Mira Alexander
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miraalexander.de
Mira Alexander
@miraalexander.de
96 followers 130 following 470 posts
Reader. Writer. Illustrator. SW-Developer. Polyglot.

E-book formatting. Print book typesetting. Cover designer.

(she/her)

https://www.miraalexander.de
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Mira Alexander
ypicalwriter.bsky.social
Gibt es hier einen Augenarzt/-ärztin, der:die mir eine oder zwei Fragen zum grauen Star (OP) beantworten kann?

Danke 💜
May 18, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Reposted by Mira Alexander
debbieohi.com
I've found HP Premium 32 printer paper most affordable paper for my #FountainPen writing/art. Expensive compared to regular printer paper BUT cheap compared to Tomoe River etc. Note the relative lack of feathering in close-up (compared to my earlier post).

Hm. Maybe I should make my own notebks?
Sheet of HP Premium 32 paper with handwritten text in blue fountain pen ink reading “This is written on HP Premium 32 paper (100 Brightness),” shown alongside part of the product packaging. The packaging highlights specifications: 32 lb (120 g/m²), 100 brightness, 8.5" x 11", 250 sheets, FSC certified, and ColorLok technology. A blue-inked Pilot Custom 823 fountain pen rests on the page. Close-up of blue fountain pen ink handwriting on white paper, reading "This is written on HP Premium 32 Paper (100 Bright)." The ink shows slight shading and no feathering, indicating compatibility with fountain pens.
May 9, 2025 at 3:14 PM
miraalexander.de
And because I've just had such a nice chat about “Misheard Lyrics”, let's not withhold these two gems (one EN-DE and one ES-RU):

Many German speakers in the 90s heard “Agathe Bauer” instead of “I've got the power” in The Power by Snap! youtu.be/nm6DO_7px1I

#langsky
SNAP! - The Power (Official Music Video)
YouTube video by SNAP!
youtu.be
May 6, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Reposted by Mira Alexander
languageonthemove.bsky.social
No such thing as free language learning!

Can’t believe I missed this article when it first came out. Everyone should read it!
April 29, 2025 at 5:06 AM
Reposted by Mira Alexander
elkeasen.bsky.social
On May 10, @weandme.bsky.social and the National Reference Center for Post-viral Syndromes are organizing a HYBRID scientific symposium called “Demystifying PEM.“

Please share as widely as possible — if possible especially with clinicians & scientists 🔬

Speakers & more details below. 1/
Screenshot saying the following: Demystifying PEM A scientific symposium of the Medical University of Vienna In Cooperation with the WE&ME Foundation and the National Reference Center for Post-viral Syndromes May 10, 2025 von 10am - 1 pm Medical University of Vienna - Josephinum Lecture hall
April 25, 2025 at 2:16 PM
miraalexander.de
The Russians do not "shake hands". They "shake arms". Because otherwise, they would have to "shake brushes".

"Brush" is another translation for "кисть" (kist'), the anatomically correct word for "hand". But nobody says "кисть" instead of "hand" on a day-to-day basis.

#langsky #Russian
April 17, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Reposted by Mira Alexander
brownecfm.bsky.social
1. Absolutely outstanding article on the increasing prevalence of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) diagnoses amongst patients with Long Covid.

This possibility is the primary reason I avoid infection with SARS-CoV-2.

www.wsj.com/health/welln...
Is Covid Rewriting the Rules of Aging? Brain Decline Alarms Doctors
Millions of long-Covid patients continue to struggle with cognitive difficulties.
www.wsj.com
April 14, 2025 at 4:50 PM
miraalexander.de
I wonder why no one has mentioned the traces of blue ink under my eyebrows, which look like botched make-up from the 80s.

Obviously, I refilled the ink in my fountain pen.
And, obviously, I did it without gloves.
And, less obviously, I washed my hands.
But obviously not before I rubbed my eyebrows.
April 10, 2025 at 11:33 AM
miraalexander.de
Because of the pleasant weather and blooming spring flowers, here is a selection of my palettes I collected over the years.

The smaller three are really some tin boxes and 1/2 pots.

