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@aldebrn.me
“Humans are weird. I try, really I do, to get you guys. But I’ve got golden-age tech from a half dozen civilizations on this station, and y’all burned them down rather than just relax and enjoy it.” —Argus, *Kitty Cat Kill Sat*
Good old "how far do I have to scroll the 'cast' section before I see a Black actor or an actor of color?", always clutch
December 26, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Good old "how far do I have to scroll the 'cast' section before I see a Black actor or an actor of color?", always clutch
My mind liquifying as I learn that a pro-women, anti-rape culture as big and well-documented as the polity & peoples of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy existed, and was aghast at European cultures' complete saturation with misogyny and abuse
(Barbara Alice Mann in *Iroquoian Women: The Gantowisas*)
(Barbara Alice Mann in *Iroquoian Women: The Gantowisas*)
![This sketch was wildly-and pejoratively-inaccurate in just about every detail. Haudenosaunee men did not have multiple wives, although, to be sure, Seneca women might take more than one husband at their pleasure. In addition, the lodge in question would have belonged to the longhouse Clan Mother, not any man. Then again, Parkman's presentation of all Native men as "warriors" was militaristic jingoism, part of the nineteenth-century projection of the warlike disposition of the Europeans onto the Native Americans. In fact, Haudenosaunee men's important socia] roles existed outside of warfare, with their careers in war occurring as the earliest and lowest step of their social and political advancement
Furthermore, Haudenosaunee men would never have dreamed of beating their wives. They were appalled by this European custom and intervened on behalf of abused settler women whenever they dared. Mary Jemison (1742-1833), the famed Seneca adoptee, recalled that her second husband, the Seneca Hiokatoo, "exasperated at the sight of so much inhumanity" when he saw a settler violently beating his wife, stepped in and threatened the man with his tomahawk, forcing him to desist.4 The large number of female adoptees who, like Jemison, flatly refused to return to "civilization" made their choice in no small measure due to the safe, secure, and gentle lives they led with their Native husbands.
Most importantly of all, Haudenosaunee men never, ever raped, contrary to Parkman's snide insinuation of a quid pro quo deal: "I won't beat you as long as you spread your legs for me." The no-rape policy of the Haudenosaunee is well documented, and was even in Parkman's time James Fenimore Cooper learned as much from John Heckewelder, and emphasized it in his popular Leather-Stocking Tales; the suffragettes knew as much, and publicized it in their critique of Christian European sexism, and modern historians are also perfectly aware of the fact. 4l
The moral slap that Europe felt … (clipped)](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:t4g4hojrzykgzp55h34fpy3t/bafkreid2kyzmhjntdafpj7chk6nf5uomet5ggtwmiltlc3hbafejxi2fsq@jpeg)
December 24, 2025 at 8:23 PM
My mind liquifying as I learn that a pro-women, anti-rape culture as big and well-documented as the polity & peoples of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy existed, and was aghast at European cultures' complete saturation with misogyny and abuse
(Barbara Alice Mann in *Iroquoian Women: The Gantowisas*)
(Barbara Alice Mann in *Iroquoian Women: The Gantowisas*)
~2012 I heard Bezos's famous quote, "we know that customers want low prices, and I know that’s going to be true 10 years from now. They want fast delivery; they want vast selection".
And I knew he was wrong—all those were incompatible with a green future. People will pay & wait for sustainability.
And I knew he was wrong—all those were incompatible with a green future. People will pay & wait for sustainability.
December 24, 2025 at 7:58 PM
~2012 I heard Bezos's famous quote, "we know that customers want low prices, and I know that’s going to be true 10 years from now. They want fast delivery; they want vast selection".
And I knew he was wrong—all those were incompatible with a green future. People will pay & wait for sustainability.
And I knew he was wrong—all those were incompatible with a green future. People will pay & wait for sustainability.
TIL: before Caltrain was electrified last year, San Mateo (which I adore) wasn’t on the express line 😳 and that that’s why historically so many companies are around Hillsdale en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caltrai...
Wonder how becoming an express stop will change San Mateo in coming years!
Wonder how becoming an express stop will change San Mateo in coming years!
Caltrain Express Program - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
December 24, 2025 at 8:11 AM
TIL: before Caltrain was electrified last year, San Mateo (which I adore) wasn’t on the express line 😳 and that that’s why historically so many companies are around Hillsdale en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caltrai...
Wonder how becoming an express stop will change San Mateo in coming years!
Wonder how becoming an express stop will change San Mateo in coming years!
Some of my favorite songs are like, long "cyphers" with a bunch of singers, all of whose verses I love?
Gloc-9 and mega-group Shockra: www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2cl...
