The level of stress this voluntary HOA (home owners association) job is putting on me is not even funny. And someone still has the audacity to write I am not fulfilling my fiduciary duties. Dude, the only reason I am here is you! The entire neighbourhood was in utter discontent and debt (we still are) because of you, and your dictatorship “rule”. Pfff, ugh! As if!
facepalm health humansYesterday a neighbour messaged me. She wanted to know who we were using for lawn treatment and pest control. “Our lawn is a mess”, she said, “I am ready to fire the company we are using”. I gave her the information about ours, and she asked if they also did lawn service, mowing, bush trimming, that kind of thing. I told her that I didn’t know, that it wouldn’t hurt to ask, but that these days prices were too high; “that’s why I suffer and do it myself”.
horsie humans lifeAfter the 2024 disaster, under which we live and endure today, Garrett wrote:
There’s no other way to say it. We failed our children. We failed our climate. We failed our trans community. We failed our immigrants. We failed our middle class. We failed our increasingly desperate houseless population. We failed people of color. We failed our schools. We failed our future. We took the first steps over the threshold as a nation last night, into the dark unknown. The experiment is over, and we failed to prevent this disaster.
And he continued:
I am heartbroken, horrified, disgusted, terrified, angry, and I am gravely concerned this is an event from which we may never recover. The next four years—whatever they hold—will reshape this country permanently, irreparably, in ways we cannot even yet fully conceive.
If you live in the US today, you know he was then quite accurate. Like a Nostradamus of sorts. He ends:
humans socialI don’t know where to go from here. This is a waking nightmare, and it has only just begun. History will judge us harshly for this, and rightly so. But that’s assuming we survive long enough for that to happen.
I left writing this note until the end of the working week. Fair is fair. So, here it goes.
After six years of fully first, and then quasi-remote, going back to office has brought a new appreciation for Fridays and weekends. They now have a new meaning, or have re-acquired their original one: finally a break from traffic, and extra expenses, dressing uncomfortably, and exposure to danger. Sadly, we will now spend half of our weekends doing laundry, something that we did every couple of weeks before.
By going back to the office full time we have taken a pay cut, and increased the chances of getting sick, and being involved in a car accident. And to what aim? What are the benefits of it? So far I see none.
humans workSix years ago we were sent home to work due to COVID-19. A year ago we were told to carry out work as hybrid (week A two days at office, week B three days at the office). Tomorrow a new stage unfolds with full time back to work, with a tiny caveat: all teams will be in the same building that only hosted a few pre-COVID. This is going to be interesting, to say the least.
humans social workChildren born in the United States to parents unlawfully or temporarily present are “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States and are citizens at birth under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Citizenship Clause.
Simply because it is worth noting. The Supreme Court of the United States of America rules and upholds the birthright citizenship.
humans politicsRe: Blue #1780072425
That’s right, blue, it is like tossing a message in a bottle. “🎶 I hope that someone gets my, I hope that someone gets my, I hope that someone gets my message in a bottle, yeah. Message in a bottle, yeah. Message in a bottle, yeah. 🎶”
humans re social“Humans are valuable.” You can just say it. As a human yourself, I advise you to. You do not need to qualify it. This is a robust statement that is not conditional on a point-in-time snapshot of the leading frontier model’s score on some recent benchmark.
There it is, a more balanced—as in meet in the middle—argument to the LLM debate. One that made me pinch my chin while reading it, and delve into my own thoughts. The “robust statement” the quote above refers to comes from the Magnifica Humanitas.
This, towards the end, made me chuckle, because I think it carries a humorous truth:
In a recent conversation about (not) using LLMs to mediate human communication, my friend Tom Hudson told me, “If you’re going to use an LLM to write me an email, I’d much rather you just send me the prompt; at least then I’d have an idea of what you actually meant to say.
Yep, tru dat!
➝ Via Hacker News.
humans llm tubes viaMike's website
https://mlsu.io →
Can you imagine? This thing has 8 little CPUs, plus many more auxiliary video, audio, image, etc. processors. It generates signals at 2.35 GHz: that’s BILLIONs of little electrical pings PER SECOND. It represents millions of hours of intelligent design by some of the smartest people on the planet. It uses mankind’s most advanced manufacturing processes to lay out and place, at nanometer scale, the billions of transistors and other structures into a material so pure that perhaps doesn’t exist in that form anywhere else in the galaxy.
And “they threw this away!”. Gasp! Sadly, yes. By the millions.
humans humour random tubesWhile fika may seem like just a coffee and cake break, it holds a much deeper cultural significance in Sweden. It’s a moment to pause, connect and recharge — often more about the company and conversation than the coffee itself.
Today, more than ever, we need fika in our lives. To pause, connect (without electronics!), and recharge. Indeed!
humans socialHaving almost everyone going back to the office has brought a shortage of available toilets at any giving moment. Today, for example, I tried to utilise one in four different occasions finding them all occupied. The fifth time I decided to camp out, and started a timer. It took 15 minutes for one to become available. Oh, and not everyone is back to the office. Come June, so we are told, everyone will come back, five days a week. It is going to be chaotic, to say the least.
