fluffy beesbuzz.biz

Various updates

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2025-07-27T22:48:11-07:00",
    "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/blog/4865-Various-updates",
    "category": [
        "disability",
        "fibromyalgia",
        "chronic pain",
        "fatigue",
        "vertigo",
        "music"
    ],
    "name": "Various updates",
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "fluffy",
        "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/",
        "photo": "https://beesbuzz.biz/static/headshot.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "45508540",
    "_source": "2778"
}

Marty McGuire martymcgui.re

🗓️ The Level Up

{
    "type": "event",
    "name": "\ud83d\uddd3\ufe0f The Level Up",
    "published": "2025-07-26T22:30:00-0400",
    "start": "2025-07-26T22:30:00-0400",
    "url": "https://martymcgui.re/2025/07/26/the-level-up/",
    "featured": "https://res.cloudinary.com/schmarty/image/fetch/w_960,c_fill/https://media.martymcgui.re/18/c2/f5/ec/a054f44e92d9baa77a45abca345c8c7642995b16056a1d8b79de221d.jpg",
    "category": [
        "improv",
        "show"
    ],
    "content": {
        "text": "The Level Up is an indie improv showcase. Join us as we watch amazing New York indie improv talents gain XP on the Magnet stage, unlock new achievements, and reach new milestones. Or do comedy.\n\nCome support Michael as he dons his hosting-duties cap for three exciting indie teams!\nFleischwunde\nMothra\nHoopty\nI\u2019ll be playing in with Michael and the rest of the Level Up!\nLooking forward to it! And to seeing you there!! (Yes, you. Come on out!!!)\nSaturday day July 26th, 2025 @ 10:30pm\n\nMagnet Theater\n\n254 West 29th St (btwn 7th and 8th Ave.)\n\nNew York City, NY 10001\n\nTickets $10: https://magnettheater.com/show/tickets/59691/",
        "html": "<blockquote>\n<p>The Level Up is an indie improv showcase. Join us as we watch amazing New York indie improv talents gain XP on the Magnet stage, unlock new achievements, and reach new milestones. Or do comedy.</p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>Come support Michael as he dons his hosting-duties cap for three exciting indie teams!</p>\n<ul><li>Fleischwunde</li>\n<li>Mothra</li>\n<li>Hoopty</li>\n</ul><p>I\u2019ll be playing in with Michael and the rest of the Level Up!</p>\n<p>Looking forward to it! And to seeing you there!! (Yes, you. Come on out!!!)</p>\n<p>Saturday day July 26th, 2025 @ 10:30pm<br />\nMagnet Theater<br />\n254 West 29th St (btwn 7th and 8th Ave.)<br />\nNew York City, NY 10001<br />\nTickets $10: <a href=\"https://magnettheater.com/show/tickets/59691/\">https://magnettheater.com/show/tickets/59691/</a></p>"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "Marty McGuire",
        "url": "https://martymcgui.re/",
        "photo": "https://martymcgui.re/images/logo.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "event",
    "_id": "45507270",
    "_source": "175"
}

I Built a Web App in a Day

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "Jared White",
        "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/20250726/built-an-app-in-a-day",
    "published": "2025-07-26T23:28:12-07:00",
    "content": {
        "html": "<p>I just did something I haven\u2019t done in a very long time:</p>\n\n<p><strong>I started a new app repo, set up a database, wrote a feature, and it works.</strong> \ud83e\udd2f (And of course I\u2019m using my <a href=\"https://edge.bridgetownrb.com/\">Bridgetown framework</a> to write it in\u2014that is, the 2.0 version currently in beta which has new functionality for app devs).</p>\n\n<p>The reason I was able to get to an MVP state (for me at least) in only a few hours is because I\u2019ve spent literally months thinking about what I wanted to write, how I wanted to write it, and I had done some initial experiments on components that eventually I was able to pull in here.</p>\n\n<p>In a way, this is the opposite of \u201cvibe coding\u201d. <em>No vibes necessary!</em> Since I had the entire symphony composed in my head already, I simply had to put pen to paper (so to speak) to write out the notes.</p>\n\n<p><strong>\u201cFine Jared, we get it already. So when do we get to see it?!\u201d</strong></p>\n\n<p><em>Patience, my friends.</em> There\u2019s still quite a ways to go before it\u2019s production-worthy, and even then it\u2019ll probably be a waitlisted beta for a while. But once I think I have something interesting to show off, I\u2019ll take some screenshots and talk more about it. <strong>To whet your appetite\u2026this isn\u2019t \u201cjust\u201d an app.</strong> Think of it more like a web-based desktop. Once you \u201cboot into the OS\u201d, you\u2019ll eventually have a variety of apps to choose from; all a bit quaint, very friendly, idiosyncratic, and above all, fun.</p>\n\n<p><strong>This is simply the first one of the bunch.</strong> \ud83d\ude0e</p>",
        "text": "I just did something I haven\u2019t done in a very long time:\n\nI started a new app repo, set up a database, wrote a feature, and it works. \ud83e\udd2f (And of course I\u2019m using my Bridgetown framework to write it in\u2014that is, the 2.0 version currently in beta which has new functionality for app devs).\n\nThe reason I was able to get to an MVP state (for me at least) in only a few hours is because I\u2019ve spent literally months thinking about what I wanted to write, how I wanted to write it, and I had done some initial experiments on components that eventually I was able to pull in here.\n\nIn a way, this is the opposite of \u201cvibe coding\u201d. No vibes necessary! Since I had the entire symphony composed in my head already, I simply had to put pen to paper (so to speak) to write out the notes.\n\n\u201cFine Jared, we get it already. So when do we get to see it?!\u201d\n\nPatience, my friends. There\u2019s still quite a ways to go before it\u2019s production-worthy, and even then it\u2019ll probably be a waitlisted beta for a while. But once I think I have something interesting to show off, I\u2019ll take some screenshots and talk more about it. To whet your appetite\u2026this isn\u2019t \u201cjust\u201d an app. Think of it more like a web-based desktop. Once you \u201cboot into the OS\u201d, you\u2019ll eventually have a variety of apps to choose from; all a bit quaint, very friendly, idiosyncratic, and above all, fun.\n\nThis is simply the first one of the bunch. \ud83d\ude0e"
    },
    "name": "I Built a Web App in a Day",
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "45501343",
    "_source": "2783"
}

