It's my birthday today ^____^!
The day started off with pancakes(my parents sent me a can of maple syrup from home by mail), then I saw an effing glorious double rainbow outside(!!!), then went to kick Devine's butt at squash... and tonight's plan is to have homemade pizza and play games.
Most perf.
23 dead in midnight blaze at Goa club; three women among victims
A cylinder blast at a Goa nightclub resulted in a fire, claiming the lives of 23 staff members.The Hindu
Yep, 'foreigners' makes it a real tragedy.
[sorry Steve, I know it's a mandatory detail for journos. Just sayin']
Some press quotes and mentions for Dry Your Tears to Perfect Your Aim
Some press quotes and mentions for Dry Your Tears to Perfect Your Aim : βIn Dry Your Tears to Perfect Your Aim , Jacob Wren has written a ...radicalcut.blogspot.com
Bombed Chornobyl shelter no longer blocks radiation and needs major repair β IAEA | Ukraine | The Guardian theguardian.com/world/2025/decβ¦Bombed Chornobyl shelter no longer blocks radiation and needs major repair β IAEA
Drone attack that Ukraine blamed on Russia blew hole in painstakingly erected β¬1.5bn shield meant to allow for final clean-up of 1986 meltdown siteGuardian staff reporter (The Guardian)
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The Emus actually won the Emu war πβπ»
nationalgeographic.com/historyβ¦
The bizarre story of when Australia went to war with emusβand lost
A military campaign meant to rid Western Australia of crop-destroying emus ended in failure. But the surreal showdown highlighted the birdsβ critical role in the countryβs ecosystem and cultural identity.Rebecca Toy (National Geographic)
Berry nice π - All For Gardening
Berry ice, looks nothing like advertised or the hype. Looks like a gelato mix to me. Was going to cross, now π.Gardener (All For Gardening)
As some of you may know. I have a chronic lower back issue, which normally ranges from, just wishes to let me know that it's still there, to, oh, I think you over did that a bit dear boy, have an extra dose of pain for your effort. But, ever so now and again, normally as a result of doing something really stupid, I'll enrage it completely. Somehow, and this time I'm not entirely sure how, I did this last Monday and since then I have been suffering from a level of pain, that I haven't managed to reach before. To the extent that, even I had to contact the Doctor's (and if you know me, I only do this as a pretty much life or death choice).
Now, this post isn't really about that. It's slowly getting better and I am managed to at least function enough (when you live alone, you don't really have a choice). It's about my sneaky autistic/Audhd brain that has latched onto this and seems to be demanding that I pay back some of the massive sleep debt that I almost always live with. Now, I suppose it could be the industrial strength painkillers the doctor has put me on, but, I'm pretty sure, may cause you to be drowsy, doesn't mean, will put you to sleep if you are stupid enough to close your eyes for even a couple of seconds.
No. I'm pretty sure it's the sleep debt and the fact that my brain sees this as a perfect opportunity to demand pay back. After all, I doubt if sleep debt is unknown to most of us, in one form or another. We either don't realise that we are building it, or have become very adept at ignoring it. Either through hyper-focus, or sheer bloody mindedness. In part, it's often something we've trained ourselves to do. The days are never long enough to fit everything we want to into them and, I suspect, many of us have a trauma related and perfectionist fear of not doing enough, or basically, not justifying ourselves enough. We're also not beyond taking on far more than we should, simply because we don't like to, or know how to say no and often, simply, because we like to help people.
What, I suspect for many of us, all this means is that adequate rest can be somewhat of a foreign concept and sleep debt builds up. Which is why I think our sneaky autistic brains take every opportunity they can to impose it on us. How many times, when you are finally on holiday, are the first few days a wasteland of barely staying awake? How many weekends, when you really want to get things done, do you just not have the energy? It's like every time your mind relaxes, or we can't really resist, the bill for the sleep debt that we've built up, will get presented, with all the subtlety of a hammer between the eyes.
In other words, our autistic/audhd brains may be weird, but they are not stupid.
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@autistics
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Same as @Tooden
@pathfinder Sleep my friend if you can, (from someone who would like so much to get some sleep back. ππ)
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I was raised & trained to think of time as something to be used efficiently, with every day needing Achievements (just getting through the day wouldn't count!). The last few years have been teaching me I can't operate that way. It may be a bit of burnout (regular or autistic). I suspect there is a good dose of aging involved too - I can't "push through" as much as when in my 20s and 30s.
