Today's Adventures
Apr. 25th, 2026 11:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithToday we went to the Douglas-Hart Nature Center for their Earth Day celebration and native plant sale.
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ysabetwordsmith
Philosophical Questions: Different
Apr. 25th, 2026 11:10 pmysabetwordsmithPeople have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.
What would be different if the 9/11 terrorist attack never occurred?
We would have a lot more freedom, privacy, and civil rights. I might still be willing to use airports.
The terrorists may have missed the White House, but they scored a direct hit on the American way of life. It's among the most effective terrorist attacks in recorded history, and it's still working.
What would be different if the 9/11 terrorist attack never occurred?
We would have a lot more freedom, privacy, and civil rights. I might still be willing to use airports.
The terrorists may have missed the White House, but they scored a direct hit on the American way of life. It's among the most effective terrorist attacks in recorded history, and it's still working.
You Don't Have to Stay
Apr. 25th, 2026 08:40 pmysabetwordsmithThe Game Is Rigged And You Don't Have To Stay
Most people don't leave because they think they can't. Not because of money. Not because of the kids. Because nobody ever said out loud that leaving is a rational choice.
If you are unhappy with your life, do something about it. If you only have one or a few issues, then it makes sense to try fixing them first. But if you hate most or all things about your job, where you live, your family, whatever -- then leaving IS a rational choice. See Introduction to Goal-Setting Frameworks for ideas about making logical decisions. As long as you are a legal adult, you have the right to leave situations that don't suit you. It's not selfish to stay alive.
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Most people don't leave because they think they can't. Not because of money. Not because of the kids. Because nobody ever said out loud that leaving is a rational choice.
If you are unhappy with your life, do something about it. If you only have one or a few issues, then it makes sense to try fixing them first. But if you hate most or all things about your job, where you live, your family, whatever -- then leaving IS a rational choice. See Introduction to Goal-Setting Frameworks for ideas about making logical decisions. As long as you are a legal adult, you have the right to leave situations that don't suit you. It's not selfish to stay alive.
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One of my absolute favorite etymologies is "snoop"
Apr. 27th, 2026 09:40 pmconulyFrom Dutch snoepen (“to pry, eat in secret, sneak”)
How often were the Dutch eating in secret that they decided they needed a verb for it!?
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How often were the Dutch eating in secret that they decided they needed a verb for it!?
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Did Trump promote new rules that would limit privileges for Congress members?
Apr. 26th, 2026 02:00 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
snopes_feedSnopes has fact-checked versions of this supposed proposal since 2009. As of 2026, it's still fake news.
Science
Apr. 25th, 2026 08:00 pmysabetwordsmithScientists just discovered Africa is closer to breaking apart than we thought
East Africa may be cracking open—and the same forces tearing it apart could be why we have such a vivid record of human origins.
Beneath East Africa’s Turkana Rift, scientists have found the crust is thinning to a critical point, suggesting the continent is gradually breaking apart. This “necking” process marks an advanced stage of rifting that could eventually lead to a new ocean forming millions of years from now. Surprisingly, the same geological forces that are splitting the land may also explain why the region holds such a rich fossil record. Instead of being the birthplace of humanity, Turkana may just be where the story was best preserved.
... or the rift could rip open suddenly and unexpectedly quite a bit sooner. Say, if some other part of the crust made a massive shift to release pressure. I wouldn't want to live or work near there. It's fascinating to watch from a safe distance though.
East Africa may be cracking open—and the same forces tearing it apart could be why we have such a vivid record of human origins.
Beneath East Africa’s Turkana Rift, scientists have found the crust is thinning to a critical point, suggesting the continent is gradually breaking apart. This “necking” process marks an advanced stage of rifting that could eventually lead to a new ocean forming millions of years from now. Surprisingly, the same geological forces that are splitting the land may also explain why the region holds such a rich fossil record. Instead of being the birthplace of humanity, Turkana may just be where the story was best preserved.
... or the rift could rip open suddenly and unexpectedly quite a bit sooner. Say, if some other part of the crust made a massive shift to release pressure. I wouldn't want to live or work near there. It's fascinating to watch from a safe distance though.
