..and while I always thought AOL was too mainstream, I did have a 2nd phone line and run my own dialup BBS system, "The Courts of Chaos"... SRE and Tradewars FOREVER!!!

I have laid down on one...don't think I ever slept :D

Never had an AOL account, too poor growing up for a waterbed.

Blaming government agencies for making the same mistakes as everyone else really plays into the hands of Conservatives and anti science MAGATs.

AI is a blight, but lots of people and companies also fall for it, doesn’t mean they are doing it out of tech bro nepotism.

Most government agencies and employees I have met have really wanted to help people and believed in their jobs, but everyone keeps trying to strip their budgets while simultaneously asking them to do more with less

I do also think that sometimes it’s an honest attempt to follow their own mandates to streamline and optimize their shrinking budgets. Most departments are given impossible and conflicting directives regularly.

Nice! I'm hoping I can do some stuff for him in the new year :)

Always liked this one :)

30 Days of Holy Night

Also to be clear, I didn't get that vibe from you at all :)

I always hate when people try to give me "simple answers"...if this shit was simple, it would be solved already. I now try to just share my experience, in case it plants a seed.

Having tasks and goals tends to help me tho....it's why I started doing my livestream....I needed something to get up every morning for.

We are absolutely all different in what helps us, but I know when I feel like that, even if I don't *think* it will help, going for an hour+ walk and listening to music really does tend to improve my vibe....I collect cool looking leaves or something to scan...makes me feel like I'm being effective.

I try to create stuff, go on walks and center myself as best I can by living in the moment...but all of those things can be damn near impossible when the depression is strong and the world outside feels completely inhospitable.

Practice whatever self care you can :) There's no just saying "Don't be depressed!", but you're right - this too will pass, you do have people who think of you and wish you well, and your cat overlord appreciates the scritches.

The first thing a system does in this situation when it wants to maintain the fiction is to remove the people who's existence proves reality. The second thing will be to remove the people who talk about it.

For at least the last 5-10 years, *decreasing* reliance of people, even "educated people" has been the driver for GDP.

"Lay people off, watch your stock value rise."