Nostr notes by David Megginson

The maintenance on an EV is backloaded: the power train is ...

2026-05-06T16:12:22Z

In reply to nevent1q…2kvp
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The maintenance on an EV is backloaded: the power train is simpler, but the extra weight wears out tires and suspension faster, and when the battery degrades, it's a very expensive replacement. You may still end up slightly ahead, though, over the life of a new vehicle

In our case, an EV just doesn't make sense. We live in the urban centre of Ottawa, and drive relatively little: we fill up our 50L tank maybe 1×/month (2× if we make a trip to Kingston or Montreal). The carbon costs of producing our 2013 Mazda 3 have been amortised long ago, and we don't drive enough that an EV would ever catch up, as long as we're able to keep this car roadworthy.

If we were driving every day to commute to work or take kids to sports practices, it might be a different equation.

Tim Bray 🇨🇦 (npub19ua…53cv) John Francis 🇨🇦🦫🍁🫎 (npub1lud…8056) [@virtuous_sloth](https://cosocial.ca/@virtuous_sloth )

"Late-stage capitalism" is a clever -sounding phrase ...

2026-04-23T11:54:11Z

**"Late-stage capitalism"** is a clever -sounding phrase to drop into a fedipost, but it's nonsense: it implies a deterministic, teleological model of history, moving through known stages towards an inevitable goal.

In reality, each generation just muddles along as best it can, neither moving towards nor away from anything, but just making the best (or worst) of their moment on this planet. 🫤

#history #marxism #capitalism

*p.s. Marxists aren't alone in their fantasising: (liberal) Whig historians have their Myth of Progress, techo-utopians have their triumphalist history of the "Great Men" of Science, and conservative Christian Nationalists have their racist "Great Replacement" theory.*

linked to an article saying > It will have been more than ...

2026-03-21T00:22:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…dax7
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linked to an article saying

> It will have been more than three weeks since the US and Israel first attacked Iran when the first British warship finally arrives off the coast of Cyprus, a belated defensive deployment that has highlighted the lack of military capacity available to the UK.

And meanwhile, the most advanced aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy was limping back to Crete, defeated by a laundry fire and clogged toilets.

The huge gap between hawkish politicians' chest-thumping rhetoric and the drab, depressing reality on military deployment isn't limited to just the UK.

#nonviolence #military

To me, the noun "professional" when applied to a person ...

2026-03-15T01:09:21Z

To me, the noun "professional" when applied to a person in the creative arts connotes…

#polls #language

They're doing the right thing by giving the testimonials, as ...

2026-03-10T20:55:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…9mwt
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They're doing the right thing by giving the testimonials, as long as they don't turn into a redemption narrative for preaching against vaccination until they were affected personally. 😕

In the end, I wimped out and instead of just thinning, separated ...

2026-03-05T14:23:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…x24p
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In the end, I wimped out and instead of just thinning, separated my tangled seedlings carefully among 4 trays and 4 pots.

Now I have 40 viable Italian finger pepper (twisty chili) seedlings growing and room for max 2–4 chili plants in my garden when the spring comes (unless I abandon everything else), so I'm trying to find other suckers gardeners to take some from me.

I'm make a lousy heartless Greek or Norse god.

#gardening #Ottawa #peppers #chilis

> God-like, he decides > Which sprouts may live, and which ...

2026-03-04T02:59:44Z

> God-like, he decides
> Which sprouts may live, and which must die.

#gardening #poetry #doggerel

Which do you normally say? #language #english #usage

2026-01-10T14:33:04Z

Which do you normally say?

#language #english #usage

<li>U.S. government secretly cancels foreign ...

2025-11-11T12:37:27Z

<li>U.S. government secretly cancels foreign journalist's visa in the middle of a visit.</li><li>ICE then arrests journalist for being in the country on an expired visa.</li><li>After suffering two weeks of ICE incarceration, journalist agrees to "voluntarily" leave the country.</li>Our southern neighbour is becoming a rogue state, like North Korea or Russia. And they wonder why Canadian tourists aren't coming any more. 😢

#SamiHamdi #USpolitics #ICE

Are you annoyed by non-ligatured "fi" pairs in word ...