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Did AOC once say, 'I am as powerful as a man and it drives them crazy'?
Apr. 25th, 2026 11:00 pmsnopes_feedThe quote originated in a 2019 New Yorker profile about the then-up-and-coming New York politician.
The American authorities being entirely unsurprising again
Apr. 25th, 2026 08:47 pmloganberrybunnyPublic
From the Guardian a couple of days ago: US won’t give unredacted Epstein documents to UK police without formal request in the Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Peter Mandelson cases. The US Department of Justice is insisting on the bureaucratic and lengthy process of a mutual legal assistance request. The Metropolitan Police commissioner and others have tried more informal routes, but the DOJ is proving unhelpful. Now there's a shock.
From the Guardian a couple of days ago: US won’t give unredacted Epstein documents to UK police without formal request in the Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Peter Mandelson cases. The US Department of Justice is insisting on the bureaucratic and lengthy process of a mutual legal assistance request. The Metropolitan Police commissioner and others have tried more informal routes, but the DOJ is proving unhelpful. Now there's a shock.
Birdfeeding
Apr. 25th, 2026 02:30 pmysabetwordsmithToday is sunny and mild. It rained on and off yesterday.
We went out early to catch the native plant sale at Douglas-Hart Nature Center. Then we had more errands to run.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
I set out some flats of pots and watered them.
EDIT 4/25/26 -- I planted four Burpless Cucumbers in pots, two on the old picnic table garden and two on the new picnic table garden.
EDIT 4/25/26 -- I planted four chocolate cherry tomatoes in pots, two on the old picnic table garden and two on the new picnic table garden.
I planted a garden sage and a variegated sage in a trough pot, and a cilantro in another trough pot, at the new picnic table garden. I still need to do more with the troughs because their soil level is low.
EDIT 4/25/26 -- I topped up the trough pots, sowed 'Slow Bolting' cilantro around the potted cilantro, and watered the recently planted things.
EDIT 4/25/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 4/25/26 -- I planted the catnip. This completes the flat of small square pots. \o/
EDIT 4/25/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I've seen a male cardinal and a fox squirrel at the hopper feeder.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
We went out early to catch the native plant sale at Douglas-Hart Nature Center. Then we had more errands to run.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
I set out some flats of pots and watered them.
EDIT 4/25/26 -- I planted four Burpless Cucumbers in pots, two on the old picnic table garden and two on the new picnic table garden.
EDIT 4/25/26 -- I planted four chocolate cherry tomatoes in pots, two on the old picnic table garden and two on the new picnic table garden.
I planted a garden sage and a variegated sage in a trough pot, and a cilantro in another trough pot, at the new picnic table garden. I still need to do more with the troughs because their soil level is low.
EDIT 4/25/26 -- I topped up the trough pots, sowed 'Slow Bolting' cilantro around the potted cilantro, and watered the recently planted things.
EDIT 4/25/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 4/25/26 -- I planted the catnip. This completes the flat of small square pots. \o/
EDIT 4/25/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I've seen a male cardinal and a fox squirrel at the hopper feeder.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
18 rumors involving Pope Leo XIV, examined
Apr. 25th, 2026 06:00 pmsnopes_feedRumors about Leo swirled online amid tensions between the Trump administration and the Vatican over the Iran war and U.S. foreign policy.
Back to the 2026 NYC Tartan Day Parade with a cute dog and Marines alum pipe band
Apr. 25th, 2026 01:53 pm
Darksight Dare spoiler discussion space
Apr. 25th, 2026 09:57 amlois_mcmaster_bujold_feedAs is my usual custom, this is to supply a discussion space in the comments for readers who have already read the new Pen & Des novella to talk about it with each other, without having to worry about spoilers for those not yet caught up. (Because it's hard to have a substantive discussion about a book without spoilers.)
In a nice piece of serendipity, this podcast discussion of specifically the Penric & Desdemona series surfaced this week on the podcast series The Incomparable Mothership:
https://www.theincomparable.com/thein...
