Scientists find most microplastics in drinking water smaller than EU detection limits
euronews.com/health/2025/01/17…
Scientists say that most microplastics found in drinking water are very fine and thus more likely to pass from the human intestine into the blood and organs.
Original research paper here journals.plos.org/water/articl…
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Have always loved this poem
“I was struck by lightning.
The strangest thing
Wasn't the flash of my hair
Catching on fire,
But the way people pretended
Nothing had happened.”
~David Orr #poetry
poetryfoundation.org/poetrymag…
The strangest thing Wasn't the flash of my hair Catching on fire, But the way people pretended Nothing had happened.The Poetry Foundation
Free 30 minutes bike share trips for Fingal residents
Residents of Fingal in north and north-west Dublin are being offered free 30-minute bike share trips once they sign up with proof of residency in the Fingal County Council area. Bleeper's bicycles are available in Fingal areas such as Dublin 15, Swords, Howth, Sutton, Malahide, Portmarnock, Baldoyle, and Dublin Airport. Although the company's coverage area has been reduced recently -- due to low usage, Bleeper's…
irishcycle.com/2024/12/11/free…
Residents of Fingal in north and north-west Dublin are being offered free 30-minute bike share trips once they sign up with proof of residency in the Fingal County Council area. Bleeper’s bic…IrishCycle.com
Incredible!
Hilde Dosogne, Belgian ultra runner and Belgian 100km champion in 2023, shares her journey to attempt a Guinness World Record for running 366 marathons by 2024. Follow her inspiring story.www.hildedosogne.be
Part of comment I just saw, regarding social networks..
"it all went to shit once it stopped being a complement to one's life and transformed into a soapbox for Discourse and a battle royale for a slice of the Attention Economy. while there are plenty of influencers i respect, the entire concept of a modern-day influencer — one who rises to fame on a tidal wave of incendiary hot takes and clickbait — is so fundamentally broken and fucking with our parasociality."
Wow!
theverge.com/2025/1/13/2434279…
A group of technology advocates and celebrities are backing the launch of Free Our Feeds, a project aimed at creating a social ecosystem atop the AT Protocol.Emma Roth (The Verge)
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Thanks a lot, Eugen, for taking this decision (because I think the whole project will grow thanks to that) and for everything you did during past years. Your work and dedication really helped to build what have been somehow a dream for most: a social network entitled with strong human values.
Good luck with the rest of your journey!
this seems like a great move, and good time.
We become less effective the further we're stretched, especially in directions that are not our strengths.
I've been through this, I wish I had learned/admitted it earlier.
Touaregtweet reshared this.
I want to say thank you for creating an alternative where I get my news and less-toxic banter.
It’s an amazing platform and totally understandable your decision.
You a Giga-Chad.
Dude, you did an amazing job. You’ve taken so much on your shoulders, and made one of the most bustling decentralized social media projects ever.
Congrats on your new role, and I know you’ll rock at it.
you've created one of the most important social networks so far, and brought it into public focus. You've introduced millions of people to ActivityPub, whether they chose to use Mastodon or not. You've done this at just the right time for people to have somewhere to jump ship to from other networks, while those networks shift their attention towards politics & corporate greed. And now you're deciding to hand over because you've reached your limit.
That's being a great CEO. Be proud. 👍
thanks for personally protecting it as long as you have.
And I just wanted to add, thanks for how easily the "block" feature works. I don't have to tolerate anyone being unpleasant nor do I have to get an admin involved. They don't see me anymore, and I don't see them, and I can let that shit go without even trying to get the last word or waste time defending myself. If it wasn't for this feature I'm not sure I could stay on social media.
Eugen, I have deep respect for your decision and your open and transparent communication about it.
I sometimes don't have a high opinion of me in my roles as well, so I can feel you there. But going forward and deciding what's good for you and "your baby", even if it hurts, is respectable.
And always remember how far you have brought your baby. You can't be that bad of a CEO, huh? 
Good luck and a lot of fun with your new role! For the best of you and your baby.
It takes a lot of courage to let your baby go.
I admire you for that, as well as for all the work you have done that made this platform the joyous place it is for all of us.
I hope, you stay connected with the project, but above all a healthy and happy life. You truly deserve that, Eugen!
I missed your announcement Eugen, but I applaud what you’ve done.
