Nostr notes by Jessamyn

thanks -- I am really not sure what she is looking for but ...

2026-05-19T03:05:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…cxkz
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thanks -- I am really not sure what she is looking for but she's not super tech savvy so mostly I want to be ready to answer her questions. It looks like IF your PDF was created using something with OCR on the back, that there are a number of paid tools that will allow you to edit it. Otherwise you're just looking at what is essentially a big JPG and you'd have to use a tool which could grab the text out of an image.

Could use info from ppl nerdier than me. A friend asked for a ...

2026-05-19T00:04:19Z

Could use info from ppl nerdier than me. A friend asked for a scanner that can make "editable PDFs'" which my experience tells me is not a thing. However I'm aware that the world moves on and it's possible this is a thing now. So, understanding that I am not talking about annotating or making a fillable PDF out of a PDF, are editable PDFs a thing? I have read this page so I think what I mean is "Are editable PDFs a thing that you can do with normal non-Adobe software?"

https://www.adobe.com/uk/acrobat/resources/how-to-make-a-pdf-editable.html

I have become such a grumpy crone about this. I've had checks ...

2026-04-24T22:19:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…ffg7
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I have become such a grumpy crone about this. I've had checks printed that do not have my mailing address/phone on them and I often will include a letter that says this is a one time donation and I don't actually consent to be put on a development list. I feel a little bad because it means it's a bit more work for them to access my donation but also as someone who has been philanthropic in the past, boy do I get a lot of spam from places I formally donated to

YUSSSS. I do miss this aspect of academic libraries, the weird ...

2026-04-08T20:23:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…9lvr
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YUSSSS. I do miss this aspect of academic libraries, the weird random shit you can find in the stacks.

congratulations. That's such a good feeling when you ask for ...

2026-01-22T02:36:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…kh8s
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congratulations. That's such a good feeling when you ask for companies to make good on their warranty and they do.

Looks like you can only register them in a few states and those ...

2026-01-21T21:16:18Z

In reply to nevent1q…dlv5
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Looks like you can only register them in a few states and those states are fairly far from Canada. And there are pretty onerous restrictions. So technically possible but definitely impractical.

https://www.wired.com/story/this-is-how-you-get-a-chinese-ev-into-the-united-states/

Maybe they've got a number of drunk uncles coming to stay ...

2026-01-21T21:10:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…43u6
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Maybe they've got a number of drunk uncles coming to stay with them.

Awww, fun. I remember the Adam Curry MTV.com days. I think one of ...

2026-01-21T20:39:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…ug6n
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Awww, fun. I remember the Adam Curry MTV.com days. I think one of the first emails I ever exchanged with a "celebrity" was me telling him how cool I thought it was and got some sort of nice "thanks" email back.

I have something similar... ♲♲♲♲ Please consider the ...

2026-01-21T19:48:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…cg8r
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I have something similar...

♲♲♲♲
Please consider the environmental and social costs of so-called AI before using it to process or reply to this email
♲♲♲♲

Exactly. Gonna go give it five stars to try to move the needle.

2026-01-21T19:44:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…zt3w
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Exactly. Gonna go give it five stars to try to move the needle.

It has a weirdly low rating on Goodreads and I can't figure ...

2026-01-21T18:52:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…uqs3
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It has a weirdly low rating on Goodreads and I can't figure out why, I thought it was solid.

Book 9: Haunt Sweet Home. A short novel about Mara, a youngish ...

2026-01-21T17:47:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…9w5f
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Book 9: Haunt Sweet Home. A short novel about Mara, a youngish woman who doesn't quite fit in with her family or life in general. After drifting about, she lands a job on the night shift of a reality tv show about people who buy houses and then find out they are haunted. You'd think it would be tough to find enough people for that, but the crew gives extra haunting nudges along the way. Mara's a bit of a loner and still figuring things out and the show gives her life a temporary focus.

Exactly. I like Officer Scott just fine but he'd actually ...

