fluffy beesbuzz.biz

2023 goal checkup, 2024 aspirations

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2024-01-01T20:13:07-08:00",
    "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/blog/1017-2023-goal-checkup-2024-aspirations",
    "name": "2023 goal checkup, 2024 aspirations",
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "fluffy",
        "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/",
        "photo": "https://beesbuzz.biz/static/headshot.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "39870088",
    "_source": "2778"
}

Tantek Çelik tantek.com

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2023-12-31 23:47-0800",
    "url": "https://tantek.com/2023/365/t3/watched-leonard-da-vinci-universal-man",
    "content": {
        "text": "\u25b6\ufe0f watched \u201cLeonardo Da Vinci: The Universal Man\u201d (https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B08HJP5LKN/) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11143562/",
        "html": "\u25b6\ufe0f watched \u201cLeonardo Da Vinci: The Universal Man\u201d (<a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B08HJP5LKN/\">https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B08HJP5LKN/</a>) <a href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11143562/\">https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11143562/</a>"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "Tantek \u00c7elik",
        "url": "https://tantek.com/",
        "photo": "https://tantek.com/photo.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "39864162",
    "_source": "2460"
}

fluffy beesbuzz.biz

Slip casting update

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2023-12-31T23:41:10-08:00",
    "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/blog/5084-Slip-casting-update",
    "name": "Slip casting update",
    "content": {
        "text": "Notes to self:\n6 minutes of kick time seems like a lot until you suddenly have to patch your mold because you\u2019ve noticed there\u2019s leaks in it\nAdding more water after it starts to kick does not slow it down, it just makes it fail entirely\n1mm is not enough thickness on your outer shell, either\nStarting with a 100mm square pot was probably a bit ambitious\nIt\u2019s probably easier to mix the plaster in multiple small batches instead of trying to make it all go at once\nOh well, it was a good learning experience, as long as I actually learned from it.",
        "html": "<p>Notes to self:</p>\n<ul><li>6 minutes of kick time seems like a lot until you suddenly have to patch your mold because you\u2019ve noticed there\u2019s leaks in it</li>\n<li>Adding more water after it starts to kick does not slow it down, it just makes it fail entirely</li>\n<li>1mm is not enough thickness on your outer shell, either</li>\n<li>Starting with a 100mm square pot was probably a bit ambitious</li>\n<li>It\u2019s probably easier to mix the plaster in multiple small batches instead of trying to make it all go at once</li>\n</ul><p>Oh well, it was a good learning experience, as long as I actually learned from it.</p>"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "fluffy",
        "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/",
        "photo": "https://beesbuzz.biz/static/headshot.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "39862485",
    "_source": "2778"
}

fluffy beesbuzz.biz

Bathroom hopeful conclusion

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2023-12-31T23:01:24-08:00",
    "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/blog/4422-Bathroom-hopeful-conclusion",
    "name": "Bathroom hopeful conclusion",
    "content": {
        "text": "Oh yeah, earlier today the original contractor came by to look at things. He\u2019s agreed to do the finishing-up work for free, and also will be reimbursing me for the plumbing expenses, which is very kind of him. When I showed him what his previous plumber had done he was incredibly shocked by it.Hopefully the work will be finished up sometime in the next month; unfortunately he\u2019s traveling soon and won\u2019t be back for a few weeks, but he said he will hopefully be able to schedule someone to do the patching-up.",
        "html": "<p>Oh yeah, earlier today the original contractor came by to look at things. He\u2019s agreed to do the finishing-up work for free, and also will be reimbursing me for the plumbing expenses, which is very kind of him. When I showed him what his previous plumber had done he was incredibly shocked by it.</p><p>Hopefully the work will be finished up sometime in the next month; unfortunately he\u2019s traveling soon and won\u2019t be back for a few weeks, but he said he will hopefully be able to schedule someone to do the patching-up.</p>"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "fluffy",
        "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/",
        "photo": "https://beesbuzz.biz/static/headshot.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "39862355",
    "_source": "2778"
}

Tantek Çelik tantek.com

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2023-12-31 14:56-0800",
    "url": "https://tantek.com/2023/365/t2/no-large-language-model-llm-used",
    "category": [
        "metaverse",
        "blockchain",
        "LLMs",
        "ChatGPT",
        "IndieWeb",
        "largeLanguageModel",
        "LLM",
        "generativeAI",
        "AI",
        "distributed",
        "100DaysOfIndieWeb",
        "100Days"
    ],
    "content": {
        "text": "No large language models (LLM) were used in the production of this post.\n\nInspired by a subtle but clear sign-of-the-times one-line disclaimer at the end of RFC9518\u2019s Acknowledgments (https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9518.html#appendix-A-4)\n\n\u00a0 \u201cNo large language models were used in the production of this document.\u201d\n\u00a0\nI have added a similar disclaimer to the footer of my homepage:\n\n\u00a0 \u201cNo large language models were used in the production of this site.\u201d\n\u00a0 \n2023 was certainly a year that LLMs took off and stole the hypecycle from #metaverse and #blockchain before that.\n\nYet unlike those previous two, #LLMs are already having real impacts on the way people create (from emails to art), communicate (LLM chat apps), and work (2023 Writer\u2019s Strike), fueling growing concerns about the authenticity of content, especially content from human authors.\n\nI expect we will see more such disclaimers in the future.\n\nFor now, if you blog on your own site with words written by you not #ChatGPT or a similar tool, I encourage you to add a similar disclaimer, and then add your site as an example to the #IndieWeb wiki: \n* https://indieweb.org/LLM#IndieWeb_Examples\n\n#largeLanguageModel #LLM #generativeAI #AI\n\nThere is the related problem of, when you discover what seems to be an independent site written by a human, how do you know that human actually exists?\n\nFor now I\u2019ll mention that XFN rel=met links, published (e.g. metrolls / met-rolls), aggregated, indexed, and queried, can solve that problem. This will be similar to how XFN rel=me links solved #distributed verification on the web (see https://tantek.com/2023/234/t1/threads-supports-indieweb-rel-me and posts it links to).\n\n\nThis is day 48 of #100DaysOfIndieWeb. #100Days\n\n\u2190 Day 47: https://tantek.com/2023/365/t1/capture-first-edit-publish-later\n\u2192 \ud83d\udd2e\n\n\nPost glossary:\n\nblockchain\n\u00a0 https://indieweb.org/blockchain\nlarge language model / LLM\n\u00a0 https://indieweb.org/large_language_model\nmetaverse\n\u00a0 https://indieweb.org/metaverse\nrel=me\n\u00a0 https://indieweb.org/rel-me\nrel=met\n\u00a0 http://gmpg.org/xfn/11#met\nXFN\n\u00a0 https://gmpg.org/xfn/",
        "html": "No large language models (LLM) were used in the production of this post.<br /><br />Inspired by a subtle but clear sign-of-the-times one-line disclaimer at the end of RFC9518\u2019s Acknowledgments (<a href=\"https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9518.html#appendix-A-4\">https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9518.html#appendix-A-4</a>)<br /><br />\u00a0 \u201cNo large language models were used in the production of this document.\u201d<br />\u00a0<br />I have added a similar disclaimer to the footer of my homepage:<br /><br />\u00a0 \u201cNo large language models were used in the production of this site.\u201d<br />\u00a0 <br />2023 was certainly a year that LLMs took off and stole the hypecycle from #<span class=\"p-category\">metaverse</span> and #<span class=\"p-category\">blockchain</span> before that.<br /><br />Yet unlike those previous two, #<span class=\"p-category\">LLMs</span> are already having real impacts on the way people create (from emails to art), communicate (LLM chat apps), and work (2023 Writer\u2019s Strike), fueling growing concerns about the authenticity of content, especially content from human authors.<br /><br />I expect we will see more such disclaimers in the future.<br /><br />For now, if you blog on your own site with words written by you not #<span class=\"p-category\">ChatGPT</span> or a similar tool, I encourage you to add a similar disclaimer, and then add your site as an example to the #<span class=\"p-category\">IndieWeb</span> wiki: <br />* <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/LLM#IndieWeb_Examples\">https://indieweb.org/LLM#IndieWeb_Examples</a><br /><br />#<span class=\"p-category\">largeLanguageModel</span> #<span class=\"p-category\">LLM</span> #<span class=\"p-category\">generativeAI</span> #<span class=\"p-category\">AI</span><br /><br />There is the related problem of, when you discover what seems to be an independent site written by a human, how do you know that human actually exists?<br /><br />For now I\u2019ll mention that XFN rel=met links, published (e.g. metrolls / met-rolls), aggregated, indexed, and queried, can solve that problem. This will be similar to how XFN rel=me links solved #<span class=\"p-category\">distributed</span> verification on the web (see <a href=\"https://tantek.com/2023/234/t1/threads-supports-indieweb-rel-me\">https://tantek.com/2023/234/t1/threads-supports-indieweb-rel-me</a> and posts it links to).<br /><br /><br />This is day 48 of #<span class=\"p-category\">100DaysOfIndieWeb</span>. #<span class=\"p-category\">100Days</span><br /><br />\u2190 Day 47: <a href=\"https://tantek.com/2023/365/t1/capture-first-edit-publish-later\">https://tantek.com/2023/365/t1/capture-first-edit-publish-later</a><br />\u2192 \ud83d\udd2e<br /><br /><br />Post glossary:<br /><br />blockchain<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/blockchain\">https://indieweb.org/blockchain</a><br />large language model / LLM<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/large_language_model\">https://indieweb.org/large_language_model</a><br />metaverse<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/metaverse\">https://indieweb.org/metaverse</a><br />rel=me<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/rel-me\">https://indieweb.org/rel-me</a><br />rel=met<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"http://gmpg.org/xfn/11#met\">http://gmpg.org/xfn/11#met</a><br />XFN<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://gmpg.org/xfn/\">https://gmpg.org/xfn/</a>"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "Tantek \u00c7elik",
        "url": "https://tantek.com/",
        "photo": "https://tantek.com/photo.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "39860829",
    "_source": "2460"
}

