sparrow

Criticism of him: https://novusordowatch.org/benedict-xvi/

Anyone made one of these or have an interest or tips on any adjustment to the suggested way to do it?

Apparently they're edible without people having to make coffee out of them by adding hot water:
 
There's estimated to be up to 4mg (?) caffeine per bean
 
Seems like for some people they might enjoy simply eating the beans rather than brewing up coffee if they're just trying to get a dose of caffeine

Haven't figured out or tested, posting beforehand:
 
https://github.com/ideasman42/nerd-dictation
 
above based on: https://alphacephei.com/vosk/
 
https://numenvoice.com/
 
https://www.linuxlinks.com/best-free-linux-speech-recognition-tools-open-source-software/
 
https://infogalactic.com/info/Speech_recognition_software_for_Linux
 
> post more?

Had this idea at some point but shelved it and didn't share (I don't think), but I saw someone else post about this elsewhere so I might as well amplify it and let it be out there for someone to do if they can make it happen.
 
So the simple question is if it's possible to design some kind of vehicle that a horse could power above that of a buggy or whatever.
 
Animal power has been a major source throughout history, and the bicycle has been a mechanical marvel. Could we put the two sources together for a high tech / low tech sustainable design?
 
Humans can bike maybe 15 mph, horses walk maybe 3 mph? So you could have a "bicycle buggy" that goes 15mph or more?
 
Another idea would be incorporating dogs as a lot of people have dogs - I see some people take their dog out for a walk and they allow them to pull them on a bicycle, so the dog powers the walk anyway.
 
In looking up this idea, I saw a comedy skit of a horse on a treadmill powering a car: https://yewtu.be/watch?v=jyYUPv0rx0I
 
I don't know if horses can learn to pedal or if you'd need a treadmill design, but I'm just going to post the idea and see if anyone has thoughts on it.
 
Some other inspiration's been found on low / no tech magazine which had a post about horse-powered ferry boats: https://www.notechmagazine.com/2009/06/horse-powered-ferry-boat.html
 
Well, the idea's out there, any ideas on design?

Content packages they have available for download (and which can be viewed online with them): https://library.kiwix.org/
 
Being able to download all of Gutenberg's public domain books or Wikipedia are the classic Kiwix choices in my view
 
Partially related article: https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/20/23413615/stack-overflow-offline-coding-copy-kiwix-prison-arctic
 
saw some new content was available for download since I posted on this last year, like openstreetmap's wiki, ifixit stuff, lowtechmagazine, etc.

On the one hand, I could see wrong answers being submitted and that being a problem, but maybe they could just mention that ChatGPT contributed to the answer? On the other hand, this could slow the generation of correct answers unnecessarily.
 
Thoughts?

So I guess the "elf on the shelf" tradition is that some parents have a little elf that moves around every day and kind of watches kids, like a Big Brother looking to see if they do something naughty, to report to "Santa"? I could see where this could be thought to be negative. I think sometimes kids should be "terrorized" and maybe this can be a good thing.
 
On the other hand, one mom thought maybe this idea could be tweaked so she decided to create the "kindness elves" that encourage kids to do good things, and watch and write little notes for good things they can do, rather than just spy on them to make sure they're not doing bad things. I thought the idea sounds wholesome and either or both elves might be a tradition for some parents.
 
What do you think of this "kindness elves" idea? (You can read more on the link)

What kind of data do you like to collect?
 
Any setup recommendations?
 
Favorite software to manage "hoards" (or collections)
 
Discuss?

Holiday-Themed Coding Problems for Programmers

Instances: https://codeberg.org/librarian/librarian#user-content-instances
 
> Odysee has admitted to using browser fingerprinting for ads and loads multiple ads, trackers, and an annoying cookie banner.
 
> We and our partners process data to provide: Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development.
 
> They also use your data for these purposes and you cannot opt-out of it.
 
