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- <header>
- <h1>Someone jacked my bike!</h1>
- <p>Day 00891: Monday, 2017 August 14</p>
- </header>
- <section id="to-do">
- <h2>To-do list</h2>
- <ul>
- <li>
- Acquire stuff for my new home:
- <ul>
- <li>
- A bed
- </li>
- <li>
- A dustpan
- </li>
- <li>
- A carpet broom
- </li>
- </ul>
- </li>
- <li>
- Inform people that I've moved
- <ul>
- <li>
- Relevant online accounts
- </li>
- </ul>
- </li>
- <li>
- Finish stabilizing <a href="https://git.volatile.ch./y.st./include.d/releases">include.d</a> and put out another release (low priority)
- </li>
- <li>
- Clean up my apartment
- <ul>
- <li>
- Clean up the kitchen
- </li>
- </ul>
- </li>
- <li>
- Finish the library's "bingo" sheet (these tasks were typed verbatim, and include any mistakes and quirks present on the sheet handed to me)
- <ul>
- <li>
- <del>Attend any library program</del>
- </li>
- <li>
- <del>Read a graphic novel</del>
- </li>
- <li>
- Browse the Gale Virtual Reference Library. A librarian can help!
- </li>
- <li>
- Build, draw, or make something based on a book that you read
- </li>
- <li>
- Read a science fiction title
- </li>
- <li>
- Share a book recommendation
- </li>
- <li>
- Read an award-winning book
- </li>
- <li>
- Suggest a library program you would attend
- </li>
- <li>
- Read something funny and have a good laugh :)
- </li>
- <li>
- Look at the art in the City Hall Gallery. There's a new show every month!
- </li>
- <li>
- Volunteer for a couple hours at a community organization of your choice.
- </li>
- <li>
- Download one of the library's free apps or search in a database. A librarian can help!
- </li>
- <li>
- Read a book that takes place in another country
- </li>
- </ul>
- </li>
- </ul>
- </section>
- <section id="general">
- <h2>General news</h2>
- <p>
- When I got out of my self-publishing seminar, I found that someone had jacked my bike!
- They cut though my lock, and ditched the helmet that I'd locked to the bike.
- I <strong>*just*</strong> sunk $55 <abbr title="United States Dollars">USD</abbr> into replacing the tires on that thing!
- They probably saw the new tires and thought it was a new bike.
- It's probably not what they expected because that bike has several issues, but it's still wasted money for me on fixing it up and it'll still cost even more to replace the bike.
- </p>
- <p>
- My neighbour said I might be able to get a bike from Bring for about six dollars, so I'll walk to Eugene tomorrow to try.
- If I can't get a working bike there, I'll have to walk back, which will be a pain.
- They said I might have to buy the parts separately and assemble them, which will mean several trips, all on foot.
- If that doesn't work, I'll need to get one from a second-hand store, which will cost more.
- </p>
- <p>
- Last time I was there, it looked like they had tones of bikes.
- I don't know if any were complete bikes, but they looked like it from afar.
- I don't know how much they cost, but it might be less than elsewhere.
- It's certainly worth a look.
- </p>
- <p>
- My <a href="/a/canary.txt">canary</a> still sings the tune of freedom and transparency.
- </p>
- </section>
- <section id="library">
- <h2>Library task list</h2>
- <p>
- I headed to the library to check out the next book.
- One task was to search a database, so I asked how to search for graphic novels released before the year 1923.
- The librarian said the database wouldn't be a great way to do that, but a Web search might help.
- I'd tried that already, but they used different search terms than I did.
- The results surprised me.
- That genre of book didn't exist that long ago.
- There are no public domain graphic novels.
- I need to read something newer.
- Out of surprise, I decided to check out whatever, though after walking out of the library with my selection, I remembered that I also have Creative Commons licensing at my disposal.
- I went back in and checked out <a href="urn:isbn:0448418630">The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle</a> as originally planned, though I kept the graphic novel just in case I couldn't find anything online.
- </p>
- <p>
- I tried again to find free graphic novels online, this time searching for ones under a free license instead of those with expired copyrights.
- I failed though.
- I found nothing.
- I ended up reading the one I checked out, <a href="urn:isbn:9781626724525">Demon Volume 1</a>.
- It was interesting, I suppose, but it ends on a cliffhanger.
- As the series is proprietary, I won't be reading the next volume to see what happens.
- </p>
- <p>
- I turned in a volunteer application at the local Catholic Community Services office.
- I'm no Catholic (I'm an atheist), but they're local and might want help.
- It's not too far from home, either, and I can get the volunteering item checked off my list.
- </p>
- <p>
- I attended a seminar on self-publishing at the library.
- For some reason, I was under the impression that it was a seminar on writing, which is why I chose this particular seminar.
- No matter though.
- I still learned a few interesting things.