Tantek Çelik tantek.com

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2023-12-31 14:04-0800",
    "url": "https://tantek.com/2023/365/t1/capture-first-edit-publish-later",
    "category": [
        "indieweb",
        "socialMedia",
        "Mastodon",
        "fediverse",
        "writingAboutWriting",
        "100DaysOfIndieWeb",
        "100Days"
    ],
    "content": {
        "text": "Writing about writing: capture first, edit & publish later.\n\nBraindump timely thoughts & experiences into as many draft notes as it takes, while ideas & memories are fresh.\n\nCollecting higher fidelity memories seems more important than editing past writings or finishing/polishing a post for publishing, which can be done at a later time.\n\nSometimes the passage of time helps provide insights and broader understandings that can help with writing more effective posts, from better summaries to narratives that help sense-making.\n\nBits of even this minor post sat for weeks, and only today did I add a summary and related thoughts.\n\nSimilarly, it makes sense to edit and publish small notes on a subject, without feeling compelled to turn them into a larger blog post, or a longer list of points.\n\nThis is a key advantage to publishing on your own #indieweb site, you decide on the granularity of your posts, small, medium or large, instead of being constrained, burdened, or pressured by any particular #socialMedia user interface, character count limitation, or audience expectation. \n\nLike Twitter before it, even the default #Mastodon user interface has limitations, and the #fediverse itself as a whole has audience/cultural expectations (certainly quite a few articles have been written about that).\n\nOn your own site you decide if you want to publish a post to make one point, or mention a related point or two, or collect things into a list or longer article, or eventually all of the above.\n\nOn your own site you feel more free to prioritize and share what is on your mind, instead of feeling compelled to first respond to whatever topics are trending, or to whatever you happen to read in your algorithmic feed.\n\n#writingAboutWriting\n\nThis is day 47 of #100DaysOfIndieWeb. #100Days\n\n\u2190 Day 46: https://tantek.com/2023/296/t1/posse-syndicate-link-reply\n\u2192 Day 48: https://tantek.com/2023/365/t2/no-large-language-model-llm-used\n\n\nRelated: \n* \u201cMore Thoughtful Reading & Writing on the Web\u201d (https://tantek.com/2023/277/b1/thoughtful-reading-writing-web)\n\n\nPost glossary:\n\nalgorithmic feed\n\u00a0 https://indieweb.org/algorithmic_feed\narticle\n\u00a0 https://indieweb.org/article\nnote\n\u00a0 https://indieweb.org/note\npost\n\u00a0 https://indieweb.org/post\nsense-making\n\u00a0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensemaking_(information_science)\nsocial media\n\u00a0 https://indieweb.org/social_media",
        "html": "Writing about writing: capture first, edit &amp; publish later.<br /><br />Braindump timely thoughts &amp; experiences into as many draft notes as it takes, while ideas &amp; memories are fresh.<br /><br />Collecting higher fidelity memories seems more important than editing past writings or finishing/polishing a post for publishing, which can be done at a later time.<br /><br />Sometimes the passage of time helps provide insights and broader understandings that can help with writing more effective posts, from better summaries to narratives that help sense-making.<br /><br />Bits of even this minor post sat for weeks, and only today did I add a summary and related thoughts.<br /><br />Similarly, it makes sense to edit and publish small notes on a subject, without feeling compelled to turn them into a larger blog post, or a longer list of points.<br /><br />This is a key advantage to publishing on your own #<span class=\"p-category\">indieweb</span> site, you decide on the granularity of your posts, small, medium or large, instead of being constrained, burdened, or pressured by any particular #<span class=\"p-category\">socialMedia</span> user interface, character count limitation, or audience expectation. <br /><br />Like Twitter before it, even the default #<span class=\"p-category\">Mastodon</span> user interface has limitations, and the #<span class=\"p-category\">fediverse</span> itself as a whole has audience/cultural expectations (certainly quite a few articles have been written about that).<br /><br />On your own site you decide if you want to publish a post to make one point, or mention a related point or two, or collect things into a list or longer article, or eventually all of the above.<br /><br />On your own site you feel more free to prioritize and share what is on your mind, instead of feeling compelled to first respond to whatever topics are trending, or to whatever you happen to read in your algorithmic feed.<br /><br />#<span class=\"p-category\">writingAboutWriting</span><br /><br />This is day 47 of #<span class=\"p-category\">100DaysOfIndieWeb</span>. #<span class=\"p-category\">100Days</span><br /><br />\u2190 Day 46: <a href=\"https://tantek.com/2023/296/t1/posse-syndicate-link-reply\">https://tantek.com/2023/296/t1/posse-syndicate-link-reply</a><br />\u2192 Day 48: <a href=\"https://tantek.com/2023/365/t2/no-large-language-model-llm-used\">https://tantek.com/2023/365/t2/no-large-language-model-llm-used</a><br /><br /><br />Related: <br />* \u201cMore Thoughtful Reading &amp; Writing on the Web\u201d (<a href=\"https://tantek.com/2023/277/b1/thoughtful-reading-writing-web\">https://tantek.com/2023/277/b1/thoughtful-reading-writing-web</a>)<br /><br /><br />Post glossary:<br /><br />algorithmic feed<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/algorithmic_feed\">https://indieweb.org/algorithmic_feed</a><br />article<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/article\">https://indieweb.org/article</a><br />note<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/note\">https://indieweb.org/note</a><br />post<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/post\">https://indieweb.org/post</a><br />sense-making<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensemaking_(information_science)\">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensemaking_(information_science)</a><br />social media<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/social_media\">https://indieweb.org/social_media</a>"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "Tantek \u00c7elik",
        "url": "https://tantek.com/",
        "photo": "https://tantek.com/photo.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "39860830",
    "_source": "2460"
}

fluffy beesbuzz.biz

Year in review: 2023

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2023-12-31T10:46:04-08:00",
    "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/blog/10222-Year-in-review-2023",
    "name": "Year in review: 2023",
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "fluffy",
        "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/",
        "photo": "https://beesbuzz.biz/static/headshot.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "39858371",
    "_source": "2778"
}