芮雪 et al. www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQqG...
Savage.M et al., the GAOAO Kaohsiung Cypher www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjAf...
Gloc-9 and mega-group Shockra: www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2cl...
芮雪 et al. www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQqG...
Savage.M et al., the GAOAO Kaohsiung Cypher www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjAf...
Gloc-9 feat. Shockra - Ambag (Official Music Video)
YouTube video by Universal Records Philippines
www.youtube.com
December 24, 2025 at 3:52 AM
Some of my favorite songs are like, long "cyphers" with a bunch of singers, all of whose verses I love?
Gloc-9 and mega-group Shockra: www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2cl...
芮雪 et al. www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQqG...
Savage.M et al., the GAOAO Kaohsiung Cypher www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjAf...
Gloc-9 and mega-group Shockra: www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2cl...
芮雪 et al. www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQqG...
Savage.M et al., the GAOAO Kaohsiung Cypher www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjAf...
The Boeing 787 has a much better-designed ventilation system that can’t vent jet engine exhaust into the cabin per www.wsj.com/business/air... but alas, it too had terrible CO2 concentration. Unless the plane disinfects cabin air (or you wore skin-tight N95), everyone was breathing everyone’s germs.
December 24, 2025 at 3:07 AM
The Boeing 787 has a much better-designed ventilation system that can’t vent jet engine exhaust into the cabin per www.wsj.com/business/air... but alas, it too had terrible CO2 concentration. Unless the plane disinfects cabin air (or you wore skin-tight N95), everyone was breathing everyone’s germs.
Began watching La Révolution and stopped & switched to Kandiaronk—the poverty and oppression of royalist France was revolting me.
“You let your elders die of hunger; you leave them behind to set up your own households away from them… concerning murder, it is so common among you, so very frequent“
“You let your elders die of hunger; you leave them behind to set up your own households away from them… concerning murder, it is so common among you, so very frequent“
December 23, 2025 at 8:14 AM
Began watching La Révolution and stopped & switched to Kandiaronk—the poverty and oppression of royalist France was revolting me.
“You let your elders die of hunger; you leave them behind to set up your own households away from them… concerning murder, it is so common among you, so very frequent“
“You let your elders die of hunger; you leave them behind to set up your own households away from them… concerning murder, it is so common among you, so very frequent“
I couldn't find a software-only version of the CharaCorder X USB dongle so I threw this together, just to see what it felt like. It's sort of like T9 predictive text plus steno-like macro-chording?
It could be a lot better than this, and, I sort of like it?
It could be a lot better than this, and, I sort of like it?
December 21, 2025 at 5:51 AM
I couldn't find a software-only version of the CharaCorder X USB dongle so I threw this together, just to see what it felt like. It's sort of like T9 predictive text plus steno-like macro-chording?
It could be a lot better than this, and, I sort of like it?
It could be a lot better than this, and, I sort of like it?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsG5... talks about the history of typing and chording and stenography and I never knew how specialized stenographic output was. I bet there are some interesting novels about stenographers?
A Brief History of Chorded Text Entry
YouTube video by CharaChorder
www.youtube.com
December 20, 2025 at 5:29 PM
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsG5... talks about the history of typing and chording and stenography and I never knew how specialized stenographic output was. I bet there are some interesting novels about stenographers?
This year I read TWO stories about magic saving a people from colonial aggression: P. Djèlí Clark has djinn 🧞 help protect Egypt from Franco-English predation, and Alessa Hinlo has diwata, aswang, duende, et. al protect the Philippines from the Spanish silver-goggles.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-... 🤩🫶🦾
December 18, 2025 at 4:34 AM
This year I read TWO stories about magic saving a people from colonial aggression: P. Djèlí Clark has djinn 🧞 help protect Egypt from Franco-English predation, and Alessa Hinlo has diwata, aswang, duende, et. al protect the Philippines from the Spanish silver-goggles.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-... 🤩🫶🦾
I am also a huge fan of the Welchmans' followup animated film *The Peasants* in a similar style, where the animation's keyframes are hand-painted and incredible
I'm not as familiar with the Young Poland school of painting as I wish but I did notice the film's homages to some of its greatest works 🤩
I'm not as familiar with the Young Poland school of painting as I wish but I did notice the film's homages to some of its greatest works 🤩
December 17, 2025 at 1:51 AM
I am also a huge fan of the Welchmans' followup animated film *The Peasants* in a similar style, where the animation's keyframes are hand-painted and incredible
I'm not as familiar with the Young Poland school of painting as I wish but I did notice the film's homages to some of its greatest works 🤩
I'm not as familiar with the Young Poland school of painting as I wish but I did notice the film's homages to some of its greatest works 🤩
Going through this author’s reviews of other books on Goodreads, finding some good stuff, and then what do I see but a five star rating for Hariri’s Sapiens?
