@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com
@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com avatar

zakalwe

@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com

Culture Special Circumstances, detached.

pp desc for vision impaired: The N7 (Systems Alliance Special Forces) Seal from the Mass Effect games.

Neuro-spicy. Aspie pretending (sometimes badly) to be human (at least, it often feels that way) while fighting depression and chronic insomnia. Aspiring mostly-SF writer, burned-out IT geek, humanist who wants to see us make at least a token effort to stop enshittifying our entire planet. Is there really anything so incredibly, soul-threateningly terrible about the idea of giving a shit about other people?

Something I said pissed you off? It may be a misunderstanding, I'm far from immune to foot-in-mouth disease. Please check with me before you assume it was malicious. It most likely wasn't. If I don't think you're someone worth talking to, I just won't talk to you in the first place, period.

Follow-backs: If you have something to say, sure. No posts? Nothing to say? What would be the point? In the words of @PatternChaser, "I don't follow back, I follow interesting." I'm trying to keep the signal-to-noise ratio in my feed high. Still, if you follow me and I see it, I will do my best to at least find time to look. I can't guarantee I won't miss it, I'm not awake 24/7.
(And sorry, but don't expect me to follow you if you're posting the same dozen posts, day in, day out, day after day after week after month. In fact I'll most likely mute you.)

Came here to put words into my mouth so you could attack me over something I didn't say? (Yeah, sadly, it's happened.) Just don't. I WILL block your ass. Nobody has time for that shit.

Geek Stuff: I run Gentoo Linux, and I maintain a personal overlay with packages for dev-perl/Tk-MListbox, sys-apps/procmeter3, net-misc/icbm, media-sound/perljammer, app-crypt/sherpa, and app-editors/xnedit. Of those, net-misc/icbm and media-sound/perljammer are my own projects.

#nobot #writer #geek #linux #mysql #Gentoo #nosystemd #science

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

RickiTarr, to random
@RickiTarr@beige.party avatar

What is the thing(s) that attracts you to a person romantically or otherwise?

zakalwe,
@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com avatar

@RickiTarr Intelligence, compassion, and competence really top the list, I think. Not in any specific order, but all three have to be there. Oh, and integrity...

"I'm sorry, we'll come in again."

hosford42, to Autism
@hosford42@techhub.social avatar

This could be the connection between Ehlers-Danlos and neurodivergence. (People with EDS, like me, are 7 times as likely to be autistic and 5 times as likely to have ADHD -- also like me.)

Cartilage-Like Structures Key to Brain Plasticity - Neuroscience News
https://neurosciencenews.com/brain-plasticity-memory-cs6-26042/








@autistic.me@a.gup.pe
@neurodivergence
@actuallyautistic
@eds

zakalwe,
@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com avatar

@hosford42 @autistic.me@a.gup.pe @neurodivergence @actuallyautistic @eds Hmmmmmmmm. ​:nekothink:​

gsuberland, to random
@gsuberland@chaos.social avatar

given that 40 Starlink satellites crashed a couple of years ago from a fairly mild storm, I wonder how many are currently falling out of orbit now.

zakalwe,
@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com avatar

@Snowshadow @gsuberland last I saw is we are now officially at G5, first one since October 2003.

flexghost, to random
@flexghost@mastodon.social avatar

“I do have a lot of surrogates and they are speaking very beautifully”
-Trump

Imagine being a sitting United States Senator of the speaker of the house and choosing to help Trump break his gag order over representing your constituents

Winning.

zakalwe,
@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com avatar

@flexghost This should ABSOLUTELY see Trump in jail for contempt. He is blatantly using proxies to deliberately circumvent his gag order.

JoePajak, to random
@JoePajak@mstdn.science avatar

A majority of British voters now believe Brexit was a mistake.
A mistake our children will be paying for, for years to come. A selfish, short-sighted decision, rooted in racism and xenophobia. The world is in a dangerous place, what a time to be isolated.
https://www.economist.com/britain/2024/04/11/why-most-people-regret-brexit

zakalwe,
@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com avatar

@JoePajak And don't forget corrupt greed. The Brexit plotters thought it would make them rich.

