Libb

I’m not surprised at all since I use them every single day, but the pen and paper have yet to be rivaled by anything digital. At the very least, in regards to:

• portability: available in any size one may fancy, only a few grams.
• autonomy: a notebook needs no battery and offers weeks or months worth of storage depending how much you write or sketch (certain models can even be refilled),
• ease of use: put pen(cil) onto paper and write, or sketch + no upgrades, no bugs, no crashes.
• privacy: no tracking, no spying by any corporation. No ads, either.
• low cost: I’ve yet to find an iPad with its Pencil at the two dollars I spend on my cheap notebook and cheap ballpoint, or pencil.
• Sturdiness: I can (and often) sit on the notebook I store in my jeans back pocket, I often use it under the rain too.
• Low attraction to thieves: I can use it anywhere without risking attracting attention from potential thieves. I can also let my notebook alone in any public places, chances are no one will even consider stealing it: it’s just paper. Try doing that with a digital notebook, be it a tablet or a phone ;)
• Versatility: I can write (errands, novels, plan to conquer the world, a poem for my spouse), sketch (bad or good sketches), draw a map, play some games, make paper planes or origami, and even share info with anyone by tearing of a sheet of paper from my notebook (that won’t break it) and give it to that person.

Yeah, I think it’s kinda obvious I do like my cheap notebook and pen, a lot more than I will ever like that corporate and government spyware that disguises itself as a smartphone and that I’m expected to be using and carrying with me everywhere I go ;)

Mais c’est pas pas pareil du tout! Faut pas confondre: nous, on est les gentils et on ne traque que les méchants, ou alors les pervers. La lie, quoi, rien à voir avec des gens biens comme nous.

Je ne vois d’ailleurs vraiment pas comment l’idée d’abuser d’un tel outil de surveillance, disons pour traquer les honnêtes citoyens et les empêcher d’exercer librement leurs droits de citoyens, pourrait même ne fut-ce qu’effleurer l’esprit entièrement animé par l’idéal démocratique de nos élu(e)s qui sont tellement soucieux de ne surtout pas oublier qui sont leur véritable patron(ne)s…

Ben, quoi?

We don’t. Our simple kettle with its whistle is working great, despite its age. And its much nicer to look at than a microwave too ;)

Most European leaders know this, but it will take time. Also, in the meantime, Europe doesn’t want to alienate the US too much.

the thing is that ‘time’ is probably what we have the least of at our disposal. At least, now that the USA told the entire world the EU can go fuck itself (and also now that they told the USA is willing to do what the fuck they consider good for them, anywhere on the planet).

Revitalizing our industries should be our top priority. I mean, here in France we have one remaining large gun factory… So we should not worry about the USA. As far as I’m concerned, if what they are doing to Ukraine is the way they intend to keep their engagements with their ‘allies’ they can also go fuck themselves.

We also need to get some real leaders, we’ve more than enough managers… but that’s a whole other point.

The things is that the USA made it clear we were on our own already so why keep trying getting any support from them? We won’t. It’s just us sheepishly not willing to admit that and act accordingly. Which is even more silly knowing we could start immediately and that buy doing so, someone like Trump would probably feel less entitled in doing whatever he wants.

We wish for things to stay like they used to be. not change. Things have changed, and I don’t see any turning back even after the angry Orange dude is replaced by another POTUS (if that happens, seeing how things are going over there I’m not that will be as easily as it should).

European countries need to remember what they used to be prior to them relying on the green giant. And they need to do it fast because we don’t have much time left—exactly like with climate change but in an even shorter time frame: if shit must happen in Europe, unlike the climate change most dramatic consequences, they won’t happen by ‘the end of the century’ which is so remote most people can’t be bothered with it, they will happen in the coming decade or so, which most of us should still be there to experiment live with their own precious life…

edit: clarifications.

Why waste their resources trying to convince anyone to drop the Rafale when the EU itself is doing it itself with brio by not purchasing EU-made weapons (French, or otherwise) and has been doing so for quite some time? It may have been understandable up until, say, around 2016 but the EU keeps doing it even now that here is no hope of getting back to any semblance of reliance on the US as our ally.

We may still be partners, but that is all. And even that should be subject to caution. But nope, let’s pretend everything is fine and keep on buying US-made weapons that we don’t fully control.

To me, the EU itself seems to be the best agent against EU’s own vital interests. But it’s probably just me being incredibly naive.

Pareil. J’ai mis le temps à piger ;)

The ‘think of the children’ crowd(s)?
Not sure they’re a minority, though.