Enjoy! L,
posted by Lois McMaster Bujold on April, 25
In a nice piece of serendipity, this podcast discussion of specifically the Penric & Desdemona series surfaced this week on the podcast series The Incomparable Mothership:
https://www.theincomparable.com/thein...
Enjoy! L,
posted by Lois McMaster Bujold on April, 25
God, I hate talking about overnight shifts
Apr. 26th, 2026 10:49 amconulyDon't get me wrong, I love doing them - five hours of reading, three hours of work, what's not to love? - but talking about them? Don't get me started. Every single time it's a back and forth to confirm the actual day the shift starts.
I got a shift through the staffing agency, and I say "So, to confirm, I go to work at midnight Monday?" and he goes "No, Sunday". "So, I leave my house at 11:30 today...?"
No, he meant midnight Monday to 8am Monday.
Every time I look at the schedule at the usual place I find myself momentarily baffled by the fact that the overnight shift is at the top, as the first shift of the day.
Also, literally as I typed that last sentence a spam text came in with the word "lpuuuu", which seems low effort even for a spam text. I get that their business model depends on weeding out everybody smart enough to say "Seems fake!", but seriously?
I got a shift through the staffing agency, and I say "So, to confirm, I go to work at midnight Monday?" and he goes "No, Sunday". "So, I leave my house at 11:30 today...?"
No, he meant midnight Monday to 8am Monday.
Every time I look at the schedule at the usual place I find myself momentarily baffled by the fact that the overnight shift is at the top, as the first shift of the day.
Also, literally as I typed that last sentence a spam text came in with the word "lpuuuu", which seems low effort even for a spam text. I get that their business model depends on weeding out everybody smart enough to say "Seems fake!", but seriously?
Did man break into Barnes & Noble to finish reading book?
Apr. 25th, 2026 01:00 pmsnopes_feedAccording to the story, 48-year-old Gary Hollis of Portland, Oregon, broke into the bookstore to finish the final 47 pages of a thriller.
(no subject)
Apr. 25th, 2026 07:55 ampshaw_ravenThe last couple of weeks have been trying, and I'll try to sum things up for y'all without getting too deeply into the weeds of any particular. As you may know or have inferred, Fox works in tech and for the past couple of years has been handling the patching and maintenance of an HR/payroll system. He knows SAP really well and taught himself things like HANA and bob-j (business objects) in order to make sure this system runs regularly and on time so everyone can get paid. One major obstacle to that is that each little department has their own systems, and everything is cobbled together into one over-arching payroll system. Apparently one OS he needs to deal with is from the mid-90s.
In the interest of cutting costs, the company decided to "sell" his team and several others to another company, who would then employ them to work at Company A as contractors. With the accompanying decrease in pay, loss of benefits, etc. Losing our health insurance at this point would be a nightmare - in fact, Fox has an MRI appointment tonight for his lower back. Anyway, they would be contractors for one year, after which Company B would reassign them as needed ... or let them go. As needed.
Fox started contacting people he knew at other tech companies looking to get on there, and then the most fortuitous thing happened. A guy who has been a data warehouse dev since forever decided this was probably a good time to retire. And Fox's manager recommended him to fill the position. As of yesterday the paperwork has been signed, and the crisis is averted. The people he regularly works with see him as a valuable asset, since he's very good at programming languages, self-starting, and has worked at this company since it was AT&T way back in like, 1998. Fox has stayed at his job there as the various companies bought and sold the business. In fact once his old team was informed of his move, they were "distressed." Of course, I think they're also down to two now.
So that made the last couple of weeks an anxiety roller-coaster.
We're still "on" for a camping trip next week, since the time off was approved back in January. We'll be pulling the camper out tomorrow and starting to clean it up. As I said, he's got an MRI tonight, so we need to drive over to Baptist South for that. Earlier this week he had a neurology appointment where they determined he's got no nerve damage in his foot and leg, which is good, though it means his problem may likely be in his back. That's what tonight ought to tell us.
