Cranky Old Nerd

Ok, not that old, maybe in training.

[smellslikebot]

how to keep following people when a major social platform implodes

(...and you don't want to join 20 new websites)

First, get an RSS reader*:

Desktop: Feedbro (browser extension), QuiteRSS, Raven Reader

Android: Feeder

iOS/Mac: NetNewsWire

You'll be able to make a custom feed to follow blogs, webcomics, social media feeds, podcasts, news, and other stuff on the web all in one place. To follow something, find its "feed URL"-- often marked by an icon that looks like this ↓-- and paste it into your reader of choice as a new feed.

Some feed URLs for social media:

Twitter: Feedbro can use Twitter profile URLs as feed URLs. Otherwise, use nitter.net/username/rss (or other Nitter instance) (You can get a CSV file of all the accounts you follow using "Download a user's friends list" on Tweetbeaver)

Tumblr: Use username.tumblr.com/rss or username.tumblr.com/tagged/my%20art/rss to follow a blog's "my art" tag (as an example)

Cohost: Use username.cohost.org/rss/public (WIP feature)

Mastodon: Use instance.url/@­username.rss

Deviantart: Info here

Spacehey: Info here

Youtube: Go to a channel in a web browser, view page source, and use Ctrl-F/Command-F to find a link that starts with "https://www.youtube.com/feeds/videos.xml?channel_id="

Instagram: Feedbro can use Instagram profile and hashtag URLs as feed URLs. Otherwise, Instagram doesn't have RSS feeds, and due to aggressive rate limiting on their part, it's not so simple to generate a feed URL.

Facebook: Feedbro can use public Facebook group/page URLs as feed URLs.

(If you know an artist who exclusively posts to Instagram, you may want to gently suggest that they crosspost elsewhere...)

Also see how to find the RSS feed URL for almost any site. Try using public RSS-Bridge instances or Happyou Final Scraper to generate feeds for sites that don't have them (Pillowfort, Patreon, etc).

*You can set up your subscriptions in one reader and import them into another by exporting an OPML file.

[dduane]

This!

RSS feeds were a great way to keep track of things before the rise of the platforms, and (if we’re smart) they’ll be great again.

[crankyoldnerd]

I would also add that NewsBlur (https://www.newsblur.com) is a great web based solution that you can view from any device. I’ve been using them since they tried to kill of RSS the first time.

[wilwheaton]

(via ztpr9zfkk38a1.jpg (JPEG Image, 850 × 857 pixels))

[rylandgraces]

What the fuck is going on? What. The fuck. IS GOING ON?

Johnny Mnemonic (1995) dir. Robert Longo

[pyrogina]

you only get one day to reblog this

[crankyoldnerd]

I would drive 500 miles and I would drive 500 more

I would drive 500 miles and I would drive 500 more

Baby’s First Supercharger

On Thursday, October 10th I picked up my newest EV Vehicle, the 2019 Tesla Model X. To say I was excited would probably be an understatement. It’s something I’ve wanted to do since the car premiered in 2015. I even test drove one in 2016 when the 60D/Six Seat model was announced but ended up not doing it.

Now that my wife is back in the work force, what better…

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[crankyoldnerd]

When Buying Direct Doesn't Work

When Buying Direct Doesn't Work @tesla #customerservicefail

So I’m in the middle of making a significant purchase that lots of people do every day, another car. This is allowed by my wife returning to the workforce and we finally getting to do what we’ve always wanted, buy a Tesla Model X to replace the six passenger behemoth of the Ford Expedition EL.

We were coming up on four years of ownership, and the result of us not owning one, but two EV cars

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[crankyoldnerd]

Fixing Mini Mistakes

These were some of my first work on painting some miniatures. They come from a game called The Wildlands which I picked up around christmas (and haven’t played) After doing a few of these I got cocky and thought surely I can do some Storm Troopers from my legion set. I messed it up a bit and it annoyed me enough I wanted to strip the paint off and try again. That’s the nice thing about most of…

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[crankyoldnerd]

Happy Little Minis

Over the last few months I have been (slowly) beginning to pick a hobby. For decades I have always wanted to play those games with miniatures, but the idea of painting them always scared me as for some reason, painting something never stuck. I think it was an off hand comment my father made when I was young and building cars, rockets, and ships. In this day and age there are also a ton of…

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[stankyleg-deactivated2918973]

A person who can befriend people of any political ideology is someone to avoid.

[stankyleg-deactivated2918973]

And they’re so smug about it too. That just means you stand for nothing. That’s nothing to be proud of.

[crankyoldnerd]

Aaa and this type of stupidity is why we are in the political mess we are in. Ideology can be changed, but not if you scream and plug your ears in hide in a bubble with people who only agree with you.

[crankyoldnerd]

A Change is a Comin

A Change is a Comin

Earlier this week I delivered my intent to resign from Lenovo on June 14th. I’m not the type to just quit for the heck of it, and I have something lined up.  I’ve decided it’s time for a career change and I need to get out of the rat race of selling people things.  Until I learn the social media policy, and all that, unless you’re on linked with me you’ll learn more on the 17th of June.