Loo shortage, who would have thought, eh?!
humans humour workRe: Blue #1777051206
I am glad you are back, Blue, and that my “smoke” signal reached you. We all have ups and downs in life, but I truly wish your ups are plentiful, and your downs scarce.
humans reOr maybe it could be put more simply like this: How can the net amount of entropy of the universe be massively decreased?
Multivac fell dead and silent. The slow flashing of lights ceased, the distant sounds of clicking relays ended.
Then, just as the frightened technicians felt they could hold their breath no longer, there was a sudden springing to life of the teletype attached to that portion of Multivac. Five words were printed: INSUFFICIENT DATA FOR MEANINGFUL ANSWER.
I read this short story by Isaac Asimov today, and it reminded me of the “meat” short story I noted about last year. Good read, go read it!
➝ Via Hacker News.
humans humour thoughts via“In the light of Easter, let us allow ourselves to be amazed by Christ! Let us allow our hearts to be transformed by his immense love for us! Let those who have weapons lay them down! Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace! Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue! Not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them!”
And:
“Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war! True strength is shown in serving life.”
I am far from being a religious person. but the Pope’s message resonates in truth, and facts.
humans thoughtsToday is Kathleen’s birthday. For reasons that escape my mind, I didn’t have it on my calendar. That didn’t stopped us from getting her cupcakes, and a birthday card. Because, you know, you are not 77 years old everyday, and because, as she said, “it is great to be 77 and still have my marbles”. She sure does!
birthdays elders humansThis is a sobering reality to witness, even secondhand. Everything has a cost in prison, it truly is dystopian. Want to treat an inmate to some food? Microwavable sandwiches and pizzas cost $7.95. Yoghurts parfait cost $4.50. Soda cost $3.50. All the food is of fairly rubbish quality, mind it. I don’t want to get into the price of food packages that can be send, up to four times a month. Families, of course, carry the financial burden.
I understand some people have done truly bad things; the degree of gravity varies from inmate to inmate. Yet, what I am describing is not correctional, it is pure profit-making at the expense of the innocent. Yes, nobody forces anyone to spend money while visiting, but as no outside food is allowed, it is almost impossible to avoid.
humans lifeWhen someone joins, that person puts in $30,000 CAD ($22,000 USD) to cover a down payment (this is returned if they leave). The total monthly mortgage payment is $2,433 CAD, which the residents split, along with utilities. There are provisions to help applicants who need financial help, Suek said. And each resident pitches in $70 CAD a week for food.
Ageing isn’t fun, no matter what anyone tells you. What these women have done is pretty neat! It allows them to continue growing older in company. And that is a good thing, as it is known that elders living along have an increased mortality rate.
humans lifeI have noted about sponsoring, and donating before. I recently came across this organisation, while reading about Yolanthe Cabau because of a Dutch movie Horsie was watching.
Every day, children around the world are trafficked, deceived, and forced into sexual exploitation. Free a Girl works to rescue these children and provide them with a safe place to recover. Together with local partners, we conduct undercover missions, support police investigations, and build long-term change — from protection to the prosecution of perpetrators.
You will agree that it is another worthy cause. A one time $25 will not make us that much poorer. What say you?
help horsie humans
I know this isn’t new. It comes from 2024. Yet, it was never noted here by me. This intents to correct that mistake.
“I don’t know how I’m going to rebuild myself, how I’m going to get over all this […] I don’t know if my life will be long enough to get back on my feet,” explained Gisèle Pelicot, 71, adding that she had decided to lift the closed-door nature of the trial so that “all women who (are) victims of rape can say to themselves ‘Ms. Pelicot did it, we can do it.’ I don’t want them to feel ashamed anymore. The shame isn’t ours to feel, it’s theirs. (…) Above all, I’m expressing my will and determination to change this society.” — Le Monde
Gisèle Pelicot is our hero. ❤️
humans life thoughts
Created in China, transported in pieces, and assembled on site at the Burning Man festival in 2018, this steel sculpture, “Desert Guard”, stood over 30’ tall. Assembling a multi-ton steel sculpture in the harsh desert environment required an intense, collaborative effort, and the piece became one of the standout art installations of that year’s event. It certainly looked impressive!
art humans tubesThrive in obscurity
https://www.jeetmehta.com/ →
If you’re in it purely for the promised land of love, praise, followers, and fame from millions of people – it’s impossible to sustain. In every field, it takes years of practice, repetition, and “failed performances” before the first hit. In the worst case, artists go their entire life without ever receiving the praise they deserved. Look at Van Gogh – an incredible artist who died unappreciated & broke, in a mental asylum. All of his fame came after his death.
Feels.
humans lifeThe expression “this isn’t an airport, no need to announce your departure” is used quite often, when people—often in rage—quits an online platform, telling everyone they are doing so. Yet, today I read the justification for doing so from someone leaving Nextdoor (a neighbourhood Facebook look alike):
For me, sharing my departure is simply about transparency and awareness. Platforms constantly analyze user activity, engagement patterns, and retention. If participation quietly stops, it becomes just another data point. When people openly express why they disengage, it provides something far more useful than silence.
