bad code rocks
🎵 This weeks song is Take Care of Business by Nina Simone. Love the orchestral parts and the not so subtle lyrics…
lstep.xyz
This blog is moving
Hey friends, I’ve decided to consolidate my blogging efforts and keep only one active blog. This little side blog I’ve been maintaining here will be shut down in a few days. If you’d like to continue reading my posts, you can do so at ldstephens.me. Instead of this side blog, I’ve added a Notes page to ldstephens.me where I’ll be posting the content that I would have posted here. If you use RSS, you can follow me here:
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Brett Seybert
A perfectly on-point description of the current Google search experience from Tom Scocca in the Flaming Hydra newsletter.
When I type “baryshnikov”into a Google search, what I mean is what I’ve meant ever since Google first appeared and began conquering the search industry: out of everything people have filed away on the internet, please show me what would be in the drawer marked “Baryshnikov.” What Google now assumes I’m asking is “Baryshnikov???”
It’s Craney…
Made baked spaghetti for the first time tonight.
A big hit with the kids! simple as well. Will absolutely be making it again 😋
The Shrediverse
Skylimit Releases New Self-Titled EP
This week, metalcore band Skylimit (Lauren Babic’s side-project of her other side-project of her solo career) released a new self-titled EP featuring 5 new tracks. The album doesn’t stray far from the band’s previous metalcore sound, but also doesn’t rehash the same old formulas. Give it a listen via SongLink, or check out the YouTube videos below.
jarunmb.com
F1 Arcade
More to come, but this is so fucking cool
🏎️🏁
#F1
Blueberry Lemonade
Numbness
Inauguration Day in the US really snuck up on me.
Back in November when the election ended, I was devastated and infuriated but not surprised. I couldn’t sleep, with a flurry of emotions and adrenaline pumping through my head, worrying about how much worse it’s all going to get from here on out. Not worried about myself personally, but worried for marginalized groups that have been hanging by a thread for the entirety of US history thanks to both major parties.
After that, obviously, the holidays came by and I tried to put it out of my mind. I would start following news from the White House again as Inauguration came closer. That’s what I told myself, at least.
In a blink, the day came. Now we’re here and, as you’d imagine, it sucks.
There’s a variety of things I’m concerned about, of course. Here’s a short list, and then one big one that won’t leave my mind.
Geder Media
Sky, Sea, Land, Walking ... Me
I didn’t know what the day’s photo story was until I whittled down 109 snaps to these 5 choice images. I’m happy with the sequencing. Enjoy ...
Asé
Relative Nostalgia
Thinking of David Lynch
David Lynch’s passing is one of the rare instances when it affected me despite not knowing him or having met him in person. This isn’t exactly unusual, often there are outpourings of grief when certain famous individuals die, but mostly I see this as part of life and doesn’t particularly affect me. But that does not mean I judge those who do, for death impacts everyone differently.
Why then did it affect me more than any other (perhaps since the passing of Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata)? It wasn’t until I was half-way through my undergraduate studies (around a 15 years ago) that I first came across Lynch’s work, and that was only because I had been playing the Japanese videogame Deadly Premonition which is heavily inspired by Twin Peaks (certainly for its main set premise and setting), after finishing it I thought I may as well check out Twin Peaks then.
How Did I Get Here?
I’ve never been “good” at social media. I’ve tried to fit in with everyone around me, going from platform to platform as they moved. I never did end up fitting in, but I have learned about myself through it all and as I get a little older I am more at peace with the things not done and myself.
A voice-shaped hole.
You probably won’t find your voice on social media. What you might find is a voice-shaped hole.
And you might find a way to fill that hole, to nudge your voice here and trim your voice there to squeeze through. Filling that hole might bring you a version of success, for a time.
But it won’t be your voice, or your success.
A determined child might eventually shove the square peg through the round hole, but that doesn’t mean they’re winning the game.
I watched Infested again. It’s really good!
