HIS morning I finally (belatedly) began pavement-cleaning season. It’s a hard, tiring task, using metal brushes to remove a ton of dirt, moss, and sometimes birds’ poo. It’s almost done now (I’ll do a second – and hopefully final – pass some other day).

Today we’ll go visit the birds again. We nearly forget that we promised ourselves to do this. The birds at the park seem hungry and across the whole region I see them struggling to find food. They seem frustrated and desperate.

The struggle isn’t limited to humans, flora and fauna too can feel climate change. The lack of resources is a priority issue (competition), it seems like GAFAM and energy-wasting plutocrats are hoarding all the scarce resources while shattering the environment.

Cruelty comes in many forms.

oday I spoke with my in-laws (in their native tongue; I speak over 3 languages already, some better than others) and as elderly people, one of whom turns 80 in less than a year, one who never experienced old age is reminded about the hardships of old age (my own parents are younger, they are both 70).

When you are under 40, you might count how many years it has been since becoming adult or studying or working or marrying. At some point later in life the count refers to “time to live” or “time until retirement”, i.e. the numbers become smaller each year. After retirement it’s almost always just “time to live” (depending on one’s physical health).

More religious people think in terms like “afterlife” or “time to Heaven”, but superstition is not a harmless, victimless fantasy. Some people exploit this fantasy to work people to death, to make themselves richer. Some offer them alcohol (to sedate them) – that damages their body and kills them sooner.

find it hard to believe we’re just hours away from the start of “real time” for football (or “showtime”).

Rianne finished her crate of Carabao drinks (the ones Carabao Cup is named after) only 2 days ago and today there’s a “cup” or “shield” up for grabs (3PM BST this afternoon).

For Enzo’s confidence (and others’ confidence in him) it’ll be important to win this.

We still have 15 days left in this vacation.

am happy to report that “Sleepy” (the bird) is “Sweepy” no more. She quit sweeping aside seeds after some training (reinforcing good habits, penalising bad behaviour).

Our bird-feeding habits changed a lot. Today “Bot” (Bottle) came as early as 6AM and last night some bird came after 8PM, which is highly unusual for mid-August.

This is more essential this year due to the drought.

Crossposted from Tux Machines

awsuits don’t break relationships and communities, we said 18 days ago, “they make them stronger.”

Our community is under attack and has been under several attacks for years by jealous people who lie about what they are and actively attack Free software (in general). 3 Americans are doing this.

Earlier today I published part 150 of the series about it. Here is the complete set of parts (so far):

There will be hundreds if not thousands more.

was just reading your article “Less Shopping Centres, More Parks”, someone has told me, noting “the line about water shortages at the end.”

I said: “Water shortages are also becoming a matter of urgency across Europe. This is climate change in action.”

In IRC he shared “the good, the bad, and the ugly….”

It said (headline) “Europe’s Record Heatwave Kills 25,000, Dries Rivers, Shuts Nuclear Plant, Exposes Submerged Warships…”

“How Is the beaver population in the UK?” he asked. “What is happening in the USA might be of help” (The beavers returning to the desert).

In IRC I joked: “let’s build more chatbot centres, we need more chatbots, give them our water and power to cool down… the server, not the elderly… because… chatbots”

We are seeding our own collective destruction.

think it is fair to say that Pocock’s political success boils down to “free publicity”, not securing a seat in the EU, Ireland, or the UK.

He seems to have strategically chosen an election precinct that’s guaranteed to attract media attention. 33 other folks chose the same.