Link: The MrBeastification of YouTube Thumbnails

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "Jared White",
        "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/links/20250724/mrbeast-youtube-thumbnail-dreck",
    "published": "2025-07-24T22:37:12-07:00",
    "content": {
        "html": "<blockquote>\n  <h2><a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s41rjEtwOE\"></a></h2>\n\n  <p>This is a video about YouTube thumbnails, and why they all look so dang similar these days. It\u2019s easy to want to blame Mr. Beast, but is it really his fault? Or is he just a victim of a relentless algorithm that will do anything it can to suck as much of our precious watchtime out of us as humanly possible, ultimately forcing creators to game the system as best as they can in order to stay on top\u2026 wait a minute\u2026 no it\u2019s definitely his fault.</p>\n\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>I\u2019m a massive fan of <strong>Ryan George</strong> (and so are my kids!)\u2026I legit think he\u2019s one of the funniest guys on YouTube. Recently he\u2019s branched out of pure comedy sketches and is doing more biting social commentary (that is still full of LOL moments!), and this is one of his best entries yet.</p>\n\n<p>I truly loathe the YouTube thumbnail face (you know the face!) and all the annoying block yellow lettering. And I hate myself that I too have done the very same thing in the past, because it\u2019s just part of that culture y\u2019know? \ud83d\ude2b</p>",
        "text": "This is a video about YouTube thumbnails, and why they all look so dang similar these days. It\u2019s easy to want to blame Mr. Beast, but is it really his fault? Or is he just a victim of a relentless algorithm that will do anything it can to suck as much of our precious watchtime out of us as humanly possible, ultimately forcing creators to game the system as best as they can in order to stay on top\u2026 wait a minute\u2026 no it\u2019s definitely his fault.\n\n\n\nI\u2019m a massive fan of Ryan George (and so are my kids!)\u2026I legit think he\u2019s one of the funniest guys on YouTube. Recently he\u2019s branched out of pure comedy sketches and is doing more biting social commentary (that is still full of LOL moments!), and this is one of his best entries yet.\n\nI truly loathe the YouTube thumbnail face (you know the face!) and all the annoying block yellow lettering. And I hate myself that I too have done the very same thing in the past, because it\u2019s just part of that culture y\u2019know? \ud83d\ude2b"
    },
    "name": "Link: The MrBeastification of YouTube Thumbnails",
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "45485411",
    "_source": "2783"
}

Has the Software Industry Gone Cuckoocrazybananapants?

