The problem with conspiracy theorists, particularly those critical of mainstream narratives is they, in order to make sense of the world, impose similar narratives. That's not to imply everything conspiracy theorists say is nonsense just that often what they claim is a conspiracy is quite transparently not one. It's most often what people have sleep-walked into or even voted for.
Take surveillance: as often as not it is driven by wrong-headed politics appealing to wrong headed voters. By proclaiming conspiracy it can delegitimise existing organisations opposed to surveillance, by coupling opposition to surveillance with so many other issues it is bound to alienate a large group of people at least some of the time.
Prominent conspiracy theorists are Judas Goats. Sometimes inadvertently, sometimes deliberately. Organisations like the National Council for Civil Liberties, EFF, Privacy International (excuse the UK-ish bias) and cypherpunks have been a far bigger pain the arse to governments regarding surveillance than people and conspiracies so toxic they turn gay frogs straight. Other conspiracy turds in the punchbowls and legitimate organisations/people apply.
Dan Deacon - Wham City
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=3zuRVQqmUy4
WordAll #559 completed in 46s
🟩🟩🟩🟩 👈 perfect game!
wordall.xyz
Wordle 830 3/6*
⬛⬛🟨🟨⬛
🟩🟨🟩⬛🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
https://www.nytimes.com/games/wordle/index.html
#Worldle #614 2/6 (100%)
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬛➡️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
⭐⭐⭐🏙️🪙
La palabra del día #629 5/6 (did this one last. If I close my eyes for a couple of seconds I go straight back to sleeping and a world of dreams. Atavistically tired and less awake than 3am when woken by hunger and pain which are surely equally atavistic things).
⬜🟩⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟩🟨⬜🟨
⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Le Mot (@WordleFR) #626 6/6 (arse)
⬛🟩🟨⬛⬛
⬛🟩⬛🟨⬛
🟨🟩🟨⬛🟩
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🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Framed #565 (watched e4 of The Chosen One/O Escolhido on Netflix. It's said that Marvel and other successful franchises are Cosplay soap operas. The Chosen One is also a soap opera and quite earnestly dumb. Maybe it's a winning formula. Like a soap opera I keep watching. It's why I avoid Soap Operas: one minute it's kind of OK but then a person ends up knowing whom Harold Bishop is and buying an Ian Beale calendar (they exist).)
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Woke at three, somewhat Hungry Caterpillar'd through some food, did all the puzzles I normally do, but the español isn't ready yet. Going to get an hour or so of sleep before the day begins proper.
Daily Octordle #611
🕚5️⃣
🕛3️⃣
7️⃣9️⃣
8️⃣6️⃣
Score: 61
Whitewater - Let's eat grandma
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=j91ek0-S-D0
WordAll #558 completed in 3m 15s (arse. One of those mistakes is a word. I've got to slow myself down and be calmer in my guessing in order to speed up).
🟩🟩❌🟩❌❌🟩
wordall.xyz
Wordle 829 4/6* (acceptable, but a mm away from 3)
⬛⬛🟨⬛⬛
⬛⬛⬛🟩🟩
🟩🟩⬛🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
https://www.nytimes.com/games/wordle/index.html
#Worldle #613 1/6 (100%)
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⭐⭐🏙️🪙
La palabra del día #628 5/6 (tricky, threw me off the scent.)
⬜🟩⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟩⬜⬜🟩
🟩🟩⬜⬜🟩
🟩🟩⬜🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Le Mot (@WordleFR) #625 4/6
⬛🟩⬛⬛⬛
🟨🟩⬛⬛⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Framed #564 (nah. Watched ep 3 of The Chosen One/O Escolhido. Doctors on the borders of simplicity, people barely sweating in the jungle, native pastiches, risible sexual tension, and a deeply silly plot. It was great. Netflix normal distribution.)
🎥 🟥 🟥 🟥 🟥 🟥 🟥
Trying to avoid going down the "does x mean y?" rabbit hole before bedtime.
https://users.rust-lang.org/t/does-string-literal-have-a-maximum-size/20287
There are loads of typos and bad grammar in my posts on here because they're unedited, entered straight into the phone with my thumb. Just imagine I'm messaging you, as a friend, while really needing the toilet or distracted by a squirrel.
As a fan of Russell Brand prior to him become the worst imitation of himself - from the very early 2000s* - I can express my disappointment and anger at the extent and nastiness of his purported bad behaviour. I was in some ways complicit as a radio listener because a person doesn't like to assume the worst about someone. He was always in to mad politics (going back to the 00s before big fame), but his early stand up, the much less sex and celebrity obsessed stand-up, was often inciteful and witty. The stupid(er) haircut and Hollywood, and success, coincided with increasingly focusing his persona on sex. I guess that's what sold.
Now he's gone full on (letter 17)anon adjacent he was a little like a mad uncle whom you disagree with but they're there. On the plus side he isn't going on about his dick so much. I don't agree with censorship, or elected officials asking for his content to be removed, but he employees expensive lawyers so he has more experience of that than I. He's innocent until proven guilty but it is equally reasonable to form an opinion of someone based on their reported behaviour without wishing ill harm towards, him, or anyone, on principle. But I'm no longer a fan of him as a person and feel sorry for the people involved.
