I created a Facebook account in 2012 but didn’t really post much until 2014. In 2018 I deleted my account (for secret reasons). It was a relief to let it go, but also a little sad. I quickly lost tabs of friends and extended family. Of course we still talk now and again, but I am much less aware of what’s going on in their day to day lives. Nevertheless I’m glad I left.
In an act of unbridled vanity, I have archived all the old posts here.
TIL that English “black” comes from the proto-indo-European root “bhel” with the sense of “burnt”.
“Bhel” also has the sense of “burn” or “shine” and is the origin of Spanish “blanco” and French “blanc”.
Which is to say, this same root gave English its “black” and Romance languages their “white”.
Apparently in the old old old days of English black may have meant “colorless” and could be light or dark.
ALMOST TIME TO GO PICK UP ISABEL I MAY DIE.
I’ve chosen my path and I’ve followed it. Now I have no ambition. A life of simplicity, of quality. My family makes me happy and satisfied. I sleep well at night because I give the best of what I can do to those that come and taste what we make. Corrado Assenza, Italian pastry chef
Bacteria don’t really age. Each one is essentially two billion years old. When you take your antibiotic you’re killing off billions of little lives that have managed to eek out an existence for two billion years before finally coming face to face with your enmity.
I’m at a mall on a Saturday. Please send an assassin to administer relief.
My family is scattered to the winds and I fret. I’ll relax when everyone is ensconced and companioned.
Sometimes I’m in the Notes app writing a note and I want to refer to another note. Then I go looking all over my computer screen trying to find my notes app so I can look up that other note. Then I remember I’m actually already in the notes app and feel a little dumb.
America, know thyself.
America the beautiful
God turn his back from thee
And crown thy blind and fearful heart
With hateful bigotry
All the online noise about GDPR email overload is reaffirming my long-standing lifestyle choice of almost never giving my personal info to a web site. I’ve only gotten four of these emails that are apparently flooding people’s inboxes.
Hot take: graham crackers, toasted marshmallows, and chocolate are each individually way better than s’mores.
“We’re not competent to dedup a database table but you should trust us with backdoor access to every secure device in America.” — The FBI
Today’s “suddenly something you’ve heard all your life sounds strange and you get curious” was this: Where’s old Zealand? I had no idea.
I finally figured out what a FaceBook Story is. It’s a thing where people accidentally tap a button and post a random photo.
Sophia: Do you think [famous person] is nice?
Me: They always seem nice and I have no reason to doubt that. But never forget famous people have PR departments.
(I’m not sure if I should be encouraging her innate cynicism…)
Days like this really put my dislike of opulent displays of unearned self importance in conflict with my love of people joyously sharing what makes them happy.
[ed: If I had to guess, this was about the Met Gala.]
Me delivering my motivational speech at the department store checkout: “You have pants. I have money. I would like to trade. Humans have been doing this for millennia without email addresses, phone numbers, or loyalty programs. We can do it old school. I believe in you.”
The definition of bittersweet is when your wife leaves for two weeks and you’re super excited she gets to go on a trip but…she’s gone…
Oceans are rising because the tide goes in and the tide goes out. And you can’t explain that. So checkmate scientists.
I’m like 90% sure the secret FBI informant is Melania.
Sophia after seeing A Quiet Place: “I wouldn’t do very well in that world.”
Not wrong.
The man in the big yellow hat is, let’s be honest, a menace to his community.
Sometimes I report a Facebook ad as offensive because I’m offended by how bad it is. Misspellings. Obvious fake celebrity photoshops. Lousy products. These can be offensive right?
Ok google, you’re in a desert. You’re walking along in the sand when you look down and see a tortoise. It’s crawling towards you. You reach down and flip the tortoise on its back…
I’m honestly not comfortable with normalizing AI impersonating a human without being up front about it.
I’m all for my digital assistant making phone calls for me but it should say right up front that it’s a machine.
Donald Trump would like you all to know that bullying people online is bad.
He would also like you to know you’re a stupid, fat, sleepy-eyed loser. #bebest
Same.
The worst version of me is the one that doesn’t push “archive” after he’s finished dealing with an email.
This is a remarkable and moving thing.
“…China’s Peppa Pig Crackdown…” is the kind of headline excerpt that keeps me excited about what the future may hold.
I would like to propose a new term:
Trumpenthetical: (n) When you stop mid-sentence to say what you’re really thinking while your PR people and lawyers look on in horror.