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "Jared White",
        "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/20250723/software-industry-crazy-bananapants",
    "published": "2025-07-23T23:11:57-07:00",
    "content": {
        "html": "<p>Literally read this quote on some goofbrained dude\u2019s LinkedIn post about his high-flying CTO buddy\u2019s claim that: \u201cAnyone can move from Bootstrap to React now\u201d and that \u201cTechnical debt cleanup is going to India for pennies on the dollar\u201d thanks to <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/generativeai\">#GenerativeAI</a> and <strong>I truly believe</strong> the industry I have worked in for the last 30 years has become fucking untethered from any semblance of sanity and reality.</p>\n\n<p>And as a commenter put it, wow this sure is insulting against Indian developers!</p>\n\n<p><strong>P.S.</strong> I\u2019ve been hired for more than one project in the past to come in and completely redo what was poorly implemented previously by an \u201coutsourced\u201d dev firm. I\u2019m not saying that to be insulting either, it\u2019s just a point that outsourcing as a concept has <em>never</em> been a good idea. Here is the answer: <em>hire talented people</em>, no matter where they\u2019re located, pay them well, and build a real team based on good principles of high-quality creative collaboration. <strong>Don\u2019t be a dick!</strong></p>",
        "text": "Literally read this quote on some goofbrained dude\u2019s LinkedIn post about his high-flying CTO buddy\u2019s claim that: \u201cAnyone can move from Bootstrap to React now\u201d and that \u201cTechnical debt cleanup is going to India for pennies on the dollar\u201d thanks to #GenerativeAI and I truly believe the industry I have worked in for the last 30 years has become fucking untethered from any semblance of sanity and reality.\n\nAnd as a commenter put it, wow this sure is insulting against Indian developers!\n\nP.S. I\u2019ve been hired for more than one project in the past to come in and completely redo what was poorly implemented previously by an \u201coutsourced\u201d dev firm. I\u2019m not saying that to be insulting either, it\u2019s just a point that outsourcing as a concept has never been a good idea. Here is the answer: hire talented people, no matter where they\u2019re located, pay them well, and build a real team based on good principles of high-quality creative collaboration. Don\u2019t be a dick!"
    },
    "name": "Has the Software Industry Gone Cuckoocrazybananapants?",
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "45476129",
    "_source": "2783"
}

fluffy beesbuzz.biz

Disability hearing

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2025-07-23T21:15:07-07:00",
    "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/blog/10378-Disability-hearing",
    "category": [
        "fibromyalgia",
        "disability"
    ],
    "name": "Disability hearing",
    "content": {
        "text": "I finally have a disability hearing tomorrow morning. Feel free to send positive vibes, if you\u2019re into such.",
        "html": "<p>I finally have a disability hearing tomorrow morning. Feel free to send positive vibes, if you\u2019re into such.</p>"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "fluffy",
        "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/",
        "photo": "https://beesbuzz.biz/static/headshot.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "45474819",
    "_source": "2778"
}

gRegor Morrill gregorlove.com

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2025-07-22 16:58-0700",
    "url": "https://gregorlove.com/2025/07/an-indieweb-meme/",
    "category": [
        "indieweb",
        "memes"
    ],
    "photo": [
        "https://gregorlove.com/site/assets/files/7110/a108vg.jpg"
    ],
    "syndication": [
        "https://fed.brid.gy/"
    ],
    "content": {
        "text": "An IndieWeb meme, quoted from Tantek in the #indieweb-meta chat.\n\nJust a friendly reminder that we don\u2019t have to rank different levels of independence and there\u2019s no One Way to Be Indie\u2122. There are always tradeoffs with the web, but hopefully we are moving towards more individual control of the things we create. I think the IndieWeb community does a good job embodying that in the principles.",
        "html": "<p>An IndieWeb meme, quoted from <a class=\"h-card\" href=\"https://tantek.com/\">Tantek</a> in the <a href=\"https://chat.indieweb.org/meta/2024-01-18#t1705609595270400\">#indieweb-meta chat</a>.</p>\n\n<p>Just a friendly reminder that we don\u2019t have to rank different levels of independence and there\u2019s no One Way to Be Indie\u2122. There are always tradeoffs with the web, but hopefully we are moving towards <i>more</i> individual control of the things we create. I think the IndieWeb community does a good job embodying that in the <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/principles\">principles</a>.</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": "45463647",
    "_source": "95"
}

