Notices by Tinker ☀️ (tinker@infosec.exchange)

I'm hearing the Military Parade in DC for Trump's birthday being called "The Trump Fyre Festival" as it was such a dismal showing...

...and that is flipping hilarious.

Meanwhile the #NoKings protests were just absolutely massive everywhere. Big cities and small towns.

Love to see it.

Here's some sources on it.

Singulair Fucks You Up: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2024/11/24/singulair-asthma-study-mental-health-fda/76549193007/

Most of the studies for Xyzal say its safer than previous antihistamines... but fuck that noise.

Long and short... if you're using seasonal meds and you don't have brain issues. Great.

If you are suffering from brain issues and you ARE taking seasonal allergy meds - whatever kind. Try not taking them for a month and see if you notice a difference.

#health #allergies #seasonalAllergies

Umm... putting this out into the world hoping it catches and someone down the line does something about it.

My friend was taking seasonal allergy meds - over the counter - Singulair specifically...

...and it caused massive brain issues with him. So much so it caused mental instability and has directly lead to his divorce. (He had to check himself into a mental institution for over a month and they sorted out that the allergy meds was a core part of the problem - The leadup and then the checkin broke their decades long relationship).

Since he has gotten off the allergy meds, his brain is great! His life is in ruins, but he can at least sort out whats going on.

You remember my brain issues? A lot went into it... One aspect was burnout leading to glucose depletion, but another core part was I was taking an over the counter seasonal allergy med. In my case it was Xyzal.

I stopped taking it... and SO MANY OF MY FUCKING BRAIN ISSUES WENT AWAY!!!!

I had sorted out the burnout, rested, and healed. And that took care of many of my symptoms. But I still had lingering issues. Lack of comprehension, lack of being able to speak, mental fatigue / severe brain fog / to the point that I had a hard time processing when people were speaking or reacting to me.

I can think now. I can actually accomplish stuff.

Seasonal allergy meds... even over the counter... cross the blood brain barrier (and neurodivergent folks often have a... more permeable blood barrier from what i hear... verify this one though) . Seasonal allergy meds can FUCK you up. Especially if taken daily.

I swear, this and microplastics are our generation's lead poisoning.

#health #allergies #seasonalAllergies

The same people that say "Taxation is theft" or "Universal healthcare is forced labor of doctors" are the same people that decry "Defund the Police!" and vote for a higher military and police budget while stripping money from social welfare and public schools.

They understand taxation and support it.
They understand economies of scale and support it.
They understand government programs and support it.

They just support violence and oppression of others over healthcare, education, and social programs.

Momentous Update on the Food Rescue Program!!!

We got our first food rescue!!!! Like official. In the app! Not an adhoc one. And it wasnt me who set this up! Another organizer got our first grocer. I put the route into the app and opened it up for volunteers.

And a community member picked it up!!!!!

We are rescuing food from a grocer and delivering to a free fridge!

Calling it: November 14th of last year (2024) - to now (June 10th 2025). 7 months from idea conception to a formal route / food rescue between a food seller and a food distributor. (With founding a mutual aid group, to growing it, to partnering with a national food rescue org - yay Food Rescue US! - to meeting with a grocer and connecting them to a free fridge all in between)

Now it's time to scale....

#solarPunk #mutualAid #foodSecurity #postScarcity #foodRescue #foodRescueUS #freeFridge

Follow up to my Food Rescue at the Farmer's Market with crippling anxiety this last weekend.

I failed.

I did not go.

I woke up and quite literally could not move. Everything came to a head and my body and mind gave out.

Could not will power through it.
Could not muscle it.

So. I managed to eck out a shame filled text to a fellow organizer that I wasn't able to go. They acknowledged and that was that.

But here's a cool thing.

A thing that gives me hope and happiness.

Look at the attached screenshot. Look at the feedback of what happened at the Farmer's Market. Look at the pictures of the group that *did* show up.

Look at what happened without me (in a very good way!).

We can't all do it all alone. We are not MEANT to do it alone. We have to do it as a group. We have to allow any one person to take a break, even a long one.

You don't have to do it all alone. You can do a very tiny bit as you are able to WITHIN your comfort zone.

I crashed this entire weekend. And you know what? I have things that I can do this week (and look forward to doing without anxiety because this is the part that I love to do) that will help out the group.

They helped me as they were able. I will help them as I am able.

We've all got this together.

#solarPunk #mutualAid #community

@Cycrev - So it IS proprietary, but it does not cost money if you join their group.

That said!!! Yes!!! I do know an app that's not proprietary!!!

https://rootable.org/

It's from the Food Rescue Alliance: https://www.boulderfoodrescue.org/food-rescue-alliance/

Here is their gitlab: https://gitlab.com/food-rescue-alliance/tomato

FRA is amazing and I fully recommend checking them out.

We decided to go with Food Rescue US (FRUS) for a variety of reasons, but we've also joined FRA. Their app is our backup if ever need be.

