Disclaimer: The Title was generated by GPT-4o mini in Raycast because I had no Idea what to put in there.

So, I arrived at the Hotel and I had around 5.5 hours on a train. A lot of time to do something and make progress. What I'm ended up doing was watching Severance and reading through some articles I had put on my to-read list.

Three reasons why I did not put out my notebook or steam deck:

1. The person who was sitting next to me made me uncomfortable, I didn't want him to watch me, while I code or played on my deck.
2. I wanted to continue to watch Severance because it is so captivating.
3. My initial plan was to watch a Severance episode and then start coding, but I was so demotivated, I just wanted to watch. :D So, I think, I needed the break. Because I was coding a lot in the last week.

This Hotel room is nice. Now I know why it was so expensive. It has this enjoyable little corner with an armchair and ottoman. Here I can sit with the notebook on my lap and the iPad next to me, to watch some Videos. Something I NEED in my home office. Never thought I would need this, but this is now a must-have. 😎

That's it for today. Tomorrow I will spend nearly the whole day at my client. I hope that we as a team will go out for a soda or bear. 🤞

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12 of #100DaysToOffload
#log
Thoughts? ´

#002113 – 12 de Março de 2025

O último álbum do Panda Bear para lavar a alma antes de sair a pedalar.

A major chore has just presented itself. The big wind knocked a big branch off the tree in my front yard this morning. I dragged it around to the side yard a few minutes ago where I'll spend this afternoon and tomorrow afternoon cutting it up and loading it into the green organics bin for Thursday's collection.

posted Tuesday, Mar 18, 2025 at ~12:23 PM #QNMAR2025

Why Can’t We Get Big Things Done Anymore?

At one point in American history, we built things—big things. Highways, power grids, Social Security, the Tennessee Valley Authority. Whether you agree with all of them or not, these were massive projects that reshaped the country. But lately, it feels like we’ve lost that ability. Government seems stuck, big ideas stall out, and progress moves at a crawl.

So, what happened?

Marc Dunkelman, a fellow at Brown University and author of Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress – and How to Bring it Back, has spent years studying this question. His conclusion? We live in an era of “vetocracy”—a system where there are too many ways to stop things from happening and not enough ways to make them happen.

The Internal Conflict of Progressivism

Dunkelman argues that modern progressivism is caught in a contradiction. On one hand, progressives believe government should step in and solve big problems, like climate change or infrastructure. On the other hand, they also fear government overreach and want to limit its power in certain areas—such as policing or personal freedoms.

It’s a tension that has existed in American politics for over a century. Dunkelman traces it back to two competing traditions: 1. The Hamiltonian View – Government should be strong and active in solving problems. 2. The Jeffersonian View – Government should be kept in check because it can be unresponsive, corrupt, or oppressive.

Both of these impulses have shaped progressivism over time. But since the 1960s, the Jeffersonian impulse—to limit government power—has gained dominance, creating a paradox where people demand action but also build in mechanisms that make action nearly impossible.

The Result? Paralysis

Think about it: • People want the government to tackle climate change—a massive problem requiring bold action. • At the same time, they want government to stay out of women’s reproductive rights—a stance that assumes a small, limited government.

Dunkelman points out that most people don’t even notice this contradiction, but it creates a deep inconsistency in how we expect government to function. And when a government is constantly checked, second-guessed, and stripped of authority, it loses its ability to do anything well.

Why This Opened the Door for Trump

According to Dunkelman, when government fails to deliver on big promises, voters don’t necessarily turn against government itself—they turn against the people running it.

This dysfunction has fueled the rise of figures like Donald Trump, who ran on the idea that traditional institutions weren’t just ineffective but fundamentally broken. If government can’t build things, fix things, or solve problems, voters start looking for a different kind of leader—someone who claims they can break the deadlock, by any means necessary.

How Do We Fix This?

Dunkelman suggests that instead of letting vetocracy paralyze every major decision, we need to give communities a voice, but not a veto. Too often, every small interest group can block progress without having to propose a workable alternative.

In other words, we need a system where people can be heard without being able to shut everything down. Because if we keep making government incompetent, how can we expect people to trust it with big problems?

It’s a frustrating reality—but also an opportunity. If the national government is stuck, maybe progress needs to start locally. Maybe smaller-scale action is where momentum can build. But one thing is clear: if we want to start getting big things done again, we need to rethink the way decisions are made.