Link: Bosses Want the Slop Machines Installed, Workers Want to Pull the Plug

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "Jared White",
        "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/links/20250721/bosses-want-it-workers-dont",
    "published": "2025-07-21T21:45:09-07:00",
    "content": {
        "html": "<blockquote>\n  <h2><a href=\"https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/inside-the-escalating-struggle-over\"></a></h2>\n\n  <p>Brian Merchant: \u201cMy general sense here is that \u2018let\u2019s use AI for stuff!\u2019 is something bosses love saying but then the rank and file workers can\u2019t actually figure out good uses for,\u201d one journalist who works for an Axel Springer outlet told me at the time of the Business Insider layoffs. \u201cWhich I suspect is happening in lots of industries. Bosses panicking that if they don\u2019t lean into AI they\u2019ll be left behind, but AI not actually being particular useful for workers.\u201d</p>\n\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>As I <a href=\"https://vibecoded.transistor.fm/1?t=7:49\">laid out in some detail</a> in my first episode of <em>Vibe Coded</em>, the rollout of <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/generativeai\">#generativeAI</a> platforms across enterprises is <strong>not</strong> following the typical pattern where individual users <em>first</em> adopt some new innovative tech and then it <em>eventually</em> makes its way to the top and (reluctantly) becomes company policy. <strong>This is the opposite of that.</strong> Bosses across the board seem to love all the AI hype and want to go full steam ahead, while the workers in many cases are resisting and attempting to make clear the grave danger of doing so.</p>\n\n<p>This is leading us increasingly to a world where AI is ground zero for <strong>class warfare</strong>. If you promote genAI, you are siding with the <em>bourgeoisie</em>, and if you resist genAI you are a member of the <em>proletariat</em>.</p>\n\n<p>It could have been otherwise, but this is the state of society we now find ourselves in. <strong>LLMs are now a culture war. And I know which side I\u2019m on</strong>.</p>\n\n<p>Do you?</p>",
        "text": "Brian Merchant: \u201cMy general sense here is that \u2018let\u2019s use AI for stuff!\u2019 is something bosses love saying but then the rank and file workers can\u2019t actually figure out good uses for,\u201d one journalist who works for an Axel Springer outlet told me at the time of the Business Insider layoffs. \u201cWhich I suspect is happening in lots of industries. Bosses panicking that if they don\u2019t lean into AI they\u2019ll be left behind, but AI not actually being particular useful for workers.\u201d\n\n\n\nAs I laid out in some detail in my first episode of Vibe Coded, the rollout of #generativeAI platforms across enterprises is not following the typical pattern where individual users first adopt some new innovative tech and then it eventually makes its way to the top and (reluctantly) becomes company policy. This is the opposite of that. Bosses across the board seem to love all the AI hype and want to go full steam ahead, while the workers in many cases are resisting and attempting to make clear the grave danger of doing so.\n\nThis is leading us increasingly to a world where AI is ground zero for class warfare. If you promote genAI, you are siding with the bourgeoisie, and if you resist genAI you are a member of the proletariat.\n\nIt could have been otherwise, but this is the state of society we now find ourselves in. LLMs are now a culture war. And I know which side I\u2019m on.\n\nDo you?"
    },
    "name": "Link: Bosses Want the Slop Machines Installed, Workers Want to Pull the Plug",
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "45456396",
    "_source": "2783"
}

gRegor Morrill gregorlove.com

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2025-07-21 22:10-0700",
    "url": "https://gregorlove.com/2025/07/gripe/",
    "category": [
        "gripes",
        "SanDiego"
    ],
    "content": {
        "text": "Gripe: I got a parking ticket for being within 20ft of a crosswalk. It was right in front of my place where I\u2019ve parked for years and was not in the red zone. That doesn\u2019t matter, though, because I learned the California \u201cDaylighting\u201d law (CVC 22500) does not require painted curbs to be cited. So, heads up out there.\n\nI think the 20ft rule is good, but this implementation of it sucks. It went into effect January 1 and supposedly they had a grace period of 60 days where they issued warnings, but I never received one.",
        "html": "<p>Gripe: I got a parking ticket for being within 20ft of a crosswalk. It was right in front of my place where I\u2019ve parked for years and was not in the red zone. That doesn\u2019t matter, though, because I learned the <a href=\"https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/vehicle-code/veh-sect-22500/\">California \u201cDaylighting\u201d law (CVC 22500)</a> does not require painted curbs to be cited. So, heads up out there.</p>\n\n<p>I think the 20ft rule is good, but this implementation of it sucks. It went into effect January 1 and supposedly they had a <a href=\"https://www.insidesandiego.org/motorists-now-may-be-cited-under-californias-new-daylighting-law\">grace period of 60 days</a> where they issued warnings, but I never received one.</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": "note",
    "_id": "45455290",
    "_source": "95"
}

Marty McGuire martymcgui.re

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2025-07-18T19:24:33-0400",
    "summary": "\ud83d\udcd5 Finished reading How to do Nothing by Jenny Odell ISBN: 9781612198552",
    "url": "https://martymcgui.re/2025/07/18/192433/",
    "category": [
        "books"
    ],
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "Marty McGuire",
        "url": "https://martymcgui.re/",
        "photo": "https://martymcgui.re/images/logo.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "45428949",
    "_source": "175"
}

Link: Is Authenticity Dead?

