Trust Your Technolust
I ordered this because I thought it was kinda cool, seeing as I've been interested in cybersecurity since before I even started a career in IT. Also love Hak5's products (the pager is absolutely awesome). I even knew there were some puzzles on the coin. What I didn't know was that the puzzles lead to a grand prize for one lucky hacker. Some are saying it's an all-out ARG. So... Who wants to help me solve this and share the prize with me? ;)
Metropolis (1927)
"The year is 2026, a Dickensian 'Best of times, worst of times,' where total oppression of the masses is wielded by the unquestionable power of the few." - Metropolis (1927)
Being a bit of a movie buff and certainly a sci-fi geek (you're surprised? Do you even know me?!?! lol), I'm surprised it's taken me this long to catch 1927's masterpiece, Metropolis. Sadly, many of the great movies from the silent era are only available as restorations/recreations. A few years back I watched the 1995 restoration of 1922's Nosferatu before the 2024 remake was released. I was impressed with how closely that one followed the silent film.
For Metropolis, I just did a search and watched the first version I found. It just happened to be Giorgio Moroder's 1984 version. It was... not what I expected, seeing as I had no idea who that is. Looking him up afterwards, it makes a bit more sense. The original score has not been recreated for this restoration. Oh no. It's all contemporary (for the time) rock and pop. There are some heavy hitters on this soundtrack, so I wasn't disappointed. Freddie Mercury, Pat Benatar, Bonnie Tyler, Billy Squier, Loverboy, Adam Ant, Jon Anderson, Frank Dimino, and of course Giorgio Moroder's score.
Anyhow, it (both the original 1927 version and this one) was panned by critics but has since found a bit of a cult following. I love this version for the soundtrack alone.
Tags: movies, sci-fi, silent-films, metropolis
Beard care
I've grown a beard before, mostly out of sheer hatred of shaving, but every time it has gotten to the point of itching, I've always just shaved it off and started over. But I've had a beard for several months now, and it was looking a little scraggly, so I decided to do something about it.
I picked up a cordless beard trimmer, which has an adjustable guard built in, and it works great. I figured I would trim my beard to about an 8 to get it a consistent length, and also picked up some beard oil to apply to make it softer. I shaped the beard a bit, to it's no longer down as far on my neck or too high above my jawline, and trimmed my mustache for the first time ever as well. I was getting a bit unruly too. In about a month or so, I will trim things up again but maybe to an 8.5 or 9, and gradually increase the length as long as the beard is consistent at the longer length. I may stop at 10, or I may let the beard itself grow longer, while keeping lines nice and blended. I don't think it looks half bad for me first ever attempt at actually grooming my beard. ;)
For those curious, I picked up beard oil, and a beard grooming kit (brush, comb, small scissors) by Viking Revolution. They make a beard wash and a conditioner as well, which I may also pick up if I think it's needed. But now my beard smells like sandlewood. ;)
PSA: Disable Alerts
I use Google Calendar to remind me to pay things, which weekends are for feeding the snake, when the dog needs her meds, etc. Those things, it makes sense to allow alerts. Just set those reminders for a specific time, have it alert 30 minutes prior, and all good.
However, I also use Calendar to remember dates. Birthdays, anniversaries of important events, etc. Those are set up as all-day events. And by default, they'll alert as well.
I also use Thunderbird as my e-mail client. It syncs my calendar with Google as well as my mail. And guess what? It will use the same alert settings as you set up on Google. But also, while Google only alerts once, Thunderbird will keep alerting you every so often until you dismiss the alert.
Today is the one-year anniversary that one of my half-sisters pinged me to let me know "Bob passed away..." Bob referring to Robert D. Barnhart, my birth father that I hadn't seen in 40 years. Because we weren't close, I knew it wasn't a date I would remember on my own. Who am I kidding? I suck at dates. I wouldn't have remembered it even if we were. ;) So, I put it in Google Calendar.
In the middle of the night last night, I heard a strange beep which woke me up. I checked the new flip phone in case it was an alert I was unfamiliar with. Nope. I checked the smartphone, which was plugged in. Nothing. It sounded vaguely like the alert it will give if there is moisture in the charging port, so even though it didn't give that alert on-screen, I unplugged it. It seemed to stop, so I fell back asleep after awhile.
Of course you see where this is going. Awhile later, it woke me up again. I couldn't find it. Fell back asleep. Rinse-repeat a couple of times. Eventually I was so exhausted that I slept through them. They weren't terribly obnoxious. I get up this morning, sit down at my computer to check when my Amazon deliveries should be here today, and there on my screen is the alert from Thunderbird. Dutifully reminding me of something I had marked as an all-day event ever 30 minutes or so since 11:30 last night.
So, this is your PSA to disable alerts for your all-day events in Google Calendar unless you actually need them. The default to "on," even for all-day events. ;)
Tags: google-calendar, alerts
FreeTube
Cory Doctorow has been talking about "enshittification" for awhile now. Here is one of his early posts, though certainly not his first, which really gained popularity.
Of course, the enshittification of YouTube has been going on pretty much since Google bought it almost 20 years ago. The algorithms have been getting steadily worse of late, which is why I am ditching my smartphone except for work and moving to single-use devices. But YouTube still provides value, it's just that it is easy to get sucked into the algorithm. So I have found a way to still enjoy YouTube: FreeTube. It is available on Mac, Windows and Linux. There is also a version available for Android.
