Ali
@astromaker.bsky.social
Humanist software engineer. Woodwork, Astronomy and all things sciency.
More replies to others than original posts.
I have a couple of 'controversial' opinions but always try to be polite.
More replies to others than original posts.
I have a couple of 'controversial' opinions but always try to be polite.
Yes, it affects all those things. But not as much as the crap that Trump is doing. And more reversibly, certainly more slowly and with more oversight.
January 5, 2026 at 4:11 PM
Yes, it affects all those things. But not as much as the crap that Trump is doing. And more reversibly, certainly more slowly and with more oversight.
Trump is better on that one thing, but orders of magnitude worse on literally everything else.
January 5, 2026 at 3:44 PM
Trump is better on that one thing, but orders of magnitude worse on literally everything else.
I agree. They lost partly (possibly entirely) because of that stance, which has allowed him to come in and do even worse.
I said at the time that failing to vote for the Democrats because of their position on gender ideology would allow Trump back in, who would be even more unhinged than last time.
I said at the time that failing to vote for the Democrats because of their position on gender ideology would allow Trump back in, who would be even more unhinged than last time.
January 5, 2026 at 3:42 PM
I agree. They lost partly (possibly entirely) because of that stance, which has allowed him to come in and do even worse.
I said at the time that failing to vote for the Democrats because of their position on gender ideology would allow Trump back in, who would be even more unhinged than last time.
I said at the time that failing to vote for the Democrats because of their position on gender ideology would allow Trump back in, who would be even more unhinged than last time.
Would it have helped if I'd said 'Gender Ideology' instead of 'trans issues'? And I agree it's more a 'stance' than one policy.
But still what Trump is doing is even worse for everyone, including women, LGB, autistics, science, freedom of speech & from religion and the rule of law.
But still what Trump is doing is even worse for everyone, including women, LGB, autistics, science, freedom of speech & from religion and the rule of law.
January 5, 2026 at 3:08 PM
Would it have helped if I'd said 'Gender Ideology' instead of 'trans issues'? And I agree it's more a 'stance' than one policy.
But still what Trump is doing is even worse for everyone, including women, LGB, autistics, science, freedom of speech & from religion and the rule of law.
But still what Trump is doing is even worse for everyone, including women, LGB, autistics, science, freedom of speech & from religion and the rule of law.
But it's still a Musk project. I think that's the killer for me (though I'll happily watch a SpaceX launch).
January 5, 2026 at 2:35 PM
But it's still a Musk project. I think that's the killer for me (though I'll happily watch a SpaceX launch).
And they're religious as well!
January 5, 2026 at 2:18 PM
And they're religious as well!
Is this a dating app or something? Putting gender as non-binary and politics as conservative is an interesting combination. You're getting the worst of both worlds! Personally, I'd give them a miss.
January 5, 2026 at 2:18 PM
Is this a dating app or something? Putting gender as non-binary and politics as conservative is an interesting combination. You're getting the worst of both worlds! Personally, I'd give them a miss.
No, don't go there. Yes the GC view is probably more accepted but the rest of it is a cesspit.
Or so I've heard, I finally pulled the plug on it about a year ago.
Or so I've heard, I finally pulled the plug on it about a year ago.
January 5, 2026 at 10:29 AM
No, don't go there. Yes the GC view is probably more accepted but the rest of it is a cesspit.
Or so I've heard, I finally pulled the plug on it about a year ago.
Or so I've heard, I finally pulled the plug on it about a year ago.
What Trump is doing is, I think, worse and certainly harder to reverse and repair than this one awful policy of the Democrats. And the reversal of Roe v Wade that he enabled is more damaging than the Democrats' position on trans issues.
January 5, 2026 at 8:04 AM
What Trump is doing is, I think, worse and certainly harder to reverse and repair than this one awful policy of the Democrats. And the reversal of Roe v Wade that he enabled is more damaging than the Democrats' position on trans issues.
Ah, that makes more sense to me. Thanks.
