rollerskatinglizard

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Finally figured out how to permanently disable google assistant on phone

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Arizona by Todd Michael

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I was thinking about how I have grown to value mandatory voting over a system that allows allegedly more freedom. Because in country, mandatory voting means I just have to send in a ballot. It can be empty or filled with the write in ballot "pickle farts" if I want.

If I go to the voting station all I have to do is get my name checked off. I don't have to vote if I don't want to.

But it means it is much more difficult for the government to try and suppress voters. Because voters have a legal obligation to go to the polls, so you can't restrict them or try tactics to dissuade them.

Voting polls are open long hours with access to food and water being a fairly standard staple. You don't need any form of ID, you have to be given time to go vote in work hours without penalty if you cannot do it after work hours.

Every now and then a politician tries some small way of voter suppression but it isn't as easy. And so I have learned to appreciate it.

But when I googled, out of curiosity, if the USA had ever had anything like that I was met with a barrage of websites talking about freedom and justice and the absolute liberty of Americans. I thought an eagle was going to bust out of the screen.

Going through some of these I noticed they were think tanks connected to billionaires, one of them was funded and created by the Koch brothers.

Gotta love how often the American "freedom" is actually used as a way to further deny actual freedoms, both linguistically and politically.

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Work in progress by the talented, Aubrey Jangala Dixon

Aubrey Tjangala was born in 1974 at Yayi Yayi, a Pintupi outstation 30km west of Papunya. Yayi Yayi was a temporary settlement established by Pintupi people as they began their migration back into the Western Desert during the homelands movement of the 1970s.

After returning to his home Country,

Aubrey lived at his father's outstation,

Ininti, before settling in Kintore where he resides today.

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Brain Tickles Masterpost

Someone asked so now there is one. Only kind of a FAQ but it's easier to format this information as a series of questions.

Q: What's this brain tickles/brain implant thing you keep posting about?

A: I'm a cyborg science experiment. The less cool way to say this is that I'm a patient in a clinical trial testing a new application of deep brain stimulation. I have a pacemaker for my brain, basically. The device isn't new but the use is.

Q: What's the device like?

A: It's a couple of depth leads attached to a small box set into my skull, everything underneath the skin. It monitors my brain activity in one side of my amygdala, and when it detects a certain concerning biomarker (pattern of brain activity), it zaps my left ventral capsule in response.

You can check out the actual manuals for the device here, which include a step-by-step for neurosurgeons. I think that's pretty cool.

Q: So you don't have epilepsy. What disease are they studying this for?

A: I have treatment-resistant major depression. The study guys think this is probably a different disease altogether from what you can treat with medication, due to how it behaves, and also, because it won't respond to anything short of direct neurostimulation (like TMS or ECT, which will get a response but not ultimately work).

Besides making me not life-ruiningly miserable for literally no reason all the time, the stimulation makes major improvements to my otherwise pretty shaky cognition and memory, gives me the energy to perform basic tasks, and seems to fix a lot of autonomic stuff like insomnia and digestive issues as well.

Q: Does that mean they know what causes depression?

A: They know several different parts of the brain that you can tickle to treat otherwise intractable depression. Brains are awfully individually variant, and you can't reasonably guess which site is going to do it for a given person.

Q: What's the root cause, then?

A: No idea! If they have a guess, they're not telling me, and I'll find out when they publish.

Q: How did they figure out which part of your brain to tickle and which to monitor?

A: They gave me an SEEG and stimulated a bunch of likely areas to see what happened. After that, they spent a few months going through the literal terabytes of data recorded.

Q: How much did the surgery suck?

A: The SEEG was less bad than any root canals I'd had up to that point, although I've had less shitty ones since. The worst part was that I was considered a fall risk and needed to call a nurse whenever I had to pee.

The actual device implantation was worse to recover from than a root canal, but still sucked less than my totally easy, uncomplicated, textbook wisdom tooth removal. I spent two and a half days napping on-and-off, I took a lot of tylenol, and I couldn't sleep on that side of my head for a couple weeks. That's about it.

In advance, they told me there was about a 1% chance of infection and a 2-3% chance of bleeding. Neither thing happened. Yay! Compared to the odds of complications from other types of surgery, that's pretty great.

Q: Can you feel your brain getting zapped?

A: Normally, no. I can feel when it turns on in the morning because I pretty quickly start to feel more alert and less shitty, but the standard zaps aren't strong enough for me to feel physically. If they were to crank up the amperage some, I could feel that, and it'd be extremely distracting.

Q: What does that feel like?

A: At lower levels, if I can just barely feel it, it's kind of like a little anxiety thrill or tickle of anticipation down in the core of my chest, and my palms prickle. At higher levels, like they used during the SEEG, it's more like a rush of electric energy and heat that wells up in my core and spreads out into my limbs, and I have to wiggle them around to "shake it off" or it's too much to handle.

