Merry Grav-Mass!

I am looking for people to help webmasters of various sites (not related to me or GNU) make simple but substantial changes in their web sites — for instance, to use the GNU Project's recommended terminology.

The Indian state of Goa is trying to require all merchants, even in the market, to accept digital payments.

Present-day digital payments for purchases disrespect the purchaser's freedom because they are not anonymous. When governments pressure people to identify themselves when they buy, we should not rely on their pressure to be defeated by natural resistance. We should push back, and hard.

That's why I don't use my bank card to buy anything but airline tickets.

The occupants of just one non-state-authorized Israeli colony in the West Bank face demolition of their houses, much as thousands of Palestinians have.

The inhabitants of Amona have a lot of warning, and won't have to pay for the demolition. They won't find it impossible to get a building permit anywhere else. And they, unlike most of those Palestinians, did something to deserve this -- stealing Palestinians' land.

Perhaps the US should convert its aid to Israel into purchase of the housing in these Israeli colonies, which it could then turn over to Palestinians.

Spikes and railings are increasingly used in the UK to deny the homeless any place they can sleep. When they do find a place, people are hired to spray them with hoses.

Loud music prevents sleeping in public space. Park benches are designed with bars so people can't sleep on them or under them. This suggests that one way to help the homeless would be to saw off those bars, or deactivate the speakers.

Government programs in the US are gradually reducing homelessness. Trump's spending cuts could put an end to that.