I know shit is fucked, but I just want to hear something that is right for once.

@ai6yr ever had a pedal so stuck that it rounded off the end of your extractor? #bikes #repair

Someone finally talked to me in my chemistry class. They're a refugee from Turkey, They said I was really nice and that they hope my parents learn to treat themselves and me better, and that I was brave in coming out to them even though I knew it would go badly. I said they were brave just making this far, and that they're doing a lot better than I am at regular life stuff, so they can be proud about all they achieved.

They also asked me some more general things like what I thought about the state of the world, and how long peace would last, I think I said "in this state, it won't last, and never will". They even asked me my gender and sexuality, I said I was trans/genderfluid, but they could just stick with my birthname since everyone else does too, and that I was pan/polysexual, but never really truly figured it out since I've never been in a relationship.

They're ADHD, I'm autistic and depressed, possibly schizo too, but I never got that diagnosed. We definitely knew what each other dealt with.

When we did finally get to chemistry, they asked "you ever made any drugs, or bombs, or other cool stuff" and I just said "...maybe". Yes and no's are reserved for the friends I don't yet have.

I asked them how they grew up and where they were from, if they had any other names or 'nouns they'd like me to use. They're cis, and AFAB, so I'd imagine when they asked me "what do you think of women's rights" they were making sure I wasn't a misogynist so that the rest of the conversation would go well.

First actual conversation I've had IRL. It was nice. I wonder if everyone else has these conversations or something like it once every month?

I've never seen a black cat with anything else than yellow eyes.

#repair #RightToRepair #electronics #hobbies #hobby #ElecticalEngineering

What solder do you use?

@ai6yr You ever had to make your own variable capacitors? It's a serious PITA, and almost impossible without flat machined plates of metal and a billion spacers. I have none of that, and my "capacitor" is more like a tambourine. =/

Well, it's official, this is the last time you'll see my dog. Rest in peace, Ray.

Well, I think my dog is really on his way out. Anything I should do before he dies? His back legs are paralyzed and he can't eat or drink, or else he just throws up. I'm trying to keep him comfy, but I can only do so much when he's hungry and tired.

#Electronics #DIY #solarpunk
Okay, I thought I was just tripping but the advertised "max current" of the mosfets I have salvaged from junk electronics showed as being "100 amp at 75V".

That was the biggest lie I could ever be told. They are 10A continuous at the 40 volts I have been using them at. Just to make sure that inductive flyback wasn't to blame, I took a long section of rod and and another junk battery with a switch for the gate and hooked it up.

Sure enough, even with the wheels in the air and the brakes completely off, poof! The flyback was only about 40 mV, thanks to the flyback diodes I had obtained earlier. Bulk capacitors are hardly necessary, but I'll throw them in anyway.

I will be searching for some supremely powerful IGBT modules or some extreme FETs. We're dealing with peaks of over 1kA current!

Something's telling me it just might be better to rig it up with a switch for now and look for some better transistors to buy instead of plunder.

If all this works out, then I'll be able to move far heavier things than my ebike could.

We're in the #Tron - #Terminator hybrid timeline. We got murder robots and rapidly evolving neural network dependence syndrome in corporations everywhere.

Anybody know of any replacement for #PVC electrical tape? I would imagine a #soy based polymer tape would exist but I haven't seen one yet...

#SolarPunk #oil #green

@alshra
I support the library more than I actually go to libraries.

Does that make me a hypocrite or just a hermit?

The only issue with the "don't use (X) plastic product" as a general statement is that it's just not currently accessible. It's sure as heck feasible, and guaranteed possible, but what I'm getting at is this: the oil companies and tech own just about every necessity of life.

The rare Eco-conscious mass market product is often purposely less useful than it's oil steeped counterpart. It's not by mistake, it's another campaign.

Lets take any drink for example. The alcohol industry has a longstanding institution of using aluminum and glass as containers, while non-volatile beverages (juice, soda, water, cider, inert cleaners) are dominated by oil.

If they were in glass containers, yeah they'd shatter if dropped from height, but they also would never degrade or become brittle. And they wouldn't become toxic microplastics. And they wouldn't be made of bee-be-gone.

Sounds great right? So what's the problem?

Convenience, convenience beyond all reason. If we switched to easily recyclable, non toxic containers, than we'd have to carry em' around. Believe me when I say that only men's clothing has any useful pockets, and that carrying around a jar in your hand all day causes carpal tunnel syndrome.

For me, not a problem. I have a backpack or sling 24/7. But for others, there isn't enough space on their person for any extra empty space.

Our entire commerce (if you're living in NA or western europe) is based upon the shorter and shorter attention span and memory many of us are seeing. A distraction, literally.

Although, I would love to scream "burn it all and build a library (economy) on it" I confess that these radical changes take time. Time that we don't have. We need to find a way to adapt this sucky system to the reality of a dying biosphere. Or tear it all down and live simply, that works too.

Either way: I won't be touting "vegan is the answer" or "destroy all cars" or "buy thousands of dollars of solar panels for power" or even "bike everywhere" cause the answer is all that and more, yet less. Confusing? Yeah, I know.

It takes all of that, but hyper focusing on one potential solution while denying others agency is a really good way to do nothing and have a great public image. "The answer is EVs!". No, its not. We need all of it and more. These issues were created by and for the rich, so they should be the ones to suffer, not us.

They made a system where all of what I just described takes single-minded focus and commitment, and a tinge of insanity to do. Not everyone has the courage to challenge semis to a game of chicken on a small road with no shoulder for riding a bike on. Or to give up delicious chicken nuggets and steak tacos because of the incredibly unjust and abusive meat industry.

Even nuclear is better than nothing. Radiation won't heat the earth, from the inside that is. If choosing between high cancer rates and M.A.D thru GHGs is the only choice left, I'm sure we'd choose to (mutate) another day.

I don't like nuclear, it's so far been a grift, but it works without oil. My point is this: we need to take what we can get, and take some more.

Do what you can when you can. Only fools blame the poor for a problem created by the rich.

Every individual "solution" has incredible upsides, and equally bad downsides. We need to balance the bad with good and get it en masse. We don't have another second to waste on this biological baby cooker hostage situation.

Oh, and if you cannot get by without plastic stuff, remember, you were provided (usually) one option. That option was to consume what they force down your throat. I don't blame you.

The solution is to stop. Stop making plastics, stop making PFAS, stop making petrol, stop it all and then some. And then stop growth. Hit reset on our societies.

I appear to be having another one of those years where all I want to do is either die and get it over with or strangle the nearest person.

I will occasionally post bike-stuff and volunteer work along with some kind words, but so far I've been very good at irritating people.

Like I said before, I don't mean it, disregard the mean things I might say I really want to see all of you thrive.
#introduction #introduction2

#introduction post:
I am a non-binary computer science and cybersecurity student. I hope to one day hack independently of any company or government. Ethically and "legally" of course ;). Lefty by cynicism; can accept less than optimal progress, but not regression.

That being said, I am looking for a casual #fedifriend or rather a few #friends to just talk with and be able to social with.

My interests are #bicycles #ebikes #infosec #privacy #TOR #i2p and #solarpunk or #hopepunk views and stories.

Lost most of my friends to a great rift in politics (a lot of them swung fascist). I tolerate all mostly reasonable views, but am not afraid to criticize even the most accepted institution. Might come off as rude, sorry in advance.

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