some of you know that i wrote a book - "Mages & Modems" - soon to be published, about my experiences growing up in the 80s and 90s with microcomputers in northern canada.

back in 95-97, as a teenager, i worked at the arctic's first ISP. but before it became an isp, ssi micro was canada's only Gateway 2000 computer retailer.

a village of less than 500 people housed a massive 40,000 sq ft computer store.

i've been searching for photos of the old computer store, before it disappeared in the 2000s. the search has been fruitless for twenty years, until today.

today i found the one surviving photo of the store EXACTLY as it was the day i left it to go to university when i was 17 years old.

an annotated version of this photo will appear in the book. the photo is painfully low-res (digital cameras were VERY new in 97), but you can make out some of the details if you squint.

a few fun things: the cowprint sweaters in the center of the photo are official Gateway 2000 gear. i don't remember us selling a single one to a customer 😅

directly behind the sweaters are slatwall shelves (every computer store had 'em!) full of games. my big box copy of Dune CD-ROM - the one with the incredible sandworm mouth - came from that shelf

to the right of the sweaters and main entrance, along the shelves, are dozens of ISA and PCI upgrade cards. whenever a customer made a custom order, i'd walk over from the service bay, grab the upgrade card, and stick it in their machine. it was always exciting to get to test new weird stuff like SCSI and video capture boards.

the computer on the far right was supposed to be for customers to test out software and our internet service. i never once saw a customer use it, but i sure as hell got a lot of Quake DMing done on that machine 😆 it was a Gateway 2000 full tower with a Pentium 90. the fastest machine in the building.

i was a repair/ISP technician in those days, and my little service bay was beyond the wooden birch-coloured doorway. that room also housed our local dial-in lines (four of them!) and 33.6 Sportsters.

if you're interested in reading the book, i'll be posting about it more in the coming weeks. i've got a few review copies out, and once i've had more feedback and (made some edits) it'll be ready to go.

if you can identify some of the software or hardware in the photos, i'll be happy to include it in the annotated version with credit 😀

#1990s #retroComputing #books #dosGaming

Family says Robert Mueller diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2021: Report

I remember posting a few years ago that I was concerned about his slow, deliberate movements, speech, gait, and masked face. #USPol

usatoday.com/story/news/politi…

Robert Mueller diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, report says

The former special counsel was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2021, his family told the New York Times on Aug. 31.

^{, USA TODAY (USA TODAY)}

Elon Musk's contraceptive warning: 'Read the box of anything you…'
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/elon-musks-contraceptive-warning-read-the-box-of-anything-you/articleshow/123627923.cms?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Posted into LIFESTYLE @lifestyle-TimesofIndia_

Elon Musk's contraceptive warning: 'Read the box of anything you…'

Elon Musk's recent post on X, cautioning people to be aware of medication side effects, has ignited a debate about hormonal contraceptives. New resear

^{TOI Lifestyle Desk (The Times Of India)}

Terremoto di magnitudo 6.0 in Afghanistan, media: oltre 600 vittime
https://tg24.sky.it/mondo/2025/09/01/terremoto-afghanistan-oggi?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Pubblicato su Mondo @mondo-SkyTG24

Terremoto di magnitudo 6.0 in Afghanistan, media: oltre 600 vittime

Leggi su Sky TG24 l'articolo Terremoto di magnitudo 6.0 in Afghanistan, media: oltre 600 vittime

^{Redazione Sky TG24 (Sky TG24)}

»Linus Torvalds stellt Bcachefs kalt«
– von @linuxnews

Ich wusste nicht, dass auch Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp & Co) bei der Linux Entwicklung beteiligt ist (war?). Überraschend ist dies nicht und macht durchaus Sinn und doch ist dies scheinbar deren Zusammenarbeit nicht ganz so friedlich halbwegs beendet.