1/3
Several palettes with changeable color pots, from big palettes to tiny ones with capacity for only 4 colors. There are some brushes in the picture, too.
April 4, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Reposted by Mira Alexander
Want to exchange handwritten postcards, just like in the olden days? The Slow Writing Movement is now up to 15 participants from five countries, with more coming aboard. Let me know if you're interested and I'll add you to the mailing list. Or send a message by pigeon.
Tim
March 24, 2025 at 11:50 PM
miraalexander.de
(newest dictionary entry for:)

ChatGPT: when clueless people (e.g., from sales management) shove ChatGPT-generated script in front of experienced, long-standing software developers and want to know why developing a complex client-server system takes so long (instead of mere seconds with AI). 😱🤣
March 19, 2025 at 3:02 PM
miraalexander.de
Today I read about how to express in/equality in Chinese/Mandarin. I translated it into mathematical/programming language (Boolean algebra) to understand it better. Have fun!

See ALT-text for the text version (Markdown format). I had to shorten it a bit.

#langsky #Chinese #Mandarin
# Comparison in Chinese/Mandarin (https://www.miraalexander.de) What I learned in Chinese/Mandarin (and translated into the more understandable mathematical language; notation for computer scientists): * A,B: Objects * S: property, e.g. size * s: a characteristic of the property, e.g. large * **A跟B一样S。 => S(A) == S(B)** *(A and B are the same in their manifestation of S; e.g. A and B are large)* *(Right to Left: S is identical in B and A)* * **A不跟B一样S。 => S(A) < S(B)** *(The characteristic S of A is smaller than that of B; e.g. A is not as large as B)* *(R->L: S is identical in B and not in A)* * **A跟B不一样S。 => S(A) != S(B)** *(A and B are unequal in their manifestation of S; e.g. A and B are unequal in size)* *(R->L: S is identical neither in B nor in A)* * **A跟B一样不S。=> S(A) != s && S(B) != s** *(A and B their characteristic S is the opposite of the characteristic; e.g. A and B are not large => neither A nor B are large)* *(R->L: S opposite is identical in B and A)* For the sake of completeness, here is the formula for “A is more S than B”: * **A比BS。 => S(A) > S(B)** *(The expression of S of A is more/greater than that of B; e.g. A is greater than B)* Oh yes, and 不比 is not a negation of 比. Funny, because you can justify this with the reasoning from the Boolean algebra: What is the opposite of “more” in a comparison? Is it “less”? Or “the same”? Or a combination of several or all? Hence: * 比 : more * 跟 : like, equal to * 不跟 : smaller * 不比 : not comparable, something completely different (i.e. unequal in a sense) Funny, both Google Translator and DeepL have problems translating the sentences: * Google Translator: * A跟B不⼀样好。 A is not so good as B (the exact meaning is "A is not equally good as B") * DeepL: * A跟B不⼀样好。 A is not as good as B. (false, from this sentence we cannot detect if A or B is better than the other; only that they are not equal) * A跟B⼀样不好。 A is not as bad as B. (false, it should be: A is as bad as B)
March 13, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Reposted by Mira Alexander
debbieohi.com
To non-Canadian tech types still on Facebook: 6 yrs ago, @michaelianblack.bsky.social & I did a Facebook Live video for NY Times Books. I no longer have access because I'm Canadian 😢, & I've heard FB plans to delete FB Live videos soon.

I would love to have a copy of the video cont'd
Thumbnail from a Facebook Live video, featuring an illustration of a woman shooting blue paint at a man, via a paint brush. Handwritten title says "Live Art with Debbie Ridpath Ohi & Michael Ian Black."
March 7, 2025 at 8:20 PM
miraalexander.de
An e-book on Amazon:

✔️ cover (obviously) AI generated
✔️ blurb AI generated (as checked with an AI-Checker, 100% AI)
✔️ content AI generated (first 3 paragraphs, 100% AI)
❌ warning "AI generated"

I thought I read somewhere that Amazon would check uploads for AI.
March 3, 2025 at 4:14 PM
miraalexander.de
Was nur Menschen mit langen Haaren erleben können:

