Kira

I like my friends, my bicycle, and eating plants.

Trans girl, recovering from chronic illness.

Occasional free software contributor.

Grateful for the opportunities to live more slowly and simply.

pronouns: she/her
website: https://kira.eight45.net
p2p chat: https://cabal.chat
home: BC, Canada

Public Key

npub1xzm3le0f3gavn98hul8rn0t8cll2jjc8tl94xd9v4vxyvqj6lq6sw8hcth

NIP-05 Address

tty_at_sunbeam.city@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsrpdcluh5c5wkfjnm70n3eh4nu0l4ffvr4lj6nxjk2krzxqfd0sdgpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0ds4jcevx

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1xzm3le0f3gavn98hul8rn0t8cll2jjc8tl94xd9v4vxyvqj6lq6sw8hcth

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Last Notes

2025-11-06 21:06:07 UTC

Things have been very hard these last few days.
The pain is just really intense, and difficult to bear. All I can do is lie here, breathe, try to get through it, and keep my spirits buoyed as best I can. But it is very hard.
Please send warmth. Even cozy emojis count.

2025-07-26 17:45:24 UTC

Sometimes I fantasize about quitting the Internet, getting rid of it all, and just writing my friends letters with sweet words & pressed flowers inside.

2025-07-18 03:44:30 UTC

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THANK you. 🥰
And thanks for taking this journey with me. I appreciate the time & care.

2025-07-18 03:21:15 UTC

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Yes, it still slips. :'( I feel pretty confident this is exactly the same knot I've been tying this entire time, unless there's some variable I'm not understanding.

2025-07-18 03:03:01 UTC

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Huh! How could that make a difference? I tried though! Same result.
I also took a photo of the knot side by side with yours. They look identical to me.
I didn't understand your blue vs red line explanation. It seemed like it was going through the same hole either way?
https://sunbeam.city/system/media_attachments/files/114/872/009/393/274/986/original/c670c89cd0711140.jpg
https://sunbeam.city/system/media_attachments/files/114/872/010/389/457/260/original/640d2b99f75e781b.png

2025-07-18 02:19:10 UTC

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Ok, here is my try with the loop around something.
https://sunbeam.city/system/media_attachments/files/114/871/833/624/175/377/original/d64d00d0f722571e.mp4

2025-07-18 01:59:05 UTC

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I've watched two videos and animatedknots, and I am convinced -- ha ha -- that I am doing exactly what they are. Can you see at which step I'm going wrong? https://www.animatedknots.com/bowline-knot

2025-07-18 01:50:25 UTC

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Yeah, describing knots in words: good luck. 😁
It sounds like I'm tying it wrong. I tried a few times as you suggested, but the issue persists. I'll look up a video on it and report back if I'm still stumped. :)

2025-07-17 21:50:02 UTC

Here is a short video of me tying a bowline using synthetic sailing rope of some kind.
However, when I pull on it a bit, it falls apart. What's going on here?
I feel pretty sure I'm tying it correctly: with parachute cord it doesn't exhibit this behaviour. Is it the rope? But you'd think that sailing rope would, like, be able to hold a bowline, right!?
NOTE: In the video I have a very short tail on the knot -- a mistake. But even when I do this same knot with a longer tail it behaves the same way.
#knots
https://sunbeam.city/system/media_attachments/files/114/870/777/277/282/352/original/be4440482e4c096b.mp4

2025-07-09 01:51:05 UTC

@npub1z2c…laft @npub1z8r…mrq6 Do you have to do anything special to keep books dry, or is just having consistent, good ventilation enough to keep paper happy?

2025-05-01 17:33:57 UTC

http+mail:// protocol idea:
HTTP requests are sent over emails to a person, e.g.
kira@example.com/index.html
Pages are sent back using your email service's auto-responder settings to automatically serve up pages.
Would be slow as heck, but decentralized and not require technical knowledge to host your own website!

2025-03-28 15:56:54 UTC

Hello friends. I am still alive. 🌱
I am doing much better than I was in February, but I'm still at a fraction of my old capacity. My eyes in particular hurt and can't tolerate much screen time. I'm going to be continuing to stay off social media for the time being, as a result.
I miss my Internet friends! If you'd like to stay in touch, send me a DM or email with your Signal number/name. I can handle exchanging voice notes.
So much warmth to y'all,
~ Kira

2025-02-04 19:44:35 UTC

I never liked the names ROT and -ROT. What direction are we rotating? It's unclear.
Context:
ROT does ( a b c -> c a b )
-ROT does ( a b c -> b c a )
ROTLEFT and ROTRIGHT would have worked, but my preference?
ROT -> BURY (buries the top of the stack 2 levels deep)
-ROT -> EXHUME (returns 2nd-level stack item back to the top)

2025-02-02 18:11:34 UTC

Screenshot of a memory dump of the compiled code of a FORTH word that I wrote, which is doing the memory dump itself. 😁
https://sunbeam.city/system/media_attachments/files/113/935/634/145/228/550/original/3c4e243772e5d7ba.png

2024-12-21 00:58:26 UTC

Amazing! 😹
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable_Lamb_of_Tartary

2024-11-19 00:52:36 UTC

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Aw, that's ok. I figured it was controversial since it was being fed into the controller device. What is your use of it?

