Done Since 2023-05-21

[mdlbear]

Probably not a good week. Remains to be seen. More travel advisories issued for Florida. Probably other nazi-controlled states -- I may have missed some. Map. Artificial stupidity. Memories (see Sunday, packing mementos of Curio and Colleen). We have an informal offer for the house on Whidbey Island, which is a relief. But memories.

The OTC hearing aids that I ordered a week ago arrived yesterday. I have 45 days to decide whether to put them in a Thankful Thursday post, or in a box to be returned. Rather undecided at the moment.

There are no cats within easy petting distance right now.

Notes & links:
0521Su
  & awake 12:20 in recliner no mask
  * up 6:30ish; S=6:10, BP=110/76, P=68; exercises (9 situps; bed at 15°), shower
  * Dutch
  x pack: air conditioner (if possible)
  @ May Anti-Trans Legislative Risk Map - by Erin Reed
  @ Florida travel advisory issued by state LGBTQ civil rights group - ABC News
    Map: Where gender-affirming care is being targeted in the US - ABC News
  @ Sex Ed Books Don't "Groom" Kids and Teens. They Protect Them.
  * Pack N's eggs and other sculptures.  All fit in one file box.
  * start packing my small sculptures etc.
  & reunited a cup from the wall baskets with another plus a teapot from the curio cabinet
  & found stuff in the filing cabinet that I thought was empty.  Gotten out of sight
    before showing the place to potential buyers.
  @ The internet’s memory is fading in front of us. Preserve what you can.|Sea. Times
    originally on The Washington Post
    Web Archiving Integration Layer (WAIL)
    ArchiveBox | 🗃 Open source self-hosted web
    archiving. Takes URLs/browser history/bookmarks/Pocket/Pinboard/etc., saves HTML, JS,
    PDFs, media, and more…  Also, following links from WAIL,
    webrecorder/pywb:
    Core Python Web Archiving Toolkit for replay and recording of web archives 
  @ 4 mistakes to avoid when you’re lonely - The Washington Post
    1. Waiting until you’re (thinner, happier, less stressed) before socializing
    2. Avoiding conversations with strangers
    3. Steering clear of sensitive questions or being ‘nosy’
    4. Assuming people don’t like being asked for help
    (I note in passing that #3 is problematic especially in coathanger states.)
  @ Starbucks India ad on transgender acceptance sparks backlash - Washington Post
    note:  I've already linked to this 2021 advert by jewelry brand Bhima
    Starbucks India (@StarbucksIndia): "Your name defines who you are - whether it's
    Arpit or Arpita. At Starbucks, we love and accept you for who you are. Because being
    yourself means everything to us. #ItStartsWithYourName." | nitter
    Note - the video's on Birdland, so might vanish.  Also...
    Starbucks LGBT+ Channel 4 Diversity Award 2019 | Every name’s a story - YouTube
  ! 4pm I just noticed, while considering what to eat for dinner, that I'm very reluctant
    to leave the house (e.g. go back to Payless for something else).  Also, I'm cold.
    # note the (rarely used recently) "!" tag for psych stuff noticed in the moment.
  : !! We have an offer on the house, and N and I have agreed to take it.  N wants us to
    stay until December sometime to move out - nominally the end of the year.  Which is a
    lot more time than I was expecting to have.
    ! DAMN -- I really want to tell Colleen.  Or Mom.  I'll tell Ame and she can relay.
    * compose email to (realtor)Suzanne  -> draft sent to N
  % 11:05 acetaminophen