2026-01-21T01:28:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…psya
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Exactly. I like Officer Scott just fine but he'd actually probably be a better guy doing better things if he wasn't a cop being part of an unjust system that takes advantage of its entrenched power to burn our tax dollars. POSIWID (the purpose of a system is what it does)

I've been a customer of theirs for a long time now and ...

2026-01-21T01:19:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…tz54
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I've been a customer of theirs for a long time now and it's absolutely solid service even where I live where cell service isn't great. I only wish they had deals for existing customers and not just new ones.

Thanks! I know this is a topic on which reasonable people can ...

2026-01-21T01:15:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…cmz7
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Thanks! I know this is a topic on which reasonable people can disagree but as a homeowner I'm actually more comfortable with really low temperatures and no precipitation than with a lot of precipitation and higher temperatures.

That's really interesting to know, thank you. Is it the same ...

2026-01-20T22:06:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…rqyp
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That's really interesting to know, thank you. Is it the same thing generally true for hot and cold temperature extremes? Or is it mostly for just "events" like storms? Good luck with the incoming snow from up north in snowy Vermont.

Book 8: Vern Custodian of the Universe. A short fun graphic novel ...

2026-01-20T04:26:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…2l65
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Book 8: Vern Custodian of the Universe. A short fun graphic novel about Vern who is having a tough time coping with the earth being a mess. His mom and grandma nudge him into a job at Quasar which... does what exactly? Stuff happens on an interdimensional level and Vern has a front-row seat. This is one of those graphic novels which really feels like it was a lot of fun to draw: quirky, trippy, and colorful, with a good sense of humor and a good heart at the center of it.

Righteous. And how interesting about the temple/church membership ...

2026-01-20T04:20:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…k75u
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Righteous. And how interesting about the temple/church membership shift with the different husbands.

Not a problem, and thanks. As someone who is a night owl and is ...

2026-01-20T04:19:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…awg4
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Not a problem, and thanks. As someone who is a night owl and is always grumpy with apps which assume that my "today" goes from midnight to midnight (it's more like 11 am to 2 am-ish) I always check.

Like, in two hours or in 26 hours?

2026-01-20T04:16:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…7054
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Like, in two hours or in 26 hours?

those really are smart looking badges.

2026-01-20T01:25:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…5net
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those really are smart looking badges.

that's great. I can't quite see it from where I am both ...

2026-01-20T01:22:57Z

In reply to nevent1q…zc9v
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that's great. I can't quite see it from where I am both because I don't have a good northern exposure but also there's still a lot of light pollution in my neighborhood until my neighbors all go to bed.

I have not read anything else by him I don't think, thanks ...

2026-01-19T20:11:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…s5tl
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I have not read anything else by him I don't think, thanks for the rec.

Book 7: The Treasure of the Black Swan. A graphic novel about a ...

2026-01-19T19:15:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…6zwx
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Book 7: The Treasure of the Black Swan. A graphic novel about a shipwreck and the drama trying to figure out who was legally entitled to the treasure. It involves diplomats, lawyers, treasure hunters and US, Peruvian and Spanish jurisdiction. Based on a true story (which I did not read up on until afterwards) it's an interesting and well-told and easy to follow story even though it was clearly a pretty convoluted situation at the time.

You'll have to settle for his author photo with a smol tiger. ...

2026-01-19T16:47:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…nd7d
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You'll have to settle for his author photo with a smol tiger.

Hahaha. I told Jonathan on Bluesky that I liked the book (which I ...

2026-01-19T04:05:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…67d3
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Hahaha. I told Jonathan on Bluesky that I liked the book (which I did) but stopped short of telling him "SO I WROTE THIS WHOLE WIKIPEDIA PAGE" Maybe someday...

it's just 500 pages of tiger facts and lots of interesting ...

2026-01-19T02:19:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…l3f6
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it's just 500 pages of tiger facts and lots of interesting fieldwork. It is such a great book.

No but I would think about it.

2026-01-19T01:07:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…qh39
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No but I would think about it.

YES. It looks like such a house cat, I love it.

2026-01-18T20:15:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…4swy
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YES. It looks like such a house cat, I love it.

