mastodon 4.8.0-nightly.2026-10-06"Big Blue Gnu" is my pseudonym. In real life, I am a student majoring in software engineering and minoring in art, as well as a pianist who has taken up music theory. Outside of that, I am a free software advocate who contributes edits to Wikipedia and items to the Internet Archive, preserves web pages and files, and occasionally posts reviews on IMDb. This is the place where I regularly blog about my activities, as well as whatever concerns me.
"This self-discrediting slopaganda is as vacuous as the mad idiot king in the White House himself, only he went out of his way to convey (hilariously unintentionally!) the futility of his own policies." 0/10—IGN
https://reason.com/2026/09/04/in-the-white-houses-retro-arcade-games-the-trump-administration-always-loses/
#fakeQuotes #DonaldTrump #gaming #MAGA #propaganda #TrumpAdministration
History teaches that the first self-described libertarians were ardent socialists. It is true #libertarianism has diversified to include traditional liberals such as Nozick and capitalists such as Rothbard, but what is striking is that (at least in the US) "libertarianism" is a term almost exclusively associated with the right—Bookchin notwithstanding. That adds to the confusion surrounding anti-authoritarianism and, I believe, is ultimately bad for a movement that opposes tyrannies.
#anarchism
Today is the day that #Google should have closed #Android and imitated the Apple iPhone. I have been a #Samsung Galaxy user ever since not long after I graduated from high school. Given my frustrations with Samsung's attitude toward openness and the foolish turn of events at Google, when my S25+ dies for good, I doubt I will ever pick up another Galaxy. I am strongly considering another phone brand that runs (or at least can run) /e/ or LineageOS.
#Degoogle #KeepAndroidOpen
I have to disagree with the author of this article. Surely, Minecraft has come a long way, but the one thing that really—and I mean *really*—repels me is #Microsoft requiring players to log in with a Microsoft account. What can I say? I just don't see any fun in letting Redmond monitor my activities, and that's why I have Luanti on both my Android and my Fedora computer.
https://reason.com/2026/05/01/minecraft/
#Minecraft #dataPrivacy #FOSS #Luanti #Minetest #proprietary
I have to admit, searching the Web for things from the 2000s and before ain't an easy undertaking, with many 404 errors, low-quality sources, irrelevant SEO-fueled results, and the need to filter them with operators, and there is no real (preferably free) alternative to break our addiction to Google. Every month, I donate points from my Bing account to the Internet Archive. At least there, the past refuses to die.
#InternetArchive #dataPreservation #Bing #degoogle #Google #FOSS #searchEngines
Gerrymandering or not, however you slice it, this does not change my view that drawing districts ought to be a process left to independent commissions based on as transparent and nonpartisan a methodology as possible. The United Kingdom knows better than to have politicians pick voters, as does even Brazil.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5856022-redistricting-supreme-court-voting-rights-act/
#democraticBacksliding #democracy #electionReform #elections #gerrymandering #partisanship #redistricting #SCOTUS #VotingRightsAct #voterSuppression
#USPolitics
You know, as a Windows emulator with Wine built in, Winlator is literal proof that Android does what iDon't. It makes the smartphone feel far less limited.
#Android #emulation #phoneWars #retrocomputing #smartphoneWars #Windows #WineHQ #Winlator
Once again, a stark reminder of how unserious politicians such as this (anti)socialist can get about their jobs to the extent that they are willing to tolerate a brain drain that benefits friendlier states—and with that a drop in tax revenue.
#bigGovernment #fiscalPolicy #NewYork #Seattle #taxation #WashingtonState
The whole Mifepristone saga is a mess. The FDA determines it safe. Then, courts and lawmakers play a tug-of-war over its approval. What strikes me is why these lawmakers and courts believe they should intervene in the FDA's process. This reminds me of when the Supreme Court of Alabama ruled based on no precedent or originalist reading of its laws (as dissenting Justice Greg Cook pointed out then) that frozen embryos are children. Isn't that the whole purpose of lawmakers, to make relevant laws?
Based on my recent posts, I look like someone who should have come from Nevada, the freest state of the US socially (and one of the freest economically). It is thus ironic that I come instead from Texas, the state with the worst level of personal freedom. That, and the fact that my own family background suggests that I should be going about my political affairs right now as a social conservative, which I can assure you I am *not*. Very ironic.
They have warned us repeatedly. From the imperial presidency and a dysfunctional Congress to delegitimizing opponents and gerrymandering, politics matter too much. Way too much. Until Americans put the government back into check, we may as well keep electing people to the position of not the President of the United States, but the Worst Person in the World.
https://reason.com/2026/04/29/government-shouldnt-be-important-enough-to-fight-over/
#authoritarianism #bigGovernment #democracy #extremism #gerrymandering #POTUS #violence #USCongress #USPolitics
Contrary to claims of otherwise, unlike 2024 (and certainly unlike the TSA), the Secret Service did a good job preventing a tragedy on Saturday, actually.
