Bonum Certa Men Certa

Gemini Links 14/07/2023: Retro and Comebacks



  • Gemini* and Gopher

    • Personal/Opinions

      • Are my Eidolons Merging?

        I failed the universe's tenuous strands that hold its gauze together two days ago when I did not write about the dream I had which featured not Lucía herself, but a physical search for where she might be. I used to have tangible address books and there were essential to me. They were sacred. Tangible address books! Ones one could actually touch! Imagine that! And one of these tangible address books still exists and it is in a box in the closet in my bedroom in Seminole. When I was last there in March, I did not peruse it. Next time I shall.

      • New arrival: First post

        There's more coming, but I expect to fill this gemlog with musings on food, society, culture, technology, and the intersection of all the above.

      • Secure Your Corner

        Unforseen 99999 IQ mass brain fuckery will occur soon and the only thing slowing it potentially down is the friction of society.

        AI isn't going to steal anything, people with energy & access will.

      • "vampire boys" (2011)

        so if you watch horror on tubitv you're probably aware of this movie. it's just 70 minutes, it's a vampire movie, it's gay, it's TV-MA, i gave it a shot this week.

        so. if you don't know me, hi, i'm sol, i like women and vampires. i watch and write about lesbian vampire movies (mostly 70s sexploitation) as a hobby.

      • summer, at pace

        feeling persimmon-swelter-anxious. i'm on break. i'm putting it out there:

        day-month list:

        - watch two movies, three movies, two shows - dawn-walk

      • UAF Botanical Garden Photos

        I took these photos over a week ago (July 4th) but I haven't had time to rename or label them. Rather than wait for that, I'll just dump them here as they are. I might come back and label them later. These were taken with the S5300 — no post-processing.

    • Politics and World Events

      • Food systems and the myth of individual responsibility

        I used to be in IT, so I think a lot about systems. Modern life is full of systems. The size, depth, breadth and interconnectedness of them is so vast, but also somewhat obscured from the end-user. Not just technical ones, although those are probably the ones that most immediately come to mind for most people here. Beyond the systems and algorithms involved in serving content on the web, there's logistics systems that get packages and products where they need to go. Our food environment is one such system; from farm to manufacturer to retailer, although that is a gross oversimplification. The scale of these systems cannot be understated, and it is only growing.

      • It was never about clothes

        I began crossdressing around the age of 10. That may sound scary to some people but there was something there that drew me to it inside myself.

    • Science

      • A Proof that 0.999...=1

        This inequality implies that the value of 1-x is non-negative but less than the inverse of any positive integer. 0 is the only number to have this property: any possible nonzero value of 1-x could be written as 1/r for some real r, but by choosing n such that r<10^n, the inequality would fail to hold. Thus 1-x must be 0, and x must be 1. Thus 1 is the smallest number no less than 0.(9)_n for all n; extending this indefinitely, 0.999...=1.

    • Technology and Free Software

      • NoteTaking Navelgazing

        Time for another mojito while navel gazing. /sip

        I've been thinking about my reading and keeping organized about it. It is less of a big deal with fiction where either I finish or drop it quickly. Then mark it accordingly on storygraph (https://app.thestorygraph.com/).

        But when I'm reading non-fiction, and I am reading more of it lately, its less of a one and done situation. I want to take notes, and then at a later date be able to add on further/linking discoveries, but where?

        [...]

        Digitally I suppose I can just use a website and make a webgarden kind of thing. Maybe on Neocities. While I like Storygraph in terms of keeping track of what I complete, I find keeping track of where I am/progress in it obnoxious.

      • Day 5

        Today I've mostly been catching up on the OCC blogs and IRC chat. Basically a relaxed day as the rain hammers down outside. I should be doing some programming, maybe improving my scripts for Mastodon, but I haven't been in the right mindset/mood.

      • Day 4

        Today I got to see more family I haven't seen for a while, including my cousin and her children. Also stumbled across a swarm of burnett moths amongst the lavendar.

        Being away, I haven't done much computing yet. I've caught up on Mastodon notifications for my .social account via the scripts (I haven't got my TopSpicy.social account set up with them yet) though.

        [...]

        Trying to connect to the #OldComputerChallenge IRC channel for the first time since my preparatory period and it just seems to be hanging for some reason? Not sure why.

      • Note for anyone using Oracle Cloud with Ubuntu - check your IPv6 addresses!

        It turns out that Oracle Cloud has recently introduced a bug that has broken IPv6 assignments for servers running Ubuntu. Any IPv6 assignments you've made in the management console will still be visible in the console, but won't actually apply to your server after a reboot.

        [...]

        While investigating this I tried to use the gemini web proxy proxy.vulpes.one, which I had used in the past, only to find that it now redirects to some sort of German cannabis retailer. If you've linked to that site from anywhere previously, you might want to go back and edit those links!