2025-10-27T15:48:50Z

Are you annoyed by non-ligatured "fi" pairs in word processors and web typography? If so, feel free to mention why in the comments.

#polls #typography

Yes, I can't help but think their copies of the gospels are ...

2025-09-19T14:17:49Z

In reply to nevent1q…5ry7
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Yes, I can't help but think their copies of the gospels are just for thumping, not reading. If anyone on the far right actually read what's in them, Jesus would lose his FCC license.

#religion #politics

Jon Bosak (npub1673…fx9t)

Canada has traditionally distinguished itself from the U.S. ...

2025-09-19T13:17:32Z

Canada has traditionally distinguished itself from the U.S. mostly through the [narcissism of small differences](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissism_of_small_differences ), because our cultures and day-to-day lives weren't really all that distinct

Now that we're diverging sharply — our southern neighbour has become a tinpot dictatorship where most people and orgs with public responsibility are abdicating it to try to anticipate the whims of a vain elderly kleptocrat and head off his wrath — instead of feeling vindicated ("look, we really *are* different!"), we just feel sad and uncomfortable.

Being genuinely different isn't as much fun as being pretend-different. 😢

#Canada #US #USpolitics

#Tomatos off the vine, still warm from the sun, taste like ...

2025-09-02T19:22:51Z

#Tomatos off the vine, still warm from the sun, taste like summer.

That is all I wanted to say.

#gardening

Random advice: If the cilantro in your garden is bolting, ...

2025-08-20T21:21:31Z

**Random advice:** If the cilantro in your garden is bolting, harvest some of the seeds while they're still green. They're juicy, delicious, and pop in your mouth.

They're also something that (AFAIK) you can't buy in stores, so pat yourself on the back for being a gardener. Use them in salads, as a garnish, or however you want.

#advice #gardening #lifeHacks

Even if there weren't a trade dispute with the U.S., I ...

2025-08-19T12:37:03Z

Even if there weren't a trade dispute with the U.S., I don't see why Canada *ever* considered buying the F-35, a limited-range, single engine fighter that has a history of problems operating in cold weather. 🤦‍♂️

As the saying goes, fighter jets just are machines for converting tax dollars into noise and smoke. That was already true in the ICBM age when Dief cancelled the pointless Avro Arrow, and it's even more true in the drone-swarm age now.

Unlike (say) military transport or patrol aircraft, fighters serve little purpose in 2025.

#military #trade #aviation #F35

Big change for optics, but hypocritical and meaningless in ...

2025-08-08T15:11:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…gdmv
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Big change for optics, but hypocritical and meaningless in practical terms.

Even if the IDF fully honours the terms, they can just shift *other* weapons to the Gaza genocide and replace them with the German ones, so the result is the same (except that the bombs actually killing Gazans will no longer say "Hergestellt in Deutschland"). 😕

And selfishness. They don't want anyone else to have the good ...

2025-08-07T14:40:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…jvyh
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And selfishness. They don't want anyone else to have the good fortune they have because their own ancestors immigrated.

If your ancestors migrated from Europe or Asia to North America ...

2025-08-07T11:34:07Z

If your ancestors migrated from Europe or Asia to North America 100+ years ago, odds are that they traveled packed into steerage, with little privacy, poor sanitation, and rampant disease. At least by the early 20th century, (very basic) food and bedding was provided: before that, you had to bring your own, or tough luck.

Be as kind to today's migrants as you hope some people were to your ancestors. Nobody puts themself through this nightmare because they *want* to leave their homes, families, and friends.

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

#history #migration #refugees

No disguise needed: the federal Liberal Party has always been ...

2025-07-31T20:53:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…ydqg
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No disguise needed: the federal Liberal Party has *always* been centre-right (the last huge cuts to the public service happened under Chrétein-Martin, and they used aggressive austerity and privatisation to balance the budget, before PM Harper ran up the deficit again). That helps explain why the federal Conservatives veered to the wacko Fox-News-style far right, just to try differentiate themselves somehow.

