2026-06-03T16:49:19Z https://njump.me Jack William Bell https://njump.me/npub1m2aasn8nezcn703wmfyw7jaj8kar648tz378wjs87yvev3mt6dysjfd6j7 https://cdn.masto.host/rustedneuroncom/accounts/avatars/000/000/001/original/6297d4b50771d4b7.png https://cdn.masto.host/rustedneuroncom/accounts/avatars/000/000/001/original/6297d4b50771d4b7.png https://njump.me/nevent1qqsyclqt0htgtel9mu7znc996vwez5l23ntrcht9js059mqgdrs8lmczyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jwrn8fl In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsgscaksnskq3yhahqy90j4hrgt7en7rzf3heq523h0cchfsqetzagtk7unm'>nevent1q…7unm</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>You are thinking of Crassus. AKA &#39;the richest man in Rome&#39;.<br/><br/>&gt; <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Licinius_Crassus">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Licinius_Crassus</a><br/><br/>Crassus was a property speculator who also operated a fire brigade. They would assemble at the location of a fire and then let the property burn until the property owner sold the property to Crassus at a bargain price – which got lower every second the fire burned. 2026-02-09T16:53:38Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqswxpw8fzymu9gxgm9sf0xgcafhzcu85h6mnmkehxlax8q8sdhrfjczyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5j6xgt63 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs9r2d2jk99dfta580w8r996c44fyzuk6r37zrdke9zm0m5x0mu75cgmvr4r'>nevent1q…vr4r</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Arguably that&#39;s the fault of the teacher and/or the teaching method.<br/><br/>The best writing teacher I ever had never used the word &#39;participle&#39;. He started out by saying, &#34;This isn&#39;t an English class.&#34;<br/><br/>Instead we were taught to compare our own writing to good examples and to work on flow using various techniques for the best use of punctuation. He had us participate in critique sessions where we fixed our own writing and read aloud.<br/><br/>It was a *business writing* class. 2026-01-07T17:58:55Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsql6gsze9yuuws0j3ccclrtal9w6ql3hxvn3xwkckej4av2h50rnszyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jhrmh66 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsxhkq4xjakz2pqaeeml4q6s3dja48667vulkfc7uemqq48zccz39guwumzu'>nevent1q…umzu</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>He came back three days later and apologized.<br/><br/>[fin] 2026-01-06T20:07:02Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsxhkq4xjakz2pqaeeml4q6s3dja48667vulkfc7uemqq48zccz39gzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jkk2uyq In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsyjpgxk5ppmhkc7ahx7snknjvsmtfv3g3fcusle4ggqvaj79h4ljqcr79lx'>nevent1q…79lx</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>He would modify that huge mass of code minimally for each new program. The thing is? He didn&#39;t remove the dead code and it had zero comments. He knew where everything was; he knew what parts of it he was using. We didn&#39;t.<br/><br/>So one day my supervisor comes to me and complains because I&#39;ve taken longer to fix one of those programs than it took to write and I try to explain what I said above. My supervisor cuts me off and says, &#34;Stop working on this. I&#39;ll fix it myself.&#34;<br/><br/>[contd] 2026-01-06T20:06:50Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsyjpgxk5ppmhkc7ahx7snknjvsmtfv3g3fcusle4ggqvaj79h4ljqzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jm9jmsa In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqstkf3g2k0yt7u8ytdcm7pxuej86cdaa7vh5ew3mrqgchnr4ekkd6c5xpldv'>nevent1q…pldv</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Got time for a story? This comes from the mid 1980&#39;s when I was toiling in the COBOL mines.<br/><br/>There was this contractor working in the same shop we called the &#39;Garbage Can Coder&#39;. The boss loved him because he was easily ten times as fast as anyone else there. But we all hated maintaining his code because of the way he achieved that speed: he had a single file that did nearly everything, which he started every program from. We called that file his &#39;garbage can&#39;.<br/><br/>[contd] 2026-01-06T20:06:20Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs8qfy4stdk2ghqdjxxusxsvxkklvuuvhszcw0grgm3pn49mrq077gzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jrhkmhk In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsytupk7x230wlq6e7vlx25kleqcst8xsfhaemqp8a8z6drvmw3lwcxptvxx'>nevent1q…tvxx</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Conga-rats! <br/><br/>Is it on the NYT Best Seller list yet? If not, I hope it will be. 2026-01-05T18:58:13Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs84yajrllxp2qxy2k5f4a5lkahkn8tyqttz2zcl8c48ah87txkr4qzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5juz4xss In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs05rvng4vw2gm42xp2lf3asqddl6yld5ny8wksrkh0xn067uutekgcgn6qv'>nevent1q…n6qv</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>The fundamental difference here is the fact AI services are currently being subsidized – the price of those services is less than the cost of delivering them. This is not the same as the case of more transistors on a chip.<br/><br/>Which leaves an open question: Is the cost of delivering AI services going down? Or is the degree of subsidization going up? (Or some combination of the two.) This is difficult to determine at this point, but anything which cannot continue forever will stop. 2025-12-26T22:36:08Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsf8jq6f2l0t7elg758rsnhh99qgu5whj0vz3ttdur0t49mu0z6h3czyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jz0r587 Maybe it&#39;s just me, but if I need to create an account on your online newspaper to read a &#39;free gift article&#39;, I firmly believe said &#39;free gift article&#39; isn&#39;t actually &#39;free&#39;.<br/><br/>You see &#39;Free&#39; can mean &#39;without payment&#39; and it can mean &#39;unencumbered&#39; and I would argue this &#39;free gift article&#39; fails both of those meanings: The case for the latter assertion seems obvious, but for the former let me point out your personal information has value – otherwise they wouldn&#39;t care.<br/><br/>#privacy #WTF 2025-12-21T20:17:15Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsfz32td7p7ydv55nfaj2j9flhnkzpsgw0762u985ds8l8936u9fkszyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5j020xxe Here&#39;s a, very apropos for the moment, question for the lawyerly types here on the Fedi: Is a non-disclosure agreement legal and binding if the thing you agree not to disclose is a crime?<br/><br/>Or, to be more clear, can any of #Epstein&#39;s victims who were paid to sign non-disclosure agreements be sued for speaking out now about whatever happened to them?<br/><br/>Because, if yes, perhaps we need to start a defense fund for these women in order to encourage them…<br/><br/>#LegalQuestion #EpsteinFiles 2025-12-20T03:53:50Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsx3xv7gftefhyu6af5xkt5vgwec922mxeglwhyjzcvdcms9kpycpgzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5j92jw8f In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqszp32hghfrk3r0q3vqfuadqgh5ve0vf440340m4sxkgm0sxjgz4ncfu6vaq'>nevent1q…6vaq</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Assuming this is both scalable and at least as efficient as current technology, this is a really big deal.<br/><br/>And it&#39;s also proof the USA is no longer at the front of the technology wave – all because we&#39;ve deliberately withheld funding from renewables research. Our leaders are such fucking idiots.<br/><br/>ETA: Here&#39;s a non-paywalled article:<br/><br/>&gt; <a href="https://interestingengineering.com/energy/china-heat-pump-turns-sunlight-into-heat">https://interestingengineering.com/energy/china-heat-pump-turns-sunlight-into-heat</a> 2025-12-19T23:13:38Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs2wh962r52vssv9v98vnlewrgl58c0qpe4q0aepexlaryvdtmqx0szyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jkefdrg Ganked here because the OP I found it on doesn&#39;t believe in spending two minutes to add alt-text so I would boost it. But I think you guys deserve to see it anyway.<br/><br/>#AI #stupid #WTF<br/> <img src="https://cdn.masto.host/rustedneuroncom/media_attachments/files/115/737/938/164/227/883/original/735d712c610efadc.png"> <br/> 2025-12-18T01:22:19Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqstelckhzt0mj7wsan2ry5samcxf3vvy7xgghf5wwhtzfpwmj266cgzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jf50shp In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsd8f4wp7c3wa5jxjxnmln0yljueyd2jqdm3e6z9t04y3hk2lu5c8s82nsu9'>nevent1q…nsu9</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Try having a Siberian Husky. Everything I own is coated with white fur and, unless I clean constantly, there are drifts of it around every edge in the house. 2025-12-16T20:19:23Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs9knx9dnggz4vwp6sdkvuc7fyyjlhz4txs4xg2efp42957jngdtcczyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jgqnj6e In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsvxmzfzekm56yfme8ujvl4gxfl5vvl6t4xrhhlfu6lh00trxrddxqyzuuft'>nevent1q…uuft</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>We never found the father&#39;s body. Some theorized it had washed all the way out to the Columbia, but there was no trace then or since.<br/><br/>Three people dead and one traumatized for life. All because one man thought he could drive over a road covered by a mere six inches of water.<br/><br/>Why am I telling you this story?<br/><br/>Again: DO NOT DRIVE ON FLOODED ROADS.