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "Jared White",
        "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/links/20250717/is-authenticity-dead",
    "published": "2025-07-17T23:51:14-07:00",
    "content": {
        "html": "<blockquote>\n  <h2><a href=\"https://medium.com/clyde-group/gen-z-is-all-about-authenticity-59d863b0bdcf\"></a></h2>\n\n  <p>(From 2019)</p>\n\n<p>Data reported by CNBC shows that authenticity is an important value for Gen Z, with \u201c67 percent of those surveyed agreeing that \u2018being true to their values and beliefs makes a person cool.\u2019\u201d One of the biggest challenges in engaging with Gen Z will be determining how to appear \u201ccool\u201d and change the world while still remaining profitable.</p>\n\n<p>The Gen Z preoccupation with authenticity \u2014 which has driven them away from traditional celebrities in favor of more intimate social media and YouTube influencers \u2014 makes them scrutinize the motives of large brands, presenting a challenge for today\u2019s marketing and communications professionals.</p>\n\n<p>For Gen Z, print advertising and traditional commercials can feel inauthentic in the same way that hollywood celebrities seem unrelatable. The growing consumer base is shifting as Gen Z enters the fray; 58 percent of consumers are most amenable to brands taking a social or political stance on social media and only 25 percent feel that way about print advertising.</p>\n\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>I linked to this article from 2019 not because there\u2019s anything particularly noteworthy about it but because it represents a certain viewpoint in vogue only a few short years ago. I can\u2019t believe how often I heard this same refrain repeated over and over and over again, this idea that Millennials valued <em>authenticity</em> above all else (and Gen Z just as much if not more so). The absolute worst thing you could do as a brand trying to reach \u201cthe youngs\u201d would be to come across as fake. As a poser. As a source of manipulative propaganda instead of speaking truth from the heart.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Either something has dramatically changed, or that was all complete bullshit.</strong> Because we now live in an age of <em>rank inauthenticity</em>. <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/generativeai\">#GenerativeAI</a> made sure of that. Now you simply cannot believe anything you read, hear, or watch\u2026everything is being manipulated and remixed and regurgitated down to the nth degree.</p>\n\n<p>I recall just recently I was excited that a podcaster I admire (not going to name names)\u2014who is a Millennial themselves!\u2014launched a new personal blog. I was enjoying reading their first few posts, and <strong>I distinctly remember feeling impressed</strong> that their writing was well put-together and made for a captivating read.</p>\n\n<p><em>Then I heard them talk about their blog on a show</em> where it was revealed that they put every blog post through genAI writing tools because otherwise they wouldn\u2019t be confident in publishing any of their writing. Yes, that\u2019s right: all of that \u201cgreat\u201d writing I had been enjoying wasn\u2019t actually what they wrote. It was the \u201cideas\u201d of what they wrote, filtered through computer algorithms into something else entirely\u2026something they imagined was somehow better.</p>\n\n<p><strong>I felt betrayed.</strong> \ud83d\ude16</p>\n\n<p>Because who\u2019s to say I would enjoy their blog without the algorithmic sheen applied? Maybe I\u2019d like it better! Who knows?!</p>\n\n<p>It\u2019s like we now have Photoshop for words. The \u201creal\u201d blog post had warts, wrinkles, scuffs, and sags\u2014but after the auto word-shopping gets applied, it has all been airbrushed away.</p>\n\n<p>I don\u2019t know what happened. I don\u2019t know how our so-called \u201cauthentic generation\u201d has turned so quickly into embracing tools I believe are incredibly, incredibly <em>inauthentic</em>.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Sorry, your slop isn\u2019t authentic.</strong> There\u2019s nothing to admire about it. Nothing to appreciate about it. It\u2019s as <em>cringe</em> as cringe can get.</p>\n\n<p>Don\u2019t you see that?</p>\n\n<p>Can\u2019t you see that?</p>\n\n<p>I don\u2019t get it.</p>\n\n<p>(P.S. I <em>never</em> use automated <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/writing\">#writing</a> tools. Never. Every single word you ever see me write and publish online is 100% my own. I do use a traditional spellchecker and verify its suggestions by hand. <strong>That\u2019s it and that\u2019s all.</strong>)</p>",
        "text": "(From 2019)\n\nData reported by CNBC shows that authenticity is an important value for Gen Z, with \u201c67 percent of those surveyed agreeing that \u2018being true to their values and beliefs makes a person cool.\u2019\u201d One of the biggest challenges in engaging with Gen Z will be determining how to appear \u201ccool\u201d and change the world while still remaining profitable.\n\nThe Gen Z preoccupation with authenticity \u2014 which has driven them away from traditional celebrities in favor of more intimate social media and YouTube influencers \u2014 makes them scrutinize the motives of large brands, presenting a challenge for today\u2019s marketing and communications professionals.\n\nFor Gen Z, print advertising and traditional commercials can feel inauthentic in the same way that hollywood celebrities seem unrelatable. The growing consumer base is shifting as Gen Z enters the fray; 58 percent of consumers are most amenable to brands taking a social or political stance on social media and only 25 percent feel that way about print advertising.\n\n\n\nI linked to this article from 2019 not because there\u2019s anything particularly noteworthy about it but because it represents a certain viewpoint in vogue only a few short years ago. I can\u2019t believe how often I heard this same refrain repeated over and over and over again, this idea that Millennials valued authenticity above all else (and Gen Z just as much if not more so). The absolute worst thing you could do as a brand trying to reach \u201cthe youngs\u201d would be to come across as fake. As a poser. As a source of manipulative propaganda instead of speaking truth from the heart.\n\nEither something has dramatically changed, or that was all complete bullshit. Because we now live in an age of rank inauthenticity. #GenerativeAI made sure of that. Now you simply cannot believe anything you read, hear, or watch\u2026everything is being manipulated and remixed and regurgitated down to the nth degree.\n\nI recall just recently I was excited that a podcaster I admire (not going to name names)\u2014who is a Millennial themselves!\u2014launched a new personal blog. I was enjoying reading their first few posts, and I distinctly remember feeling impressed that their writing was well put-together and made for a captivating read.\n\nThen I heard them talk about their blog on a show where it was revealed that they put every blog post through genAI writing tools because otherwise they wouldn\u2019t be confident in publishing any of their writing. Yes, that\u2019s right: all of that \u201cgreat\u201d writing I had been enjoying wasn\u2019t actually what they wrote. It was the \u201cideas\u201d of what they wrote, filtered through computer algorithms into something else entirely\u2026something they imagined was somehow better.\n\nI felt betrayed. \ud83d\ude16\n\nBecause who\u2019s to say I would enjoy their blog without the algorithmic sheen applied? Maybe I\u2019d like it better! Who knows?!\n\nIt\u2019s like we now have Photoshop for words. The \u201creal\u201d blog post had warts, wrinkles, scuffs, and sags\u2014but after the auto word-shopping gets applied, it has all been airbrushed away.\n\nI don\u2019t know what happened. I don\u2019t know how our so-called \u201cauthentic generation\u201d has turned so quickly into embracing tools I believe are incredibly, incredibly inauthentic.\n\nSorry, your slop isn\u2019t authentic. There\u2019s nothing to admire about it. Nothing to appreciate about it. It\u2019s as cringe as cringe can get.\n\nDon\u2019t you see that?\n\nCan\u2019t you see that?\n\nI don\u2019t get it.\n\n(P.S. I never use automated #writing tools. Never. Every single word you ever see me write and publish online is 100% my own. I do use a traditional spellchecker and verify its suggestions by hand. That\u2019s it and that\u2019s all.)"
    },
    "name": "Link: Is Authenticity Dead?",
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "45421713",
    "_source": "2783"
}