Wrapping 2023

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2023-12-31T10:23:58-08:00",
    "url": "https://nadreck.me/2023/12/wrapping-2023/",
    "category": [
        "life",
        "new-year"
    ],
    "name": "Wrapping 2023",
    "content": {
        "text": "Happy New Year. I\u2019m glad you\u2019re here.\n\n\n\n Continue reading \u201cWrapping 2023\u201d",
        "html": "<a href=\"https://nadreck.me/?attachment_id=11780\"><img width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https://nadreck.me/backend/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2023-11-30-12.41.40-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" /></a>\n\n\n<p>Happy New Year. I\u2019m glad you\u2019re here.</p>\n\n\n\n <a href=\"https://nadreck.me/2023/12/wrapping-2023/#more-11779\">Continue reading<span> \u201cWrapping 2023\u201d</span></a>"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "Nadreck",
        "url": "http://nadreck.me",
        "photo": null
    },
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "39857998",
    "_source": "2935"
}

Aaron Parecki aaronparecki.com

Hail Snail

at Hail Snail

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2023-12-30T15:22:33-08:00",
    "url": "https://aaronparecki.com/2023/12/30/10/",
    "category": [
        "https://anomalily.world/"
    ],
    "photo": [
        "https://aperture-media.p3k.io/aaronparecki.com/d8e8b211ab38c15d40a4561f4fbc655be859aea90fb02d2313f0cbc03481779b.jpg"
    ],
    "syndication": [
        "https://www.swarmapp.com/user/59164/checkin/6590a6394960493504cc815f"
    ],
    "name": "at Hail Snail",
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "Aaron Parecki",
        "url": "https://aaronparecki.com/",
        "photo": "https://aperture-media.p3k.io/aaronparecki.com/41061f9de825966faa22e9c42830e1d4a614a321213b4575b9488aa93f89817a.jpg"
    },
    "checkin": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "Hail Snail",
        "latitude": "45.570763",
        "longitude": "-122.681689",
        "url": "https://foursquare.com/v/5e3f0466a552540008f0c77f"
    },
    "post-type": "checkin",
    "_id": "39852217",
    "_source": "16"
}

fluffy beesbuzz.biz

Bambu X1C fixed

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2023-12-29T21:50:51-08:00",
    "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/blog/7611-Bambu-X1C-fixed",
    "name": "Bambu X1C fixed",
    "content": {
        "text": "Oh yeah, today the replacement heat bed sensor cable arrived. It was a major pain in the ass to replace. I ended up routing it differently than the manufacturer intended because the factory routing is clearly what causes the conductors to wear down and fail, and anyway doing it the right way would have required basically disassembling the entire printer.But anyway I have a working main printer again and so I\u2019ve resumed my production run. The current thing I\u2019m making has TPU parts on it and that filament needs to print slowly so I\u2019m keeping the old printer busy with it (since it\u2019s not like the X1C can make it go any faster anyway). During the downtime I did do a couple of prints of the main PETG part and got a reminder of just how bad the old printer is at printing PETG (slow, lots of stringing, etc.) but it at least let me validate the correctness of the threaded insert.I also have all of my plaster slip casting equipment and material now, so tomorrow I\u2019ll probably print a calibration cube to make a slip cast mold of (and I guess that would be fun to fire as well). It\u2019ll be fun to have anoter tool for creating things, and it\u2019s nice that slip casting can go entirely in parallel with 3D printing aside from printing the templates.Oh except I just realized I never bought plasticine, but I can get that at Target. I also still need to get the oil soap as well (which I can also get there).Anyway, based on how obnoxious it was to fix the X1C, I think if I get a third printer for my print farm it\u2019ll be the A1. It\u2019s just as fast as the P1P and is WAY easier to maintain. The downside is that being a bed-slinger it\u2019s still prone to some of the more annoying print defects inherent to that (especially ring artifacts). Also its AMS takes up a hell of a lot of desk space, but I wasn\u2019t planning on getting a second AMS anyway. I mostly use my X1C\u2019s as a fancy dry box, and there\u2019s much cheaper dry boxes out there. It does mean that my multimaterial prints can only happen on the X1C, though, unless I go through the hassle of getting the Palette working again.",
        "html": "<p>Oh yeah, today the replacement heat bed sensor cable arrived. It was a <strong><em>major pain in the ass</em></strong> to replace. I ended up routing it differently than the manufacturer intended because the factory routing is clearly what causes the conductors to wear down and fail, and anyway doing it the right way would have required basically disassembling the entire printer.</p><p>But anyway I have a working main printer again and so I\u2019ve resumed my production run. The current thing I\u2019m making has TPU parts on it and that filament needs to print slowly so I\u2019m keeping the old printer busy with it (since it\u2019s not like the X1C can make it go any faster anyway). During the downtime I did do a couple of prints of the main PETG part and got a reminder of just how bad the old printer is at printing PETG (slow, lots of stringing, etc.) but it at least let me validate the correctness of the threaded insert.</p><p>I also have all of my plaster slip casting equipment and material now, so tomorrow I\u2019ll probably print a calibration cube to make a slip cast mold of (and I guess that would be fun to fire as well). It\u2019ll be fun to have anoter tool for creating things, and it\u2019s nice that slip casting can go entirely in parallel with 3D printing aside from printing the templates.</p><p>Oh except I just realized I never bought plasticine, but I can get that at Target. I also still need to get the oil soap as well (which I can also get there).</p><p>Anyway, based on how obnoxious it was to fix the X1C, I think if I get a third printer for my print farm it\u2019ll be the A1. It\u2019s just as fast as the P1P and is WAY easier to maintain. The downside is that being a bed-slinger it\u2019s still prone to some of the more annoying print defects inherent to that (especially ring artifacts). Also its AMS takes up a hell of a lot of desk space, but I wasn\u2019t planning on getting a second AMS anyway. I mostly use my X1C\u2019s as a fancy dry box, and there\u2019s much cheaper dry boxes out there. It does mean that my multimaterial prints can only happen on the X1C, though, unless I go through the hassle of getting the Palette working again.</p>"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "fluffy",
        "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/",
        "photo": "https://beesbuzz.biz/static/headshot.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "39846175",
    "_source": "2778"
}

fluffy beesbuzz.biz

We didn’t start the fire

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2023-12-29T21:36:34-08:00",
    "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/blog/15081-We-didnt-start-the-fire",
    "name": "We didn\u2019t start the fire",
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "fluffy",
        "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/",
        "photo": "https://beesbuzz.biz/static/headshot.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "39846176",
    "_source": "2778"
}

Social Web 101

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": null,
        "url": "https://herestomwiththeweather.com/",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://herestomwiththeweather.com/2023/12/28/social-web-101/",
    "published": "2023-12-28T18:51:10+00:00",
    "content": {
        "html": "<p>Whether it\u2019s the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IndieWeb\">Indieweb</a> or the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fediverse\">Fediverse</a>, you should not expect to be able to make a reply or do anything else other than view posts on someone else\u2019s domain (e.g. example.com).  If you end up on someone else\u2019s domain and wish to interact with them, in general, you should hop back to your site or app and interact with them from there.  It\u2019s like riding a bike and you\u2019ll soon forget it was ever a challenge.</p>",
        "text": "Whether it\u2019s the Indieweb or the Fediverse, you should not expect to be able to make a reply or do anything else other than view posts on someone else\u2019s domain (e.g. example.com).  If you end up on someone else\u2019s domain and wish to interact with them, in general, you should hop back to your site or app and interact with them from there.  It\u2019s like riding a bike and you\u2019ll soon forget it was ever a challenge."
    },
    "name": "Social Web 101",
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "39838474",
    "_source": "246"
}