1 2 drietje

Uitverkoop bij de kringloop.

Alles moet weg!

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Niks stijgt zo snel in waarde als in plastic verpakte aarde.

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Alles wat er valt te denken heb ik al meer dan eens gedacht om eerlijk te zijn had ik er wel wat meer dan dit van verwacht het lijkt er op dat ik de waarde van denken zwaar heb overschat het heeft alleen een hele hoop rotzooi in mijn leven gebracht.

En ben er zeker van dat ik niet de enigste ben die er zo over denkt als ik zie hoeveel van dat spul men naar kringloperijen brengt hoe weinig waardering er over blijft na overhandiging van het geschenk denken is als een dorst niet te lessen hoeveel oceanen je ook drinkt.

.con, de eerste dag waarop niemand iets koopt zal gevierd worden als een bevrijding..

Spoilers for Dragon Age: The Veilguard Act One and a major choice in the game.

———

“Why did you do it, Rook?”, Neve asked quietly, her voice betraying the depth of emotion she tried to hide.

“What? Eat the last of the dark chocolate?”, Alana replied with a lopsided grin. “I didn’t realise you were saving it.”

“Rook,” Neve sighed. “Alana – You know what I mean”.

Neve hoped that using Alana’s real name rather than their nickname would encourage them to take this conversation seriously. She understood their habit of turning everything into a joke. In a way, the two of them were similar. Where Alana deflected with humour, Neve built walls of ice. Different approaches, the same goal. Protection.

“Coming with you to fight that dragon in Minrathous, when there was another attacking Treviso”, Alana stated flatly through tight lips.

“Saving Minrathous, instead of your home…I wasn’t expecting it, but thank you”. Neve’s voice was gentle, tinged with kindness, and sadness.

“I didn’t do it to save Minrathous”. Alana put their hands on their hips. “Not all of it, anyway. The rich pricks in the high city would have been just fine without me, people like that always are. But Dock Town? They’d have let it burn”.

“I wouldn’t have thought that a Crow from the gilded city of Treviso would care about Dock Town”, Neve responded.

“I’m…not from Treviso”, Alana said in a low voice. “I’ve lived there most my life, but I wasn’t born there. I…was born in an alienage”.

Neve knew about elven alienages, cramped and impoverished quarters at the edges of most cities in Thedas, where the elf population were fenced in and treated worse than animals. She reached out to put a hand on Alana’s shoulder.

“When you showed me around Dock Town, it…reminded me of there”, Alana continued, unexpectedly finding themself opening up to Neve, feeling safe in her company. “The people there haven’t got much, but they have each other…and they have you”.

Alana placed their left hand on top of the one Neve had rested on their shoulder, and gave a gentle squeeze, before drawing away quickly.

“The Crows lifted me from that life, and I owe them everything. But I know they didn’t exactly do it out of the goodness of their hearts. Viago saw a mage that he could train into a living weapon. There’s not a Crow alive who ever knew someone like you – someone who just cares, without contracts and hidden agendas and strings attached. I saw how much you care for the people in Dock Town and I…” Alana broke off and turned to look at an indistinct patch of wall.

“Neve, I fucked up” they whispered. “I thought sending a Grey Warden to Treviso would have been enough, but Treviso is blighted, Viago hates me, and Lucanis…you should have seen him, he’s broken”.

“You had an impossible choice, Rook”, Neve assured them. “Nobody can be in two places at once, and believe me, if the Venatori had managed to use the dragon attack to stage a coup in Minrathous, the whole of Thedas could have fallen”.

“But I’m a Crow!” Alana snapped. “Or…I was. House de Riva won’t take me back now, not after this. What do I do, Neve?” Alana’s voice cracked and their eyes stung with salt. “What do I do?”

“Whatever it takes”. Neve’s voice resumed its usual icy conviction. “And you’re not alone. The Shadow Dragons will send aid to Treviso, we owe them that much. Give Lucanis time, and from what I’ve seen of Viago, he doesn’t hate you”.

Alana scoffed. “You don’t know Viago”.

“No, but I know how to read people. I’ve seen how he looks at you. He cares more about you than he would ever say.”

