How many times have you read something like this, “Bitcoin uses as much electricity as Malaysia or Sweden or Denmark or Chile….”. What a bore. Have you ever wondered, however, why the comparison is to countries? Why don’t they ever tell you what would seem to be a more natural comparison which is how much … Continue reading Energy Production, Cryptocurrencies & Hidden Agendas
Category: writing
cafebedouin.org: 2021 Year in Review
Top 10 Most Viewed in 2021 Why Ergo?Don’t Shoot the Dog by Karen Pryor: SummaryInstalling LineageOS on a Samsung Device (updated in December 2020)Forecasting a Cryptocurrency PriceSeedvault: Encrypted Backup for AndroidBook Review: Prometheus Rising by Robert Anton WilsonMutt on OpenBSD & Linux: configuring gpg/gpg2 & ~/.muttrcA Quick Introduction to StumpWMThe Asshole Filter Posts That Deserve More Visibility … Continue reading cafebedouin.org: 2021 Year in Review
A Second-Hand Review of Matrix Resurrections
https://www.imdb.com/review/rw7672532/?ref_=tt_urv One of the more interesting movie reviews I've ever read. Does mom truly love Matrix Resurrections? Or, does she love any movie that excites her autistic child in this way? I'd really like to know more.
bash: Last Day, The People Who Lived As Many Days as You
Definitions bash: This is the command line, where you can run relatively simple scripted programs, available on all three major computing platforms.SPARQL: On the Internet, there are repositories of information. Some of these repositories are in a format called RDF, or Resource Description Framework. Users of these repositories typically need a subset of the information … Continue reading bash: Last Day, The People Who Lived As Many Days as You
Why I Avoid Wikipedia
"This page in a nutshell: Wikipedia articles cover notable topics—those that have gained sufficiently significant attention by the world at large and over a period of time, and are not outside the scope of Wikipedia. We consider evidence from reliable and independent sources to gauge this attention. The notability guideline does not determine the content … Continue reading Why I Avoid Wikipedia
A Boring Dystopia: Mouse Movers
"“The pandemic has proved to be a catalyst to saying no to the ‘9-to-5’ schedule. The tables have turned in favor of the Worker,” Rodriguez told me. “They are in power today. They value work flexibility. They are ambitious. They value work-life balance and are not afraid of saying no to employers who don’t share … Continue reading A Boring Dystopia: Mouse Movers
The New York Times Problem, Exhibit: Abortion
"The Supreme Court seems all but certain to rewrite the country’s abortion laws when it rules in coming months on a case from Mississippi. But the real-world effects of that ruling will differ enormously depending on how far the justices go.In one scenario, only a small share of abortions now being conducted in the U.S. … Continue reading The New York Times Problem, Exhibit: Abortion
Between the “Quotes” & Control
“Not needing a family member for support or because you plan to inherit the family farm means that who we choose to spend time with is based more on our identities and aspirations for growth than survival or necessity,” he explains. “Today, nothing ties an adult child to a parent beyond that adult child’s desire … Continue reading Between the “Quotes” & Control
Why Ergo?
Ergo is different from other blockchains. It is focused on providing a decentralized, open, permissionless, and secure platform for contractual money that is usable by ordinary people to pursue their common good over the long term. It is designed to be resilient in the face of different economic environments and competing interests, allows individuals to … Continue reading Why Ergo?
Nightmare Fuel: Reproducing Xenobots & Grey Goo
"The US scientists who created the first living robots say the life forms, known as xenobots, can now reproduce -- and in a way not seen in plants and animals."-Katie Hunt, "World's first living robots can now reproduce, scientists say." CNN. November 29, 2021 What could possibly go wrong? Cf. The grey goo Wikipedia article … Continue reading Nightmare Fuel: Reproducing Xenobots & Grey Goo
The Understructure of Thought
Language imposes limitations. When we reason, we use language, whether symbolic or natural. But, our understanding, or, perhaps it is better to talk about it as an intuition, runs deeper than our reason. A common example can be found in a terms like "creepy", "janky", etc. We use these terms when there is uncertainty, when … Continue reading The Understructure of Thought
Working Backwards
"The two-page (or one-page) mock press release format is also a writing genre common to Amazon, although it’s less often discussed than the six-page memo. What’s interesting to me about Limp’s invocation of the six-page memo in this Decoder interview is that 1) he describes how the two writing forms are, at least for his … Continue reading Working Backwards
Write: More Frequently, Less Long
"I don’t care what it is. Blog posts. Novels. Google docs. Articles. Wiki pages. Write more of them, but make them shorter."-Mike Crittenden, "Write 5x more but write 5x less." critter.blog. October 2, 2020. This is probably the best writing advice I've heard. Maybe you've noticed. I tend to write long. I'll try to make … Continue reading Write: More Frequently, Less Long
Rucking, or Walking with a Weighted Pack on Your Back
A gallon jug of vinegar and two 24 oz salsa jars in an old running day pack makes for a 15 pound pack "Just add a bit of weight to any old pack you have lying around the house, take a walk, and you’ll open up a whole new world of fitness...For the average guy, … Continue reading Rucking, or Walking with a Weighted Pack on Your Back
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