Ok, been a bit since I gave a Food Rescue Program update.

We're still in onboarding for Food Rescue US. I pushed back on some of the contract language and we're sorting it out. Nothing major and they're awesome, it just takes some time.

In the mean time, I've spun up a web site, a discord chat, and a monthly meeting at the library!

We held our first in person meeting and it was a major success! We're pushing Food Rescue initiatives as well as expanding our Free Fridge program!

Folks had amazing ideas and have already started running down those leads.

I told them I'm not the leader. I'll facilitate and help guide and help remove obstacles and provide ideas but I can't do it all and they shouldn't wait on me to approve anything.

Ideas are put up to the group to discuss and shy of any major ethical concerns, usually folks gather up others and go and get it done.

This is going really well.

#solarPunk #foodRescue #mutualAid

Great News!!!

We got approved to work with https://foodrescue.us !!!

This gives us access to their coordination software and web app for free!

We can use the app to sign up food contributors & food distributors. Then volunteers can sign up to pick up from one and drop off to the other (basically logistics).

We can also operate under their aegis which gives us local credibility and also allows us to use their 501c3 non-profit status. So anyone donating to us can use it as a tax writeoff. They also provide our donors/contributors with quarterly and yearly statements for tax purposes. There's some other offerings, but thats the chunk!

A food rescue group from DC has already reached out to us to offer support and guidance!

It'll take around a week to get onboarded and then we'll start using it to scale out.

#foodRescue #foodSecurity #mutualAid #solarPunk

While waiting for the paperwork to go through for that national food rescue org, I'm still going to do food rescue manually.

Another donut haul! I dont know how many donuts. Lost count.

Anyhow. had to find space in the free fridge for it. Folks had added even more fresh veggies and bread and salads, so I had to get creative making room for my deserts. 😅

Edit: Ignore the lighting in the fridge. It was night time and I used a flash. Makes things weird colors. Anyhoo.

#freeFridge #foodRescue #mutualAid #solarPunk #postScarcity #foodSecurity

Today's food rescue: a bunch of submarine sandwiches from a local cafe!

Stuck em in the free fridge.

#solarPunk #mutualAid #foodRescue #foodSecurity #postScarcity #freeFridge

Massive Update on the Food Rescue front!!!

We worked out the contract issues with Food Rescue US (FRUS - https://foodrescue.us)and we just signed the contract!

We can now begin the rescue efforts in earnest!!!

This is MASSIVE!!!

This initiative started last November,, and while it's had a couple of obstacles, five months from conception to group formation to joining with a national org isn't that long.

We're also going to be joining Food Rescue Alliance (FRA - https://www.boulderfoodrescue.org/food-rescue-alliance/). They're a US based national "mutual aid of mutual aids" sort of thing. So we can join other food rescue groups and learn from each other.

I'd like to see if there's a state group to join as well. If not, I'd like to start one up. A lot of laws and regulations are state based and learning from other groups in our state would be amazing.

Soooo!!!!

Expect some more updates in the coming weeks.

I'm so excited!!!!

#solarPunk #mutualAid #foodRescue #postScarcity #foodSecurity

Really cool update!

So we had our first win on finding a place that was interested in food rescue... the donut place (see above thread), right?

Right now, I've just been taking them to the Free Fridge each night.

Two things, one someone else has stepped up and is interested in helping glean - grabbing the food at the bakery and then dropping it off at the distribution point.

That's awesome.

Next... and this is amazing... I reached out to a local church that serves breakfast once a week. Asked them if they were interested in getting free fresh donuts for that. They said they were! So once a week, the night before breakfast, IF... we have donuts available, we drop them off at that church instead of the fridge.

Oh... and they're interested in putting a fridge outside of their church as well! Still gotta talk to their leadership and see what all we have to do, but it's a solid lead!!!

Just a little at time... and it keeps growing.

#foodRescue #freeFridge #solarPunk #mutualAid

Food Rescue Program Update

HOLY FUCKING SHIT I AM FUCKING SCARED OF TOMORROW!!!! (hint: it's good news)

Ahhhhhhhhh!!!! Blarrrrgh!!!!!!!!

Fuck.

Okay, it's good news, really, but shit am I a catatonic mess of nausea and nerves and I don't fucking know what to do.

Tomorrow is our weekly Farmer's Market. This is really important in our town and it's one key to building greater community. This isn't an idyllic saccharine frolic as the Farmer's Market trope is often presented.

So. Two folks who have joined my Fridge and Food Rescue group have INITIATED, ORGANIZED, AND LEAD!!!! setting up at our Farmer's Market. Two or three other folks will be joining these two leaders.

I didn't do this. I started the main group, sure, but they're going off on their own without me. That's a good thing. Amazing thing actually. I should never be a bottleneck or the main person. This has to be everyone.

But they've asked me to come and see if any of the other farmers and vendors at the market want to enroll in our food rescue program while they handle other things.