When Helen Macdonald says you've got the best author photo ...

2026-01-18T20:00:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…n05n
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When Helen Macdonald says you've got the best author photo she's ever seen and gives your first book a glowing review, people take notice. But maybe not Wikipedia people. Now that Jonathan Slaght's got a second book about Amur tigers (and the first one about fish owls won a lot of awards) it's high time he was in Wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Slaght

It's really good. He's not one of the scientists in it, ...

2026-01-18T17:31:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…r6ll
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It's really good. He's not one of the scientists in it, for the most part, so it's a slightly different kind of book but still really good.

Book 6: Tigers Between Empires. An exceptional book about ...

2026-01-18T17:09:57Z

In reply to nevent1q…pj7v
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Book 6: Tigers Between Empires. An exceptional book about wildlife, specifically tiger, conservation in Siberia and also to a lesser degree in China. Slaght, who also wrote a compelling book about fish owls in the same region, talks about US/Russian cooperation for the Siberian Tiger Project from the early 90s until now. A lot changes, a lot stays the same. Color photos of amazing animals and a lot of nerdy science. You really get to know the place; an excellent geopolitical conservation tale.

Book 5: Night Hawks. Another one of the forensic anthropologist ...

2026-01-18T16:51:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…dfyg
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Book 5: Night Hawks. Another one of the forensic anthropologist mysteries where we again are working towards a thrilling conclusion of the series. This one had a convoluted mystery, a lot of rando characters with similar-sounding names and not a lot of history stuff which is usually my favorite part. And then there's the overarching plot arc which continued in a good way. A nice familiar read but not one of my faves of the series.

Hush.

2026-01-18T04:09:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…wgw2
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Hush.

@npub1z0a…pp6d My actual non-social-media calendar says ...

2026-01-17T22:48:44Z

Greg Knauss (npub1z0a…pp6d) My actual non-social-media calendar says it's your birthday. I got you a yard sign.

Little of both? I definitely feel like I get a lot of email ...

2026-01-17T03:31:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…uth2
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Little of both? I definitely feel like I get a lot of email between about 430 and 5 PM on Fridays from someone who is clearly clearing their inbox and did not think at all about mine. But I'm also aware that a lot of people don't have the same feelings about that situation as I do, so I think a general suggestion to be more mindful about what we're putting on others is never a bad idea.

Good point. 💗

2026-01-17T00:01:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…5sgz
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Good point. 💗

I just stood there! 😂

2026-01-16T23:49:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…yuzk
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I just stood there! 😂

This is a real problem. I'm someone who works on Wikipedia, ...

2026-01-16T23:48:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…k74k
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This is a real problem. I'm someone who works on Wikipedia, and also someone who laments about resource extraction from the commons generally (and Flickr Commons, where I work, specifically).

We'd like Flickr Commons to have a more diverse cross-section of the world in it and not just so much "colonial gaze" stuff. But! To do that we'd need to get people/orgs with fewer resources to put them online for free so that Getty/Alamy can steal them. Why would they? It's a tough one.

Since this was a protest as part of the Indivisible network ...

2026-01-16T22:54:06Z

In reply to nevent1q…f2kt
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Since this was a protest as part of the Indivisible network there's a bit more a a focus on not "going negative" than I might have if it was me on my own. The best thing about mittens besides their thermal properties is how you can give people the finger but they can't really tell. Satisfying.

Me too, I'm so delighted that I get to work with this ...

2026-01-16T22:45:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…qkm5
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Me too, I'm so delighted that I get to work with this resource. And the "conversations" tab of the Commons Explorer is great because you get to see other people enjoying it too.

https://commons.flickr.org/conversations/

Would watch the hell out of it.

2026-01-16T22:30:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…aqjl
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Would watch the hell out of it.

We stopped doing overpass demos for a time because it was cold ...

2026-01-16T22:29:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…y3lg
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We stopped doing overpass demos for a time because it was cold and then we decided "Fuck it, we've got mittens." Today me and 14-ish neighbors braved the 20° F weather and hung our NO KINGS banner from and waved at traffic for two hours.

