is an abortifacient? OVERTON: If confirmed, I'll be fully briefed M: That's not an answer. The prospect of an FDA commissioner who doesn't know that birth control isn't an abortion is deeply alarming O: 😊

Sen. Susan Collins helped steer millions in federal defense contracts to Navatek, whose CEO illegally funneled thousands of dollars to her campaign. The FBI sought to launch a probe and was eyeing Collins and other lawmakers. Then Trump gutted the unit in charge. THREAD 🧵

This seems like a pretty big deal: donors made illegal contributions to Susan Collins and then were awarded lucrative contracts after her office intervened with the Navy. An FBI investigation was dropped under Trump. www.propublica.org/article/fbi-...

Heads up: The Russian government has been targeting Americans with covert online disinformation operations seeking to undermine public confidence the midterms — using a familiar playbook in an attempt to inject chaos into the voting season, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter.

Hey its fucking wierd more of the dems platform isnt "we will give you abortion rights back"

AI's initial sales pitch was "we are providing capital with the final weapon in their war on labor" and that didn't seem to appeal to the labor side of the political spectrum, for some reason.

The U.S. AI industry is being run by a batshit rationalist sex cult, and no, I am not being hyperbolic - they’re genuinely Like That:

The proto-Effin’ Birds was my Tumblr “Swear Trek”. It opened a lot of doors for me and I wouldn’t be where I am today without it. I don’t have plans to revive it (one daily comic is enough work), just wanted to thank it for getting me here on this 60th anniversary of Star Trek.

The most absolutely massive flex from the state fair exhibit. This quilt is made of 40 years of prize ribbons from various categories at the New Mexico State Fair won by Carol St. Clair Johnson. She also won a prize for this quilt.

Mary Shelley: sup fuckers Barker: mr beast wrote a book Shelley: is it bad? King: to be fair, james Patterson actually wrote it Shelley: oh Shelley: is it bad?

Bold to say this on the "everyone is 38" app

The first sentence of this piece says it all: "After Indiana’s near-total abortion ban, a new study shows emergency room doctors are less likely to treat pregnant women who are bleeding." www.jconline.com/story/news/l...

“Steinem, a co-founder of Ms. Magazine, was a hugely recognizable presence wherever she went. And she went everywhere: Much of her life as an advocate was spent on the road, speaking at college campuses and community centers, at rallies and marches.” RIP apnews.com/article/glor...

The Supreme Court is not being obtuse. They're being evil. My latest in @thenation.com www.thenation.com/article/poli...

RIP to a legend

It always feels like all the wrong people die, but I think it’s because there are far more beloved people than there are bastards.

💥 ICE drag mom & teen daughter out of hospital room—in middle of being treated after car accident. Still wearing hospital gowns. Both victims of car collusion, with asylum case pending in good standing & valid work permit. Grace Calero 39, & Giulianna Carriel 19, from Ecuador.

Search for Spock is so fucking underrated. It's got that scene, it's got "you Klingon bastard, you've killed my son." He blows up the fucking Enterprise. "I choose the danger! Hell of a time to ask" is the best McCoy line in the whole cannon. It is a top tier Star Trek movie.

IT WOULD COST SIGNIFICANTLY LESS WITH BETTER OUTCOMES, BUT SOME ASSHOLES WOULDN'T GET SUPER WEALTHY SO WE CAN'T HAVE IT. I AM SO ANGRY RIGHT NOW

Introduce yourself as what almost killed you Hello, I'm childbirth!

If it looks like an Amazon delivery and drives like an Amazon delivery, then it's an Amazon delivery, right? Not according to Amazon. Big companies like Amazon have built a vast network of subcontractors who deliver their packages while shielding them from accountability.

Q: Were you prepared for pushback you received, especially from Republicans, framing you as too extreme for Wisconsin? HONG: What's extreme is Rep. Tiffany has voted against interests of Wisconsinites over & over. What's extreme is that he's an election denier & continues to protect pedophiles

DOJ is now 0-20 in cases to obtain state voter files. Here is the list: Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Illinois Kentucky Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island Virginia West Virginia Wisconsin

A caucus of violent, drunk ex-husbands controls three branches of government and both chambers of Congress.

Erin Brockovich: When I put this map out, in the first 72 hours, the map crashed twice, and I woke up on day 3 going, oh my God, it's not one town and one data center, it's the entire country. They had no idea. These big tech groups came in and put these city council members under NDAs.

“When I wrote that letter,” replied Darcy, “I believed myself perfectly calm and cool; but I am since convinced that it was written in a dreadful bitterness of spirit.” There are legions of guys on message boards and in people’s replies who need to have this hot-iron branded onto their asses.