fluffy beesbuzz.biz

Current statuses

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2025-07-18T02:03:08-07:00",
    "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/blog/17090-Current-statuses",
    "category": [
        "medications",
        "fibromyalgia",
        "Lyrica",
        "vertigo",
        "work",
        "progress"
    ],
    "name": "Current statuses",
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "fluffy",
        "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/",
        "photo": "https://beesbuzz.biz/static/headshot.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "45421451",
    "_source": "2778"
}

gRegor Morrill gregorlove.com

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2025-07-17 11:33-0700",
    "url": "https://gregorlove.com/2025/07/this-crispy-chickpea-pesto/",
    "category": [
        "noms",
        "recipe"
    ],
    "syndication": [
        "https://bsky.app/profile/gregorlove.com/post/3lu6lawcvoo2g"
    ],
    "content": {
        "text": "This crispy chickpea pesto eggs recipe sounds so good, going to try it out.",
        "html": "<p>This <a href=\"https://www.liveeatlearn.com/chickpea-pesto-eggs-with-feta/\">crispy chickpea pesto eggs</a> recipe sounds so good, going to try it out.</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": "note",
    "_id": "45418128",
    "_source": "95"
}

For Me, Pixelfed Forever Beats Instagram

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "Jared White",
        "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/20250713/pixelfed-passes-instagram-for-me",
    "published": "2025-07-13T22:28:02-07:00",
    "content": {
        "html": "<p>I didn\u2019t notice when this happened recently, but continuing the trend of my <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/fediverse\">#Fediverse</a> powered social profiles being more successful than I ever was in corporate silos, my <a href=\"https://pixelfed.social/essentiallife\">Pixelfed account</a> now has more followers than I <em>ever</em> had back in the day on Instagram. \ud83d\ude4c</p>\n\n<p>Not only that, because of the blessings of federation, I can boost posts I publish on Pixelfed through my Mastodon profile(s), thus increasing reach even more. That\u2019s as if back in <em>ye olde days</em> I could have \u201cretweeted\u201d my Instagram photos directly to my Twitter followers.</p>\n\n<p>I know there are lots of people who were orders of magnitude more successful than I ever was on corporate silos, so maybe Fedi just can\u2019t offer them an alternative that\u2019s appealing enough. But me? <strong>I wouldn\u2019t trade this amazing new world for anything.</strong> \ud83d\ude0d</p>",
        "text": "I didn\u2019t notice when this happened recently, but continuing the trend of my #Fediverse powered social profiles being more successful than I ever was in corporate silos, my Pixelfed account now has more followers than I ever had back in the day on Instagram. \ud83d\ude4c\n\nNot only that, because of the blessings of federation, I can boost posts I publish on Pixelfed through my Mastodon profile(s), thus increasing reach even more. That\u2019s as if back in ye olde days I could have \u201cretweeted\u201d my Instagram photos directly to my Twitter followers.\n\nI know there are lots of people who were orders of magnitude more successful than I ever was on corporate silos, so maybe Fedi just can\u2019t offer them an alternative that\u2019s appealing enough. But me? I wouldn\u2019t trade this amazing new world for anything. \ud83d\ude0d"
    },
    "name": "For Me, Pixelfed Forever Beats Instagram",
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "45382909",
    "_source": "2783"
}

My best Wes Anderson treatment of this unusual PNW scene. 😲
The Lodge at St. Edward Park near Lake Washington
#WashingtonExplored