My Top 5 Sci-Fi TV Shows of 2023

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "Jared White",
        "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/articles/my-top-5-scifi-tv-shows-of-2023",
    "published": "2023-12-28T10:53:43-08:00",
    "content": {
        "html": "<img alt=\"\" src=\"https://res.cloudinary.com/mariposta/image/upload/w_1200,c_limit,q_65/awesome_movie_nokl5q.jpg\" /><h2>There was some truly tremendous Sci-Fi in 2023. Unfortunately, little of it was on the silver screen. So this year, let's take a look at the best prestige television which tickled my nerd fancy.</h2>\n\n<p>I\u2019m not gonna lie. This was the year I well and truly burnt out on the Comic Book genre in film. I didn\u2019t even bother to go see <em>The Marvels</em>. I haven\u2019t seen <em>Aquaman 2: The Lost Whatever The Hell It\u2019s Called</em>. I finally saw <em>The Flash</em> after it came out on streaming and regret doing even that.</p>\n\n<p>2023 was <em>not</em> a good year for Sci-Fi nerds when it came to blockbuster movies. There were already signs last year we were in for a dry spell, which is why <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/articles/my-top-5-non-scifi-films-of-2022\">my annual blog post covered my top 5 favorite <em>non</em>-Sci-Fi films of 2022</a>. (I did record a <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/podcast/85/\">podcast with my top 10 favorite genre films &amp; TV shows of 2022</a>\u2014the two winners of film &amp; TV respectively were <em>Everything Everywhere All at Once</em> and <em>Severance</em>\u2014with <em>Star Wars: Andor</em> a <strong>very close</strong> runner up).</p>\n\n<p>Thankfully, there was <strong>plenty to love</strong> this year when it came to prestige television. Multiple shows were not only fantastic, but offered standout episodes which transcend the genre\u2026moments seared into my brain and images I can\u2019t wait to revisit.</p>\n\n<p>I had a <strong>really difficult time ranking these</strong>\u2014all are outstanding representatives of the creators, studios, and streaming services they appeared on. All of them I would not hesitate to recommend with zero qualifications. These are <em>must-watch</em> shows, bar none. Nevertheless, I did attempt to come up with a ranking\u2014though I do kick things off with a bit of a cheat\u2026</p>\n\n<h3>5: Star Trek: Picard (Season 3) &amp; Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Season 2)</h3>\n\n<p>Yeah, I know. I should have picked one of these shows\u2026but c\u2019mon, they\u2019re both <strong>so freaking good!</strong> The final season of <em>Picard</em> was such a departure in tone and storytelling from the previous two, it won back the grumpiest of anti-Nu-Trek fans. Indeed, it was as much a continuation of <em>The Next Generation</em> as it was <em>Picard</em>, with nearly all of our beloved crew back for one final mission. Was that what we wanted all along? Maybe!</p>\n\n<p>Also <em>that</em> episode with the huge visual reveal (I won\u2019t spoil it): <strong>I TOTALLY LOST IT.</strong> I was screaming, pointing at the TV, jumping up out of my seat, screaming, jumping, pointing, and screaming some more. I will never forget that moment. It was a full-on nerdgasm. \ud83e\udd2f Thank you Terry Matalas for this much-needed catharsis.</p>\n\n<p>And what can I say about <em>Strange New Worlds</em>? It continues to be a tremendous accomplishment: a modern Star Trek show which somehow feels like the Star Trek we all know and love, just produced with today\u2019s production sensibilities, technology, and binge-friendly character arcs. Can anyone claim that Anson Mount isn\u2019t the perfect Captain Pike? He was <strong>born to play this role</strong>, and he knows it.</p>\n\n<p>Please keep making this show forever, m\u2019kay thanks bye!</p>\n\n<h3>4: Loki (Season 2)</h3>\n\n<p>I think it\u2019s time to call it. Marvel\u2019s MCU on Disney+ era has largely been a very public, very expensive failure. Not only have most of the shows been mediocre (<em>Secret Invasion</em> was so bad, I was legitimately angry after the miniseries finale), but most of the movies made alongside them have also suffered. Instead of getting a proper <em>Captain Marvel 2</em>, we got a movie which brought in characters only introduced via multiple Disney+ shows with wildly-varying tones and styles\u2014thereby diminishing all of them (though I hear the chemistry between the main actresses was pretty good).</p>\n\n<p>But enough about that. We can be grateful we got a smattering of hits out of this whole experiment, and one of them is great indeed: <em>Loki</em>. I loved season 1 so much, it garnered an honorable mention in my <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/articles/my-top-5-scifi-films-of-2021\">Top 5 Sci-Fi Films of 2021</a> because it truly felt cinematic. I still feel it\u2019s the most visually stunning show in all of the MCU on TV, and season 2 most definitely solidified this opinion.</p>\n\n<p>I can pretty much just copy my description of season 1 verbatim:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n  <p>Loki was art, man. It was full of production superlatives. The settings were incredible. The music was fantastic\u2014so epic I listened to the soundtrack all on its own. Tom Hiddleston was in peak form. Owen Wilson stole every scene he was in. The ending was mind-bending and unexpected. More shows like this, please Marvel, pretty please!</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Did we get more shows like this? \ud83e\udd28 (Alas, no.) And it\u2019s likely season 2 was the final season of <em>Loki</em>. \ud83d\ude2d But what a season! And what an ending! Not only for the show itself, but for the character of Loki across the entire MCU\u2026a character who has consistently been one of my favorites since the first <em>Thor</em> movie. Again, to continue a theme: <strong>Tom Hiddleston was born to play this role</strong>. And he brings his a-game to this season like never before in a very physical, very theatrical sort of performance which is exactly what you would expect from the God of Mischief. Also a fun bonus: casting Ke Huay Quan in this season was a stroke of genius. His contribution to the story is both hilarious and heartwarming, which is exactly what you\u2019d expect from the Academy Award-winning star of <em>Everything Everywhere All at Once</em>.</p>\n\n<h3>3: Silo</h3>\n\n<p>Truth be told, I hate this ranking. I wish <em>Silo</em> could shoot to #2 or even #1 because it\u2019s just so, so good. (Apple TV+ continues to knock it out of the park with quality show after quality show\u2026is this the official home for overall best Sci-Fi on television today?) Regrettably, since the next two shows are so high-quality and epic, it means I must relegate <em>Silo</em> to third place.</p>\n\n<p>But this is in no way a reflection on the merits of this show! FWIW, my kids consider this on par with <em>Severance</em> and <em>Loki</em> and had a blast watching it with me. The mysteries are expertly done, the acting is top drawer (seriously, how can you go wrong with Rebecca Ferguson?), the production design of the silo location itself is mesmerizing, and the slow burn of the plot leading up to a grand reveal in the season finale leaves one aching for the next season. (Thankfully, we know Apple\u2019s given it the green light!)</p>\n\n<p>Just basking in the knowledge that both <em>Silo</em> and <em>Severance</em> will be returning means Apple TV+ is a <strong>powerhouse</strong> of a streaming service for nerds heading into 2024\u2014but wait, there\u2019s more!</p>\n\n<h3>2: The Last of Us</h3>\n\n<p>Before we pull on that thread, let\u2019s talk about one of the most highly-anticipated shows of 2023: <em>The Last of Us</em>. I never played the original games, but I did play the first three <em>Uncharted</em> games on PS3 so I know just how good Naughty Dog games can be. Thus I of course was intrigued about the show and hoped it would do the games justice, but otherwise I wasn\u2019t quite sure what to expect.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Oh. My. God!</strong></p>\n\n<p>I think it\u2019s safe to say they fucking nailed it. \ud83d\ude4c</p>\n\n<p>The chemistry between Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie is simply off the charts. Now we\u2019ve seen this apparent trope many times before: a precocious girl gets taken under the wing of a battle-hardened dude and is protected from the many dangerous of a cruel world\u2026where slowly an unbreakable bond is forged between the two.</p>\n\n<p>Thankfully, this show is much smarter than that (and perhaps that\u2019s due to the quality of the source material). Ellie is no ordinary damsel-in-distress, and Joel is no ordinary warrior with a heart of gold. Their relationship is complex and messy and at times even disturbing. Both characters have been fucked up pretty good due to the horrific world they\u2019re forced to navigate, and one can hardly blame them for barely holding onto their humanity as the narrative progresses.</p>\n\n<p>But perhaps what is most impressive about this show goes beyond the central story and even the world-building surrounding it. I\u2019m talking about <em>that</em> episode, the one that got everyone buzzing: <em>Long, Long Time</em>. Talk about transcending a genre\u2014not only did this episode deviate from the source material in some key ways that actually made the story so much better, but it broke entirely out of the mold of \u201cpost-apocalyptic hellscape\u201d and portrayed a vision of love and devotion against all odds which honestly I\u2019m not sure I\u2019ve ever seen on TV (and rarely in the greatest of films). If this episode\u2014and the creators who made it happen\u2014doesn\u2019t win every damn award available for 2023, then some people are just screwy.</p>\n\n<p>I\u2019m afraid I can\u2019t give this show my coveted #1 spot simply because I\u2019m not sure I would ever care to watch it again (other than that one episode). It\u2019s <em>heavy</em> and gut-wrenching and terrifying. I\u2019m not super into horror, and this is as much horror as it is Sci-Fi. But is it exquisitely crafted and worth the watch at least once? <em>Absolutely.</em></p>\n\n<h3>1: Foundation (Season 2)</h3>\n\n<p><strong>Tada! Apple TV+ strikes again.</strong></p>\n\n<p>So the first season of Foundation was one of two major adaptations of classic novels which came out in 2021, the other being <em>Dune: Part One</em>. I really loved <em>Dune</em> and it appeared in my #2 spot of <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/articles/my-top-5-scifi-films-of-2021\">best Sci-Fi films of 2021</a>. I also really loved <em>Foundation</em> and the similarly epic and expansive feel it had. However, due to the wide-ranging storytelling set across multiple eras, as well as the wide variety of settings, characters, and plot threads, I wasn\u2019t quite sure if season 1 of <em>Foundation</em> could carry its impressive momentum into another quality season, or if it was in danger of collapsing under the weight of its own ambition and perhaps taking itself a wee bit too seriously.