Shaun (he/ him)
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shmosknows.theatl.social.ap.brid.gy
Shaun (he/ him)
@shmosknows.theatl.social.ap.brid.gy
#Atlanta, GA 🍑 #CivicTech nerd 🤓 Wannabe organizer ✊🏽 No one's opinions besides my own 🤫 Also find me at @ShmosKnows

[bridged from https://theatl.social/@ShmosKnows on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/ ]
Reposted by Shaun (he/ him)
Even though I often describe the gilded life in Singapore, it is a deeply unequal society. In many ways, even more neoliberal and capitalist than where I live now.

There hasn’t been much public discussion about that, but this book was a start […]
Original post on hachyderm.io
hachyderm.io
December 20, 2025 at 4:34 AM
Reposted by Shaun (he/ him)
Breaking news

#marine
December 20, 2025 at 6:39 AM
Anyone else hear this picture saying “STOP! In the naaaame of love!” ?

No? Just me? 😅
https://mstdn.social/@ElleGray/113176947236913811
elle (@ElleGray@mstdn.social)
Attached: 1 image mayan figure from 1600 yrs ago, with accessories. earliest lego guy
mstdn.social
December 20, 2025 at 6:08 PM
December 20, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Watching football and… there’s ICE commercials for Atlanta law enforcement…

We’re not about to be authoritarian. We already are.
October 4, 2025 at 9:18 PM
I've been building my language on what I wish to see more of in my life. Rather, in society overall.

And I think I’m starting to find it in the #degrowth movement. A call to slow down, build intentionality, and focus on social well-being.

I'm excited to pick up a book on it, ruminate, and […]
Original post on theatl.social
theatl.social
September 25, 2025 at 3:22 PM
I think movies and stuff ruined us to think bribery and political scandals would be for millions of dollars

This one incident is the price of a new pickup truck 🛻 https://journa.host/@w7voa/115238854053618808
Steve Herman (@w7voa@journa.host)
MSNBC - In an undercover operation last year, the FBI recorded Tom Homan, now the White House border czar, accepting $50,000 in cash after indicating he could help win government contracts in a second Trump administration. https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/news/tom-homan-cash-contracts-trump-doj-investigation-rcna232568
journa.host
September 21, 2025 at 12:27 AM
The Atlanta Regional Commission has a brand new Public Participation Plan that is now OPEN for public comment! If you live and/or work within the 19-county Metropolitan Planning Area — we want to… | Atlanta Regional Commission
The Atlanta Regional Commission has a brand new Public Participation Plan that is now OPEN for public comment! If you live and/or work within the 19-county Metropolitan Planning Area — we want to hear from you. The plan provides a set of preferred tactics and related tools designed to improve public participation efforts in the Atlanta region. These include community presentations, surveys, open houses, advisory committees, focus groups, and partnerships with local governments and community-based organizations. The plan also suggests ARC explore innovative tools to reach members of the community, such as providing childcare at in-person meetings and collecting stories through video diaries and interviews. The public review and comment period runs through Oct. 18, 2025. Let us know your thoughts today! Link: https://bit.ly/4pii1cA
www.linkedin.com
September 12, 2025 at 1:11 AM
Reposted by Shaun (he/ him)
Mastodon non-monogamous folk, I have a question for y'all! What books do you know that have positive representations of triads and throuples in them? Looking for ones with a varieties of genders involved and also specifically MMM representations.

Please share your treasures (boosts appreciated […]
Original post on social.coop
social.coop
September 10, 2025 at 7:37 PM
The funny thing about America is the oppressors are so sensitive
September 11, 2025 at 3:15 PM
It is still a bad day to be a Miami Dolphins fan
September 7, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Reposted by Shaun (he/ him)
For a community org, what do you recommend as an alternative to a Zoom business plan? Some kind of jitsi-as-a-service host?

Probably have a couple dozen volunteer leaders who would need to host meetings. Can pay something, just not $15 per user per month or whatever it is Zoom demands.
September 7, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Anyone have recommendations on iOS apps that support Mastodon and Bluesky?

My dream is a single app to support both of my digital social existences
September 7, 2025 at 2:38 AM
Reposted by Shaun (he/ him)
Unpaid labour you are required to give your employer to keep your position is straight up exploitation. It’s very simple and should not be allowed under any circumstances. If a business or industry claims it just can’t make ends meet without exploiting its workers, then our answer should be the […]
Original post on mstdn.ca
mstdn.ca
August 16, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Reposted by Shaun (he/ him)
ChatGPT 5 power consumption could be as much as eight times higher than GPT 4

— Research institute estimates medium-sized GPT-5 response can consume up to 40 watt-hours of electricity […]
Original post on c.im
c.im
August 15, 2025 at 11:15 PM
So, I’ve been thinking about the macro economy and the behaviors it endorses.

Our (Western/ definitely US) economy is undoubtedly based on exploitation. One thing I’ve been thinking about is that the primary backbone of the economies shifted over time:
- barbaric kidnap and torture
- brutal […]
Original post on theatl.social
theatl.social
August 15, 2025 at 11:55 PM
Reposted by Shaun (he/ him)
"Specifically, let’s talk about the soul of tech. And yes, I know industries don’t have souls, but honestly, neither do people. What they do have—or lack—is an ethical core. A way they want to interact with the world and the people that they come in contact with. For example, not too long ago […]
Original post on hachyderm.io
hachyderm.io
August 14, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Hey y’all,

I’m excited to be hosting CityCamp Atlanta for @CivicTechAtlanta with amazing partners and volunteers!

Right now, we’re looking for donations to help cover the costs for coffee, artist compensation, and print materials.

