Philosophical Questions: Beliefs

People have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.

Why are humans so confident in beliefs that can’t be proven?

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Vocabulary: Disability Dongle

A disability dongle is a thing made by abled people for disabled people, which is helpy rather than helpful. 

This is why we need programmers with disabilities.  They will make adaptiveware that is actually useful.

Anti-Shipping as Hate

Behind the Curtain: Anti-Shipping is a Bad Faith Position

Anti-shipping in fandom isn’t new. For as long as fandom has existed – our earliest sense of an organized fanclub for any book or franchise is the original Sherlock Holmes series — there have been people with strong opinions about pairings, romance, etc. Ship wars are practically synonymous with fandom at this point, whether it’s Ron/Hermione vs. Harry/Hermione vs. Draco/Hermione in Harry Potter, or all the way back in the 70s with Luke/Leia going to war against Han/Leia shippers. Anti-shipping at its most basic, then, is simply what it says on the tin; someone who is against a specific ship, sometimes to the point of getting angry or upset when it’s mentioned (odd but reasonable, since triggers are odd) or to harassing other shippers (not reasonable at all).

True, but in addition to becoming more vicious, anti-shipping has also become more common. It's ubiquitous in many fandoms to the point that people seem to view fandom as a hobby of complaining and a fun place to collect a posse to pick on people. Fandom used to be primarily about squeeing over things people loved.

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Friday Five

The Friday Five for 22 March 2024

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Birdfeeding

Today is partly sunny.

I haven't even been outside yet, but already I've seen a huge flock of mostly grackles and some brown-headed cowbirds in the forest garden and nearby house yard, some several dozen birds.  A flock of sparrows was at the hopper feeder.  I saw a fox squirrel with a walnut in its mouth on the maple tree, and a few minutes later, a fox squirrel on the hopper feeder, probably the same one.  Also, I finally saw a sparrow on the suet cage.  :D

EDIT 3/23/24 -- I dug a hole for the 'Fall Gold' yellow raspberry.

I've seen a pair of house finches, a robin, and a mourning dove in the forest garden.

EDIT 3/23/24 -- I fed the birds.  I've seen a small flock of house finches, a robin, and a mourning dove.  Several of the grackles were trying to eat from the hopper feeder, which has small ledges that don't really fit larger birds.  That's why I also have metal tray feeders and a fly-through feeder.

We hauled 2 bags of cypress mulch and 2 bags of composted manure to the picnic table.

I heard a woodpecker drumming but didn't see it.  We haven't had any this winter, so it's nice to have one back.

EDIT 3/23/24 -- I planted the yellow raspberry, spread compost around it, and covered it with a jug.

I really like my new 1-gallon bucket.  It's very convenient for small jobs.  I think I want another one, because I wound up using a flowerpot anyway when the bucket already had something in it.

EDIT 3/23/24 -- I trimmed brush.  I dug a hole for the 'Brandywine' purple raspberry.

EDIT 3/23/24 -- I planted the purple raspberry, spread compost around it, and covered it with a jug.

EDIT 3/23/24 -- I planted the lily of the valley roots.  The box said 3 but actually had 5.  I put 2 in the previous patch for sake of diversity and 3 along the log garden under the mulberry tree.

EDIT 3/23/24 -- I watered plants.

EDIT 3/23/24 -- I cut brush in the ritual meadow.

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.

Poetry Fishbowl Update

I finished today's poem, though I still have a few more to write.  There are poems across a wide range of sizes from short to long already.  If you're haven't made your selections yet, and plan to sponsor something, now's the time for that.