Every 18-wheeler this time (except for one) honked and waved at us. All but one. That's different from October.

I went home via the library where I printed out some "How to report ICE" zines. Get zines here

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1R3l0A9ZHspfPH1OoLi6VjQB1dg1e1mw7

Do what you can. #NoKings

That is one of my favorite albums and that's a strong song. ...

2026-01-16T22:14:40Z

In reply to nevent1q…zphz
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That is one of my favorite albums and that's a strong song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t6nzLX9gF4

I work at the Flickr Foundation, a non-profit sister org to ...

2026-01-16T21:35:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…wdas
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I work at the Flickr Foundation, a non-profit sister org to Flickr.com and I'm the Community Lead for Flickr Commons. It's a lot of garden tending and a little bit of active management, ticket filing, and emailing. It's part time but it suits me.

https://www.flickr.org/programs/

Friday afternoon reminder to not empty your inbox at the expense ...

2026-01-16T21:16:03Z

Friday afternoon reminder to not empty your inbox at the expense of someone else's. It's winter in Vermont. ICE remains a challenge but if we work together, just possibly, we can make some forward progress. If you can't do anything else right now, think about how to build community. Solidarity, and have a good weekend.

Image credit: OSU Special Collections, on Flickr Commons
https://www.flickr.com/photos/34586311@N05/4843473237/

RE: https://glammr.us/@flickrfdn/115906000165879568 Hey look ...

2026-01-16T18:45:15Z

RE: https://glammr.us/@flickrfdn/115906000165879568

Hey look it's my job. Flickr Commons is old enough to vote. So cool.

quoting
note1t7y…u8k6

Flickr Commons is eighteen today. We started in 2008 in partnership with the Library of Congress and today we're an archive of 1.9 million digital images, all of which are available with no known copyright restrictions. Please enjoy a few random images and explore on your own using our Commons Explorer tool.

https://commons.flickr.org/

#flickr #photography

Yeah it's a real problem. Like... if you are a business, ...

2026-01-16T18:10:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…cwmh
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Yeah it's a real problem. Like... if you are a business, you're leaving money on the table (often) by not being on FB and I know for libraries they sometimes feel like getting people to RSVP and show up for events is something more likely if they're where the people are (FB) but also libraries can lead the way towards getting OFF FB and I think they're not always sure what their role is.

It's up now, just some deferred maintenance at ibiblio and ...

2026-01-16T04:42:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…y0hs
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It's up now, just some deferred maintenance at ibiblio and the network folks changed a thing and "kablammo" I think was the technical term.

This is excellent! I live in Randolph and I remember when the ...

2026-01-16T04:24:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…dvcy
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This is excellent! I live in Randolph and I remember when the Greyhound/VT Transit still stopped in town but as it is, it's better served by public transit than a lot of the state, I keep forgetting. I went to Hawai'i once from Randolph without riding in a car. It was a slog, but technically possible!

Looiks like ibiblio has some weird IPv6 issue. They've got a ...

2026-01-15T18:11:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…lh4q
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Looiks like ibiblio has some weird IPv6 issue. They've got a ticket open now.

there's a woman on social media who does these really great ...

2026-01-15T16:42:28Z

In reply to nevent1q…j6s0
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there's a woman on social media who does these really great bagged meal kits out of shelf stable food that you can get at the dollar store. We've been preparing some of these for the library food pantry.

They've probably just got server capacity problems but I will ...

2026-01-15T16:40:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…3eu6
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They've probably just got server capacity problems but I will check in with them. Thanks for the report.

If you're referring to the template in the footer it just ...

2026-01-15T02:09:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…6zgz
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If you're referring to the template in the footer it just lists everybody who's ever been in the band. But I agree, it could definitely be less confusing.

Tchaikovsky is a book writing machine so if that novel is up your ...

2026-01-15T01:07:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…rmuz
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Tchaikovsky is a book writing machine so if that novel is up your alley, or if you even like his writing, there are a lot of excellent books in your future.

