calvin 🛋️

I just got here. I'll add something witty later.

🌐 🐮 🌌

Locality: Victoria, BC
Background: Astronomy, Computer Science, Education
Politics: 50% DemSoc, 50% SocDem, trace amounts of lib
Entertainment: Board/Video Gaming
Humour: Jokes that are much less funny the second time

Last Notes

2026-06-01 16:52:56 UTC

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it's the naturalizing these billionaires do that gets under my skin. they're pissing on our backs and telling us its raining.

2026-05-25 19:06:38 UTC

I was reading @npub1fdr…lvhs 's blog about fraudster vs. fraudster:
https://pluralistic.net/2026/05/25/lying-spies/#spying-liars
That part part regarding Cox and Trump's FTC made me think of a sorta exaggerated analogy:
It's like if someone claimed the had weapons-grade plutonium for sale. Another person buys it, finds that it is just a pile of pinball parts or something, and then they sue the seller for fraud. At no point does anyone ask "wait, but what were *you* going to do with **weapons-grade plutonium**!?" Kinda burying the lede there...

2026-03-15 17:59:49 UTC

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woah. How ancient?

2026-03-06 22:22:58 UTC

Just saw a job application form's agreement thingy include the following statement:
> I understand that if I am hired, I will be an employee "at will," meaning I am not hired for any definite length of time and either I or the organization can terminate my employment at any time for any or no reason.
Like, is that a **bad** deal? Is that fairly standard? Does that mean a lay off can happen with no pomp, circumstance, or severence pay?
#GetFediHired #FediHire

2026-03-01 08:32:16 UTC

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Let us know how it goes!

2026-02-08 07:47:25 UTC

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I have that book, but the cover looks different. Are there different covers? What do I gotta do to collect 'em all?
(Awesome book by the way)

2026-01-14 00:00:06 UTC

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I heard all the gen X'ers were into "Betamaxxing".

2025-10-15 02:40:17 UTC

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wow, okay but he must be like an a techy kinda guy or somethin. ...
Gosh, my parents mentioned to me they are unable to install Windows 11. I left them with a few options, but I highly doubt they'll take the '*install linux*' option.

2025-09-28 23:24:36 UTC

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If you don't feel like trying out a bunch of distros and you are using it for 'everyday work' as you say, then I'll suggest **Linux Mint Cinnamon**.
It is *one of* the distros that are familiar to Windows users. There are others and maybe they are a little bit better for this or a little bit better for that. But if you just want to get going then pick *something* and have at 'er.

2025-09-14 17:41:48 UTC

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Is one of them still in its shrinkwrap? What a collector's item!

2025-06-15 20:38:01 UTC

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Does Dropkick Murphys not count? That Who Will Stand With Us song has been giving me so much energy lately.

2025-03-23 01:50:20 UTC

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woah, that's how you filter by author? I never knew that, and I needed that a bit ago.
Thanks for the advice! Is there a list of search parameters somewhere for me to look at?

2025-02-28 03:54:40 UTC

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I think that the discussion of news, politics, and tech makes us *as* human as the discussion of art does.

2025-01-14 05:48:04 UTC

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Oh awesome!
I may have even asked this question a year ago, but totally forgot. Thanks for the reminder.

2024-11-24 18:52:42 UTC

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If I blur my eyes a bit when I look at this picture, it looks a bit like a Canada Goose with a comically long and straight neck.

2024-09-29 18:33:18 UTC

Another banger of a blog post about the #Fediverse from @_elena@mastodon.social
https://blog.elenarossini.com/the-values-of-the-fediverse-ethical-social-media/
It covers a concrete example of behaviour modification that is talked about in the book The Age of Surveillance Capitalism.
I also like this passage:
> It’s time to acknowledge that **it’s a basic human need to feel seen, heard and valued.** Of course we all want that. **My issue is with the design of Big Tech social platforms that exploit this primal need and drive a race “to the bottom of the brain stem” for their own financial gain and influence.**
Exactly. I'll be an attention whore on my own terms. I don't want my base emotions to be invisibly pulled around for some corporation's own machinations.