In Ontario, the PCs wisely held onto the traditional conservative centre-right space, which is why the Ontario Libs are lost in the political wilderness (the NDP already occupies the very slightly left-leaning centre, so the ON Libs can't move either way).

It's also why Premier Ford's cottage invitations go to PM Carney instead of Pierre Poilièvre: they're in the same political space, despite the confusingly-different party labels. 🤷

#CanPoli

Marcia MacDonald (npub1hp7…etwp) Chris Boese (npub1rwf…rcwx)

For Canada, the trick to the (absurd) 5% GDP NATO commitment will ...

2025-06-25T18:04:06Z

For Canada, the trick to the (absurd) 5% GDP NATO commitment will be reclassifying lots of stuff as "military spending".

Canada Border Services? Military spending.

Air Traffic Control? Military spending.

Ice breaking in shipping lanes? Military spending.

Arctic research? Military spending.

Mapping and geo surveys? Military spending.

CSIS? Military spending.

High speed rail? Military spending (infrastructure to move troops quickly).

See if I'm wrong.

#NATO #military #CanPoli

We have viable third/fourth parties at the national level, and ...

2025-05-14T16:16:10Z

In reply to nevent1q…nepd
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We have viable third/fourth parties at the national level, and usually they get a significant number of seats (even though they don't form a government). This election was an exception, because of the polarising actions of the U.S. president and the perception that the Conservative leader was too closely aligned with him, but even now, PM Carney has to cooperate with them.

Imagine how different U.S. politics would be if a third party held even 5–10 seats in the Senate.

Sad, but not surprising Voters flocked to PM Carney's Liberal ...

2025-05-14T13:55:23Z

In reply to nevent1q…qfus
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Sad, but not surprising

Voters flocked to PM Carney's Liberal party only because the main alternative, the Conservatives, had chosen a scary leader who reminded them too much of MAGA down in the U.S., with his anti-"woke" rhetoric and flirtations with far-right groups.

I don't think many voters actually believed PM Carney was progressive (at least, I hope they didn't). He's a Goldman Sachs alumnus and a classic free-market economist, after all.

#CanPoli

One of the most-interesting stories from #WW2 is how the ...

2025-05-08T01:51:28Z

One of the most-interesting stories from #WW2 is how the world's most-powerful and technically-advanced battleship was rendered unnavigable through an attack by fabric-covered biplanes.

The biplanes flew so slowly and jigged around so much that the German gunners didn't even know how to track them.

The life lesson here (outside of war) is that *more powerful* doesn't always mean *more successful.* Apparent weakness can be a strength of its own.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_battleship_Bismarck#Chase

#aviation #resistance

Yes, "Libertarian" in partisan politics generally means ...

2025-05-06T13:40:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…5pdl
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Yes, "Libertarian" in partisan politics generally means "I can do whatever I want", not "You can do whatever you want." 😕

There are undoubtedly true libertarians in the world (for better or for worse), but they rarely enter politics. Political conservatives are typically LINOs, who are big on anti-libertarian measures like overpolicing, restricting free movement across borders, and regulating people's bodies.

M. Grégoire (npub1pz3…dwqw) [@Sir_Osis_of_Liver](https://beige.party/@Sir_Osis_of_Liver )

Here, the squirrels will just go into a garden bed and dig up ...

2025-05-01T11:31:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…tr47
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Here, the squirrels will just go into a garden bed and dig up every single seedling, leaving them scattered around holes like mini bomb craters.

Perhaps that's the reason my North American ancestors had "squirrel guns" rather than "rabbit rifles." 🤷

#Ottawa #gardening

There's no height that would keep out the squirrels here. The ...

2025-05-01T10:29:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…3kpv
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There's no height that would keep out the squirrels here. The bunnies are welcome to their tithe, but the squirrels just dig up and destroy things for no reason. 😕

The accessible garden is turned over, composted, raked, staked, ...

2025-04-30T21:31:28Z

The accessible garden is turned over, composted, raked, staked, and ready for May!

#Ottawa #gardening #zone5

The difference is that in the U.S., it's the gun owners ...

2025-04-30T16:57:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…xq5q
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The difference is that in the U.S., it's the gun owners themselves rather than a foreign invader who are massacring innocent civilians by the tens of thousands., so any implied analogy doesn't hold up.

