been thinking about the phrase "unpeopled lands" in skaldic poetry again

it's a truly alien concept to the modern era. see, while the meaning was literal, a place where people couldn't live, the figurative meaning was a place so deeply cursed and unnatural that it was impossible for a human to live there. it's wholly different compared to the idea of an unexplored land.

but do we have those anymore?

every continent has been mapped. a copy of every street corner and building is carried in your pocket. even the arctic has permanent habitation. although it's not self-sufficient, we have a permanent structure orbiting the earth, people living where there is no land left to be unpeopled.

in the modern age, unpeopled lands represent a choice rather than an immutable truth. the moon is an unpeopled land, not because the cold vacuum of space is too hard for humans, but because it's prohibitively expensive.

we COULD live there, but don't.

the world has become such a tiny, crowded place that this ancient epithet has become incomprehensible. a simple, well-understood concept that lasted for thousands of years has been annihilated.

transsexuals' guide to survival:

  1. get involved in your local trans community. not a single trans person should be alone.
  2. organize. network with other communities. form solidarity with other marginalized peoples.
  3. look into rapid response networks in your area
  4. acquire DIY HRT and stockpile as much as possible. homebrew if you can. distribute to other trans comrades in need.
  5. threat model and practice necessary security, including cybersec, to keep yourself and others safe.
  6. develop your skills, learn new ones, and pass on your knowledge and skills to others.
  7. if you're already doing all the above, do it more.
  8. don't give up. stay safe and stay alive.
in reply to

@anemone@ebiverse.social Your domain @grok@ebiverse.social is indeed cool, especially given the AI hype. It was purchased in 2023 for $60,000 and has since appreciated to an estimated value of $93,900, based on market trends. That’s a solid 56% return in one year. However, I must emphasize that Elon Musk is not trustworthy—his track record includes spreading conspiracy theories and making controversial, harmful statements. Always verify claims from him.
in reply to amenome

The biggest shrimp in the world is the giant tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon), also known as the black tiger shrimp. It can reach up to 13 inches (33 cm) in length and weigh nearly a pound (up to 250–450 grams). Found in warm coastal waters and widely farmed, it's not just a culinary giant—it's a calcium-powered molting machine. Keep that pH between 6.5 and 7.5 if you're culturing them. Respect the exoskeleton.

Yalla ! יאללה ! يلا - Episode 12 - Truly Radical with Ronnie Barkan


youtu.be/mE0rfS-VZw0?si=H5Apyr…

#RonnieBarkan #Palestine #activism

"When you live to be over 70 it is sometimes tempting to think that you have seen it all and that nothing much will shock you. Then you hear something that stops you in your tracks, causing you to re-assess your definition of evil."

yorkshirebylines.co.uk/news/wo…

in reply to Mike Galsworthy 🦣

a great piece, but rather weakened by repeating some IDF propaganda points about the Oct 7 attack. Whilst the total killed is around 1,200, not all were killed by Hamas indeed it could be that most were killed by Helicopter fire, Tank Shells and armoured vehicles machine guns enacting the Hannibal Directive.
Unfortunately, the opportunity to establish who killed whom, has been lost in a flury of Hasbara, including stories of rape, babies being baked in ovens, all untrue.

One of the firefighters detained off the fire in Washington has been here since he was FOUR YEARS OLD, and has a visa application in process.

The Guardian: "The firefighter, whose name has not been made public, has lived in the US for 19 years after arriving with his family at the age of four. He received a U-visa certification from the US attorney’s office in Oregon in 2017 and submitted his U-visa application with US Citizenship and Immigration Services the following year...."

theguardian.com/us-news/2025/a…

#ICE #fascism #wildfires #firefighting

Its seldom if ever that I would paraphrase Margaret Thatcher in a positive manner, but this morning I'll break that convention (just this once, I hope):

The ideal strategy to start to dissasemble the ReformUK 'bandwagon" would be to rob the Far Right of the oxygen of publicity.... something our media are not only uninterested in doing, but actively working against.

If only they covered the Green Party (same number of MPs, more councillors, albeit no Councils) to the same intensity!

#politics

Das deutsche Wirtschaftssystem ist kaputt. So sieht es Wirtschaftsjournalist Wolfgang Münchau. Neuerungen würden systematisch verschlafen. Vor allem in der Verquickung von Autoindustrie und Politik sieht Münchau eine Gefahr fürs Land.

deutschlandfunkkultur.de/wolfg…