But is it Numberwang, Mr. Numbers Guy?

The name is too confusing, some befuddled man would end up using it on his junk.

I’m a responsible adult, which is why I only grow living plastic plants.

The minimal furniture and a sense of free space are great for my mental health. A cluttered home to me feels like a cluttered mind. I don’t want to live in a cage of excess stuff, much like I don’t want to carry unhealthy mental baggage with me, pulling me down. You may see a sparse room, but I see freedom from sensory fatigue. I see freedom.

postmarketOS, though they are in the process of migrating to systemd. Not that I personally mind terribly much, even if it feels like a bit of an odd choice. So maybe I should say Alpine.

Learning to appreciate small everyday things is a great way to live.

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George Orwell wrote about his experiences with those in Down and Out in Paris and London. It’s a decent book and an interesting look at poverty of the day.

The thing is, people by and large don’t want to be convinced. They want their convenience and ease of use, they don’t want to learn a whole new paradigm, least of all one that requires constant vigilance and understanding of the risks. I can’t blame them, they have a lot on their mind, and their existing skill set might not be relevant to privacy issues. People in general resist change and effort. I do. You do too.

It’s less about you, and more about them. People will only start taking steps when it all clicks for them. What the catalyst will be is impossible to tell, since people are wired differently. All we can do is talk about privacy and advocate for it with people who are willing to have the discussions. Don’t expect to go in and change people’s minds. It’s horribly difficult and you will be disappointed. Instead, think of it as giving people perspectives and starting points for their own journeys. If something happens and they are finally willing to start doing the work, they will at least have some context and words, labels to use. They may even come to you for more. They may not.

“No one else can do the work for you.”

You think you’re scarred? You should see my bu- you know what, I’m not making this joke.

Well shit, I guess I have to re-enact 1 man 1 jar…

Oh, that book is so good. Yes! I really need to get myself a copy and re-read it.

A few years back, during Covid lockdowns, I stumbled upon Alessandro Manzoni’s The Betrothed and liked it a lot. It was fascinating to read how people reacted to the plague back then.

Evacuation in my ass? Sounds about right.

I can sometimes see auras around people. It’s fascinating stuff, but the strain of it can cause debilitating pain.

Western medicine calls it “migraines”, but what does science know?

I agree. From the article:

“If we can make a really fair deal and a good deal for the United States, not a good deal for others, this is America first. It’s now America first.”

This is such an insane thing to say and it reveals a lot. Why on earth would anyone enter in to a trade deal, or even negotiations, if the other party only accepts one sided benefits? Any sane actor not under duress will reject any such notions out of hand. A good trade deal benefits both sides. This should be elementary.

Now, I’m no professional, but it looks to me that none of this is about the best interests of the USA or it’s citizens; this is all to serve one man’s ego. Trump’s thinking is so disordered he views any concessions as a narcissistic injury. Anything but complete domination is out of question, since it breaks his carefully cultivated sense of omnipotence, of being the biggest and strongest man in the room. His ego is so fragile it cannot sustain the slightest challenge to the false self. All of this, the trade wars, even becoming the POTUS, it’s all about one thing: trying to silence that nagging voice that tells him he’s worthless. Nothing will ever be enough to quell that inner critic, which is why he always escalates.

There is no room for any deals with this guy and his sycophants. They will just demand more.

And what guarantees does Europe have he won’t just flip the deal on a whim? This guy and these tactics deserve no quarter.

Thanks, now I’m depressed.

Honestly, guys, gals and others, Microsoft is making it crystal clear they don’t want you to use their OS. It’s not your OS, it’s theirs. Stop trying mangle it into something it is not. If you need registry edits just to make the OS usable, it’s not worth it. It’s not for you. Please, please, please look at alternatives that respect you, your intelligence, your privacy and your data. One day Microsoft will push an update that will lock you out of your machine unless you create an account. Jumping through these hoops is just delaying the inevitable. Using an OS is not worth all this effort and stress.