</p>\n\n<p><strong>I shouldn\u2019t have worried.</strong></p>\n\n<p><em>Foundation</em> season 2 is incredible, upping the ante in every way. Setting aside <em>Star Wars: Andor</em>, I have no hesitation in saying that <strong>this</strong> is the kind of epic space opera Sci-Fi I\u2019m looking for and have sorely missed from that franchise. Whereas the Disney+ Star Wars shows have largely felt like decent actors cosplaying on fancy LED stages, <em>Foundation</em> feels like grand storytelling on a galactic scale. Real stakes. Real planets. A real empire with very formidable power to give life or to take it. Jaw-dropping events spanning generations which all connect to each other in surprising and even mystical ways.</p>\n\n<p>Sometimes <em>Foundation</em> reminds me of <em>The Expanse</em> and the sort of realism it was able to portray even in the milieu of futuristic locales. Other times <em>Foundation</em> reminds me of the kind of mind-bending sense of scale you see in a movie like <em>Dune</em>. If you\u2019re looking for cinematic TV, you\u2019ll get it with this series. Every episode looks like a million bucks (and knowing Apple, that\u2019s probably true).</p>\n\n<p>And let\u2019s be clear: while every actor in this series does a fabulous job, Lee Pace steals the show in every scene he\u2019s in. When you\u2019re supposed to portray a god-like emperor who commands the allegiance of planets near and far, you can either play up the camp and make it all seem rather ridiculous\u2026or you can, well, portray a true god-like emperor\u2014a role which in lesser hands would be very difficult to pull off.</p>\n\n<p>Lee Pace does just that, and to top it all off, there\u2019s a scene completely centered on him in one of the later episodes which is yet again a genre-transcending moment. It\u2019s awesome and awful and chilling and thrilling\u2014and a hell of a way to end that particular episode.</p>\n\n<p>With all of the other shows and roles up for contention in awards season, I don\u2019t know if Lee Pace will win many awards for his role in season 2 of <em>Foundation</em>, but he absolutely deserves them. Of course I shouldn\u2019t ignore all the other tremendous acting we get in this season. I\u2019ll just go down the list: Jared Harris, Lou Llobell, Leah Harvey, Laura Birn, Cassian Bilton, Terrence Mann\u2026and on and on. A special shoutout to Ben Daniels who is also an absolute scene-stealer, as well as Ella-Rae Smith who somehow manages to play the role of a young queen in a manner both tender and formidable.</p>\n\n<p>Honestly, I can\u2019t think of a single episode, character, plot point I had any qualms with. I was riveted every moment\u2014and I can\u2019t wait to rewatch this show again and again. Might we dare to hope that season 3 will be as good as the first two?</p>\n\n<p><strong>I do! Bring it on.</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>All right folks, it\u2019s time to touch on a few misses and an honorable mention or two.</p>\n\n<p>As mentioned previously, I <strong>hated</strong> <em>Secret Invasion</em>\u2026which really sucks because I was so looking forward to seeing Samuel L. Jackson reprise his iconic role as Nick Fury as well as immerse myself in the paranoid espionage thriller vibes we were expecting. Yikes. I have no idea what happened during the production of this show, but it was baaaad\u2026</p>\n\n<p>I was also disappointed with both <em>The Mandalorian</em> season 3 and <em>Star Wars: Ahsoka</em>. Neither show was all that bad per se\u2026but they also weren\u2019t terribly good either. Both suffered from a sort of inward navel-gazing which seems to increasingly plague Star Wars in the Disney+ era. Almost every episode feels like it\u2019s beating you over the head with lore, and you MUST really be digging all this lore as a die-hard Star Wars fan, right? RIGHT??!!</p>\n\n<p>I fear the recent elevation of Dave Filoni to czar of Star Wars canon may eventually prove as much of a curse as it is a blessing. Will it be better than the wild-west plot nonsense of the sequel trilogy? Most certainly. Will it lead to more standout, genre-transcending productions such as <em>Star Wars: Andor</em>? Honestly, I\u2019m not sure. And that scares me.</p>\n\n<p><strong>But let\u2019s end on a positive note.</strong></p>\n\n<p>Now this isn\u2019t actually a TV show, but it\u2019s a made-for-Netflix movie which I was actually quite surprised and delighted by so I\u2019ll throw it a bone: <em>Leave the World Behind</em>.</p>\n\n<p>This is sort of the movie I wish <em>Knock at the Cabin</em> had been. Produced, directed, and co-written by Sam Esmail (of <em>Mr. Robot</em> fame), it is a story about a family who is increasingly isolated from the outside world as bit-by-bit everything seems to fall apart. (And by \u201ceverything\u201d do I mean civilization-as\u2013we\u2013know\u2013it, or one\u2019s basic grasp at humanity and fellowship with your fellow citizens? Interesting question!)</p>\n\n<p>I\u2019ve heard that not everyone is on board with the ending of this movie, but I loved it. As a fan of absurdist dark comedy, it definitely worked for me. And all throughout the movie, the slow ramp up of tension due to the cinematography, editing, and musical score was exactly what I would hope to experience watching a movie like this. Good job Netflix! (Their cinematic output has definitely been hit-or-miss for some time now, so it\u2019s great to see this one round out the year.)</p>\n\n<p>And finally, I\u2019ll give a shoutout to season 4 of <em>For All Mankind</em> (yet another Apple TV+ show!). It\u2019s not finished yet, so I can\u2019t say how I\u2019ll like the season finale. But once again, this series offers workmanlike quality every episode. It\u2019s a real ensemble cast, and nobody is ever as \u201cgood\u201d or as \u201cbad\u201d as you expect them to be. It\u2019s people making decisions\u2014sometimes stupid ones\u2014in situations where their actions might mean the life or death of their comrades. In that respect, <em>For All Mankind</em> is a very grounded show\u2026which is ironic when you consider much of it takes place in space or on the surface of Mars.</p>\n\n<p>So there you have it. My Top 5 Sci-Fi TV Shows of 2023, and a couple of honorable mentions. <strong>What were your favorite shows of the year? Let me know in the fediverse comments!</strong></p>\n\n\n\n  <br /><p>\n    \n      <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/scifi\">#scifi</a>\n    \n      <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/tvshows\">#tvshows</a>\n    \n  </p>",
        "text": "There was some truly tremendous Sci-Fi in 2023. Unfortunately, little of it was on the silver screen. So this year, let's take a look at the best prestige television which tickled my nerd fancy.\n\nI\u2019m not gonna lie. This was the year I well and truly burnt out on the Comic Book genre in film. I didn\u2019t even bother to go see The Marvels. I haven\u2019t seen Aquaman 2: The Lost Whatever The Hell It\u2019s Called. I finally saw The Flash after it came out on streaming and regret doing even that.\n\n2023 was not a good year for Sci-Fi nerds when it came to blockbuster movies. There were already signs last year we were in for a dry spell, which is why my annual blog post covered my top 5 favorite non-Sci-Fi films of 2022. (I did record a podcast with my top 10 favorite genre films & TV shows of 2022\u2014the two winners of film & TV respectively were Everything Everywhere All at Once and Severance\u2014with Star Wars: Andor a very close runner up).\n\nThankfully, there was plenty to love this year when it came to prestige television. Multiple shows were not only fantastic, but offered standout episodes which transcend the genre\u2026moments seared into my brain and images I can\u2019t wait to revisit.\n\nI had a really difficult time ranking these\u2014all are outstanding representatives of the creators, studios, and streaming services they appeared on. All of them I would not hesitate to recommend with zero qualifications. These are must-watch shows, bar none. Nevertheless, I did attempt to come up with a ranking\u2014though I do kick things off with a bit of a cheat\u2026\n\n5: Star Trek: Picard (Season 3) & Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Season 2)\n\nYeah, I know. I should have picked one of these shows\u2026but c\u2019mon, they\u2019re both so freaking good! The final season of Picard was such a departure in tone and storytelling from the previous two, it won back the grumpiest of anti-Nu-Trek fans. Indeed, it was as much a continuation of The Next Generation as it was Picard, with nearly all of our beloved crew back for one final mission. Was that what we wanted all along? Maybe!\n\nAlso that episode with the huge visual reveal (I won\u2019t spoil it): I TOTALLY LOST IT. I was screaming, pointing at the TV, jumping up out of my seat, screaming, jumping, pointing, and screaming some more. I will never forget that moment. It was a full-on nerdgasm. \ud83e\udd2f Thank you Terry Matalas for this much-needed catharsis.\n\nAnd what can I say about Strange New Worlds? It continues to be a tremendous accomplishment: a modern Star Trek show which somehow feels like the Star Trek we all know and love, just produced with today\u2019s production sensibilities, technology, and binge-friendly character arcs. Can anyone claim that Anson Mount isn\u2019t the perfect Captain Pike? He was born to play this role, and he knows it.\n\nPlease keep making this show forever, m\u2019kay thanks bye!\n\n4: Loki (Season 2)\n\nI think it\u2019s time to call it. Marvel\u2019s MCU on Disney+ era has largely been a very public, very expensive failure. Not only have most of the shows been mediocre (Secret Invasion was so bad, I was legitimately angry after the miniseries finale), but most of the movies made alongside them have also suffered. Instead of getting a proper Captain Marvel 2, we got a movie which brought in characters only introduced via multiple Disney+ shows with wildly-varying tones and styles\u2014thereby diminishing all of them (though I hear the chemistry between the main actresses was pretty good).\n\nBut enough about that. We can be grateful we got a smattering of hits out of this whole experiment, and one of them is great indeed: Loki. I loved season 1 so much, it garnered an honorable mention in my Top 5 Sci-Fi Films of 2021 because it truly felt cinematic. I still feel it\u2019s the most visually stunning show in all of the MCU on TV, and season 2 most definitely solidified this opinion.\n\nI can pretty much just copy my description of season 1 verbatim:\n\n\n  Loki was art, man. It was full of production superlatives. The settings were incredible. The music was fantastic\u2014so epic I listened to the soundtrack all on its own. Tom Hiddleston was in peak form. Owen Wilson stole every scene he was in. The ending was mind-bending and unexpected. More shows like this, please Marvel, pretty please!