Lots of reasons to dislike Google. That is not one of them.

I think the far left (if they're going to vote) aren't likely to be pushed away by more moderation from Harris. They're already far more politically engaged than the vast majority of people. Meanwhile, there are a lot of apolitical people who dislike Trump, but just don't want to vote and feel like they don't know enough about Kamala to feel comfortable voting for her (my Catholic Republican mother, for example). I think that group probably has more people in it than the far left does, and more exposure to Kamala's normalcy relative to Trump is a good thing for swaying them, given the shift in the polls following the last debate. I'll always be disappointed when the Dems pivot right instead of left, but I think the logic is sound in this case.

Maybe it’s just me, maybe it’s the algorithms, but I do notice a difference in how I feel after spending time on the Lemmy or Mastodon vs Instagram or LinkedIn

Still a commendable act

One thing that I’ve found helpful is from Naomi Klein in her most recent book. To paraphrase - conspiracy theories often get the feelings right, but the facts wrong. For example, we are all being screwed over by banks and hedge funds, but it’s because of the structures of capitalism, not the Jews. But it’s much easier, mentally, to pin the blame on one specific person or group than to grapple with the flaws inherent in the social systems we’ve created.

No please! Electric substations are necessary to transmit power, and we actually need more of them if we’re going to build the amount of renewables we need.

If you’re looking for parts of the electrical system that I feel less positively about, that would include data centers (especially for AI and crypto mining) and coal-fired power plants.

Of course, industrial sabotage is a crime, and with all the high voltage and current going around, it’s a particularly dangerous one at that. Would not recommend

Well, I’ve read a lot of theory, and I’m pretty sure our best bet is posting memes online, crossing our fingers, and hoping for the best. We definitely shouldn’t go outside and talk to people, that’ll never work

Yeah, that seems reasonable to me

Ballot initiatives are crushing it in Michigan lately. Ending gerrymandering, legalizing weed, protecting reproductive rights, and improving elections have all passed through ballot initiatives in the past few years. Direct democracy works. I feel for people in states that don’t have that option (cough Indiana). I feel like we might be starting to see Michigan emerge as the anti-Florida

What exactly is an “AI PC”? What makes it better than a non-AI PC? Is this a product that consumers are asking for?

It’s amazing how if you ask the Boomers I know, they’ll tell you that cities are terrifying and riddled with crime every few feet. But when you actually go a city, it’s pretty normal. Maybe a bit less foot traffic and a few more unhoused people than pre-COVID, but still pretty much the same. Definitely not the war zone they describe!