I’m through agreeing to disagree. We’re not talking about mere political differences anymore. This is not an intellectual exercise. For many people, this is literally life or death stuff. If I confide in you about my fears regarding what’s going on right now, and your response is to simply say we need to agree to disagree, not only does that make you a pretty crappy friend/family member/whatever, it also shows me clearly where you stand. Let me be clear, I hate conflict. But for me this goes beyond wanting to keep the peace. Some people need their worlds rocked, and if nobody else is going to do it, I guess it’s up to me. #Resist #fightBack #TruthToPower
=> More informations about this toot | View the thread
Of course #DEI is just another of a long string of terms that the #GOP has gone out of their way to make derogatory, along with #woke and many, many others. It should be obvious to anyone who is paying even the least bit of attention that we are decidedly not a color-blind society, nor are we a society free of discrimination. Quite the contrary, in fact. This is why #DEI programs are more important than ever. Not to mention the #A11Y label the executive order ducked in. As a person who is blind, there are certain things I need to level the playing field for me. If I were forced to rely on employers to just do the right thing and hire me, I’d be waiting a long time, possibly forever. If an employer has the choice between me and another perspective candidate who is not disabled, who do you think they’ll give the job to? No-brainer, it would go to the person for whom no accommodation needs to be made, no extra expense in adaptive equipment, etc. Chances are pretty good I’d be sent away with platitudes about how it’s so great that I’m out there trying, I’m an inspiration, blah blah blah. Racism is not over. Discrimination is not over. And outmoded notions about disability are far from over. So the current regime can take their dreck about how they just want to make things color-blind and equal and just stick it. #WeAreNotGoingBack
=> More informations about this toot | View the thread
I’m wondering if anyone else has noticed that the shelflife of laptops seems to be diminishing? I’ve been working on one that’s only four years old, and the processor seemed to be pretty much shot. #JAWS was crashing constantly, and lagtime was horrible. We ponied up for a new laptop, and things are right back to normal. I seem to remember laptops used to last up to even eight years. Four years seems rather short a time, but I do understand manufactured obsolescence.
=> More informations about this toot | View the thread
I’m binging #MadMen today among other things. I’m old enough to remember the very tail end of that period, and the show is pretty spot on. Women were very much second-class citizens, men had incredible privilege and did anything and everything they wanted, etc., etc. It hasn’t escaped my notice that this is part of the nonexistent “golden age” that a lot of us gleefully think we’re returning to. #NotOnMyWatch
=> More informations about this toot | View the thread
I’ve decided what I’m doing on Monday, besides eating decadent things. I’m going to begin reading the biography of Jimmy Carter. This is actually a restart, I had begun reading it some time ago but got distracted at some point. I figure what better way to spend the day where the worst human being ever to be president is sworn in, for the second time (punching the proverbial wall) than to read about the best human being ever to be president. #Inauguration #JustSaying #WeAreSoScrewed
=> More informations about this toot | View the thread
Well I decided to get a #Bluesky account, not because all the cool kids are doing it but because there are certain posts I can’t see without having one. But #Captcha stopped me cold. According to the popup I saw, there’s such a thing as an accessibility cookie, but I’ll be darned if I can figure out how to get one. Entering on the prompts didn’t seem to do anything. I just figured out we’ve been dealing with the #Captcha bugaboo for over 20 years. There are options now, but not everyone takes advantage of them, and it still needs to be better where #A11Y is concerned.
=> More informations about this toot | View the thread
This proves the point I made in a comment to someone earlier today. I live in #Tennessee and I postulated that if something along the lines of the #California wildfires happened here there would be no talk about strings attached to aid or behaviors needing to be changed from the incoming regime. https://open.substack.com/pub/jefftiedrich/p/elderly-convict-wont-stop-running?r=5jw1z&utm_medium=ios
=> More informations about this toot | View the thread
Yesterday I found myself trying to explain the #Fediverse to someone who can barely wrap their mind around social media in general. It gave me a headache. There is so much I don’t know, all I know is it works for me. But maybe it would benefit me to start learning more? Just thinking out loud here.
=> More informations about this toot | View the thread
Our fluffy gray cat Kira has a ritual she has followed for almost the whole 10.5 years she’s been with us. Whenever I take a shower, she’ll come into the bathroom after I get out, get in the shower, and drink the water that hasn’t gone down the drain. If I keep the door closed it’s definitely not allowed. I find it hilarious, sort of endearing and kind of gross at the same time. Sorry no pics, the shower isn’t terribly photogenic. #CatsOfMastodon
=> More informations about this toot | View the thread
I’m beginning to feel like it’s almost a societal necessity to kiss #Facebook goodbye. After Zuck showed his true colors loud and proud, not that there was much doubt before about his leanings, I kind of feel dirty even looking at it. And there’s another issue. For the past several months there have been issues with the way text boxes in Facebook interact with VoiceOver. I know there have been several attempts to reach out to #Meta about this situation, with little or no result. So even posting on there has become an adventure for VoiceOver users like me. And I’m beginning to wonder if it’s worth the effort. On the other hand, there are community and other groups I follow on FB that post info on FB and nowhere else. So it’s a bit of an inner battle for me. And there are people who I interact with there that I would miss if I exited stage left. So we’ll see where I land, but I am doing a lot of thinking and reflecting about it. For now, it’s getting to be wind-down time. #GoodNight #BeKind #KindnessMatters
=> More informations about this toot | View the thread
Right now, I'm not a huge fan of #USPS, to say the least. Immediately upon arriving in Knoxville# and beginning the move-in process, it became clear to us that the mailbox wasn't in a safe place. It would entail crossing a street and going down half another block, with no good landmarks. So we started the process to have the postal service deliver the mail to our door. Or at least we tried to do this. We got the form filled out, obtained a doctor's certification (no easy feat since our doctors are in Indiana and we're in Tennessee), and took it all into the post office last week, only to be told that we needed to submit it all by mail. The local post office was actually at least trying to be helpful, and they sent along the info to wherever it needed to go. Now we got something in the mail indicating it still wasn't enough, they still need more forms and yet another doctor's certification. Good grief! Meanwhile, we're stuck with the original problem. We tried to call the postmaster, but their voicemail box was full. We're not sure what else we can do, and we're both extremely frustrated. My apologies to anyone seeing this who works or worked for USPS, this has nothing to do with you.