If you can donate, any amount is greatly appreciated!
If you […]
Original post on theatl.social
theatl.social
August 14, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Atlanta ranks among the most dangerous U.S. cities for pedestrians. For those of us walking Atlanta’s streets every day, that statistic isn’t surprising. It’s personal. It’s lived. As someone who doesn’t own a car, I walk. A lot. I’m fortunate to live near the Atlanta BeltLine, a smooth, pleasant path designed with pedestrians in mind. But off the trail, it’s a different story: broken pavement, missing curb ramps and entire stretches with no sidewalk at all. Atlanta’s fragmented sidewalk network makes daily life harder and more dangerous for thousands of people. And according to Rebecca Serna, executive director of PropelATL, the system that governs sidewalk upkeep is as fractured as the infrastructure itself. “As far as the City of Atlanta, the property owner is responsible [for sidewalk maintenance],” Serna said. “So, to oversimplify a little bit, it would be the homeowner, the business owner. But it’s [responsibility] a little bit murky in areas like business districts or near railroads.” This model, a patchwork of individual responsibility for a public good, has produced one of the most inaccessible pedestrian environments in the country. “The whole City of Atlanta is basically a big ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act] violation,” Serna said. “If you use a wheelchair or a mobility device, or if your vision is impaired, it is so challenging to get around our city.” And it’s not just people with disabilities who suffer. Serna noted that children, older adults, and transit users are also hit hard. “There are a lot of bus stops where there isn’t a sidewalk that gives you access to that bus stop,” she said. “You see people on Browns Mill Road in southwest Atlanta walking in the street to get to a bus stop.” Browns Mill Road Streetview. (Google Maps.) A 2023 Bitter Southerner feature put it more bluntly: “Atlanta’s sidewalk policy and lack of accessibility, especially in its disinvested neighborhoods, has a long history.” The article highlighted how the city’s sidewalk failures particularly harm disabled residents, many of whom must navigate curbless crossings and crumbling pathways on their own. There have been efforts to address the issue. Serna referenced Moving Atlanta Forward, a city bond program adopted in 2022 that includes funds for sidewalk improvements. “There are great projects that have been identified… but the city wasn’t really rolling out those projects on a large scale yet,” Serna said. “Actually, building those projects has been going very, very slowly.” Why? According to Serna, the answer lies in capacity. “There are staffing shortages at the city and the Department of Transportation,” she said. “So, deadlines keep getting pushed back and back and back.” That delay is more than an inconvenience; it’s a matter of life and death. Many fatal pedestrian incidents occur near MARTA stops, where sidewalk and crossing infrastructure are inadequate or nonexistent. Still, Serna remains hopeful about the Atlanta Trail Plan, a comprehensive strategy for building walkable, bikeable infrastructure across the city, not just in the Beltline corridor. “If we built every trail in that plan, Atlanta would become a bicycle mecca overnight,” she said. “But it’s going to have a pretty big price tag.” It’s not just about cost. According to Serna, political will is a major factor. In wealthier neighborhoods, sidewalks were sometimes deliberately omitted. “Some of Atlanta’s very wealthy neighborhoods also lack sidewalks,” she said. “…because they didn’t necessarily want people walking in the community.” Meanwhile, formerly redlined neighborhoods still face chronic infrastructure neglect. “Those are communities that, because of structural racism, didn’t have access to funding to buy houses, and there was a lot of government disinvestment as a result,” she said. “To this day, a lot of those communities lack sidewalks.” Serna applauded the city’s attempt to use equity, safety and mobility scores to prioritize projects in disinvested areas. But she said recent decisions suggest a move toward “spreading things equally,” which risks reinforcing inequality. A 2018 Georgia Tech study provides a sharper view. Researchers mapped over 1,200 miles of sidewalk and found more than 1,900 defects across just four corridors. More than 70 percent of those were uneven surfaces. Of the 615 curb ramps surveyed, 82 percent failed ADA compliance. Estimated costs to address defects and missing infrastructure citywide could top $60 million annually. Even more striking, only 46 percent of potential sidewalk links were present, underscoring the scale of missing infrastructure. Serna said keeping homeowners responsible is not only inequitable, it’s also inefficient. “It’s really expensive to maintain a sidewalk,” she said. “It’s like asking people to fix the potholes if they’re in front of their house.” She also pointed to a state-level problem: Georgia does not require sidewalk maintenance on state routes. “They repave those state routes every few years,” Serna said. “I just saw this happen recently near me on Memorial (Drive), and they repaved on top of the pavement so much, the curb is basically gone.” So, what can residents do? “Get to know your local elected officials,” Serna said. “Let them know what matters to you. Talk about the need for sidewalks and how they affect you on a day-to-day basis.” Serna recognized Atlanta councilmembers like Jason Dozier, Matt Westmoreland and Antonio Lewis for walking the walk, literally. Dozier and his daughter were riding home on a bicycle after an Atlanta United game on July 15 when they were hit by a car — an example of the dangers pedestrians and cyclists face in Atlanta. “You can tell the ones who get it,” she said. “They actually are using this to get places, not just for a stunt or media piece.” One can learn a lot about a city by walking it. Atlanta is beautiful, dynamic and full of potential, but it’s also difficult, disconnected and often dangerous on foot. If we want a healthier, more equitable city, we need to stop treating sidewalks as second-class infrastructure. As Serna put it, “We know everyone does not want to drive…. But we still have the mindset that cars are the dominant mode, and anything that gets in the way of that is being in the way of progress.” ### _RELATED POSTS_
saportareport.com
August 1, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Reposted by Shaun (he/ him)
Bagpipes drowning out Trump as he’s speaking. Can we make this a thing everywhere he goes
July 28, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Reposted by Shaun (he/ him)
These are the bike racks at my local power company
July 28, 2025 at 7:47 PM