Upgrades

08:27 Monday, 29 January 2024
Current Wx: Temp: 58.53°F Pressure: 1012hPa Humidity: 61% Wind: 9.22mph
Words: 175

I've been corresponding with Jack Baty, and he was kind enough to send me the Tinderbox file that is the Jack Baty Daily. It's interesting to see how someone else with a lot more experience in these matters approaches the application.

We're also planning to have a "Blogging with Tinderbox" meetup session in February, looking like the 24th. It'll be one of the regular weekly Tinderbox meetups (alternating between Saturdays and Sundays). Jack and I, along with Mark Bernstein and anyone else who maintains a blog with Tinderbox will share our experiences using the app and why we blog with Tinderbox.

If you're running a blog using Tinderbox, you can use the little upgrade I've added to the export template to "Reply by email." We'd be happy to include you in the meetup to share your experience with other Tinderbox users who may not be writing a blog, or may not know how useful Tinderbox is in doing so.

(I'm kind of tentative about this "reply by email" thing, so we'll see how it goes.)

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On the Bright Side

07:10 Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Wx: Temp: 46.33°F Pressure: 1020hPa Humidity: 82% Wind: 4.61mph
Words: 71

At some point in the accelerating collapse of our civilization, the remnants of humanity will lack the necessary resource surpluses and time to develop intensely-felt opinions that compel them to endlessly seek their validation and to ruthlessly and brutally defend them, because they have "principles!"

It'll be a shame what happens to oral hygiene and dentistry, but you have to take the bad with the good.

The beat goes on...

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Breaking Ties

10:09 Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Wx: Temp: 59.74°F Pressure: 1021hPa Humidity: 63% Wind: 9.22mph
Words: 158

Just sent emails to the St Johns Riverkeeper, the Matanzas Riverkeeper and our local Public Radio station, WJCT, cancelling my recurring donations. That'll keep another $240 in my wallet each month.

These are all valuable organizations doing important work in the public interest, and naturally they're focused on Florida. We will no longer be Florida residents. This was genuinely difficult, and I've been putting it off all month. I've met many of the people who work at these organizations, and I know how much they rely on public support.

As we get to know our surroundings in New York, I'll be contributing to similar organizations there.

I would encourage anyone to look into non-profits or other organizations doing work that you think is important, and to make some effort to support them financially. The chaos agent presently in office has made such support more important than ever, which has made my actions this morning even more difficult.

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Snow 1-28-26

09:12 Thursday, 29 January 2026

Current Wx: Temp: 6.93°F Pressure: 1021hPa Humidity: 75% Wind: 11.12mph
Words: 319

Shot this yesterday with the iPhone over by the garage. I liked the contrast and texture. Feels like winter.

Another sleepless night.

Part of the reason may be that Mitzi and I have started working out with a personal trainer again. He has a full-time job, so we can only work with him on weekends and after five on weekdays, so yesterday's session was at 5:30. Got home a little before seven. Leg day yesterday. Knees are complaining this morning.

I'm shocked by the rhetoric from right-wing media. I should unsubscribe from Media Matters for America. Part of me wants to believe that I shouldn't look away; but a bigger part is just reactive in a very negative way. There seem to be people who want more violence, who want more conflict. And there is no national leadership to try to tamp down the incendiary rhetoric.

Part of me wants to believe this is a kind of "extinction burst" - type phenomenon, though I'm not comfortable with that kind of framing, coming from an area of which I have little knowledge. It does seem congruent with, "It gets worse before it gets better," which is nearly tautological, as the slope of the curve remains negative until it reaches an inflection point of some kind. And we've been here before, many of us believing that January 6, 2020 was the inflection point we were waiting for. Today it feels like Alex Pretti's murder should be that inflection point, but it doesn't appear as though it will be.

I've written to my congresswoman, who is a hard-core MAGA supporter, so I know it's just a pointless effort in futility.

I write blog posts in my head as I lie away at night, but when I finally get out of bed I seem to lack the energy or the enthusiasm to commit them to bits.

Maybe later, we'll see.

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Mental Health Break

11:19 Thursday, 29 January 2026
Current Wx: Temp: 13.73°F Pressure: 1021hPa Humidity: 66% Wind: 14.5mph
Words: 249

This video was remarkable, to me, for many reasons. First, it's just sort of the opposite of nearly all of the other stuff I've been watching recently.

Second, I love stories about farming. It's kind of a new thing, but certainly related to the kinds of things I learned when I was on the St Johns County Soil and Water Conservation District and the history of soil conservation; but most recently, moving to a farming region very similar to where I grew up.

Third, it's very well done. It's calming visually, and the narration is informed and interesting.

Fourth, it's about New York, where I'm still kind of settling into my relationship with the people and the landscape. This place feels so much different, and better, than Florida. Florida has some very lovely places, but it's all being destroyed, despite the vigorous efforts of very dedicated people. I think New York has some respect for nature, the landscape. Perhaps that's only because it hasn't been subjected to the same developmental pressures that places in the Sun Belt have experienced. It's good that there are cold winters here. Cold limits the spread of pests and parasites.

This is a video about an Asian-American farmer growing food for Asian-Americans, and people who love Asian food. It's a wonderful story, and something of a tonic for the soul. It's 14 minutes out of your life that will leave you feeling calmer, somewhat hopeful and maybe just a little bit joyful.

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