I always…

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[crankyoldnerd]

Helm: Own your Data, a review

Helm: Own your Data, a review

During the Christmas break, I spent some time get re-acquainted with RSS reader NewsBlur that I’ve subscribed to and maintained for years after google did their best to kill RSS off.

I’d put myself on a Facebook Diet, and now have actually deleted the account.  So I was behind on my websites and discovered a review by my favorite Are Reviewer (Lee Hutchinson) about an oddly named thing called…

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[crankyoldnerd]

Seems like Helm is taking marketing from the iPhone Launch

Seems like Helm is taking marketing from the iPhone Launch

So.   I started this post to tell you about a new product I just bought that scratches the privacy itch.   It was a physical device that holds my entire email for the domain on site, but uses AWS as a transit to the rest of the world.   It cost $499, and then $99 a year to maintain the service after the first year.   I go to check the store and to my shock just two days after I receive mine it’s…

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[crankyoldnerd]

Is there a Privacy Centric Internet Accessible Home Security System?

Is there a Privacy Centric Internet Accessible Home Security System?

So far, signs point to no. But one of my goals of 2019 is to get the homestead automated and a few more cameras, but in my searching beyond our ring doorbell and with recent privacy concerns leaked from them, I’m starting to wonder.

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[lemonsweetie]

Let me tell you a thing, about an amazing man named Patrick Stewart

I went to Comicpalooza this weekend and I was full of nervous energy as I was standing in line to ask Sir Patrick Stewart a question at his panel. I first had to thank him for a speech he had given at amnesty international about domestic violence towards women . I had only seen it a few months ago but I was still dealing with my own personal experience with a similar issue, and I didn’t know what to call it. After seeing Patrick talk so personally about it I finally was able to correctly call it abuse, in my case sexual abuse that was going to quickly turn into physical abuse as well. I didn’t feel guilty or disgusting anymore. I finally didn’t feel responsible for the abuse that was put upon me. I was finally able to start my healing process and to put that part of my life behind me.

After thanking him I asked him “Besides acting, what are you most proud of that you have done in you life (that you are willing to share with us)?”. Sir Patrick told us about how he couldn’t protect his mother from abuse in his household growing up and so in her name works with an organization called Refuge for safe houses for women and children to escape from abusive house holds. Sir Patrick Stewart learned only last year that his father had actually been suffering from PTSD after he returned from the military and was never properly treated. In his father’s name he works with an organization called Combat Stress to help those soldiers who are suffering from PTSD.

They were about to move onto the next question when Sir Patrick looked at me and asked me “My Dear, are you okay?” I said yes, and that I was finally able to move on from that part of my life. He then passionately said that his mother had done nothing to provoke his father and that even if she had, violence was never, ever a choice a man should make. That it is in the power of men to stop violence towards women. The moderator then asked “Do you want a hug?”

Sir Patrick didn’t even hesitate, he smiled, hopped off the stage and came over to embrace me in a hug. Which he held me there for a long while. He told me “You never have to go through that again, you’re safe now.” I couldn’t stop thanking him. His embrace was so warm and genuine. It was two people, two strangers, supporting and giving love. And when we pulled away he looked strait in my eyes, like he was promising that. He told me to take care. And I will.

Sir Patrick Stewart is an absolute role model for men. He is an amazing man and was so kind and full of heart. I want to let everyone know to please find help if you are in a violent or abusive house hold or relationship. There are organizations and people ready to help. I had countless people after the panel thanking me for sharing the story and asking him those questions. Many said they went through similar things. You are not alone.

X

^ Here is the video of my question to Sir Patrick Stewart

Photos by Eugene Lee, Thank you

[crankyoldnerd]

The Lenovo Legion T730 - A Review

The Lenovo Legion T730 – A Review

I’ve been coasting on fumes with a very old Alienware X51 I purchased over five years ago.   It’d finally gotten to the point that it needed to be replaced as it was randomly locking up, or just turning off, or a number of weird issues that fixing wouldn’t be worth.

I’d been holding out until Lenovo had a new model that had the latest NVidia or AMD graphics that was available.

So I purchased the

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[crankyoldnerd]

The Tablet Conundrum

I tend to upgrade about every other cycle on my hardware if I need it.   So for example my gaming computer is still an Intel Haswell, but mainly because I bought a 6th gen Skylake gaming laptop in Dec 2016 when I was traveling weekly for a work thing.

I have a hand me down iPad Pro 9.7″ Wifi that I bought for my son.  He’d asked for a laptop when he got to high school so I bought him a Thinkpad…

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[crankyoldnerd]

Two Electric Car Family

Two Electric Car Family

Now that my two oldest kids are ready to drive and have their learners permit, we thought using my new Chevy Bolt EV as the trainer car would be a great idea.

(more…)

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[crankyoldnerd]

Taking an Electric Roadtrip

Taking an Electric Roadtrip

I had an opportunity to do a road trip in the Bolt EV that I bought earlier this year for work and decided to take advantage of that.   Figured I’d document my experience as it was pretty fun to try out.  I don’t know if I’d do it regularly, but since there is so little information out there.

I had a customer call over in Charlotte, NC.  That is exactly 183 miles from my home, well under the Bolt…

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