Gemma ⭐️🔰🇺🇸 🇵🇭 🎐

@ascentale@sfba.social @jerzone@techhub.social @bikenite@fedigroups.social I carry a LOT of things in my handbag on a daily basis, including a small first aid kit, a small survival kit, a toiletries kit for public toilets, a lunch kit, a reusable shopping bag, a spare KN95 mask, a tactical flashlight and a utility flashlight, a POM OC spray, a Benchmade fixed blade rescue knife and two Victorinox Swiss Army Knives (Rambler and Pioneer X), a medium HeroClip carabiner/purse hook, and many other useful items, too numerous to mention.

@ascentale@sfba.social @jerzone@techhub.social @bikenite@fedigroups.social #BikeNite A6. Right now: Rema TipTop Tour TT01 patch kit 3 ea. Kool-Stop tire levers Leatherman Wave (first generation) 4" Crescent adjustable wrench 3,4,5,6 mm Wera stainless long handle Allen wrenches 2 ea. Grease Monkey wipes 2 ea. Super Sani-Cloth wipes baggie with 2 pr. nitrile exam gloves extra Energizer L91 LiFeS₂ AA cell for my rear flashy light USB-A to Lightning cable to charge my iPhone from the ebike main battery plus my handbag EDC …

Seriously, if you ever have the opportunity to travel in Italy, DO IT, and concentrate on the food, the culture, the terrain, the history, and the art, fashion, and design, and the people. Oh, wait, that's pretty much everything, isn't it? Italy is awesome.

You know what would make #Mastodon even better? Making the post composition window larger than the post reading frame. I'm old enough that even with reading glasses, my #eyesight needs the composition window larger so that I can locate the cursor accurately when editing. I don't need to edit other people's posts. Make the composition window text at least as large as the featured post text, maybe even larger, not the size of the thread text. #UX #UI #quality #disability #design #accessibility

@ascentale@sfba.social @jerzone@techhub.social @bikenite@fedigroups.social I do not currently have a means of tire inflation in my on-bike toolkit. I mean to pick up a micro pump and a CO₂ inflator. Oh, also a couple of zip ties, because if I have to repair a rear puncture, the ties holding the motor cable to the frame need to be cut and replaced.

@ascentale@sfba.social @bikenite@fedigroups.social #BikeNite A8. Description to follow. My local supermarket decided to place this pallet full of useless debris cornstalk stoop decorations right next to the bicycle rack. It's finally been removed as of today, after several complaints. Also the dillweed who parked sideways at the wave rack.

@ascentale@sfba.social @Kleen@sfba.social @bikenite@fedigroups.social #BikeNite A4. This Summer, Amtrak built the first ever level boarding platform in Vermont in my town, and the first brand new passenger rail station house in Vermont in over a century, so it's possible now to wheel a bicycle directly onto the Amtrak Vermonter in Brattleboro. It's now possible for me to think of things like multimodal bicycle touring, but I don't have a bicycle suited to it (yet). Not sure where I would go, but the possibilities are greatly expanded.

I don't usually make 4 oz (dry weight) of pasta for myself, anymore. I'm too old to eat that much food unless I'm really hungry. These days, I usually do 3 oz (85 g ish), and sometimes, I think even that is too much. I miss real Italian restaurants with Primi and Secondi. Italian-American places are more likely to follow the Anglo tradition.

@Shanmonster@c.im There are any number of cloud storage services that will allow you to store your documents and access them from multiple devices, and LibreOffice is a perfectly competent productivity suite.

If you are unwilling to recognize the simple fact that women in our society are subject to vastly different standards of appearance and presentation than men, and that it is not socially acceptable for a women to appear disheveled in public, let alone upon arrival at work, then you are I are just never going to agree on the nature of reality, so if you want to argue this point with me, I will simply block you. #Ebikes allow people to get to work on hot days without arriving a sodden mess.