      • asking for advice about computers

        what are good computers? even the regular brands. i don't know much about specs and stuff (im happy to listen to someone explain), and though this forum tends to the smaller-scale indie retro aesthetic stuff it is also the most nerdy (endearing) place i know. thank you thank you thank you.

      • Fix Vivaldi Graphical Corruption after Linux Update

        I updated openSUSE today. And, after launching the Vivaldi web browser, there was clear graphical corruption within the Vivaldi window immediately after launch.

        This issue can also be triggered by a Vivaldi update. I originally experienced this issue a month ago when I updated Vivaldi on a different system.

        The problem appears to be an underlying graphics upgrade which invalidates Vivaldi's graphics cache.

      • re: christyotwisty's 5 questions for July, 2023

        Here are my July answers to christyotwisty's 5 monthly questions. Thank you for doing these, christyotwisty! You give me m0ar to write about aside from the usual computer geek stuff, even if my answers are dumb. ;)

      • OLD COMPUTER CHALLENGE: DAY ]|[

        LAB: 10:12 AM 76F/51% CONSUME: Parsing recent mastodon enteries in home timeline. CONSUME: Reading #oldcomputerchallenge entries in mastodon (toot) GOPHER: matto is also using eeepc. Follow: ENABLED!

      • OLD COMPUTER CHALLENGE: DAY IV

        IRC: #opencomputerchallenge on libera.chat has much activity @1840UTC

        Discussions of eeepc, gemlog, wifi on trains, rivella (beverage), occ hardware woes, firmware upgrades, etc.

      • Old Computer Challenge 2023 - Day Five

        Of all machines I have used with the ratpoison window manager, this one has the most simple setup.

        My plan for this edition of the Challenge was to do as much as possible with Emacs. Before the challenge I was already using Emacs for email, use-net, RSS-feeds and following mailing lists, as well as browse the Gemini- and Gopher space.

        I knew that the big browsers like Firefox were not going to work, so expected to use eww, the web browser in Emacs.

        A couple of weeks before the Challenges, I played a bit with "rde", which is a Linux distribution based on Guix, focused at developers and power user. It is developed by the brilliant Andrew Tropin.

      • Internet/Gemini

        • can i "afford" simplicity?

          I find myself occasionally smitten with the very tiny, very minimalist sites on the web. Websites found at the 1MB club, the well known "best motherfucking websites" out there, websites like starbreaker.org.

          It always makes me think: shouldn't I be doing this too? Is there any way I can implement that on my existing sites? What would I lose and what would I gain?

          [...]

          The thing holding me back is the implications such a design has for me as a person compared to others. Others who may use such a minimalist, lightweight and focused design are different from me. They may be male, they may be older, they may have a portfolio full of amazing tech stuff they have built. They are cut-to-the-chase people, they may not be artistically creative but they are seen as very logical and good at tech things. I get the impression that when they do it, they have enough of their work, their personality and other markers such as gender or age working to ensure others are seeing it as the deliberate choice that it is, and not lack of skill.

        • comeback

          With the end of August, i plan a comeback to Geminispace.

        • First thoughts on Gemini

          Okay, it's weird publishing here and not getting that instant feedback dopamine hit you'd get elsewhere. I know that's by design, and it's part of the reason I signed up, but it's still weird to actually experience. Everything here is slower and more deliberate. I have a feeling it'll be good in the long term, just takes some getting used to.

      • Programming

        • Wikipedia haste

          I threw these couple scripts together to quickly satisfy wondering what Wikipedia has per specified search/query terms.

        • Fake RNG for fake games

          There are antiquity that feature bros at dice; Achilles always beats Ajax. There are storytelling reasons for this; Achilles is the best, so therefore cannot lose, except when the plot demands it. A continent over Shakuni used dice that always rolled the desired number. More examples can doubtless be had.

          Computer games sometimes feature not exactly random numbers that favor storytelling or skill over cold hard statistics; the rolls are fudged to be more in line with what a human expects, which is that a skill that activates 33 percent of the time will roughly follow the pattern of hit miss miss. A 95% skill that misses twice in a row? Fuggedaboutit!


* Gemini (Primer) links can be opened using Gemini software. It's like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter.



Recent Techrights' Posts

Dr. Andy Farnell Explains Why Slop Companies Like Anthropic and Microsoft 'Open' 'AI' Basically Plunder and Rob People
This article was published last night at around 10
 
No, the Problem at IBM/Red Hat Isn't Diversity
Microsoft Lunduke also openly shows his admiration for Pedo Cheeto
Do Not Link to Linuxiac Anymore, Linuxiac Became a Slopfarm
now Linuxiac is slop
Richard Stallman (RMS) at Georgia Tech Tomorrow
After the talk we'll write a lot about "cancel culture" and online mobs fostered and emboldened in social control media
Software Patents by Any Other Name
There is no such thing as "AI" patents
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, January 21, 2026
IRC logs for Wednesday, January 21, 2026
The "Alicante Mafia" - Part VIII - Salary Cuts to Staff, 100,000 Euros to Managers Busted Using Cocaine (for Doing Absolutely Nothing, Just Pretending to be "Sick")
Today we look at slides from the union
Gemini Links 22/01/2026: Forest Monk, Aurora Observation, and Arduino Officially Launches the More Powerful Arduino UNO Q 4GB Single-Board Computer
Links for the day
Next Week is Close Enough for Wall Street Storytelling About 'Efficiency' by Layoffs for "AI"
This coming week GAFAM and others will tell some creative tales about how "AI" something something...
Google News Still a Feeder of Slop About "Linux", Which Became Rarer in 2026
Our main concern these days is what happened to Linuxiac. Bobby Borisov became a chatbots addict.
Links 21/01/2026: "Snap Settles Lawsuit on Social Media Addiction" and Attempts in the US to Revive Software Patents
Links for the day
Links 21/01/2026: Microsoft 'Open' 'Hey Hi' in More Trouble, US Has "Brown Shirts" Problem
Links for the day
Yesterday Afternoon The Register MS Published Paid Microsoft SPAM Disguised as an Article About "AI PCs"
The Register MS cannot help itself, can it? [...] Follow the money.
Microsoft's XBox is in Effect Dead Already, Now It's a Streaming and Advertising Platform
Expect many layoffs soon
Richard Stallman's Talk at Georgia Tech is Just 2 Days Away
We're still curious to see how malicious people (or trolls) in social control media will try to slant his talk as "bad"
EPO's Web Site Misused for Propaganda About Illegal Kangaroo Courts to Distract From EPO Scandals and Judicial Crisis in Europe
UPC is illegal and unconstitutional
The "Alicante Mafia" - Part VII - The Industrial Actions Began Yesterday, Here's Why
The "Alicante Mafia" might not last much longer
Gemini Links 21/01/2026: Edible Circuits and "Sayonara HTTP"
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, January 20, 2026
IRC logs for Tuesday, January 20, 2026
IBM Hides Its Own Destruction (and Red Hat's)
It's like scenes out of '1984', which is what a now-famous advertisement from Apple compared IBM to
LLM Slop Not Dead Yet, Examples of Slop About "Linux"
We wish to see the totals down to zero
Links 20/01/2026: Cheeto Blackmails France Into 'Peace' While Looking to Annex EU, Mass Layoffs in Capgemini (Microsoft Reseller/Promoter) in France
Links for the day
Gemini Links 20/01/2026: Boxing and "Inbox Zero" Success
Links for the day
Windows and Slop Declining While Microsoft Silences Critics
Microsoft tries to suppress facts while faking 'demand' by imposing slop on everybody, everywhere
openai.com Traffic Said to Have Fallen 50% in the Past Three Months, Reports Say It Nearly Ran Out of Money to Borrow
After the slop frenzy all we'll have left is environmental destruction
IBM Kills OzLabs, Signalling An Attack on Free Software (a Sign for Red Hat)
ibiblio also appears to have died (or experiences critical issues)
Red Hat Vice President Leaving After Nearly Two Decades
IBM's culture of secrecy is not compatible with Free software
Links 20/01/2026: "ChatGPT Health" (Latest Distraction From Being Insolvent) Flops and Raises Concerns, "The U.S. Military Faces a Reckoning on Greenland"
Links for the day
Rudeness and Vulgarity Won't Stop Journalism About Free Software
we seem to be on the right path
Readers Pleased With Layout Changes
Two days ago we began improving clarity and accessibility in the site
IBM Plans for Layoffs Becoming Clearer With "Employee Reviews"
Of course this impacts Red Hat as well
IBM is Outsourcing Red Hat's Fedora to Slop to 'Save Money'
If IBM cared about quality rather than alleged "cost savings" (cutting corners), it would assign more IBM staff to Fedora, but instead the exact opposite happened, with the likes of Cotton and Miller removed from the project
European Patent Office (EPO) Industrial Actions Formally Start in Two Hours
As per the latest (revised) action plan, today workers will slow down their work and limit patent grants
Microsoft Under Fresh Investigation by the Italian Competition Authority
In 2025 we kept a running tally of 30,000+ Microsoft layoffs, so 40k this year would not be unthinkable
The "Alicante Mafia" - Part VI - More Strikes Planned at the EPO, Starting This Month
Yesterday we said that friends of Berenguer or inside Berenguer's circle may have left
Gemini Links 20/01/2026: New Tea, Using a Roku at a Hotel, and "Voltage-Based Power Management for Any Raspberry Pi"
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, January 19, 2026
IRC logs for Monday, January 19, 2026