🐧 linuxnews.de/linus-torvalds-st…

#linux #linustorvalds #bcachefs #meta #dateisystem #beenden #server #it

Linus Torvalds stellt Bcachefs kalt

Linus Torvalds war in den vergangenen zwei Wochen auf Familienbesuch im Ausland. Nach seiner Rückkehr befasste er sich nun mit der Causa Overstreet.

^{Ferdinand (LinuxNews.de)}

Now heres a pickle? Found on flipboard
the Daily Fail outed a bliarite!

The judge who ruled asylum seekers can continue to be housed at an Essex hotel has been reported to the judiciary amid claims of 'apparent bias' over his links to left-wing organisations.

Lord Justice Bean delivered Friday's landmark Court of Appeal ruling, which meant an initial injunction preventing the Bell Hotel in Epping Forest from housing migrants was no longer valid.

Lord Justice Bean, sitting with two other judges, said the initial judge made 'a number of errors in principle'. It represented a victory for the Home Office, who can continue to use hotels to house asylum seekers, despite concerns from local councils and protests from communities.

But a leading barrister has referred the senior judge to the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO), which deals with discipline, amid claims of potential conflicts of interest.

Lord Justice Bean was chairman of the socialist Fabian Society from 1989 to 1990 which works very closely with Labour.

He was succeeded by Labour grandees including the former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, Treasury minister Ed Balls, Children's minister Margaret Hodge, and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

He was one of the founding members of the Matrix Chambers, alongside Cherie Blair, wife of the former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair, while Lord Hermer, the current Attorney General, joined later.

Why I'm not productive.

Mrs. Miasma: You've been in your study for hours. Were you reading?

Me: Yes *

*Sort of true, I mean, I WAS reading, but I might have been watching a lot of these, too.

youtube.com/shorts/O67FFeCiHeY

youtube.com/shorts/8pIBALDnhgw

youtube.com/@BucketstheDrummer…

#MusicComedy
#Distractions

Buckets the Drummer

"I'm not horsing around." Red flannel, blue jeans and a man-horse with his five gallon buckets in the bathroom; Buckets the Drummer is a musician and silent comic known for his bathtub drumming videos.

^YouTube

Sensitive content Clicca per aprire/chiudere

I'm far from an expert on religion, but as I understand it, if God created people in His image, then surely it is profane to cover His most loved creation? After all, who told you you were naked? #ChooseNude: Observe your Religion

#fkk #naturist #naturism #nudist #nudism @clothingoptional @nudism

Sensitive content Clicca per aprire/chiudere

#BBCNews live page: bbc.co.uk/news/live/cy8kkxxxj3…
Afghanistan earthquake: More than 600 people killed, Taliban interior ministry says
As aftershocks continue, rescue efforts are being complicated by narrow mountain roads, some of which have been blocked by landslides

Officials have requested aid from international organisations

Afghanistan earthquake live: More than 600 killed, Taliban interior ministry says

The 6.0 magnitude quake struck at a depth of 8km (6 miles) and shook buildings from Kabul to Pakistan's capital Islamabad.

^{BBC News}

(Repeat)
Parlare di IA è come parlare di auto ibride: molti se ne riempiono la bocca dimenticando che dietro l' etichetta il reale funzionamento può essere ben diverso secondo il fornitore/produttore.

#ia #auto #motori #web

The most important thing I can tell you about writing or any other creative pursuit is this:

Give yourself permission to do it and don't worry about being "good" at it.

Life is short. Creativity is joyful. Just do it! Have fun. Muck about.

If you stick it out, you can get good at it over time, if that's important to you — but it doesn't have to be.

You can just play with creativity for the pure joy of it, too.

If it brings you joy, do it.

#Art #Creativity #Writing

Welcome dear September.

Since we were kids, we loved you. You were the month of nice weather, going back to school, and full of good energy.

Please September be kind this year. Don’t bring pain, loss, displacement, or hunger.

Be gentle just like we knew you before.

#gaza #palestine

This is completely devoid of humanity, beyond all reason, and has to be stopped.

middleeasteye.net/live-blog/li…

Trump administration looking at proposals at ethnically cleansing Gaza

^{Middle East Eye}

The nasty party outs the backstabbing nasty party! It's sort of Oh Joy!
But a grate* giggle?