> Ensure security, prevent fraud, and debug
> Technically deliver ads or content
> Match and combine offline data sources
> Link different devices
> Receive and use automatically-sent device characteristics for identification
 
> See what trackers and cookies they use: https://themarkup.org/blacklight.?url=odysee.com
 
> Librarian itself does not collect any data but instance operators may collect data.

Curious of your view of this morally or practically.
 
Microdosing is taking a small amount of a drug that wouldn't cause addiction or intoxication.
 
For a comparison for example instead of a person drinking cases of beer, they'd have maybe like a quarter of a beer (usually 1/10th or 1/20th of a dose that causes "strong effects").
 
But "microdosing" is usually related to taking drugs like psychedelics in really small quantities so that they don't cause hallucinations but that they may affect the brain; the hope is they affect it in a positive way that boosts creativity or intellectual ability.
 
You're not going to get drunk off 1/4 of a beer or have much impairment morally I wouldn't think. If so, cut the dose down even further for the example.
 
Personally I oppose psychedelics and a lot of drug use, even moderate use like with alcohol I like pretty small amounts currently (like the quarter of a beer example). But I do like just a little taste still.
 
So I was wondering if microdosing might fit within a sober worldview. Or do you think its intention is bad, it's like people still wanting to do drugs and get as close to danger as possible without getting hurt? Does it open people up to harm and it has more potential for harm than good?
 
Example article about microdosing caffeine: https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/caffeine-microdosing
 
> To achieve an optimal energy zone, you generally need to consume between 60 mg and 100 mg of caffeine.
 
> One way to optimize your intake is through microdosing, or consuming small amounts of caffeine throughout the day. This might look like drinking a cup of coffee in the morning, and then only having green tea throughout the rest of the day. Or slowly sipping your coffee in the morning, which may help you drink around 10 mg or so of caffeine at a time. These techniques may give you enough stimulation to help you be as productive as possible without feeling jittery or anxious.
 
> what we are finding now is that low doses can be safer and better for the body: They can help improves alertness, mood, and cognition during and after physical exercise but with few (if any) side effects. In fact, a recent review suggested that low doses of caffeine, as low as 3 mg, can be just as effective as higher doses.

> History of National Pear Month
 
> National Pear Month, started by USA Pears and officially declared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is a month-long holiday dedicated to educating people about how to tell the ripeness of a pear and how to make the most out of eating pears. USA Pears created this holiday back in 2011 based off of a survey that stated that 84% of shoppers cannot tell when a pear is ripe when they are shopping in a grocery store.
 
> USA Pears chose the month because of the fact that most pears, specifically the 10 types of Northwest pears, get harvested during the month of December. Pears also have high nutritional value, having more fiber than bananas, oranges, and strawberries.
 
A week early but I was thinking of pears recently, it's a holiday food... "...and a partridge in a pear tree"

> The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (as it is known in the West), or The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple (its name in the East), is a liturgical feast celebrated on November 21[1] by the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
 
> The feast is associated with an event recounted not in the New Testament, but in the apocryphal Infancy Narrative of James. According to that text, Mary's parents, Joachim and Anne, who had been childless, received a heavenly message that they would have a child. In thanksgiving for the gift of their daughter, they brought her, when still a child, to the Temple in Jerusalem to consecrate her to God. Later versions of the story (such as the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew and the Gospel of the Nativity of Mary) tell us that Mary was taken to the Temple at around the age of three in fulfillment of a vow. Tradition held that she was to remain there to be educated in preparation for her role as Mother of God.
 
Catholic encyclopedia entry: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12400a.htm

I checked out some of the following links, but none of them seem to disclose their exact ingredients...
 
https://purlwax.com/collections/natural-plant-based-ski-snowboard-waxes
 
https://www.mountainflow.com/
 
https://www.dpsskis.com/products/phantomglide
 
https://www.beaverwax.com/
 
...so in a way we have no way of knowing they're actually "ecofriendly". The other possibility is this is basically something simple that's not particularly complicated, so they may be upselling basically something like beeswax.
 
