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Chinatown, Pax Unplugged, masks, and games

I'm back into Airbnb life, and just moved to Philly Chinatown. A modest number of surgical masks in older Chinese people at the grocery stores, plus one young woman in a K-mask I saw around. A couple old white people, homeless or semi-so, in surgicals. Very little masking in Trader Joe's, mostly one cashier, despite TJ having the highest CO2 levels I've seen in a grocery store -- 1300 when I checked. TJ packs in customers and does not have great ventilation.

It also turns out that Pax Unplugged, a large table/board game convention, was happening this weekend, two blocks away. Perhaps this explains why getting an Airbnb was annoying and expensive, compared to what I saw in DC. A friend of mine was flying out Sunday morning, so swapped me his 3-day pass so I could check it out. Free in money and almost free in time, why not?

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Newly Minted

I went upstairs to do some light cleaning and putting things away. Part of this was making a box of dead electronics to go to recycling. As I was tossing things into that box, I found my old laptop that I had given to K and that she had given back to me well before she left for college. The power brick was with it, so I figured I'd plug it in and see what shape it was in.

Happily, it powered up and took a charge, so that was a good start. But it turns out this laptop is just a wee bit too old to be upgraded to Windows 11 and with only 8 GB of RAM and no further expansion capabilities, probably not worth fighting to upgrade. It is, however, a perfectly fine machine for certain purposes.

So I have installed Linux Mint on it, which is my first time doing this. (I have Zorin OS on a much older laptop that I mostly haven't touched in years. I looked at Zorin first and decided that Mint would be a better choice.)

The install was easy, although I had to use a different tool than the one they had suggested to make the bootable USB stick for the install. Happily, Rufus works for this.

And now, everything is up and running and I'm able to access the Internet and even post updates.

Like this one. :)

Owning The Owner

Posted by Not Always Right

https://notalwaysright.com/owning-the-owner/397816/

https://notalwaysright.com/?p=397816

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Me: "Hey, you know what? I've never met the owner."
Coworker: "Yeah, me neither."
Me: "But you've been here over a year, right?"
Coworker: "Yeah. Weird."

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Grounded Pepper

Posted by Not Always Right

https://notalwaysright.com/grounded-pepper/398103/

https://notalwaysright.com/?p=398103

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Mom: "[Brother]! That's it! You're grounded!"
Me: "Mom, grounding doesn't really work on [Brother] anymore. His room is where all his toys are."
Mom: "Hmm, you're right. [Brother], you're coming grocery shopping with me! You're gonna help your momma run errands all day!"

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2025.11.23

‘Eating Indigenously’: award-winning chef celebrates Native American cuisine in new cookbook
James Beard-winning chef Sean Sherman’s cookbook Turtle Island pushes readers to view food systems through an Indigenous lens
Melissa Hellmann
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/23/sean-sherman-turtle-island-cookbook-indigenous-food

French winemakers ‘battle for survival’ as minister prepares for crisis talks
Vineyard owners say sales slump, Trump tariffs and worst harvest in 70 years have put producers in danger of closure
Kim Willsher
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/23/french-winemakers-sales-slump-crisis-talks

Bird flu: first ever death from rare H5N5 strain is recorded in US
Washington state resident’s backyard flock of domestic poultry had been exposed to wild birds, health officials said
Associated Press
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/22/bird-flu-first-death-h5n5-strain-us

Rocky Horror creator Richard O’Brien: ‘The Spice Girls couldn’t sing. But lovely girls’
The actor, writer and musician on growing up on a sheep farm in New Zealand, being in Spice World and a lovely afternoon with Aretha Franklin
Rich Pelley
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/22/rocky-horror-show-creator-richard-obrien-interview-spice-girls-aretha-franklin-new-zealand

Analysis
China has brought millions out of poverty. The US has not – by choice
Eduardo Porter
Despite the US’s economic success, income inequality remains breathtaking. But this is no glitch – it’s the system
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/23/china-us-poverty-income-inequality