Many years ago, I found myself in exactly the same place as you were when struggling with your decision. I didn’t handle as well, and it cost me dearly.
Congratulations!
(And nice camera work, btw. Impressive. <wink>)
Redeeming qualities... Leadership: You've changed the social media playing field for the better. With the personal growth, you're ready to focus on your passion and core strengths to lead further development of Mastodon products. Wise to pass the CEO baton to someone who can manage Mastodon's business size and growth bumps.
Big 🙌🏼 to you!
I'm not sure if an opinion of a random guy from the Internet will make you feel better, but I still want to say this.
I can't say that I liked every your decision regarding the project. But in my personal point of view, your approach was very realistic and adequate. You often saw what really matters, trying not to live in your imaginary world like some people leading project like to do.
So good job, Eugen.
I hope you'll like your new position and how this project goes on after that.
I’ve not agreed with every decision, but this one sets you above many others.
This is a remarkable moment.
I'm not a big fan of CEOs in general, but listen.
This thing what y'all are doing with Mastodon, is what the internet really needs right now.
Thanks for that!
Congrats, Eugen, this is a great step
I think you should think highly of yourself considering how far you have brought the platform already given the limited resources
Different stages require different skills and you might just have been the best choice (Yes, it is possible that someone else could have made it grow faster but also possible they crash it to nothing)
Plus good leaders know when it's time to pass the baton, maybe now is the time for an extrovert :)
Best of luck!
OGJester has moved reshared this.
Don't undersell yourself!
While I might disagree with you on certain topics or decisions, I value your integrity.
You defend what you stand for - and that's a good thing.
Regardless, I can fully understand your motivation behind this decision and respect and support it.
the fact that you consider yourself an "introvert" is very likely what made you sensible enough to direct the ethics of this platform towards F/LOSS. that is an asset of yours, not a flaw. I respect you and thank you for that. 
Fare thee well ☀️
Wow.
Well thank you for everything you've done & will continue to do. Your efforts have been greatly appreciated. I respect your decision.
As a fellow introvert, I totally get that. I would've been drained, too.
I love #Mastodon. It's the place I feel most comfortable & happy in.
Thank for sharing your thoughts! I really wish you'll be in a better position, with this transition, for you to care about what you've been wanting to care about Mastodon! Please let me know if I'd be of any help.
With the political changes around the world, it looks to me that Mastodon and other SNS services have become more politicized than they should be.
an incredibly astute decision. Being a CEO can be horrendously stressful. Doubly so for something that has gone through such remarkable developments as #Mastodon. Being close to the product is a great place to be, and can offer personal growth opportunities to work with a CEO closely.
You will both have to learn to trust one another as partners. A good CEO will understand that and be part of that evolution.
Remember you are the founder. That is forever a special role.
Get well, and thank you for your tremendous work. You are very, very much appreciated, and I think I speak for many when I say 'take your time'. No matter what the reasons are, you deserve a break as much as anyone else.
Joy or at least a sense of fulfilment is the drive to continue the work.
And enjoy the transition which, hopefully, will give you peace of mind. Now go pet that cute cat of yours 😊
You made something for the world here, something precious.
Thank you.
The wonder of community open projects is they are at their strongest as team efforts. Look after yourself and put you first now, others can carry the load.
Thank you for our wonderful cat too!
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I found your last move commendable, if painful (for now)
In the end leadership rotation counts as decentralization too, which is mastodon's goal.
Thank you for all the work, and new opportunities will come, certainly.
I feel this statement in my core as I also resigned from an organization I felt passionate about but ultimately turned to burnout.
It’s exceptionally difficult to step down, because your life IS your work, you love it, you’re proud of it.
I know this was tough, but doing so shows a maturity sadly lacking in mainstream social media leadership. And that’s why the fediverse is the right choice.
Hoping to see more photos, cats and stuffed mastodons coming from your feed.
@gocu54 You'll find the answers here.
blog.joinmastodon.org/2025/01/…
It is more important than ever that the social web is not controlled by corporations. Today, Mastodon is taking another step towards its founding ideals: independence and non-profit ownership.Mastodon Blog
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as a long time user of the software since the first releases I'm looking forward to your return to engineering.. 😀.
And the transfer of ownership and copyright is a powerful move.
X
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Letting go for the betterment of the whole is hard, but it's also brave and extremely admirable.
