The latest numbers from the American Booksellers Association show independent stores expanding at a pace not seen this century. inquirer.com/business/bookstorโฆ
Tired pup, but no rest for the wicked. AT&T gateway showed up, so new internet is up and running, and with that comes the porting of the last number. Vik had his number for a decade or so, and after he passed, I continued to pay for it and let it idle for six months until I decided what to do, and that was port it to Tello. I gotta say, if'n you're trying to save on your phone, give Tello a look, I do gig last mile package deliver (think UPS's job DoorDash style), hence the testing with a spare phone number. Five months later, and zero problems. And ports are fast, like under 5 minutes fast. So, moved the last phone number from Verizon, last step is to cancel internet, but that can't be done yet as they're still processing the port on their end. Yeah, the VMO is faster than Verizon at this stuff, which is ridiculous. So, now I get to update my phone number with all my gig apps tonight, and that'll be done. The other thing is a new pair of boots, TimberlandPro this time. Yes, this time, third pair in a year and a half I think? I go through shoes fast, so this is nothing special, and for the price Timberland has held up well. I was thinking about Brunt work wear, but the reviews online are not particularly good, especially as they cost around $50 more than the Timberland, basically good, but not that good. I was wearing a pair of Vik's boots, but they suddenly disintegrated. No, really, the pleather cracking was annoying, but not a big deal, but then the cloth and the pleather separated on the back of the right boot, so time for new boots. This'll be the third type of Timberlands, and we'll see what I think about these, first were great, basically chosen by throwing a dart at the board. Second were picked by price, cheaper than the first pair, but still Timberlands, and they worked well. This time around, I had around 3 or 4 choices within the same $5 range on price, so I decided to try a different style, plus these are TimberlandPro, so I'm curious to see if'n they hold up better. Beyond that, not much, work actually is sucking this week, and of course things are way too busy between work and home repairs/improvements. And then there'll be estate matters, tax matters and investment matters. That said, the lion's share (why do we say that?) should be done by end of June, heck I might even be able to take a break on my birthday. I guess after that the hunt for where I settle for the rest of my life begins in earnest, we've done some casual looking, but nothing serious as there's too many variables, but those will be wrapping up, and there'll be little left other than cleaning this place out.
The Trump Organization still hasnโt shipped their promised Trump phone to most customers who laid down a $100 deposit a year ago. But rubes patriots who signed up did get something else insteโฆ
Yep, its another #MLP:FiM story review, because I read way, way, wayยนโฐ to many stories.
Bed Bug The first of a series of stories pairing up Anon and Chrysalis and leading to them marrying and having children. If not for the current story, I likely wouldn't've given this a look, I'm not a huge Chrysalis fan, and even less of a fan of Anon, but I'm glad i did. While the stories can have their rough edges, and sometimes logic goes out the window in service of the story, (Chrysalis' old alter ego that infiltrated SMILE and comes in handy so she can infiltrate it again, how's that work?), the stories are a fun casual read.
Moonlighting โขsighโข I wanted to like this, despite it having a description that seemed a bit odd, but it failed from minute one. Seriously, its time for NMM's return andโฆ Celestia and Twilight are waiting for her with the elements. I mean the actual elements, not Twilight's friends, WTF? And then Luna shows up in a space ship talking about her plans to develop the moon. Uhhโฆ Seriously, this could've been great, I mean imagine a story with Luna/Nightmare Moon having been found by a space faring society, got over her issues, and been having adventures in outer space all this time. Imagine her treating the end of her thousand year banishment as a scheduled appointment she needs to make, imagine her showing up as Luna and being like 'hey, I'm doing great, just stopping in to say hi, Tia you can keep Equestria, I'm having fun out in the galaxy', that's the kind of thing I was hoping to see, but nope, and not even something at least halfway decent, definitely not a story worth your time.
Equestria Exiled It really sucks that this one is in hiatus, because its a really interesting story. Basically pony-kind is scattered across a number of stations, Manehatten Station, Ponyville Station, etc, ruled by a council, and the princesses are just a legend, as is any kind of a home world. That would make for an interesting story in itself if we were following a whole new group of ponies, but that's the thing, we're not. Lyra, Derpy, Octavia, Vinyl Scratch, Sunset Shimmer, Sombra and more are there. Roles are a little different, locations are sometimes different, and the Mane Six are no where to be found, legends of ancient Equestria they are, as are the elements. Except that Octavia accidentally found an element, and the other elements are activating. Something weird is going on, I feel like I'm missing something obvious here, but I've no idea. I really hope the author has a good plan, because this is the kind of story that could have an incredible pay-offโฆ Or we could get to the end and say 'That's it? Really?'