2024-11-19 00:42:04 UTC

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Hopping on this train with a (controversial) patch request of my own for uxnemu:
http://kira.eight45.net/pub/uxn_esc.patch
F3 is awkward on my keyboard and I've been locally patching uxnemu for years now to use ESC as well.

2024-11-06 22:20:31 UTC

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I want to feel energized to take action. To fight.
I'm not sure how to get there though. I struggle with feeling isolated & disempowered.

2024-11-06 21:54:50 UTC

Really struggling today with feeling... numb.
Another 4 years, huh?

2024-11-06 18:16:31 UTC

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Ha, I *just* copied that paragraph into my notes while reading that article.
It's not just government, though. Corporations, or really any institution grants people the power of alienation.

2024-11-04 22:53:18 UTC

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Fuck, the size of those whitecaps!!

2024-10-24 00:20:09 UTC

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That's so sweet. Welcome home! 🍵

2024-10-20 16:38:31 UTC

Mastodon menders:
Any tips on repairing (patching?) worn out spandex pant crotches?
I have like 3 pairs that are in rough shape. I want to introduce a patch, but I'm not sure about how to do it in a way that preserves stretch.
Would love to benefit from the experience of folx who have worked with spandex clothes mending!
:boost_ok:

2024-10-17 20:00:37 UTC

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Cool!
1. Possible typo on the caption for "[c]an I come alongside?".
2. How do you store your flags for easy access?
3. Have y'all had any many opportunities to use flags to communicate in your travels?

2024-10-17 18:04:49 UTC

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Are you interested in a) possible corrections, or b) additional questions?

2024-10-17 17:58:00 UTC

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As a kid I grew up with people who acted that way, so it seemed very normalized to me. I'm so glad that I've grown enough to see that. ❤️‍🩹

2024-10-17 17:54:24 UTC

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I'm mixed. I remember enjoying it as a kid, but watching it recently I was aghast by how awful everyone (except Jones) was to each other.

2024-10-17 17:51:12 UTC

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I never see Captain Star references online! :D

2024-10-10 02:35:18 UTC

Vancouver, being pretty after a downpour.
https://sunbeam.city/system/media_attachments/files/113/280/789/249/330/246/original/5095504469eeed25.jpg

2024-09-21 02:31:51 UTC

My code from 5 years ago: "security vulnerabilities", "this project is dead"
Super Mario Bros. 3 NES ROM: continues to work flawlessly 36 years later.
I can kiiind of understand why these are different, but not entirely. Is it the Internet connectivity that makes the difference? Or are there effects at play? It feels like there are more factors, but I can't pin anything down.
I just want to write software that can be *done* and stay useful.
Thoughts welcome, as I continue to grapple with this.

2024-09-20 17:15:30 UTC

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This mindset makes me think of capitalism, actually: a thing that doesn't constantly have *work* being put into it ceases to have value.

2024-09-20 17:02:27 UTC

I feel frustrated the way that software dev culture is being shaped, where older code is rapidly treated as "bad" and "unusable", if not being constantly upgraded to the newest dependencies & style.
I had a user complaining on one of my repos that one its dependencies was potentially vulnerable to a DoS attack, given specific malicious user inputs. I looked at it, and it was reading from two package.json files on the user's local machine as inputs. I mean, I *guess* maybe *somehow* this could be used for evil, but I don't see how. It just seems like a silly reason to not use a module.
The feeling I get is that open source (especially npm) has been deeply infiltrated by corporate interests and culture, who of course have good reason to fear potential any potential for a DoS attack (costs money). But it sucks, to me, that this mindset has seeped into the wider culture, creating this environment of fear around code that isn't on the upgrade hamster wheel.

2024-09-17 23:53:36 UTC

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I'm reading https://www.gypsy-traveller.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Election-Campaign-Manifesto.pdf and it's so amazing to see all of these resources and advocating happening for the G/R/T community! Have you seen anything like this level of organization for BC (or even Canada) liveaboards?

2024-09-17 22:58:31 UTC

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Aw, this was beautifully written. Emoji reactions follow.
"Cloud platforms have all to win by making us forget that we can utilize a specific length of bytes without their saying so" 😸
"it was becoming obvious that my choice to target the modern web browser for my little graphical toys was a vote against decentralized general purpose computing" 🔥 ✊🏻
"it is very unlikely that you will see building an environment that respects your values and idiosyncrasies as a waste of time" 🥰

2024-09-17 20:22:32 UTC

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You are so welcome! You do the work that helps people go from,
"Only 64kb!?"
to,
"Wow, 64 *whole kilobytes*!"