You could have gone the iron-fisted route, but instead you chose to secure your legacy as a champion of the people.
We see the sacrifice and we very much appreciate it.
you just crowned your work with a bow at the end of the show leading the audience to stand up and cheer frenetically.
Hats off to you for doing the right thing and making it not about one person but about the community, the future and freedom for everyone.
I've been here for a bit, and while I've not always agreed with the directions taken, I think this must have been one of the hardest and most important steps.
Turning mastodon into a proper public square by stepping back a little seems like the best possible choice to allow it to continue to grow without concerns that "one person" could turn it into a twitter, facebook, or bluesky.
you set it up to a nonprofit
you didn't have to do that
but you did
because you have sterling integrity
eugen i applaud you
thank you
👏 👏 👏
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⏩︎VOTE⏪︎ ᶜʸⁿⁱᶜⁱˢᵐ⁼ᵃᶜᶜᵉᵖᵗᵃⁿᶜᵉ (Ben Royce) and Shannon Prickett reshared this.
Resisting the easy decision to retain the mantle of Benevolent Dictator for Life is admirable and, I imagine, difficult since you probably have a lot more ideas for the direction of Mastodon.
Letting others work and learn to take over that role, in a more distributed fashion, is good for the long-term viability of the software.
consider, perhaps, a #cooperative? Plenty of people here such as @ntnsndr who could be good thought partners.
Thank you for being so instrumental in the creation of this space, and for pursuing community over profit. I’m so grateful for it!
The decentralized social network is moving ownership to a new non-profit based in Europe.Dominic Preston (The Verge)
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For a start, we also need to thank Evan Prodromou and the StatusNet crew for creating OStatus. Also Matt Lee and Mikael Nordfeldth for forking StatusNet to create GNU social, which the original Mastodon was designed to be compatible with.
Not to mention Christine Lemmer-Webber, Jessica Tallon, Erin Shepherd, and Amy Guy. Along with Evan, they led the W3C group that wrote the ActivityPub spec. Which allowed the fediverse - including Mastodon - to become what it is today.
Thank you! Are you already all set in terms of professional help to handle the legal setup of the new non-profit as well as the tax implications in Germany for you personally? Or does it help to recommend people we know to have previous experience on similar non-profit matters?
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this must be certainly something hard to do.
Speaking (obviously) for myself, and as an user of your software, I support and applaud your decision, this is the right thing to do.
any explicit protections in place to prevent the non-profit from being captured by corporate influence as we've seen in several other F/LOSS nonprofits? Ie, could Threads make some big donations and then later threaten to pull that funding if certain changes aren't made?
In theory the non-profit rather than BDFL sounds nice, but in practice they seem pretty vulnerable to that sort of thing...
Already a big thank you for all you have done for as CEO and Owner of Mastodon.
And all good things to you personally and in your new role for Mastodon.
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@midtsveen
> @Gargron Thank you for creating Mastodon, a platform where I can freely share my views
@Gargron certainly deserves credit for creating the Mastodon software and leading the project infrastructure built around it. But as I'm sure he'd agree, the platform that Mastodon is currently the largest part of - the fediverse - is the work of hundreds of dedicated people. Many of whom worked unpaid (maybe still do), and all of whom deserve our thanks.
My attempt at night-time #photography during my today's #run. The photos look good on a smartphone, but when I look at them on a big PC screen, not so much.
And it always surprises me how tiny full moon looks on photos, compared to how it seems in real life.
For various reasons (time, health, motivation) I let me fitness suffer last year. Toward the end of the year I started to get motivated and re-gained my running habit.
Now I'm at the stage where I feel strong, and I want to run farther and faster. I know from (adulthood) experience that usually what then happens is I get injured! For example, I've turned an ankle, or hurt my lower back.
So this time I've resolved to not overdo it. I'm not going to run too fast or too far, and I'll add just a little distance over time. Right now I'm at 4-6 km per run, and I would like to be at 6-8 km per run next month.
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Run at dawn…
#hometown #2800love #running #snap #mobilephotography #runningphotographer #energize #revitalize #runningviews #tragewegen #ddon #morningrun #dawn
#LGM #metsmastodon #Mets
Lindor should have been MVP, not Ohtani.