<br/><br/>[fin] 2025-12-15T21:47:16Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsvxmzfzekm56yfme8ujvl4gxfl5vvl6t4xrhhlfu6lh00trxrddxqzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jylv0pl In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs2uqemdc97j7n5s28lttwzxm7xptvedf3j9ctahlxewpm60dnpqcspethfy'>nevent1q…thfy</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>When the professional crew got there they decided I and my partner needed to retrieve the body, being as we were the ones who found him. (Really because they didn&#39;t want to go into that cold water.) So we put on harnesses roped to trees on the bank and waded out.<br/><br/>I&#39;ll spare you further details of extricating him from the tree, except the odd one that his skin had turned blue from the cold. About the same color as his faded jeans.<br/><br/>It was the first time I ever touched a dead body.<br/><br/>[contd] 2025-12-15T21:44:50Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs2uqemdc97j7n5s28lttwzxm7xptvedf3j9ctahlxewpm60dnpqcszyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jn2v9qh In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs9qjupq73sxpvu7dps0q5yfwfx2njkrjakjrqdu92m0l3gfx2ujlg6x6hxh'>nevent1q…6hxh</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>There was no sign of the father or the family friend riding with them. Thus I and the other second-tier volunteers got phone calls and ended up working the river banks on both sides downstream of the accident.<br/><br/>I and my partner (we worked in groups of two) found the neighbor. We almost missed him; he had ended up hugging a tree and then lots of other flotsam and jetsam had wrapped around him, nearly hiding him from view. He was a good five miles from the accident.<br/><br/>And he was dead.<br/><br/>[contd] 2025-12-15T21:41:39Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs9qjupq73sxpvu7dps0q5yfwfx2njkrjakjrqdu92m0l3gfx2ujlgzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jcx44t2 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqswn5ynvgx287z52wgwu5qpr7w2pnflzh0hlr6etzjtaek8y8rty8qegsfne'>nevent1q…sfne</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Turns out the middle, the part over the island, had washed out. The county knew about it and they put down some cones to dissuade people from crossing. But the father of that family knew better.<br/><br/>The car ended up a quarter mile downstream. The father got his daughter out and to shore, then went back for his wife. The daughter walked, freezing and crying to the nearest house and called emergency services.<br/><br/>When first responders got there they found the mother still in the car, drowned.<br/><br/>[contd] 2025-12-15T21:38:51Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqswn5ynvgx287z52wgwu5qpr7w2pnflzh0hlr6etzjtaek8y8rty8qzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jkj93ek In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsqkh377jfq0uvn74pvsf7q53tpytj7y3x5rayglug5tes5uuptz9c640p5a'>nevent1q…0p5a</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Turns out a local family, people I knew – father, mother, daughter and a neighbor – had decided to drive to town that day.<br/><br/>Just north of where I lived there was what we called the &#39;twin bridges&#39; where a bridge crossed the Klickitat river to a small island and then continued on to the other side. The river was so high at that point there was about six inches of water over the roadway.<br/><br/>Safe to cross? Hardly…<br/><br/>[contd] 2025-12-15T21:36:07Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsqkh377jfq0uvn74pvsf7q53tpytj7y3x5rayglug5tes5uuptz9czyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jv8q2aw In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsyq0ltlerxszxzr7e53smqfnnwnf3x7u3pjyl9e54s3m24lxz2ccskpjwlt'>nevent1q…jwlt</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>And, about that &#39;driving over flooded roads&#39;…<br/><br/>Way back in 1981 (IIRC) there was major flooding on the Klickitat river on Christmas day. I was actually living near the river at the time and, though the water came nearly up to the house we had no other problems.<br/><br/>At the time I was a lay member of the local fire department. Called out only when they needed extra hands, but not given much in the way of training. The day after Christmas I was called out for a &#39;Search and Rescue&#39; mission.<br/><br/>[contd] 2025-12-15T21:32:37Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsyq0ltlerxszxzr7e53smqfnnwnf3x7u3pjyl9e54s3m24lxz2ccszyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5j4mnfge As the rain returns and the rivers begin to rise again (or rise further, given some have gone down little if at all) one concern is road closures due to mudslides, washouts, and water over roads.<br/><br/>Folks, avoid travel if you can. If you can&#39;t, plan ahead and DO NOT DRIVE OVER FLOODED ROADWAYS!<br/><br/>Don&#39;t be a statistic.<br/><br/>&gt; Skagit County: <a href="https://skagitcounty.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/atlas/index.html?appid=f8b09048f89c4762b65b4d7fa0615b02&amp;webmap=8dfa486c6e1045f7829555c5b6bc7f72">https://skagitcounty.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/atlas/index.html?appid=f8b09048f89c4762b65b4d7fa0615b02&amp;webmap=8dfa486c6e1045f7829555c5b6bc7f72</a><br/><br/>&gt; Snohomish County: <a href="https://snoco-gis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=15578784822345459c008d66ed1253ab">https://snoco-gis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=15578784822345459c008d66ed1253ab</a><br/><br/>&gt; King County: <a href="https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/local-services/transit-transportation-roads/roads-and-bridges/road-closures">https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/local-services/transit-transportation-roads/roads-and-bridges/road-closures</a><br/><br/>&gt; Pierce County: <a href="https://www.piercecountywa.gov/4906/Pierce-County-Road-Alerts">https://www.piercecountywa.gov/4906/Pierce-County-Road-Alerts</a><br/><br/>#PNW #floods 2025-12-15T21:24:20Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsf5s57fy3maf8we7zp0va5c782gkkrenzese6vwmud249samqvqaczyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jws7vwj In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs8m6xc0hvnm95j44wd0kg5elnpzld49jdpha37e3y7yuuclm2zgdc93g7x3'>nevent1q…g7x3</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>&gt; &#34;I&#39;ve heard before about Cory&#39;s book…&#34;<br/><br/>&#39;Enshittification&#39; has definitely struck the zeitgeist dead center. But you could do far worse than reading some of his fiction too. 2025-12-12T23:03:51Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs8tcxqz95dveq75zy0czjyy0ec5zl0danvt4l3eamaej23mcvrq5qzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jf8ses0 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsd7rqret0sxtksua4ppej737pp7mgs24krfd6tpkm55uf97avgafqskqjn2'>nevent1q…qjn2</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Dude! I don&#39;t think ANYONE on the Fedi has missed anything Cory has done in the last few years. He&#39;s like everywhere here now. 2025-12-12T22:34:57Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsd5h5nn4crn7gtw5lg3t6ewz7jt66dgxc2wjjjc9p4fl4vynw2nagzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jw46mpj In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsw43uzjzdnd2vc7036xn5dhfggvn6xeypzkxm5kqyhym3u4elueaqcn68a4'>nevent1q…68a4</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>RE flooding on the Sauk: I haven&#39;t gone to check, although I can hear it roaring in the distance when I go outside – so I know it&#39;s definitely up a bit.<br/><br/>One thing you learn up here is to stick close to home during emergencies. Most people killed or injured in these events are out rubbernecking or else refusing to let little things like water over the road stop them from doing what they normally do.<br/><br/>I do plan to check today. Will update my feed later, maybe with pictures. 2025-12-12T20:18:19Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs95mf6eq9k6m2nx8k5wesllhueeynezku9pzt3c9xfmpfn6ln2ghqzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jq3ltvz In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsqup0h6fmajxha9xz29rg67f3m2rkelfpjqdqslvvn7awzrqzhy9s3m42la'>nevent1q…42la</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Rockport State Park has two trails which are good for people who don&#39;t hike a lot. One is a bit more strenuous than the other, but just a bit. And the other is wheelchair accessible.<br/><br/>&gt; <a href="https://parks.wa.gov/find-parks/state-parks/rockport-state-park">https://parks.wa.gov/find-parks/state-parks/rockport-state-park</a><br/><br/>And, if you *are* up for a hike that makes you work? Just a little west of the park entrance is the Sauk Mountain trail.<br/><br/>&gt; <a href="https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/sauk-mountain">https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/sauk-mountain</a><br/><br/>Yes, the trailhead is quite high up so you don&#39;t have to climb the whole mountain. But it&#39;s just off vertical from there… 2025-12-12T20:12:50Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsqup0h6fmajxha9xz29rg67f3m2rkelfpjqdqslvvn7awzrqzhy9szyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jdzhrny In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsw43uzjzdnd2vc7036xn5dhfggvn6xeypzkxm5kqyhym3u4elueaqcn68a4'>nevent1q…68a4</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Well, when you live within a ten or twenty minute drive of more than fifty trailheads you gotta try them all! It&#39;s like a rule.