I felt some other, different things from other sites that they didn't end up going with. There was one that made my eyes unfocus unevenly and made me feel weird and lightheaded in a way I can only describe synesthetically (swell, rubber, gum, balloon, pink-red), and gave me the sense that something Bad would happen if they kept pushing that button. There was one that just made one or both of my hands start buzzing for some reason.

Neurostim that you can feel is incredibly distracting. It's not like inputs from outside that your brain can evaluate and filter. You can't ignore it any more than you could ignore having a seizure. There was one setting we tried that made me feel kind of like I had an intangible "itch" somewhere inside my right shoulder and my right leg, and every time it fired, it derailed my thoughts so badly that I couldn't even focus on a simple phone game. Something more intense is going to knock you on your ass.

Once in a long while (once every five months or so, maybe?), I have dreams where I experience a different, half-remembered version of that electric energy feeling, even though the device doesn't stimulate me at night. Actually, it's been happening ever since the SEEG. I think my brain just learned and filed away a new type of sensation.

Q: If I got my brain tickled in the same place, would I feel that?

A: Almost certainly not. I can't guess at what you'd feel, but as mentioned, brains are really individually variant. It's pretty much different for everyone. You might feel something I don't even have a frame of reference for.

It also depends on the exact way you're being stimulated. The same site can either make me feel better or make me cry uncontrollably, depending solely on how long the electrical pulses are.

Q: How many amps are they hitting you with?

A: They can't tell me (yet) in case it placebos me in some way. I know it's less than 3 mA (because I can feel 3 mA) and probably more than 1. 6 mA is the strongest they've ever given me, which is a brick-to-the-face biofeedback high.

Q: How do they know if it's working and not a placebo effect?

A: You report twice-daily on your symptoms throughout the whole thing. There's a phase where they occasionally change the type of stimulation or turn it off entirely for several weeks. They don't tell you when they change anything.

Personally, it's consistently obvious to me within about ~20 minutes when they change something -- they've commented on how consistent my responses are and how quickly I see differences. I can even tell when they turn it off during visits to do recordings. I've heard that's not true of all the patients, though.

Q: What's this piss signal thing you mention?

A: At one point, the stimulation started giving me bladder spasms, so every time it fired I felt like I had to pee. They had to find a new setting that didn't do that. They didn't change anything at the time, so we don't know exactly what caused it. Possibly the electrode drifted a very, very tiny amount, or possibly my brain just built an annoying new connection that allowed this to happen.

The study guys reached out to some other experts they know about it, though, and determined that could happen if my hypothalamus was getting some stimulation by accident -- entirely possible, since it's pretty close to the electrode.

Q: Do you recharge it or get the battery replaced or what?

A: I have to get the entire battery pack/computer part of the device replaced every, probably, six to twelve years when the battery starts to run down. It detaches from the leads, so they won't have to redo the part that involves threading wires into my brain every time.

Q: Aren't you worried about your brain getting hacked?

A: Well, my implant doesn't have wifi or anything. Literally anything can be hacked somehow, but I'll worry about that when I get into a sworn blood feud with an engineer.

Q: Aren't you worried about handing over part of your body to a corporation?

A: The alternative is being in hell at all times forever. I too would like to have an open-source brain implant that's easy to replace though.

Q: Aren't you worried about never being able to get an MRI again?

A: I actually can get an MRI, as long as the MRI scanner puts out a basic-bitch amount of teslas and my implant is switched into MRI mode. I'm not totally sure how that works, but it puts a strain on the battery, so I'm guessing it's generating its own little field. My implant isn't ferrous, so the worry is less "yanking wires around" and more "tissue heating".

Q: Aren't you worried about your body rejecting it?

A: No, medical implants are made of materials like titanium and silicone that the body doesn't care about (unless you have a titanium allergy). I'm really not sure where the pop-culture idea of cybernetic rejection came from. I'm guessing it's writers not understanding why organ transplants reject and thinking it works the same way. Or something about how steel implants can sometimes start to corrode and irritate tissue.

Q: Aren't you worried about this being used to mind control everyone?

A: In my case, mind control is sort of the point.

But also, not really. I mean, you're talking about each individual person getting multiple MRIs, a ~$40,000 implant, three brain surgeries (two of which bookend a multi-week hospital stay), and requiring like a year's worth of fine-tuning from a team of specialized professionals. And it all requires so much precision that if you cut corners on any of this, you're not going to get the results you want.

The cost, time, and effort involved to implant people at scale would be fucking insane. Even if all the tech involved became cheap, you'd still have the problem where you need to pay a competent neurosurgeon for the SEEG and the actual device implantation, and a team of competent neurologists to spend at minimum several months gathering and analyzing data on how each person's brain works, because the individualization of the brain means you can't plug-and-play this shit. And each group -- let's be generous and say it takes only five such specialized professionals -- would be able to do this to about two people a year.