Gather Round as I tell you all of Elon Musk
A man whose opinions
Are ignored by his minions
Call him a racist, he just comes off brusque
"Racist Schmasist"
Will Tweet Elon Musk
Don't say that he's antisemitic
He'll just say for Earth he's terrific
He's tweeting every thought he has from dawn to dusk
And he's not getting much sleep, is Elon Musk
"California’s on fire, and while the GOP is busy blaming DEI and concocting conspiracies, Canada and Mexico are busy saving lives.
Canadian firefighting planes? Check. Mexican firefighters marching straight into the flames? Absolutely."
~ God
#California #fires #LosAngeles #ClimateChange #GlobalWarming #ecology #Canada #Mexico #Trump #Republicans
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"We got South African firefighters coming to help put out fires in Los Angeles. And a white American representative from Ohio saying cut funding and don’t help. What kind of country is this!"
~ Celly Blue
Note the TikTok video Celly Blue embeds here.
#California #fires #LosAngeles #ClimateChange #GlobalWarming #ecology #Canada #Mexico #Trump #Republicans
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Yesterday evening, I somehow found myself down and online rabbit hole — as we all know, this can happen easily — where I was reading comments about the Los Angeles fires in an online discussion group. In the group, members were blaming
"coloreds" for starting the fires, and claiming a man of color had been arrested as a key culprit. Group members wanted him executed in public, with t.v. coverage.
#California #fires #LosAngeles #ClimateChange #GlobalWarming #Trump #Republicans #racism
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I've seen no news reports at all corroborating their claims about who "started" the Los Angeles fires or the arrest of a key culprit. The word "coloreds" was obviously codespeak to avoid having the site hosting this filthy racist discussion shut it down for using more overtly racist language.
This kind of filth has long been out there. Now, though, it's out and proud and claiming center stage.
#California #fires #LosAngeles #ClimateChange #GlobalWarming #Trump #Republicans #racism
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"According to training materials viewed byThe Intercept and other media outlets, Meta users will be able to say things like 'immigrants are grubby, filthy pieces of shit,' 'Black people are more violent than whites,' 'Italians are dickheads,' women are 'household objects' or 'property,' and transgender people are mentally ill. Calling trans people 'trannies' or 'it' is now also acceptable on Meta sites."
#Meta #Zuckerberg #HateSpeech #racism #misogyny #immigrants
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As numerous U.S. corporations bend to the right with the political winds swirling around Republican President-elect Donald Trump's imminent return to power, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is following up on his company's termination of its fact-checking pr…Brett Wilkins (Alternet.org)
"Most of the press coverage focused on Meta ending its fact-checking partnerships, but I think that misses the real harm. The fact-checking program was never as robust as it needed to be, and there are multiple examples of fact-checkers being overruled due to political pressure from the Right.
The bigger story, at least in my mind, is that Meta’s policy changes now make it easier to target marginalized groups with harassment."
~ Melissa Ryan
#Meta #Zuckerberg
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William Shakespeare’s play ‘Richard III’ illustrates how a power-hungry monarch can attain the throne at the expense of civil society.The Conversation
My latest musings are out on misinformation, propaganda and flooding the zone.
katsstackofreadsandwriting.bee…
#misinformation #fakenews #propaganda #socialmedia
Very nice. Three thoughts.
1. The Tetris analogy is truly lovely.
2. Journalism has forever had this kind of problem. Just yesterday I was at a typography exhibit that showed (and labeled) a sensationalist newspaper cover from a century ago (like at your restaurant). But also, I think a lot of people don't understand that columnists and op-ed are a totally different part of "news" than the reporting side. ↵
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Yeah, I am always impressed by columnists who can produce an article every few days on demand, but it also makes me question how much they could really know about what they're writing (with such confidence).
Heck, I couldn't even produce a column *about my own research areas* with that level of confidence at that frequency… and these folks are opining about the entire world!
excellent read. I would also add two aspects that have troubled me.
The consolation of media (in the US specifically, my frame of reference), such as Sinclair for broadcast TV. This has led to a federated ease in flooding the zone. Sinclair, specifically, mandates specific coverage in “must carry” declarations. The other end of the spectrum is news deserts, which the collapse of the smaller newspaper industry has created. So much reporting is lost at the local level.
Kat O’Brien reshared this.
adding to that is the loss of net neutrality, which will likely have an affect on distribution of news.