@ascentale@sfba.social @nwarner@tenforward.social @bikenite@fedigroups.social Here's the recipe. It's my homemade, enhanced version of Penzey's "RESIST!" Seasoning, because I love the stuff, but I can't afford to order from them very often: https://mstdn.plus/@gcvsa/116955201197186837

That's why #ebike regulation always disadvantages women more than men, and that's #sexism. That makes this a #feminist issue. Women in our society also disproportionately bear the burdens of childcare, and power-assisted bicycles are a viable alternative to motor vehicles for transporting children. There's no reason why anyone should be required to hold a license, registration, or insurance to operate an #ebike, merely because it has enough power to easily transport children at low speeds.

There is no valid legal theory to support the idea that bicycles of any kind, powered or unpowered, should be subjected to the same regulations as highway-capable, high speed, heavyweight motor vehicles. And in fact, we already have precedent in existing law to establish that low-speed motor vehicles are permissible to operate without a license. So, why should it require a motor vehicle operator license to operate a bicycle or #ebike? https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2006/04/19/06-3590/federal-motor-vehicle-safety-standards-low-speed-vehicles

Every time I see Yet Another Oriental Magic video on YouTube, I'm taken back to the 1970s and the infamous Calgon "Ancient Chinese Secret" commercial.

…it can be *the* decisive factor in whether or not someone is able to use a bicycle as transportation, rather than as mere recreation. There is no legitimate moral reason why anyone should be forced to have operable pedals on an ebike, provided that ebike is operated within safe speed limits, which I believe to be up to 50 kmh. Operable pedals are not stable for many disabled people who are perfectly able to operate a two-wheeled vehicle safely, but may not be able to pedal.

@zzt@mas.to not you being ableist, eh? Maybe consider that some people need a throttle to help them get around. Stop stereotyping people who ride perfectly legal and sensible Class 2 bikes.

I see questions like this regularly, because I tend to hang around in places where #survivalism and #preparedness are discussed. If you are fretting over what (insert piece of gear) you should put in a #bugoutbag, a thing that by definition is something ready to go on a moment's notice and kept intact until and unless #evacuation is needed, first ask yourself whether or not its something you actually ought to be carrying on an #EDC basis. This is particularly true of #knives and #flashlights.

@ascentale@sfba.social @cainmark@mstdn.social @bikenite@fedigroups.social #BikeNite A2. I don't have a one favorite, but I'll plug MKS pedals from Japan, who have several different designs I like. MKS has been around since I was a child, and is one of the most famous pedal makers still in business. BTW, I do wear "cycling shoes". Not all cycling shoes are designed for clip-in pedal cleats. There are still "cycling shoes" in the world designed for platform pedals.

@GhostOnTheHalfShell@masto.ai @oheso@ieji.de @geonz@mathstodon.xyz @ascentale@sfba.social @edd@freeradical.zone @bikenite@fedigroups.social I'm Filipino, and I find straight coconut water disgusting. :D However, it's a good basis for mixed drinks for athletic recovery. Also great for cooking #tinola (a Filipino chicken soup/stew) and other dishes.

@GhostOnTheHalfShell@masto.ai @oheso@ieji.de @ascentale@sfba.social @edd@freeradical.zone @bikenite@fedigroups.social oh, the new VitaCoco strawberry and orange drinks are delicious, though. Too expensive for me to buy regularly, but delicious! https://vitacoco.com/products/treats?variant=51664684548468

I finally used up the years-old batch of Pure Leaf brand English Breakfast Tea, so now I'm back to the Tea India Assam CTC tea. I've been drinking so much more icea tea lately that I need to up my game, because while it tastes so much better than instant iced tea powder, it takes a lot longer to make. I nee to wash out a second half-gallon Mason jar, so I can make iced tea in advance, once I empty the first one. At a pint of tea at a time, a half-gallon jars only holds four glasses.