The kid and I watched Infested last night—second time for me, the first for him. He loved it.
I liked this movie quite a bit the first time I watched it. I liked it even more this time around. The performances are great, the pacing is nearly perfect, the spiders are terrifying, and the social commentary is spot-on. I also picked up on a lot of little details I missed the first time, like all of the little hints about the lights and the timers throughout the first third of the movie, or all the spiders scurrying about in the big parking garage finale. I also picked up on a lot more of the nuances of the characters and their relationships this viewing.
When I was thinking last week about my favorite horror movies of 2024, Infested was on the list for sure, but not near the top. I’m moving it way up that list after this viewing, like maybe in the top three. Everything about this movie works for me.
And on a side note, I am super interested to see what this director does with the next Evil Dead movie. Evil Dead Rise will be tough act to follow, but I feel like if anyone could do it, it’s this guy.
Dalton Mabery
Thinking that life will one day be figured out is foolish. Life is right now; the problems, the hard times, the good times, the frustrations, the anxiety, and so on.
When I let myself be permeated by this thought – that I might be stuck with certain inner disturbances forever – I definitely feel a bit of peevishness in response: “Wait, I’m never going to get to the problem-free phase? That’s not what I signed up for!” But then comes the sense of a heavy burden having been lifted. The pressure’s off. I get to unclench, relax, and fall back into the life I’m living. Far from this being dispiriting, I find myself much more motivated to get stuck in. It turns out my really big problem was thinking I might one day get rid of all my problems, when the truth is that there’s no escaping the mucky, malodorous compost-heap of this reality. Which is OK, actually. Compost is the stuff that helps things grow.
From Oliver Burkeman.
Kozmosis
The Life We Choose to Waste
Modern life is a cycle of consumerism and digital preservation, with the commodification of existence causing the meaning of being alive to be hollowed out. We are caught in an endless cycle of manufactured desire and planned disappointment, with each purchase or experience promising fulfillment yet engineered for obsolescence.
The system's evil mastery lies in transforming even resistance into a commodity, turning minimalism, digital detox, and authenticity into products to consume. Our lives become content farms, generating data and engagement for systems that promise connection while engineering isolation. This entropy masquerades as abundance, but each layer of choice takes us further from the raw substance of living. The machinery of waste colonizes our actions and imaginations, leading to upgrades rather than growth, engagement, and connection.
Recognizing this systematic whirlwind can help us imagine different ways of being, remembering that life resists optimization and that the most valuable experiences are those that cannot be captured, quantified, or sold back to us.
mark hysted
no longer listening to podcasts
Something has been bugging me about podcasts for quite a while. I was getting a bit daunted by my ever increasing backlog of episodes, they were another visual cue of more things to-do. I have also noted an increase in the level of adverts, and worst, those 5 minute ‘advertorials’ that appear to have been cropping up in some of the more popular podcasts. Yuck.
I have also been thinking about the amount of stuff I let enter my brain every day, too much for it to wander off and do its creative problem solving type thing? Whenever I wasn’t doing something that didn't require 100% concentration I put on a podcast - would be interesting to know how many extra words I was throwing in the direction of my ever decreasing amount of grey-cells every day.
So far my brain seems a little bit happier, some things have been resolved in my head and I’ve been listening to more music. I don’t miss the backlog.
I’d hope to bring some podcasts back into my day at some point, but I am currently enjoying the reduced input into my brain. My brain seems to appreciate it too.
rxa.me 🎈
The roads haven’t been gritted since the storm and are super icy.
Another excuse for a lazy Lego day 🤣
Tim Apple
Change
Too much change, too fast. I like things to move slower. Not that I fear change, once I've decided to change, I may move quicker than most. But until the time comes, I'm a slow roller. I have to ease my mind into things, bring myself to accept them.
This includes about everything. Decisions about my kids, home projects, personal projects, and many other things. Mind you, I do not fear change whatsoever, I'm just slow to process the thought of it. Again, once the change starts, I rock right through it.