Secondly, people acknowledge bias, but then select sources to affirm their bias… the echo chamber effect. Media outlets seek relevancy and to carve out a niche. Here we can blur the lines of op-ed and hard news, and consumers struggle to find a difference. Add the ability for foreign states to influence those zones so cheaply & effectively via social media? Trouble.
Sutton Hoo burials may belong to Anglo-Saxons who fought for the Byzantine Empire, new research reveals
archaeologymag.com/2025/01/sut…
#OfInterest #Culture #Archeology #ArcheologyMagazine
A recent study challenges long-held views of Sutton Hoo, suggesting the site may hold Anglo-Saxon warriors who served in the Byzantine EmpireDario Radley (Archaeology News Online Magazine)
Nimmo now at bat.
Patient eyes get him the walk,
Then he sprints to First.
⚾
Recently, as in for the last week or so, I’ve started developing shin splints. It’s a little annoying when the limiting factor in endurance & speed isn’t heart & lungs.
I’m attempting to stretch the shins specifically by planting my heel, pushing the toes as far forward as I can stand, and holding it as long as I can.
Is there anything else I can do about it? Are there exercises which target shin muscles specifically to strengthen them?
Have had to deal with shin splints a couple of times. What worked best for me was decreasing distance for a while, and to do some targeted exercises.
Had some recommendations from my brother, who’s a physiotherapist. Great to have one of those in the family when I run as much as I do.
First one is “Ankle Dorsiflexion with Resistance Band”. Second one is “Ankle Plantar Flexion with Resistance Band”. Lots of illustrations etc. First one I randomly found: katieegood.com/4-way-ankle-exe…
Do one of them to exhaustion, then the other to exhaustion. Couple of times per day at least. Can do lots of stuff while you do the exercise, since it’s only one foot and you don’t have to count.
4-Way Ankle Band Exercises A great way to strengthen the muscles around the ankle is through 4-way ankle band exercises.Katie Good (Katie E Good)
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YOU READING THIS, BE READY
Starting here, what do you want to remember?
How sunlight creeps along a shining floor?
What scent of old wood hovers, what softened
sound from outside fills the air?
Will you ever bring a better gift for the world
than the breathing respect that you carry
wherever you go right now? Are you waiting
for time to show you some better thoughts?
When you turn around, starting here, lift this
new glimpse that you found; carry into evening
all that you want from this day. This interval you spent
reading or hearing this, keep it for life –
What can anyone give you greater than now,
starting here, right in this room, when you turn around?
- William Stafford
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VULTURE
I had walked since dawn and lay down to rest on a bare hillside
Above the ocean. I saw through half-shut eyelids a vulture wheeling high up in heaven,
And presently it passed again, but lower and nearer, its orbit narrowing, I understood then
That I was under inspection. I lay death-still and heard the flight-feathers
Whistle above me and make their circle and come nearer.
I could see the naked red head between the great wings
Bear downward staring. I said, “My dear bird, we are wasting time here.
These old bones will still work; they are not for you.”
But how beautiful he looked, gliding down
On those great sails; how beautiful he looked, veering
away in the sea-light over the precipice. I tell you solemnly
That I was sorry to have disappointed him. To be eaten
by that beak and become part of him, to share those wings and those eyes—
What a sublime end of one’s body, what an enskyment;
What a life after death.
- Robinson Jeffers
Remy Rose likes this.
Went for 1000k goal, ended up doing
1,580km with 36,000m EG
1st year with 'real' dedication to #trailrunning concluded with my 1st trail marathon in October. (masto.bike/@randomized/1133102…)
Great support, help and advices from Fediverse #running community #runnersofmastodon
Had fun, made progress
1/2
I think I'm going to run five whole miles today. It's like I get to have all the goals I had back in the day over again. I'm so pleased every time I finish with a bit of fatigue and tendons feeling ok.
So for that I'll send a pic of two brown spots on a yellow wall - an aborted try at color picking.
Cardinal Robert McElroy is a scholar of American political history and its nexus with Catholic theology. The California native studied at Harvard and Stanford and brings pastoral experience at the San Diego border.Michael Sean Winters (National Catholic Reporter)
Alex 🇵🇸
in reply to Mark Holtom (aka Kingbeard) • • •C.Suthorn
in reply to Mark Holtom (aka Kingbeard) • • •