In the interest of cutting costs, the company decided to "sell" his team and several others to another company, who would then employ them to work at Company A as contractors. With the accompanying decrease in pay, loss of benefits, etc. Losing our health insurance at this point would be a nightmare - in fact, Fox has an MRI appointment tonight for his lower back. Anyway, they would be contractors for one year, after which Company B would reassign them as needed ... or let them go. As needed.
Fox started contacting people he knew at other tech companies looking to get on there, and then the most fortuitous thing happened. A guy who has been a data warehouse dev since forever decided this was probably a good time to retire. And Fox's manager recommended him to fill the position. As of yesterday the paperwork has been signed, and the crisis is averted. The people he regularly works with see him as a valuable asset, since he's very good at programming languages, self-starting, and has worked at this company since it was AT&T way back in like, 1998. Fox has stayed at his job there as the various companies bought and sold the business. In fact once his old team was informed of his move, they were "distressed." Of course, I think they're also down to two now.
So that made the last couple of weeks an anxiety roller-coaster.
We're still "on" for a camping trip next week, since the time off was approved back in January. We'll be pulling the camper out tomorrow and starting to clean it up. As I said, he's got an MRI tonight, so we need to drive over to Baptist South for that. Earlier this week he had a neurology appointment where they determined he's got no nerve damage in his foot and leg, which is good, though it means his problem may likely be in his back. That's what tonight ought to tell us.
Three Weeks for Dreamwidth: Introduction to Becoming an Expert
Apr. 25th, 2026 12:56 amysabetwordsmithThis year during Three Weeks for Dreamwidth, I'm writing about reading as a way of becoming an expert in a given subject.
Part 1: Introduction to Becoming an Expert
Previously I posted about "How to Get Good at Anything." That touched on "The 3 Book Rule to Become An Expert." The premise is that, if you have read just three books on a subject, you know more about it than the general level of knowledge. You don't know as much as a professional should, but you know enough to answer about 80% of questions on the matter. This is enough to be useful to most people regarding most issues in that area. The really complicated or difficult stuff can be left to the professional level of experts.
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Part 1: Introduction to Becoming an Expert
Previously I posted about "How to Get Good at Anything." That touched on "The 3 Book Rule to Become An Expert." The premise is that, if you have read just three books on a subject, you know more about it than the general level of knowledge. You don't know as much as a professional should, but you know enough to answer about 80% of questions on the matter. This is enough to be useful to most people regarding most issues in that area. The really complicated or difficult stuff can be left to the professional level of experts.
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Three Weeks for Dreamwidth
Apr. 25th, 2026 12:07 amysabetwordsmithThree Weeks for Dreamwidth runs April 25-May 15. During this time, people post content only visible on Dreamwidth (although it can be reposted elsewhere after the event ends). There's usually a flurry of activity as bloggers share anchor posts, new fiction, icons, banners, questionnaires, friending fests, memes, and other goodies. Community hosts often hold special activities in their communities too. Watch your reading page for more festivities. (See the introductory posts from 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025.) To find posts for this event, follow the Threeweeks feed.
This year I plan to post about becoming an expert by reading three books on a subject. See "My Blog Is About..." for an overview of my blogging in general.
I have also posted about this event in my communities. See the entries:
* THREE WEEKS FOR DREAMWIDTH: INTRODUCTION in![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
allbingo
THREE WEEKS FOR DREAMWIDTH: SHARE YOUR CARDS
* Three Weeks for Dreamwidth: Introduction inbirdfeeding
* Three Weeks for Dreamwidth: Introduction incrowdfunding
* Three Weeks for Dreamwidth: Introduction ingoals_on_dw
* Three Weeks for Dreamwidth: Introduction innewcomers
* Three Weeks for Dreamwidth: Introduction inreddit_refugees
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This year I plan to post about becoming an expert by reading three books on a subject. See "My Blog Is About..." for an overview of my blogging in general.