<br/><br/>And the &#39;Old Sauk&#39; trail is a favorite of mine for taking along visiting folk who don&#39;t normally hike much, since it doesn&#39;t have elevation gain worth mentioning, but you still get to see old growth forest and, well, the river. 2025-12-12T20:05:36Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsdcp0dfvyya6960r8nztnnwfyf2u2dgzcfp5kkr52uk8yx4u5t4sqzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jwwl4fc In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsx9xsjsc2u5rktqlmz6ddw002sl767hwcmlctfjmr0rha8p9yckwq0mul5a'>nevent1q…ul5a</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I live in the Sauk valley. (Not next to the river and safe from floods.) That picture looks to me like the upper Sauk south of Darrington. 2025-12-12T19:43:12Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs28k24n7aqwhthp0khmwq529ts8y0hvjmlgyp9gwv0arzqdg2z6gqzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5j3vta0v Oh, crap. The last time that record was broke was a legitimate disaster.<br/><br/>&gt; Major floods sweep Western WA; Skagit River set to shatter record. <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/weather/major-floods-sweep-western-wa-skagit-river-set-to-shatter-record/">https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/weather/major-floods-sweep-western-wa-skagit-river-set-to-shatter-record/</a><br/><br/>And it&#39;s not just the Skagit (which is close to me, but not a concern for my location). We&#39;re talking pretty much every major river draining into the Puget Sound north of Rainier.<br/><br/>There&#39;s a small chance I could be cut off here if bridges fail both ways. But others have it far worse.<br/><br/>#PNW #flood #weather 2025-12-10T05:19:24Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsw5wrlw54v8en7p2trwn0tlltnynvndx0uvzp6sxfhgaq0xdzat6czyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5j8ajrys In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsffyeu7vwpkxye207vflmfra2twuntarfzmx8k8vp6k6rfmasntqcf8lyhk'>nevent1q…lyhk</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>A very sneaky way to color the news is to not ask questions you don&#39;t want answers to.<br/><br/>Of course, incompetence is always on the table as well. 2025-12-05T00:06:40Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsyxpfephj9j66hdqchq8ysvycmmhedayf08szvnyys0aqxgrufjcszyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jj6j2e2 Reading political opinion columns today feels like watching people awakening, in real time, to the truth the rich and powerful are mostly a cohort of rather dull and incompetent sociopaths winging everything and not the strategic supermen those opinion writers had supposed them to be.<br/><br/>And yet you would think anyone in the position to write political opinion columns would already know that.<br/><br/>#news #politics #uspol 2025-11-17T21:34:23Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsvy3590dyt3a53qujf60ss5xv9mn629yrsdh2ap47lkg7pqrkgr4czyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5j4furx5 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsyzg3p9nek5dswjh5jq7le02ecglceqgczkd5pv7sudmd46r6q2lg6dks82'>nevent1q…ks82</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I liked this explanation of the Paradox of Tolerance so much I saved it to trot out at times like this:<br/> <img src="https://cdn.masto.host/rustedneuroncom/media_attachments/files/115/549/680/002/353/715/original/461502ad311e38b2.jpg"> <br/> 2025-11-14T19:25:49Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqszjswxt259qypqcuq60stkn640v9sczzpp7hl42aej676pyyq3tzqzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jclhwm2 This headline should start with the word, &#39;Some&#39;:<br/><br/>&gt; Scientists Shocked as Antarctic Glacier Collapses in Record Time. <a href="https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-shocked-as-antarctic-glacier-collapses-in-record-time/">https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-shocked-as-antarctic-glacier-collapses-in-record-time/</a><br/><br/>Where &#39;Some&#39; means: &#34;Those scientists incentivized to deny or play down #GlobalWarming and #ClimateChange.&#34;<br/><br/>#science #news 2025-11-07T19:18:30Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsx2karhxrg9zreugqafgyau5ghqpyulmtufnj6cdzyk9az0kumf9szyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jcf7ut3 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqstwe5kjrwmsupxzc76zqgewgsnsl32gct4hhlqpmhxpr2j9p0g82crjcean'>nevent1q…cean</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Pretty much, except (in my experience) most of them are *racist* 12 year old boys. 2025-11-05T21:29:05Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsz84axe3y5a75qvtre0gyjnc6jh8a92r0schslnhjqcucae87xk6szyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jydkynd In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsx9a4sd06mnchkekcgp70anydaqnw7c8nd3dz33yqffwks5ey9rxgdp9h63'>nevent1q…9h63</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Politics in the USA is historically shifted one to the right from *everyone* else. What you call Center Right we call Liberal. What you call Liberal we call Socialist. What you call Socialist we call Communist.<br/><br/>Moreover, most USAsians have no clue about the Tankies and equate Anarchism with chaos.<br/><br/>Plus? We have &#39;Libertarians&#39; who reject non-violence and non-coercion and use their Liberarianism to justify classism and racism. It&#39;s crazy. 2025-11-05T21:22:10Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsq7ypc5dlz78dcxf59dlqxhe7ud5kwf0czp6r230k630x37ulcm7czyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5j0577lu In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsf83n3efu5pa59v0j4gkqdwr56aduwz5dqscwnmf88867agg3t9mq0wwyp5'>nevent1q…wyp5</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Not all people have kids because they want them, you know.<br/><br/>And do not discount the power of total ignorance, for it lies behind so many of the things people do the rest of us find baffling. 2025-11-03T19:34:18Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqspdqvt32pafqdly0c3uvds5a7e38uzdurhgmpt4swf3nam8apnnrqzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5j2e3hu7 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsw72fecakgy63svyc7y352a24rwzzn8et6hryrk2hg3tugtrkkqscnnn7ya'>nevent1q…n7ya</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Probably not, but I&#39;ve been in European art museums which allowed photography, but had rules against using a flash or a tripod. Not sure why, unless they knew you could never take a really good picture hand-held in that low light and that was their goal?<br/><br/>I was using a monopod in one and they told that counted as a tripod. I actually won that argument somehow, even though I only had one leg to stand on! 2025-10-28T00:31:48Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs2yg5zulgz39hs89enfam9ry2un2985gclp253rg5l4zumv3fusrczyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jhhnk6l In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsw8trag9ck222k89vhpkv5fkzw86hdzlp5jd9eakzevzaca3wmzkgp5n8hy'>nevent1q…n8hy</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>2. Consumer spending: Consumer debt is at an all-time high and price increases from tariffs are finally happening as importers and US manufacturers dependent on imported materials can no longer absorb the extra costs; the spending boom *might* last through Christmas, but it is unsustainable<br/><br/>3. For the first time in more than 80 years the USA is losing its edge as an arms exporter; recent moves by the Administration have caused our biggest customers to start looking elsewhere<br/><br/>[contd] 2025-09-27T19:59:59Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsw8trag9ck222k89vhpkv5fkzw86hdzlp5jd9eakzevzaca3wmzkgzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5j0n6z4l The USA #economy has so far avoided a recession, despite earlier warnings. Reasons why include continued robust consumer spending and the #AI #bubble.<br/><br/>But, and you knew I&#39;d have a &#39;but&#39; right? But, we are approaching a point where several of these factors could collapse close to each other:<br/><br/>1. Farming: Immigration restrictions affecting labor availability and tariff wars cutting off entire markets; it comes to a head with the fall harvests<br/><br/>[contd]<br/><br/>#economics 2025-09-27T19:55:54Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsvp3mjh4zk3tjcq2u250dgwne4xqlquk4qkl6j2sct0yslugvx2yszyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jh3e5h6 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsgqxakeetuj8xt2y02m38qpptv8hf768n02ghkza9cjqfjyrl46asepy2jf'>nevent1q…y2jf</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Ever notice how titles asking a question, especially one putting a person or organization in a bad light, are *never* followed by articles answering that question in the affirmative?<br/><br/>As a general rule you can skip all blog posts and articles with titles ending in a question mark and never actually miss anything you needed to know. 2025-09-27T18:23:11Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsx6yvytmexpkyrx2ak3ldjvf966us8m07qdav89ejeewxgrdc6qtgzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jc6u222 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsquu38n699hrsjvsjjjs2hd324v2svca84wsxckmq932t8etmjnxcm2tpyr'>nevent1q…tpyr</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>&gt; I don&#39;t recall seeing a single attempt at being An Influencer here.<br/><br/>I&#39;ve seen several now, including a couple who have had some success. (Sorry, not gonna point fingers.) But, as you say, this isn&#39;t the most fertile field for that kind of thing.