0521Mo  * litter boxen (k)
  * up 7ish; S=7:31; exercises (16 situps)
    * 15min: strip bed,  * Dutch  * laundry  * dishes
  @ Are large language models wrong for coding? | InfoWorld
    " When the goal is accuracy, consistency, mastering a game, or finding the one right
      answer, reinforcement learning models beat generative AI. "
  @ Why Wasm is the future of cloud computing | InfoWorld
  @ foone🏳️‍⚧️
    (@Foone): ""So, how are those sulfur-eaters doing? I know you had some schedule slips,
    but I bet they're really optimized now." "Well... let's focus on the positives. They
    made it to the Moon!" "The... Moon?"" | nitter funny dialog btw. G_d and evolution
  @ Faster Than Expected: Why Climate Scientists Are So Scared
  @ McCarthy pushes US to brink of default to appease energy donors — but Biden has an
    ace up his sleeve | Salon.com
  @ ‘There was all sorts of toxic behaviour’: Timnit Gebru on her sacking by Google, AI’s
    dangers and big tech’s biases | Artificial intelligence (AI) | The Guardian
  * call MDHearing and order hearing aids.  With tax and service contract comes to $500
    We'll see if they actually fit.  45-day return.  The flyer is rather deceptive, but I
    knew that and 149 each is still much less than many OTC and _any_ prescription aids
  @ 5 Beautiful Programs That Will Make Your Terminal More Exciting | Tate Galbraith
    WTF (configurable dashboard)
    htop (packaged in mint)
    mapscii interactive world map
    btop (packaged)
    wttr weather server -- access with curl
  * pack Curio's ashes and stuff.  Recorded a video of his collar and the way it jingled.
    % I may be a bit wrecked later.
  % paced a little of Colleen's mementos; stopped when I got to her ring.  Um... right.
  * singing:  Eyes Like the Morning
  @ Google's New Authenticator Isn't End-to-End Encrypted: Test.  Right.
    Mysk 🇨🇦🇩🇪
    (@mysk_co): "Google has just updated its 2FA Authenticator app and added a much-needed
    feature: the ability to sync secrets across devices. TL;DR: Don't turn it on. #Privacy
    #Cybersecurity #InfoSec #2FA #Google #Security" | nitter
  @ Neeva: Ad-Free Google Search Alternative Now Has a Free Tier TL;DR: no thanks:
    " The company also promises access to an “Exclusive Neeva Premium NFT,” "
  % tweaked my back on the R getting into Molly.  Somewhat better now, but not pushing my
    luck. 
  * drive back to RS
  % 5pm 500mg Acetaminophen
  % N chewed me out (gently) for bending; assigned k to do the litter boxes tonight
  @ Swisscows: private and anonymous search engine
  % naproxen

0523Tu
  * up 6:30ish; S=7:37; about an hour of cat cuddle and drifting.
    % Back seems okay, but skipping exercises anyway
    % 8:05 naproxen
  * bring in D3 for N
  @ Hamburger Mary’s drag show restaurant files suit against Florida, DeSantis
  @ France formalises ban on short domestic flights - The Local
  @ End of an era: CD Baby stops distributing artists’ CDs, vinyl, and other goods|Ars
    " Three years later, CD Baby can still help you make a CD, partnering with its former
      owner, but you're on your own in moving it. "
    What you should know about the retirement of CD Baby’s retail store. – 2020 
  * 10:00 - 11:30 Memory Keepers grief support group
  * 1:30 hearing aid consultation - dr jackie cooper
    *- online hearing test produced results ~10db less loss than the UW test.
    -> potential problems:  no bluetooth, response curve not adjustable.  They are said to
       emphasize high frequencies, so they might work.  Will _hopefully_ fit under OTE
       headphones.  (If not, the lack of BT would be a problem.)
    -> sometimes you can get a more natural sound while performing by removing one.
  @ Exploring Different Grief Styles: Intuitive vs Instrumental Grief
    " experienced in more physical and cognitive ways (e.g., “I couldn’t stop thinking
      about what happened” or “I felt like I couldn’t breathe”) and the grief response is
      expressed in physical, cognitive, or behavioral ways and looks more like ‘doing’ or
      ‘taking action’. " ... which explains a lot about my apparent lack of emotion
  * load drugs