RickiTarr, to random
@RickiTarr@beige.party avatar

Seriously heard someone saying they don't listen to many black artists, because they aren't really into rap. Bitch please, feel free to share songs from Black artists from any genre. Here is one of my favorites, if you like this song please check out her other work:

https://youtu.be/KovrJ8HXI1Q?si=HOYIG7YMuAUTsJz6

zakalwe,
@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com avatar

@iamdavidobrien @RickiTarr https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGpzGu9Yp6Y ​:blobcatcheer:​

zakalwe, to random
@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com avatar

"I paid off MY myself! Why should these kids get theirs ?"

Dude. You had $3,000 in student loans. Some of "these kids" graduated from college $70,000 in debt for the same degree you got, now they're earning half as much as you did for a comparable job and they have no expectation of any retirement benefits, and they've been paying on that loan for fifteen years and owe more on it now than they did when they started paying it. They are being ruthlessly exploited by student loan management companies whose entire business model is based upon gouging people who are struggling to pay off their student loans.

Would it fucking KILL YOU to show a little compassion and understanding?

zakalwe,
@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com avatar

@feld My kids' school did. I think the picture the school showed them of how personal finance worked terrified them for life.

RickiTarr, to random
@RickiTarr@beige.party avatar

Where do you live and how do you feel about it?

Obviously, don't tell me exactly where you live, no actual addresses please! You can be as vague as you like.

I live in Central Missouri in the U.S.

Pros:

This is an absolutely beautiful place, green rolling hills, lots of rivers, lakes, ponds, and natural springs, cool caves to explore.

Lots of farming here, so great access to quality fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, and dairy.

It's relatively inexpensive to live here compared with other states, because it's a "flyover".

I'm close enough to three major cities, that it's an easy day trip, and I'm about halfway to anywhere in the U.S.

We have one of the best Conservation departments in the U.S. and this is one of the few things that is a bipartisan issue. Lots of awesome nature programs that are free or cheap, state parks, conservation areas, bird watching, hunting, boating, foraging available to everyone.

Cons:

Yeah, it's a big one, it is a RED STATE, while a lot of the cities are blue, there is a large rural population, that votes red. Abortion is not legal here. People often vote against their own self interest.

While I'm not against responsible gun ownership, lots of people aren't responsible, and people have access to guns that definitely should not.

We have very few employee protections here, while the cost of living is relatively low compared with other places, it's taken years to get to a $12 minimum wage, and it's still not enough.

zakalwe,
@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com avatar

@RickiTarr Central New Hampshire.

Pros ...
— It's a beautiful area. Even though the Old Man of the Mountain's face fell off.
— When you enter the state on I-95, there's a huge billboard that says, "Seatbelts required until age 18, common sense for all." Wow. COMMON SENSE. What a freaking concept!
— You'll see safety reminder signs all over the highways that say "Motorcycles are everywhere."

Cons:
— Infrastructure is chronically underfunded. All of it.
— The NH ACA healthcare exchange is confusing, opaque, and hard to navigate.
— NH Employment Security is a rolling clusterfuck that is effectively useless if you're senior level in a professional career. (You're required to have two direct employer contact per week. I've seen ONE job listing that actually fits my skill set and experience ina month, and the contact is a recruiter. "Direct employer contact"? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA)
— Damn, it's hard to find a good foreign-cuisine restaurant. Or grocery store. The nearest good Asian grocery store is an hour's drive.
— We have a standby generator with an automatic transfer switch, because we expect as a matter of course that we will lose power at least 3-4 times each winter, sometimes for days at a time.
— DANG, we have a lot of libertarian whackos. Just don't even ask about Grafton. (I shit you not, the town of Grafton tried to legalize consensual human cannibalism.)

zakalwe,
@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com avatar

@RickiTarr The thing is, I remember when the Libertarian party sounded like the sane alternative.

Now, and especially since the von Mises caucus staged their coup, they've gone utterly and completely raving batshit, out-MAGAing the MAGAts. The VERY FIRST thing the von Mises people did when they took over was to remove the anti-racism plank from the platform.