I closed those tabs so fast, Mourinho-disgust-headphone-meme-fast
I closed those tabs so fast, Mourinho-disgust-headphone-meme-fast
December 13, 2025 at 6:03 AM
Going through this author’s reviews of other books on Goodreads, finding some good stuff, and then what do I see but a five star rating for Hariri’s Sapiens?
I closed those tabs so fast, Mourinho-disgust-headphone-meme-fast
I closed those tabs so fast, Mourinho-disgust-headphone-meme-fast
Tong Sui uncle when I ordered the durian pudding: "have you had it before?"
"Yah of course man. But wait, what if I said I'd never had it?"
"I'd offer you a sample. Because some people don't know what durian is, they think it's jackfruit, so"
People man
"Yah of course man. But wait, what if I said I'd never had it?"
"I'd offer you a sample. Because some people don't know what durian is, they think it's jackfruit, so"
People man
Tong Sui’s durian coconut pudding is my new favorite thing
Big parfait fan here (see profile pic) but Mochiya-ren's "matcha Mont Blanc strawberry parfait" is… unspeakably sublime
December 13, 2025 at 5:57 AM
Tong Sui uncle when I ordered the durian pudding: "have you had it before?"
"Yah of course man. But wait, what if I said I'd never had it?"
"I'd offer you a sample. Because some people don't know what durian is, they think it's jackfruit, so"
People man
"Yah of course man. But wait, what if I said I'd never had it?"
"I'd offer you a sample. Because some people don't know what durian is, they think it's jackfruit, so"
People man
*Nobody* was amazing, a moving painting in many scenes!
December 10, 2025 at 3:03 AM
*Nobody* was amazing, a moving painting in many scenes!
What’s the most diva thing Doctor Mike does? Blow dry his armpits.
December 7, 2025 at 4:30 AM
What’s the most diva thing Doctor Mike does? Blow dry his armpits.
Love it when the Thai place says “sorry it’s not mango season so we don’t have mango sticky rice”
The best mango varieties from South and Southeast Asia definitely have seasonality and respecting that and incorporating it into your craft >>>> “mango” sticky rice “year round”
The best mango varieties from South and Southeast Asia definitely have seasonality and respecting that and incorporating it into your craft >>>> “mango” sticky rice “year round”
December 6, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Love it when the Thai place says “sorry it’s not mango season so we don’t have mango sticky rice”
The best mango varieties from South and Southeast Asia definitely have seasonality and respecting that and incorporating it into your craft >>>> “mango” sticky rice “year round”
The best mango varieties from South and Southeast Asia definitely have seasonality and respecting that and incorporating it into your craft >>>> “mango” sticky rice “year round”
Reposting one of my models of positive masculinity
December 5, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Reposting one of my models of positive masculinity
Couple years ago saw someone ask folks who are able to to just hem clothes themselves, and got me to stitch up a fraying sun hoodie instead of throwing it away. Since then I've upgraded my home economics skills by removing stains in canvas sneakers (baking soda) and in shirts' armpits (vinegar)!
🧼🪡
🧼🪡
December 3, 2025 at 6:07 AM
Couple years ago saw someone ask folks who are able to to just hem clothes themselves, and got me to stitch up a fraying sun hoodie instead of throwing it away. Since then I've upgraded my home economics skills by removing stains in canvas sneakers (baking soda) and in shirts' armpits (vinegar)!
🧼🪡
🧼🪡
“As you might extrapolate, if the Ysmi are greeted by a free-floating swarm of delusional bots claiming both personhood and unconstrained authority, we will all be relieved of the burden of worrying about any and all of our functions thereafter.” —Suzanne Palmer (2022 Best Novelette Hugo winner)
Bots of the Lost Ark by Suzanne Palmer
Clarkesworld Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazine and Podcast.
clarkesworldmagazine.com
December 1, 2025 at 12:18 AM
“As you might extrapolate, if the Ysmi are greeted by a free-floating swarm of delusional bots claiming both personhood and unconstrained authority, we will all be relieved of the burden of worrying about any and all of our functions thereafter.” —Suzanne Palmer (2022 Best Novelette Hugo winner)
I wonder how productive a genre it would be, exploring the world like the start of *Pluribus* episode 2 does. I think I’d love to read a bunch of stories and non-fiction analyses of how much better life could be if we just knew and trusted each other, even if we didn’t have each other’s knowledge
November 29, 2025 at 9:14 PM
I wonder how productive a genre it would be, exploring the world like the start of *Pluribus* episode 2 does. I think I’d love to read a bunch of stories and non-fiction analyses of how much better life could be if we just knew and trusted each other, even if we didn’t have each other’s knowledge
My favorite footnote is from my favorite story, “Third Lady of Plank Bridge Inn”:
“15. Okada has a discussion of baked cakes in China, including some early recipes for them. Some had meat in them. Baked cakes in general were popularized by foreigners, and were also called hubing 胡餅 foreign cakes.”
