Notices by jilleduffy (jilleduffy@mastodon.social)

The last 2 weeks, I've been unable to load a ton of web pages that usually go just fine

A portal where I submit invoices wouldn't load. Tracked links I clicked from email looked unavailable. Loads and loads of pages

I turned VPN on. I turned it off

I reset my browser settings, though the problem persisted on every browser

I searched for other causes: DNS, firewall, network settings...

Nothing worked

Then I QUIT my VPN application. All the pages loaded 🤦♀️

Beware NordVPN users!

Putting in my contacts this morning, I had a horrible memory of buying year-long contacts as a kid. They cost about $100 & you could optionally pay another $20 for insurance. If a contact ripped before the year was up, you'd get a new one at no cost

Once or twice, I skimped on the insurance, ripped a lens, & felt a gut-punch having to pay for another

I asked myself "Why was this so awful that it was memorable?"

Oh right. Most 14 year-olds aren't buying their own contact lenses

Tip: If you cannot locate an email address for customer service for a company, open the Terms of Service, search for (press ctrl+F) "@". Almost always, you can find an email address in there.

Soft off days for remote workers. I'm 100% in favor of this. If you get your job done and do not leave your immediate coworkers hanging, by all means, live your life

This is pushback from the last two decades of corporations/organizations (in the US, where there are so few labor laws) treating workers as disposable. When a company shows no loyalty, commitment, or respect to the worker and their time, the relationship is going to eventually mirror

https://www.fastcompany.com/91528048/no-one-knew-i-was-in-a-different-time-zone-the-workers-who-travel-play-tennis-and-do-chores-on-the-clock

Live NASA channel on YouTube as Integrity is about to splash down

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfhDuOHMp0A

Why call the children of my siblings, "nibblings?"

Clearly it should "chibblings"

It is your RIGHT to decline facial scanning at airports, and I want to encourage more people to exercise it

P.S. DHS runs TSA (airport security), and DHS also runs ICE

https://www.pcmag.com/opinions/is-there-any-point-in-resisting-face-scanning-yep-and-you-should

Me: Sure, PR team, I'd love to check out this product. Just so we're clear, I cannot guarantee coverage. As a freelance writer, I pitch story ideas to editors, and I only move forward with the ones that are approved. I would love to test the product, however, to see if there is a story I can pitch.

PR: IT WOULD BE GREAT IF A REVIEW COULD APPEAR BEFORE SUCH-AND-SUCH DATE.

Could scanning your face to board a plane help ICE?

Maybe

Airlines don't provide enough info abt what happens when they take a photo of your face & match it to your ID, or whether that data could be sold. Those details may be buried in an agreement btwn the airline & the company providing the service

But similar services HAVE sold these data sets to law enforcement

The next time you're asked to scan your face for boarding, say, "I'd like a manual ID check, please"

https://www.pcmag.com/opinions/you-can-say-no-to-face-scans-for-airplane-boarding

Everyone:

Me: You know what has the same plural structure as “attorneys general?” “Quiches Loraine.”

As 2025 nears its end, I wanted to share some of my favorite articles that I published.

This year, I wanted to find new clients & write about more than just technology. The article I'm most proud of was my first for Gloria, a newsletter and website for women. 

For "Midlife Doesn't Have to Be a Crisis," I interviewed women who shared their stories of fun, sex, adventure, & sportsmanship. They're pulling these things into their lives in middle age with active fervor.
https://hellogloria.com/essays/midlife-doesnt-have-to-be-a-crisis/

It's time to plan my annual movie marathon!

Often, I get 2-3 weeks of deep alone time in late Dec when I binge a bunch of movies, sometimes with a theme. One year I watched Nic Cage movies. Another year there were a lot of Muppets. Memorable 80s movies. Silly horror.

Help me brainstorm. What are your suggestions for this year's theme?

@brianvastag Depends on which 20% of the population, sadly
Elders? Poor people? Kids?

I'm still a little miffed that when an actual worldwide pandemic came, the bunker people didn't go into their bunkers

Instead they demanded haircuts and tickets to the cinema

All the time, I think about how difficult English is, but usually I think about spelling and pronunciation. The word "get" was an eye-opener. Consider the uses:
Get up
Get a joke / Get it
Get a haircut
Get paid
Get an object
Get lost
Get tired
Get cold
Get better
Get cloudy ...

I had another great session volunteer teaching English at a small farm in Laos yesterday

We had only 2 volunteers, but then only 4 learners were available, and the 1:2 ratio is ideal so it worked out!

The advanced group worked with me about the word "get." Holy cow, it's one of those words that's difficult to describe! And it has no direct translation to Lao

The beginners learned more words for clothing. I brought a bag of props, including a tiger Halloween costume. They LOVED it

Another word that I realized was confusing to the beginners was "dress."

A dress is a piece of clothing, usually for women

But nice shoes for men are called dress shoes

Get dressed means put on clothes, any clothes

Dress up means to wear something special, either fancy clothes or a costume

Dress down (as in to talk down to)...well, we didn't even go there ;)

@Gargron Thank you for your service to this community, and I appreciate your honest words in your decision to step down

I learned so much interviewing a personal organizer who works with seniors, a funeral director, and a Swede who helped his grandfather with death cleaning for this story in @WIRED

Have you organized your digital assets to be passed down? Is there anything you DON’T want people to find of yours when you die?

#organize #tech #deathplanning #organization

https://www.wired.com/story/swedish-death-cleaning-for-your-digital-life/

My first pieces of pottery made in Laos with clay sourced from a local farm. It was a learning process but I’m reasonably happy with these stupa-inspired shapes
#pottery #clay #handmade #laos