* He was the Dancehall Chart and other things on early 2000s MTV and was proper mad and funny. I was in London at the time he signed off one of his pre Hollywood shows, in a Soho revue bar, on a very hot day "If there are any women in the audience who want to see me after, believe me, I'm not too good for you" or something to that effect. I may be misremembering. It was a good show. Expensive drinks. He came on stage with newspapers in a plastic carrier bag and barely mentioned his dick. Maybe he's always been a prick but fame made him a prick of mass (and self) destruction.
https://pressgazette.co.uk/media_law/attorney-general-russell-brand-contempt-warning/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super-injunctions_in_English_law
Daily Octordle #609 (one of these was a 1/2 chance)
🕚4️⃣
🕛6️⃣
9️⃣🔟
7️⃣8️⃣
Score: 67
Metric - Doomscroller: https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=N_eiR7Zwg-E
WordAll #557 completed in 4m 55s (quite distracted. I had two or three in my head as I began then forgot them and froze 🤷♂️)
🟩🟩🟩🟩 👈 perfect game!
wordall.xyz
Wordle 828 4/6* (acceptable)
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
⬛⬛⬛🟨⬛
🟨🟩🟨🟩⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
https://www.nytimes.com/games/wordle/index.html
#Worldle #612 2/6 (100%) (part cheated which is still cheating.)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟨↖️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
⭐⭐🏙️🪙
La palabra del día #627 3/6
🟩⬜⬜🟩⬜
🟩⬜🟨🟩⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Le Mot (@WordleFR) #624 4/6 (acceptable)
⬛🟨🟨⬛⬛
🟩⬛🟩🟨🟨
🟩🟨🟩⬛🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Framed #563 (nah. No time to watch the the inexplicably existing O Escolhido this weekend. I will return to it soon. Stuff + the rugby)
🎥 🟥 🟥 🟥 🟥 🟥 🟥
Sub optimum score (first try of this one) but this one is quite good fun, reasonably tricky, and I like their scoring system.
Daily Octordle #608
5️⃣9️⃣
🕚6️⃣
3️⃣7️⃣
4️⃣8️⃣
Score: 53
Bonzo Dog Band - Mr Apollo
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=VmDAwA9jIPU
WordAll #556 completed in 4m 47s (brain freeze)
🟩🟩🟩🟩 👈 perfect game!
wordall.xyz
Wordle 827 5/6* (1/5 chance on 3. Lucky I didn't fail entirely on this one.)
⬛🟨⬛⬛⬛
🟨⬛⬛🟨🟨
⬛🟩🟩🟩🟩
⬛🟩🟩🟩🟩
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https://www.nytimes.com/games/wordle/index.html
#Worldle #611 5/6 (100%) (this was the hardest one I've done even with the aid of cheating)
🟩⬛⬛⬛⬛↙️
🟩🟩🟩⬛⬛⬅️
🟩🟩🟩🟨⬛➡️
🟩🟨⬛⬛⬛➡️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
⭐⭐🪙
La palabra del día #626 4/6
⬜🟨🟩⬜⬜
⬜⬜🟩⬜🟨
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Le Mot (@WordleFR) #623 4/6
⬛🟩🟩⬛⬛
⬛🟩🟩⬛⬛
🟩🟩🟩⬛⬛
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Framed #562 (nah.)
🎥 🟥 🟥 🟥 🟥 🟥 🟥
Correcto - Do It Better
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=zxyVK8J1KzQ
It is a morning and last night approximately sleeping.
WordAll #555 completed in 6m 45s (first two sub ten seconds. Brain freeze thereafter. It happens)
🟩🟩❌🟩🟩
wordall.xyz
Wordle 826 4/6* (random-ish start word. The 'ish' bit comes from etaoin shrdlu. My regular starting words would have likely being 3).
⬛⬛⬛🟨⬛
🟨⬛⬛🟨⬛
🟨🟩⬛🟩🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
https://www.nytimes.com/games/wordle/index.html
#Worldle #610 3/6 (100%)
🟩🟩🟨⬛⬛⬅️
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬛↙️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
⭐⭐🏙️🪙
La palabra del día #625 6/6 (culo.)
⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜
⬜🟨🟨🟨⬜
🟩🟩⬜⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Le Mot (@WordleFR) #622 3/6 (acceptable.)
⬛⬛🟨⬛🟩
⬛⬛⬛🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Framed #561 (Saw EP2 of The Chosen One on Netflix. Lol. YMMV.)