@oheso@ieji.de Survival scenarios are more likely to involve opening sealed packets, rather than stabbing anything. In my EDC handbag, I carry the two flashlights I mentioned earlier, the Fenix PD36 TAC for personal protection at night, and the Fenix E20 v2.0 plus a spare set of Energizer L91 lithium AAs for utility. I also carry the Victorinox Rambler, and mean to replace my vintage Gerber Airframe with a Victorinox Pioneer X. Plus, I carry my Benchmade 100RR River & Rescue fixed blade.

@ascentale@sfba.social @grammasaurus@mastodon.social @bikenite@fedigroups.social #BikeNite A5. The tire carcass of a tire designed to be used with tubes can withstand small punctures without difficulty. If you feel like you need the extra protection, put a patch on the inside of the tire, as well as on the tube. If it's more of a tear or laceration than a puncture wound, consider replacing the tire at your earliest convenience.

@skinnylatte@hachyderm.io Actually, Jesus said EXACTLY THAT, to NOT be demonstrative about one's religion. Matthew 6:5-6 reads: “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

I have some issues with this article, especially with the paragraph that follows the pullquote, but I'm posting it for reference. ' The racial and ideological split in the Democratic Party has been flipped on its head. White, well-educated liberals are the leading proponents of cultural and identity policies that often alienate swing middle-class voters. Black and other minority Democrats are a strong force for moderation. ' #USpol #NYTimes https://periscope.corsfix.com/?https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/16/opinion/democratic-party-coalition-minority-voters.html

@shonin@c.im The problem with this is that sailing ships simply do not scale to modern commerce. The largest sailing vessels ever built during the Age of Sail are minuscule compared to modern container ships. The amount of pollution per ton-mile of goods shipped with modern container ships is very, very small, because of their immense capacity.

RE: https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@jupiter/116982485291989890 I think this is hilarious, but, I also have to say, it's just not realistic to think that dragons could have wings and forelimbs like that. The musculature just wouldn't work. There's no way to fit joints together like that and actually have them work hard enough to support the flight of such a creature. #Dragons should not have forelimbs, or they should have no wings, or they should have skeletons that are much more horrifying than anything we've ever seen in fantasy art.

Even if you *were* forced to evacuate, it's hard to imagine a scenario where you would have five people each carrying the same 55 litre backpack, each with the same gear. Even the military doesn't do that. We humans differ in age, sex/gender, size, strength, specializations, etc. Even if you did want to have 5 knives on hand for 5 people, in most realistic scenarios, you'd want more than one type of knife, more than one size of backpack. A family of 2 adults and 3 children? All different.

FTR, I was actually a BFA Music Theatre/Voice major at Carnegie-Mellon, one of the top university professional Theatre programs in the US. I can sing, for real. This is my favorite recorded version of "Dahil sa Iyo", by Florante Aguilar & Lori Abucayan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ke9xgTpPNI

Of the three realistic risks, only 1 of them applies to non urban areas: widespread natural disaster.

For most people, in most probable #evacuation scenarios, that is going to mean one of three things:

1. a hotel stay
2. a family or friend visit
3. an emergency shelter stay

In none of these cases will it be necessary to pack a #survival knife in a #bugoutbag. In some cases, it might not be wise, or even permitted.

And why are you talking about packing 5 identical bags, anyway?

Dahil sa iyo, nais kong mabuhay Dahil Sa Iyo, hanggang mamatay Dapat mong tantuin, wala ng ibang giliw Puso ko'y tanungin, ikaw at ikaw rin. Dahil sa iyo, ako'y lumigaya Pagmamahal, ay alayan ka Kung tunay man ako, ay alipinin mo Ang lahat sa buhay ko, dahil sa iyo.

One of the things that annoys me about America is that it's almost impossible to buy any kind of pickle that doesn't have dill in it. Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike dill, but I don't want dill every time I want a pickle. There is a whole world of pickles that aren't kosher dill (cucumber) pickles or pickled Jalapeño chiles, but you'd never know that from the shelves of most mainstream American markets.