Ukrainian medium-range drone strikes, hitting targets at 7-120 miles, have ramped up sharply in recent months. In particular, so-called โMartianโ drones are prowling the roads, seeking out and destroying fuel tankers and other vehicles carrying military supplies. Previously safe areas are at risk, and supply lines are threatened. Quadcopter FPVs dominate the so-called โgrey zoneโ around the front line, and have made conventional battlefield logistics impossible. Back in 2023, the small drones started destroying any truck or van within several miles of the front, often in high-speed chases. Now resupply is by motorbike, ground robot or drone or in the case of Russia, carried on the backs of unfortunate soldiers known as camels.
Straight outta killbot news:
The drone has an AI-enabled vision system to lock on to a target. High-quality optics identify and track targets from long range. But the biggest technological innovation is the Martianโs communication system. The Russians say that it has a digital modem which hides its communications in civilian Wi-Fi traffic at 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz, using a non-standard encrypted signal. [...] The Russians believe the drones use a mesh radio, so each Martian acts as a relay for other drones, creating a covert communications network behind Russian lines.
Ukrainian sources suggest that the drone has a seven-foot wingspan and cruises at around 60 mph. The cost for the basic version is said to be around $6,000, up to double that for more advanced versions, which presumably sport better communications, sensors and AI.
Its range is unknown but is clearly over 80 miles.
Mobile #Diaspora client for Android and iOS needs testers
Jonne Haร has created a mobile client quite more comfortable than Dandelion. It was on f-droid, now he has also put it on the Play Store. Right now he needs testers to get the app approved, so if you'd like to have a really well functioning mobile client, drop him a PM, because he may need to put your email manually into the tester list.
pride month is coming up soon, so i want to make something very clear, especially for the younger queers and others who might not know the history.
in nearly all of america in the 50s-60s, being gay was considered both a mental illness and a crime punishable by prison time (up to and including a life sentence) and/or "experimental" psychiatric torture (electroshock therapy, lobotomies, and worse). you could lose your job for being suspected of homosexual behavior with no proof, and the fbi and post office spied on you if they knew you were queer. most gay bars were mafia-owned because no one else had the money or inclination to pay off the crooked police.
with that in mind: "stonewall," the event that we commemorate with pride parades today, was a violent riot incited by a police raid on a gay bar in manhattan. the fierce activism that has given us the basic personhood we enjoy today was built on a foundation of desperate physical struggle against unfair policing and stigma, the stakes of which were prison, death, or worse. gays, lesbians, transvestites and drag queens, dancers, kinksters, drinkers and teetotalers, all of them stuck together because nobody else had their backs. we can march peacefully today only because we had to fight for our lives before.
my point is this: there was no room in those days for means-testing who was a Real Respectable Gay, and there's no room for it now either, especially as our rights are eroding again. we have to stick together with people we think are gross but who haven't actually hurt anybody, because the same weapons you use to oust those you don't like will be turned on you in a heartbeat.
Hyundai recalled one of its most popular vehicles as well as a truck model over concerns that an issue with its front camera software could cause the vehicles to brake suddenly and unexpectedly, potentially leading to a collision with another vehicleโฆ
Ugh, I should not be awake at this time, and this'll make today suck. Woke up around 0330, nothing really surprising, but didn't really feel like going back to sleep. Popped on the computer to do some work, and then tried to sleep, then computer, then try to sleepโฆ Finally gave up around 0500. Breakfast made and eaten, and now just the regular morning surf before work.
Health Canada is advising consumers to consult health-care providers before discontinuing personal use of the affected product, or for any health concerns.
So this is the windscreen for a lavalier mike that I got, in fact its a set of two, so I'll keep the basic foam on one, and the wind sock on the other so I can just switch mikes depending on my recording situation. Only problem, I can't figure out how to put this on, I'm assuming it goes on, just insert the mike into the hole in itโฆ What hole? I feel like I'm looking for a Tribble's asshole here, and having no luck
La protestation silencieuse de la Statue de la Libertรฉ Judith de Leeuw, รฉgalement connue sous le nom de JDL #StreetArt, a intitulรฉ cette fresque murale La protestation silencieuse de la Statue de la Libertรฉ. Peint ร #Roubaix pour le #Festival#URBX avec le Collectif Renart, il transforme un monument familier en tรฉmoin : tรชte baissรฉe, mains sur le visage, porteur de chagrin plutรดt que de gloire.
Kenny Chaffin
in reply to ๐ด Seph ๐ญ ๐พ • • •