- First, when you publish, you need to be careful about who owns your <abbr title="International Standard Book Number">ISBN</abbr>.
- Whoever owns the <abbr title="International Standard Book Number">ISBN</abbr> is considered to be the publisher and has full control over your book's distribution.
- If you go through a channel that provides a gratis <abbr title="International Standard Book Number">ISBN</abbr>, it's probably not gratis at all.
- They're not giving you ownership of the <abbr title="International Standard Book Number">ISBN</abbr>; they're keeping it for themselves, and can veto any distribution of the book that they don't like or that doesn't make them money.
- Instead, you need to buy your own <abbr title="International Standard Book Number">ISBN</abbr>.
- Next, there seems to be something called Preassigned Control Numbers.
- If you agree to send them a copy of your book when it's complete, they'll give you one of these numbers.
- While the presenter pushed that you should get one of these numbers, there doesn't seem to be any advantage to doing so.
- I'd say you might as well, but getting one of those Preassigned Control Numbers requires passing through a CloudFlare <abbr title="Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart">CAPTCHA</abbr> wall, so on principle, I'd say just to ignore the Library of Congress and their numbers.
- Just don't get a Preassigned Control Number.
- Next, the <abbr title="electronic publication">EPUB</abbr> file format is based on <abbr title="Extensible Hypertext Markup Language">XHTML</abbr>.
- There's a way to convert from <abbr title="Extensible Hypertext Markup Language">XHTML</abbr> to $[EPUB], though I'd need to locate the software to do it.
- <abbr title="electronic publication">EPUB</abbr> files are important for the same reason <abbr title="Extensible Hypertext Markup Language">XHTML</abbr>/<abbr title="Hypertext Markup Language">HTML</abbr> files are: they allow content to flow according to window/screen size, unlike <abbr title="Portable Document Format">PDF</abbr> files.
- Lastly, MOBI files are in a proprietary format, so it might be good to avoid them.
- </p>
- </section>
- <section id="mental">
- <h2>Mental health watch</h2>
- <p>
- I haven't really been feeling very gay over the past few days.
- Even before the <abbr title="human immunodeficiency virus">HIV</abbr> scare, I started wondering if I even want a partner at all.
- This started a couple days before the festival.
- I started questioning, wondering if I might not be gay after all.
- Maybe I was going through some strange emotional stuff.
- But no.
- I feel it again today.
- I'm not having any cravings or anything, but my gayness is still certainly with me.
- That's good.
- I've just come to terms with what I am, so having another drastic change in my self-perception is <strong>*not*</strong> what I need right now.
- My heart can be whatever, but it needs to make up its mind.
- I can deal with being gay, but only if I'm going to stay gay for the next while, until I can regain more of my emotional stability.
- I don't think I have to worry about that too much though; I think I'm going to be gay forever.
- Sexuality is said to be fluid in some people, but I think my own is pretty unyielding.
- If my heart couldn't be reshaped when I was trying to reshape it, it's probably not going to reshape on its own.
- </p>
- <p>
- To be clear though, I'm still a loner, I think.
- Unless that changes or has changed, it's unlikely I'll decide to find a boyfriend.
- I might be more social when I have more time in my life though.
- Once I'm out of school, I might be more interested in going out with friends and/or dating.
- Now that my sexuality has made its presence known to me and has crammed itself down my throat, forcing me to accept it, it's pretty much leaving me alone.
- </p>
- </section>
- <section id="jobhunt">
- <h2>Job hunt</h2>
- <p>
- I was a bit too nervous to ask my neighbour to be my emergency contact, but after my bike got jacked, I did sit down and speak with them.
- I was going to just put down my own number as my emergency contact, but thanks to a series of tangents, only the last of which was intentional on my part, they offered to be my emergency contact and I didn't even need to ask.
- They recommended I try to get a bike at bring.
- I agreed, but mentioned the long walk.
- They said I could take the bus.
- I disagreed on the grounds that the bus burns fossil fuels.
- They asked if I'd ever consider driving a car.
- I said I would if it were an electric car and I had someone to teach me how to drive.
- They asked about why my mother didn't teach me.
- I admitted that I had no idea why my mother didn't teach me before, but that at this point, I wouldn't want her to because she's crazy and I don't want her taking part in my life beyond basic conversation.
- I said could have my sister teach me if she was here instead of Gresham.
- Then, as my intentional tangent, I mentioned that I have no one in the area, and that it's causing me issues in job hunting, as they demand an emergency contact.
- My neighbour, thankfully, volunteered.
- I guess like my mother, I like when others offer.
- However, unlike my mother, I wouldn't have blamed my neighbour for not offering if they hadn't.
- I would've blamed myself for not asking.
- </p>
- <p>
- I'll work on job-hunting the day after tomorrow, maybe.
- I'm too frustrated about the stolen bike to do it today, and I'll be on a bike hunt tomorrow.
- </p>
- </section>
- <hr/>
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