After France fell, British SOE and other Allied groups dropped over 2,500 tons of armaments for the various French Resistance groups, including more than 100K small arms. It's unlikely a few rusty old shotguns hidden in farmhouses had much effect.

#gunControl #WW2 #history

Canada's Got Talent, election edition 3rd 🥉 — ...

2025-04-29T11:29:42Z

**Canada's Got Talent, election edition**

3rd 🥉 — Carney's happy dance to Down with Webster.

2nd 🥈 — May's sweet musical duet with her husband.

1st 🥇 — Poilièvre's gracious concession speech.

It was reassuringly normal: he thanked his supporters, acknowledged the legitimacy of the result, congratulated Carney, and called for unity.

We used to take this bit of political ritual for granted, but down in the U.S. recently we've seen how bad things get it if doesn't happen.

#CanPoli #elxn45

The important take-away for those of us in the rest of the world ...

2025-04-24T13:20:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…9428
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The important take-away for those of us in the rest of the world is to remember that none of this has any logic behind it. We can make a deal today, and it's gone tomorrow, so there's really no point trying to placate or make concessions.

Some world leaders still think they can somehow negotiate with a random walk.

Thought experiment: if you put a monkey in front of a bank of ...

2025-04-24T12:04:02Z

**Thought experiment:** if you put a monkey in front of a bank of buttons with labels like "apply tariffs", "suspend tariffs", "threaten sovereignty", "back off on threats", "fire someone,"and so on, talking heads at outlets like Fox News would shout at us about the brilliant strategy hidden behind the monkey's apparently-random button pushes.

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

#politics #media

Every sunny afternoon when the temperature climbs above 10°c, my ...

2025-04-17T18:50:51Z

Every sunny afternoon when the temperature climbs above 10°c, my seedlings get a field trip to the backyard.

#Ottawa #gardening

wrote > Another LinkedIn influencer explaining that if you ...

2025-04-11T21:16:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…s3tn
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wrote

> Another LinkedIn influencer explaining that if you write using em-dashes, he'll ignore you because you obviously used AI.

Seriously? This is a thing? I've been using en-dashes and em-dashes correctly since the 1980s.

On the other hand, being ignored by a LinkedIn "influencer" does seem like a benefit, so maybe I'll just stay quiet about it.

#AI #LinkedIn

For now we've lost faith in your country and government, ...

2025-03-22T13:50:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…z704
_________________________

For now we've lost faith in your country and government, Curt Olson (npub15am…hmr6) , but speaking at least for myself, I haven't lost faith in the American people. I think you will all find your way out of this.

It won't be the same as before, but if your fellow Americans have learned from past mistakes in configuring U.S.A. v.1 (1789–1861) and U.S.A. v.2 (1865–2025), maybe U.S.A. v.3 (some time next decade, after the dumpster-fire smoke clears?) will live up to the "freedom" rhetoric. 🤞

Mike Dolbow (npub1z92…fdqa)

wrote > this post is about the broader point that the world is ...

2025-03-22T13:02:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…epur
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wrote

> this post is about the broader point that the world is currently a dumpster fire and I wish we all had smaller problems.

I agree: little things *do* matter.

When you're stuck in the middle of a burning dumpster looking out, it must seem like the whole world's a dumpster fire, but actually we're not. Most other countries are coping okay. It's hard watching our good friend crawl into a dumpster with matches and a can of kerosene, but we realize it's time to move on. 😕

It's like this old aviation joke. Q. How can you find a pilot ...

2025-03-19T12:49:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…wg94
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It's like this old aviation joke.

Q. How can you find a pilot in a big crowd?

A. Just stand still. They'll come over and tell you.

#jokes #aviation

OK, it's time for the seed inventory: which are still viable, ...

2025-03-16T17:52:43Z

OK, it's time for the seed inventory: which are still viable, and which need to be replenished?

