Flakey

09:08 Thursday, 5 February 2026

Current Wx: Temp: 13.01°F Pressure: 1023hPa Humidity: 84% Wind: 2.77mph
Words: 20

Kind of gives you an idea of the size of these flakes. They make the immediate landscape sparkle. Pretty amazing.

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Winter

09:03 Thursday, 5 February 2026

Current Wx: Temp: 13.01°F Pressure: 1023hPa Humidity: 84% Wind: 2.77mph
Words: 86

It's supposed to get bitterly cold and windy tomorrow night. For now, it's gorgeous. It's been snowing, with no wind and those giant iconic snowflakes. I was just outside trying to get some shots with a macro lens, it was hopeless. I can't stay still long enough, I'm not familiar enough with in-camera focus stacking. Frustrating.

But it's beautiful.

Really have to appreciate days like this, because the clouds come and everything looks like how I feel. Today, how this looks makes me feel better.

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I've Got Mail

08:11 Thursday, 5 February 2026
Current Wx: Temp: 10.17°F Pressure: 1024hPa Humidity: 90% Wind: 3.53mph
Words: 349

The other day I bitched about the stupid Intuit ads in Apple News+.

But I didn't just bitch, I wrote a rather vituperative note to Apple in the Feedback app. I don't know if that's included in all MacOS installs, or if it came with my performative Developer account. I use it from time to time to bitch to Apple about just whose experience was supposed to be "improved" by one change or another. Like when they rolled Puzzles into Games and ruined the experience I had competing with my brother. Never heard back from them on that.

But I did get an email from them yesterday:

=========================

Hi David,

As a result of your feedback, there are software changes in the latest beta, iOS & iPadOS 26.3 (build 23D125), that have resolved this issue.

You can see the software build your device is running and check for the latest update by tapping on Settings > General > Software Update.

If this issue is not resolved for you in the 23D125 build, please file a new feedback report.

Feedback ID FB21855478, Intrusive Ads Ruin User Experience and Apple's Reputation

Do not reply to this email. Please login to Feedback Assistant and let us know if the problem is fixed for you.

==========================

So I installed the latest build, and sure enough, I wasn't getting unintentional, undesirable ad launches in News+, though Intuit still seems to have purchased the entire ad space for News. I think they dialed back the responsiveness or sensitivity to the ads, because I can "touch" an ad while scrolling now and it won't launch, I just keep scrolling.

I rather expect I wasn't the only person who bitched about that, but I was very surprised to receive any reply at all. And pleased that they fixed it.

Now if they could just train Photo's stupid AI to remove power lines. Seems like the simplest thing, and they have yet to do it right once. I send feedback every time. We'll have a new house higher on the hill so they'll be below the horizon before they get that one fixed.

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Further to the Foregoing

08:02 Thursday, 5 February 2026
Current Wx: Temp: 9.16°F Pressure: 1024hPa Humidity: 90% Wind: 3.53mph
Words: 184

Looks like Fallout wrapped last night. And since I deleted all my credit cards from Amazon, my "ad-free" experience was deleted as well.

For my next act, I'm deleting the Prime app from my AppleTV. Awards, medals and trophies can be forwarded to the Mad Orange King on Pennsylvania Avenue.

And Fallout was a big meh. I won't miss it.

I'm hesitating on deleting my Amazon account, because I'm not certain how that affects my Kindle library. At this moment, I'm thinking I'll keep the account semi-active (undeleted) to maintain access to the books.

I went through a rather difficult divorce a couple of decades ago. I know that everything can be taken from you. Fortunately, I kept my pension and my job. But I know what it feels like to lose nearly every material thing you valued or treasured. Hurts for a while, then you realize it didn't matter. If I deleted the account and lost access to the books, it'd hurt for a while and then it wouldn't matter.

But for now, I don't really need to add another feeling.

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Performative? Moi?

07:44 Thursday, 5 February 2026
Current Wx: Temp: 7.86°F Pressure: 1024hPa Humidity: 96% Wind: 3.53mph
Words: 257

Jack's a little grumpy this morning.

I’m bored with all the performative quitting going on. What do you want, a medal?

Nope, got a few of my own already, thank you very much.

Of all the things I've been feeling recently, "bored," doesn't make the top ten. I'd pick a higher number, but how many "feelings" are there anyway? Let's try and find out...

Rage, angry, afraid, frustrated, desperate, depressed, sad, hopeless, troubled, astonished, bitter, uncomprehending, lost, well that's thirteen. Nope, no "bored" for me.

Is quitting Amazon performative? Am I doing it for a participation trophy? To receive the validation and adulation of my so-called "audience"? I get about three or four emails a year for things I post here. I have no illusions about the "influence" of the marmot. The marmot doesn't have influence, it has insignificance to everyone but me.

Nope, it's just something I can do, something within my span of control. And sharing it here is just putting it out into the ether, like everything else I write here. Hopefully maybe contributing to the net-vector sum of... something. (Again, with the three periods, just to flip the bird to all the typography aesthetes. Fuck 'em.)

Scott Galloway has a far larger platform than I'll ever have, and I'm not especially confident that even he can "influence" enough people to make a signal strong enough for the spineless, lickspittle corporate America to notice.

But it's better than doing nothing.

Better than being "bored" anyway.

Bored is the emotion of the privileged.

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