I WATCHED THE TYRE NICHOLS VIDEO
I watched the Tyre Nichols video. I didn't want to because I knew what it was going to contain and dreaded the idea of seeing it, but I felt obligated to. A man died at the hands of the authorities, and as a citizen, I should witness what our government is doing. Even if — especially if — that government is accused of committing horrible acts. I'm not glad I saw it.
Read moreMY TRAVEL PROJECT TEMPLATE
In an older post, I talked about making a project template for trip planning. The goal is to build a comprehensive list of everything I might want to prepare, pack, or do before, during, or after a business or vacation trip. Before I made this template, I was more anxious: Did I forget to do anything? Do I have everything I need? What am I missing? Now I can relax and concentrate on the fun times ahead.
Read moreMURADIN WALLET DOESN'T BLOCK RFID
My wife bought me a cool Muradin RFID-blocking wallet for Christmas. I like it a lot, except for the fact that it doesn't actually block RFID if you use it as advertised. The wallet has a roomy inside "cage" for storing cards, and an external pocket for storing your "frequently used card": That's not just my interpretation of the photo. The site goes on to explicitly say that the outside pocket is for your card:
Read moreHAPPY 2023!
2022 was a whirlwind of disasters, plagues, wars, elections, recession, inflation, and other stressors. It was a challenging year. If it had a theme, it would be "oh, now what?" However, we survived it, even if bruised and scarred. This year is going to be better. I know it. Happy 2023!
STEERMOUSE MAKES MY LOGITECH MOUSE BETTER
I bought a Logitech MX Vertical Wireless Mouse last year. The mouse itself remains delightful and my carpal tunnel aches have disappeared. I'm a fan. Logitech's "Options" (and newer "Options+") driver software isn't as lovely. Besides its odd issues, such as old versions being incompatible with FileVault, it's a "large" app for something that mainly maps button presses to actions. It has a jarring, non-Mac-like interface, and supports a lot of features I'll never use.
Read moreAUDREY AUDEN'S "THE VOICE IN ALL"
I read Audrey Auden's new book, "The Voice in All", the first in her new "The Artifex and the Muse" series. Auden creates a lush, complex world filled with interesting, multifaceted residents. Tantalizing glimpses of science fiction sneak into the fantasy setting, hinting at a rich universe for the rest of the series. "The Voice in All" packs a surprising amount of development and story into a quick, fun book. Auden's piqued my interest and I'm looking forward to the next installments.
Read moreEASILY DELETE YOUR TWITTER ACCOUNT THE HARD WAY
The folks at Conscious Digital have a nifty website, yourdigitalrights.org, that makes it easy to file a CCPA or GDPR request asking a website to remove all of your data. In particular, they make it easy to delete all your Twitter data. Delete your account, regain your privacy, and cause someone an administrative hassle with a single click. It’s perfect!
OF COURSE DOGS SMILE
I hang out on parts of the Internet where people often post pictures of happy animals. All too often, someone will share a photo of their smiling pooch, and a viewer who wants to sound smart will feel obligated to add a comment like "dogs can't smile." Their arguments reduce to one of several claims: Statement: They're not smiling. They're using the muscles in their face to pull the corners of their lips up.
Read moreCALIFORNIA 2022 MIDTERMS VOTING GUIDE
These are my recommendations for the November 8, 2022 midterm election in California. Propositions Direct democracy looks like a great idea on paper. In practice, we end up with awful laws like Prop 8. Because it's so hard to remove bad propositions once they're approved, it's better to vote "no" on ballot propositions you're unsure about. If it's a great idea — or even a bad one, in the case of Prop 29's predecessors — the proposers can try again in a later election.
Read moreWINDING DOWN
I knew the conversation wouldn't be easy when the veterinarian asked if this was a good time to talk. I still think of her as a puppy, even though she hasn't been one for many years. People are surprised to find that this tiny little dog is a full-grown adult. Although she's shaped like a miniature version of the real thing, it's hard to wrap your brain around something that small being anything other than a baby.
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