INT. DETECTIVE'S OFFICE - NIGHT

The room is a tomb of shadows, the air thick with cigarette smoke and regret. A single desk lamp casts a jaundiced glow over a cluttered desk: case files, an empty bottle of bourbon, and a typewriter with keys that gleam like polished teeth. The DETECTIVE, a man with a face carved by hard years and harder choices, sits slumped in his chair. His trench coat hangs on the back of it like a second skin he’s shed for the night. He stares at the typewriter, his fingers hovering over the keys. He takes a long drag from his cigarette, exhales, and begins to narrate.

DETECTIVE (V.O.)
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. But they never met a dog who’s been kicked as many times as I have. I used to be one of them—a Qwerty man. Back when I didn’t know any better. Back when I thought pain was just part of the job.

Cut to: A FLASHBACK of the DETECTIVE, younger but already worn down, hunched over a Qwerty keyboard in a precinct bullpen. His fingers fumble, striking wrong keys, his face a mask of frustration. A stack of unfinished reports sits beside him, mocking him.

DETECTIVE (V.O.)
Qwerty’s not just a layout. It’s a trap. A goddamn conspiracy. It’s like trying to run a marathon with your shoes tied together. You think you’re making progress, but all you’re doing is tearing yourself apart. I lost years to that thing. Years. My wrists ached like I’d been handcuffed to a radiator. My fingers felt like they’d been put through a meat grinder. And the typos? Christ. I once sent a report to the captain that called him a “clown” instead of a “colonel.” He didn’t laugh.

Cut back to the DETECTIVE, who pours himself a finger of bourbon and knocks it back in one go. He stares at his hands, flexing his fingers as if remembering the pain.

DETECTIVE (V.O.)
But the worst part wasn’t the physical toll. It was the shame. The looks from the other guys in the precinct. The way they’d smirk when I’d backspace for the tenth time in a row. I was a joke. A washed-up hack who couldn’t even type his own damn name without screwing it up.

The DETECTIVE leans forward, his eyes narrowing as he types a few lines on his Dvorak keyboard. The words flow effortlessly, each keystroke a quiet rebellion.

DETECTIVE (V.O.)
Then I found Dvorak. Or maybe it found me. Either way, it was like waking up from a nightmare. Suddenly, my fingers weren’t fighting me anymore. They were working with me. It was like I’d been stumbling through life with a blindfold on, and someone finally took it off. But don’t get me wrong—switching wasn’t easy. It was like breaking up with a toxic ex. You know they’re bad for you, but you keep going back because it’s familiar. It’s comfortable. Even when it’s killing you.

Cut to: A FLASHBACK of the DETECTIVE, alone in his apartment, surrounded by empty coffee cups and crumpled paper. He’s practicing on the Dvorak layout, his face a mix of determination and desperation.

DETECTIVE (V.O.)
I had to relearn everything. Every keystroke, every word. It was humiliating. But I didn’t have a choice. Qwerty was killing me—slowly, sure, but killing me all the same. And I wasn’t ready to die. Not yet.

Cut back to the DETECTIVE, who lights another cigarette and exhales a plume of smoke. His eyes are hard, but there’s a flicker of something softer—pity, maybe—as he thinks about the SUSPECT.

DETECTIVE (V.O.)
That’s why I get it. Why some people snap. Why they turn to a life of crime, or worse. When you’re stuck with Qwerty, it’s like you’re drowning, and no one’s throwing you a lifeline. You start to think the world’s against you. And maybe it is.

Cut to: The SUSPECT, a hollow-eyed man in a cheap suit, typing furiously on a Qwerty keyboard in a dimly lit room. His fingers stumble, his face twisted in frustration. He slams his fist on the desk, sending papers flying.

DETECTIVE (V.O.)
I saw it in his eyes—the same look I used to see in the mirror. The look of a man who’s been beaten down by a system that doesn’t care if he lives or dies. Qwerty’s not just a layout. It’s a life sentence. And some people? They can’t handle the time.

The DETECTIVE types a final line with a decisive clack, then pulls the paper from the typewriter. He holds it up, the words clean and precise, a testament to his hard-won freedom.

DETECTIVE (V.O.)
But not me. I got out. And now, I help others do the same. Because in this city, where every second counts and every keystroke matters, you need every advantage you can get. Even if it means leaving a part of yourself behind.

The DETECTIVE stubs out his cigarette, grabs his trench coat, and heads for the door. The camera lingers on the typewriter, the Dvorak keys gleaming in the lamplight.

DETECTIVE (V.O.)
Case closed.

FADE TO BLACK.

THE END.

I'm a Type 1 Diabetic living in the USA, where our healthcare system is an ongoing embarrassment. Diabetes treatment comes up often as an example. It's incredibly expensive and doctors rarely inform patients of affordable alternatives. Insulin and supplies are exorbitant, while for-profit insurance has always been a cruel and contradictory joke deprived of ethics and efficiency.

I have been keeping myself alive with older generation insulins that are sold at Walmart (Novolin R and Novolin N). No doctor ever informed me that this option exists. I found out about it while researching the dates that Lantus's (a long-acting insulin) patent was set to expire. [Note 1] Unfortunately the generics that came out afterwards were not priced any more reasonably.

Short of a cure for diabetes, the next best treatment is something colloquially referred to as an "artificial pancreas". This is comprised of a series of components: (a) An insulin pump and related accessories, (b) A continuous glucose monitor [CGM], (c) A means of calculating required insulin based on carbs consumed and insulin that's already in effect. At the moment, such a solution does exist - but the pump alone is 7,000 dollars.

However, it turns out that the open source community has created software that can communicate with older pumps, and works with CGMs. It takes the form of an Android or iOS app and both are completely free. The apps coordinate doses, monitor insulin on board, lower the rate at which insulin is delivered if one's blood sugar dips, etc. It's incredible. And it was released before two years before anything from commercial manufacturers was available.

Here are the links for both solutions:

Android - openaps.org/
iOS - loopkit.github.io/loopdocs/

[1] Incidentally, I ran across a forum of Lantus pharmaceutical reps (a) bragging about six-figure incomes, and (b) blaming Type 1 Diabetics for their condition - all while griping about what a loss of patent protection meant for their privileged lifestyles.

#Diabetes,#HealthCare,#Insulin,#InsulinPump,#LoopKit,#OpenAPS,#OpenSource,#T1D,#TypeOneDiabetes

There are certain inevitable trends among social media platforms thus far. Commercial Social Media Platforms "CSMPs" seek to attract as many eyeballs as possible, as well as harvest data, creating an attractive product for advertisers. Controversy drives engagement. This creates highly perverse incentives and dishonest practices.

Trust in CSMPs is irrevocably eroded . Meta/Facebook is a dumpster fire. Musk's purchase of Twitter has rendered a barely profitable mess into a debt-soaked sinking ship. It is clear that these models are failing.

CSMPs also seek to become exclusive walled-gardens to, again, retain users' data and eyeballs. We liken this to the Online Service Providers of old (AOL, Compuserv, Prodigy, etc.). The World Wide Web challenged this model and rendered it laughably obsolete.

The Fediverse's role is analogous with regard to CSMPs. Fedi is inherently interoperable and scalable in a way that CSMPs cannot swiftly address. This is as profound as ISPs and the web were to the irrelevance of walled-garden OSPs.

Now here's where the important bit comes in: Federated platforms will evolve to become the norm. Anarchistic organizing and dispute resolution, in a space that disincentives status quo propaganda (commercial, religious, political) is a real game changer. The road ahead is very exciting for us all.