<br/><br/>And that&#39;s just *one* reason why I love the Fedi. Follower count isn&#39;t everything people. 2025-09-27T18:19:53Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqswetnvm6zwm3jlrgj9fv47h4u33sc6ufcaddv74vpalgdxq2s48xgzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jdx9mdn The pressure worked. Sinclair blinked.<br/><br/>&gt; Sinclair-owned ABC stations will bring ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ back to air Friday. <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/26/sinclair-abc-jimmy-kimmel.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/26/sinclair-abc-jimmy-kimmel.html</a><br/><br/>#politics #uspol #news #JimmyKimmel 2025-09-26T19:03:47Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsdeh3cva83esjkzfv5zdfgrae9htyn3yt4e82t09awxshqv2rn8sgzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jvnfz74 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsq2lv5cph3d9l4myxt8yhfw5yjc6zl9erlmps8juacvul3edg8rtqk4uwmr'>nevent1q…uwmr</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>The greatest trick the Republican Party ever pulled is convincing nearly everyone, including many Democratic Party members, that the Democratic Party is left-liberal and aligned with Marxism. 2025-09-26T18:38:52Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsq2lv5cph3d9l4myxt8yhfw5yjc6zl9erlmps8juacvul3edg8rtqzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jklpk99 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsq5msvmnql68ch9e8r5axd68mcy9u3jymunettn8rnsucllwpu2qg7kr75g'>nevent1q…r75g</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>FWIW? The ACA was modeled after a Republican proposal and was a giveaway to the medical insurance companies, not a true socialized medicine program.<br/><br/>The fact Republican&#39;s pretended to fight it at the time and continued to complain endlessly and bitterly about it since was – and remains – posturing. <br/><br/>Stop thinking of the Democratic Party as liberals. They are Center-Right and get the liberal vote only because their opposition are worse. 2025-09-26T18:36:37Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqstrjgdgs59sk3cu9s0ak29dqyur6lkvkfnz99qmn49ksvsa4m2spszyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jvv2gay Are you decrying your bad luck? Consider … If the many universes interpretation of quantum physics is true, then we are all on the &#39;lucky path&#39; where we survived – as opposed to the innumerable &#39;unlucky paths&#39; where some misstep killed us (or the even greater infinity of universes where we never existed at all).<br/><br/>[contd]<br/><br/>#philosophy #HumanCondition 2025-09-25T20:21:43Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs8vzxs6x2xnlact392pyddejhwd6x7p97r4923gtta3jkqmq5u5rqzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jhmhmww In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsyz7dunmh2zvxs80wr60e0hm9ymtrjmc2rg8jerqpuhtjdn8lzw8she5zg8'>nevent1q…5zg8</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I think you misunderstand how this works. The link preview is NOT SENT with the message body. Each Mastodon server lazy loads the link preview locally instead, when the message is viewed by someone. (I think it&#39;s cached after that, but I do not know that for certain.)<br/><br/>And not all Fedi servers support link previews. It&#39;s not part of the ActivityPub spec. So this means someone using one of those servers will never see one. (Mastodon != Fedi)<br/><br/>Please ALWAYS include the headline. 2025-09-24T18:27:30Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsf6eq902xmhwa7wlvu8lrvf94q0q55dkp84a8lx5gywfqhk73ud4qzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5j7yhlw8 A couple of weeks ago I was bitching because the metal tubing frame of my fifteen year old composter was rusting through. Replies suggested I make a new frame, which I was already thinking about.<br/><br/>Today I did it. Actually it took me a couple of days to get the thing apart, given how badly it had rusted out. Building the new frame was actually easier!<br/><br/>In any case it&#39;s done, it&#39;s sturdy, and the solid steel rod won&#39;t rust out anytime soon. Really? It&#39;s better than when it was new!<br/><br/>#gardening<br/> <img src="https://cdn.masto.host/rustedneuroncom/media_attachments/files/115/250/457/415/895/201/original/c1a978a5a67fcc4a.jpeg"> <br/> <img src="https://cdn.masto.host/rustedneuroncom/media_attachments/files/115/250/442/756/501/790/original/b9b442c918e2f28a.jpg"> <br/> <img src="https://cdn.masto.host/rustedneuroncom/media_attachments/files/115/250/463/050/686/803/original/0026f39e2a2e18fa.jpeg"> <br/> 2025-09-22T23:17:03Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs9schczza4dp5vuw8xlj2l0rkvklrtcdgeax6u3nff3gvn7tvg75szyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jhs8274 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsq8ly3z8pkd7lx6t2huau62p25p4xnp8dxjr9e2st527736nxf3xgpmgs9e'>nevent1q…gs9e</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I often do not know if a link is paywalled, especially since it might be a &#39;gift link&#39;. <br/><br/>As a result I find a response informing me helpful, since, unless I really care about the article, I&#39;m not going to bother trying to find some other way of reading it. Meaning, that one word response has just saved me some time and a small amount of irritation.<br/><br/>What I&#39;m saying is, that response isn&#39;t for *you*. It&#39;s for *me* and those like me. They are not whining, they are being helpful. 2025-09-21T16:48:41Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs2a4p93xunqcec6js648z500u0l32uyhpu6crnkk83fuxp39qscqszyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jt3fgsf In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsqga0mt7f9t77v22eg9lrv7ke4q0tlparm3xjpfmv9cccrsr66w8s3l3fyw'>nevent1q…3fyw</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Exactly. IMHO this is how you do it!<br/><br/>They describe the base principles as:<br/><br/>- For small utility functions we almost always re-implement them in our code.<br/><br/>- For medium modules we fork them and keep them inside our codebase if the licenses allows it.<br/><br/>- For large libraries … we include known-good, version-locked files and only upgrade occasionally, or when security fixes land. We read release notes, look at upstream changes, and test thoroughly before switching. 2025-09-20T16:34:29Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsqz265dce87aegzcdm0ac937eu9xwy5kgchg9ea9h9rvxqen72u7gzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5j3da80r In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsyngxsecx5cf55ay7v8un0zywr5kg5un0tzp45xecujz9rcxt064gjw4qkf'>nevent1q…4qkf</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>&gt; &#34;… putin supports fascists too.<br/>The more discord, the more russia benefits.&#34;<br/><br/>Well, I&#39;m no fan of the Democratic Party either. Their saving grace? They are both *not Republicans* and *more competent than Republicans*. Their biggest problem? They might as well *be Republicans*, in terms of catering to the rich.<br/><br/>But maybe that whole &#39;more competent than Republicans&#39; thing is why Putin is targeting them? 2025-09-19T23:55:51Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsfk64xcz0e9wuy5nqhxvsw37c8st3rkd2q5uqfm3rmrzq0cf3wq8gzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5j8avc94 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqspurelj6dfgyrv3q7hg03wyj65a4n6n8a4jzlex8t8yvpmfe0fpwsjnz8lu'>nevent1q…z8lu</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Genuinely curious: Are the UK Greens a real party, with all that entails, and with a genuine intent to gain seats and push policy?<br/><br/>Because the US version seems to be some kind of Kremlin front, which exists only to drain as many extreme left votes as possible from the Democratic Party during Presidential elections. And the US Green leadership parrots Russian propaganda all the time.<br/><br/>Which is weird, because Russia isn&#39;t a Socialist country anymore… 2025-09-19T23:49:59Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsf9edjc4046akqyag0ztzhnfey509fdplass0365s806fm5v74ypczyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5j24usv9 This &#39;living in interesting times&#39; thing sucks big time. <br/><br/>We tend to forget how good we had it in the mid 1980s through the 1990s. I mean, things happened then and much of what is happening today was in embryo. But at the time it didn&#39;t feel like the Collapse of the Roman Empire being re-enacted by the stupidest and worst people.<br/><br/>#history #news #WTF 2025-09-13T02:32:42Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsfg9cqry66pjmw5yw9gpe5cum6dzs6vpalan8ftlftvxkx36laevszyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jtlqj44 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs00fg0qywfnpfn69fc9rs50h6p8dtvl7hxe0gp9sxue08a5rr62tqflah8w'>nevent1q…ah8w</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Some relevant Machiavelli quotes:<br/><br/>&gt; “He who becomes a Prince through the favor of the people should always keep on good terms with them; which it is easy for him to do, since all they ask is not to be oppressed.”<br/><br/>&gt; “He who is highly esteemed is not easily conspired against;”<br/><br/>&gt; “Therefore the best fortress is to be found in the love of the people, for although you may have fortresses they will not save you if you are hated by the people.”