0524We  * litter boxen
  & awake 3:30ish; couldn't get back to sleep - politics
  & awake 4:20; S=5:26;
  * up 6:30 after dozing a little with no mask
    % dream had a family of foxes living in our crawlspace
    " my kid is trans -- does that make me a transparent? "
  @ The Times They Are A-Changin'
    | Brandi Carlile w/Mike McCready (Pearl Jam) | Playing For Change
  @ Climate scientists flee Twitter as hostility surges | Al Jazeera
    " Contacted at its email address for comment, Twitter’s press department returned its
      now-customary reply, an automated email with a “poop” emoji. "
  @ ‘Off the charts’: UN report highlights rapid climate breakdown | Al Jazeera
  @ Target to remove LGBTQ merchandise following threats to workers | Al Jazeera
    Target becomes latest company to suffer backlash for LGBTQ+ support, pulls some Pride
    month clothing | AP News
  @ President Biden Approves Guam Emergency Declaration | The White House
  @ Largest U.S. LGBTQ+ Rights Group Advises Against Travel to Florida
  * Union Bank - close Colleen's accounts
    -> the personal account was already closed (zero balance)
    -> The business account was HSX but with a different acct#.  Weird.
    -> so they'll take her name off the joint checking acc't and HSX
    -> the IRA has to be handled by their retirement people,
    -> the safe-deposit box will need to be handled in person.  :(
    -> and to top it all off, I forgot to put on my mask.  IDIOT!
       -> G and N decided that ~10min with shielding doesn't count as an exposure.
       -> I'll test in a couple of days anyway
 @ Attacked by White Supremacists: Is Montana Man Face of Pride 2023? | by James Finn
   includes safety tips.  Essentially the same as the advice given to civil rights and
   Vietnam war protesters, and indeed all non-violent protesters since Gandhi.
  @ Tina Turner, unstoppable superstar, dead at 83 | AP News Tina Turner, showstopping pop-music sensation, dies at 83 - The Washington Post
    Tina Turner - Wikipedia
  * guitar:  bad guys

0525Th  Geek Pride Day, Towel Day
  * up 6am; S=5:50; exercises, Dutch
  @ Geek Pride Day - Wikipedia
    Towel Day - Wikipedia
  : cats have an appointment Tuesday
  * walk: end of block
  : jetpack warned me that my version of Slider Revolution was unsafe -- it's not used on
    the current home page, so I deleted it rather than paying for an upgrade.  If we want
    a slider on GoingSideways there are dozens of free ones.
  @ Comb jellies proven to be the sibling group to all other animals still debated
    What did the earliest animals look like? | Berkeley News 
    Ancient gene linkages support ctenophores as sister to other animals | Nature
    Sponge - Wikipedia
    " However, reanalysis of the data showed that the computer algorithms used for
      analysis were misled by the presence of specific ctenophore genes that were markedly
      different from those of other species, leaving sponges as either the sister group to
      all other animals, or an ancestral paraphyletic grade.   'Family trees' constructed
      using a combination of all available data – morphological, developmental and
      molecular – concluded that the sponges are in fact a monophyletic group, and with
      the cnidarians form the sister group to the bilaterians. "
  @ Neil Gaiman delivers powerful message at alt-graduation for DeSantis-threatened New
    College of Florida | Boing Boing
  @ [2302.12173] Not what you've signed up for: Compromising Real-World LLM-Integrated
    Applications with Indirect Prompt Injection
    greshake/llm-security: New ways of breaking app-integrated LLMs prompt injection
  * 15min: dishes
  * renew Molly's tabs -- due 0608  * change residence/mailing address.
    -> License addr change has to be done separately
  % decided (with N) not to go up to RE this weekend, but later in the week.
    mainly because of the holiday traffic.
    ! Between that and the address change I'm feeling something, but I don't know what
  @ Noscere Teipsum : On May 3rd, Google released 8 new top-level... .zip and .mov
    cellio|sneaky malware vector
  @ Twitter glitches mar DeSantis debut as presidential candidate : NPR