I also got it! 😂

2026-01-15T01:04:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…nkr6
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I also got it! 😂

be sure about what I'd read and none of them really discussed ...

2026-01-14T23:50:22Z

In reply to nevent1q…vg5f
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be sure about what I'd read and none of them really discussed the ending because spoilers. So we're left to fill in some blanks and I agree with you "How we got the intel" would have been a good story. I feel if all your characters are, at some level, unlikable, you have to have some other positive or interesting payoff. I did not see that here and having read Tchaikovsky's "Shroud" a while back, this was not as good.

I started to despair that there would be anything but an ...

2026-01-14T23:47:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…p9x4
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I started to despair that there would be anything but an "everyone dies" ending once they crashed on the planet. Like, I appreciate an author who is willing to kill off 75% of their characters, but also was like "You get that far into doing some first contact communication stuff and then wrap it up like that?"

Gilly confused me as a character even though I probably identified the most with him. I read a lot of reviews just so that I could...

I tried a free trial of one during COVID. There was so much ...

2026-01-14T22:54:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…v4lx
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I tried a free trial of one during COVID. There was so much plastic packaging trash including a lot of cold packs that it just felt too wasteful for me. I'm not one of those "avoid plastic at all costs" people but for a lot of the things I purchase which only have plastic as an option (a lot of spices, maybe a loaf of bread) you get a LOT more meals for the amount of trash/plastic. No shade on anyone for whom it works, just did not work for me.

Awwwww.

2026-01-14T22:50:40Z

In reply to nevent1q…wyc2
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Awwwww.

Yes! I currently wage a small scale war in my small town against ...

2026-01-14T22:09:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…alwr
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Yes! I currently wage a small scale war in my small town against *the idea of cops* because otherwise people just want to talk about how nice Officer Scott is (he is nice, I don't care).

The big thing that has been helpful here has been to hammer home just how much the cops COST and how many good things we could do with that money elsewhere to address these so-called social problems people fear. "Could a million dollars a year materially address your concerns?"

Funny thing about Wikipedia, if someone's name is a ...

2026-01-14T21:41:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…vdud
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Funny thing about Wikipedia, if someone's name is a "redirect" (i.e. goes to the name of their band, not them) and you turn that into an article, you don't get credit for an article creation. I mostly don't care about getting credit, but I do a tiny bit

ANYWAY, I wrote a stub for Steve Wilson, one of many Steve Wilsons, who is the current drummer for the Dead Kennedys and the only one in the band's footer template without a page. Here he is with my partner's dad. RIP DH

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Wilson_(drummer)

I'll be curious what you think of the ending!

2026-01-14T02:24:28Z

In reply to nevent1q…tzlh
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I'll be curious what you think of the ending!

Awww that was nice. I am also a sender (and receiver, and ...

2026-01-14T02:16:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…4ja9
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Awww that was nice. I am also a sender (and receiver, and appreciator) of postcards.

I'd go further and think: public defender.

2026-01-14T02:15:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…3hf0
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I'd go further and think: public defender.

Book 4: Providence. I've liked Barry's other books and I ...

2026-01-14T02:14:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…fkas
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Book 4: Providence. I've liked Barry's other books and I liked this one in a different way. It's a straight up long-haul forever-war sort of story about a crew of four flawed people on a four-year tour of deep space with a mission to kill a seemingly endless supply of one type of alien creatures. Oh and their ship is run by an AI so sophisticated that the humans are really only there for PR purposes, and maybe to help the AI company sell more AI. Written in 2020 but still feels fresh.

Gosh, I remember Bobby Sands too. The Boston Globe ran front page ...

2026-01-13T22:53:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…mn9c
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Gosh, I remember Bobby Sands too. The Boston Globe ran front page stories about the hunger strike for a while. Thanks for sharing Heba's story.

This looks cool, bless you for including some step by step manual ...

2026-01-13T22:49:23Z

In reply to nevent1q…0hrx
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This looks cool, bless you for including some step by step manual guides for folks who want to know what's going on.

