David Erik Nelson's Blog, page 26

I don’t fit in at Women’s Group either, P.J.

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History is a Reminder that We Do Not Live in Uniquely Stupid or Chaotic Times

This comic is from 1930 and about the smallpox vaccine, but it is also 100% from this past year and about Right Now. (The second guy is labelled “Faddist,” which Snopes explains is “a largely archaic word that describes people who turn to alternative or niche health trends, especially diets, in a way that neglects or contradicts mainstream scientific advice.” i.e., anyone taking horse dewormer or...

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Flashback Friday: “First Days”

Just a brief reflection on First Days at school. I wrote this back in 2017, when my youngest began kindergarten. I posted it now, because after 406 with no in-person school, it’s taken me a month to process that her first day of the school year came and went without dire consequences. About to board the bus for her First Day This old essay begins like so:Tuesday was my daughter’s first day...

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On the occasion of his 365th day spent shredding guitar and filing patents in Heaven

This is a real illustration for a real patent really filed by (and granted to) Eddie Van Halen—yes, that Eddie Van Halen of the band Van Halen, may his memory be for a blessing. (FUN FACT: The above video has not “aged poorly”; it was exactly as offensive in 1984 as it is today. Also, still hella catchy.

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New Interactive Fiction: “Shoot First!”

I’ve added a new interactive fiction, “Shoot First!“, to my Patron’s Only Digital Vault. For as little as $3 patrons get immediate access to all the goodies in the Vault, including an analog horror film, audio books, new fiction and music, interactive goodies, etc. Check it out on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/

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As an adult man with major depression . . .

. . I’ve gotta say, John Oliver is an absolute blessing.

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Cleaning up Your Twitter “Interests”

In order to rein in the ads and “Promoted” posts in your Twitter feed, you need to uncheck all of your “Interests” in the Ads preferences section of your Settings. This list is usually in the hundreds, if not thousands—and each item must be manually unchecked. This script helps enormously: Automatically Unchecking Twitter Interests. I found changing the timer from “100” to “3000

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FUN FACT: Moderating Facebook Gives Facebook Moderators PTSD

The question for me is this: Does Facebook provide anywhere near the social value to justify what this man suffered? Does it provide enough value to justify the suffering of the likely thousands of workers who Facebook employees to protect us from Facebook? As you reflect on this, you probably want to check out The Facebook Files, an ongoing investigative series from the Wall Street Journal...

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Recommended Read (Listen): PseudoPod: PseudoPod 771: “The Human Chair” 🦑😱

Holy shit! This story! It is extremely worth your time and attention. “The Human Chair” by Edogawa Ranpo, translated by Allen Zhang...

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The last ten seconds of this video leave me feeling so *seen*! 😂🤣💀✡

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