Maga is in meltdown over a preppy pink sweater for men. So, what exactly is the problem?
Ellie Violet Bramley
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/23/maga-meltdown-pink-sweater-men-masculinity-fragile

'We've never seen this before': The spectacular stereo images of giant galaxies
Stephen Dowling
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20251121-sir-brian-mays-stereo-vision-of-galaxies

November

https://www.oglaf.com/november/

This Is Why Artists Suffer

Posted by Not Always Right

https://notalwaysright.com/this-is-why-artists-suffer/398131/

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I overhear two young guys looking at a large piece of abstract modern art.
Friend #1: "I could’ve painted that."
Friend #2: "Sure, but he actually did."

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Benefits by Zoë Fairbairns

Mother's Benefits become the means by which British governments provide British women with the same benevolent management Britain once provided to India, Ireland, and Africa.

Benefits by Zoë Fairbairns

Look In The Pencil Pit(tsburgh)

Posted by Not Always Right

https://notalwaysright.com/look-in-the-pencil-pittsburg/398876/

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I teach a first-grade class. I have a bucket of sharpened pencils for them to use.
Student: "Miss [My Name], I need a pencil."
Me: "Where do the pencils live?"

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Burlesque Picture of the Day, 2025-11-22: Bunny Pistol!

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

George Frideric Handel - As Pants the Hart: In the Voice of Praise and Thanksgiving

Chapel Royal Choir

Musicians Extra-ordinary

Andrew Gant, conductor

More info about today’s track: Naxos 9.00208

Courtesy of Naxos of America Inc.

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Lack of Support

I am scheduled to go see the podiatrist on Wednesday for a follow-up visit for the new orthotics that I got last month. That is good, because these things are killing me and today is especially bad.

The problem is that I'm simply not getting enough support. Now I think he thought there was a good chance that these were going to be insufficiently supportive, but he didn't want to err in the opposite direction.

He has not. They are "sort of" ok, but today everything is hurting from the hips on down, because I've been out walking around and that actually requires, well, support.

After the follow-up, I may hand these orthotics back to him and switch to the standard supports that come with these shoes that I can install. They normally work pretty well for two or three months and then I've just caved in the shoes and it's time to start with a new pair.

But I suspect that things will hurt less.

Holly Poly 2025

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Texts From Superheroes

https://textsfromsuperheroes.com/post/800968687815442432

Texts From SuperheroesFacebook | Threads | Patreon | Instagram | BlueSky

https://textsfromsuperheroes.com/post/800968687815442432

Small victories in writing a novel

Posted by Sharon

https://sharonleewriter.com/2025/11/small-victories-in-writing-a-novel/

https://sharonleewriter.com/?p=14669

Cat Tax first! Firefly decided to sleep in this morning.

Lunchtime report: I do believe I’ll finish my business with the words that are already written today. Which means that my next 6-day writing sprint, starting Wednesday will be all about writing new words!

Guess I’d better in a box or two, so I don’t run out.

End of Day report: And that? Is the correx entered. I still may need to trim the front, but for now, I think I have all my avians in a row, and can go, more or less confidently, forward.

So! The week coming.

Tomorrow morning, I’ll finish up the Quick ‘n Dirty chapter-by-chapter, just to be certain that the assertion made above is true.

Tomorrow afternoon, I have a Zoom interview with the Baen Free Radio Hour, in which we’ll chat about I Dare. I’ll let y’all know when that will air.

Monday morning, I need to go to the cancer center to get a blood draw and talk with the Survivalist. I may or may not do some other errands while I’m out. Tuesday evening is needlework. Thursday, I’ll make myself a nice meal and Friday morning Sarah will be by to clean for me. This means I’ll have a large portion of six days (not six entire days) to write new words, which is Extremely Cool because I have reached the stage of being So. Sick. Of. This Book.

Right on schedule.

I guess I should wash the pots ‘n pans before it’s time for Happy Hour.