The people willing to ruin anything for the so-called protection and/or good of children. Including destroying the one most fundamental requirement to any truly free & democratic society (hint: privacy). And that also are actively destroying the educative system… screwing those same kids even more badly by not allowing them to get some basic/essential education.

I still can’t believe college students have a hard time reading books. Let alone do math.

And that’s not just a US issue, we have the same shit going on here in the EU, at the very least I see it happening in France. It’s frightening and, once again, the first losers here are the kids themselves and then the whole society is losing because less educated young people mean they will have a lesser potential and lesser abilities to face new issues or to innovate, and there we all lose big time. Too bad for a generation that will most certainly have to face a shitload of unprecedented issues.

First, I take a breath. More often than not, I will take more than one.

No matter what I’m doing I will always make some room to breathe. At the very least, I will go out for a long walk every single day of the year. Just walk. No distractions, no social noise, no music, no podcast, no nothing but me, my head, and that tiny thing called ‘the world outside’ ;)

Even better, when whatever it is I’m doing is stressing me out, I will make it multiple times a day because I don’t work well when I’m stressed, so it’s not a waste of time. And it also helps me stay in shape so it’s even less a waste in that regard.

Last but not least, I learned to work less. It’s not how hard you work or how tired you end up being that should matter, it’s what you have done and much you like it ;)

Pen and paper is also technology, you know. And so are stone tools (try to make one of those flint knife without hurting yourself, to see)

So, to answer your question I would say it all depends the tech you’re considering.

I have no difficulty at all using many various analog/low tech(nologies). But something makes me think you’re more interested in getting some info about my relationship with the so-called ‘high’ tech, all those electronics gizmo, plethora apps and online services, constant tracking and spying, right?

Well, I can proudly say I’m good with it as well. We both get along very well.

How do I know? First, I never talk bad to it, also I have never ever thrown any device out the window, even when it more than deserved it with its relentless bugs, updates and quirks. Second, I use ‘high’ tech as little as I can, and never things using an algorithm to serve me content (hence me using the Fediverse instead of… everything else). I use ‘high’ tech so little it doesn’t get much opportunity to ruin my mood, either. Most certainly, you will agree this is irrefutable demonstration tech and I are BFF, and how good I’m with with it. Right? ;)

I would set it back to the early to mid-90s, when I first experienced it…

Am I one of those old fart trying to say it was better in the good old times? Yes, and no.

Back then the Internet was limited, it was hacked together and there was no professionally designed website with pretty animations, security was… not much, there was no mobile web and, as a matter of fact, no ‘app’ at all since smartphones were not yet a thing. There was not even script languages like Javascript or PHP to develop all those shit… amazing dynamic features we’re now surrounded with. So, yeah, it was limited. But…

There also was also no social media, no monetizing, no tracking, no corporate mafia-like CEOs trying to took us hostage or to milk us to death, and hands in hands with their politicians friends, trying their worst at transforming our free societies into some fascist dystopia that if they succeed (and it looks like they could) will make look all the XX century monstrosities mere child-play.

There were already evil corporations and assholes politicians back then, sure, but for the most part the Internet was people, not businesses. And it was not populated by those armies of braindead, tantrum-obsessed and hysterical morons we now consider the normal ‘user’.

Trolls were already a thing, obviously, but there were not millions of them waiting to be mobilized through social media like a good army of haters ready to go stampede into oblivion anything nice or daring anyone could be willing to do. It was ok to not be nice, to not be liked, and to take risks.

I mean, it was actual people with their qualities and flaws, people that were willing to share content they were interested in and to discuss it. People that were not expecting to make a fucking cent out of every single fart they would make online. Nor to gain any Likes…

So, yeah it was rougher, so much more limited and a lot less cool. It was also a lot less polite. But it was so much more free and less full of shit.

(end of that old fart rant, promise)

I don’t understand why this matters that much

Maybe because some apps will only work on certain phones (say on iOS or Android) and maybe because depending the phone you are using maybe someone could suggested another solution than switch app? ;)

Spend less time online, do less digital activities.

I do more IRL, in-person, activities. Any kind of activity most of us somehow forget we used to do well before Internet and digital was a thing can still be done without the Internet and without a computer of any kind.

In-persons is intimidating but it also helps keep away the armies of online trolls and haters that online thrive to hurt other people. Provided one behaves like a decent human being, it’s very rare people IRL will hate on anyone for goofing up or for not agreeing with them. It’s ok.

I also do as much as I can the analog way, without anything digital. It helps. Be it to write or sketch, or do stuff with my hands. Heck, even me using a paper agenda instead my phone will regularly trigger surprised/interested questions from people that otherwise would probably never have talked with me to begin with ;)

Verre d’eau, suivi d’un café (ou deux).
Thé en journée.