Maybe that will change the day we develop some means of simply scanning people's brains to map how they work in detail, at which point we'll basically have solved neurology.

Usually whenever there's a tumblr post going around about brain implants, someone freaks out about a hypothetical of, like, Amazon installing pleasure buttons in their workers to keep them compliant. That would involve spending minimum a hundred thousand dollars (but probably much more) on surgery, hardware, and calibration per disposable worker, and then if you fire them or they get a brain infection or something, you just lose that money. And if you cheap out, it doesn't work and you lose the money. And then the result, if it works, is that you get a button that makes them worse at their jobs when you press it.

A large corporation bent on technological enslavement to save a few pennies would literally get better results from slapping $30 shock collars on everyone.

Q: Does the study pay you?

A: I get the medical care for free. And $10 every other week to cover transportation costs.

[rollerskatinglizard]

lace cravat, belgium, mid 1700s.

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Notpla, the company which makes seaweed-based packaging to replace single-use plastics, started with its two French and Spanish founders, Pierre Paslier and Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez, experimenting in their student kitchen while at Imperial College London.

Now, Notpla has replaced more than 21 million items of single-use plastic across Europe, and is aiming to displace 1 billion units by 2030. In partnership with Just Eat, Notpla’s packaging was used at the UEFA Women’s Final at Wembley Stadium, London in 2022. From seven types of folded carton board boxes that year, it has grown into a catalogue of over 50 different designs. 

And the company is launching a new deli range, featuring plastic-free windows so people can see their sandwiches before buying. Honsinger hopes this will help Notpla branch out into office catering and museums, where that sneak peek is important. 

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Jaguars swimming

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Spending adult money correctly

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Hello I am asking as someone who is not American and does not have a strong grasp of American regional accents. I know the Fleet accent has been talked about before but since it keeps getting remarked upon so much in all the non-Fleet POV books, I GOTTA know. How... how does Rich say peoples' names?? What does 'Rafael' sound like phonetically when said by the big boy???

The short answer is that he hits the first consonant/syllable--D and T noises very swallowed/softened--and then kind of makes a mouth noise in the general shape of the rest of it lmao. Which in Rafael's case means it ends up kind of like. Similar to "Raf-ale" if he's enunciating, and "Raf(vague vowel sound)" if he's not.

The LONG answer is this collection of musings on accents I picked out from the author chat.

--

roach —

yknow he probably pronounces his whole name rich'r rich'r merl rafael: your name, for example, has four syllables rich, counting: ....no?

Splickedylit, RN, BSN —

the L on Basil's name ends up so swallowed Sol spent the first two visits thinking Rich's boyfriend was named Bays

roach —

oh my god Bays Rye like yeah sure whatever that's a reasonable name for a boat cultist

Splickedylit, RN, BSN —

Rafael meanwhile will pronounce the whole damn thing which gives the fleet guys a distinct feeling of being in trouble because nobody enunciates your whole name that clearly unless you're about to get scolded

roach —

oh man yeah

Splickedylit, RN, BSN —

Rafael, very crisply: Basil Wright? Bays: 8(

roach —

rich keeps hearing the other guys going riTCH and is like. you don't have to go that hard. doesn't it wear your mouth out.

Splickedylit, RN, BSN —

Sol is using his WHOLE mouth like. SO much. does he not get tired. there's so many consonants in there

roach —

i think instead of a fully enunciated tch noise like we do it's probably more of a /dj/ like in jazz?

rollerskatinglizard —

Ridge Mehrl

roach —

yeah these are our boat boys, bays, midge, and ridge. and yes, they smoke weed. ......leam god rich is handicapped in following iambic pentameter or whatever it is he gets done in half the time rich you actually have to say the words on beat all of each word

Splickedylit, RN, BSN —

Rich: this is Liam Rafael, enunciating very clearly: ..............Leem? Rich: nah 's Liam. like, Liam? Rafael: Leem. Rich: Liam THAT'S WHAT HE SAID, RICH FOR PITY'S SAKE

rollerskatinglizard —

Rich finally spells it in total exasperation Rafael, in disbelief: LIAM????