Nach dem Meditieren nicht aufstehen können, weil der Hund auf den Haaren liegt.
Vom Sofa nicht aufstehen können, weil der Mann auf den Haaren den Arm abgelegt hatte.
Aus dem Bett nicht aufstehen können, weil man auf den eigenen Haaren liegt.
February 25, 2025 at 6:01 PM
miraalexander.de
Die eh schon nervtötenden Telefonbelästiger sind noch nervtötender geworden (ja, ich hätte auch nicht gedacht, dass das geht): Heute meinen ersten Anruf erhalten, in dem mich eine KI-generierte Stimme mit einem KI-generierten Text über die Vorzüge von Blockchain informieren wollte.
February 25, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Reposted by Mira Alexander
umasslinguistics.bsky.social
Missing link in Indo-European languages' history found www.eurekalert.org/n...
Missing link in Indo-European languages' history found
Where lies the origin of the Indo-European language family? Ron Pinhasi and his team in the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology at the University of Vienna contribute a new piece to this puzzle in collaboration with David Reich&#39;s ancient DNA laboratory at Harvard University. They analyzed ancient DNA from 435 individuals from archaeological sites across Eurasia between 6.400&ndash;2.000 BCE. They found out that a newly recognized Caucasus-Lower Volga population can be connected to all Indo-European-speaking populations. The new study is published in Nature.
www.eurekalert.org
February 24, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Reposted by Mira Alexander
creepypretty.bsky.social
Saw this on FB and it's well worth watching if you care *at all* about the damage AI is doing to the broader art community. GenAI, by it's very creation, is deceitful. It lends itself to the grift. Here's just one of the many ways, excellently researched...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nEk...
How AI Tricked the Worlds Largest Painting Competition
YouTube video by JakeDontDraw
www.youtube.com
February 12, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Reposted by Mira Alexander
umasslinguistics.bsky.social
The benefits of speaking multiple languages; New psychology research indicates that multilingual children may have enhanced executive function and perspective taking skills. news.miami.edu/stori...
The benefits of speaking multiple languages
New psychology research indicates that multilingual children may have enhanced executive function and perspective taking skills.
news.miami.edu
February 10, 2025 at 6:14 PM
miraalexander.de
Wie nennt man Kollegen,
die trotz heftiger Symptome sich für ein paar Stunden ins Büro schleppen,
dort weitere Personen anstecken,
die wiederum ihre Familienmitglieder anstecken (u.a. Risikopatienten),
die wiederum ...

... und das, obwohl Home-Office ausdrücklich erlaubt ist?
February 10, 2025 at 11:47 AM
miraalexander.de
Der heutige Beitrag zur Aufheiterung: „солнечный зайчик“ (RU für Sonnenhäschen). Es entsteht, wenn ein Sonnenstrahl durch eine kleine Öffnung (z. B. Laub) auf eine Oberfläche fällt oder mit einem Taschenspiegel projiziert wird.

Katzen lieben es, Sonnenhäsle zu jagen.

#langsky #russian
January 21, 2025 at 11:44 AM
miraalexander.de
Ich habe mich immer gefragt, warum es im Portugiesischen segunda-feira (zweite Messe = Montag) bis sexta-feira (sechste Messe = Freitag) gab, aber keine primeira-feira (erste Messe) gab. Jetzt hat meine Neugierde die Oberhand gewonnen und ich schaute nach.

1/n

#langsky #portuguese
January 20, 2025 at 10:10 AM
Reposted by Mira Alexander
blindleben.bsky.social
Wie träumen blinde Menschen?

Träume faszinieren die Menschheit seit jeher, doch wie erleben blinde Menschen diese geheimnisvolle Welt? Träumen sie überhaupt „visuell“, oder gestalten sich ihre Träume anders?
1/MD
January 17, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Reposted by Mira Alexander
eff.org
Fed up with Meta? Avoiding Instagram or Facebook isn’t enough to stop Meta from harvesting and profiting from your private information. Here’s how to limit Meta’s ability to monetize your personal data.
Mad at Meta? Don't Let Them Collect and Monetize Your Personal Data
If you’re fed up with Meta right now, you’re not alone. Meta tracks you across millions of websites and apps and its business model relies on your data. If you want to limit Meta’s ability to collect ...
www.eff.org
January 17, 2025 at 5:40 PM