I think that makes perfect sense, don’t you think?
humans socialIf there is a white line covering the width of the road at that “entrance” of the parking lot you are trying to use, you are going the wrong way. If you see cars parked oblique both sides, and their front faces you, you are going the wrong way. Every bloody time I go to the grocery I encounter cars going the wrong way, when I am trying to leave. Tonight’s gave me the finger and all. The audacity.
I feel we are witnessing the crumbling of society. Not just that minor, albeit annoying, detail. It’s everything.
humans rantsI dreamt we launched seven nuclear-armed missiles, and that they had reached their targets: one hit China, one hit Russia. The rest I don’t know, or can’t recall, but I clearly remember the apprehension I felt while waiting for the certain, imminent retaliation.
I don’t want a nightmare like that again.
humans me thoughtsI visited a prison yesterday. Spent most of the day on the road, driving to the middle of nowhere, and then visiting an inmate for as long as it was possible. Prisons are very, very sad places, where people spend chunks of their lives at a time confined, according to their punishment. Some simply spend the rest of their lives in them.
It is interesting to see the camaraderie that forms amongst the regular visitors; in a way they are a big family. They all have a loved one behind bars binding them together: husbands, fathers, sons, closed family, friends. Each with a story, and each cared for enough to merit visits, with some visitors often traveling from far, far away.
I don’t have a solution for correcting people for their wrongdoings. Based on what I have experienced so far, prisons are not. At least not the way they are run today, or around here.
humans lifeAfter my dad died, we found the love letters
https://www.jenn.site →
“My parents were not a love match. At 27 and 26, they were embarrassingly old by the standards of their small chinese port town. All four of my grandparents exerted enormous pressure to force them together.”
That blog post was hard to read. I couldn’t help feeling sad for the OP, their mum, their family. It left me feeling very melancholic.
humans lifeTyphoon Fung-wong has devastated the Philipines, leaving death, displacement, and destruction along its path. The “tired adage” comes true once more, and more than ever the need for help.
“The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.”
The equivalent of one week of your sugary drinks can mean life for a family. Every donation helps, no matter how little. Please consider donating a little today.
help humans“It really isn’t hard to forge connections with people. More often than not, I have found myself laughing with a complete stranger in spite of our lack of a common language. I have been invited into people’s homes based on gestures alone. I have negotiated prices by showing banknotes and adding or removing some until we agreed on the value. And more than once, finding myself broken and in despair, the glimpse of a child’s smile helped me to mend.”
I have been mulling a note about our trip to Japan in 2024. It will come. Meanwhile this article I found poked my memories’ nest, and my ageing heart picked up some extra beats.
➝ Via Kottke.
humans travels viaI have worried a couple of times about the fate of Blue, a fellow stranger. They are still as they were; no new thoughts, a quiet place since end of May. Instead of thinking negatively, I am going to assume they found happiness, and peace, and love, in that beautiful archipelago that’s called The Philippines. Who, who lives in bliss, needs to write down thoughts?
humans philosophyI have noted on this topic before. I know we can’t help—monetarily—everyone, but an occassional small donation to a good cause, multiplied by millions of us doing it, has an impact. Today I have chosen Médecins Sans Frontières.
Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) is an international humanitarian organization that provides essential medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or those excluded from healthcare. Their teams offer impartial, high quality care, guided solely by medical ethics and an independent assessment of needs, often working in challenging and dangerous contexts worldwide.
If you can live without a cup of coffee for a day, or for a week, please consider donating today.
help humansNot going to lie, truly worried about the fate of known strangers. Where in the world is Blue? Does anyone knows?
humansThere is misery in the world; there is suffering, there is hunger, there is abuse. We do unimaginable things to ourselves and to others. As individuals, we can’t help everyone, but picking a cause to support—just one!—will go a long way. Truly, every little bit counts.
We deliver life-saving aid and protection in emergencies, advocate for improved asylum laws and systems so displaced people can access their rights, and help find long-term solutions so they can return home once safe to do so or build a future in a new country. We also work to ensure that stateless people are granted a nationality so they can access basic rights, such as education and health care.
I have noted about this before for causes I have contributed. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, is one I would recommend wholeheartedly.
help humansNow, more than ever, is a good time to donate to the International Committee of the Red Cross. Take a stance, help others, make a difference. Every human is our family.
We take action, not sides. Because we are neutral, impartial and independent, we can reach those who need us when others cannot, providing humanitarian assistance, protecting lives, upholding rights, and relieving the suffering of people around the world whose lives have been torn apart by armed conflict and violence.
You could also sponsor a child, or help so that lifesaving treatments are provided for them. I know a single individual can’t help everyone, our resources are limited. Pick one, donate a small amount. Every little thing helps!
help humansAbsolutely gut wrenching, horrible airplane accident in Ahmedabad, India. Words aren’t enough, so sorry…
“An Air India flight carrying 242 passengers and crew members crashed shortly after taking off in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad on Thursday. There was no immediate information about survivors, but India’s health minister said “many people” had died.”
Update: 09 Jun 2026 @ 17:26:21
Only 1 person is been reported to have survived . After seeing the video of the explosion, it is genuily amazing one person could have survived it.
humans
