mark zero
@artifex.bsky.social
History & mystery; food/film/photos; speculative fiction; tinkering.
Introvert. I'm a nerd, not a geek.
Was @markzero on twitter for 18 years
public pronouns: he/him/they
Introvert. I'm a nerd, not a geek.
Was @markzero on twitter for 18 years
public pronouns: he/him/they
Pinned
mark zero
@artifex.bsky.social
· Feb 18
Bumping a lot of mutuals from my twitter feed if I follow them elsewhere, especially if they haven't posted there in ages. Hoping to eventually just use the account during extreme weather & news, wishing local meteorologists would join here or Mastodon.
Modern Market claimed they wanted feedback about a recent meal, but it seems to have been in service of trying to add an AI slop review to Google:
December 3, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Modern Market claimed they wanted feedback about a recent meal, but it seems to have been in service of trying to add an AI slop review to Google:
Even the polar bear stuffed animals at IKEA have "last chance" banners on them, now.
December 2, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Even the polar bear stuffed animals at IKEA have "last chance" banners on them, now.
Reposted by mark zero
The official voice of the US government is cruel, gross, and weird. What is that doing to us?
The official voice of the US government is cruel, gross, and weird. What is that doing to us?
Joking memes about imprisonment, deportation, and death by alligator are designed to radicalize and desensitize.
www.motherjones.com
November 27, 2025 at 2:30 AM
The official voice of the US government is cruel, gross, and weird. What is that doing to us?
The server where I read about all the latest outages from admins in the trenches... apparently relies on Cloudflare.
Funny, I was just musing there a while back how services were seemingly falling over in alphabetical order. AT&T, AWS. And now Cloudflare.
Funny, I was just musing there a while back how services were seemingly falling over in alphabetical order. AT&T, AWS. And now Cloudflare.
November 18, 2025 at 1:32 PM
The server where I read about all the latest outages from admins in the trenches... apparently relies on Cloudflare.
Funny, I was just musing there a while back how services were seemingly falling over in alphabetical order. AT&T, AWS. And now Cloudflare.
Funny, I was just musing there a while back how services were seemingly falling over in alphabetical order. AT&T, AWS. And now Cloudflare.
The loss to taxpayers is only going to get worse as the data center bubble grows, especially as many newly finished ones sit empty without enough power.
This will also be worse than the mass abandonment in 2001-3, because more power plants are being built that all ratepayers will be on the hook for.
This will also be worse than the mass abandonment in 2001-3, because more power plants are being built that all ratepayers will be on the hook for.
US taxpayers being kept in the dark over datacenter subsidies
US taxpayers being kept in the dark over datacenter subsidies
Disclosure? We've heard of it
The US datacenter industry is reaping huge benefits from state-level subsidies, but transparency around these incentives is limited and states that do calculate their returns find they are losing money on the deals.…
dlvr.it
November 11, 2025 at 11:52 PM
The loss to taxpayers is only going to get worse as the data center bubble grows, especially as many newly finished ones sit empty without enough power.
This will also be worse than the mass abandonment in 2001-3, because more power plants are being built that all ratepayers will be on the hook for.
This will also be worse than the mass abandonment in 2001-3, because more power plants are being built that all ratepayers will be on the hook for.
It would look better without the tag on the side, but how else are people going to know you paid a lot of money for it? 🙄
November 11, 2025 at 11:04 AM
It would look better without the tag on the side, but how else are people going to know you paid a lot of money for it? 🙄
If you're tech support for family and friends who have to use/upgrade Windows, something else to worry about:
Windows 11 possibly turning on Bitlocker if they sign in with a Microsoft account, etc., even on the home version, without warning or permission
www.tomshardware.com/software/win...
Windows 11 possibly turning on Bitlocker if they sign in with a Microsoft account, etc., even on the home version, without warning or permission
www.tomshardware.com/software/win...
BitLocker reportedly auto-locks users' backup drives, causing loss of 3TB of valuable data — Windows automatic disk encryption can permanently lock your drives
Safety measures became an insurmountable barrier.
www.tomshardware.com
October 20, 2025 at 6:57 AM
If you're tech support for family and friends who have to use/upgrade Windows, something else to worry about:
Windows 11 possibly turning on Bitlocker if they sign in with a Microsoft account, etc., even on the home version, without warning or permission
www.tomshardware.com/software/win...
Windows 11 possibly turning on Bitlocker if they sign in with a Microsoft account, etc., even on the home version, without warning or permission
www.tomshardware.com/software/win...
Reposted by mark zero
Reposted by mark zero
Opossum would like everyone to know
if you live somewhere where you can leave the leaves-
that’s where the tastiest snacks are😄
if you live somewhere where you can leave the leaves-
that’s where the tastiest snacks are😄
October 16, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Opossum would like everyone to know
if you live somewhere where you can leave the leaves-
that’s where the tastiest snacks are😄
if you live somewhere where you can leave the leaves-
that’s where the tastiest snacks are😄
Reposted by mark zero
October 9, 2025 at 11:02 PM
I've started checking AP, Reuters, and UPI regularly, but still feel like I'm starting to run out of news sites, here.
www.them.us/story/bari-w...
www.them.us/story/bari-w...
Bari Weiss, the Anti-Woke, Anti-Trans "Zionist Fanatic," Will Now Lead CBS News
Paramount Skydance also bought The Free Press, a publication founded by Weiss, for $150 million.
www.them.us
October 8, 2025 at 8:10 PM
I've started checking AP, Reuters, and UPI regularly, but still feel like I'm starting to run out of news sites, here.
www.them.us/story/bari-w...
www.them.us/story/bari-w...