“15. Okada has a discussion of baked cakes in China, including some early recipes for them. Some had meat in them. Baked cakes in general were popularized by foreigners, and were also called hubing 胡餅 foreign cakes.”
November 23, 2025 at 11:56 PM
My favorite footnote is from my favorite story, “Third Lady of Plank Bridge Inn”:
“15. Okada has a discussion of baked cakes in China, including some early recipes for them. Some had meat in them. Baked cakes in general were popularized by foreigners, and were also called hubing 胡餅 foreign cakes.”
“15. Okada has a discussion of baked cakes in China, including some early recipes for them. Some had meat in them. Baked cakes in general were popularized by foreigners, and were also called hubing 胡餅 foreign cakes.”
“To his eyes and ears, flowers and trees were abundant and flourishing; light clouds were bright and beautiful; cranes and phoenixes soared back and forth within the compound; and singing and flute played loud and clear.”
🤩
🤩
November 21, 2025 at 3:13 AM
“To his eyes and ears, flowers and trees were abundant and flourishing; light clouds were bright and beautiful; cranes and phoenixes soared back and forth within the compound; and singing and flute played loud and clear.”
🤩
🤩
Moss Roberts saying “there’s no daily life or domesticity in Romance of the Three Kingdoms” sent me to a list of other genres like chuanqi (short stories) and this collection, “Tang Dynasty Tales: a guided reader, vol. 2” is so my jam—footnotes like a string of jade!
books.apple.com/us/book/tang...
books.apple.com/us/book/tang...
![(The Tale of the Supernatural Marriage at Dongting)
by Li Chaowei translated by Meghan Cai
During the Yifeng reign (676–679), there was a scholar, Liu Yi , who failed the imperial examination and was going to return to the shores of the Xiang [River]. He remembered that there was a native of his township who was sojourning in Jingyang [County], and so he went there to bid him farewell. When he had gone six or seven li [two or three miles] a bird flew up and frightened his horse, which galloped off to the left of the road. Only after another six or seven li did it stop.”
There are nine footnotes in this segment! There are also original Chinese characters for several proper names (embedded as images 😒)](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:t4g4hojrzykgzp55h34fpy3t/bafkreidqeatqawghx4fm3nhcp25slynrz5dkj5saupp2yn2r37cacvfzrq@jpeg)
November 21, 2025 at 2:46 AM
Moss Roberts saying “there’s no daily life or domesticity in Romance of the Three Kingdoms” sent me to a list of other genres like chuanqi (short stories) and this collection, “Tang Dynasty Tales: a guided reader, vol. 2” is so my jam—footnotes like a string of jade!
books.apple.com/us/book/tang...
books.apple.com/us/book/tang...
“Ibn al-Athīr remarks that the very success of the Khwārazm Shāh in removing most of his rivals contributed to the completeness of his state’s collapse.”
—The Chronicle of Ibn al-Athir. Part 3: The Ayyubids after Saladin and the Mongolian Menace (tr. D.S. Richards)
—The Chronicle of Ibn al-Athir. Part 3: The Ayyubids after Saladin and the Mongolian Menace (tr. D.S. Richards)
The Chronicle of Ibn al-Athir for the Crusading Period from al-Kamil f
The Chronicle of Ibn al-Athir (1160-1233AD), entitled "al-Kamil fi'l-Ta'rikh", is one of the outstanding sources for the history of the mediaeval world. It
www.taylorfrancis.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:01 AM
“Ibn al-Athīr remarks that the very success of the Khwārazm Shāh in removing most of his rivals contributed to the completeness of his state’s collapse.”
—The Chronicle of Ibn al-Athir. Part 3: The Ayyubids after Saladin and the Mongolian Menace (tr. D.S. Richards)
—The Chronicle of Ibn al-Athir. Part 3: The Ayyubids after Saladin and the Mongolian Menace (tr. D.S. Richards)
As a dialup kid, seeing 30 MB/s sometimes flashes me back to when 3 KB/s was all we had
56 kilobits per second blues
56 kilobits per second blues
November 16, 2025 at 5:54 PM
As a dialup kid, seeing 30 MB/s sometimes flashes me back to when 3 KB/s was all we had
56 kilobits per second blues
56 kilobits per second blues