Lazy Science

hi sorry uh. incredible miscommunication on my part lmfao.

You're so kind to say so! Thanks.

Part of the reason I take this work seriously is because I have the same problem. Until I can afford to get various kinds of fairly expensive eye surgery (whenever that's going to happen...), more and more of my reading is happening on the tablet. So production quality issues for the digital readership are routinely on my mind.

This is why I use Vellum for all the ebook production work I do for the Ebooks Direct store. (In fact this is why I bought my first MacBook: because it was the only laptop that would run Vellum.) It wasn't cheap software, and there are people who feel that there's better, newer (and less expensive) ebook production apps; but I like the results I get with it. Vellum turns out reliable and solidly-coded files without requiring insane amounts of tweaking: which is frankly nice to be able to expect.

Paid service with no ads: Well, if they're not funding it with ad revenue, they need to charge us something.

Paid service with ads: Well that's bullshit.

https://wheelofnames.com/kch-gkt

this is a really really cool idea! Thanks!!!

You can't do this for a week!

I’ve got a full length video about Jimothy if you search on my blog.

That being said, I wanna take a little more of a philosophical approach here.

Apparently Jimothy was born in 2025, so he’s about a year old. And I got a lot of questions in the comment section of my video on TikTok asking why his mama/siblings didn’t eat him or shun him and leave him to die.

And it’s because that isn’t how raccoons work. Jimothy has survived thus far because raccoon families are built on love and support and knowledge exchange.

People always say “raccoons are solitary creatures.” But they aren’t. Not really. Males use each other to stay warm in the winter (and keep each other entertained.) Females form close bonds with their children. Siblings teach each other new skills and games. In captivity, raccoons make their own family. For example, my own raccoons, Lammy and Moonshine, perfectly mimick the relationship between a daughter that should have left the nest by now, and a fed up mother that still loves her. Raccoons are so successful as a species because their families (blood related or otherwise) lift each other up. They share their knowledge with the ones they love and offer help when needed.

and ACCEPT help when needed.

not my tweet or my fic (and there’s a good chance of this comment being a bot) but yeah, don’t do this. sure, some writers wouldn’t mind having fanfics (or direct continuation) of their fanfics written by someone else. some may even be thrilled and happy. but the fandom etiquette is that if you want to write a fanfic or a continuation of someone’s fanfic, YOU POLITELY ASK THE WRITER FOR THEIR PERMISSION. not their readers.

I have quit posting ongoing series on wattpad because i would literally get "it's about time" when i hadn't updated in 2 weeks. TWO WEEKS.

They have a Global Device Identifier (GDID) Tracker that functions as a fingerprint for your PC that can surpass VPNs, proxy servers and countries. Although it can't survive a clean reinstall of Windows (it can survive updates), because Microsoft forces you to go to the internet and log in into a Microsoft account, they will be able to get to you.

Microsoft kept it secret and it was only found out when the FBI tracked a hacker thanks to the information Microsoft gave them.

You should be paying attention to this, and possibly consider moving away from Windows. If a government, especially the US government, doesn't like you for some reason, this could be seriously concerning.

This article specifically notes:

For journalism, activism, or domestic abuse situations, skip Windows and use Linux routed through Tor instead of a commercial VPN. A GDID doesn’t care which VPN you use, only that it’s still the same Windows installation.

Other important quotes:

What has researchers uneasy is everything else the case reveals. Costin Raiu, a well-known malware researcher, asked on the Three Buddy Problem podcast how much of this exists on other platforms, and whether it is linked more permanently to hardware. Matthew Hickey, another security researcher, called Windows “surveillance software”.

Two things back that up:

There’s no consent screen. A GDID gets assigned when you sign into a Microsoft Account. Apple’s advertising identifier needs an App Tracking Transparency prompt and a visible reset; Android’s works the same way. GDID has neither, and a Windows reinstall only gets you a new number Microsoft can still get back to the same account.

(via bsky)

In case anyone hasn't heard, the cyclospora outbreak affecting tons of people in the US right now is coming from Taylor Farms produce. Best to stay away from bagged lettuce and prepared salads completely right now, but especially the ones mentioned in the screenshot:

Taylor Farms Earthbound Farms Little Salad Bar (Aldi) Marketside (Walmart) Kroger House Brand Target private label greens Costco salads and greens etc Trader Joe's chopped salad kits and fresh produce Fast food: McDonalds, Taco Bell, (Yum! Brands), Chipotle, Subway, Pizza Hut, KFC, Olive Garden, Top Golf, Red Lobster, Burger King, etc.

This is not the first time I've heard about a Taylor Farms foodborne illness outbreak. I stopped eating their salads after reading a description of the conditions in their facilities. Doesn't sound like they've improved anything.