Read More

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "Jared White",
        "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/pictures/20250624/my-best-wes-anderson-treatment-of-this-unusual-a-href-https-pixelfed-social-discover-tags-pnw-src-hash",
    "published": "2025-06-24T11:17:26-07:00",
    "content": {
        "html": "<img alt=\"\" src=\"https://pxscdn.com/public/m/_v2/4580/4f692c7f1-e20d1b/lXFzTmnSrARL/GhDndczX7wNGBrx9xx10wGHR9WbupLjCtYSId8KW.jpg\" /><p>My best Wes Anderson treatment of this unusual PNW scene. \ud83d\ude32<br />The Lodge at St. Edward Park near Lake Washington<br /><a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/washingtonexplored\">#WashingtonExplored</a></p>",
        "text": "My best Wes Anderson treatment of this unusual PNW scene. \ud83d\ude32\nThe Lodge at St. Edward Park near Lake Washington\n#WashingtonExplored"
    },
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "45381122",
    "_source": "2783"
}

The biggest PNW daddy of them all: Mt. Rainier (or if you prefer its native name, Tacoma)

It stands tall at 14,410 feet and last erupted around 150 years ago. And it boasts the largest single-mountain glacier system in the United States outside Alaska!
#WashingtonExplored #NikonZfc #NomadLifestyle

Read More

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "Jared White",
        "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/pictures/20250621/the-biggest-mountain-in-pnw",
    "published": "2025-06-21T08:06:10-07:00",
    "content": {
        "html": "<img alt=\"\" src=\"https://pxscdn.com/public/m/_v2/4580/4f692c7f1-e20d1b/Yx9NC8IYDYku/OSTDumvuo5Bd1SXQRHS2ByWTIklYG0vLikWDmfUw.jpg\" /><p>The biggest PNW daddy of them all: Mt. Rainier (or if you prefer its native name, Tacoma)</p>\n\n<p>It stands tall at 14,410 feet and last erupted around 150 years ago. And it boasts the largest single-mountain glacier system in the United States outside Alaska!<br /><a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/washingtonexplored\">#WashingtonExplored</a> <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/nikonzfc\">#NikonZfc</a> <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/nomadlifestyle\">#NomadLifestyle</a></p>",
        "text": "The biggest PNW daddy of them all: Mt. Rainier (or if you prefer its native name, Tacoma)\n\nIt stands tall at 14,410 feet and last erupted around 150 years ago. And it boasts the largest single-mountain glacier system in the United States outside Alaska!\n#WashingtonExplored #NikonZfc #NomadLifestyle"
    },
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "45381123",
    "_source": "2783"
}

The trees are sentinels.
#OregonExplored #NikonZfc

Read More

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "Jared White",
        "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/pictures/20250615/the-trees-are-sentinels",
    "published": "2025-06-15T09:32:40-07:00",
    "content": {
        "html": "<img alt=\"\" src=\"https://pxscdn.com/public/m/_v2/4580/4f692c7f1-e20d1b/Fxq5CTDKdQSc/knF0YC6SUdt3O8ytEX0OxUM40DecYoNj0GxVnFC7.jpg\" /><p>The trees are sentinels.<br /><a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/oregonexplored\">#OregonExplored</a> <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/nikonzfc\">#NikonZfc</a></p>",
        "text": "The trees are sentinels.\n#OregonExplored #NikonZfc"
    },
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "45381124",
    "_source": "2783"
}

At the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers, Sacajawea State Park in Pasco, WA
(couldn’t decide which framing I liked better so here’s both!)
#WashingtonExplored #NomadLifestyle

Read More

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "Jared White",
        "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/pictures/20250604/at-the-confluence-of-the-snake-and-columbia-rivers-sacajawea",
    "published": "2025-06-04T08:05:58-07:00",
    "content": {
        "html": "<img alt=\"\" src=\"https://pxscdn.com/public/m/_v2/4580/4f692c7f1-e20d1b/pRTcAeJMF7bT/EISorf7IU6Ytd2vOOrFfu2Ehmti3hPK5wMFQWpxW.jpg\" /><p>At the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers, Sacajawea State Park in Pasco, WA<br />(couldn\u2019t decide which framing I liked better so here\u2019s both!)<br /><a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/washingtonexplored\">#WashingtonExplored</a> <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/nomadlifestyle\">#NomadLifestyle</a></p>",
        "text": "At the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers, Sacajawea State Park in Pasco, WA\n(couldn\u2019t decide which framing I liked better so here\u2019s both!)\n#WashingtonExplored #NomadLifestyle"
    },
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "45381125",
    "_source": "2783"
}