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@misaimed_brain
The most irritating thing about aging is that I am getting less sleep and I don't like it at all. Mentally I can't handle it. Mentally, I'm a "nine hour a night" person. In actuality, my body now tends to go, "7 1/2, I'm good", even though I don't feel like I am good.
I can't reconcile the two! It causes me stress on a daily basis. Sleep tracking has not helped. In fact, it has confound the issue to the point that I am going to do a sleep tracker "fast" toward the end of this month to try to learn to rely on my own perceptions again of how I slept and not be so worried about the metrics that seem so out of my control. π
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@arisummerland
My sleep is bad, and I've recently had improvements through using a daylight lamp in the mornings. It seems to reset my sleep rhythm enough to improve overall sleep. Maybe that could help?
@arisummerland I just set it up on the breakfast table (and breakfast is always at the same time thanks to us having a school child). It burns away the tiredness. π
I find that it's generally best to listen to it, because trying to force more sleep either doesn't really work, or makes me feel much worse when I do finally get up.
The other side of this, is that I now seem to require a nap at some point in the afternoon. Respecting this has also helped.
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Yesss, naps rule! I'll take them whenever I can get them.
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Hope your back is getting better quickly.
I have been home for some months now (burnout) and my body still seems to need a lot of sleep. Currently I'm not sleeping less than 8.5h.
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Wise words, my friend. π
Best to just give in to the sleep sometimes.
I wish I could have told my younger self this! Might be in a much better situation today.
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I read the first part and thought, that back problem sounds uncannily similar to mine - which has improved a lot over about four years - so maybe my experience can help.
I've recognised gradual improvement but remained careful not to push my luck. Then in recent weeks due to moving house, I have pushed what I thought was too hard and this week done one thing after another that I thought would be the final straw, but with only "watch it mate" consequences.
1/2
@autistics
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Now I see your post is mainly about sleep debt which is mild in me, so maybe not so important to respond about the back issue. But if it might help, let me know and I'll be happy to see if my experience helps.
I never expected this could improve and will continue to manage it carefully but knowing I can do things that I had thought were no longer possible is a great relief in a deteriorating landscape. Especially as the new place requires a lot of work!
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@autistics
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Being autistic I won't be surprised if none of this is news to you, but here's a potted (I hope) history having rehearsed a much longer blow by blow response while walking my dog (who is part of the story), in true #ActuallyAutistic fashion!
1/n
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I finally went to my GP about six years ago when I felt worried that things were impacting my lifestyle (living on a boat). He sent me to an NHS physio who gave me some exercises which I did for 10m every morning. I really don't like and can't usually sustain exercise for is own sake but I was motivated.
After ~6 months there was a review and some improvement. I didn't do all the exercises bec one I felt did not suit my body (possible mild Marfan syndrome).
2/
The physio said that was fine and that one particular exercise was the important one.
A kind of superman pose (to strengthen lower back?) balancing on right hand and left knee while making a straight horizontal line with the other two limbs. Hold for 10s then alternate. I think the regime started with one of each kind of about 6 exercises and gradually built up to 5 or 10.
I continued for another 12 months with continued gradual improvement, but still need to be careful.
3/
In my case being careful means not too much or too many of: standing chatting, walking with head down trying to hear my smaller partner, lifting or carrying, driving, sitting vertically, pulling on ropes and so on.
I also realised that walking helped counter the effects of those, and to recover when I overdid things.
Then I got a dog. A puppy in fact, chosen with still unaware but true autistic care, to suit my capacities.
4/
She required a lot of research, learning, focus and office from me, along with a gradually building exercise regime (walks!).
Being smart and wilful she's an excellent personal trainer as well as fiercely loyal, protective and affricate companion. So I have no problem doing a short morning and evening walk, plus a longer one before lunch every day almost without fail. Without her I could not do this.
5/
This serves to ensure I don't sit for too long, as well as help my back and general fitness. By the time I was walking enough I stopped the physio but continued taking care to avoid overdoing things.