🎥 🟥 🟥 🟥 🟥 🟥 🟥
Micachu & The Shapes - Never
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=vtOCczvP8Oo
WordAll #554 completed in 57s
🟩🟩🟩🟩 👈 perfect game!
wordall.xyz
Wordle 825 4/6* (there were two choices on 4 but I went for the more common word)
⬛🟩⬛⬛⬛
⬛🟩⬛⬛🟨
⬛🟩🟩🟩⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
https://www.nytimes.com/games/wordle/index.html
#Worldle #609 2/6 (100%)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟨↖️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
⭐⭐⭐🏙️🪙
La palabra del día #624 2/6 (doesn't count. 2 is luck)
🟨⬜⬜🟩⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Le Mot (@WordleFR) #621 4/6 (1/2 chance on 3 because of my limited vocabulary)
⬛🟨⬛🟨⬛
🟩🟨⬛⬛⬛
🟩🟨🟨⬛🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Framed #560 (I watched the first episode of O Escolhido, the Chosen one, on Netflix, last night. It was good for the wrong reasons. It was like an extended Garth Marenghi's Darkplace. I'll carry on watching.)
🎥 🟥 🟥 🟥 🟥 🟥 🟥
He's gotten much slicker than when I started listening to his podcast but this is among my favourites for it's Ray Bradbury/Twilight Zone/Tales From The Dark side like narrative forms:
I like The Scarecast: https://thescarecast.com/
It's a podcast/audio collection of creepypasta and other weird tales. Like all of these things there are some excellent stories among the good.
From one of the fw channels I subscribe to on YouTube:
King Sunny Ade - Nitori Awa (I do not speak, or more accurately have an ear for, Yoruba, but there's a West African evangelical TV channel on Sky and they occasionally they have hymns sessions with *upwards* of two drum kits and I end up hypnotised by the genius of West African drumming and percussion. I'm not religious. This song isn't the most extreme example - some make Jazz drummers sound mundane - but has many of the features of west African drumming that I like. Needs headphones - I'd say it's mixed for radio.)
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=jhXUFPLOwFE
WordAll #553 completed in 50s
🟩🟩🟩🟩 👈 perfect game!
wordall.xyz
Wordle 824 3/6*
🟩🟩⬛⬛⬛
🟩🟩⬛⬛🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
https://www.nytimes.com/games/wordle/index.html
#Worldle #608 1/6 (100%)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
⭐⭐⭐🪙
La palabra del día #623 5/6 (logic, not knowledge)
⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜
⬜⬜⬜🟨🟩
🟨⬜🟨⬜🟩
🟨🟨⬜🟨🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Le Mot (@WordleFR) #620 💀/6 (arse. Wordle trapped myself.)
⬛⬛🟨⬛🟩
⬛⬛🟩🟩🟩
⬛🟩🟩🟩🟩
⬛🟩🟩🟩🟩
⬛🟩🟩🟩🟩
⬛🟩🟩🟩🟩
Framed #559
🎥 🟥 🟥 🟥 🟥 🟥 🟥
Sitting with a fat textbook searching online for answers that are in the book rather than picking it up and using the index. I wonder if that is pro or anti memorisation. Not clearcut.
Johnossi - Bed on Fire
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=yvzkHt3jXs8
WordAll #552 completed in 3m 21s (messed up 🤷♂️)
🟩🟩❌❌❌🟩🟩
wordall.xyz
Wordle 823 3/6*
⬛⬛🟨⬛🟨
🟩⬛🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
https://www.nytimes.com/games/wordle/index.html
#Worldle #607 3/6 (100%) (somewhat cheated. Ok - I cheated.)
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬛↙️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟨↖️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
⭐⭐🪙
La palabra del día #622 4/6 (ha ha!)
⬜🟨⬜🟨⬜
⬜🟨⬜⬜🟩
🟨🟨🟨⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Le Mot (@WordleFR) #619 4/6 (logic)
⬛🟨🟨⬛🟨
⬛⬛🟩🟨🟩
🟨⬛🟩⬛🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Framed #558 (The Consultant on Amazon Prime was good)
🎥 🟥 🟥 🟥 🟥 🟥 🟥
I really like the idea of an ebonite Kaweco Sport:
https://cultpens.com/products/kaweco-ebonit-sport-fountain-pen-set
But £295 for an unnumbered, limited or not, pen is one for the collectors. Not quite a Montblanc price where a person is permitting themselves the luxury of being vastly overcharged for an excellent pen. (No problem with nice things. A Montblanc will remain valued over time. A pen for life if properly maintained.)
The ebonite Sport is pricier than a Lamy 2000 or limited edition TWSBI or a gold nibbed Platinum or Sailor. A TWSBI is an good pen*, a Lamy safari is a good pen, a Kaweco Sport is a good pen. The USP is that this one is ebonite.
And it doesn't come with a converter to take bottled ink. I think a 140th anniversary edition should come with a converter because ink cartridges are a very 20th century thing.
* I have a TWSBI Eco (short for economy) that is, in my opinion excellent, which is a subjective judgement. It has a very smooth nib, holds a lot of ink, and is cheap enough I wouldn't feel like crying if I found a nephew or niece playing darts with it. It's a workhorse. YMMV - maybe I got a good one. Basically the same thing applies to the Sport and Safari but less ink capacity. A good nib is a good nib regardless of material and the same for a bad nib. Although I am attached to that pen.