-waves- see ya friends, be back in a month!

be well and wish me luck!

Finally thought to do the less technical thing just paste everything into a plain text editor to strip any unknown formatting that snuck in and then pasted it back in and it was fine

so I'm sorry for complaining though I wish it had a better way to alert me to problematic characters - other programs insert a set character to replace the characters with something that can print so I know to go clean up the text I'm copying - that would have helped loads here

I know people will be like "well an important part of using FOSS is helping to report bugs and improve it" and like yeah normally I have time and can do that but I can't here and now I'm nervous to use a software I need and I don't really have time to figure out a new one.

Its frustrating is all. I get why people who don't have as much time use corporate stuff in this regard especially. When you need a word processor you need it to be able to print off basic stuff. Ugh.

man, I don't even know how to describe the problems I'm having with LibreOffice.

I wrote up a list of addresses I wanted to have for my time away and it just has entire lines and random words missing. did all the normal troubleshooting and some extra.

I don't really have time for this or to report the bug and help recreate it right now. I just need something that works on a basic level.

had to print it off using focuswriter

Here's the little "blog" i'm testing out on my neocities site:

https://marzcorbeau.neocities.org/marzlog/marzlog

This is where I'll post reflections and updates while I'm away in case that's of interest to anyone.

Today, I posted an overview of my digital declutter, why I'm doing it, what my "rules" are, etc.

ETA: if you want to find it from the homepage, click the "night person" blinkie; it's in very much a test so I didn't want to link it up yet

last day on mastodon before my August break

mutuals can hmu for my email if it seems relevant or useful

I'm in the process for setting up a page on my neocities where I can post thoughts/reflections when I make time for my "internet errands" - I'll link it later in case anyone would be interested.

What is so weird about the text is that it keeps framing this pretty unpleasant guy as very relatable and...he's just not. But I'm not a middle aged white guy urbanite addicted to my phone -- it feels sometimes like that's the presumed audience for a lot of American novels I've been reading (and DNFing).

Books like these are why I can't convince anyone to read the literary fiction stuff I like.

Black Bag probably ruined this for me. Similar themes - better.

I just...I cannot fathom why so many reviewers who I generally vibe with their recommendations loved this book.

I am so confused. I am bending my brain every which way to try to get it. I really am.

I'm halfway through and it is just...not good. There are interesting moments but they're incredibly brief. The overall message is at least a decade too late to be interesting.

Also the MC sucks. And I'm usually okay with that. But he's also very boring.

What are the odds? I was the second ever person to check this out of my library even though it's been out for some time - grabbed it on a whim - devoured it in less than two days and it's on the Booker Longlist.

Y'all it so deserves it. I was even thinking, damn I wish stuff like this showed up on the Booker list more often. Comedy is good too.

And it fucking made it. So hype! It is definitely my favorite book of the year so far and I'll be getting a copy for my personal library.

RE: https://caw.corbode.com/@marz/116982774167332018

Went to check the Booker Longlist announcement to see if Transcription even made it (it did not; wild given how much buzz it got)

But GUESS WHAT BOOK DID?

VVV

Picked up Transciption by Ben Lerner from the library because I kept hearing so much Booker Prize buzz for it

Read the flap --

"One of the first great novels about the early days of COVID"

Oof. I am instantly skeptical. Not a single reviewer mentioned the role of COVID in this novel. If it is so great and about that time -- that is concerning.

I'm gonna give it a go but I'm honestly kinda dreading it now. Any other still COVIDing folks have thoughts on it?

our annual eldritch edifices have appeared

by which I mean, we've been bailed

Just finished it this morning.

I'm not sure I love the last scene, but the ending as a whole was really good and the message was A+.

10/10 recommend.

After a little over a day, I'm 40 pages away from finishing this book.

I'm not even sure who to recommend it to. I think a lot of people will see the style and be like "this book thinks very highly of itself" but as Ria said earlier of it (I've been reading her sections) "It thinks very highly of you"

Will def be trying to get a copy for my personal shelves. So good.

Bona filmeto pri Esperantotago!

https://youtu.be/Ev4HFSol0Y8?si=9O3O_s_TVXE5ytqB

(English subtitles available)

We're considering subscribing to a semi-local Sunday paper for a few weeks just to try it out.

Anyone else get a paper? How do you like it?

I'm feeling underinformed but I also don't want to get my news from feeds (it's stressful, often low quality, can lead to extremism). I thought just reading one once weekly might strike the balance between keeping down unnecessary stress and knowing more of what's going on.

*ETA: I have stress aggravated health issues I have to watch out for

🌟💚 Feliĉan Esperantotagon al ĉiuj! 💚🌟

I've now read half this book in one evening.

I have not read a book this quickly since I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom by Jason Pargin

Which is, not unsurprisingly, what this book reminds me of in many ways.

There's some great writing out there about masculinity, technology, and connection and it's funny y'all. It's happening. It's here.

I had a hunch I'd like this one and I was correct. I started reading when Ria left for groceries and I didn't put it down until she got back about an hour and a half later (we're rural, Kroger is not close).

I love the voice, love the concept, and so far it's hit the sweet spot between realism and surrealism. Fingers crossed it continues apace.

To be clear, I don't usually read every book. I'm a pretty picky reader, so I get a big pile, audition a few (read to 50 pages or for 1 hour) and if I find even two out of a pile like this that I want to read all the way through I'm lucky.