I guess the problem is that when all of the actual middle-of-the-roaders who are looking tor a sane, reasonable balance give up and move on, all that's left is the frothing, raving lunatics.

GottaLaff, to random
@GottaLaff@mastodon.social avatar

Huh. Imagine that.

👀
IRS Audit of Could Cost Former President More Than $100 Million

The tax agency concluded in its long-running investigation that Trump effectively claimed the same massive write-off twice on his failed Chicago tower. https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-irs-audit-chicago-hotel-taxes

zakalwe,
@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com avatar

@GottaLaff @aardvark Oh, it didn't STOP him from releasing his returns, I'm sure. He just didn't want to and it made a good excuse.

flexghost, to random
@flexghost@mastodon.social avatar

** IT’S HERE! FRIDAY NIGHT MUSIC THREAD ON **

Tonight’s theme is:

🌊✩°🩵 YOU’RE MY BOY, BLUE! 🩵✩°🌊

—
🎵 Post songs with “blue” in the title or lyrics along with what you’re drinking. 🎶
—

Mr. Blue Sky, please tell us why
You had to hide away for so long (so long)
Where did we go wrong?

🍷 Electric Light Orchestra ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ + Mermaid Mule🍸

Post often • share • make some friends

ELO BITCH!

zakalwe,
@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com avatar

@flexghost The Thin White Duke hisself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV_UsQPTBy4

And cocoa. :) (I was outside trying to view the aurora, and 11pm in New Hampshire is still chilly.)

DrALJONES, to random
@DrALJONES@mastodon.social avatar

Report

12 GOP senators threaten the International Criminal Court: "Target Israel & We Will Target You. You have been warned".

The senators told the ICC's prosecutor not to pursue charges against Israeli officials over war crimes committed in Gaza.

Specifically, they threatened to sanction ICC employees & associates & bar them & their families from entering the US (which is not a party to the ICC).

https://www.commondreams.org/news/republican-senators-icc-israel?utm_source=Common+Dreams&utm_campaign=90caccf623-Top+News%3A+Mon.+5%2F6%2F24&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-3b949b3e19-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D

..

zakalwe,
@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com avatar

@DrALJONES The GOP self-outs as a terrorist/insurrectionist organization yet again. Time to shut it down and break it up.

Skepticat, to random
@Skepticat@mstdn.social avatar

When can the 11th Circuit just step in?
~ Asking for the nation.

zakalwe,
@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com avatar

@Skepticat Hopefully Jack Smith will be filing a writ of mandamus, asking them to do just that, ANY TIME NOW.

flexghost, to random
@flexghost@mastodon.social avatar

** IT’S HERE! FRIDAY NIGHT MUSIC THREAD ON **

Tonight’s theme is:

★🎸🎧 ROCK, ROCK TIL U ROCK! 🎧🎸★

—
🎵 Post hair metal from the 70s, 80s and 90s along with what you’re drinking. 🎶
—

I see your face every time I dream
On every page, every magazine
So wild and free, so far from me
You're all I want, my fantasy

🍷 Def Leppard ‘Photograph’ + Sex On The Beach🍸

Post often • share • make some friends

I have no idea why but I listen to Def Leppard pretty much every week. The drummer still has two arms in this one, so enjoy kids!

zakalwe,
@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com avatar

@MerritMD @flexghost Chipotle cheddar can be really good. Habanero verges on overdoing it IMO. Someone gave me ghost pepper cheddar once. It wasn't a pleasant experience.

zakalwe,
@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com avatar

@InorganicFella @flexghost @MerritMD It's hard to find good American-made sharp cheddar that actually is properly aged. US companies tend to push it out the door as soon as they can. Some of the Vermont Cabot isn't bad, or Tillamook out of Oregon.

You want a good Irish cheddar, try some of the Kerrygolds. Dubliner or Skellig for example. Old Croc, from Australia, is pretty good too.

(I do have to observe that just because a cheddar has annatto in it does not mean it is bad cheddar. One of our standbys for years has been a Vermont Cabot sharp orange cheddar. To our taste it's more a medium cheddar than a sharp cheddar, but it's a GOOD medium cheddar.)

skykiss, to Ukraine
@skykiss@sfba.social avatar

Putin's barbarians are using choking agents in , US reports. The International Criminal Court at The Hague (ICC)has issued a warrant for arrest of Vladimir Putin's for his genocide of .