@shonin@c.im I get what you are saying, but I have to point out that raw numbers don't tell us much about what the actual carrying capacity of the planet really is. I very much agree that we eat too many animals, and that we can live comfortably with less. But, the waste that is built into current systems can also be eliminated to a large extent. We waste 40% of all food we grow, and that includes all inputs into the transport system.

The concept of a #bugoutbag is a very common and popular one, when thinking about #survival and #preparedness, the first thing you should do is assess actual #risks. The likelihood of facing an actual #evacuation scenario is infinitesimal for anyone who doesn't live in a place with frequent natural #disasters and very small for those who do. Growing up on the East Coast, hurricane evacuations aren't unheard of. Once, while I was at college in PGH, there was a train derailment/chemical spill.

@ascentale@sfba.social @nwarner@tenforward.social @bikenite@fedigroups.social #BikeNite A1. My kitchen table in Northern New England, while I make some dinner. A pork chop and carrots with my homemade spicy seasoning. I check my tires when they feel soft, or when I remember, or when I am going out for a particularly long ride.

Once you understand the actual likelihood of risks and the forms they are likely to take, the next step is to evaluate potential responses. And the first thing you need to understand is that in the vast majority of scenarios, sheltering in place is going to be the superior option, not "bugging out". Only in the event of widespread #disaster, area #contamination, or #war #conflict will you actually need to leave the area. #Evacuation routes will immediately clog faster than you think.

In a flashlight forum I frequent, someone asked what #flashlights they should buy for their family members' #survival #preparedness #bugoutbags. My response was to ask why their family members weren't already carrying #EDC flashlights and backup batteries for them. What kind of knife? Why aren't you already carrying an EDC knife? And what do you think you are going to actually need to cut? Don't even bother thinking about bugging out before you think about bugging *in* and everyday carry.

@philip@mastodon.mallegolhansen.com Is this the new Airo trains?

@kev@social.catastrophic.horse Really the best thing to do is get a clamp ammeter and measure actual current draw under load, then decide how long you need your systems to run without mains power, and size your UPS to meet that need. However, for a lot of people, the answer is simply going to be, "buy as much as you can afford". I am currently using an APC Smart-UPS BE900G3. I would advise you to stick to models which use common batteries.

@shonin@c.im As an Asian person in America, and a descendent of merchant mariners, many of the things I enjoy would become dramatically more expensive if we were limited to wind power shipping. There's certainly valid criticisms that can be levelled at global commerce, but it's not all bad. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/aVUgOwy6bEk

My family moved to South Jersey shortly after I was born, and I spent my childhood there. We were the only Filipino family for miles around. But, on the rare occasions that we would attend parties with other Filipino families far away, once the hour got late, and the men got drunk, the guitars would come out, and someone would sing "Dahil sa Iyo".

@internetarchive@mastodon.archive.org Erasure was still making music in 2010?

@vor@lgbtqia.space For military issue, a knife should be cheap enough to be commonly-issued as standard equipment to everyone, generic enough and strong enough to be adaptable to a wide variety of camp or combat tasks, and not a precious possession, since in the heat of combat, weapons often need to be, or simply are, discarded, or lost. The Cold Steel SRK and Recon Tanto fit that description well, the only difference being blade shape.

@ascentale@sfba.social @edd@freeradical.zone @bikenite@fedigroups.social #BikeNite A4. A motor vehicle.

@gerrymcgovern@mastodon.green He would have put it in Soweto, if he could.

@vor@lgbtqia.space Knife Center did include one knife in their suggestions that I think is not terrible, the Cold Steel SRK, although I really regard that as more of a military knife. If the need is for an all-purpose fixed-blade knife, my first choice of what's on the market would be the Cold Steel Master Hunter VG-1 stainless, but for military knives, the SRK or Recon Tanto in carbon steel are much cheaper. All three share broadly similar designs.