Saw this on the Fediverse, from an automated account (bot) suitably named Picard Tips: “Don’t assume anything is possible or impossible until you’ve asked the people who will be doing the work.” Oh man… so true!
quotes workIf only I had the state of mind that Hokusai had! For me these words come as the perfect example of optimism, and hope. Reading them makes me feel at ease.
“…until the age of 70, nothing I drew was worthy of notice. At 73 years I was somewhat able to fathom the growth of plants and trees, and the structure of birds, animals, insects and fish. Thus when I reach 80 years, I hope to have made increasing progress, and at 90 to see further into the underlying principles of things, so that at 100 years I will have achieved a divine state in my art, and at 110, every dot and every stroke will be as though alive. Those of you who live long enough, bear witness that these words of mine are not false.” — One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji.
➝ Via The British Museum.
art philosophy quotes via“It is in our power to have no opinion about a thing, and not to be disturbed in our soul; for things themselves have no natural power to form our judgements.” — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 6.
philosophy quotes“What a horse wants, what a horse needs, is always having a patch of grass that’s ever green…” — Read/sing it with the music of “What a Girl Wants”, by Christina Aguilera. I sang it this morning to my partner. She is a Horse 😂.
horsie humourThis was not only a racist comment, but a stupid, uneducated one. The fact that he is still defending it makes it even worse.
politics rants“COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese,” he added. “We don’t know whether it was deliberately targeted at that or not but there are papers out there that show the racial or ethnic differential of impact for that.”
While on video gaming topic, specifically Diablo IV, I have decided to play a druid on Season 1. Unlike previously anticipated, I am picking Radagast for his name. I think it is quite fitting, right? 🙈
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About Diablo IV’s patch notes there has been much controversy. Blizzard has truly made the game less fun with it, but it is a game, and I don’t give it much thought. Now for those who think the patch is the worse ever, think again!
gamesOn The Past Is Not True written by Derek, I liked this a lot, because if you give it a thought you will know it is oh-so-true.
“We think of the past like it’s a physical fact - like it’s real. But the past is what we call our memory and stories about it. Imperfect memories, and stories built on one interpretation of incomplete information. That’s “the past”.”
➝ Via Hacker News.
philosophy thoughts via“We are lost in space, just as the planets, stars, suns, universes. We are all lost, on a collision course to the unknown; our end inevitable.” — That was my first (and only) entry on Anytype. I am liking the app so far!
philosophy quotes techI have a general antipathy for the indented paragraphs writing style (that is, first line of each paragraph is indented). I truly dislike it, and very much prefer—and exclusively use—a block format.
It is not just that I don’t like it visually, it goes beyond that. I find the style hard to read. Maybe it is just the way my brain is wired.
design thoughtsFor my fellow christians, what ever happened to Mark 12:17? Why do you insist on shoving your fanatic doctrines down everyone’s throats?
Please, understand that “you” in the context above doesn’t really mean you you. I am using the “royal” you.
rantsThis one I had read before, yet still brought a few chuckles as I read deeper into it. Having a friend that owns (or used to, I am not sure now) a handful of old Porsche’s, I couldn’t resist sharing it with him. It made him laugh too! 😂
“Welcome to my Porsche 914. I imagine that at this point (having found the door unlocked) your intention is to steal my car. Don’t be encouraged by this; the tumblers sheared off in 1978. I would have locked it up if I could, so don’t think you’re too clever or that I’m too lazy. However, now that you’re in the car, there are a few things you’re going to need to know.”
➝ Via Hacker News.
humour viaTruly loving Jessica’s approach of creating weekly notes. The weeks, I noticed, are not quite accurate (for example, 27 June 2023 is the 26th week of the year, not the 25th), but nevertheless, I love the use of the additive bullets for the week’s notes.
Update: 20 Feb 2026 @ 18:22:26
I just realised this approach reminds me of Logseq a lot. No wonder I like it so much!
interesting tech viaThe newly announced cybersecurity certification and labeling program is a step in the right direction. It is meant to “help Americans more easily choose smart devices that are safer and less vulnerable to cyberattacks”. My only worry is, wouldn’t these type of programs be easily dismantled by a future administration? That’s always my fear; many things change in our country based on the political party currently at the helm.
politics techIn case anyone doubted the influencing economic power of Taylor Swift.
interesting music“Despite the slowing recovery in tourism in the region overall, one contact highlighted that May was the strongest month for hotel revenue in Philadelphia since the onset of the pandemic, in large part due to an influx of guests for the Taylor Swift concerts in the city.”
“Tips are a wage subsidy to the employer,” she says. “It’s not a tip. It goes to your wage. It is just the amount that the employer doesn’t have to pay you. And people don’t understand that.” — NPR
Oh, I understand. I just don’t agree with it. Ask the employer to include that “subsidy” on the price of the goods, and then it will be up to the customer to decide whether spending the money at the establishment is worth it, or not.
life rantsChild tried a root beer float—with vanilla ice cream—for the first time on his life last night. “It smells funny. Medicinal, even”, was his reaction to root beer. Yup, that’s root beer, for sure!
oobie“See you in my 19th life” continues to be exciting, engaging, and overall lovely. Saw the most recent episodes last night, and I can’t wait for the next weekend 🙈. Imagine if re-incarnation was possible, and on top of it you remembered your previous lives? Anyway, no spoilers! A sweet plot twist on these series.
kdramas netflix seriesUpcoming iOS 17 Live Voicemail is as good as advertised. Some might call it magical, even. I do.
apple tech“Live Voicemail gives users the ability to see real-time transcription as someone leaves a voicemail, and the opportunity to pick up while the caller is leaving their message. Calls identified as spam by carriers won’t appear as Live Voicemail, and will instead be instantly declined. With the power of the Neural Engine, Live Voicemail transcription is handled on-device and remains entirely private.”
Running iOS 17 public beta now, as temptation got a hold of me yesterday. It has some glitches, and small bugs (mostly visual), but very, very stable, and usable. Buttery smooth as if it were a release.
apple techSubstack is the new Medium. It started great, now one gets those obnoxious requests for signing up. I have avoided any links driving me to Medium; adding Substack to the array.
rantsI am so tempted to install iOS 17 public beta! If anything for that Journal app, because I will use the heck out of it. Also because George told me “this is the only way we can test”. The fact that he already jumped in isn’t helping. 😅
Ugh, need to learn how to read the fine print. On the Journal app, from Apple, “Coming later this year”. Cry, cry, cry! Still, I think I will jump in.
apple friends george techWorking physically—as in, not remote—at one of our datacentres today. Last time I went there was at the end of year 2022, let’s see how much it has changed. I expect visible changes in our cage, as we are trying to vacate it. Off I go to waste over an hour on commute!
workWow, just wow! Truly no words to describe how well done, how perfect, how entertaining was to watch this stop-motion animation. This one defines mastery. The behind the scenes video is a must watch.
➝ Via Kottke.
via youtubeFascinated by this, as I have always being about keeping track of time—though, like everyone else, I tend to “waste” it. I like the simplicity and usability. I also love the optimism of the maker: “[…] assuming I live to 85 years old.”
➝ Via Hacker News.
viaOh yes, we know tipping—an endemic problem in the US—has gone out of control. This article Kim shared doesn’t make sense, though.
“No matter if you are dining in or opting to carry out, try to stick within 15 to 20 percent of the pretax bill.”
No, sorry, that’s not how it works. I might be an oddball, but I have been tipping when I feel like it, in the amount I feel like it—exceptions on places that include the tip on the bill. As the article briefly mentions, “businesses should pay their employees fair wages rather than forcing them to rely on tips.”
life rantsDiablo IV season 1 is coming 20 July. I think it is coming out too soon. My only toon is level 94. Those last 6 levels will take a while. Like, I don’t think I will be 100 on the eternal realm before season 1 releases.
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