So what would be some ecofriendly options? Carnauba wax? Like a soy candle? Beeswax? No wax?
 
It might require more reapplication than the standard (usually petroleum based) waxes.

> The objectives of celebrating an International Men's Day include focusing on men's and boys' health, improving gender relations, [...] and highlighting positive male role models.[5][6] It is an occasion to highlight discrimination against men and boys and to celebrate their achievements and contributions, in particular for their contributions to community, family, marriage, and child care.[7][8] The broader and ultimate aim of the event is to promote basic humanitarian values.[9][10]

So a lot of fridges have horizontal doors, probably because it's easier to sift for items in there. But does it come with a major downside of energy inefficieny, that you lose a lot more cold air every time you open it? Does that mean that retrofitted chest freezers that are made in to fridges would be vastly more energy efficient in contrast, or newly made "vertical fridges"?

A comment elsewhere got me thinking of this topic again, I thought a person argued a lot of "American Christians" in their view often commit sins of greed. I eventually thought of this passage in Scripture:
 
> "For the desire of money is the root of all evils; which some coveting have erred from the faith, and have entangled themselves in many sorrows." 1 Timothy 6:10
 
The word "greed" isn't used there, but the "insight" I thought I had was that greed was what was being referred to here, as the "root of all evils". Thus this was making me think about how greed is handled or not today; I don't recall personally ever hearing a sermon about it even.
 
Frequently greed is thought to refer to people stealing, or cheating in some way, of taking things by force. That is one kind of greed, but greed is also wanting more than you need to some extent, even when there is no seeming victim (excess gains are thought to be morally for the poor, so the poor are thought to be victims in this view). The problem with desires is that they might tend to be endless, hence even "nonviolent" greed is a problem for that reason.
 
> "But having food, and wherewith to be covered, with these we are content." 1 Timothy 6:8
 
The Scripture seem to indicate a kind of "minimalist" approach to possessions, of only having whatever you need (in the example given, of food and clothing). It is acknowledged that strictly what a person "needs" may be subjective, and that for example the breadwinner of a large family might need to make a lot of money to provide for the needs of the family.
 
> "And one of the multitude said to him: Master, speak to my brother that he divide the inheritance with me. But he said to him: Man, who hath appointed me judge or divider over you? And he said to them: Take heed and beware of all covetousness; for a man's life doth not consist in the abundance of things which he possesseth. And he spoke a similitude to them, saying: The land of a certain rich man brought forth plenty of fruits. And he thought within himself, saying: What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said: This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and will build greater; and into them will I gather all things that are grown to me, and my goods. And I will say to my soul: Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thy rest; eat, drink, make good cheer. But God said to him: Thou fool, this night do they require thy soul of thee: and whose shall those things be which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God." Luke 12:13-21
 
What did the person do wrong here, other than to continue to profit rather than give to the Church or those in need the excess profits he was making? It doesn't sound like he was stealing exactly. This is I think the more deceptive greed that people get caught up in today, but I am curious what limits people think exist, beyond which would be considered to be greed.
 
The Haydock commentary on the above passage states:
 
> See in this the spirit of this world, at the very time Jesus is teaching disinterestedness, and the contempt of riches, he is interrupted by a man, who begs him to interfere in a temporal concern: deaf to every thing else, this man can think of his temporal interest only. (Calmet) --- He begged half an inheritance on earth; the Lord offered him a whole one in heaven: he gave him more than he asked for. (St. Augustine)
 
So it seems like a Christian attitude was supposed to be a bit indifferent towards material possessions beyond securing needs (or even perhaps a "contempt" or dislike of them).
 
So what in your view is the "liberal" spirit that is willing to give charitably, or the content spirit that does not envy what another has, that opposes greed and is free from the "slavery" to these kinds of desires for unnecessary gain?