<br/><br/>And my favorite… 2025-09-05T17:51:44Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs035gej30cd2fzq7fa9mqgvh5zmmfflm0pj6tatuywpugj96068aczyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jad3yug In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs888qeatfpxrzm4ksfdqhl79xh0l38tuy6favkyh6v4htag3wsfcsh3p4jy'>nevent1q…p4jy</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Now, I could be completely off base – I HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK and I acknowledge that.<br/><br/>If you have read the book, can you tell me how the solar dimming works, in a way that is, &#34;… logical, credible and rigorous in its use of current scientific and technical knowledge?&#34;<br/><br/>Maybe Weir actually came up with something. But, again, I&#39;m not the only one complaining and that&#39;s not all being complained about.<br/><br/>&gt; <a href="https://sciencemeetsfiction.com/2021/06/15/the-science-of-project-hail-mary/">https://sciencemeetsfiction.com/2021/06/15/the-science-of-project-hail-mary/</a> 2025-08-31T00:37:09Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs888qeatfpxrzm4ksfdqhl79xh0l38tuy6favkyh6v4htag3wsfcszyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5je06rte In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqstlln7qh0drj3zefxs5vh2j5qsy6k93m9aw5r2x9nh3wyz0dha2fsfxf2d2'>nevent1q…f2d2</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>&gt; <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_science_fiction">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_science_fiction</a><br/><br/>&gt; &#34;One requirement for hard SF is … a story should try to be accurate, logical, credible and rigorous in its use of current scientific and technical knowledge about which technology, phenomena, scenarios and situations that are practically or theoretically possible.&#34;<br/><br/>&gt; &#34;Hard science fiction authors only include more controversial devices when the ideas draw from well-known scientific and mathematical principles.&#34; 2025-08-31T00:28:28Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqstlln7qh0drj3zefxs5vh2j5qsy6k93m9aw5r2x9nh3wyz0dha2fszyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jvsapjv In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsvkv4rtc38ygvy4jx8l4942kjckyermsyahtsjmsuesexnnpp4x0s6n0nmg'>nevent1q…0nmg</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>&gt; &#34;… sf has never been the go-to genre for deep, introspective character portraits or meditations on the human condition.&#34;<br/><br/>*Some* SF is like that. Not all, although &#39;Hard SF&#39; is often guilty of exactly this.<br/><br/>This isn&#39;t mean as a put down, more a critique of your whole comment, but I suspect your knowledge of, reading list of, and general involvement with the genre is much shallower than my own. Which is fine, I&#39;m not trying to claim expertise.<br/><br/>Only that I have expectations. 2025-08-31T00:15:02Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsvkv4rtc38ygvy4jx8l4942kjckyermsyahtsjmsuesexnnpp4x0szyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5je4ynat In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs0nfz9yvu3v2n54khlvd6ew20mcjzlrhpg9d4hjezvnmhg9kwas8gzlzwnh'>nevent1q…zwnh</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I have expectations when it comes to hard SF. I especially have expectations when the author talks in interviews about how much they want to promote science and how much they like science and how much science informs their work. (All of which Weir has said publicly.)<br/><br/>In the &#39;Mission to Mars&#39; example I gave, the director said in an interview that he was keeping it to known science and even had astrophysicists advising him. So, again, I had expectations.<br/><br/>[contd] 2025-08-31T00:10:53Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsyaka87ujea73hk9ysrg6y54yyhgtrcymkz3m2mseza7hk43yu2tgzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jqqqgul In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqstzvwqf8s2tjvp77n5a0ye2kmctkawrrw60g76yz2vhmrnepkzrngurln90'>nevent1q…ln90</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Ah… I&#39;m not the only one irritated by scientific fallacies in the book…<br/><br/>&gt; <a href="https://sciencemeetsfiction.com/2021/06/15/the-science-of-project-hail-mary/">https://sciencemeetsfiction.com/2021/06/15/the-science-of-project-hail-mary/</a><br/><br/>This is not &#39;Hard SF&#39;. This is science fantasy. Comic book SF. I&#39;m really happy to learn this now.<br/><br/>Because otherwise it would gone to see the movie and that would be bad. Because once, in a theater watching &#39;Mission to Mars&#39;, I literally stood up and screamed, &#34;That&#39;s not how orbital physics works!&#34; during the &#39;conga-line-in-space&#39; scene. <br/><br/>Yes, I really did that. It was embarrassing. 2025-08-30T18:21:05Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqstzvwqf8s2tjvp77n5a0ye2kmctkawrrw60g76yz2vhmrnepkzrngzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jexn95q In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqstxp8tmxlv66zxz48wh3q74fxd50ltllj9trrpzyhrepkml9ye4qs3r2gqw'>nevent1q…2gqw</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I just read the Wikipedia summary of the novel and really? I thought Weir stuck to actual science, not making things up for which there is no known physics allowing it. (I&#39;m speaking of the &#39;astrophage&#39; ability to suck energy out of a star by somehow concentrating it into something like a laser beam but without using any collimater at the source.)<br/><br/>I&#39;d be throwing the book against a wall the moment I came upon that detail. Any hand wave allowing it (force fields?) would be equally bad. 2025-08-30T17:51:14Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsw2duhe2qc856kn7rzyrqrsvdwqsl2q04paja682l3qzzgmt220gczyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jg65upr Even though the #PNW Heat Advisory ended last night and even though #Seattle temps are forecast in the mid 70s (F) – here in the North Cascades it hit 80f/27C by noon and it&#39;s going to get hotter even if the promised thunderstorms roll in late afternoon.<br/><br/>I got some things done outside this morning, then gave up due to the rising temp. One of the things I did has to do with my compost, so this is now a compost post! (OK, thread.)<br/><br/>#MountainLiving #weather #gardening 2025-08-27T19:26:28Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsdytxwmfk9nrxzy9wu99400yg5k0x8erkkmtql658g0gxn8n4j2fczyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jg90wq7 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs8v3qx82357q0j5fpqh232y4jtwenl9n94uzzdxtgvfm843a06tnsgpxc86'>nevent1q…xc86</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I&#39;ve oft proposed we replace the &#39;Great Man&#39; theory of history with the &#39;Unintended Side Effect&#39; theory of history. 2025-08-27T01:36:41Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsx9hzrjryq8atkclspmj82refznjx6dkhm8zh0xes7wfkny8zep3czyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5j0m2q9z In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqszp3ewpnp84s64qvevh56cdwwjn660h5jrh6s76jtfd75kswa9xpche7gsx'>nevent1q…7gsx</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I prefer the Japanese &#39;Chūnibyō&#39;, which translates as &#39;Middle School Syndrome&#39;.<br/><br/>&gt; <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C5%ABniby%C5%8D">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C5%ABniby%C5%8D</a><br/><br/>Chunnis don&#39;t always have the *same* delusions of grandeur, but in the end that&#39;s the core of it. And they don&#39;t always grow out of it: you can tell by the fact they remain at an eighth-grade emotional level as adults as well. 2025-08-18T19:21:36Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqspctyemes6jdtrj4g6asnpyugejtzmxmzwmygshkw5k8n3cvkercgzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jz0uv3t In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs92cckq8wlfcymhsv7rq3e5qlrh2h5dqvyww8zg2adwp43hcmypaq9l2zwt'>nevent1q…2zwt</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>But… But… How many paragraphs? 2025-08-11T19:47:56Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsxrn243fgfstqgetklp8w42c2qf8n5ppw272q9kmu23q39wyq49cszyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5je75hcf In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqspudyklyd8fvjre9ueaatuwa32am93rf8tjjvjyexkkppcnfmy4fc3e0arw'>nevent1q…0arw</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I tried growing corn in my garden this year. The growth rate was astounding! I only have like eight corn plants, but each of them has two or more ears already. <br/><br/>Also I planted beans, pumpkin, and cucumber around them. All are doing great. (I don&#39;t eat squash and the pumpkin is for decoration, not food.) 2025-07-27T19:36:07Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsfl8znvuk9t4hj87e3w9zppr3etvcdqyckdlyv0w3ggcw52ecc43gzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jhk9f6p In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsrw3dvwnf7jjawflvv8pplj670hlwn3j9wp9jzgee5qg7ccaajvgglawzmc'>nevent1q…wzmc</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Update: <span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person"><a itemprop="url" href="/npub1fdrpydz4n2dpgpy5xhsa6rjg8ytggn82mt0addw6sf93272nhhnqsjlvhs" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1"><span>Cory Doctorow</span> (<span class="italic">npub1fdr…lvhs</span>)</a></span> has a take on rural broadband today. It&#39;s unsurprisingly political…<br/><br/>&gt; Trump&#39;s FCC abandons the future. <a href="https://pluralistic.net/2025/07/24/geometry-hates-cars/">https://pluralistic.net/2025/07/24/geometry-hates-cars/</a> 2025-07-24T18:06:03Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsrw3dvwnf7jjawflvv8pplj670hlwn3j9wp9jzgee5qg7ccaajvggzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jknclcq In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqstttamlzpu4nld98y996qftyy9gc26g9z46v0c0fv72e79lqqm9yqmslhy5'>nevent1q…lhy5</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I have no idea how long it will be before I can get a connection to that currently dark fiber in my house. But I can tell you right now I&#39;m going to be on that like a chicken on a junebug.