I was in Chicago right after 9/11 and I remember seeing this on ...

2026-01-13T22:46:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…7g6d
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I was in Chicago right after 9/11 and I remember seeing this on the newsstand and thinking "Oh gosh, maybe I will laugh again at some point in my life"

https://theonion.com/issue-37-34-the-september-11th-issue-1828969352/

This is not quite the same (and I enjoyed your story) but I work ...

2026-01-13T22:43:49Z

In reply to nevent1q…35yt
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This is not quite the same (and I enjoyed your story) but I work in libraries; one of the questions I would always ask at a job interview or before a consulting gig was "How does your library get along with IT?" Innocuous, but it was a often shortcut to figuring out if a library was tech-backwards or not. Like if they said "UGH THEY MADE US GET WINDOWS 11" (in 2025) that was a signal. Obvs some IT folks might be rude/bad but mostly they're trying to get work done, same as librarians

Right now he's got the free laptop I am ledning him just to ...

2026-01-13T22:36:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…y3kt
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Right now he's got the free laptop I am ledning him just to see if Laptop Life is good for him. If it is, he'd like to buy his own laptop and it would probably be a Chromebook. I do not know much about Chrome OS Flex, I'll poke around a little. Thanks.

The work, such as it is, is different than you think. People may ...

2026-01-13T22:30:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…fnh9
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The work, such as it is, is different than you think. People may feel dumb not knowing this stuff in 2026. Most of the time they know how much they don't know. Obviously texting "library patrons" is not expected at the job, but making sure your friends and neighbors are not being left behind is part of the job of being human (if you've got the capacity, which I do on some days).

HA!

2026-01-12T20:08:29Z

In reply to nevent1q…nt2p
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HA!

Me too! I really thought, when I got out of library school in the ...

2026-01-12T19:31:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…jpd3
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Me too! I really thought, when I got out of library school in the 1990s, that I'd do digital literacy work for a little bit and then once "everyone was on email" I could move on to higher level issues like privacy, infosec, how-to-Linux etc but that day really never came.

I keep reminding myself about the words of Phil Agre "If ...

2026-01-12T18:32:57Z

In reply to nevent1q…rm63
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I keep reminding myself about the words of Phil Agre "If it's not obvious to them, it's not obvious." I feel fortunate that not only can I use my laptop, I have enough of a mental map of what it's like to NOT know how to use it, that I can help people get from there to here, or one step closer to here. Tom helps me get the snow off my roof, moved nearly a ton of stove pellets from my garage to my basement, and helps me remember why I do what I do. Sometimes I forget, it's good to remember. EOM

He goes all the way through Mousercise and gets a ...

2026-01-12T18:30:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…ugx7
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He goes all the way through Mousercise and gets a "certificate of completion" which he enjoys. And finally, because we're trying to solve his problems and not mine, I set up a Zoom meeting and show him how to join. This is tricky because ancient Safari doesn't automagically open Zoom links so I have to show him other ways to join a meeting (type in meeting ID &c). We Zoom from across his apartment and I show him how to turn his camera and mic on and off.

It's an old Macbook. I strip it down to the basics. The dock ...

2026-01-12T18:26:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…natp
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It's an old Macbook. I strip it down to the basics. The dock has four things: Safari, Zoom, Settings, Photos. We get it on his wifi and I show him how to use the track pad, open a program, move a window, click on a link. We bookmark the sites he goes to online from his phone--Facebook, Google, Gmail, Wikipedia. He's a good study but this is slow going. Was delighted to find that the site I've been using for a decade+ to teach mouse skills is still online: MOUSERCISE.

https://pbc.gov/mousercise/mousercise.htm

Big challenge for me on Sunday was helping a local pal learn to ...

2026-01-12T18:22:56Z

Big challenge for me on Sunday was helping a local pal learn to use a laptop. This man is older than me and has never used a computer. He uses his smartphone for everything and wants to get a computer so he can, among other things, go to recovery meetings on Zoom (there aren't enough local in-person meetings). I have, as you might expect, many extra laptops. Figured we'd start with the basics (point, click, double click, click drag) and go from there....