The state department says Moscow has used a World War One-era weapon to "dislodge" Ukrainian troops. Choking with deadly chemicals.

Please boost. 🇺🇦

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68941220

zakalwe,
@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com avatar

@skykiss Putin's Russia violates the Hague Chemical Weapons Convention again ...

zakalwe, to random
@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com avatar

https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/02/microsoft_google_passkeys/

The tech, simply put, works like this: When you create an account for a website or app, your device generates a cryptographic public-private key pair. The site or app backend gets a copy of the public key, and your device keeps hold of the private key; that private key stays private to your gear. When you come to login, your device and the backend authentication system interact using their digital keys to prove you are who you say you are, and you get to login. If you don't have the private key or can't prove you have it, you can't login.

So ... "passkeys" are 30-year-old with a shiny new name.

Hey, you know what? If Microsoft and Google can finally mainstream public-key infrastructure, MORE POWER TO THEM.

RickiTarr, to random
@RickiTarr@beige.party avatar

It's strange to me when I see people get upset about people doing good deeds, and posting it online.

"They're just doing it for attention!"

Yeah, so what? I'd much rather see people doing nice things for attention, than the people who do mean pranks or wasting food. A good deed is still good, even if it's done for the wrong reasons.

zakalwe,
@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com avatar

@RickiTarr One person's "doing it for attention" is another's "setting a good example." The first person sounds defensive that they wouldn't have done it in the first place. How dare someone else make them look bad?

Hey, bud, ya wanna not look bad, stop protesting when others do good deeds. It's your own foot you're shooting.

mentallyalex, to random
@mentallyalex@beige.party avatar

There is a serious amount of apathy narrative being pushed into this system. I am curious if anyone else is familiar with Cambridge Analytica.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/07/the-great-hack-facebook-cambridge-analytica/

I don't have the details on hand, but there is a documentary "The Great Hack", that discussed this and other social engineering experiences. Making it "cool" or "popular" to be uncaring, allows the right the opportunity to further eradicate your safety systems.

zakalwe,
@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com avatar

@Waitnwallflower @mentallyalex Yup. Using information harvested and illegally shared with them by Facebook.

zakalwe, to random
@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com avatar

Seen elsewhere, ré the Tesla Supercharger fiasco:

"Musk is now playing zero-D chess, and losing. There's one space on the board, and all he had to do was leave his king there."

DrALJONES, to random
@DrALJONES@mastodon.social avatar

Report

"US Reportedly Working to Stop ICC From Issuing Arrest Warrant for Netanyahu"

"Once again, Biden steps in to protect Netanyahu from the consequences of the war crimes he commits."

The Israeli government, in partnership with the U.S., is "making a concerted effort to head off" possible arrest warrants from the ICC.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/netanyahu-arrest-warrants?utm_source=Common+Dreams&utm_campaign=9d9f78fb84-Weekend+Edition%3A+Sun.+4%2F26%2F24+w%2F+fundraiser&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-b6968bca63-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D

..

zakalwe,
@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com avatar

@DrALJONES FFS, JOE

Step away from Netanyahu. Stop fucking DEFENDING him.

zakalwe, to random
@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com avatar

🎻🎻🎻

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/04/elon-musk-loses-at-supreme-court-in-case-over-funding-secured-tweets/

Musk claimed he was the victim of "economic duress" when he agreed to the settlement and that the SEC "weaponized" the deal in order to "muzzle and harass Mr. Musk and Tesla."

🎻🎻🎻

zakalwe, to Israel
@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com avatar

https://act.ourrevolution.com/signup/ceasefire-apr-24/

Seriously, until Israel stops using the arms for mass murder of civilians.

RickiTarr, to random
@RickiTarr@beige.party avatar

Y'all, I also have a cousin like this named Robert! Do you think we could get Robert and Randy to fight each other?!

zakalwe,
@zakalwe@plasmatrap.com avatar

@RickiTarr That kind of empty machismo just makes me laugh sadly.

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