Everybody has bad days. We’re fortunate to be here where we have a community that rallies around us and gets us through even on our worst days. 🫶🏻💪🏻🙌🏻

Totality

This isn't an April Fool's prank! It really is my first day as a (non-resident) Postdoctoral Fellow in the Computer Science department at Vanderbilt University in Dr. Pamela Wisniewski's Socio-Technical Interaction Research (STIR) Lab! I'm excited for the opportunity to both mentor doctoral students on qualitative research design and writing and gain experience in conducting cutting-edge research in human-computer interaction. I'll also be assisting with a project to develop an open source community that leverages evidence-based research, data, and AI to help youth engage more safely online. It’s time we moved beyond the paradigm of blocking, restricting, and ratting kids out.

nostr:npub1jvrwwc8605eewkrt7q3azzvqs4x94z2lgl367779nne9dktsqmlqvkcw53 vs late-nite #ramen: A play in 4 acts #SendNoods

#CapitalInnovation is where all of my brain’s excess computing capacity is going atm. We have to address this “missing middle” between extractive and exploitative VCs on one extreme and total charity on the other. Funding structures that support an exit to community are how we can sustain organizations that contribute value to the commons. Rather than chasing unicorns, we should be sustaining zebras. Zebras actually exist in the wild; a group of them is called a Dazzle. I’m looking for ideas and input on how to start “Dazzle Fund”. It’s time for me to move on from thinking and planning. It’s time to start doing.

Capping off a great week Down Under visiting with Cameron Neil of Red Hat Impact over coffee and cake in St. Kilda. In addition to catching up, we chatted about opportunities to address the "missing middle" in capital deployment. There's a critical gap between the two most prevalent funding models: venture capital, which can lead to extractive and exploitative practices, and charity, which can unintentionally infantilize entrepreneurs, inhibiting their ability to build sustainable, revenue-generating businesses. We need innovative approaches to capital that support founders dedicated to creating value for the commons and the benefit of all, rather than solely focusing on the pursuit of "unicorn" startups. Organizations like Red Hat Impact are stepping into this breach, proposing new models of investment that empower entrepreneurs to develop enterprises with both social impact and financial sustainability. These efforts aim to catalyze a shift towards a more inclusive and equitable economic landscape, where capital serves as a tool for broad-based prosperity and societal well-being, rather than as a means for narrow, short-term gains.

If you can spare 60-minutes for an interview with this PhD candidate, you can help inform his dissertation research on the future of open source teen online safety software. Thanks for considering.

Thanks for amplifying nostr:npub1wmr34t36fy03m8hvgl96zl3znndyzyaqhwmwdtshwmtkg03fetaqhjg240. I know you totally get it.

Things I do as a #sober person attending offsites / events:

1. Ask organizers in advance about what alcohol-free options will be available at team happy hours and dinner events. This not only helps me plan, but also gets them to think about how to make the event more welcoming and fun for sober folks. There are always more of us than the planners expect, but our societal default is alcohol, so a gentle prompt can be helpful.

2. BYOB. If the non-CH3CH2OH choices are H2O (and H2O+CO2), then I will often bring something of my own along. Hydration is always good and I still enjoy having something fun and different at a celebratory event.

3. Smile when I tell people I don’t drink. For a while, I felt vulnerable and (sometimes) even a sense of shame when I said that I didn’t drink. What assumptions were people making about me? (There is a whole topic in psychology, known as ‘felt understanding’, that addresses how our behavior is affected by what we think others think about us. Tl;dr: We think people think a lot about us and our choices, but really people are more concerned with themselves). I have found that when I project confidence about my choice not to drink, I worry less about whether I am being judged.

4. Remember that anyone who wants to debate (or, in some cases, tease) me about my choice not to drink is only telling on themselves. For a host of various reasons, some people interpret my choice to not drink as a referendum on their choices. It isn’t (see point above about felt understanding). They are unhappy with their choices and I remind them of that. I remind myself that I am not responsible for their feelings about their choices or behaviors.

5. Enjoy myself. One of the reasons I continue to choose sobriety (and it is a choice I make every day) is that I have found I am more present and engaged in the moment without alcohol. I remind myself of what I am gaining because of my choice, the gift of truly having fun as myself.

An arbitrary Wednesday in February isn’t special; you are. #LoveIsAllAround

I’m on month 5 of sobriety. It’s a gift we give ourselves. Congratulations on choosing yourself.

Hey nostr:npub1jvrwwc8605eewkrt7q3azzvqs4x94z2lgl367779nne9dktsqmlqvkcw53, something for us to consider for Versatus Discord?

Funnily enough, I started my career off attending rig school (i.e., well control for dummies) in Aberdeen that included a drill (SWIDT) where we had 90 seconds to get in a dry suit before being dunked in the North Sea. Fun for some!

An oil rig in the North Sea?

Love the idea behind Radio.garden. You spin the globe, and pick a random city, and it will play radio stations from wherever you click. Great approach to discovery

#BikePacking adventures in one of the most beautiful places on earth? Yes, please! Efforts on the #Peloton must be doubled 🚲 nostr:note1z0qxa59uy7nelt2726d2t9kkt0k3tpqnwv6kkrcvsvv68geyye3srgz6w3

nostr:npub1yl8jc6znttslcpj3p6p8vuq98awu6w0xh4lqtu0lkjr772kpx4ysfqvz34 has joined the team at nostr:npub1pu3vqm4vzqpxsnhuc684dp2qaq6z69sf65yte4p39spcucv5lzmqswtfch! Appreciate y’all making him feel welcome to #Nostr

#Love is all around #kombucha #homemade #DIY #foodstr

The good folks at nos.social are seeking current users of the app to test out some new ux experiences. Please fill out this short questionnaire to sign-up. Sessions will be 30-45 min in length and take place over Zoom. Spread the word and help make #Nostr even awesomr — Thanks yall! https://forms.gle/18Kk4zbyaEuDs4Ro6

When your heart is open, you will find love all around you