Nightshade seedlings start today above a heat mat. I'm planning<li>Sweetie cherry tomatoes</li><li>Mid-sized yellow tomatoes</li><li>Some kind of large heirloom tomato (I'll see what's available at Home Hardware 🍁 )</li><li>Black Beauty eggplants</li><li>California Wonder bell peppers</li><li>Italian finger peppers (from seeds I've saved myself)</li>

#gardening #Ottawa #zone5b

It's wild reading 1930s novels and seeing how reliable rail ...

2025-03-12T12:50:07Z

It's wild reading 1930s novels and seeing how reliable rail travel once was in the UK.

"The ship leaves Liverpool for Spain at 7:00 pm."

"There's a train that gets in at 6:25."

"That will allow more than enough time for the five of us to arrive at the station with all our steamer trunks, arrange taxis, and get onboard."

😳

#rail #trains #novels #1930s

Interesting. Mr Carney has associations with a few places, but he ...

2025-03-07T21:02:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…37w6
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Interesting. Mr Carney has associations with a few places, but he lives in Ottawa now, and at least in the past has lived in Rockcliffe Park (which is in Ottawa-Vanier), so he wouldn't feel like a parachute candidate.

In any case, he'll want a very safe seat. The Libs could run a Pet Rock in Ottawa-Vanier or Orléans (just to the east) and still win by a landslide. Gotta love partisan politics. 😞

Stéphanie (npub1jay…80k8)

Yes. If Mr Carney wins, watch for someone in a safe Liberal ...

2025-03-07T20:51:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…pl59
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Yes. If Mr Carney wins, watch for someone in a safe Liberal riding (Ottawa-Vanier?) to get a plum diplomatic or senate appointment, opening up a vacant seat. That's a big advantage that the party in power has over opposition parties.

The sad thing is that the aviation world had a fully-functional ...

2025-03-07T12:47:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…4cf5
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The sad thing is that the aviation world had a fully-functional land-based radio-navigation system of VORs, NDBs, ILS, etc, until ~10 years ago, when we started dismantling much of it for cost savings because GPS apparently didn't need a backup.

And now, atomic clocks in planes?!?!?

#aviation #GPS #navigation

#OurAirports now lists the Paracel Islands as a separate disputed ...

2025-03-05T23:17:38Z

#OurAirports now lists the Paracel Islands as a separate disputed territory. China de-facto operates all of the aerodromes in the islands (two airports and a few heliports), but Vietnam and Taiwan also claim the islands.

It's about the possible oil and gas reserves (isn't it always?).

https://ourairports.com/countries/XP/

#gis #geopolitics #airports #resources

English mystery novels of the 1920s sometimes refer to chemical ...

2025-02-26T13:08:35Z

English mystery novels of the 1920s sometimes refer to chemical fertiliser as "artificial manure." Let's revive that!

#language #gardening #reading

I had you in mind especially as I posted this. 🙂

2025-02-25T14:58:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…gake
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I had you in mind especially as I posted this. 🙂

I acknowledge the problematic original distribution channel of ...

2025-02-25T14:13:32Z

I acknowledge the problematic original distribution channel of this video through one of the big, evil social-media sites, but still, 😆.

#CanPoli #language #French

Great to hear! #DEI isn't charity — it makes organisations ...

2025-02-17T21:38:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…hj06
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Great to hear!

#DEI isn't charity — it makes organisations stronger and smarter by bringing in a bigger range of views and life experiences. There's only so much additional benefit an org can squeeze out of the 1,001st able white cis male Ivy Leaguer it hires. 😕

There is a winter street parking ban in Ottawa effective 10:00 am ...

2025-02-16T12:40:07Z

There is a winter street parking ban in Ottawa effective 10:00 am today (Sunday) until further notice. Bylaw handed out nearly 3,000 tickets in the last one, up to $125 each. If able, leave your car at home and walk or transit (or ski?).

#Ottawa #ONstorm #cars

I'm hoping our lost opportunity for a great mayor will become ...

2025-02-07T01:58:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…k5dj
_________________________

I'm hoping our lost opportunity for a great mayor will become our new opportunity for a great MPP. I was a huge fan even before all the things they did to support people during the convoy occupation.

Q: How do you put up a lawn sign when the ground is frozen as ...