<br/><br/>Of course, I&#39;ll keep my Starlink service for a few months as a backup, just in case. But I&#39;m really, really looking forward to telling them to take a flying leap.<br/><br/>And let&#39;s face it: the real problem all along was the way the US government did diddly squat to encourage rural Internetification.<br/><br/>[fin] 2025-07-23T21:40:40Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqstttamlzpu4nld98y996qftyy9gc26g9z46v0c0fv72e79lqqm9yqzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jph2p07 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqst7x7nyszs5hfrs0zuhj08f958d76w4v9faw4qza7hq633rdut3wgvar8rd'>nevent1q…r8rd</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>As a result today Starlink is expensive and somewhat slow at certain times of the day. And, as the constellation continues to grow, Professor Lawler&#39;s entirely justified complaints grow as well. But it&#39;s still–by far–the best option if you live somewhere without land-based high-speed Internet.<br/><br/>And, thus, why I&#39;m standing out in a field watching machinery lay underground conduit and cheering while pumping my fist.<br/><br/>[contd] 2025-07-23T21:32:38Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqst7x7nyszs5hfrs0zuhj08f958d76w4v9faw4qza7hq633rdut3wgzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jey4x5j In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsphtlnzjmewgd83st0wlg6tsqdqe7xepvhz2mu83p7g65qr0axnkcvhnh9s'>nevent1q…nh9s</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Not surprising really, Starlink was incredibly successful. They even raised their monthly price and, in places with high usage rates like where I live, they added a very large premium to the signup cost to discourage new accounts.<br/><br/>Why discourage people from signing up? Because even with the constellation as big as it is today, customer numbers are overwhelming the capacity of the satellites. It&#39;s the same dropped packet problem as Hughes–but without the insane latency.<br/><br/>[contd] 2025-07-23T21:28:24Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsphtlnzjmewgd83st0wlg6tsqdqe7xepvhz2mu83p7g65qr0axnkczyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5juptcrt In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsv7vka95wrpvf6nlq58cus3cusftrwx45z2k8vexf0tg94wrgnensx7zmd2'>nevent1q…zmd2</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>In many ways Starlink was pretty damn good. At first there weren&#39;t enough satellites and I would have issues because of that, but eventually the constellation became dense enough those went away.<br/><br/>It was great! I could stream things other than #anime (which worked OK with Hughes because animation compresses well). I could even play low-latency online games.<br/><br/>But over time Starlink service started to degrade.<br/><br/>[contd] 2025-07-23T21:23:17Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsv7vka95wrpvf6nlq58cus3cusftrwx45z2k8vexf0tg94wrgnenszyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5j7xqxxf In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsx69uqwsd6s5tvsvkaprtzuzf2m4f4pcv6jvy9eujaqzkxumxp4mgv5ja3w'>nevent1q…ja3w</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Hughes did try to retain me as a customer, even lowering their prices to match Starlink&#39;s introductory pricing and offering me free bandwidth credits. (Did I mention the fact Hughes limited your bandwidth drastically and shut you down if you exceeded your monthly usage unless you paid through the nose for &#39;bandwidth credits&#39;?)<br/><br/>So I kept paying for Hughs for a full year as a backup in case Starlink had a Kessler Event or something. But I eventually turned it off.<br/><br/>[contd] 2025-07-23T21:20:21Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsx69uqwsd6s5tvsvkaprtzuzf2m4f4pcv6jvy9eujaqzkxumxp4mgzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jwfwmzl In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsq6cqd7gkk5pgntpap4l2lmn3un523e976afqnfm5lva5c3fgw9lqmjnqw3'>nevent1q…nqw3</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Then, in 2019, Starlink went online.<br/><br/>Yes, I know about the problems with Starlink, although the psychopathy of it&#39;s owner wasn&#39;t as obvious at the time. But even then I understood the issues <span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person"><a itemprop="url" href="/npub1dgcla3rthltveuxzp7pvnu6rzug2076hhu9dwq8axzmg8r7jvcmq82cla4" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1"><span>Prof. Sam Lawler</span> (<span class="italic">npub1dgc…cla4</span>)</a></span> often rails about. I knew exactly how bad it could be.<br/><br/>But I became an early adopter anyway. And I think most of you would hold your nose and sign up too if you lived in a cell dead zone miles from a high-speed Internet connection with geosync satellite Internet as your only option.<br/><br/>[contd] 2025-07-23T21:16:16Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsq6cqd7gkk5pgntpap4l2lmn3un523e976afqnfm5lva5c3fgw9lqzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5j3d26r0 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs2epurqvmzsq3ns3ese68adhxrh698km5qqrzaj7s7dudn7avutfclkl3yg'>nevent1q…l3yg</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Eventually I paid through the nose for the only option for Internet service here: Hughes Satellite Internet. It worked, kinda. But it also managed to embody the trifecta of Expensive, Slow, and Unreliable. <br/><br/>Expensive because Hughes was the only choice. Slow because of two reasons: (1) speed of light (in geosync orbit, so around a second of latency) and (2) because the one satellite was handling thousands of ground stations. Unreliable because a heavy rain would block the signal.<br/><br/>[contd] 2025-07-23T21:09:22Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs2epurqvmzsq3ns3ese68adhxrh698km5qqrzaj7s7dudn7avutfczyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jkl5wc4 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqst8gsngq0pakk3l2ypxzjy6gm2h3vrn9gu06xzujaq5pw6ewar8ege2y3gp'>nevent1q…y3gp</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>And that means, after fifteen years of making due with Satellite Internet service, I will finally have high-speed Internet.<br/><br/>When I first bought this property I had nothing but a landline phone for connectivity. Since I was living much of the week down below and working in Seattle it wasn&#39;t too big a deal, but it did mean I had no connectivity while up here, not even cell service.<br/><br/>I did try using a modem and a landline email service. But my phone line was too noisy, it barely worked.<br/><br/>[contd] 2025-07-23T21:03:08Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqst8gsngq0pakk3l2ypxzjy6gm2h3vrn9gu06xzujaq5pw6ewar8egzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5j89e8z7 There&#39;s been a bit of a ruckus going on around here lately. Machinery making machinery noises and warning beeps. Different road noises than usual as only one lane was available and people with signs controlled the flow. People talking. Even one person cheering!<br/><br/>That one person was me. And the reason for all of this isn&#39;t road construction, it is because they are laying fiber-optic cable next to the road along my property.<br/><br/>And *that* means…<br/><br/>#MountainLiving<br/><br/>[contd] 2025-07-23T20:58:25Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsqa5qzxcj955g69lct7q72v7eeqks80vxl6sf0lgr68wk84fd9slqzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jec22qs In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsfq8r35py69zdaevmc935vhmexggayvkjveg53mxha2cl24q43kuqt0xxk8'>nevent1q…xxk8</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I also asked him to define &#39;woke&#39;. He sputtered a bit, like he had never really thought about it. In the end he decided it meant anything he personally didn&#39;t like.<br/><br/>¯\_(ツ)_/¯<br/><br/>So, basically, at the core these people are so self-centered they cannot accept any knowledge or facts which disagree with what they choose to believe.<br/><br/>They do not believe in objective reality. 2025-07-19T21:21:18Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsfq8r35py69zdaevmc935vhmexggayvkjveg53mxha2cl24q43kuqzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jxf5cjl In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqszag4f22hc92fv2hvzn4cnzgytrxpnavmt7z8d8klsgf9e67pts8qcc022z'>nevent1q…022z</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I once had a long conversation with a MAGA about this thing you call &#39;anti-epistemology&#39;. (Great term BTW.)<br/><br/>What I learned is: He believes people who say things he wants to hear while using the right kind of voice and delivery to make themselves convincing. Expertise isn&#39;t the point, although claiming expertise can help; but what really seals the deal is personal recommendations and testimony and strict adherence _to what **he** wants to hear_.<br/><br/>See also: Supplement sales. 2025-07-19T21:18:34Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsxqcfdwu57tlder2uetju83edhp9ta8s7z972wnr4prs87eazzwfqzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5j3uc42d In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsqc4l9nrsuh6t6ju2hgvz5qyl9urw2pxx3q04yf32ly3a2jxxur5gj3mw4k'>nevent1q…mw4k</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Simple people prefer simple explanations for complex problems and seek simple answers to solve them. The problem with that?