@ernie@writing.exchange
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ernie

@ernie@writing.exchange

Editor of Tedium, an offbeat newsletter that’s been rocking since 2015. I complain on the internet a lot.

Interests: #writing #news #history #technology #retrotech #weird #geoworks #freelance

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ernie, to random
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Enshittification actively endangers people.

https://saturation.social/@clive/112414047583579932

ernie, to random
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Of the many faults of Apple’s terrible “Crush” ad, one of the biggest is a basic misunderstanding of why people like watching hydraulic press meme videos.

https://tedium.co/2024/05/09/apple-crush-hydraulic-press-ad-criticism/

new @tedium

ernie,
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“The ad doesn’t connect because the message it’s trying to promote is essentially completely at odds with our understanding of the hydraulic press, which we only understand as a device that breaks things in the most brutal way possible. There’s no intelligence at all, artificial or otherwise. It just crushes things.”

https://tedium.co/2024/05/09/apple-crush-hydraulic-press-ad-criticism/

ernie,
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Also in the piece, I give a shout to @dennyhenke, who is fighting the good fight for iPad-first users. https://tedium.co/2024/05/09/apple-crush-hydraulic-press-ad-criticism/

ernie, to random
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Morning Brew has an opening for a “puzzle creator.” https://jobs.lever.co/morningbrew/e3e1be3d-d7e0-4684-8345-9ff5a1bd2f3c

geerlingguy, to random
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Level up your remote video calls... just need a few thousand bucks and 8 years tweaking things, and you get: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF-MAuGPhcY :)

ernie,
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@geerlingguy I remember when we talked a while back you called out a small delay in my audio from my video, which I have to admit I was kind of impressed by. I have to imagine not many people catch stuff like that!

ernie, to random
@ernie@writing.exchange avatar

I don’t regret using a profanity yesterday to tell the anti-v*xxer off in that “Steve Albini just died” thread.

Here’s some context. I had just been at a funeral literally an hour before. It was sad, and it was important to honor that person’s life.

I open my phone just after that, and that woman’s post was the very first thing I saw.

ernie,
@ernie@writing.exchange avatar

It is the most dishonorable thing to do to use someone else’s still-fresh passing as an excuse to further your agenda. So don’t.

I promise not to do that often. But, please, respect the dead.

You are not a public health expert. You are a person with an opinion and a social media feed. You disrespect yourself, and everyone around you, when you use your voice to exploit the dead for your own messaging desires.

ernie, to random
@ernie@writing.exchange avatar

I have an idea. I would like to build a desk for myself using a slab of wood and a bunch of milk crates.

Milk crates are cheap. You can buy them for $5-$6 each on specialty sites.

I have the perfect spot for it on my third floor, next to a window. I could theoretically fit a 100-inch slab of wood in the spot.

ernie,
@ernie@writing.exchange avatar

IKEA offers some good wood blocks that are as wide as 98 inches (leaning towards counter tops over table tops, which are made of slightly nicer materials). They also offer Kallax, which would work as well as a bunch of milk crates. I could feasibly put a Kallax AND a 98-inch counter top in this space and use the space efficiently.

I guess my question is, is IKEA+milk crates a cool desk idea or a dumb one?

ernie,
@ernie@writing.exchange avatar

@SteveHeist I have two options given my space: I could do three rows of crates on one side, like a Kallax, and then attach one side of the desk to the wall using metal brackets, or I could do two crates on either side.

There is also a 28-inch-wide window hutch directly in front of the window that goes off the ground by about a foot. I could potentially put one crate directly on that on either side and make it fit. I would likely need a wider slab of wood to make that work in that case.

ernie,
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@alexhammy Tedium is a lifestyle.

ernie,
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Look what I found on the curb

ernie,
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79.5x30, good size

ernie,
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@ralfmaximus put a table leg in there, make it double as a monitor arm

ernie,
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You would think the expensive part of this endeavor would be the wood. But no, it’s the milk crates. The shipping is rough on these things because they’re so big and can’t be flattened.

The eBay ones near-universally come with shipping that’s more expensive than the crates themselves. And there are few color options if you go with, like, The Home Depot.

The best deal I’ve seen is WebstaurantStore, which offers discounted shipping by signing up with a plan.

ernie,
@ernie@writing.exchange avatar

This site is wild. https://www.milkcratesdirect.com/

While not cheap, you’re essentially buying the crates without shipping added and paying for that after. It’s clearly not designed for a one-off like me.

They sell something called a “Super Crate” that is intentionally designed to be large enough for vinyl records, but cost more money as a result. WebstaurantStore also sells them.

ernie,
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A lot of sellers do pickup-only. There are some interesting random sellers on Craigslist and similar sites. This one in particular raises questions.

https://winstonsalem.craigslist.org/for/d/winston-salem-sealtest-milk-crates/7745174327.html

ernie,
@ernie@writing.exchange avatar

One way to navigate this to balance costs would be to commit to fewer milk crates for now (say, two) and then attach one side of the door to the wall.

ernie,
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I just emailed the Milk Crates Direct people to see if they would be interested in collaborating.

I am now down the dairy crates rabbit hole once again.

ernie, to random
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Just got an invite to the UK Vape Expo in my spam folder. It starts tomorrow. Should I stop everything to take part?

ernie, to random
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Booo https://www.androidauthority.com/oneplus-12-oneplus-open-bloatware-premium-flagship-3440400/

ernie, to random
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Use profanities carefully.

ernie,
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@tehstu nope, the other site

ernie, to random
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Steve Albini doesn't die he reboots

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