I think we figured out what had been ailing me all last week – some allergen. My wife recalled that I had similar symptoms in Idaho when the snow would sit stagnant and get this spider-webby mold growing on it – my allergies would go through the roof and I’d have physiological reactions like I did last week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We swapped out the filters in our air purifier and set it on the “turbo clean” mode and after about a day I was feeling much better. Today, I don’t feel it much at all, though the real test will be this evening as it was pretty consistent with its cycle of getting worse in the evenings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’ve known for quite some time that I’m sensitive to mold spores – ever since my time living in Seattle in the 90s. What I can’t figure out, however, is what this particular allergen is. I don’t think it is mold as I haven’t found any traces of it around, but for all I know it could be in our walls (though I sure as hell hope not).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also over the weekend, my wife had our first negative experience with a “neighbor” since moving here. I put “neighbor” in quotes, because I have my doubts that they actually live on our hill, and if they do, they lied about their name and where they live. We live two miles up a gravel road with a speed limit of 25 MPH, and this fellow wanted to drive between 8-10 MPH. In all other times I’ve encountered a situation like this, they neighbor would pull to one side to allow the person following to pass, but this guy wouldn’t, instead hogging the entire road that is wide enough for cars to pass each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Idling up the hill, she still had to ride her brakes because he was traveling so slowly. Well it seems he wasn’t too fond of her being that close because he ended up stopping in the middle of the road and flipping her off. He then turned onto a side road and started shouting at her, bitching that she was following him too close. My dude, if you didn’t want someone to follow closely, drive the fucking speed limit or pull to the side to let the car pass – she had to rider her brakes because he was slower than her idle speed. Uphill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’ve spent many years keeping my violent tendencies in check, and subscribe to the “Non-Aggression Principle” (NAP), don’t initiate aggression, but hearing about this once she arrived home really got under my skin, as I doubt he would have been as rude or mouthy if I had been in the vehicle – and if I had it probably would have ended quite differently. But it did remind me that I should look into getting cameras for our vehicles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anyhow, I just got a text from a friend saying he just got out of jail, so I’m gonna go and find out WTF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Song of the Day: Wake Up<\/a> by Shooter Jennings<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Spain celebrates 80 years of \u2018Tomatina.\u2019<\/a> – “Thousands of people will paint a town red with tomato pulp Wednesday, flinging the fruit at one another in the 80th anniversary of Spain\u2019s famous ‘Tomatina’ tomato street fight.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chatbots Can Go Into a Delusional Spiral. Here\u2019s How It Happens.<\/a> – “Most of the reports of A.I. delusions involve ChatGPT, but that may just be a matter of scale.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scientists found the missing nutrients bees need \u2014 Colonies grew 15-fold<\/a> – “Scientists have developed a breakthrough food supplement that could help save honeybees from devastating declines. By engineering yeast to produce six essential sterols found in pollen, researchers provided bees with a nutritionally complete diet that boosted reproduction up to 15-fold.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n