Today's threads (a thread)

Inside: The super-rich got that way through monopolies; and more!

Archived at: https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/17/monopolies-produce-billionaires/

#Pluralistic

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Mirror mirror on the wall. How are you defeated by a little drop of toothpaste? I thought you were the source of all vanity among humans and even with this power you cannot stand up to a little sudsy droppy girl freckle on your untarnished surface.

Just in time for #Davos, here's 'Taken, not earned: How monopolists drive the world’s power and wealth divide," a report from a coalition of international tax justice and anti-corporate activist groups:

https://www.balancedeconomy.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Davos-Taken-not-Earned-full-Report-2024-FINAL.pdf

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If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this thread to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/17/monopolies-produce-billionaires/#inequality-corruption-climate-poverty-sweatshops

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It does feel that way sometimes.

Meet Helios, a new class of space tug with some real muscle

"Just give us a sip. We'll take our 14 tons and we'll be glad to pay for it."

https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/01/meet-helios-a-new-class-of-space-tug-with-some-real-muscle/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Why should I be expected to get out of bed

Tom the Dancing Bug – Chagrin Falls: "Diner Journalism" https://boingboing.net/2024/01/17/tom-the-dancing-bug-chagrin-falls-diner-journalism.html

#MediaCriticism #IowaCaucuses #Maga

30 Presidential Nicknames, Explained | Mental Floss
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/57009/30-presidential-nicknames-explained?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Posted into History
https://flipboard.com/@mental_floss/history-3jqvbm8oz?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Africa’s top smartphone seller Transsion is the world’s fastest growing phone maker
https://www.semafor.com/article/01/17/2024/africas-top-smartphone-seller-transsion-is-the-worlds-fastest-growing-phone-maker?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Posted into Semafor
https://flipboard.com/@semafor/semafor-qhf227ugz?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Today’s #weightlossjourney metrics, I’m officially now at the lowest point I’ve been in waist size and weight. 5 inches lost in 26 days on the waist. I think the changes to making quick meals being just going to Whole Foods and grabbing pre marinated chicken and air frying it with a bag of rice as a “lazy meal” instead of ordering is helping the bank and the gut. I only eat out at work now
#health #fitness #weightlifting #weightloss

BMW’s AI-powered voice assistant at CES 2024 sticks to the facts

Limited options make for better conversations.

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2024/01/bmws-ai-powered-voice-assistant-at-ces-2024-sticks-to-the-facts/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

The Hacker News Top 40 books of 2023

https://hnreads.com/post/top40_2023/

> Hi, welcome to the brand new website, HN Reads. I enjoy reading Hacker News and I love buying books (and reading), and I also love data, so what better than doing some processing of data about books to find some interesting results?! It also gives me the opportunity to write about books that I find interesting. Here are the top 40 books recommended by HN readers in 2023. How I generated this list:

I figured out how to track my peak flow for my asthma with a smart spirometer. I’m just trying to plot as much health related data to try and get back in shape and track everything. Also have a blood pressure cuff to start tracking that too. #fitness #exercise #weightloss #weightlossjourney #health

Daily Telescope: A supernova remnant that resembles a jellyfish

Sometimes astronomy can be a bit imprecise.

https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/01/daily-telescope-a-supernova-remnant-that-resembles-a-jellyfish/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

What to expect from the Apple Vision Pro in February

Hardware, apps, prescription lenses—we go over the essentials.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/01/what-to-expect-from-the-apple-vision-pro-in-february/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Ahead of the New Hampshire primary, Trump lambasts Haley: “She wants to be president yet she hasn’t even released her Insurrection Plan.”

US set to redesignate Houthis as terrorist group after Red Sea attacks
https://www.semafor.com/article/01/17/2024/us-set-to-redesignate-houthis-as-terrorist-group-after-red-sea-attacks?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Posted into Semafor
https://flipboard.com/@semafor/semafor-qhf227ugz?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Researchers unveiled a “metal-free magnetic gel,” marrying carbon-based #magnets with a flexible gel for soft #robots, dissolvable #MedicalImplants, and precise #DrugDelivery. The gel will offer non-toxic, long-lasting magnets for innovative applications in #robotics and #medicine.

Revolutionary Metal-Free Magnets Bend the Rules for Robotics and Medicine | Odd News Show
https://oddnewsshow.com/revolutionary-metal-free-magnets-bend-the-rules-for-robotics-and-medicine

New UEFI vulnerabilities send firmware devs across an entire ecosystem scrambling

PixieFail is a huge deal for cloud and data centers. For the rest, less so.

https://arstechnica.com/security/2024/01/new-uefi-vulnerabilities-send-firmware-devs-across-an-entire-ecosystem-scrambling/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Bird Flu Kills a Polar Bear in a World First. Here's What That Means For Us.
https://www.sciencealert.com/bird-flu-kills-a-polar-bear-in-a-world-first-heres-what-that-means-for-us?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Posted into Health
https://flipboard.com/@sciencealert/health-43m5auulz?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

with all this cold weather I'm getting strangely aroused

Just wrapped up my Twitch stream! Thanks to everyone who tuned in. Catch the next one here: https://twitch.tv/chiefgyk3d

Животът е лайно

Four New Octopus Species Discovered in Deep-Sea Paradise Off The Coast of Costa Rica
https://www.sciencealert.com/four-new-octopus-species-discovered-in-deep-sea-paradise-off-the-coast-of-costa-rica?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Posted into ScienceAlert
https://flipboard.com/@sciencealert/sciencealert-3mvdqjtaz?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Venomous Snake Pulled From a Family's Fridge Water Dispenser in a Horrifying Development
https://www.sciencealert.com/venomous-snake-pulled-from-a-familys-fridge-water-dispenser-in-a-horrifying-development?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Posted into ScienceAlert
https://flipboard.com/@sciencealert/sciencealert-3mvdqjtaz?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub