We are L-2:07:30 on the Artemis II launch. I am sitting at Gremlin's house so we can watch the launch and I can blog about it at the same time. (Gremlin is making dinner. He is Scully to my Mulder for the purposes of this evening's space nerdery. No space ghosts please. If you are unfamiliar with the reference, see:...

I know I'm not supposed to get too excited about space launches. I know things could be delayed or postponed up to the last second (almost literally). I know that today's weather briefing put the chances of launching tomorrow at only 80 percent. But SPACE. SPACE SPACE SPACE. Watching NASA launches and reentries is...

I sent the following two texts to my BGFF(FN1) today, about an hour apart: charged the solar battery and plugged the fridge into it to see how long it lasts. The sun is my friend measuring the bedroom windows for reflective coverings to keep them cooler this summer. the sun is my enemy Actually, in both cases, my...

Little Molly was obsessed with radios. (Adult Molly is also obsessed with radios.) Thing is, Little Molly didn't get to do much with radios except have one in her bedroom as an alarm clock. Little Molly's parents didn't think twice about radios. And even though Little Molly asked for a crystal radio kit for every...

(A series in which I ramble some personal perspective on ICYDAK's "30 Proven Tactics to Resist Authoritarianism in Daily Life," because most of this stuff is just default daily life to me.) ICYDAK: 30 Proven Tactics to Resist Authoritarianism in Everyday Life #1: know your rights #2: secure your communications #3:...

the sublime Web The sublime form of the Web is when complete nerds geek out in minute detail over their obsession in a manner specifically designed to let any random surfer-by understand and geek out over it as well. For example, this guide on how to convert units of measurement: Stan Brown, How to Convert Units of...

I run the library at a public high school (9-12, roughly ages 14-18 for the non-USians). Our school includes a Basic Media class, in which students produce a 10 minute news show for their peers each day. Said news show includes info about lunch menus, sports, upcoming school events, and whatever else the students...

Cleaning out the bookmarks on my phone, for they have gotten Unwieldy. Links are not endorsements. Etc. European Business Magazine: Iran has just fired the most dangerous shot of this war and it wasn't a missile Watching Trump try to do monetary policy has been like watching a toddler try to cram the square peg in...

March 17 is never a fun day at Chez Tov, being the anniversary of the day my brother finally succeeded in killing himself with alcohol. So imagine my mood when I opened my email and a freelance client accused me of being AI. Specifically: "this draft came back as 99% AI. Can you rewrite it so it's no more than 60%...

I was reveling in the "get mad, get even" approach of Ageless Linux this morning Ageless Linux when a bit of AB 1043 caught my eye: "User" means a child that is a primary user of a device. And my long-dormant training in statutory interpretation said "that is a bad definition." Then it said "If this definition is...

When my youngest niece was a toddler, she was obsessed with this "tablet for toddlers": Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Tablet It's basically a set of alphabet buttons, with a switch to set one of three "learning levels." Each level plays the name of the letter, a word that starts with that letter, a sound...

I am home sick today with what had better not be influenza A symptoms (but a bunch of my students and a couple teachers have been out with it the last few weeks so I wouldn't be surprised if it is). I did feel good enough just now to stagger out and get the mail, though. Which is where this story comes from. In...