2025-02-07T01:50:57Z

*Q:* How do you put up a lawn sign when the ground is frozen as hard as concrete?

*A:* You build a SNOW PLINTH!

#Ottawa

Now that I'm in semi-retirement, I'm spending 2 hours/day ...

2025-01-31T11:31:23Z

In reply to nevent1q…8zz7
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Now that I'm in semi-retirement, I'm spending 2 hours/day on classical guitar in 4×30-minute sessions.

John Williams and Sharon Isbin will never have nothing to fear from me, but at least my playing is getting less cringe-worthy in the smaller details.

I hope the recent piano tuning leaves you well-tempered (sorry ...

2025-01-31T03:43:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…p74x
_________________________

I hope the recent piano tuning leaves you well-tempered (sorry for the Bach pun).

Every week or so I discover a new clue about my recently-acquired ...

2025-01-31T03:26:51Z

Every week or so I discover a new clue about my recently-acquired guitar. I'm fairly confident now that it's part of a small series of very-rare experimental guitars that José Ramírez IV had produced by hand in his Madrid workshop in the early 1990s, the prototypes for his *Especial* and Amalia Ramírez's later SP(R) series.

What a find, just hanging from a music-store wall on consignment (and *very* cheap b/c of the cosmetic damage). It sounds like a $10K guitar.

#classicalGuitar

wrote > I wish kindness was enough to save us from what's ...

2025-01-21T18:22:55Z

In reply to nevent1q…zky9
_________________________

wrote

> I wish kindness was enough to save us from what's coming.

It is, but it's a long game.

-16c must be brutal if you live somewhere that's not used to ...

2025-01-21T13:20:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…vs98
_________________________

-16c must be brutal if you live somewhere that's not used to it. I'm guessing the lesser roads and sidewalks aren't being regularly salted and sanded, the houses aren't well insulated (at least not the way they'd be in Canada), and people don't have thick parkas, winter boots, toques, and insulated mittens.

We talk tough about the cold here, but we're also well prepared for it, which makes it easier to handle.

gardening group (npub1v5a…ny6w)

I might pause reading or listening to the news until Tuesday. It ...

2025-01-19T12:45:43Z

I might pause reading or listening to the news until Tuesday.

It will be fixating on something fully predictable — a flashy transfer-of-power ritual in a big, rich, self-obsessed country — and burying the genuinely newsworthy events happening in the rest of the world.

#news #media

I agree! For most desk jobs, employees can get as much (or more) ...

2025-01-18T20:59:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…nklq
_________________________

I agree!

For most desk jobs, employees can get as much (or more) done in four days as in five, so there's no downside, even for the employer.

My only concern is that we increase the equity gap between desk jobs and jobs that require physical presence (e.g. nurse, store clerk, truck driver, line cook, security guard). They already don't get to telecommute, and unlike office workers, they can't compress 5 days into 4.

I'm sure we can figure it out. Just let's not forget about them.

I'm in a coffee shop, directly facing a table with two young ...

2025-01-18T20:49:33Z

I'm in a coffee shop, directly facing a table with two young guys who seem to be on a first date. They're both nervous, but one is showing it by talking too much, and one, by talking too little.

I can't hear what they're saying (and wouldn't try), but when I glance up it's clear that they're both overdoing the eye contact and smiling awkwardly at the wrong times.

Real life is much sweeter than reality TV. ❤️

#dating

Yes, I've been doing the latter, but it gets tiring for ...

2025-01-18T18:20:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…3jwn
_________________________

Yes, I've been doing the latter, but it gets tiring for hundreds of accounts (I mute boosts from each one as soon as I see uninteresting boosts from someone). I'll look into the grouping -- thanks!

Is there a way in (Glitch-flavoured) Mastodon to hide all boosts ...

2025-01-18T01:29:57Z

Is there a way in (Glitch-flavoured) Mastodon to hide all boosts from my timeline?

I do follow a few people whose boosts are actually interesting (and not overdone), but the vast majority of boosts are just spam clogging my timeline, and I'm getting tired of hiding boosts from one user at a time.

(Also, fellow fedizens, *please* stop overboosting. A boost is not a "like.")