January 5, 2026 at 7:20 AM
Ah, that makes more sense to me. Thanks.
SFS on starless subs? I'm very much a novice, would love to know a little about your workflow.
January 4, 2026 at 8:19 PM
SFS on starless subs? I'm very much a novice, would love to know a little about your workflow.
Anyone who thinks policy on who is acceptable where should be based on it.
Policy on services and spaces should be based on identifiable characteristics, eg age, sex or disability.
Policy on services and spaces should be based on identifiable characteristics, eg age, sex or disability.
January 1, 2026 at 10:23 PM
Anyone who thinks policy on who is acceptable where should be based on it.
Policy on services and spaces should be based on identifiable characteristics, eg age, sex or disability.
Policy on services and spaces should be based on identifiable characteristics, eg age, sex or disability.
Yes. The whole Wild West free-for-all is going to have to stop, the sooner the better.
December 31, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Yes. The whole Wild West free-for-all is going to have to stop, the sooner the better.
Yes, but it's a valuable use of space.
December 31, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Yes, but it's a valuable use of space.
Your 'inner state' is unrelated to whether your body is male or female.
December 29, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Your 'inner state' is unrelated to whether your body is male or female.
So, not the sort of thing to base any policy on.
Nobody knows what it's like to be anything other than what they are: I have an internal sense of being me, and I am the sex that I am so that must be what it feels like to be that sex. I cannot know what it's like to be the opposite sex.
Nobody knows what it's like to be anything other than what they are: I have an internal sense of being me, and I am the sex that I am so that must be what it feels like to be that sex. I cannot know what it's like to be the opposite sex.
December 27, 2025 at 11:23 PM
So, not the sort of thing to base any policy on.
Nobody knows what it's like to be anything other than what they are: I have an internal sense of being me, and I am the sex that I am so that must be what it feels like to be that sex. I cannot know what it's like to be the opposite sex.
Nobody knows what it's like to be anything other than what they are: I have an internal sense of being me, and I am the sex that I am so that must be what it feels like to be that sex. I cannot know what it's like to be the opposite sex.
I don't think he was under any pressure but he clearly felt he was. It's a shame.
December 27, 2025 at 10:44 PM
I don't think he was under any pressure but he clearly felt he was. It's a shame.
Taskmaster? Strictly? Call the midwife?
December 27, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Taskmaster? Strictly? Call the midwife?
Disable push notifications? If I want to see the news, I open the news app. Why on earth allow such apps to push notifications to you?
December 27, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Disable push notifications? If I want to see the news, I open the news app. Why on earth allow such apps to push notifications to you?
Except that gender is an entirely subjective, individual, thing. How does anyone tell the difference between a real transwoman and a man who just says he's a transwoman?
December 26, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Except that gender is an entirely subjective, individual, thing. How does anyone tell the difference between a real transwoman and a man who just says he's a transwoman?
Makes more sense but I still don't see why 2 claws instead of 1 and why have legs at all?
December 25, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Makes more sense but I still don't see why 2 claws instead of 1 and why have legs at all?
But they keep reminding us that chromosomes don't determine our sex, so that can't be the reason she doesn't know hers.
December 24, 2025 at 6:45 PM
But they keep reminding us that chromosomes don't determine our sex, so that can't be the reason she doesn't know hers.
Anyway, it's Christmas Eve now so let's drop the topic since neither of us is persuading the other. Thanks for the conversation and I hope you have a good Christmas with friends & family.
December 24, 2025 at 9:50 AM
Anyway, it's Christmas Eve now so let's drop the topic since neither of us is persuading the other. Thanks for the conversation and I hope you have a good Christmas with friends & family.
The whole legs thing seems a bit pointless. Why not a single set of claws directly underneath? This might be a thing but I doubt very much that it's a Ukraine 'ambush drone'. More like a toy.
December 24, 2025 at 8:33 AM
The whole legs thing seems a bit pointless. Why not a single set of claws directly underneath? This might be a thing but I doubt very much that it's a Ukraine 'ambush drone'. More like a toy.