<br/><br/>There are no simple answers to complex problems. And the set of complex problems includes *every problem involving human beings*. 2025-07-19T18:20:17Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs2dmvt9yzq2txfyy8j0awhhavyegmzt7gfj2sqy5xfvdkvn0nn4ngzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5j84kswf In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs8sp237wq67x57jydvxf8wzejgtk5ws0vvj98yuqt8a78rtuza45s6wph4x'>nevent1q…ph4x</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>That beats my idea for a &#39;Are You Psychic&#39; test for $5, which consists of an envelope containing a slip of paper with a random 10 digit number. You use your psychic powers to determine the number and then write it on the envelope, after which you open the envelope and see if you got it right.<br/><br/>It&#39;s guaranteed to prove one way or the other if you are psychic! 2025-07-15T22:22:52Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsd23zyhy4qv7hklhzn7qch2pt5zvp80mpqp7u45qun4xud95rr2dczyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jj669e3 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsv82hsjpjqmvfashuem4gmlxnkg0krdk79nhpucpl796zut3hz7qcjtpet2'>nevent1q…pet2</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I don&#39;t participate in online polls, but I do sometimes state my opinion.<br/><br/>IMO, the issue is privacy:<br/><br/>1. I would happily see ads in newsmedia, if they weren&#39;t served using a tracker service <br/><br/>2. I would happily pay for news (and other) media if I could do it for a reasonable price al-la-carte – I.E. if I could pay by the article or &#39;issue&#39; and if I could do it anonymously, like buying a newspaper<br/><br/>3. I don&#39;t like the &#39;must sign in and now we know what you read&#39; subscription model 2025-07-15T18:29:49Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsz5tgsfeqlnmgtxfsavxhezjh09hg08clw9vpyhzg0ey3a6vdjkmgzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jtmfyxw In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsz42vzarlm8m729zdyvdexjhvf5a9hrekzegufnsqfexhak532mrs44amaq'>nevent1q…amaq</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I see your Keen and raise you a Shizzle.<br/><br/>ETA: I can do this all day…<br/> <img src="https://cdn.masto.host/rustedneuroncom/media_attachments/files/114/786/036/652/403/230/original/32f6a4d7429dc4cd.jpg"> <br/> 2025-07-02T22:39:37Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs8zpntsh8l4s5s9xs9dpqcua0rqgp7uwn4m2dpqlylvwkz4l9ynlczyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5j9raurj In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs0edvr7xnghqg96w4flryy5myuf3qrr8gxxgayh4qv99dxjw2vrcq3dpfzd'>nevent1q…pfzd</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Pho real!<br/> <img src="https://cdn.masto.host/rustedneuroncom/media_attachments/files/114/785/976/542/335/778/original/7e868070b7e7a2a5.jpg"> <br/> 2025-07-02T22:24:09Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsfhl0f6yc0d9m9f9p3gzt0sr4gd6epegkqjfz8nakh93evm7s6xsqzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jnzxg0t In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs9v7c8gazkl6su9vqxrgzfgt3grn8jz4at6u9fpnny2cql59lcwnsus852f'>nevent1q…852f</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I&#39;ve been saying this for years. Decades even. The USA has no viable leftist political party and the singular option for actual liberals is supporting the Democrats as the only opposition to the GOP.<br/><br/>And, FWIW? We don&#39;t actually have free markets in the USA either. A true free market (as defined by Smith et al) has no barriers for entry or players so big they can just overwhelm and buy out the competition. Most of all, a true free market would feature minimal rent seeking. 2025-06-28T21:40:46Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsggwn8ql2m5z4gt0rwklceq4shwqzn3hfw04atxenxtums53vajqgzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jv6erm0 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs9rcdr5gftyptw369n2n3h4njjq4g4fqqfqeyyps6znhxfxgfaq2qj5auvu'>nevent1q…auvu</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I took two things from <span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person"><a itemprop="url" href="/npub1fdrpydz4n2dpgpy5xhsa6rjg8ytggn82mt0addw6sf93272nhhnqsjlvhs" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1"><span>Cory Doctorow</span> (<span class="italic">npub1fdr…lvhs</span>)</a></span> today:<br/><br/>1. I&#39;m as old as the acronym GIGO [1] [2]<br/><br/>2. GIGOGBI is a *great* new acronym!<br/><br/>[1] The deeper meaning of this is left as an exercise for the reader.<br/><br/>[2] I&#39;m also as old as the &#39;Space Age&#39;; but I don&#39;t think the two things are connected in any way. 2025-06-26T18:27:56Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsg6vcjp0qvh3lrkgl67e8rp63rymzmmszd0m4stxrfy6u8ru7ak7szyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jqaqfj0 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsd6qsxznx3kyn9tj7xgsc448f4g2vqu5cape23suacuhdv3n9rmmg2u2r4l'>nevent1q…2r4l</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>&gt; &#34;… a lot of people don&#39;t have options, and the people who run them know that.&#34;<br/><br/>I suspect it&#39;s more complicated than that. If you only have a dollar you don&#39;t have an option – unless you don&#39;t actually NEED the good on hand, in which case you have the option of not buying cosmetics or a stickerbook or whatever.<br/><br/>And yet people with little money buy those things. I&#39;m not condemning them, but I am saying there are no simple answers for complex problems. 2025-06-24T20:14:19Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs0d37kgexyk2vcqa6c85nvrxccjagzgygss4p2zwsectdkpwxflaqzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jdt06mk In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs8sn5e759cxs9xktdrw6lyuuevway7weqkdycdxs5fgd2rl73uu0qk3c9k9'>nevent1q…c9k9</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Yup. See, &#34;… there are a lot of people who do not properly differentiate between &#39;price&#39; and &#39;value&#39;.&#34;<br/><br/>If everyone was good at determining actual value dollar stores would not exist and &#39;reducing the size of government&#39; would be a process of determining cost-benefit ratios. 2025-06-24T19:49:14Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsxu8mn5hes8c654dfsvcz0n0n3q4fs6kyh5qy07wps7kt9tl5l76szyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jn035hm In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs8q4hyuhgmffwynstaeqnnl2rc5yjyf2pxp6pp98yghfaz8hf8s8cl3fdgm'>nevent1q…fdgm</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Except, let&#39;s face it: the rich generally DO pay more, for better quality. (See the &#39;Sam Vines Boots Theory of Socioeconomic Unfairness&#39;.)<br/><br/>But there are a lot of people who do not properly differentiate between &#39;price&#39; and &#39;value&#39;.<br/><br/>What this is really about is soaking everyone, poor or not, for the most you can get from them at that particular moment. Sure, desperation is one factor, but I&#39;m sure so is the fact you got paid today and feel temporarily rich. 2025-06-24T18:58:19Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs24ucugqs29c7j00wrvz5p8gyz6hrt5mdzhz8rymleh6uupsmhe7gzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jhsdh5d In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsx5xsx9eg3kw7nr3n6pexpner2rz6tm8fwvh9edxwfpqzl3f3lpccj9ss9c'>nevent1q…ss9c</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>FWIW? USA citizens are required to pay taxes in the USA no matter where they live. Even if it means they are double-taxed.<br/><br/>The only way to get out of it is to renounce your USA citizenship: meaning they can&#39;t come back either.<br/><br/>win/win<br/><br/>ETA: I know the thread is about Canadians. But we have more of the bastards. 2025-06-23T20:20:15Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsgdrt8rer4vyr8hmnee30jv56n7j06pw2d0pc4ux4qsd4ayeayeagzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jat3l2c The #weather around here has taken a definitely un-early-June-like turn. The last few years the first two thirds of June were upper 60s to mid 70s Fahrenheit with cloudy-ish skies and occasional rain showers.<br/><br/>(Thirty years ago a typical June was ten degrees or more colder than that and you got solid weeks of rain. But #ClimateChange has put the kibosh on the good old #PNW &#39;Juneuary&#39;.)<br/><br/>Forecast for the next two weeks? Hot and dry. As in really hot and really dry.<br/><br/>#MountainLiving<br/><br/>[contd] 2025-06-05T23:52:02Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsyd7gpeg0svjgeqwllkgtuawq0ejc7wt4hcqnhn9sh4n2jkv2e4cqzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5j4chftx In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs84ywkazfyshhrhz5mla94u3vkd4an74p5e5quprz0e6d2ll63m2c0kfknw'>nevent1q…fknw</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I don&#39;t think this is a new thing. Arguably all governments operate like organized crime and always have. 2025-05-28T16:51:31Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqstddczc3mdwwpemjnvg7hpcq4c2c5vgqjxlckeha3xj5xpfad72zczyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jwx2z4h As of today I&#39;ve transplanted all but one flat of seedlings into garden pots or raised beds. (I do container #gardening.) The few remaining seedlings need some more time inside.