Nice :)

I bought a ready to assemble one myself (so it was just a matter of following the instructions to assemble it). It was not cheap but that was almost 10 years ago and it’s still working great. Imho, the second best money I ever spent—quality shoes being the first one.

I would encourage anyone to also spend money on a quality standing mat as it will help the legs, feet and back not getting tired too quickly.

Thx, once again.

To be clear, I was half trolling (half only) with my rhetorical question but reading your comment I would not be surprised to realize we agree on a lot of things.

What truly worries me is the speed and the extend at which so many anti-eu parties have become politically meaningful.

I mean, I don’t care at all if they’re being funded by a foreign country but I do care to realize our own population is now that gullible and clueless as to believe their shit. I mean, do people have never read a history book?
I also don’t mind those parties existing, people are more than welcome to have their own ideas and to try to convince others to support them, even when I consider those ideas not the best ever. But them becoming a legit political force means they’re convincing enough of us to support their ideas, which should be the real issue. Imagine a flat-earther becoming to new head of a major science department: their silly ideas is not the issue, it’s how they managed to get to that post that should worry all of us.

Meanwhile, we have so few legit political leaders standing for the EU that are able to convince anyone. That’s not good.

Exactly like I worry to see illiteracy and hostility towards culture in general become the new normal among younger generations in the EU, too. Nothing good can come out of that trend, only more hate and more violence. Here again, it could help if people would read a history book, once in a while… but for that younger people should be taught how to properly read and then how to use what’s written in a book.

As for the EU membership, I’m one to think there should be a tiered EU memberships. Doing so, we would be able to welcome more new members quicker and then we could give time to all parties to get to know one another better and get used to living together and, well, get enough time to make sure we can all agree on some fundamental values and principles… like that should be the case in any lasting union (says I, after almost 30 years and counting with my spouse). The sad thing is that this tiered thing exists already but, unsurprisingly, only for the monetary aspect of the Union. It’s so… easy to hate on the EU sometimes, no wonder many won’t refrain of doing so.

Since brexit leaving the EU hasn’t looked like a very attractive option but still there is a lot of discussion on whether the EU should be smaller (e.g. having borders controlled by each individual member-state) or bigger (e.g. having a single combined army).

Brexit… The morning I heard the news, it was so… I was… I just could not believe that thing really happened and that any politicians could be that incompetent and dishonest and willing to screw their own people so badly. To me, that Brexit campaign was but a scam devised so they would be allowed to redistribute power between the various groups but it never meant to end as an actual exit out of the EU. Obviously, I was wrong.

Whether we like or not, whether we think there is a reason to worry or not, the huge political shifts we’ve recently been witnessing coupled with the constant and ever growing hysteria in the media and with the fast growing illiteracy in the population, all things we now seem to consider the new normal, those should decide a lot of that for ourselves.

There are people happy about what it is becoming*

Thx for helping me improve my lacking English. Much appreciated (I mean, really ;)

The EU is not a finished project :)

Are you sure about that?

I mean, looking at who people are actually voting for (here again, an existential grammar doubt if you don’t mind me asking: should I instead say ‘who they voted for’ or ‘who they vote for’ as it’s an ongoing and repetitive action but also an already finished task since, obviously, we can count their votes?) Back to what I was saying: people are voting not for the EU and have been voting not for the EU more and more openly. And to me votes is the only data worth considering when discussing politics, not what people may say out loud. Their vote is them being honest with themselves, not trying to look good.

Like with our dear US-friends swearing they hate on Trump and on his politics but still have elected the dude twice.

Should we think Trump is really just that, a sad accident that happened twice (almost) in a row in the history of the USA, or wouldn’t it be safer to consider the possibility that, maybe, a majority of the US population is indeed supporting what they voted for twice and that they want their country to become exactly what it is becoming? And they want their leaders to treat the rest of the world like they’re doing?

As a fervent EU proponent myself, I wish to see some meaningful election giving me hope we still have some common future as a Union, and not just because we share some common borders.

I suppose you’re asking if I’m French? Yes. And, yes, it’s a French operator (Bouygues Mobile)

The European Union could help safeguard those borders.

Since we/The EU will be soon buying even more US weapons, I seriously doubt that.

What was once a region of the world populated with so many smart and bright people has now become the proud land of the dumb. The EU is like a headless chicken running around. And it seems rather happy about what it has become, I’m afraid to say so.

And, yeah, I used to use one like that.

That would be the first step in claiming back what once was ours ;)