Oxymetheus 🇨🇦

Just lovely. If the state of the world has you down (and if you’re a human of the slightest sensibility, it has) here is a tiny dose of the antidote:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YczeZw5LhaE

#music #bass #joy #pinkpanther

Fascinating. The hollowing-out of Western industrial capacity will take generations to reverse. I’m especially struck by the ignorance and short-sightedness of private-equity firms and finance-minded MBAs, who never read even this sort of accessibly-technical article, but imagine their spreadsheets tell them everything they need to know about every business in the world. Shameful.

https://frontiermap.substack.com/p/the-us-imports-82-of-its-large-power

#industry #deskilling #economics #engineering #energy #grid #greenenergy

In honour of the day, I offer my annual reminder that there is only ONE rendition of ‘Danny Boy’ acceptable to people of good taste and judgement:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XWP_CKnJIg

#muppets #stpatricksday #irishmusic #straightversionsaresentimentaldrivel #music #comedy

My jaw actually dropped. LIterally, physically. I had no idea such ambitious plans were even in early stages.

6 GW, for pete’s sake. That’s roughly 18% of the UK’s average power use.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0IBq-iCEECk

#energytransition #canada #europe #smartgrid #wind #solar

They’re including a tracking chip in the vaccine. I learned about this on the Google News app I installed on my cell phone, television, computer, car, gaming systems, smart-home appliances, and eyeglasses.

—themeatbridge!@lemmy.world
(couldn’t link normally)

#surveillance #surveillancecapitalism #paranoia #vaccines

The Tories are losing ground rapidly in Canada, largely because everyone not a committed Tory can see that they’re the party of lies.

https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2026/02/02/Today-Conservatives-Misinformation-Norm/

#canada #politics

I dislike the decay of the internet into five huge corporate sites, each filled entirely with screenshots from the other four. Nonetheless, I consider this too strong and succinct not to share, so please forgive the repost.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Efh-utjap9k

#AmericanGestapo #ICE #politics #humanrights

Really not bad:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJRPs5-5v-g

#ukraine #nato #canada

This is thoughtful and interesting; reminds me of Cory Doctorow in his more analytical, less-furious moments:

https://yourbrainonmoney.substack.com/p/low-trust-society-cost

#trust #economics #society #enshittification #regulation #grift

The animated visuals are so-so at best, but the analysis is cogent and insightful—a pleasant change from the endless repetition of a few superficial points in most Western media.

(No idea about the credibility or biases of the source; I’m going on the logic and context of the discussion, rather than just taking their word for anything. I’ll remain open to other perspectives.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjnP64kTL4E

#ukrainewar #oil #europe #war #geopolitics #hungary #slovakia

Outstanding:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xUaZ9Vr-Cg

#studioghibli #anime #animation #optimism #realism #film

Brilliant. All through the interview preceding this bit, McKellen is interesting and thoughtful, but gives the impression of doddering a wee bit, or just lacking energy. He’s not forgetful or rambling, mind you, just not especially sparkling. But ask him to ACT, and ye gods, watch what happens.

https://youtu.be/2l2RqzVG4ag?si=8yUZljkp538jYSa0&t=1329

#shakespeare #theatre #politics #immigration #humanrights

It’s 3°C here in Vancouver, and I’m watching a hummingbird flitting about the crown of a big conifer a couple of doors down. What it can be eating, at this time of year, I don’t know. No flowers, no active insects, no running sap, nothing. We had a warmer than usual winter, and Anna’s Hummingbird routinely overwinters, I gather, but this is still remarkable.

#birdwatching #hummingbird #nature

A lot of us would like to think that art can change the world—and especially, that music can change human hearts. I’m reluctantly persuaded that this is a delusion—here’s one reason why.

https://stuffthatinterestsme.net/top-10-songs-people-dont-seem-to-grasp-misunderstood-masterpieces-that-hide-their-true-meanings

#music #poetry #art

Should have carpeted outside the asylum.

https://xkcd.com/3206/

#douglasadams #wonkothesane

It’s such a simple conceit, but it made me laugh.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/JoYDPpyPoLA

#canada #snacks #funny

Very funny, and surprisingly deep:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fg0a7iZLl1s

#language #philosophy #curses #comedy #funny

‘Zombie flow’ is an excellent coinage.

https://www.derekthompson.org/p/how-zombie-flow-took-over-culture

#doomscrolling #attention #media #flow #Czikszentmihalyi #entertainment #technology

One for @BrentToderian@mastodon.online and all the Green urbanists out there:

https://www.not-ship.com/wealthy-shadows/

#trees #touchgrass #urbanism #cities

‘AI is like what if a computer was also Amelia Bedelia?’

Kevin Froleiks

Bill Bailey is a genius:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dVFknALySA

#music #comedy #billbailey #jazz

Typography isn’t a field usually known for either comedy or political satire; its aesthetics are a bit hermetic, when they’re not pop-culture kitsch. But this? This is hilarious.

https://kottke.org/26/02/times-new-resistance

#iceout #politics #design #funny

Succinct and genuinely insightful. I’m technically-minded enough to enjoy digging into the engineering of MacBooks and iPhones—even things I don’t use, like cars or weapons. But ultimately, tools are means to an end—inspiration, possibility, vision, renewal. Apple is the one tech company that actually cares about this—maybe 5%, maybe 1%, certainly far behind profits, marketing, design, logistics. But they do care about it, and that matters.

https://samhenri.gold/blog/20260312-this-is-not-the-computer-for-you/

#tech #macbookneo #apple

I think this is excellent:

https://aeon.co/essays/what-we-think-is-a-decline-in-literacy-is-a-design-problem?utm_source=rss-feed

#thinking #cognition #digitalmedia #attention

Even better than usual:

https://pluralistic.net/2026/02/05/contingency/

No surprise:
https://www.sfchronicle.com/tech/article/waymo-robotaxis-remote-workers-21338183.php

Still one of Ryan George’s funniest (which is saying something) and a nice tight bit of satire:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-cAqOgWuA0

#RyanGeorge #comedy #satire #awards

I’m suspicious of overly-pat explanations, but I think there’s a fair bit of truth in this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQXd7xYJ4JU

The bit about the most empathetic, curious, and perceptive child being scapegoated because their curiosity and insight threaten the authoritarian parent? Phew…I feel seen.

#politics #psychology #abuse #family #trump

Laughed until I cried. The one with the maracas!

https://cluelesshero.com/post/810020812966035456/567-mismatched-i-think-we-have-a

#webcomic #funny #humour #comedy

Worth reading:

https://nautil.us/the-internet-has-not-killed-reading-or-attention-spans-1279171

‘Rich kids have always been able to pay tutors, writing coaches, and consultants to help them write essays. AI has simply made that service free and universal. The scandal isn’t that students aren’t writing their own essays. The scandal is that we’re only worrying about the problem now that the cheat is available to everyone.’

#AI #literacy #TheKidsAreAllRight

Strong points by Cory Doctorow this time around:

https://pluralistic.net/2026/04/08/process-knowledge-vs-bosses/

(Doctorow’s newsletter can be very discursive; this one is shorter, more focused, better)

#workers #capitalism #bullshit