#DonaldTrump #politicalViolence #TrumpAdministration #TSA #USSecretService
Forty years after the Chernobyl disaster, a science writer explains what went wrong with the nuclear power facility and why. Long answer short, it was Soviet hubris, and fossil fuels are still much more dangerous than nuclear.
https://reason.com/2026/04/26/chernobyl-was-a-communist-disaster-not-a-nuclear-one/
#SovietUnion #USSR #Chernobyl #ChernobylDisaster #cleanEnergy #airPollution #climateChange #energy #fossilFuels #governmentFailures #history #hubris #nuclearEnergy #nuclearPower #nuclearSafety #Pripyat #Russia #Ukraine
What if SpongeBob SquarePants were an adult animated comedy? In particular, what would the profanity consist of other than "barnacles" and "tartar sauce"? Vulgarities such as "dumb bass" and swears such as "oh ship!" and "my cod"? With language like that, you might as well adjust to getting called a blowhole.
My workplace, where I receive vocational training, just had an activity. I attended for the screening of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, in what was my first time since first watching in in theaters in 2016. I now realize how well written it is. I did not just watch a masterpiece, but it felt really believable for a Star Wars film, Leia's portrayal not withstanding. Overall, Rogue One is an above-average film, and one of the better ones in the series.
During its height in the 1960s, nuclear power was on track to outpace fossil fuels. Then came panic over nuclear contamination and excess bureaucracy, leading to higher prices and worsened pollution and climate change. Now the world is realizing that fossil fuels are actually more harmful than nuclear energy. The Iran War further proves that nuclear is also a more secure option.
#energy #energySecurity #energyTransition #IranWar #nuclearEnergy #nuclearPower
Republicans: We'll redraw our districts to hold a narrow majority in the House.
#Virginia Democrats: We'll hold an election on a map that would give us a boost. Oh, and we'll pepper the proposition with loaded language like "restor[ing] fairness".
It follows that one side moving the goal posts will lead to the other moving theirs. In the end, though, it is a zero-sum game that only fuels discontent among those who feel their votes are being ignored.
This article explains why I do not get my information from the mainstream media. The good news is that, in today's world, access to alternative media has never been easier. There are American sources that portray the world with a view of "the West and the rest" far better than the NYT and WaPost ever will. For starters, see the Council on Foreign Relations, The National Interest, and of course, Foreign Affairs.
https://reason.com/2026/04/22/how-the-media-failed-american-foreign-policy/
What is especially striking about the Department of Justice's indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center is that the latter apparently employed the very same tactics used by the FBI to induce people to commit objectionable acts. I am not the only one who has long held reservations about the #SPLC, and that its conduct is only now coming to light makes it seem shady at best, but it strikes me as hypocritical for the #DOJ to decide what the non-profit did to be illegal.
This isn't funny anymore. In an ideal society, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would have long been impeached, removed from office, and forever confined to the fringes. Even more ideal would be to empower American citizens with the ability to recall elected federal politicians for abuses of power or otherwise neglecting their sworn duties. Surely that would convince the Trump administration and Congress to keep in touch with the public's needs. https://www.techdirt.com/2026/09/16/4th-measles-death-in-pa-all-the-federal-govt-can-do-is-disrespect-the-dead-by-ignoring-them/
#RFKJr #accountability #vaccines
Correct me if I'm wrong, but "detention centers" are supposed to detain immigrants temporarily, not be extrajudicial prisons (unless, of course, you are the government). https://reason.com/2026/09/14/alligator-alcatraz-held-detainees-in-small-metal-cages-inspector-general-report-finds/
#immigration #DHS #Florida #AbolishICE #authoritarianism #RonDesantis #TrumpAdministration
Today's the 25th anniversary of a bygone tragedy. What's worse is what would ensue in the following days, months, years, and decades—one that the whole world is still reeling from. The worst part is that, even as Americans are now clamoring against the surveillance state, the imperial presidency, and ICE, they have yet to get over the very thing that keeps all three of them alive: fear. (1/2)
#September11 #policeState #authoritarianism #endlessWars #privacy #surveillance #TSA #WarOnTerror
Well, phooey. Yesterday, I checked online to see how many people are using Linux vs. Windows. StatCounter would have us believe that the share of desktop users in North America passed 10% for the first time last month (it's now purportedly 15%), but PC World points to a simpler explanation for the milestone: Internet bots. https://www.pcworld.com/article/3204830/linux-didnt-actually-hit-10-percent-market-share-blame-bots.html
#desktop #statistics #Linux #Windows #dataManipulation #AI #bots #fakeNews
Bro, the amount of copyright-infringing material present on the Internet Archive is insane. I am referring to entire films by Lucasfilm and Disney/Pixar, as well as Super Mario Maker and GOG titles. If this were Wikimedia Commons, it would have treated the situation as a five-alarm fire. The Archive needs to let far more willing volunteers help clamp down on violations and fix the report button, because the last thing it needs is more negative PR.
#InternetArchive #copyright #dataPreservation
One of the things I love about the Internet Archive is its in-browser #emulation feature. It's great for demos and obscure abandonware—except the library also includes Mario games still being sold in the Nintendo eShop. I get that the Archive is a nonprofit whose small staff cannot keep up with the torrent of piracy, but that very fact is to its detriment when considering that the 2020s have been a terrible decade legally, and its report button remains a joke.
#InternetArchive #dataPreservation
I just talked with a relative about the sad state of our society, particularly the United States' first measles deaths this year in Pennsylvania (including a newborn), and how anti-vaxxers like RFK Jr. are zero help. As I was about to sign off by calling out their callous disregard for reality, the conversation somehow segued into talk about "illegals" allegedly bringing disease into our country before President Trump returned to office. *smh* (1/2)
#vaccines #immigration #nonSequitur
