Just finished binge watching Reilly Ace of Spies on AMC+.  I highly recommend this mini series from 1982 for anyone interested in the early history of the global war for oil, the bolshevik revolution and the attempted assassination of Lenin.

I will hold off discussing it until somebody else has watched the episodes.


Here's a documentary on the real Reilly:


RE

Whenever this excuse is used to crackdown on some communication technology, I instantly know it's a tech that will either make communications cheaper or free and/or more secure and out of the reach of goobermints and corporations to monitor.  "We must protect people from the criminals and terrorists!"  Always the excuse to further curtail freedom.  Playing on fear is the ultimate justification for the police state.

How 'SIM farms' like the one found near the UN could collapse telecom networks

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/how-sim-farms-like-the-one-found-near-the-un-could-collapse-telecom-networks

RE

I added an article which can be viewed by clicking the spinning globe.

Trump, 79, Launches Weird Ramble in Bonkers Charlie Kirk Tribute
Will find it if this text is pasted in as the title, and searched with the hourglass in the editor.  (right click for the Edit choice.)
After it is loaded in the editor the 'Show Card' button puts it on the top of the loaded list.

I am working on a search dialog to make things easier.

Here is another new one the magnifying glass will load  :

World scientists' warning: The behavioural crisis driving ecological overshoot
Which is then loaded with the 'Show Card' button.

Quote from: TDoS on Sep 21, 2025, 06:35 PMAnd I get to do this and not even be retired! And I'll be working at 6AM tomorrow because....there are cool things to discover and reveal and collect accolades for.

Bully for you!  What a wonderful life you have!

As annoying as it is hearing my fellow residents moaning and groaning about their various aches and pains, your incessant bragging about how interesting and fulfilling your latter years are is even more grating.  My next door neighbor who has a lot of problems excreting let me know in passing at the smoking gazebo that he had a huge and enjoyable shit today.  I find your daily details of your existence almost as interesting.

Cooler time for bragging.

RE

Quote from: K-Dog on Sep 21, 2025, 03:54 PMYou are a black kettle, in a misplaced attempt at shaming me you were questioning my transportation choices a few days ago.

I could care less about your transportation choices, after all you are apparently a cager and therefore something to be avoided, likely to be dangerous to those not protected by said cage.

What I believe I DID do was comment that someone who claims environmental credit for buying a heat pump apparently flies by airplane often enough to offset said environment credit.

And noted the inconsistency is all.

Quote from: K-DogDo what you want to do, but why the hell would I want to work at 'full professional capacity', at this point in my life that would be stupid.  Been there and done that.

Of course. And my response is why in the hell would I NOT continue to work at full professional capacity because it is FUN! Exciting! I have plenty of vacation time available, more than I usually use, when I'm not working but have a terribly interesting, no one has ever thought of it before let alone solved it problem to tackle, it is like...crossword puzzles! Getting a new degree in a different topic, if I really dig down into particulars of a different field. Ride the motorcycle! (A good ride this evening!). I mean, I've seen what retirement can do to some folks. It is like...you retire.....maybe visit China or something, bother the kids, and then...die.

You do appear to write in an irritated manner at times, in what some call the "golden years". The last one I recall was the danish and coffee and gasoline thing because you work part time in some way that doesn't sound worthy of your professional experience and stated education.

Quote from: K-DogConcerning 'transportation choices' I was prompted to add a new article card.

Code Select Expand

The Role of Individual Responsibility in the Transition to Environmental Sustainability
Which can be found using the edit menu and the 'search by title' option under the magnifying glass. First select the title above, and then hover over any card entry and press the edit selection in the right click drop down menu.  Select title using the card title icon and paste in the title you copied.  Then do a search with the magnifying glass (search by title).  The card should load and using the 'Show Card' option will add it to the top of the article choices as if it was the first card found in a reload.

Yeah, I don't even know what these "cards" are. Are they important?

Me, I'm driving for an hour or two this evening to get to an official dark sky location, because it is a new moon and cloud cover it light. Last time I tried this in Arches NP the damn town lights were visible just enough to deduct from seeing the Milky Way.

And I get to do this and not even be retired! And I'll be working at 6AM tomorrow because....there are cool things to discover and reveal and collect accolades for.

QuoteI appear to be the one still traveling and functioning at full capacity in planes, trains, automobiles, motorcycles and working at full professional capacity. - TDOS

You are a black kettle, in a misplaced attempt at shaming me you were questioning my transportation choices a few days ago.

Do what you want to do, but why the hell would I want to work at 'full professional capacity'.  At this point in my life, that would be stupid.  Been there and done that.

Concerning 'transportation choices' I was prompted to add a new article card.

The Role of Individual Responsibility in the Transition to Environmental Sustainability
Which can be found using the edit menu and the 'search by title' option under the magnifying glass. First select the title above, and then hover over any card entry and press the edit selection in the right click drop down menu.  Select title using the card title icon and paste in the title you copied.  Then do a search with the magnifying glass (search by title).  The card should load and using the 'Show Card' option will add it to the top of the article choices as if it was the first card found in a reload.

Surly collects interesting articles articles in his newsletter.  He has been at it for a while, and I am importing his collection into the Diner.

If you click on the globe in the upper right you can see the new Diner Doomscroll.  My new work in progress.

I filter out dead links and direct links to websites - and You-Tube videos.  I do not add an article card to the Diner Doomscroll unless it has a publication date which I can find or figure out.  If an article can't be dated it is useless. 

It is getting popular to neglect to date material and nothing in You Tube is dated in a meaningful way.  Idiocracy in action, and I will not be part of it.  Dating material is important, and websites that do not date content at all deny reality, they are islands apart, and they belong in fantasy land. 

I nix other articles, not many, that I consider propaganda.  I and other moderators can do that.  I added a couple of cards of my own, but mostly going through all of Surly's choices for 2025 has been a big chore.  So far there are 8005 articles in the database, and 15 are chosen at random by the refresh button.

A right-click selection over an article card opens a menu.

I just finished adding the publication date to all 8005 articles.  Getting the articles in is only the beginning. 

I haven't discussed it.  Residents are always complaining about their aches and pains, and it gets annoying to listen to.  So I don't bother with chatting up the progressive decrepitude, just major events when they happen.

The new platform should be more interactive with viewers and not dependent on Utube.

RE

Quote from: RE on Sep 20, 2025, 10:18 PMMy spinal fusion was in the C3-C5 Vertebrae.  Further deterioration of the intervertebral disk cartilage and muscular atrophy limits the amount of time I can hold my head upright in position for keyboarding.  I need to spend most of my time leaned back with my head supported.

Well shit. My condolences. I must have missed this being mentioned along the way.

Quote from: REThe solution is to go back to podcasting.  Kdog has been working on creating a platform that will incorporate video with a chat function that also accepts call-ins.  I've been waiting for that to be ready.

RE

Will it be much different from the Youtube videos, some of those had folks calling in, and commentary/chat stuff as well.

My spinal fusion was in the C3-C5 Vertebrae.  Further deterioration of the intervertebral disk cartilage and muscular atrophy limits the amount of time I can hold my head upright in position for keyboarding.  I need to spend most of my time leaned back with my head supported.



The solution is to go back to podcasting.  Kdog has been working on creating a platform that will incorporate video with a chat function that also accepts call-ins.  I've been waiting for that to be ready.

RE