Alana shook their head slightly, but they knew Neve was right. They would write to Viago and Teia, offer help in clearing the blight and getting supplies through from their Lords of Fortune allies in Rivain, while Neve liaised with the Shadow Dragons in Minrathous to send support. They wouldn’t abandon Treviso. Not again.

Alana reached over to Neve’s writing desk, and swiped her half-full cup of coffee, in a familiar gesture done many times before. Taking a sip, their face scrunched at the bitter taste.

“We need to go help Treviso”, they said firmly. “Where else am I going to get decent coffee from? This stuff is awful!”

Neve’s mouth creased into a half-smile and they laughed softly. Alana was making jokes again. This was…good? Either way it was nice, and felt easy. The two of them, together, felt right. Neve sighed. This meant trouble, for sure.

#DragonAgeTheVeilguard #Fanfiction #AlanaDeRiva

I upgraded my Raspberry Pi 400 to 64-bit Raspberry Pi OS 2024-11-19 based on Debian Bookworm 12.9:

Since I had no files to preserve the process was surprisingly easy as I went with a full installation. And this time I finally used the Raspberry Pi Imager.

When I first set up the Pi 400 my only other desktop computer was a Chromebox that couldn't run the Imager on Crostini Linux. This imposed a less convenient network installation which, combined with a subtle bug, made me waste a couple of hours over three installation attempts.

Now I have a real Linux PC that runs the Imager just fine. Downloading Raspberry Pi OS, configuring it, and flashing the microSD card went smoothly. When I booted the Pi 400 from the card I was greeted by a ready to run system.

On the newly upgraded system, building Medley Interlisp from source for X11 took an hour or so. The environment still runs well with the labwc Wayland cmpositor that now ships with Raspberry Pi OS. But, like the previous Raspberry Pi OS release, Medley doesn't run under TigerVNC because of a connection issue.

#pi400 #linux

Day 2525 We are indeed so fragile. Physically. Emotionally. Spiritually. One tweak and there goes your life. Someone says something and there goes your offense. Let's be real you had no spiritually in the first place. We go about this earth like we mean something. We'll be dead before long. Forgotten by those ones who love us. Even those we cherish so much can be dead to us. Walk with some humility. Be sombre. Remember those below you. You never know who's going to handle you, Hereafter.

#Chapter25

How Fansly Appears on Your Bank Statement and Background Check

If you’re a creator on Fansly and receiving payments, there’s no denying that Fansly transactions will reflect on your bank statement. But what exactly do they say? And what if you’re worried about someone finding out? n this article, you will get almost everything you need to know: how Fansly transactions appear on bank statements or background checks, whether they show on background checks, and if there are ways to keep your transactions private.

Sarah’s Story: A Fansly Creator’s Journey to Privacy

Sarah, a 24-year-old graphic design graduate, never imagined she’d become a Fansly creator. Like many young adults, she was drawn to the platform as a way to earn extra income. While OnlyFans was her first choice, she quickly realized the competition was overwhelming, with many Hollywood celebrities dominating the platform. That’s when she decided to give Fansly a chance.

At first, everything seemed perfect. Sarah was earning a steady income, and her confidence grew. But one day, a chilling thought crossed her mind: What if my family finds out? She imagined her parents seeing "Fansly" or "Select Media LLC" on her bank statement or, worse, discovering her account during a background check.

Sarah’s fears weren’t unfounded. Fansly transactions typically appear as "Select Media LLC" on bank statements, but depending on the payment processor, they might also show up as "Fansly" or "CCBill." This meant her secret could be exposed at any moment.

What Does Fansly Show Up As on Bank Statements?

If you’re a Fansly creator or subscriber, you’ve probably wondered: What does Fansly show up as on bank statements? Here’s the breakdown:

For Creators

Payments from Fansly typically appear as “Select Media LLC” on your bank statement. This is the parent company behind Fansly.

For Subscribers

Charges for subscriptions or tips may show up as “Fansly” or “CCBill”, depending on your bank or payment processor.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to hide or alter these transactions. Banks and credit card companies are required to provide accurate records, which means your Fansly activity will be visible to anyone with access to your statements.

Does Fansly Show Up on Background Checks?

Sarah’s next concern was even more daunting: Does Fansly show up on background checks? The answer is yes, it can. Background checks often include a review of your financial history, and if your Fansly transactions are linked to your name, they could potentially be discovered.