Apple is amazing at what it does, but its corporate goal is most definitely not to bring computing to the masses. There's probably a billion people of meager means who have a smartphone, but no other computer they personally own. And they may have a billion friends even poorer, that they share with.
October 5, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Apple is amazing at what it does, but its corporate goal is most definitely not to bring computing to the masses. There's probably a billion people of meager means who have a smartphone, but no other computer they personally own. And they may have a billion friends even poorer, that they share with.
Last week a museum docent pounced and started telling me all about how lucky I was to see an exhibit, before I had a chance to pull out an earbud.
If people really don't notice chonky black stems in my ears, maybe I'd better get something brighter, for safety's sake.
If people really don't notice chonky black stems in my ears, maybe I'd better get something brighter, for safety's sake.
October 3, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Last week a museum docent pounced and started telling me all about how lucky I was to see an exhibit, before I had a chance to pull out an earbud.
If people really don't notice chonky black stems in my ears, maybe I'd better get something brighter, for safety's sake.
If people really don't notice chonky black stems in my ears, maybe I'd better get something brighter, for safety's sake.
countdown until the new "share gem" thing at Google Gemini is weaponized by spammers/scammers...
September 30, 2025 at 9:10 PM
countdown until the new "share gem" thing at Google Gemini is weaponized by spammers/scammers...
None of the reports I have seen so far have tried to explain where the "stray bullet" came from, which is kinda telling.
Bullets just happen these days, like backhoes:
www.wfaa.com/article/tech...
Bullets just happen these days, like backhoes:
www.wfaa.com/article/tech...
Did your Wi-Fi stop working? A stray bullet caused major outages, Spectrum says
A stray bullet damaged a fiber optic cable in Dallas, disrupting internet for nearly 25,000 Spectrum customers in North Texas.
www.wfaa.com
September 28, 2025 at 10:54 PM
None of the reports I have seen so far have tried to explain where the "stray bullet" came from, which is kinda telling.
Bullets just happen these days, like backhoes:
www.wfaa.com/article/tech...
Bullets just happen these days, like backhoes:
www.wfaa.com/article/tech...
Nexstar is in the process of trying to merge with TEGNA. If they succeed, people may find this list of TEGNA TV stations handy:
www.tegna.com/brands/
www.tegna.com/brands/
Brands - TEGNA
www.tegna.com
September 26, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Nexstar is in the process of trying to merge with TEGNA. If they succeed, people may find this list of TEGNA TV stations handy:
www.tegna.com/brands/
www.tegna.com/brands/
I have wondered why some people who are at high inherited risk of fatal diseases refuse to get tested, because they may miss out if treatments are discovered while they're still in an early enough stage to benefit.
Looks like one of those discoveries just happened.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Looks like one of those discoveries just happened.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Huntington's disease successfully treated for first time
One of the most devastating diseases finally has a treatment that can slow its progression and transform lives, tearful doctors tell BBC.
www.bbc.com
September 24, 2025 at 4:58 PM
I have wondered why some people who are at high inherited risk of fatal diseases refuse to get tested, because they may miss out if treatments are discovered while they're still in an early enough stage to benefit.
Looks like one of those discoveries just happened.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Looks like one of those discoveries just happened.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
A few minutes ago I saw something streaking past the south windows of our house, then a double flash through the door in the east. Didn't hear anything, though.
September 19, 2025 at 7:35 AM
A few minutes ago I saw something streaking past the south windows of our house, then a double flash through the door in the east. Didn't hear anything, though.
Just found out the Nova Launcher for Android is now dead, no longer maintained: teslacoilapps.com/nova/solong....
Been using it off and on since Jellybean or ICS, I think? Especially with e-reader type devices, lately. Nova Prime (premium upgrade) was my very first purchase on the Google App Store.
Been using it off and on since Jellybean or ICS, I think? Especially with e-reader type devices, lately. Nova Prime (premium upgrade) was my very first purchase on the Google App Store.
And thanks for all the Tempeh
teslacoilapps.com
September 19, 2025 at 3:36 AM
Just found out the Nova Launcher for Android is now dead, no longer maintained: teslacoilapps.com/nova/solong....
Been using it off and on since Jellybean or ICS, I think? Especially with e-reader type devices, lately. Nova Prime (premium upgrade) was my very first purchase on the Google App Store.
Been using it off and on since Jellybean or ICS, I think? Especially with e-reader type devices, lately. Nova Prime (premium upgrade) was my very first purchase on the Google App Store.
Reposted by mark zero
You want to be alive, but they want you dead. We’re a new, well, funded democratic group that thinks you can meet them halfway.
September 17, 2025 at 2:07 PM
You want to be alive, but they want you dead. We’re a new, well, funded democratic group that thinks you can meet them halfway.
Google's Daily Listen podcast thing calls GNOME "g-nomey," and I think that's it's name now; works for me.
September 18, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Google's Daily Listen podcast thing calls GNOME "g-nomey," and I think that's it's name now; works for me.
I wish I could get news aggregators not to recommend any article that can be summarized as 'just stories copied off Reddit.'
September 17, 2025 at 7:57 PM
I wish I could get news aggregators not to recommend any article that can be summarized as 'just stories copied off Reddit.'