The cats and I may watch another episode of Maigret this evening. Firefly quite liked last night’s episodes.

Everybody have a good evening. Stay safe. I’ll check in tomorrow.

https://sharonleewriter.com/2025/11/small-victories-in-writing-a-novel/

https://sharonleewriter.com/?p=14669

Entry tags:

Small victories in writing a novel

Cat Tax first! Firefly decided to sleep in this morning.

Lunchtime report: I do believe I'll finish my business with the words that are already written today. Which means that my next 6-day writing sprint, starting Wednesday will be all about writing new words!

Guess I'd better in a box or two, so I don't run out.

End of Day report: And that? Is the correx entered. I still may need to trim the front, but for now, I think I have all my avians in a row, and can go, more or less confidently, forward.

So! The week coming.

Tomorrow morning, I'll finish up the Quick 'n Dirty chapter-by-chapter, just to be certain that the assertion made above is true.

Tomorrow afternoon, I have a Zoom interview with the Baen Free Radio Hour, in which we'll chat about I Dare. I'll let y'all know when that will air.

Monday morning, I need to go to the cancer center to get a blood draw and talk with the Survivalist. I may or may not do some other errands while I'm out. Tuesday evening is needlework. Thursday, I'll make myself a nice meal and Friday morning Sarah will be by to clean for me. This means I'll have a large portion of six days (not six entire days) to write new words, which is Extremely Cool because I have reached the stage of being So. Sick. Of. This Book.

Right on schedule.

I guess I should wash the pots 'n pans before it's time for Happy Hour.

The cats and I may watch another episode of Maigret this evening. Firefly quite liked last night's episodes.

Everybody have a good evening. Stay safe. I'll check in tomorrow.

Entry tags:

the russian-ukrainian war

.”Men Say Peace, Peace, and There Is No Peace”

I do not love war, but I do not believe that Ukraine should sign the proposed “peace accord,” nor that the United States should deny aid to Ukraine if Ukraine refuses to sign. There is no reason to believe that signing the accord would bring a lasting peace; it would merely put Russia in a better position for the next round of aggression. Donald Trump, an egregiously incompetent negotiator and an admirer of dictators, naturally fails to understand this, or perhaps does not care.

I will send messages to my Congressman and Senators, urging them to stand firm, and do what they can to support Ukraine.

Entry tags:

history

Ending of a Golden Age

John Stossel has interviewed Johan Norberg about golden ages, welfare benefits, and decline. I have read Mr. Norbert’s book Peak Human, about the golden ages of various human societies, what contributed to them, and how they were followed by decline, and I recommend it; there’s more to the book than blaming an excess of spending on welfare. You may still want to read the article online, and perhaps follow up on it by reading the whole book.

The Meow-man Always Rings Twice

Posted by Not Always Right

https://notalwaysright.com/the-meow-man-always-rings-twice/397589/

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One very rainy day, I went to answer the doorbell to find packages, but no one was waiting for me to sign. Eventually, I spotted the deliveryman running back to his vehicle to get out of the rain. I wasn't sure why he would bother to ring my doorbell if he didn't need me to sign for anything this time.

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2025.11.22

‘The French people want to save us’: help pours in for glassmaker Duralex
The brand, which evokes nostalgia and pride, hit its €5m fundraising target within hours and orders have soared
By Kim Willsher in La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/22/french-people-want-to-save-us-help-pours-glassmaker-duralex

We know ultra-processed foods are bad for you – but can you spot them? Take our quiz
Test your knowledge in eight questions to prove you know your onions from your emulsifiers
Natasha May
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/nov/21/ultra-processed-foods-quiz

Review
Children and teens roundup – the best new picture books and novels
The return of Charlie and Lola; the second lives of trees; the dangers of time travel; a YA Bluebeard retelling and more
Imogen Russell Williams
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/nov/21/children-and-teens-roundup-the-best-new-picture-books-and-novels

At least 41 dead as relentless rains flood Vietnam
Kelly Ng
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ceq0q3e2j17o

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