#Mastodon #boosts #fediquette

I mean, I'm a white cishet male boomer, so I've got as ...

2025-01-13T23:48:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…ejrp
_________________________

I mean, I'm a white cishet male boomer, so I've got as many opinions as McDonald's has McNuggets (I hope mine are *slightly* less toxic). 😉

I expire most of my posts after a month or so — I don't ...

2025-01-13T23:43:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…va9m
_________________________

I expire most of my posts after a month or so — I don't think they have all that much value for posterity.

I bookmark anything I think might be genuinely useful to someone in the future (vs just me spouting opinions), so that it won't expire.

I'm gingerly walking the tightrope between loving #emacs for ...

2024-12-21T22:40:59Z

I'm gingerly walking the tightrope between loving #emacs for the past 35 years and loathing the behaviour of #RMS over the same period of time.

It requires a very long pole to keep from losing my balance.

#FOSS #harassment

That's probably not the best comparison, since GDP is annual ...

2024-12-15T02:01:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…280k
_________________________

That's probably not the best comparison, since GDP is annual economic activity while valuation is total value/wealth.

If you compare those companies' combined valuations to countries' [national wealth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_total_wealth ), they'd come in 13th place, just behind Spain, which is still absolutely bonkers.

Arabic oud == "wood" Arabic al oud == "the ...

2024-12-07T20:25:39Z

Arabic *oud* == "wood"

Arabic *al oud* == "the wood"

*lute,* *luth,* etc == Medieval Christian Europeans misunderstanding the name of the wooden stringed instrument North African Muslims and Jews introduced to Western Europe through Spain (along with science, math, medicine, and a bunch of other useful stuff).

#language #MiddleAges #music

I added night lighting to my model of the Sault Ste. Marie ...

2024-11-26T02:53:22Z

I added night lighting to my model of the Sault Ste. Marie International (automobile) Bridge for the open-source #FlightGear flight simulator.

For the whole 4.5 km bridge I use only 1,624 vertices, a 1024x1024 px primary texture, and a 1024x1024 px lightmap (most flight simulator scenery objects have to be low polygon because you can often see hundreds of square kilometers of scenery from the air).

https://github.com/davidmegginson/soo-bridges

#flightsim #CC0 #publicDomain #Mode

I respect that others feel differently, but I'd be OK if ...

2024-11-22T16:36:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…fjqn
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I respect that others feel differently, but I'd be OK if politicians, celebrities, etc *didn't* come here into the fedi. I'm here because want people to talk with me, not at me.

TBF, the idea of the web is that you can link to anything (not ...

2024-11-21T23:21:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…u4lq
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TBF, the idea of the web is that you can link to anything (not just stuff on your platform), so while I join you in questioning the person's choices, they are using it as designed.

Bluesky's big advantage (in many people's eyes) is that ...

2024-11-20T11:27:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…u9q8
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Bluesky's big advantage (in many people's eyes) is that they're *not* really federated in any meaningful way, so they have a single corporate source to certify the silly competitive stats that influencers and marketing departments are obsessed with.

I'm happy to leave Bluesky as a honeytrap for those accounts, even if they're the majority, for the sake of keeping the fedi human and non-"viral.".

Here, people talk with me, not at me.

#fediverse #Bluesky #gamification

wrote > I spent formative years visiting relatives in Duluth, ...

2024-09-16T17:41:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…txjl
_________________________

wrote

> I spent formative years visiting relatives in Duluth, watching lakers go through the lift bridge.

Here you go:

https://github.com/davidmegginson/aerial-lift-bridge

#Duluth #FlightGear #flightsim #3D

Oh no! Now I have to model the lift bridge ... 😉

2024-08-30T19:57:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…09q9
_________________________

Oh no! Now I have to model the lift bridge ...

😉

One trick of extremists and authoritarians is convincing their ...

2024-07-09T16:39:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…0gmd
_________________________

One trick of extremists and authoritarians is convincing their followers that they're in on a secret.

e.g. "*Most* people fall for Big Pharma's lies, but you, my well-monitised follower, know the TRUTH…"

Ricki Yasha Tarr (npub19zu…0jum)