Draft #intro #introduction
This particular educated rodent is fond of
#art
#music
#books
#photography
#plants
and other leaves on the tree of life (including #cats).
I enjoy putting things together, taking things apart, and figuring out how things work.
I love working with
#sound
#images
#words.
Once upon a time I was actually paid to #write.
As it's "Book Lovers Day", you might want to check out some book-related server types on the Fediverse:
@inventaire is a book cataloguing platform which lets people and organisations keep track of their own collection or run a private lending library. You can follow many different parts of Inventaire from Mastodon etc, including users, authors, series, publishers and more. The official site is at https://inventaire.io
@bookwyrm is a federated open alternative to Amazon's GoodReads, and you can import your GoodReads data into BookWyrm. It's part of the Fediverse and you can follow BookWyrm users from Mastodon etc. You can find out more including servers to sign up on at https://joinbookwyrm.com
#BookLoversDay #Books #Book #Fediverse #BookWyrm #Inventaire #ActivityPub #GoodReads #Alternatives
chronic illness
The first thing you're warned about by others when you develop a chronic or long-term illness is that people will forget you.
They don't mean to. We call them social cues for a reason. People often need a hook to get to thinking about someone, an excuse to contact them. We can all kinda keep up with injuries or acute illness because there are known dates and timeframes involved. Here's when to send flowers, here's when to drop off food. When you ask how they're recovering, you expect some sort of motion.
When you're sick on a more long-term basis, I guess you stop reaching out because you run out of things to talk about... "that fresh pillowcase sure was nice," "I liked today's third random movie better than the fourth." It's difficult to make new friends or sweet-talk existing ones into new, easier forms of communication without the energy to connect over a shared interest or ability to sustain a real-time conversation. You want company and friends, but it's hard to get people to engage open-endedly and asynchronously. They'll think you are tired and want to be left alone. But what you'll want is comfort and certainty in your connections.
Anyway I have no real point; it's just sad and it's universal. And a lot of people with chronic illnesses are still on full lockdown and lonely or have newly become ill without the benefit of the social support they'd ordinarily have to adjust to drastic changes in lifestyle or ability.
If you are lucky enough to be healthy and want to do something really awesome for someone who isn't, put someone you care about who you know is ill in your calendar and reach out consistently. Send them regular little notes about what is new with you, send uber eats to their door with breakfast on weekends, suggest something for their reading list or just send them some books if they're able to read comfortably, ask if you can pick up anything for a hobby they can still enjoy while you're out, send them a copy of the photos you take that are fun or pretty that you're not putting up anywhere.
Anything. Just... make it recurring. Each text or DM or "I saw this and thought of you" is a treasure.
Last December we had a heavy fog. It filled the valley, but from the top of the mountain it was clear skies. It was an impressive sight and many photos were taken. This was hiding on my hard drive. I quite like it now. https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinlewis/52246082832/in/dateposted-public/
U.S. transition to new telephone number 988 for suicide and crisis lifeline begins Saturday - https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2022/07/15/us-transition-988-suicide-crisis-lifeline-begins-saturday.html
#food I finally made frozen yogurt. (Except: the recipe I used was more like a frozen fruit treat made with some yogurt.)
Whatever you call it, it was very good! Will definitely do again.
Today I found one of the nerdiest things I have seen in my life: a compilation of short text adventure games, each based on a track from TMBG's "Apollo 18".
https://ifdb.org/search?searchfor=series:Apollo+18+Tribute+Album
The ones based on the short tracks that comprise "Fingertips" are all designed to be finishabe in a single move. Some of them are quite bizarre.
http://www.allthingsjacq.com/intfic_clubfloyd_20120502.html#6-a18comeonandwreckcar
Hey maker sorts! These dudes needs wheels, so: https://www.instructables.com/Rat-Operated-Vehicle/
I have tools. Parts list is at https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/ZOWUNR4J4FFL?ref_=wl_share
I want to replace the interior wire w/3mm copper bars, to protect paws.
But: what gauge insulated wire should I use?
Never done anything arduino, so I welcome suggestions.
Yes, it is possible to have Too Much Mint. #food
trump, online community moderation thread continued
This article shows such a clear picture of how internet trolls are parasitic:
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-trump-truth-social/
Trolls can't operate without access to an audience that someone else has built, because they're too unlikeable to build their own. They want to leech off YOUR audience, and understand "free speech" to mean "free web hosting and a free, pre-built audience."
#food Ben + Jerry non-dairy frozen treats: tried and passed with flying colors. Found some on discount in this hot hot season.
Tired dreaming soul.
I remember Usenet.
Avatar is my sketch.