Day: October 20, 2025

AWS is down, throwing the majority of the academic super structure that is Canvas into chaos. That means students cannot access their work. That isn’t the end of the chaos. A large chunk of the internet is down. That means a large chunk of the internet–at least the part used in this country is being channeled to us through a single provider. That is great for corporations and crap for society and societal freedom. At any rate it got me down a rabbit hole and into this interesting and quite enlightening podcast called Surrounded. The idea behind this is that 20 or so people from one side of an issue or ideology debate one person on the other side. It is wild and barely contained, but it shows how people think. I am wondering how many people feel this way on these issues or if this sample size is not indicative of a larger population. If it is, I’m a lot worried about what we are thinking as USA residents and where that thinking is coming from. I love and believe in free speech. It allows people to understand where each other are at. The problem is where we are at and that level of polarization and bias is only heightened and we are only getting more and more insular. That is the result of media expansion. It worries me because not only are we becoming more insular but but we are finding these divisive spaces and expanding them to physical spaces.

I’m feeling pretty good today. Assembled and mounted a fan and assembled a weed whacker and tested that sucker. I’m going on two days of putting things together and it feels totally solid. I’m not writing as much as I am building, but this is a step forward in terms of feeling like I am getting things done. I’m happy and back on the grind. It has taken me a really long time to get started, but I feel myself moving in the right direction.

Some Thoughts:

1. UNC Bears sold another late game. That’s 3, though one was actively stolen from them. They should be a six win team right now, but they’ve failed to convert at the goal line, and that has cost them. This last one hurt me, because it was a big game and the loss was self-inflicted. I’m not talking about the 4 interceptions (two of which were pick of the six variety, meaning this QB has thrown 4 pick sixes this season through 7 games). I’m talking about the choice to throw a slant on 4th and 1 from the 3. Marshawn Lynch knows what I mean…
2. It is hard for me to watch my kids lose. It is happening all the time now…