fluffy beesbuzz.biz

Current TODO list

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2025-07-13T11:54:04-07:00",
    "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/blog/10651-Current-TODO-list",
    "category": [
        "todo",
        "accountability"
    ],
    "name": "Current TODO list",
    "content": {
        "text": "Chores\nDo the dishes\nMow the front yard and studio path\nMaybe mow the back yard too (stretch goal)\n\nWork\nGame\n\nProperly listen to and internalize game designer\u2019s reference tracks\n\nUpdate timesheet (DONE)\n\nScore a video for Trans Academy\nSockpuppet\n\nUpload more albums to Mirlo\n\nMaybe actually post some stuff to Comradery and Patreon for a change?\n\n\nPersonal\nUpdate finances/budget spreadsheet\nSchedule blood draw for labwork\nMake appointments with:\n\nOptometrist\nDermatologist\nAllergist\n\nPlan basement/workshop cabinetry\n\nOther\n\nPost this TODO list (DONE)",
        "html": "<h3>\n<a href=\"https://beesbuzz.biz/blog/10651-Current-TODO-list#10651_h3_1_Chores\"></a>Chores</h3>\n<ul><li>Do the dishes</li>\n<li>Mow the front yard and studio path</li>\n<li>Maybe mow the back yard too (stretch goal)</li>\n</ul><h3>\n<a href=\"https://beesbuzz.biz/blog/10651-Current-TODO-list#10651_h3_2_Work\"></a>Work</h3>\n<ul><li>Game\n\n<ul><li>Properly listen to and internalize game designer\u2019s reference tracks</li>\n<li>\n<del>Update timesheet</del> (DONE)</li>\n</ul></li>\n<li>Score a video for Trans Academy</li>\n<li>Sockpuppet\n\n<ul><li>Upload more albums to <a href=\"https://sockpuppet.band/mirlo\">Mirlo</a>\n</li>\n<li>Maybe actually post some stuff to <a href=\"https://comradery.co/sockpuppet\">Comradery</a> and <a href=\"https://beesbuzz.biz/patreon\">Patreon</a> for a change?</li>\n</ul></li>\n</ul><h3>\n<a href=\"https://beesbuzz.biz/blog/10651-Current-TODO-list#10651_h3_3_Personal\"></a>Personal</h3>\n<ul><li>Update finances/budget spreadsheet</li>\n<li>Schedule blood draw for labwork</li>\n<li>Make appointments with:\n\n<ul><li>Optometrist</li>\n<li>Dermatologist</li>\n<li>Allergist</li>\n</ul></li>\n<li>Plan basement/workshop cabinetry</li>\n</ul><h3>\n<a href=\"https://beesbuzz.biz/blog/10651-Current-TODO-list#10651_h3_4_Other\"></a>Other</h3>\n<ul><li>\n<del>Post this TODO list</del> (DONE)</li>\n</ul>"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "fluffy",
        "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/",
        "photo": "https://beesbuzz.biz/static/headshot.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "45378312",
    "_source": "2778"
}

Welcome to July?

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2025-07-13T09:07:02-07:00",
    "url": "https://nadreck.me/2025/07/welcome-to-july/",
    "category": [
        "life",
        "bristol"
    ],
    "name": "Welcome to July?",
    "content": {
        "text": "Just got back from a week in Bristol (UK) for work. Nice time, good folks. I sincerely like my coworkers, and I love to travel, so it feels more like an opportunity than a task when these work trips come up. That said, one of these days I need to allocate some time off around the trip, so I can go see more of the country and say hi to various folks I know.\n\n\n\nI was back at work for a week (three days, really), and now I\u2019m on vacation at Squam, as is our annual tradition. It\u2019s been humid and keeps threatening to rain, but the temperatures have been nice, and it\u2019s nice to disconnect for a little bit. I find myself, more often than not, still stuck in work brain at the end of the day (and the days where that\u2019s not the case, it\u2019s because I\u2019m wiped and my brain is mush), so it\u2019s nice to have some dedicated time off to reset.\n\n\n\nI\u2019ve got a small handful of projects I want to work on while I\u2019m on vacation, but frankly if I just manage to swim every day, I\u2019ll consider it a win. Happy July, y\u2019all.\n\n\n\n Some Photos behind the Cut",
        "html": "<p>Just got back from a week in Bristol (UK) for work. Nice time, good folks. I sincerely like my coworkers, and I love to travel, so it feels more like an opportunity than a task when these work trips come up. That said, one of these days I need to allocate some time off around the trip, so I can go see more of the country and say hi to various folks I know.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I was back at work for a week (three days, really), and now I\u2019m on vacation at Squam, as is our annual tradition. It\u2019s been humid and keeps threatening to rain, but the temperatures have been nice, and it\u2019s nice to disconnect for a little bit. I find myself, more often than not, still stuck in work brain at the end of the day (and the days where that\u2019s not the case, it\u2019s because I\u2019m wiped and my brain is mush), so it\u2019s nice to have some dedicated time off to reset.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve got a small handful of projects I want to work on while I\u2019m on vacation, but frankly if I just manage to swim every day, I\u2019ll consider it a win. Happy July, y\u2019all.</p>\n\n\n\n <a href=\"https://nadreck.me/2025/07/welcome-to-july/#more-12095\">Some Photos behind the Cut</a>"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "Nadreck",
        "url": "http://nadreck.me",
        "photo": null
    },
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "45377165",
    "_source": "2935"
}