Splickedylit, RN, BSN —

who the fuck is Lee-Um Rafael's name probably comes out like. Raffle.

roach —

raf'ale

Splickedylit, RN, BSN —

Rafael pronouncing his own name is giving three whole fancy syllables Rich will sometimes manage two if he's trying real hard

--

roach —

UNRELATED but i feel like the first time sol hears rich pronounce 'christmas' he has to pause like. crimmis. really??? rich: crim...is. sol: you are so close to having an actual t in there somewhere rich: the t is silent, it's always been silent, you can't tell me it's not sol: CHRISTMAS rich: bullshit

--

Splickedylit, RN, BSN —

........I bet the Fleet ship Versailles is almost ubiquitously pronounced "ver-sails" in the same way that Notre Dame the college is almost universally pronounced "dame" instead of "dahm"

--

roach —

today's silly thought: connor making any kind of issue out of how rich pronounces things and sol being outraged like 'worst guy you know makes a great point' rich: hurn connor: it's HUNNERT sol, seething: hundred rich: yeah that's what i said

--

roach — 10/1/24, 12:39 PM

connor: payerENCE rich: pay rent? connor: no like your momma rich: oh! pance sol: parents connor: no 🙂 rich: no 🙂

[...]

Splickedylit, RN, BSN —

Sol gets a lot of shit about his new york accent but at least he's COMPREHENSIBLE. you country fucks.

roach —

rich: brooklyn connor: broom? boiling? rich: haha bowling lanes?? no like new york sol: brooklyn connor: fuck off rich: bru'n sol: BROOK. LIN. rich, mockingly: brogn

--

roach —

d'rain in spain fas mainyonna plain there, nailed it, next question rafael: say 'around' rich: rown rafael: around rich: ROWN sol: say 'shakespeare' rafael: don't rich: shays-per

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Run Aground Update!

Edit: Today, June 22nd, Chapter 3 is up! Read it on Royal Road, Wattpad, or our website. (We're working on getting alt text in for the images wherever that's supported.)

The seventh book (and second full-length novel) in the Michigan Fleet series, Run Aground, is now posting one chapter every Sunday on Royal Road, Wattpad, and our new Michigan Fleet website! You can read it wherever you like, and can leave us comments so we know who’s reading where! (Please give us feedback, we’ve been writing this book for so long...) Every other chapter is illustrated by the talented cowriter-artists Roach and Splickedy. The book should stand alone fine if you haven't read the series, although it will be a richer experience if you've read After the Storm and Taste of New York.

After years trapped in a wealthy monster’s harem, actor Rafael Caro is a ghost of his former self. When he meets Rich Merrill, the newest captive, unexpected kindness brings him back to life and headlong into love. Rich, Rafael and their friends in the harem try to keep each other sane and safe in this cruel place—but no one escapes without help from outside...

Note: The series so far has been reasonably delicate with the subject of sexual coercion, but this story has a lot to do with captivity, exploitation, and depersonalization. We take those subjects seriously, and though we try to keep the hurt balanced with comfort, the dark topics are still prominent parts of the narrative. If you have triggers around sexual coercion and abuse, be cautious about this story. If you're into this shit: hell yeah welcome aboard!!!

Content warnings: dubcon, noncon, sexual slavery, violence, alcohol use, noncon drug and alcohol use, murder, attempted suicide.

At the rate of one chapter every Sunday, we’ll finish posting Act One in December, which is when the ebook will become available! Thanks to everyone who participated in the poll and sent us messages saying they actually wanted a single book but had voted for the multiple book option for our sakes or out of impatience – that was very clarifying for us. XD

Now go, read and enjoy on whichever site you prefer! (And if on Royal Road you feel like giving us kind reviews and ratings as well as comments and favs, ratings and reviews are what help the story's ranking the most and thus potentially get us more readers!)

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what Work is the most important? the work you have to do next. narrow the scope of focus down to that singular glittering point.

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[rollerskatinglizard]

A cool Fibonacci’s clock design

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Hey, ive been really interested in your book but ive heard a whole lot of chaos that comes from companies taking money from the authors and since I dont know anything for sure, do you have a place where I can buy your book and be sure you receive as much as possible?

The main place to get my book would be from Amazon at the moment. I will look more closely at other options, but as of right now, they're the only ones who will print on demand and take care of basically the whole process for me when someone orders. They aren't much more helpful with selling than traditional publishers, but the main thing they are is *accessible*

If someone finds me a service that's easy to use, easy to access, does all the work like Amazon does, and pays better, I desperately hope they'll let me know because there are eleventy billion publishers out there and they ALL SWEAR to be the best thing for authors on the planet.

Researching this type of thing is extremely time consuming and I don't know if I can trust aggregators to compare and contrast them in an honest way so that I can make the best decision

Because when I choose a new publisher, I would like them to be my publisher for life. I don't want to make this choice again. This has been years, and it's only getting harder and more companies are being scammy and stupid and predatory. At least with Amazon I know what I'm getting

Goodness, I kinda didn't mean to info dump like this, but I need to put this information out into the world because I actually need help with this. Everybody thinks *their* publishing company is the best, but then when I look into them, there are massive problems even getting the book into their system. Or it costs money. Or the quality sucks. Or the wait times suck for customers. Or the pay rate isn't any higher after all the fees

I'm not just writing. I have an entire life to take care of, and this would take many, many, MANY hours to research.

Please, if someone is willing to help????