Fuck fuck fuck.

Y'all. I'm good at talking to a group of people that want to work together. I'm good at solving programs. I'm damned good at setting up groups, and infrastructure, and programs.

But I am DEATHLY AFRAID of talking to people that could possibly say no. Hahahaha.

I didn't use to be like this, but I experienced a really fucking traumatic event about three years ago that involved me begging and pleading and making and giving arguments that absolutely were logical and reasoned and supported with a massive amount of evidence. I spent tens of thousands of dollars that I didn't (and still dont) have. I went into crazy debt that I might still not get out from.... all to be brushed aside and denied at every front.

I say that... because its made it to where I can't approach anyone now if there will be any push back. I can fight people, right. I can stand up to someone doing bad in the moment. But I can't try to REASON with them.

And that's bleeding into other aspects of my life. I can't go to city council meetings to plead for them not to set up an AI data center in my town, for example.

And, interestingly, it makes it incredibly difficult to "cold call" or approach folks to sign them up for food rescue.

Fuck me....

I'm going to try this tomorrow. And I have my friends and comrades there who WILL help me.

But, ya'll... I'm fucking scared.

Hahaha. Shit.

#foodRescue #mutualAid #solarPunk

My friend went to a tattoo artist...

Described the tattoo he wanted - Sisyphus pushing a rock up a mountain...

...found out afterwards that the tattoo artist USED FUCKING AI TO GENERATE THE IMAGE!!!!

You know how he found out?

What is AI notoriously bad at?

Can you see the giveaway in the image?

#AI #tattoo

Ummm.... So I found out how easy it is to make peanut butter...

Like.. It's peanuts. In a blender/processor. And that's it.

Like what the fuck.

I eat a lot of peanut butter. But I hated how much sugar was in it. I tried the "organic" or "sugar free" and its disgusting.

A local place makes peanut butter and focuses on flavored peanut butter (think cinnamon toast crunch peanut butter, spicy chili peanut butter, etc).

But I always just liked their plain peanut butter.

But it was so expensive.

But then I found out I could just buy the peanuts... shelled... in bulk... and it's less than half the cost of even cheap store brand peanut butter....

...and it takes like 2 minutes to make.

And tastes amazing. And no added sugar... because I didn't add any sugar.

What the fuck.

I overheard one of the ladies who brought in her therapy dog speak to a young boy who was nervous about reading.

She said, "Ohh, Skye here doesn't care if you read in English or Spanish or are a good reader or nervous about reading. He can't understand you. He's a dog. But he loooooves to be read to. Loves hearing your voice. You just read whatever you like as well as you're able to and Skye will listen to you intently and lovingly."

And now I'm crying.

#library #libraries #reading #solarPunk #mutualAid

Several of our local parks have free bike repair stations.

They include a bike stand, tire pump, and multiple various tools for repairing and tuning your bicycle!

#rightToRepair #solarPunk

At the local library where they're having a "Read to Dogs" event.

Kids will come in and read outloud to dogs. It's a way to learn reading and pronunciation and public speaking. Parents will bring in very young children and read to both the kids and the dogs. The dogs love the attention. Local towns folks volunteer and bring their very calm and trained dogs in to be read to and give attention to children. The librarians facilitate through scheduling and handing kids coming in and out.

It's a relaxing day at the library.

#library #librarians #solarPunk #mutualAid

Tip for folks outside the US that want to hire folks within the US....

...when discussing compensation don't lead with the wages/salary.

In the US, almost all of our compensation is salary based.

Our health insurance (NOT healthcare. Insurance), often requires us to:
- Pay out of our wage into insurance just to get it
- Pay out of pocket (insurance does not apply) until we reach a deductible
- Pay high "co-pays" out of pocket even when insurance covers some of the medical care
- Pay for our own prescription medications
- Pay astronomically for any emergency care

Our "retirement" (HAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!) is just us investing in the stockmarket and requires that we take money out of our salary to buy stocks (if we're lucky, our employer "matches" a contribution up to like 2% or whatever - but you don't get that unless you pay first).

We often don't even get paid time off! Some of us are lucky and get a week PTO and some sick days off per year. But that's in we're lucky. I personally don't get any paid time off. I can take days, sure, but I don't get paid for them. I can take a sick day off, but I don't get paid for it. Holidays are bitter sweet.... yay Christmas, but I better save up for that forced time off without pay.

So for us in the US, the wage / salary is quite literally everything.

If you have social programs like healthcare, retirement, maternity/paternity leave, holidays, even sick leave... attach a monetary equivalency number to it and LEAD WITH IT.

I just had a friend who got an amazing offer to move to and work in the Netherlands and his absolute initial disappointment at seeing a "very high salary" at less than half what he makes now just gut punched him.

It took him a bit to realize that he got all these other things that he normally pays for out of pocket individually.... and the add-up was phenomenal and paid SO MUCH MORE than his current total compensation.

#brainDrain #fediHire