About six months ago I noticed a lessening of the symptoms that got me to go to the GP and now they have disappeared. Instead my lower back aches in a more expected way, as if bruised or muscle aches way and I have to be careful bending until it gets into gear.
6/
The other symptoms were less limiting but to me more worrying:
- pain in my leg. Not sciatica according to GP
- a feeling of instability/movement in lower vertebrae
My guess is that since my back is stronger the lower vertebrae spend more time where they should be and is mainly the muscle pain that I feel.
7/
I'm really surprised that my symptoms have not regressed in the past week because I've overdone everything in a short period of time. It has been affected but only in the ache/be careful way, and has recovered much more quickly than it used to.
I think my capacity is now significantly more than it was before I went to the GP, and the symptoms less worrying.
8/
I only very rarely in the distant past had severe, can't function at all pain. So we're evidently different, but maybe something here can help.
Best of luck.
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End
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You're not alone in having persistent back issues and pain. I've concluded that my own predicament is probably mostly of my own making caused by poor choices and the consequences of chronic depression. I've had flare-ups that lasted a week, and during those I could barely move or even sit. Most of the time the worst pain comes from any degree of trying to lean while standing. It doesn't take many minutes of that to make me decide to "go do something else".
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True. Probably a bit far for me to hobble π
I learnt the hard way to respect my back when it throws a wobbly like this. So I'm taking the time it needs and not trying to push through. Just grateful that home deliveries are so easy to get now. One of the few good things about the lockdowns. That and doctors are far more willing to do phone appointments. I wouldn't have been able to speak to one otherwise.
Those two things are definitely a bit of a silver lining! Glad you got both a consult and some time off to rest.
I'm working on weaning myself off of home delivery. I've used it for many years now, and it's truly convenient, but I've gotten into the habit of making my shopping list on the delivery app, which is a slippery slope. It ends up being more expensive than getting my own self out the door and to the store. Also, I always make sure I tip the shopper what I would pay a friend to pick up groceries for me if I were sick, too, and that extra adds up fast! π¬
Yes, the minimum amount can make me spend a bit more sometimes. But that generally just means I end up with stockpiles of some stuff. Which this week I have been truly grateful for.
Before I broke my hand earlier this year and didn't have a choice, it wasn't something I was interested in. But that experience made me realise how much easier it makes my life. Going into a supermarket now is like, how the fuck did I put up with this for all those years? π
I hope you get well soon π
I will slightly disagree that brains are not stupid, but I get what you mean 
.
For sleep I agree with what you said. For me I found itβs so absolutely critical for my mental health, that itβs one of the things I pay a lot of attention to, and luckily my brain cooperates enough that most of the time I can get enough sleep.
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*Facepalm*
Why, #Calibre, WHY!?
PSA: I'm aware of this fork which strips out the AI: github.com/grimthorpe/clbre
RE: tech.lgbt/@trashheap/115673107β¦
GitHub - grimthorpe/clbre: A fork of Calibre called Clbre, because the AI is stripped out.
A fork of Calibre called Clbre, because the AI is stripped out. - grimthorpe/clbreGitHub
aaaaand I've masked calibre versions above 8.9 (it feels like a cheat with @gentoo π).
But this makes me think - how easy is it to pin a package version on most distros?
the brilliance of the project name (removing "a" and "i" from "calibre") is :chefkiss:
I fear our assumption that most Calibre users are like us may not be valid. :/
...judging from the number of times I have to stop myself from launching into a tirade every stinking time someone says "just use AI!"
Hereβs a basic fact for all practical human communication:
You can save a lot of time in end if you put some more time in up front.
- From the Lean Publishing Tip of the Day: Getting Support from Leanpub
Read & watch on our blog here:
leanpub.com/blog/lean-publishiβ¦
#books #ebooks #writing #selfpublishing #indiepublishing #communication
Lean Publishing Tip of the Day: Getting Support from Leanpub
But publishing a book and discovering features is complicated!Leanpub (The Leanpub Blog)
Book Review: The Buy Nothing, Get Everything Plan
An inspiring origin story of the Buy Nothing movement, with a practical but familiar second half.
rohitfarmer.com/posts/2025/theβ¦
#bookreview #blogpost #writing #quarto #ssg #BuyNothing
#Brazil #economy #technology
gosha
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