Good on him. Not everyone can get out from under the weight of ...

2026-01-11T23:33:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…w7kw
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Good on him. Not everyone can get out from under the weight of something like that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo5_VTkGGjM

Book 3: Family Style. A graphic novel memoir about the ...

2026-01-11T22:08:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…lgpd
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Book 3: Family Style. A graphic novel memoir about the author's journey to the US starting as a Vietnamese refugee coming to Thailand on a boat under awful conditions & slowly getting to the US and eventually becoming the graphic novelist and cartoonist that he is today. It's told in chapters each of which has a different food (some Vietnamese and some very much not) as a framing device. It's really interesting getting to see the refugee experience through the eyes of a child. A well told story.

This is what I do. If I see someone new who seems to like what I ...

2026-01-11T18:57:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…xehk
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This is what I do. If I see someone new who seems to like what I like, I follow them. It's easy to unfollow them later if it turns out they're not my cup of tea.

Hi Angelo -- welcome. I'd love a great URL/pointer for some ...

2026-01-11T18:34:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…tu85
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Hi Angelo -- welcome. I'd love a great URL/pointer for some Turkish/Anatolian psychedelic rock. I'm a fan of things like Khruangbin and Tinariwen but I'm not on Spotify so I usually ask folks when I want to hear about new bands.

If Jim's not here, often. If he's in town, never. ...

2026-01-11T02:53:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…r557
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If Jim's not here, often. If he's in town, never. He's in town about half the time so I think on balance it may be rarely.

I usually go for the old paisley bandana type and wash them A LOT ...

2026-01-11T02:42:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…jkte
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I usually go for the old paisley bandana type and wash them A LOT and even the ones that start off a bit stiff wind up pretty soft. If you don't have an "ick" feeling about it, vintage is often the way to go for the softest cotton. That said, Vermont Country Store has some nice plain or embroidered ones that seem legit but I havent' tried them

https://www.vermontcountrystore.com/mens-cotton-handkerchief-set-of-7/product/92759

More to the point, at least in my state, libraries are dealing ...

2026-01-11T02:25:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…6gjq
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More to the point, at least in my state, libraries are dealing with the fact that they only have a few options for a lot of vendor things in terms of, for example, ebooks. Or email providers. I think people in tech are aware that there are always trade-offs between convenience and privacy. I think people in libraries in smaller locations are aware of that idea generally but not at all sure what to do about it specifically.

This is one of those things where the Mass Library Association ...

2026-01-11T02:23:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…pzgc
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This is one of those things where the Mass Library Association has something more robust (or even the individual libraries). I know in Vermont, there are state laws which are sort of the minimum and then individual libraries can have policies that go even further. I know my library is a "No patron info AT ALL without a warrant" but there may be other libraries in the state which are less stringent. Libraries are privacy-focused in terms of patron reading material, less so in other ways.

Library patron privacy laws are on a state by state basis. The ...

2026-01-10T23:39:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…x97v
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Library patron privacy laws are on a state by state basis. The American Library Association keeps track of these laws and you can see them here.

https://www.ala.org/advocacy/privacy/statelaws

A lot of these laws have to do with whether or not patron info (i.e. what they're reading, any data in their library account) is considered a public record and thus able to be obtained by agents of the state. While I don't disagree that gmail is problematic, I don't think it runs afoul of the laws.

And yes, each state funds their libraries differently which is ...

2026-01-10T22:49:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…8zja
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And yes, each state funds their libraries differently which is WILD. In Vermont each town funds its own library (this is unusual, I think we're one of maybe 8 states that doesn't have some state funding for libraries) so there is a huge variation in things like hours, materials, programs, websites. Some libraries have cards which are free to non-residents, some don't. In most states, that sort of thing is more centralized so libraries would be a bit more level in big/small towns.

Yes! In the US libraries serve as a "third space" a lot. ...