FreeTube allows you to enjoy YouTube without logging in, and everything is stored locally. This means you cannot comment from within it, but you can hit "Share" on a video and grab the link, paste it into your browser, and comment to your heart's content. It also means it doesn't sync your data between devices like you can when you're logged in. But Google cannot feed you Javascript or Cookies or anything else to track you. If you use Tor or a VPN and it uses different exit nodes, it even makes it harder to ID you via your IP address.
I just started using it, and I will still be going to YouTube directly occassionally for Lives and Premieres so that I can chat real-time with the creators. I also comment of videos every now and then to make it feel more like a community. But most of my use will start from within FreeTube before launching a browser. This lets me take back control from the algorithms which are trying to push content you may not like to engage with in front of you.
I am taking power away from the algorithms by carefully curating content I actually want to engage with. I wish there were something for Facebook which just showed my the content from my friends and the groups and pages I actually follow. Until I find a solution for that, my time on Facebook will be strictly limited. I will likely even set up a bookmark page with links to the specific people, pages, and groups I wish to remain engaged with, then only engage via those links. It's getting too easy to get drawn into doomscrolling. I am done with that.
Tags: YouTube, enshittification, FreeTube
Snowsky Echo Mini
I just picked up a Snowsky Echo Mini mp3 player along with a couple of cheap pair of wired headphones, Sony MDR-ZX110 on-ear headphones and RORSOU R10 over-ear headphones. I tested both pair on my laptop to get a feel for how they sound, and both perform better than their pricepoint but about what one would expect from a fairly good pair of each type.
The mp3 player has 8GB of storage built in but also takes microSD, but the 8GB is plenty if I carefully curate my music instead of just dumping everything I own onto it. I do need to re-tage all my music, as most show as "unknown" during playback, but this thing sounds pretty amazing. I am so glad that I decided to ditch the smartphone and go with more dedicated devices. I think this will fix my relationship with music.
Tags: mp3-player, headphones, review
Flip Phone
I just posted this to Facebook and thought I would cross-post it here
I just ordered a flip phone, like it's 2003 or something. 😉 I still need my smartphone for authentication apps for work, but those apps work over wifi too... It has an offline music player, a camera, navigations, and hotspot support. If I *need* to do something data-centric while I am out and about, I can still use a tablet or briefly power up my smartphone or something. I'll probably install my ATA and either a wall phone or my payphone to use as a house phone. I need to convert the payphone to free calls if I go that route, but I've been having problems programming it. Could just replace the board, I guess. 😉
I just need to quit letting technology drive my non-working life, and when I am working with technology in my spare time, it's one of my hobbies (repairing, retrogaming, etc) and not just mindless scrolling. I'll probably block most social media at my firewall. Maybe automate unblocking it for a short window over the weekend so I can still check in occasionally. I've locked down my accounts fairly well and have my contact info viewable to friends, so anyone can still text and email me if they choose to. 🙂 Pretty sure I have ADHD on top of my ASD, because the constant notifications (which I'm mostly turned off on my personal stuff, but is still an issue during my work day with that stuff) is making it impossible for me to concentrate on anything these days.
I just need to get outside and touch grass every now and then. I need to be present more to set that example for my kids, and get them out of Roblox every now and them and do something different. Maybe I'll get them into D&D and start a small campaign (I have the "Welcome to Hellfire Club" starter kit waiting at my PO Box, and my oldest like Stranger Things. Should be an easy sell. lol) Maybe start geocaching again. Practicing guitar more regularly (started strong the last time, but fell off quick). Bringing my telescope to the RV and getting some use out of it. I haven't really used it since I lived in Cardington.
Anyhow. If you don't see me on here much anymore, I'm out enjoying life. If you need to get in touch, if you're reading this you have access to my info. 😉
Tags: facebook, detox, flip-phone, life
Happy New Year!
Like most years, 2025 was a mixed bag. There was some good and some bad, and lots of change.
The biggest change is my move (in-progress) into an RV, I can afford rent, but I really don't see a way to retire unless I cut costs, eliminate debt, and build savings. Living in the RV costs an average of about $700 for lot rent and electicity, while the house runs over twice for rent alone. With utilities and such, the house costs about three times more to live in than the RV. And while my lease isn't up yet, just staying in the RV instead of the house cut down on those utility costs considerably, so I am already starting too slowly build my savings and cut my debt.
The biggest thing I need to do in the next few months is clean out the house. A good portion of stuff is going into storage for if and when I eventually rent another house, and the rest is being donated and/or trashed. My vintage computer collection will remain accessible, as I plan on continuing to repair them even with my limited space at the RV. Once the lease is up. my savings will really start to build, even as my debt shrinks. If I do not over-indulge in things that I couldn't previously afford, I should be able to use that savings to completely pay off most of my debt by the end of the 2026. With no debt, I should really be able to build up some savings in 2027. If I can make it a couple more years at my current employer, I should be able to step away from IT and move to a part-time, low-paying job until I reach early-retirement age. By then, I should be able to retire comfortably just on Social Security alone.
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