Quentin

The earpad covers left us long ago, and now my trusty Logitech G-Pro headphones have finally died (actually the sound is still fine, the headband part snapped so I can't wear them which is kind of problematic).

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good replacement please? I need a set with a good quality microphone. I've been happy with these. Are the newer models still good or is there another brand / model I should consider please?

#Earphones #audio #Podcasting #Recording #Audiophile

How's your morning going? I just got on a Teams call, got the camera working.... and realised I was still in my PJs...

So here is a picture of my cat, also still in his PJs, but owning the look and pulling it off better than me...

Today is the feast day of Saint Dymphna: Patron Saint of Those Who Suffer From Anxiety. Depression. Nervous Disorders. Mental Illness.

Born in Ireland in the 7th century, and by 14 consecrated herself to Christ and took a vow of chastity. When her mother died, her father's mental health declined & she fled to Geel, Belgium where she built a hospital. Her father followed her & killed her.

A church was built in honour of her & so many pilgrims arrived in need of treatment for mental ills, that it was expanded. The expanded sanctuary was eventually overflowing again, leaving the townspeople to accept them into their homes, which began a tradition of care for the mentally ill that continues to this day.

Hear us, O God, Our Saviour, as we honour St. Dymphna, patron of those afflicted with mental and emotional illness. Help us to be inspired by her example and comforted by her merciful help. Amen.

Painting of Saint Dymphna from https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=222

#SaintOfTheDay #OnThisDay #CatholicChurch #Church #Religion #Saints

Question for #Catholic / #Christian #Bible reading people: With Pentecost coming up, I was thinking about Acts 2, and how as the disciples, filled with the holy spirit, spoke, each person heard them in their own language. It struck me how Vatican II was such a big thing: bringing the Mass from Latin, into local languages. But, considering Acts 2, why was the mass ever restricted to just Latin in the first place? Jesus never specified anything about only using one language and clearly the Holy Spirit appears to encourage taking the word of God to people in a language they understand.

Just curious what others think.

#BibkeQuestions #religion #theology

Why does every individual site need to work out whether I'm a bot or not?

Surely there must be a better way than having to wait 10 seconds for EVERY SINGLE SITE ON THE INTERNET to verify that I'm a human?

Just as we once taught ourselves to use passwords we would never remember, but a computer could guess in seconds, we now seem to be at a point where humans are being frustrated by every site wanting to make sure we're real.... but computers just work around it (or move to the next site)....

#Verification #Technology #Frustration #Robots #Bot #Internet

I went to have a shower today and George (the daddy long legs) was sitting on the wall inside. I tried to scoop him out but lost him. I couldn't find him, so I hoped he got out and started the water. And there he was, back on the wall. So, here I am, trying to get clean, but also, trying not to splash the spider.

This is common, right? (It's an Australian Daddy Long-legs "Pholcus phalangioides", an introduced cellar spider. They are beneficial household guests that actively hunt and eat other, more dangerous spiders)

Today is the feast day of Julian of Norwich (born 1343). After catching a deadly disease & a priest attending to give her the Last Rites, she had a series of visions of Christ. She spent the next 20 years meditating on these and writing a book on them. As such she was the first woman to write a book in English.

One of Julian's most famous quotes is:

"Sin is inevitable, but all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well"

More on Julian of Norwich
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_of_Norwich?wprov=sfla1

Image from: https://julianofnorwich.org/

#OnThisDay #FamousQuotes #SaintOfTheDay

@Big_Diggity@theres.life

Copilot, help, someone thinks I am AI! How can I convince them I am a real human?

Convincing someone you’re a human—especially when AI is getting so good at mimicking us—is all about leaning into the "messy" parts of being a person that an algorithm usually tries to smooth over.

Here are a few ways to prove your "flesh and blood" status:

• Get hyper-local and sensory: Talk about something happening right now in your physical space that an AI couldn't know. "I'm literally squinting because the sun is hitting my monitor at a weird angle," or "My neighbor’s dog won’t stop barking at the mailman."

• Use "low-stakes" typos or slang: AI tends to be grammatically perfect or uses "cool" slang in a way that feels slightly forced. Use a bit of chaotic energy—fragmented sentences, inside jokes, or very specific cultural references from your childhood.

• Share a "useless" opinion: AI is great at weighing pros and cons, but it doesn't have irrational preferences. Tell them about your weirdly passionate hatred for a specific type of pasta shape or a niche TV show you’re currently obsessed with.

• The "Photo Proof" (The Ultimate Finisher): Take a quick, grainy selfie holding a piece of paper with today’s date and their name written on it. It’s hard for a standard LLM to fake a real-time, low-quality "proof of life" photo on the fly.

• Ask a deep, emotional "Why": Ask them something that requires lived experience to answer, then respond with a story of your own. AI has data; you have memories.

Would you like me to help you draft a specific response to them based on how they're challenging you?