2026-01-10T22:45:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…xchq
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Yes! In the US libraries serve as a "third space" a lot. My UK library experience (mostly just in the London area, so prob. not representative) was that the libraries had stuff which was a bit more centralized--ILS, book buying, furniture purchasing--so libraries from one community to the next might be more similar. And if you have a centralized ILS it probably would be a snazzier one that was more website-like. Our ILSes mostly aren't, so what you're saying makes a lot of sense.

I can get VERY nerdy about this very quickly, so feel free to ask ...

2026-01-10T22:38:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…eajt
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I can get VERY nerdy about this very quickly, so feel free to ask if you have more questions but I think the big difference here is that the libraries here are all really different from one another so for some, a small link on a larger website might work but for most, being able to have their own identity that is distinct from the town is useful for them.

I'm not an expert on UK/US differences but in Vermont, which ...

2026-01-10T22:35:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…wauh
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I'm not an expert on UK/US differences but in Vermont, which is fairly rural, there are different ways to fund libraries. Some are a department of the town, some are independently funded (similar, but they make their own budget) and a few are a mix.

Town websites in VT tend to be pretty sparse affairs and sometimes don't allow depts to do their own updating. Some of this depends on the specific relationship. And our library websites often have a lot more than just the ILS.

She looks like a hot ticket!

2026-01-10T22:17:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…lxr8
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She looks like a hot ticket!

Very happy for you that it was such a good gig and also happy for ...

2026-01-10T22:16:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…jer5
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Very happy for you that it was such a good gig and also happy for your friend. It's so great to get to meet new folks!

I agree. It's tough because having a page on FB, if it's ...

2026-01-10T21:59:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…wv8v
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I agree. It's tough because having a page on FB, if it's all your ten-hours-per-week library can support is maybe better than nothing but it's still not great.

I use this Firefox plug in. Super simple which is all I am ...

2026-01-10T21:58:49Z

In reply to nevent1q…up25
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I use this Firefox plug in. Super simple which is all I am looking for.

https://github.com/damufo/link-analyzer

It's not bad per se but a lot of times the town just sort of ...

2026-01-10T21:57:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…n4w6
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It's not bad per se but a lot of times the town just sort of shunts them to a single page on the town's site, so there's no way to customize it, to add library content, to have a library calendar which is not mushed in with the town's page. For a tiny town, that may make a lot of sense, but in most cases, the specific things a library website is for are better served with them having their own site.

I maintain a list of all the public library websites in the state ...

2026-01-10T20:28:49Z

I maintain a list of all the public library websites in the state of Vermont. I run a link checker against it maybe once or twice a year to see what's changed. There are ~180 websites. A few trends I noticed on this most recent check.

- fewer libraries using Facebook as their library website
- fewer libraries using part of the town's website as their library website
- more libraries using https

All good trends!

https://vermontlibraries.org/vermonts-public-libraries

#Vermont #Libraries

I don't necessarily think it's bad if you're mindful ...

2026-01-10T18:11:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…hh2h
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I don't necessarily think it's bad if you're mindful about it and there's no power differential. When it can be bad is if you're in a workplace with bad work/life boundaries and someone in a position of power dumps something in your inbox on Friday, late, and expects something from you early Monday. Lots of people work different hours, or don't have the same "I must handle this" feeling which I do; it's mostly a reminder to make sure what you're doing works for not just you, but others.

Randy Riley was the State Librarian of Michigan until his ...

2026-01-10T04:51:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…0h8j
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Randy Riley was the State Librarian of Michigan until his untimely death this week. He seemed like a wonderful man, a librarian's librarian, who really believed in access and outreach. Thanks to an interview he did with IMLS, there was a public domain image of him available. It can be hard, sometimes, for librarians to get a lot of media mentions, so much of what they do is just about the institution, not the person. I am sorry I did not know him better.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Riley

That was definitely a good outcome for you. In my case they knew ...

2026-01-10T02:53:29Z

In reply to nevent1q…r7m8
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That was definitely a good outcome for you. In my case they knew why the check engine light was on, and it wasn't a particularly big deal in an older car, it just wouldn't get past the software.