2024-09-16 20:33:24 UTC

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You've built something really amazing in my opinion, Devine. uxn is such a powerful piece of technology because its values allow for the creation of different futures than most mainstream tech. 💙

2024-09-11 22:10:27 UTC

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I've been feeling it too, though I'm only on solar for USB devices right now. Phone and bluetooth headphones are zzzz sleepy.

2024-09-11 01:02:34 UTC

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Happy marbleday. Devine. :)
The jar of the past is clear glass: I can count every marble that lies in it. The jar of the future, however, is swathed in darkness and each time my hand reaches in I never know if it will grasp at another marble, or nothing.

2024-09-07 19:17:50 UTC

Cute little piece of writing that imagines enjoying the Internet without using any corporate services:
https://skylarhill.me/posts/decentralized-internet.gmi

2024-09-06 01:30:20 UTC

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I think that's a good summary, yes! I definitely started to bring in the spec-brain stuff on top of the "all on one page" piece.

2024-09-06 01:26:01 UTC

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Yeah, more like that! A lot of the hard work (in my experience) is making sure there are no holes or ambiguities.
There's lots of little things that cause confusion. Like, that doc mentions "vectors", and near the end of doc says "vectors are locations in programs that are evaluated when certain events occur". However, what is a "location" (mentioned twice)? What does it mean to "evaluate" (mentioned only that paragraph)? I'm not trying to sound needlessly pedantic, I promise. :) Those kinds of details are really important imo to ensure that folx who are pretty different from me can understand what I'm explaining.
EDIT: "event" appears once in that doc too -- what is an event? ;)

2024-09-06 01:18:31 UTC

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I don't have something immediately at the ready, but something that helped me in writing specs is starting from what I have, and then pretending that I don't know anything upfront.
So, looking at https://wiki.xxiivv.com/site/uxntal_opcodes.html I would read "Uxn has 64kb of memory, 16 devices, 2 stacks of 256 bytes, 5-bits opcodes and 3 modes.", and I would immediately ask questions like,
- What *is* uxn?
- What is a device?
- What is a stack in this context? Can only bytes be pushed onto it?
- What is an opcode in this context?
- What are the 3 modes and how do they work?
And, cheating a bit because I know more about uxn, I might ask,
- What is the execution model?
- At what address does execution begin?
- How big is PC?
- Are there any assumptions about big vs little endian?
Looking at the table below, I'd ask things like,
- What is this table trying to communicate to me? There are no headings, or explanation of what any of this means. Are some of these opcodes? Which? What's the other stuff?

2024-09-06 00:44:47 UTC

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Kind of! I was thinking more of a specification: the kind of document somebody knowing nothing about uxn could read, and implement a VM from scratch.

2024-09-05 22:54:13 UTC

@npub1z8r…mrq6 Hi Devine! Is there a one-pager of the full, frozen uxn specification?
I think this would be cool to have exist! (I bring this up as a thought, not as an expectation.)
C spec: ~500 pages.
C++ spec: ~1000 pages.
WebAssembly spec: ~200 pages.
uxn: .... 1-10? 😁

2024-09-05 15:28:04 UTC

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Aw no. Do you know if they are stable? 😨

2024-09-01 22:46:09 UTC

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Is that the Chicago font?

2024-08-30 16:31:41 UTC

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Thanks.
It feels like something has been shifting. My body still feels really rough, but in a different way. I always have several interventions in the process, so it's possible that one of them is having an impact!

2024-08-30 16:08:02 UTC

My body has been hungry to be on the water for months now. I keep thinking about just spending an afternoon taking the water taxi up and down False Creek, just to feel the ocean beneath me.

2024-08-30 00:13:06 UTC

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Do y'all still remain able to get MSP coverage? Their website vaguely states that one must, "Make their home in B.C".

2024-08-29 23:48:42 UTC

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Have y'all found any workarounds in your travels?

2024-08-29 23:46:39 UTC

The proliferation of websites demanding a (valid, non-VOIP) phone number in order to access services frustrates me so much. 😡
I don't want this service to have my phone number. I don't want to be called. I already gave my email address & preferred to be contacted in that way. 😠
I also feel frustrated on behalf of folx that don't even HAVE a phone number (this was me for a time), and get completely blocked out.

2024-08-27 22:59:50 UTC

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Hey Devine, I've been out of the uxn loop for a while. Is there a changelog somewhere so I can update myself on language changes over the last year?

2024-08-26 22:59:38 UTC

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Is this written in uxn!?

2024-08-10 00:51:00 UTC

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"only three" 😹

2024-08-09 20:24:18 UTC

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I agree with all of these opinions. :)
I was gifted one a couple of years ago, and have slowly set about learning how it all works myself, mostly without any external resources.
I do most of my math with it now. It feels... good.

2024-08-09 18:17:02 UTC

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Thanks, tom.

2024-08-09 15:02:30 UTC

Do any slide rule folx know what the second tick beside 1.167° and 2° mean?
https://sunbeam.city/system/media_attachments/files/112/932/659/273/032/684/original/c9c734aaac40622c.jpg