In the time I've been offline, I've been doing a lot and feeling a lot more mentally healthy. I've been exploring nomadnet a bit, looking at reticulum. I'm definitely going to go back to my break and being online much less regularly.
I actually totally forgot about the anniversary of the shooting, which is the first time that's happened since... uh... the shooting, I think.
I've definitely realized that, on some level, I've definitely used Mastodon (and formerly Twitter) as a coping mechanism, often in order to deal with the stressful things that I've found out about on Mastodon or Twitter.
But, again, none of those things really change our core job: build community. And that's part of what I've been neglecting, and what I can focus on more when I'm not spending as much time talking to people all over the world indirectly. Like, I can just chat directly with folks and talk about this shit.
Yeah, I do think there's value in this community. I don't think it's really screaming into the void (at least, not most of the time). But I know that I need the balance to be way farther on the side of direct engagement with comrades doing and building.
So that's what I'm gonna go back to. I feel as though it's a good sign that with all the writing about getting shot that I've been doing, and all the thinking about that, that the actual anniversary of the shooting I'm actually just thinking about bread.
And that seems like a good note to leave on. I'm gonna go back to some hacker shit.
twitter_15m: Twitter 15-M movement (2011)
A network representing follower-following relations among Twitter users associated with the 15-M Movement or Anti-austerity movement in Spain, in the period April-May 2011. Metadata include hashtags in the tweets.
This network has 87569 nodes and 6030459 edges.
Tags: Social, Online, Unweighted, Metadata
Just email someone. I always like it when people email me about some weird blog post or project I’ve done.
https://goodinternetmagazine.com/why-i-email-complete-strangers/
Bessent Scoffs At Mere Mention Of Tariff Refunds: "I've Got A Feeling That The American People Won't See It" - Joe.My.God.
https://www.joemygod.com/2026/02/bessent-scoffs-at-mere-mention-of-tariff-refunds-ive-got-a-feeling-that-the-american-people-wont-see-it/
This is "interesting" - In a civil trial in which Elon M. is the defendant they are having difficulty finding enough unbiased jurors to empanel a jury:
Well, that's one way to evade liability: become so hated that there aren't enough people who don't hate your guts to form a jury.
"Musk’s Twitter Trial Gets Jurors Who Can Set Aside Feelings"
The US DOJ says at least two DOGE employees accessed Social Security data that was off-limits under a court ruling and shared agency data on third-party servers (April Rubin/Axios)
https://www.axios.com/2026/01/20/doge-employees-social-security-inform…
Adobe pledges ~$10M in grants and product donations in 2026 to support filmmakers, including funding creators directly for the first time (Caitlin Huston/The Hollywood Reporter)
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business…
Don’t get me wrong - while using the fountain pen I am still trying to maintain good writing posture and I’m continuing to do my regular hand stretches.
But for a sense of the difference: before, I was happy with the fact that I managed to develop a good pain management routine to allow me to write like 2-3 pages at a time without convulsing in pain.
And now I can write 6 pages nonstop without even thinking or feeling anything. A short 5–10 minute rest and I can come back for more.
This is such a big deal to me. I was able to draw yesterday with a relaxed hand after spending hours writing notes. Before I’d only be able to do one or the other in a day!
And then I finished the evening by writing out a chapter of my novel by hand.
And today my hand is totally fine!!
Damn, New Jersey…
“Panic is the appropriate response to the passage and signing of a new law in New Jersey that requires all e-bike riders 17 and older to have driver’s licenses, registration and insurance (which may not even be available and proof of which they must carry with them while riding) and wear a state-approved motorcycle helmet.”