<br/><br/>I will be starting some new seedlings in a week or two, but all quick-growing things like lettuce, so I can have a second harvest. And then again, in another six weeks, for a third.<br/><br/>#Weather today is the same as it&#39;s been for the last week, and promises for the next: light intermittent rain. Yay!<br/><br/>#MountainLiving 2025-05-20T01:13:44Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsv2jrpef0x9879vdvf8rxstcetmnnpggnhm2ravuhvxypq304ycjszyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jvkzsex Challenge accepted.<br/><br/>#advertising #stupid #funny #humor #deshittification<br/> <img src="https://cdn.masto.host/rustedneuroncom/media_attachments/files/114/390/618/858/020/264/original/4799ea8a5b60b20c.jpg"> <br/> 2025-04-24T02:41:33Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs024cxv3qxvga97t008w2wnjtnlnauy450nd6xnh4nulg428wzurqzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jcuyc6t One of the most important teachings of #Stoicism is: if you can&#39;t change it, don&#39;t waste time worrying about it.<br/><br/>Which is a damn good thing to do – if you can do it. I personally find this particular precept very challenging.<br/><br/>#philosophy #HumanCondition 2025-04-07T22:43:11Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsdvdz3kc4fxe6rrhdy2lx9vvhxssse5tdyrkglgd8aduaj4p7h8xszyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5j4rjapl John Maynard Keynes<br/><br/>&gt; &#34;… the ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood. Indeed the world is ruled by little else. Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influences, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist. Madmen in authority, who hear voices in the air, are distilling their frenzy from some academic scribbler of a few years back.&#34;<br/><br/>#economics 2025-03-29T19:15:29Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs9xkjpv5z52muww4cv6h558kdcsuagkjzvpy6pkypevq2sqjnktngzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jc3l3wx In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsvtpjr6zxdgwknw9n2m8ht4n62cvxuzthx78d4y7cpnkdakswwhwggla7w6'>nevent1q…a7w6</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>One concern: By offloading some work to third parties you also offload control and trust. If a third party comes under the control of a bad actor or just fails to do a good job, you need some way to discover this and either quickly find another provider or take the work back in-house.<br/><br/>These are typical issues for any project not done and managed entirely in-house and businesses handle it via contractual obligations. But, considering the ad-hoc nature of the Fedi? Far more difficult. 2025-03-28T17:45:14Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqszu40s8yqalt2tz8wzztsv9y6m77z4mhjkgexmg3l58xua054sx2czyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5j8dj7pk In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqstp9duwn9fn5l5qdxsfgf5ye63j0t6qpvv0tl7d8czpfht3j4edrsk039yv'>nevent1q…39yv</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>FOLLOWUP NOTE: Yes, I know about the case of creating precompiled libraries and distributing them with the header files. Three points about that:<br/><br/>1. I believe, for code security reasons, you should avoid using precompiled and dynamic link libraries<br/><br/>2. Your build system can easily copy header files to a distributable include directory as part of the build process<br/><br/>3. This is not the gotcha you think it is 2025-03-23T19:46:44Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqstp9duwn9fn5l5qdxsfgf5ye63j0t6qpvv0tl7d8czpfht3j4edrszyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5j62kjsn In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsphm2nwpgm7yldqaj0crgzpa86c85vvyls9fr0nyh54v5mhrctelgh6yd4d'>nevent1q…yd4d</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Not only does it not improve anything, I believe it makes many common coding tasks objectively more difficult. Things are simply easier when the header is in the same directory as the code.<br/><br/>I&#39;ve done some spelunking around the Internet trying to find out if there is an explicable reason for why people started using an &#39;include&#39; directory and I&#39;ve yet to find anything justifying it.<br/><br/>IMHO? I think it&#39;s one of those &#39;everyone does it because everyone does it&#39; things. And it needs to die.<br/><br/>[fin] 2025-03-23T19:42:32Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsphm2nwpgm7yldqaj0crgzpa86c85vvyls9fr0nyh54v5mhrctelgzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5ja4hm56 One of the &#39;unwritten standards&#39; of #C and C++ is the &#39;include&#39; directory, where you keep all your header files separate from the &#39;src&#39; directory.<br/><br/>I followed this &#39;standard&#39; for decades, before abandoning it in favor of keeping header and source files in the same directories; at least for my own projects.<br/><br/>I honestly do not see how it makes *anything* about managing your code easier or better. Especially when you need to maintain parallel subdir structures in two places.<br/><br/>[contd]<br/><br/>#programming 2025-03-23T19:37:34Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqs8drap8u8gpyn5ptkedymxksacqxv02p5qest5t2rgsxttfqqamhszyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jpzu63k In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsfth6468zj2jdx300wd09qu9frnar60w52suxtv7e574qjz37lnts9wnjna'>nevent1q…njna</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>&gt; We can expect, as night follows day, this already weakening regulatory environment to end up in a financial crisis (as it always does, eventually).<br/><br/>Of course. How else can a small number of people siphon a large amount of data out of the system without consequence? Because every time this shit happens there is that one group which is, somehow, not holding the (now empty) bag when the matchstick financial empire comes apart. 2025-03-20T20:29:01Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsz0tkk8u38epq0qqgz0u0zunm9yyjrv3w5mfhgmlyj4n86m2x0s5qzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jjy7nq9 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsy5hzj4prx96h0kk86htys9zps4ktz0n6qvku0gm8lkwq8dfgt6dc3watm8'>nevent1q…atm8</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I dunno if your entire thesis is correct, but I do know some artificial constraints are no barrier to creativity. In this case I&#39;m thinking specifically of &#39;The Blues&#39;.<br/><br/>&gt; <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blues">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blues</a><br/><br/>The Blues is a musical form with a very specific pattern and chord progression. There are acceptable variations, but plenty of iconic songs stick to the basic 12 bar pattern with I/IV/V chord progressions.<br/><br/>Entire musical careers were dedicated to plumbing these limited depths. 2025-03-18T18:29:01Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsf7y5cuwny735spwpjuuzh9rdcxezawzllm0qku8hffr9jvmejplqzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jj8stwt It&#39;s a small point, but #history is stuffed with examples of governments ignoring their own laws to attack an outgroup and everyone else thinking, &#34;Well, that&#39;s them. It won&#39;t happen to me.&#34;<br/><br/>Which is immediately followed by the government proceeding to ignore any other laws it feels like.<br/><br/>#politics #HumanCondition 2025-03-17T19:04:38Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsqphwayw0r8ew3zvjvkvn9jv5qry60ay3k9rfaj0m04u3x4nre3qszyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5jvlltlg Today I learned about Jantoloven, a code of conduct antithetical to narcissism.<br/><br/>&gt; <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_Jante">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_Jante</a><br/><br/>The Wikipedia article says:<br/><br/>&gt; &#34;… disapproval towards expressions of individuality and personal success.&#34;<br/><br/>I&#39;ve a problem with any #philosophy restricting your right to be who you are. Yet this seems more about not thinking your individuality makes you *better* than others. I&#39;m on board with that.<br/><br/>But Jantoloven seems ripe for misuse by those who elevate conformity…<br/><br/>#HumanCondition #TIL<br/> <img src="https://cdn.masto.host/rustedneuroncom/media_attachments/files/114/128/446/482/697/086/original/45f00421b12c926c.png"> <br/> 2025-03-08T19:34:53Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqszdp89ld8gvqm7alnzusp0meywffg5c8wlmf38jpvrecyj750424qzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5j5zvzg4 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsr05d3nyslku8ug6jeyvx3njq7k3csm3mgvl5hl4x40fftlh554gqekfrhh'>nevent1q…frhh</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>&gt; Or, perhaps there is danger of over-interpreting normal market fluctuation? <br/><br/>There is always that danger. That said? After I pulled my investments out of the stock market recently I asked if the finance company could also move the money to funds denominated in Euros or Swiss Francs. I was told they don&#39;t do that.<br/><br/>Maybe I need to find someone who will? 2025-03-07T19:07:54Z https://njump.me/nevent1qqsrl748py4yx6hvxme908xz0ap58qrunsak0p35s66mlvr5hajj6xqzyrdthkzv70ytz0e79mdy3m6tkg7m5025av28ca62qlc3n9j8d0f5j8qauwq Oh, great. My dog&#39;s vet has an app now! So excite! So mod!<br/><br/>So, no I&#39;ll pass. I can do appointment requests or chat with the staff over the phone. And regarding the loyalty program and selfy-sharing?<br/><br/>Can we say, &#34;Third-party #privacy invasion for profit?&#34; I knew we could!<br/><br/>#dogs 2025-02-26T00:28:57Z