\n\n\nDid we get more shows like this? \ud83e\udd28 (Alas, no.) And it\u2019s likely season 2 was the final season of Loki. \ud83d\ude2d But what a season! And what an ending! Not only for the show itself, but for the character of Loki across the entire MCU\u2026a character who has consistently been one of my favorites since the first Thor movie. Again, to continue a theme: Tom Hiddleston was born to play this role. And he brings his a-game to this season like never before in a very physical, very theatrical sort of performance which is exactly what you would expect from the God of Mischief. Also a fun bonus: casting Ke Huay Quan in this season was a stroke of genius. His contribution to the story is both hilarious and heartwarming, which is exactly what you\u2019d expect from the Academy Award-winning star of Everything Everywhere All at Once.\n\n3: Silo\n\nTruth be told, I hate this ranking. I wish Silo could shoot to #2 or even #1 because it\u2019s just so, so good. (Apple TV+ continues to knock it out of the park with quality show after quality show\u2026is this the official home for overall best Sci-Fi on television today?) Regrettably, since the next two shows are so high-quality and epic, it means I must relegate Silo to third place.\n\nBut this is in no way a reflection on the merits of this show! FWIW, my kids consider this on par with Severance and Loki and had a blast watching it with me. The mysteries are expertly done, the acting is top drawer (seriously, how can you go wrong with Rebecca Ferguson?), the production design of the silo location itself is mesmerizing, and the slow burn of the plot leading up to a grand reveal in the season finale leaves one aching for the next season. (Thankfully, we know Apple\u2019s given it the green light!)\n\nJust basking in the knowledge that both Silo and Severance will be returning means Apple TV+ is a powerhouse of a streaming service for nerds heading into 2024\u2014but wait, there\u2019s more!\n\n2: The Last of Us\n\nBefore we pull on that thread, let\u2019s talk about one of the most highly-anticipated shows of 2023: The Last of Us. I never played the original games, but I did play the first three Uncharted games on PS3 so I know just how good Naughty Dog games can be. Thus I of course was intrigued about the show and hoped it would do the games justice, but otherwise I wasn\u2019t quite sure what to expect.\n\nOh. My. God!\n\nI think it\u2019s safe to say they fucking nailed it. \ud83d\ude4c\n\nThe chemistry between Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie is simply off the charts. Now we\u2019ve seen this apparent trope many times before: a precocious girl gets taken under the wing of a battle-hardened dude and is protected from the many dangerous of a cruel world\u2026where slowly an unbreakable bond is forged between the two.\n\nThankfully, this show is much smarter than that (and perhaps that\u2019s due to the quality of the source material). Ellie is no ordinary damsel-in-distress, and Joel is no ordinary warrior with a heart of gold. Their relationship is complex and messy and at times even disturbing. Both characters have been fucked up pretty good due to the horrific world they\u2019re forced to navigate, and one can hardly blame them for barely holding onto their humanity as the narrative progresses.\n\nBut perhaps what is most impressive about this show goes beyond the central story and even the world-building surrounding it. I\u2019m talking about that episode, the one that got everyone buzzing: Long, Long Time. Talk about transcending a genre\u2014not only did this episode deviate from the source material in some key ways that actually made the story so much better, but it broke entirely out of the mold of \u201cpost-apocalyptic hellscape\u201d and portrayed a vision of love and devotion against all odds which honestly I\u2019m not sure I\u2019ve ever seen on TV (and rarely in the greatest of films). If this episode\u2014and the creators who made it happen\u2014doesn\u2019t win every damn award available for 2023, then some people are just screwy.\n\nI\u2019m afraid I can\u2019t give this show my coveted #1 spot simply because I\u2019m not sure I would ever care to watch it again (other than that one episode). It\u2019s heavy and gut-wrenching and terrifying. I\u2019m not super into horror, and this is as much horror as it is Sci-Fi. But is it exquisitely crafted and worth the watch at least once? Absolutely.\n\n1: Foundation (Season 2)\n\nTada! Apple TV+ strikes again.\n\nSo the first season of Foundation was one of two major adaptations of classic novels which came out in 2021, the other being Dune: Part One. I really loved Dune and it appeared in my #2 spot of best Sci-Fi films of 2021. I also really loved Foundation and the similarly epic and expansive feel it had. However, due to the wide-ranging storytelling set across multiple eras, as well as the wide variety of settings, characters, and plot threads, I wasn\u2019t quite sure if season 1 of Foundation could carry its impressive momentum into another quality season, or if it was in danger of collapsing under the weight of its own ambition and perhaps taking itself a wee bit too seriously.\n\nI shouldn\u2019t have worried.\n\nFoundation season 2 is incredible, upping the ante in every way. Setting aside Star Wars: Andor, I have no hesitation in saying that this is the kind of epic space opera Sci-Fi I\u2019m looking for and have sorely missed from that franchise. Whereas the Disney+ Star Wars shows have largely felt like decent actors cosplaying on fancy LED stages, Foundation feels like grand storytelling on a galactic scale. Real stakes. Real planets. A real empire with very formidable power to give life or to take it. Jaw-dropping events spanning generations which all connect to each other in surprising and even mystical ways.\n\nSometimes Foundation reminds me of The Expanse and the sort of realism it was able to portray even in the milieu of futuristic locales. Other times Foundation reminds me of the kind of mind-bending sense of scale you see in a movie like Dune. If you\u2019re looking for cinematic TV, you\u2019ll get it with this series. Every episode looks like a million bucks (and knowing Apple, that\u2019s probably true).\n\nAnd let\u2019s be clear: while every actor in this series does a fabulous job, Lee Pace steals the show in every scene he\u2019s in. When you\u2019re supposed to portray a god-like emperor who commands the allegiance of planets near and far, you can either play up the camp and make it all seem rather ridiculous\u2026or you can, well, portray a true god-like emperor\u2014a role which in lesser hands would be very difficult to pull off.\n\nLee Pace does just that, and to top it all off, there\u2019s a scene completely centered on him in one of the later episodes which is yet again a genre-transcending moment. It\u2019s awesome and awful and chilling and thrilling\u2014and a hell of a way to end that particular episode.\n\nWith all of the other shows and roles up for contention in awards season, I don\u2019t know if Lee Pace will win many awards for his role in season 2 of Foundation, but he absolutely deserves them. Of course I shouldn\u2019t ignore all the other tremendous acting we get in this season. I\u2019ll just go down the list: Jared Harris, Lou Llobell, Leah Harvey, Laura Birn, Cassian Bilton, Terrence Mann\u2026and on and on. A special shoutout to Ben Daniels who is also an absolute scene-stealer, as well as Ella-Rae Smith who somehow manages to play the role of a young queen in a manner both tender and formidable.\n\nHonestly, I can\u2019t think of a single episode, character, plot point I had any qualms with. I was riveted every moment\u2014and I can\u2019t wait to rewatch this show again and again. Might we dare to hope that season 3 will be as good as the first two?\n\nI do! Bring it on.\n\n\n\nAll right folks, it\u2019s time to touch on a few misses and an honorable mention or two.\n\nAs mentioned previously, I hated Secret Invasion\u2026which really sucks because I was so looking forward to seeing Samuel L. Jackson reprise his iconic role as Nick Fury as well as immerse myself in the paranoid espionage thriller vibes we were expecting. Yikes. I have no idea what happened during the production of this show, but it was baaaad\u2026\n\nI was also disappointed with both The Mandalorian season 3 and Star Wars: Ahsoka. Neither show was all that bad per se\u2026but they also weren\u2019t terribly good either. Both suffered from a sort of inward navel-gazing which seems to increasingly plague Star Wars in the Disney+ era. Almost every episode feels like it\u2019s beating you over the head with lore, and you MUST really be digging all this lore as a die-hard Star Wars fan, right? RIGHT??!!\n\nI fear the recent elevation of Dave Filoni to czar of Star Wars canon may eventually prove as much of a curse as it is a blessing. Will it be better than the wild-west plot nonsense of the sequel trilogy? Most certainly. Will it lead to more standout, genre-transcending productions such as Star Wars: Andor? Honestly, I\u2019m not sure. And that scares me.\n\nBut let\u2019s end on a positive note.\n\nNow this isn\u2019t actually a TV show, but it\u2019s a made-for-Netflix movie which I was actually quite surprised and delighted by so I\u2019ll throw it a bone: Leave the World Behind.\n\nThis is sort of the movie I wish Knock at the Cabin had been. Produced, directed, and co-written by Sam Esmail (of Mr. Robot fame), it is a story about a family who is increasingly isolated from the outside world as bit-by-bit everything seems to fall apart. (And by \u201ceverything\u201d do I mean civilization-as\u2013we\u2013know\u2013it, or one\u2019s basic grasp at humanity and fellowship with your fellow citizens? Interesting question!)\n\nI\u2019ve heard that not everyone is on board with the ending of this movie, but I loved it. As a fan of absurdist dark comedy, it definitely worked for me. And all throughout the movie, the slow ramp up of tension due to the cinematography, editing, and musical score was exactly what I would hope to experience watching a movie like this. Good job Netflix! (Their cinematic output has definitely been hit-or-miss for some time now, so it\u2019s great to see this one round out the year.)\n\nAnd finally, I\u2019ll give a shoutout to season 4 of For All Mankind (yet another Apple TV+ show!). It\u2019s not finished yet, so I can\u2019t say how I\u2019ll like the season finale. But once again, this series offers workmanlike quality every episode. It\u2019s a real ensemble cast, and nobody is ever as \u201cgood\u201d or as \u201cbad\u201d as you expect them to be. It\u2019s people making decisions\u2014sometimes stupid ones\u2014in situations where their actions might mean the life or death of their comrades. In that respect, For All Mankind is a very grounded show\u2026which is ironic when you consider much of it takes place in space or on the surface of Mars.\n\nSo there you have it. My Top 5 Sci-Fi TV Shows of 2023, and a couple of honorable mentions. What were your favorite shows of the year? Let me know in the fediverse comments!\n\n\n\n  \n\n    \n      #scifi\n    \n      #tvshows"
    },
    "name": "My Top 5 Sci-Fi TV Shows of 2023",
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "39837070",
    "_source": "2783"
}

