This is my second favorite time of year. Shifting from winter to spring is the biggest relief (by end of winter, I am dying), but shifting from summer to autumn is downright magical. There’s fruit everywhere for me to pick and eat. The days are finally cooling off so I can be out in sunlight again, not just walking at night (although that’s nice too).
I think spring and fall might be when I injure myself most often, too. I’m outside having way too much fun. Bruises abound. I’m kind of a mess today after going flying off my scooter yesterday. Guess it’s nice to feel alive?
A couple years back, I had a *much* worse fall just walking around on my own two feet. My knee was injured for a full year. This time, I think I’m just very bruised. I’ll take it. I’m not sure if I’ll be back in the gym until my wrist feels better, though.
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I’m not surprised to hear that the Cybertruck is the bestselling vehicle in its price range. (Jalopnik) Like they say, bad press is still press. It’s basically a viral car. All this attention can’t be beat as far as marketing goes.
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This is the kind of news I care about: there was a groundhog in a toy claw game. There’s pictures. (The Guardian)
Colonel Custard was returned safely to the Pennsylvania wilderness.
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California state IDs can go in Apple Wallet now. (Engadget) I actually…don’t like this? I know it’s really convenient. But if you hand a law enforcement officer your unlocked phone, they can look through it. I don’t really want CHiPs able to check out my nudes just because I was going 80 in a 70.
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I’ve been thinking about this Psyche article on “opposite action” quite a lot since reading it. It’s specific to getting over feelings for your ex, but it’s using a dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) concept that can be applied more broadly.
Basically, if you’re feeling something undesirable for the moment, how could you act in a way that would be opposite to that feeling?
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It’s a low-selling year for Burning Man. (The Guardian) Honestly, pandemic and climate change have been kind of a gift for Burning Man. It got out of hand. All the classic Burners would much rather have the big organization vacate the playa permanently and just have an old-style camping trip.
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In fun disease news, mpox is a global health emergency (AJE) and I’m keeping an eye now on oropouche (NPR) as climate change allows it to leave its usual stomping grounds. Slapped cheek virus is also spreading. (Ars Technica) I actually know someone online whose family dealt with this, and it sounds nasty.
Mpox requires intimate contact to spread; oropouche is spread by insects. We don’t need to be alarmed about either just yet.
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The clustercluck of Starliner continues. (Quartz)
Experts are now concerned that any attempt to bring the craft back to Earth before the thrusters are fixed could result in it spinning out of control and hitting the ISS.
I wonder if NASA’s gonna keep working with Boeing? I’m sure they have a contract that says whether they have to do that or not, so it’s not really a rhetorical question.
Meanwhile, SpaceX is planning to do a couple orbits to conduct observations on Earth’s polar regions. (Scientific American) I wish they would suck a little less so I could feel more supportive. They’re polluting the heck out of Texas. (Quartz)
I also keep hearing that there’s a lot of liquid water under Mars’s surface. (AJE) We just can’t access it.
