Molly Conger's podcast on the alt-right, Weird Little Guys, has been excellent from its very first episode in 2024, but her work this year has been truly next-level. She spent the first three months of the year diving into unexplored corners of Nazi serial killer Joseph Paul Franklin's killing spree to prove that "there are no lone wolves", doing some truly exceptional reporting to reconstruct the killer's social context.

The linked episode is not about Watson, but is instead a deeply poignant audio essay written the week of Renee Good's murder.

This NYT recipe for a crispy tofu sandwich is a winner in my book. Plant-based meals that are sloppy and indulgent are rarer than they oughta be, and this scratches that itch.

#vegan #vegetarian

Opposed to using AI for her software-engineering job, Erin Maus secured something of a miracle from her employer: a religious exemption.

Maus, a Unitarian Universalist, said she proposed the special treatment in April, citing environmental and ethical objections to AI that don't align with her religious beliefs. She also said she consulted an employment lawyer and her local chapter's minister to help make her case.

Love seeing Unitarian Universalists pushing back against anti-human, environmentally destructive forces!

I wish our justice system would recognize that deeply held convictions need not be religious in nature; and also, if anyone is going to meet that challenge by stretching the definition of "religious", it's the UUs.

#unitarianuniversalism #UnitarianUniversalist

On the one hand, I appreciate the neighbors-looking-out-for-neighbors aspect of a woman who, upon seeing me pick up a Buy Nothing gift from a neighbor's porch, opened her window to ask, "Is that yours?"

On the other, it is rather annoying that something as simple and neighborly as picking up a gift from a couple doors down is regarded with suspicion.

Just exited Pentacle Theatre's "The Lost Virginity Tour" in #SalemOR.

This was the worst show I've seen at Pentacle, and just barely avoids being the worst show I've seen in Salem. (That honor belongs to APE by Dano Madden, a convoluted Guy-In-Your-MFA ego trip of a play in which the obvious playwright-insert character, who is a playwright, receives a heartfelt apology from his wife after she has a miscarriage.)

rather taken aback by the business acumen of the twelve-year-old who just rang my doorbell offering a car wash

he:

• tailored his pitch to the car in my driveway
• told me he was offering a discounted rate
• gave me a business card with QR code for scheduling

Exciting developments in the #SelfHosting front: I've set up a Pangolin instance on a cheap VPS and am starting to configure it to point to my services! My vision for this server is starting to actually come to fruition.

Of course, with steps forward come new challenges: for some of the services that I access via apps on my phone (Navidrome, Wallabag, etc.), I need to figure out how to properly configure things so that the apps don't bounce off the Pangolin authentication layer. 🤔

Ah, phooey, my attempt at #fermenting pine needle soda doesn't seem to have panned out. After 5 days of primary fermentation, there's no pine flavor, just slightly sweet, slightly fizzy water with a yeasty funk.

#fermentation

Anyone have good reliable resources for making your own fountain pen ink? Ideally, I'd love to make my own black ink that is acid-free, from widely available plant or organic materials.

#diy #inkmaking #fountainpens

Curious, for those who have successfully started a #hackerspace, #repaircafe, #techcoop, or some other collaborative community space dedicated to technology:

What sorts of local partnerships did you look for when organizing?

I'm interested in building this kind of space, and I'm trying to brainstorm what local groups I might be able to join forces with. A local ham radio club, a mutual aid network, and a punk space are on my list. If you have other inventive ideas, I'm all ears!

Does anyone have a #selfhosted service they find useful for, like, coordinating neighborhood groups?

My wife and I host a neighborly potluck every few weeks, and I'd love to have a way to keep in touch with our neighbors, coordinate events, and chat in a space that's not a bunch of different group texts. I'm watching @Bonfire's work on federated groups closely, and suspect their "Community" flavor may be precisely what I'm looking for when it's ready, but I'm also curious if there are other offerings in this space.

surely, we will be able to make up 5 runs in (checks notes) a single inning

#Mariners

lunch today: sloppy chorizo-potato tacos. cheddar griddled onto corn tortillas, a spread of chipotle mayo, the soyrizo-potato blend, red onions, more cheddar, cilantro.

yummmmm.

I came home right as Muñoz began pitching and the score was 6-2 Mariners. It looked like they were an easy 3 outs from victory.

THIS DAMN TEAM. 😫

#Mariners

I'll be sharing this to the Little Pixel Library once I get it up on my website, but I finished this today and am excited to share.

#PixelArt

There was a website that held a library of common elements of modern UI/web app design, assessed for their attentional harm or addictive qualities. I don't remember if it had these exact items, but you would find things like "infinite scroll" and "notification badges" on there, along with research and recommended best practices.

Does anyone know what it is I'm thinking of?

#webdesign #webdev #accessibility #a11y #ui #ux

I learned last night that you can make I Can't Believe It's Not Umeboshi from apricots, and this is going on my projects list for this year next to starting a nukadoko bed.

#pickling #fermentation #fermenting #japanesefood

#3GoodThings from today:

1. Walking around Queen Anne and listening to the birds singing. I stopped a couple times just to watch a nearby songbird, including one tiny friend who had made a nest out of moss in a tree. I would have walked right past.

2. Listening, on the radio, to the #Mariners taking Houston to town as we drove back down the I-5 corridor.

3. Friends who graciously took our request for help and made us dinner so that when we arrived back home, we didn't have to strain to fit cooking in the evening's schedule.