«Once we have replaced the principle of equality with the idea that humans are unequal, we have granted approval to the idea of rulers and ruled. At that point, all any of us can do is to hope that no one in power decides that we belong in one of the lesser groups.»
#AbrahamLincoln #equality #democraxy #SelectiveEquality #SelfGovernance #NoKings
https://open.substack.com/pub/heathercoxrichardson/p/february-11-2026?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=ecpv

Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science!

#InternationalDayofWomenandGirlsinScience

«Continued global heating could trigger… #TippingPoints, leading to a cascade of further tipping points and feedback loops…[that] would lock the world into a new and hellish “hothouse Earth” #climate far worse than the 2-3C temperature rise…
“Crossing even some of the thresholds could commit the planet to a hothouse trajectory…Policymakers and the public remain largely unaware of the risks posed by what would effectively be a point-of-no-return transition.”»
#ClimateDiary
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/feb/11/point-of-no-return-hothouse-earth-global-heating-climate-tipping-points

"I was told you're a monster," the hero said.

"So they say," said the monster.

"But you're beautiful!"

"Thank you."

"Have you always been a monster?"

"Heh. I was a young maiden. But I did something forbidden."

"And became a monster?"

"Got named a monster."

"What did you do?"

"I hit back."

#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

A gravelly voice spoke from under the mayor's bed.

"I hear you need a monster hunter."

The mayor sat up.

"What? Who?"

"I'm a monster. I hunt. What do you need hunted?"

"Beklo the Ogre, but..."

"I'll bring you its head."

"How..."

"I am a monster under the bed. If it sleeps, I can find it."

#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

Some of my favorite international political cartoons from @cartoonmovement this week, by Matthew Fuller, Deb Milbrath, Gatis Sluka and Franco Juri.

More cartoons: https://www.cartoonmovement.com/

#PoliticalCartoons #PoliticalSatire #EditorialCartoons #CartoonMovement

"Oh," the emperor of the galaxy said, "what happened to that monkey world?"

"Our agents infiltrated them some eight thousand years ago."

"Have they taken over the world?"

"Not yet."

The emperor licked a paw and started washing his ears.

"I'll still count it as one of mine," he purred.

#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

"Switzerland’s military has terminated its contract with Palantir… following a security audit… concluded that U.S. intelligence agencies could potentially access sensitive Swiss defense data… significant reputational warning for the data analytics firm"

https://www.newscase.com/palantirs-swiss-exit-highlights-global-data-sovereignty-challenge/

#Palantir #Dataprivacy #Security

A female OpenAI executive who raised concerns about the upcoming ‘Adult Mode’ - which lets you sex ChatGPT girlfriends - has been fired for ‘sexual discrimination against men’

https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/openai-executive-who-opposed-adult-mode-fired-for-sexual-discrimination-3159c61b

"AI is built on the collective knowledge of humankind."

No. Nononononono. It is not built on _knowledge_, it it built on _data_. And not everyone's experiences are available as data, many communities are excluded. Also: "Collective" implies some sort of collaboration and shared activity. But "AI" is just accumulation by a few powerful.

So No. It's not collective but extractive, not knowledge but data, not humankind but the hegemonic western view. Everything in that statement is wrong.

Why does a lie that has never been proven, never worked, and never been real still hold the power to undermine an entire democracy?

https://hartmannreport.com/p/is-voter-fraud-the-most-dangerous-ca6

Once again, it is time to level curses at the hoarders of wealth, the architects of brutality, and the stealers of families, innocence, and dreams...

🧵

Transcript: Krugman Catches Trump Adviser Admitting to a Big MAGA Scam
https://newrepublic.com/article/206447/transcript-krugman-catches-trump-adviser-admitting-big-maga-scam?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Posted into The Daily Blast with Greg Sargent @the-daily-blast-with-greg-sargent-thenewrepublic

Male refugees stigmatised across Europe: ‘This kind of stuff really hurts’

Several men who made dangerous journeys alone tell Al Jazeera they have faced suspicion, hatred and homelessness.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/11/male-refugees-stigmatised-europe

Them: “Why are you carrying a 9 foot book?”

Me: “It’s a long story.”

Not only does adding alt-text to your media help people with disabilities help to enjoy media it also grows the #Fediverse

When people search for media on search engines the chances are higher they end up on something on the Fedi with alt text added

So indirect adding alt text also spreads our network even more!

So.. ADD ALT TEXT♥️ A brief or extended description of the media posted, super simple and you help a lot of people!

*only applies to media when your account is indexed by search

#Dgar is not a complete idiot.

Some parts are missing.

BREAKING: FBI arrest a black rectangle after it appeared in the Epstein files over six million times.

#Windows11 #AISlop #Linux #DespicableMe #Gru #Meme

I wasn’t sure that you heard me the first time.