0526Fr
  * up 6ish; S=6:32; exercises, Dutch
  * walk:  two blocks W. to park.  Should start extending that.
  @ Lauren Boebert says fighting 'hate and antisemitism' is code for going after
    conservatives - Raw Story -- telling the truth for once
  @ Welcome to Hoosier.Social (and the Fediverse!) Good introduction
  @ Pride in London 2023 to call for trans solidarity
  @ Twitter to pull back from Europe’s disinformation crusade – POLITICO
  @ OpenAI says it could ‘cease operating’ in the EU if it can’t comply with future
    regulation - The Verge
  @ Bombshell Louisiana Report Led To Republican Senator Rejecting Youth Trans Ban
  @ Meteorites and volcanoes may have helped jump-start life on Earth | Space
  @ US study finds 1 in 10 get long COVID after omicron,
    starts identifying key symptoms | AP News
  @ Target on the defensive after removing some products aimed at LGBTQ+ | The Hill
  * guitar:  Bad Guys.  Fingers started hurting halfway through.
    -> So I'm way the hell out of practice -- need to add it to daily rituals.
  @ 17 unforgettable things to do in Leiden in 2023 | DutchReview
  @ DutchReview | News, stories, culture and reviews from the Netherlands
    % not sure why I'm taking an interest in Netherlands _now_ as opposed to a year ago,
      but I'm not going to argue -- it's necessary.
  @ More than 50% of trans and non-binary youth in US considered suicide this year,
    survey says | US news | The Guardian
  @ Space Cat Series by Ruthven Todd not sure why this has been on my mind lately.
    inauthor:"Ruthven Todd" - Google Search so I could get them if I wanted to. Do I?
    Revisiting The Amazing Adventures of Space Cat! | Tor.com
    " I had not expected to see a Space Cat book again. We live in a golden age of
      reprints. These are aimed at younger readers (or the very nostalgic). If you don’t
      mind the fairly hefty price charged for the reprint and you have a small SF fan (or
      if you read these fifty or sixty years ago and are curious how they stand up), you
      might consider giving them a try. "
  & long wikipedia dive
  * make a new night guard -- this one's been bitten through (again)
    -> came out a little off-center; probably okay
  @ Regular internet use may be linked to lower dementia risk in older adults,...

0527Sa
  & awake 4:30ish; S=5:51, BP=119/75, P=70; cats; exercises; ... Dutch (daily)
  : Apollo has finally released/pushed the new Android app.  But it doesn't have the
    new nap "vibe" and seems confused about whether the device needs a firmware update
  * walk: W. to park and around it.
  @ Ron DeSantis Wants To Take His 'War On Woke' National. There’s One Big Problem: The
    Constitution. | HuffPost Latest News
  @ Seattle school cancels classes, moves to online learning because of measles
  @ Twitter cannot hide from EU rules after exit from code, EU's Breton says | Reuters
  @ OpenAI CEO's threat to quit EU draws lawmaker backlash | Reuters
  @ Canada to launch probe into OpenAI over privacy concerns | Reuters
  @ Iowa law limits gender identity instruction, removes books depicting sex acts from
    school libraries | AP News
  * Add required US Bank updates to tracking.do
  % nice conversation with N about Colleen
    -> not to feel bad because we didn't do more together in her last years; what she
       loved most was spending time with me in the living room each doing their own thing
  : Hearing aids (MDHearing NEO) arrived.  Returnable within 45 days. -> 0711Tu
    -> They work.  Not clear, though, how much they help at the high end where I'm most
       deficient.  And there's a whine, well below my tinitus.  Internal feedback?
    -> Internal noises like nose-snuffling are quite loud, as are keyboard noises
    -> Higher-frequency tones come through as noise.
    -> occasional weird triggered feedback, mainly on the right
    -> took them out ~8:30 because of the triggered feedback.  Fit problem?  there was a
       blob of wax on the R device when I took it out.
  * guitar:  a little.  do hearing aids help?  unclear
  * make followup appointment for hearing aids -> 0601Th noon