link to thread

maaaaybe these unnamed instances are using this to root out reactionary content? (still silly, AI gives you yes or no answers basically on an overcomplicated coinflip and spits out text to justify that initial answer) But c'mon. Freaking out about "people we strongly disagree with" using a sketchy moderation tool on "their instances"?

A specter is haunting the fediverse, and that spectre is . Well really its mostly lemmy.ml but sometimes they remember we exist too.

It sounds like they're using this to find "tankie" users and they're scared that the "tankie" instances will use this (stupid, counterproductive) moderation style on them (lol). Admittedly conjecture on my part.

~~western civilization~~ - meaningless nonsense you can project anything onto (especially reactionary shit)

~~North Atlantic countries~~ - what about Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and sometimes South Africa?

~~NATO~~ - ditto

english speaking world

simple, if slightly reductive. Adequately describes most geopolitical actors in the bunch, pisses off europeans that see themselves as distinct from the United States despite being joined at the hip (and the french won't even speak french to anyone anyway)

taking the Echopraxia approach: is it a vampire? no. Does vampire get the gist across well enough that you neatly skip over expending energy delving into the minutia? yes

“The term ‘indentured servant’ is more accurate,’ but yes, Mr. Bowser does technically work for Nintendo against his will,” the spokesperson said.

"[...] but with that said, we have no intention of freeing Mr. Bowser."

I apologize for the flashy, rage-bate title of this post. Here is the point I actually want to make:

Christian Millenarianism is severely understated in the analysis of US foreign policy.

Over the last few years, I've seen a lot of talk and articles about the role of Zionism in US policy, in how we analyze it, and what framework gives us the best explanatory capacity. And it absolutely does have a real and dangerous role in US politics and policy.

But I have seen virtually nothing on the role of fundamentalist, evangelical Christians and their project to use the US state to manufacture biblical prophesy from the book of Revelation. In so far as I have seen it talked about, it's always as an aside and shunted under the Zionist label.

That seems... mistaken? It's its own project, albeit in ally-ship with the Zionist movement.

stolen from https://boppeepudding.tumblr.com/post/804941018362445824

A quick reverse search suggests that this was initially made with HL3 news in mind. I found (a lot) of very recent reposts of it.

I don't have much more to say, other than to express mild cynicism that the same joke used in waiting for a computer game gets reused for very serious historical events.

Maybe I'll pirate Plural bus or whatever the apple show is, for now deal with my Adventure Time posting.

I liked this season a lot. Spoilers ahoy:

I like that the show's multiple universes have been revealed to be cells in a giant cosmic tree. That's way more interesting than your typical multiverse fair, which is usually just a boring writing crutch.

That last shot really sticks with me, of that solid block of densely packed city poking out of an ocean of wilderness. I mean, anyone can project anything they like onto it. A fantasy of modern comforts alongside a "virgin" wilderness, shorn free of history... hard not to see a reactionary read in that.

But. It makes me think of Half-Earth Socialism by Drew Pendergrass and Troy Vettese, that book that argues we can probably balance modern industry with the natural world but only if we devote (at least!) half the landmass of the planet to wilderness preserves. (Maybe you remember the browser game they released alongside the book) I'd like to think that's the read the creators were leaning towards, given how the show ends with starting a community center and also all the ecological imagery they've introduced to their multiverse. Maybe that's too hopeful. Oh well.

If you want a different fiction that explicitly delves into what life might look like in a world that's half wilderness preserves, (or you don't want to read the non-fiction I've referenced above) check out A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

As a kid, I just assumed it was aesthetic. Like, someone for an audience of non-musicians to project themselves on to.

As an adult, I recognize that this is almost certainly not the case. Presumably the conductor plays a role that is necessary and helpful to the rest of the orchestra... but I'll be damned if I can't quite figure out what that is. Surely its not just timing? Can't the players just... listen to one another to work that out?