fluffy beesbuzz.biz

Fireplace done!

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2023-12-27T14:39:47-08:00",
    "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/blog/4677-Fireplace-done",
    "name": "Fireplace done!",
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "fluffy",
        "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/",
        "photo": "https://beesbuzz.biz/static/headshot.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "39828288",
    "_source": "2778"
}

fluffy beesbuzz.biz

Things and stuff

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2023-12-26T23:23:29-08:00",
    "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/blog/9467-Things-and-stuff",
    "name": "Things and stuff",
    "content": {
        "text": "BathroomPlumbing was supposed to happen today but they somehow forgot to put me on the schedule. Which I found out when I\u2019d called the plumber to find out when they were intending to start, and they had some more questions for me anyway, and it turns out they\u2019d meant to send a new estimate based on what I\u2019d figured out. Hopefully it\u2019ll happen soon.\nFireplaceFireplace work started today, but the fireplace folks still hadn\u2019t gotten the liner purchased (and couldn\u2019t get it because all the suppliers are still closed), so now I have a chimney with flashing and a crown but no cap, which means if it rains tonight there will be water inside, because for some reason the dude in his infinite wisdom didn\u2019t even cover it with a tarp. Sigh. This particular fireplace contractor isn\u2019t so great at the communicating.But anyway the old chimney cap did come down and it\u2019s incredibly rusted and shoddy and was very much falling apart so yeah, I\u2019m glad this work got done when it did, before things got way, way worse.\n3D printingI was about to start a production run of the tamping stations, and my printer decided that this would be a perfect time for its bed leveling sensor to fail. So I switched back to my old Artillery Genius for now (oh god it is so slow and the bed is so small1) and spent all day trying to troubleshoot the sensor. Apparently there\u2019s a pretty common problem with the X1C where the sensor\u2019s cable (a $4 part) tends to fail weirdly. In this case, I think that when it recalibrated because of the firmware update, a marginal connection got shaken loose.Anyway, so I ordered a $4 cable which had $7 shipping on it, so I ended up ordering a bunch of filament, and then discovered that I apparently have a Bambu filament membership? I\u2019m not sure when I ended up with that. Was it something Bambu gave me for being a Kickstarter backer? I\u2019m not finding any records in my email of having subscribed or being given it. Well, in any case, it means that Bambu\u2019s branded filament is currently cheaper than my usual supplier anyway. But gosh I have a lot of filament now.In any case, I\u2019m thinking of ramping up my production which means it\u2019d actually be beneficial for me to build an actual print farm, and I\u2019m considering getting a Bambu P1P or P1S to supplement my X1C. But if I do end up pivoting into ceramics I don\u2019t think more printers would be useful, since there my limiting factor is how many plaster molds I have in service and how much stuff I can load up in the kiln up the street.Oh, and I got my first Etsy sale today! I hope the buyer is happy with their new Timemore catch cup.",
        "html": "<h3>\n<a href=\"https://beesbuzz.biz/blog/9467-Things-and-stuff#9467_h3_1_Bathroom\"></a>Bathroom</h3><p>Plumbing was supposed to happen today but they somehow forgot to put me on the schedule. Which I found out when I\u2019d called the plumber to find out when they were intending to start, and they had some more questions for me anyway, and it turns out they\u2019d meant to send a new estimate based on what I\u2019d figured out. Hopefully it\u2019ll happen soon.</p><h3>\n<a href=\"https://beesbuzz.biz/blog/9467-Things-and-stuff#9467_h3_2_Fireplace\"></a>Fireplace</h3><p>Fireplace work started today, but the fireplace folks still hadn\u2019t gotten the liner purchased (and couldn\u2019t get it because all the suppliers are still closed), so now I have a chimney with flashing and a crown but no cap, which means if it rains tonight there will be water inside, because for some reason the dude in his infinite wisdom didn\u2019t even cover it with a tarp. Sigh. This particular fireplace contractor isn\u2019t so great at the communicating.</p><p>But anyway the old chimney cap did come down and it\u2019s <em>incredibly</em> rusted and shoddy and was very much falling apart so yeah, I\u2019m glad this work got done when it did, before things got way, way worse.</p><h3>\n<a href=\"https://beesbuzz.biz/blog/9467-Things-and-stuff#9467_h3_3_3D-printing\"></a>3D printing</h3><p>I was about to start a production run of the tamping stations, and my printer decided that this would be a perfect time for its bed leveling sensor to fail. So I switched back to my old Artillery Genius for now (oh god it is <strong><em>so slow</em></strong> and the bed is <strong><em>so small</em></strong><a href=\"https://beesbuzz.biz/blog/9467-Things-and-stuff#d_e9467_fn1\">1</a>) and spent all day trying to troubleshoot the sensor. Apparently there\u2019s a pretty common problem with the X1C where the sensor\u2019s cable (a $4 part) tends to fail weirdly. In this case, I think that when it recalibrated because of the firmware update, a marginal connection got shaken loose.</p><p>Anyway, so I ordered a $4 cable which had $7 shipping on it, so I ended up ordering a bunch of filament, and then discovered that I apparently have a Bambu filament membership? I\u2019m not sure when I ended up with that. Was it something Bambu gave me for being a Kickstarter backer? I\u2019m not finding any records in my email of having subscribed or being given it. Well, in any case, it means that Bambu\u2019s branded filament is currently cheaper than my usual supplier anyway. But gosh I have a lot of filament now.</p><p>In any case, I\u2019m thinking of ramping up my production which means it\u2019d actually be beneficial for me to build an actual print farm, and I\u2019m considering getting a Bambu P1P or P1S to supplement my X1C. But if I do end up pivoting into ceramics I don\u2019t think more printers would be useful, since there my limiting factor is how many plaster molds I have in service and how much stuff I can load up in the kiln up the street.</p><p>Oh, and I got my first Etsy sale today! I hope the buyer is happy with their new Timemore catch cup.</p>"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "fluffy",
        "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/",
        "photo": "https://beesbuzz.biz/static/headshot.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "39822393",
    "_source": "2778"
}