Sometimes I wish my mind moved quicker, but I'm the tortoise in this race. Everyone out there, be patient. I’m on my way.
Cheers!
The Dent
Diablo IV is a blast
Diablo IV is now very close to taking over the 3rd place spot in my most played games on Steam.
The only games keeping it at bay currently are Call of Duty in second place and New World Aeternum in first place. I’m still dabbling with New World for the seasonal stuff, but I doubt it’s long for this world. Call of Duty is not being touched anymore so I can see Diablo eventually taking over. I’ve got a lot of time in New World, however, so it’s going to take some time.
Diablo IV has a perfect setup for me currently. I’m getting a bit of Battlepass fatigue these days, but the Diablo IV one has been pretty great each season. They don’t feel all that grindy because you earn plenty of levels in it just by playing the game and progressing as you naturally would. It also gives me a perfect ending point for the season. I get to max level and grind the end game just enough to finish the pass and I then have a couple of months before the next one when I just take a break and just play something else. I then come back next season and rinse and repeat. This keeps everything fresh.
📷 Every 100th Of A Second : 10
Now blog who dis? 👋
As you can see, we have a new home this week for every 100th of a second as I’ve moved my blog! Don’t mind the packing boxes. The kettles already unpacked so grab a cup of tea, perch yourself on the staircase and I’ll open the biscuits. Let’s get cracking.
Here’s the customary explanatory blurb on what this is. 👇
I’ve got two primary goals with this series.
1) Showcase photos I come across online that I love. Shots that influence my own eye and what I want to express in my own shots.
2) Try and articulate what it is I like about them. This could be technical, emotional, whatever. Just my thoughts on what made me go “Oh” about that shot when I saw it.
I will highlight known phone photography shots with a 📱 I exclusively shoot on my iPhone and I find phone photography pushing the boundaries really fun and exciting but all sorts of shots across any camera or medium is allowed.
Only one post by one person per week.
As we’re on a new blog this works slightly differently now. I used to embed mastodon images, but now I’m on Pika, we can’t do embeds. That means each image is just going to be a hyperlink in these posts. Think of each one of an exciting photographical present you get to open! 🎁 it’ll be fun!
I’m also not just checking mastodon anymore. Pixelfed and glass links are now fair game as well. 🔍
If you’re pissed that I’ve linked to you, then I’m really sorry! 🙇♂️ I only did it because I liked what you put out there and it moved my heart in some way. If for any reason you don’t want your post featured here, fire me a message and I’ll remove your stuff asap.
Each week I’ll select one as my Daveyfavey.
If you’re interested in the previous 9 entries in this series, don’t worry! They’ll be appearing back on this site soon as I move things over.
With the usual explanation out of the way, here’s this weeks shots!
Yee Chie's Corner
JANZ. Bar & Kitchen
I’ve wanted to go to “JANZ, Bar & Kitchen1” for a while in Eindhoven, but never got around to it. Either I had other plans, didn't think about them, or the place was full. However, this time, I actually went there and ate lunch with Xabrina.
I ordered the smoked salmon sandwich, with homemade egg salad, avocado, zucchini, prosciutto ham and a crispy shrimp. The price was 14.25 Euro.
The inside is cozy and warm with plenty of green plants.
Cassiel's Blog
Scapegoat Mechanism In Full Display
It’s been a crazy past few days in the IndieWeb community. The feud that occurred between the creator of micro.blog and omg.lol was totally unexpected, at least for me. It was actually so riveting it kept me up at night. I’m sure it kept other people up too.
Disclaimer: I do not currently have an account with micro.blog, but have had one before. I also do not currently have an omg.lol account, but was looking into getting one these past few weeks.
Just like many people, it took me awhile to figure out the source of the disagreement between the two sides. Once I got up to speed, the various posts and comments and replies made a lot more sense.
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One Man's Pika Blog