KurtVonnegut

Reading this article reminds me how much our ability to send each other money relies on the willingness of the institutional middlemen who control our money.

Although I believe there are good reasons to control the flow of Big Money, I can't help but feel that it is especially Big Money that manages to escape all institutional control, while it is small money - e.g. the money supporting bottom up resistance and solidarity networks - that is facing all the suppression.

Given all of this, what are the most promising ways for bottom-up networks to share resources in an anonymous, sovereign way? Without e.g. the interference of Zionist, fascist, bootlicking intermediaries?

Is it sending envelopes with cash? Or is this maybe a reason to (cautiously) get into crypto? If the latter, what would be the way to go?

You cannot be active on all fronts. You have to pick your buttholes.

For instance: https://lemmy.ca/comment/16835886

I'm reading here:

As Starlink’s user base grows, the Iranian government is likely to intensify efforts to restrict satellite internet access.

How could they do so?

Hi all. For several years I have been together with my partner, who is from a different country and speaks a different language. Together we mostly speak English, but her family does not.

We quite regularly go on holiday with her family, and this is what my question is about: about (how to change) the social dynamics of such holidays.

The point is: together her family has a lot to talk about, even if it is about nothing. They have their internal jokes. They are all very much "tuned into" each other.

As a result, they find it very hard to have attention, time or space for me. Don't get me wrong, I don't have to be in the center of the attention. And yes, I guess this discomfort is partly the result of the privilege of being accustomed to more open, social dynamics that are more inclusive (with my own friends and family). But after several days without talking and without being talked to, it gets quite tough.

In "normal situations" I consider myself quite social and open. But in these situations, after some unsuccessful attempts to "join a conversation", I usually just withdraw in a book, or in my computer.

My partner is aware of this and sometimes tries to get them to involve me, but it's very hard for them to create and maintain space for me.

I can imagine all kinds of reasons: as a family they have withstood hardship that created strong bonds. Also they don't see each other that often. And finally they are used to me not speaking their language (in the beginning), which means that they are used to leaving me outside their conversations.

The point is: I believe they are nice people, and that they are not actively trying to exclude me. I believe (hope) that there are ways to change things around, without undermining the thing that they have going on among each other.

So this is where the question part starts: how to do this?

I was thinking of maybe proposing to play a game in the evening, in which everyone gets a turn to do or say something, which would then also involve me. Does anyone have any suggestions for this?

Or maybe you have other suggestions?

This pest is kind of beautiful but also terrible. What is it? Any tips for how to get rid of it, besides cleaning all the leaves?

Why do some cultures prefer to light their homes with bright white neon lights? And others with more yellow dimmed lighting?

Small question: I am on Debian and use Gnome. I'm the only user on this laptop.

Is it possible to hide my username from the log in screen? So that only the password field shows?

The point is, my login name is my first name, and I don't like it ...

1. ... when people in public transport can see my first name when I log in
2. ...that if I lose my laptop, the people who find it can easily know my first name

I realize I could also simply pick a username that is not my first name, but it would save me a lot of reconfiguration if I could simply hide the name from the login screen.

Given that annual fluctuations in solar irradiation become less pronounced the closer you get to the equator, it might get less relevant to track time by referring to our position to the sun?

This is not a science meme.

I just want to take a moment to thank @fossilesque@mander.xyz for providing us with so much quality content.

Really improves my day!