=> More informations about this toot | View the thread
Good morning Mastheads. Happy #HumpDay to those who celebrate. I’ve done some radical surgery on my #Mastodon feed. I have decided to mute mentions of the orange Mussolini and the obscenely rich megalomaniac for the time being. It was made clear to me yesterday that I had to do something to at least minimize the madness, and I didn’t want to disengage completely; my interactions on here are a comfort to me. So we shall see how this goes. I do think it’s important that I stay plugged into what’s going on as much as possible without risking harm. Anyway, onward and upward, live long and prosper.
=> More informations about this toot | View the thread
Can anyone give me any info about the accessibility of #Signal and its ease (or lack thereof) of use in VoiceOver? I never thought I’d ever go here, but my discomfort with #Meta is growing by the day, and it might be beneficial to explore alternatives to Facebook, Whatsapp, etc. Meta’s inaction regarding some issues with Facebook’s text boxes aren’t making me happy either.
=> More informations about this toot | View the thread
My memories of #Jan6 I was planning to tune into CSPAN to follow the vote-counting process, but Sarah persuaded me to have a nap instead. I was awakened by a phone call from a friend who said, in a choked-up voice, “they’re storming the Capitol.” That got me to wide awake in a big hurry. I followed the goings-on of the day with trepidation and more than a little fear. For me it at least approached the magnitude of 9/11. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think an actual insurrection would ever happen here. Yet it did. And, for the past 4 years, we’ve been inundated by those who would attempt to whitewash the events of that terrible day. It infuriates me that, at least to a certain extent, they are succeeding. The person most responsible for #Jan6 was reelected. Whenever I think about that for too long, emotional darkness descends. As a country, we’ve lost our minds, and I see nothing but darkness ahead, though I suspect some will find entertainment in it all. All I can do is hold on tight and hope and pray for the best. #ResistTheRegime #Jan6Insurrection
=> More informations about this toot | View the thread
I need some assistance from the hive mind. I just needed a few groceries so I was attempting to order from #Doordash because it wasn’t going to be a big order. I got the stuff into my cart, and was beginning the checkout process, when I got hit with the “in case you missed it” screen. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get to the bottom to hit continue. I had to swipe through the whole thing, which took forever and was frustrating. Is there a quick way to get to the bottom of documents on the iPhone? Inquiring, and frustrated, minds want to know!
=> More informations about this toot | View the thread
Not all assholes are #Billionaires but all #Billionaires are assholes. #Musk proves this every hour of every day. #JustSaying
=> More informations about this toot | View the thread
@Joinin We ordered our #ChineseFood for #Christmas today. It was absolutely delicious, and we have leftovers for tomorrow. I believe we have hit on a new #Christmas tradition. #JoinIn
=> More informations about this toot | View the thread
For the past few days I’ve been battling waves of very strong sadness. This wasn’t wholly unexpected; as we work more settling into our new home, thoughts of what was left behind are once again free to come to the fore. But it isn’t just that. #Trump 2.0 has begun ahead of the official launch, and we’re seeing the incredible stupidity, which will ultimate morph into danger. And there’s nothing anyone can do. The next four years are going to be a perpetual exercise in holding on tight. It’s more imperative than ever that I find joy in all the places I can; my books, my music, perhaps my writing, my food creations once the kitchen is up and running. It’s so depressing that we’re doing this all over again, especially considering we came pretty close to losing everything then. As I say, #HoldOnTight #GoodNight #BeKind #KindnessMatters
=> More informations about this toot | View the thread
So #Trump thinks #America can just take back the #PanamaCanal like it was a piece of Tupperware or something. Is it possible he doesn’t understand it doesn’t work that way? I mean, France can’t suddenly decide to nullify the Louisiana Purchase. Mexico can’t decide it actually wants #California back after all. The stupid is already beginning, and it promises to be even more painful than last time. #WeAreSoScrewed #YouVotedForThis
=> More informations about this toot | View the thread
I have a question for the hive mind. How can I determine what Congressional district I happen to live in? There seem to be at least three districts represented in #Knoxville and I’d like to know which one I’m in.
=> More informations about this toot | View the thread
=> This profile without reblog | Go to Thumper1964@mindly.social account This content has been proxied by September (3851b).Proxy Information
text/gemini