This was a dealbreaker for Sarah. She had recently applied for a job at a multinational company and was terrified that her Fansly account would ruin her chances. She needed a solution—fast.

How to Remove Fansly from Background Checks

That’s when Sarah discovered Spokeo, a free Spokeo account that also offers an opt-out feature. Spokeo allows users to remove their personal information from public records and background check databases. Here’s how Sarah used Spokeo to clear her background:

She signed up for a free Spokeo account and performed a background check using her phone number.

She located her Fansly-related information in the report.

She filled out Spokeo’s opt-out form for free, requesting the removal of her data from all background check websites.

Within one week, her information was deleted from Spokeo’s database and other public records.

Sarah’s background was now clear, and she could confidently move forward with her job application. Today, she works at a multinational company, and her past as a Fansly creator remains private.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What does Fansly show up as on bank statements?

Fansly transactions typically appear as “Select Media LLC” on bank statements. However, depending on your bank or payment processor, they might also show up as “Fansly” or “CCBill.”

2. Can you hide Fansly transactions from your bank statement?

No, you cannot hide Fansly transactions from your bank statement. Banks are required to provide accurate records of all transactions.

3. Does Fansly show up on background checks?

Yes, Fansly can show up on background checks if your financial history is reviewed. This is especially true if your Fansly account is linked to your name.

4. How to remove Fansly from background checks?

You can use Spokeo to remove your Fansly-related information from background check databases. Simply sign up for a free Spokeo account, perform a background check, and fill out the opt-out form for free.

5. Is Spokeo free?

Yes, Spokeo offers free background checks and an opt-out feature. However, some premium services may require payment.

Why Spokeo is the Best Solution for Privacy

Spokeo is a trusted platform that helps individuals take control of their online privacy. Whether you’re a Fansly creator or simply want to protect your personal information, Spokeo’s opt-out feature ensures your data is removed from public records and background check websites. With its user-friendly interface and fast results, Spokeo is the go-to solution for anyone looking to safeguard their privacy.

Conclusion: Protect Your Privacy with Spokeo

Sarah’s story is a testament to the power of second chances. While she couldn’t erase her Fansly transactions from her bank statement, she was able to clear her background check using Spokeo. Today, she’s thriving in her career, and her past as a Fansly creator remains private.

If you’re in a similar situation, remember that there are solutions available. With tools like Spokeo, you can take control of your privacy and move forward with confidence.

Every night, I look at pictures taken a year ago today, two years ago today, three years ago today, and so on.

Five years ago today, my hands were covered in oozing eczema caused by a combination of anxiety, extreme stress, and an imbalanced diet. I was pouring all of my energy into things that weren’t mine. I was depressed and burned out. I was frustrated. I didn’t know who I was. I kept convincing myself, “This is what I want.” It wasn’t. By the end of that year, my ex-husband and I started living separately. We’d been together for fourteen years.

Four years ago today, I hiked to the summit of the Acatenango volcano in Guatemala and saw the sunrise. It was cold, misty, and unbelievably majestic. The climb was brutal because of the loose volcanic gravel. You take three steps forward and two steps back. My intuition had told me I needed to do something physically challenging to reach a particular realization, and I did. A couple of weeks later, I finally had the courage to tell my ex I wanted a divorce.

Three years ago today, I was healing from a sliced finger and a broken heart. I was supposed to meet and have a conversation with someone significant to me. The night before the alleged convo, I sliced my finger while cooking and spent all night at the ER. The incident must have been an ominous premonition. The conversation didn’t happen, leaving me saddened, unfulfilled, and unsettled.

Two years ago today, I’d been back home in Japan for two months. I caught COVID in late 2022 and needed to heal and recover under the care of my family. I had all these weird autoimmune symptoms and ended up staying for seven long months. I thought I was only staying for a couple of weeks at the most. During those months, I worked out and sweated it out, changed my diet completely, and rebuilt my foundation. I tackled the root causes of my health issues through trial and error without relying on prescriptions and temporary solutions. I also made painful visits to the past and faced my childhood traumas. It was some of the most emotionally difficult, lonely, and uncomfortable times of my life.