Aaron Parecki aaronparecki.com

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2023-12-26T10:17:08-08:00",
    "url": "https://aaronparecki.com/2023/12/26/10/fsa",
    "category": [
        "fsa",
        "healthcare"
    ],
    "content": {
        "text": "I was approximately .1% confident that I would be able to actually spend my LP FSA money that rolls over to 2024 since I won't quality for an FSA next year and they're also changing FSA providers. So I just spent the rest of the money on new glasses. \ud83d\ude0e",
        "html": "I was approximately .1% confident that I would be able to actually spend my LP FSA money that rolls over to 2024 since I won't quality for an FSA next year and they're also changing FSA providers. So I just spent the rest of the money on new glasses. <a href=\"https://aaronparecki.com/emoji/%F0%9F%98%8E\">\ud83d\ude0e</a>"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "Aaron Parecki",
        "url": "https://aaronparecki.com/",
        "photo": "https://aperture-media.p3k.io/aaronparecki.com/41061f9de825966faa22e9c42830e1d4a614a321213b4575b9488aa93f89817a.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "39818318",
    "_source": "16"
}

fluffy beesbuzz.biz

Stuff and things

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2023-12-26T01:15:26-08:00",
    "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/blog/11183-Stuff-and-things",
    "name": "Stuff and things",
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "fluffy",
        "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/",
        "photo": "https://beesbuzz.biz/static/headshot.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "39815352",
    "_source": "2778"
}

Marty McGuire martymcgui.re

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2023-12-25T19:56:12-0500",
    "url": "https://martymcgui.re/2023/12/25/195612/",
    "category": [
        "caturday"
    ],
    "video": [
        "https://res.cloudinary.com/schmarty/video/upload/vc_h264/mmmgre/86/5e/d5/63/b75dd15d53e41a6f82a4d63d4e306b48f3e174120533dbf73ed6e44d.mov"
    ],
    "content": {
        "text": "Have you unwrapped your gifts during eternal Caturday?",
        "html": "<p>Have you unwrapped your gifts during eternal Caturday?</p>"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "Marty McGuire",
        "url": "https://martymcgui.re/",
        "photo": "https://martymcgui.re/images/logo.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "video",
    "_id": "39814722",
    "_source": "175"
}

Marty McGuire martymcgui.re

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2023-12-25T19:54:10-0500",
    "url": "https://martymcgui.re/2023/12/25/195410/",
    "category": [
        "caturday"
    ],
    "video": [
        "https://res.cloudinary.com/schmarty/video/upload/vc_h264/mmmgre/51/84/ee/73/e8dc9a837b499991a8c29bcd93b979ea8b1b4d0de6e594ff4f8247bb.mov"
    ],
    "content": {
        "text": "Are you done playing Santa during eternal Caturday?",
        "html": "<p>Are you done playing Santa during eternal Caturday?</p>"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "Marty McGuire",
        "url": "https://martymcgui.re/",
        "photo": "https://martymcgui.re/images/logo.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "video",
    "_id": "39814723",
    "_source": "175"
}

gRegor Morrill gregorlove.com

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2023-12-25 15:47-0800",
    "url": "https://gregorlove.com/2023/12/happy-christmas-from-the-beach/",
    "category": [
        "BeachForChristmas",
        "MomentsOfJoy",
        "birb"
    ],
    "photo": [
        "https://gregorlove.com/site/assets/files/6666/pxl_20231225_210955141.1500x0.jpg",
        "https://gregorlove.com/site/assets/files/6666/pxl_20231225_210511938.1500x0.jpg",
        "https://gregorlove.com/site/assets/files/6666/pxl_20231225_211732760.1500x0.jpg",
        "https://gregorlove.com/site/assets/files/6666/pxl_20231225_221019111.1500x0.jpg"
    ],
    "syndication": [
        "https://www.instagram.com/p/C1S5Kjyv0Pf/"
    ],
    "content": {
        "text": "Happy Christmas from the beach! I made the difficult, last-minute decision not to travel this holiday due to the high COVID transmission levels currently (see pmc19.com/data). Decided to make the best of the day with some beach time, though!\n\n1. My mug at the beach \ud83d\ude0e\n\n2. I met a guy who had set up this rainbow-colored Christmas tree. He said it had sort of become a tradition since the pandemic. Love it!\n\n3. Others enjoying the lovely day\n\n4. After walking for a while, I sat down to write and read some. This seagull pal (seapal?) chilled about 10 feet from me for a while.\n\nI know this is a difficult time for a lot of people. I hope you got to experience some moments of joy today, though. \ud83d\udc9b",
        "html": "<p>Happy Christmas from the beach! I made the difficult, last-minute decision not to travel this holiday due to the high COVID transmission levels currently (see <a href=\"https://pmc19.com/data/\">pmc19.com/data</a>). Decided to make the best of the day with some beach time, though!</p>\n\n<p>1. My mug at the beach \ud83d\ude0e</p>\n\n<p>2. I met a guy who had set up this rainbow-colored Christmas tree. He said it had sort of become a tradition since the pandemic. Love it!</p>\n\n<p>3. Others enjoying the lovely day</p>\n\n<p>4. After walking for a while, I sat down to write and read some. This seagull pal (seapal?) chilled about 10 feet from me for a while.</p>\n\n<p>I know this is a difficult time for a lot of people. I hope you got to experience some moments of joy today, though. \ud83d\udc9b</p>"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "gRegor Morrill",
        "url": "https://gregorlove.com/",
        "photo": "https://gregorlove.com/site/assets/files/6268/profile-2021-square.300x0.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "photo",
    "_id": "39813973",
    "_source": "95"
}