I have also posted about this event in my communities. See the entries:
* THREE WEEKS FOR DREAMWIDTH: INTRODUCTION in
allbingoTHREE WEEKS FOR DREAMWIDTH: SHARE YOUR CARDS
* Three Weeks for Dreamwidth: Introduction in
birdfeeding* Three Weeks for Dreamwidth: Introduction in
crowdfunding* Three Weeks for Dreamwidth: Introduction in
goals_on_dw* Three Weeks for Dreamwidth: Introduction in
newcomers* Three Weeks for Dreamwidth: Introduction in
reddit_refugees( Read more... )
Today's Adventures
Apr. 24th, 2026 08:25 pmysabetwordsmithToday we went to the Spring Fest in Charleston. It was drizzling, but not enough to discourage us.
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All Work and No Play
Apr. 25th, 2026 10:22 amtcpipAs predicted, this entire week I've been buried in work and study, a stark contrast to the week prior, when I engaged in a myriad of artistic engagements. As part of my doctoral studies, I've powered my way through the University of Chicago's content on climate modelling. The professor, David Archer, understands the physics, the modelling, and even the trickier issues involved in translating one to the other, especially given the handful of uncertainties and modelling challenges at scales. His book, "Global Warming: Understanding the Forecast" is a worthwhile introduction to the subject. I have not yet decided what my major paper will be for this study; although I must mention that my paper "Energy Production Under The Paris Agreement: Options for Developing Pacific Island Countries" from the course "Global Energy and Climate Policy" has been accepted for The Intergovernmental Research and Policy Journal; I just have to clear up some formatting issues (one day, we'll all use Markdown).
One fortunate side of my work in supercomputing is the access to some particularly big iron, which might be useful in these situations. The University's own system, Spartan, has grown from being an innovative experimental system on a shoestring budget to become one of the world's top supercomputers. But another part of my role is working with the West Australian Pawsey Supercomputing Centre, home of Setonix, Australia's most powerful system (named after the quokka, you know). This week, we had a visitor from WA, from Pawsey, to discuss the system, and I was involved in wrangling a lecture theatre full of Spartan researchers to come along and hear about how to get access to this grander system. It was a bit of a highlight for the week, as I'm also organising a major project which includes a couple of major transitions which I strongly disagree with on a technical level, which I know will come back and bite us in the future. But I have long been an advocate of not letting work decisions upset me, and I am all too familiar with people acting as if technical limits are negotiable.
I rather suspect that next week is going to be a bit like the past week; the combination of full-time work and full-time study often means there are periods when my social life suffers quite a lot, and this is one of those times when the pointy end of multiple deadlines is looming. It is times like these that I feel a great deal of gratitude for the especially calm and studious Rookery I've built for myself, and for finding myself in a profession where extended periods of solitude are highly beneficial for output. I guess in the past people found themselves in a secluded hermitage; instead, I find myself in the midst of a vibrant city with the plentiful beauty of art and nature, and it takes some willpower to stay focused.
One fortunate side of my work in supercomputing is the access to some particularly big iron, which might be useful in these situations. The University's own system, Spartan, has grown from being an innovative experimental system on a shoestring budget to become one of the world's top supercomputers. But another part of my role is working with the West Australian Pawsey Supercomputing Centre, home of Setonix, Australia's most powerful system (named after the quokka, you know). This week, we had a visitor from WA, from Pawsey, to discuss the system, and I was involved in wrangling a lecture theatre full of Spartan researchers to come along and hear about how to get access to this grander system. It was a bit of a highlight for the week, as I'm also organising a major project which includes a couple of major transitions which I strongly disagree with on a technical level, which I know will come back and bite us in the future. But I have long been an advocate of not letting work decisions upset me, and I am all too familiar with people acting as if technical limits are negotiable.
I rather suspect that next week is going to be a bit like the past week; the combination of full-time work and full-time study often means there are periods when my social life suffers quite a lot, and this is one of those times when the pointy end of multiple deadlines is looming. It is times like these that I feel a great deal of gratitude for the especially calm and studious Rookery I've built for myself, and for finding myself in a profession where extended periods of solitude are highly beneficial for output. I guess in the past people found themselves in a secluded hermitage; instead, I find myself in the midst of a vibrant city with the plentiful beauty of art and nature, and it takes some willpower to stay focused.
