Thrilled to see coil style audio cables in the wild.
In my experience, they tend to be quite durable. 
Everyone is simultaneously privileged and marginalized.
The question is always how and to what degree.
It’s wasn’t so long ago that #Mastodon made up 90% of MAUs on the #Fediverse. Hell, it so dominated Fediverse usage that, for most people, Mastodon *was* the Fediverse.
But now Mastodon’s percentage of MAUs stands at 58%. And it’s probably lower because the second most popular Fediverse software distribution, #Misskey, doesn’t accurately report MAUs. So what happened?
I suspect four things:
1. Mastodon validated the concept of a Fediverse, which prompted more devs to build for #ActivityPub
2. As Big Social alienated their userbase, some of this userbase sought Fediverse alternatives. This is what drove popularity of #Lemmy and #Pixelfed.
3. #Bluesky became the default alternative to #Twitter instead of Mastodon
4. As Mastodon users became aware of a greater Fediverse, many migrated to other Fediverse software
Obviously, Mastodon is alive and kicking. It’s not going anywhere. Its continuing development is critical to the success of the Fediverse.
But at the same time, the success of Mastodon led to the success of other federated projects. And it works the other way around too. The success of other federated projects is also Mastodon’s success.
So really, lower MAUs for Mastodon is actually a giant win for the big pachyderm.
I revisited a lot of my old cassettes today and had a wild thought. The reason this stuff matters to me is because it’s an investment—not just a monetary one, though I did pay for these cassettes—but an investment in space and attention.
At some point, I invited this music into my home. It sits on a shelf. I look through the collection, open the cases, admire the artwork, read the lyrics. I take in the different colors and labels of the shells. This music tells a little story about who I am and what I value.
And it’s not just about owning them. I could just display them, but I don’t—because this music deserves to be played. It’s an investment in attention. I don’t just hear these songs; I listen to them. On cassette, no less. I can tell you about these artists, when and why these albums were made, what these songs mean.
Now, I’m not here to bash modern streaming services. I use them myself, quite a bit, to discover new music. There’s undeniable value in that. But something is missing in the streaming era: investment.
Most of the time, you hear a song, but you don’t know who made it or why. It goes in one ear and out the other, often just background noise to fill the silence or enhance a mood.
When I was a kid, music meant more. Musicians were serious artists. The music you listened to defined you—you belonged to a subculture shaped by it. And that was because music required investment. You bought it. It took up physical space in your home. You gave it real attention. No wonder so much art, fashion, and literature revolved around it.
That’s not to say this doesn’t exist today, but back then, we had watershed moments that changed culture itself. I remember punk, new wave, metal, grunge—these weren’t just genres; they were movements. We discussed them endlessly, dissecting every detail.
And here’s the other thing: music was resistance. Hip-hop and punk weren’t afraid to confront authority. They spoke about real issues. I have no doubt musicians today are making incredible art, but music’s cultural force has been diminished—because we no longer invest in it the way we used to.
And I think we’ve lost something because of that.
Specifically, this is the closest the world has ever come to gothic smooth jazz.
Currently listening to Echo & The Bunnymen on cassette tape.
Do you realize how awesome it is to hear Echo & The Bunnymen again on cassette tape—on a Walkman-like device no less?
This is such a good day.
It’s not “capitalism” to want the #Fediverse to grow and be a useful alternative to Zuckerberg and Musk-owned social networks.
But it’s certainly capitalism to allow Zuckerberg and Musk to grow their wealth unchallenged because they own the only large and useful social networks.
I don’t blame you Americans for not paying attention to these tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China. You certainly have a lot going on in your country.
But now that these tariffs are delayed by 30 days, understand this: you will feel unbelievable pain if these actually happen.
Millions of people will likely lose their jobs, and the price of everything will go up.
Man, having a good portable cassette player actually makes a big difference.
I have a big vinyl and CD collection, but the format I love the most is tape.
Tape—both reel-to-reel and cassette—will always be my favourite audio format.
About to crack this Lauffey album open! 
Every place has good and bad with it. Nostr is more amenable to development. But it also seems too focused on one particular thing.
You know what gets me?
People who complain about a possible firehose on the #Fediverse, then use #Bluesky to complain about it.
You don’t get to decide what does or does not get made with an open protocol.
If what you want is some authoritarian deciding what does or do not get made, go use #Twitter
Whoops! I guess we all know what happened with Twitter!
The Fediverse HOA strikes again!
A great community project was shut down because a bunch of assholes can’t stand something new on “their” Fedi.
Here’s my question: where is this outcry when #OpenAI, #Microsoft, and #Google index our posts?
It’s okay when Big Tech does this, but how dare someone make a fun little hobby service!
Wait. So Trump wants the US government to own #TikTok?
When I was a kid, we used to call this “communism.”
Thanks! I genuinely appreciate the attempt at zaps! It’s the thought that counts.
Never seen that before. That looks genuinely awesome!
Oh my God! This is a beautiful device!
And the feel of the brushed metal is incredible! 
Look what I just got!
A FiiO CP13!
A new portable cassette player! 
Look who’s also benefiting from Trump’s tariffs!
China is now getting cheap oil from Canada.
I’m sure that’s what Americans want, right?