But how a £800,000 second home? In only 1 year! Some bunce package?

The sleaze crisis engulfing Angela Rayner is being fuelled by a Labour 'civil war' over who should succeed Keir Starmer, the Tories claimed yesterday.

Shadow Cabinet minister Alex Burghart has said that senior Labour figures are more interested in jockeying for position to take over from the Prime Minister than in dealing with the problems facing the country.

Mr Burghart said it is 'very likely' that damaging information about Ms Rayner's personal life and tax affairs is being leaked by Labour rivals who believe Sir Keir will be forced out over his dire poll ratings.

'This is the sort of infighting we are going to see a lot more of in public as Labour politicians fear the collapse of Keir Starmer's regime and start briefing against each other,' he told the Daily Mail.

*Pun on the smouldering ashes of both parties!

dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1…

Angela Rayner sleaze crisis is being fuelled by Labour 'civil war' over who should succeed Keir Starmer, Tories claim

Shadow Cabinet minister Alex Burghart said it was 'very likely' damaging information about Ms Rayner's (pictured) personal life and tax affairs is bei...

^{Jason Groves Political Editor (Daily Mail)}

Otro aforado..

¿Pués nada?... entonces estás libre..

non – l’été n’est pas fini !

Anna Karvounari
#flowers #photography

Modi Shores Up China Ties, US Tariff Legal Fight, More
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/audio/2025-09-01/modi-shores-up-china-ties-us-tariff-legal-fight-more?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Posted into Podcasts @podcasts-bloomberg

This is stunning, even for Google.

#AI

Che bello.

Aucards
apt.izzysoft.de/packages/vadim…

#adhd #autismo #audhd #app

„Aucards“ – IzzyOnDroid F-Droid Repository

Create reusable cards for quick access when non-verbal communication is needed.

^{IzzyOnDroid Repo Browser}

"... we need a plan. Right now."
johnmenadue.com/post/2025/09/t…
Any realistic plan for lasting peace must begin with the dismantling of the Zionist ethno-colony named "Israel".
@palestine

#CrimesAgainstHumanity
#genocide
#Palestine
#Israel

The gates of Gaza

What happens when the gates of Gaza are opened?

^{johnmenadue.com}

🚨 Il Nord Reno-Westfalia introduce il rilevamento delle doppie cittadinanze nelle statistiche criminali. SPD: "Manovra elettorale assurda che favorisce il razzismo". #Germania #PoliticaTedesca #DoppiaCittadinanza

ilmitte.com/2025/08/doppie-naz…

Questo Land tedesco registra le doppie nazionalità nelle statistiche dei reati

A febbraio è stato pubblicato uno studio dell’Istituto per la ricerca economica di Monaco, nel quale si dimostrava, con abbondanza di dati statistici, l’assenza di correlazione fra immigrazione e crim

^{Redazione (il Mitte)}

ca 15 years ago i used some webpage that would take my email address and then send me updates whenever the urls i had specified would change. IIRC they made that service cost money a long time ago at which point i DIYed it in shell script

it was called ChangeDetection, so running my own email server, that's the email address i used there: from.changedetection@mydomain. i think they shut down shortly after trying to monetise, so i haven't had any emails coming in on that address in a LONG time

until…

guess what just happened? very sleazy looking US company "seamless.ai" just sent me a "Personal Data Privacy Notice" about "wanting to inform you of the collection, processing, and sharing of your personal data"… to the address i once gave that ChangeDetection service!

they are trying to do GDPR but are failing spectacularly by sourcing email addresses from gods-know-where. i guess the ChangeDetection people ultimately did find a way to monetise that site by selling their database to spammers

unfortunately they won't let me GDPR request a data removal without doxxing myself to them. no way i'm doing that. on the other hand the only data they have is an old, unused email address that i can just tag for perpetual greylisting