A year ago today, I was involved with a man who questioned my worth like no other. With him, I applied the lessons I’d learned from facing my parent wound head-on. In the brief period with him, I finally realized that what I knew to be okay wasn’t okay. This involved unlearning and re-learning of my lifelong beliefs. I was so overwhelmed once I reached the revelation that I couldn’t do anything for a month. I needed to heal. That was heavy but necessary.

Today, I am looking back at the past five years of my life. I am thankful for all the things I got to enjoy, experience, and overcome. I feel light, optimistic, and peaceful. I know that I earned this peace. I faced my demons. I didn’t run away from what scared me. I love the person I’m becoming. I love discovering unexplored parts of myself. I keep shedding and evolving.

Prayers, etc.: * 05:00 – Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel * 06:00 – praying The Angelus * 06:35 – praying the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary in Latin, followed by the Memorare. * 07:00 – making an Act of Contrition then making an Act of Spiritual Communion, followed by praying Archbishop Vigano’s prayer for USA & President Trump. * 07:20 – Readings from today's Mass include – Lesson: Eccli 44:16-27; 45:3-20 and Gospel: Matt 25:14-23. * 07:40 – Thought for today from Archbishop Lefebvre: It is not easy to maintain virtue, the orientation to the good. It is not always easy to obey, to follow the will of God. It requires courage constantly to do what God wills, because we are weak.

We have to shake ourselves up a little bit, push ourselves in order to do the will of God always and never allow ourselves to be tempted by evil. * 08:00 – Today's Morning Devotion (Isaias 12) found in Benedictus Magazine, followed by the Canticle of Zacharius (Lk 1:68-79). * 12:00 – praying The Angelus * 15:40 – prayerfully reading The Athanasian Creed. * 18:00 – The Angelus, followed by today's Evening Devotion (Psalm 119) found in Benedictus Magazine, followed by the Magnificat: Luke 1:46-55 * 19:00 – praying the hour of Compline for tonight according to the Traditional Pre-Vatican II Divine Office, followed by Fr. Chad Ripperger's Prayer of Command to protect my family, my sons, my daughter and her family, my granddaughters and their families, my great grandchildren, and everyone for whom I have responsibility from any demonic activity. – And that followed by the Monday Prayers of the Association of the Auxilium Christianorum.

Health Metrics: * bw= 224.21 lbs. * bp= 145/82 (68)

Diet: * 06:00 – 1 pb&j sandwich, 1 banana * 08:00 – snack on crackers and pimento cheese spread * 12:00 – 1 orange, meatloaf * 16:10 – fried chicken

Chores, etc.: * 05:00 – listen to local news talk radio * 06:30 – bank accounts activity monitored * 07:00 – follow news reports from various sources * 12:15 to 14:15 – watch old game shows and eat lunch at home with Sylvia * 14:30 – watch news reports from various sources while folding and putting away my weekly laundry * 18:00 – listening to relaxing music, and quietly reading

Chess: * 14:55 – moved in all pending CC games

posted Monday, 2025-03-17 ~20:55 #DLMAR2025

Another quiet day. Which is a good thing and much appreciated. Dozed through most of the morning, though I did remember to haul the weekly trash out to the curb for its collection. Did my weekly laundry through most of the afternoon. Watched a few old game shows on TV and ate lunch at home with the wife, then spent most of the rest of the day listening to relaxing music and quietly reading.

posted Monday, Mar 17, 2025 at ~8:43 PM #QNMAR2025

As I was opening it, I heard the creaking of the hinges of the compost lid. I built the thing before I knew how to do carpentry, and now it serves as a testament to all of the progress I made throughout these years of building stuff. As I did hear the creak I thought it was from the hen buried in there and it spooked me but it was just a creaky lid and unprocessed grief.

The moon shone brightly last night straight into the bedroom and it looked as if the lamp was on but it was the moon shining down on us from up there and that is significant.

A full moon shining like a 40w (old) light bulb with a cool light and the dead hen haunting me.

And then there’s the dogs. The smallest one just chews on my clothes and bites me on my nose and he does shit on the floor and pee on the carpet and he will bark when I am eating and try to steal my food and he sometimes humps my arm. When he shits sometimes it looks like ice cream being served from a soft ice machine. He is half the size of a small cat and I love him.

So there’s been a lot of stuff going on and therefore I’ve not been writing so much lately