April 2020
Current status of me lap. A study in black and white. https://www.instagram.com/p/B-bCn-Chsgo/?igshid=lnbu40chtjl0
Sunset was epic tonight - blush pink, warming to peach and fiery orange across the sky, fading into periwinkle, navy and a midnight blue sky. I didn’t take a picture but Instagram is already full of pics. #lifeinthemojave
@balajis When/where did someone say California would put up a border? The video you RTed does not say that. If it’s hearsay, you shouldn’t continue repeating it. You are adding to the negative stress and divisiveness we all face.
The language of dog is a subtle eyes, ears, tail twitches a small snarl of the lip. The human is the only one who uses voice. She needs to observe more and learn.
A couple weeks ago, I (virtually) lectured at USC on Information Operations. Here's the presentation to learn more. It includes my path to Maskirovka obsession, which is decades in the making & is why I have a unique perspective on it - I don't come from a military perspective.
image@KeNTKB @Blazenhoff Reno Reno Reno? I don’t think so. Already in the now-here. ❤️
@hautepop The desert is also blooming.
It's over 80 degrees in the Mojave and I have all the doors open and it is finally glorious.
@pamelarosiedee Darn it, I didn't know about this, but could join another day. Yikes, it's 7am now... I'll never make that...
@WomeninID Hello there! Any chance you'll do it this time again? Early morning is too early for me on the west coast. Thanks!
@Cruftbox Whaaa????
Black humor: wonder what dating will be like in a post Covid-19 world. Since there will be less men than now, I fully expect to be a spinster with a pack of dogs by this time next year. Or maybe I'll be dead and it won't matter. LOLOL. Hey, I said it was black humor! 🖤
@Cruftbox Seems like as good a time as any!
I drive like a gangster when I’m coming to see you. Buckaroo Banzai to be precise cause I gotta time travel as well.
Not looking back, none of those clowns are writing a book on spies and espionage.
@kimdhamilton But do they know about steganography? Are they considering ways to cram sekret information into DIDs? Hide identity information inside identity information.
Do I have too many emoticons in my twitter bio? I think I do, but also, not sure I care.
My current research is causing me to have the best conversations with my X. But I will never be able to publicly thank him for anything. Because he is as opposite as I am out here and public/transparent and I respect his privacy.
OMG, a date with Uther Doul! I'm so jealous. https://twitter.com/Livable79/status/1245604444324036611
@kimdhamilton I'm doing a bad job keeping it sekret.
RT @refuturing: This is also why emerging companies need to work with strategic foresight professionals and build their internal foresight…
Caught between the tides of pain and rapture... today's soundtrack is a lush soundscape from another reality, the past evoking the future. https://twitter.com/tameimpala/status/1244834775807881216
Best thing I ever did was buy the home I live in. I was able to do that thanks to my Mom & Great Aunt. I paid cash. They have both been dead 8+ years now. But they still take care of me every day. Honestly the only way I have survived in the leanest to the bone times.
@nicoleradziwill @IanColdwater Me too. First time in almost a decade it's remotely possible.
Also, I wouldn't have this place w/out my x. He found it, & thank god, he turned down the chance to buy it with me, cause we broke up <1 month after I closed on it. This place has been always for me, the whole time. A respite, a hermitage. I'll share it, but it is mine, for now.
I just didn't post at least 4 trolly snarky replies. You're welcome. We don't need that right now, even if I am right.🙃
In a way, it's pretty amazing how so many of us humans, have completely shifted our reality in the matter of a month. There's no way we're going back to the way we lived before.
Where's that violin now?
@BSLabs6 Silver linings everywhere.
Listening to https://youtu.be/DqDbBej2unk by @OfficialPogo. So good!
Research is crack. I started out a preliminary view on Stuxnet and ended up at an Israel-Iran joint missile project and then of course I had to go into the history of Iran-Israel relations. This is all pointless. I love/hate my brain.
Seems kinda... IDK... unfair that Reality Winner went to jail for sharing top secret docs to the Intercept, but the person who posted the KH-11 surveillance photo to twitter still runs the country.
I mean, I paid attention to all this stuff as it happened, but it's another thing to crash course it all into a piece of interesting, entertaining prose, while capturing all the nuances and complexity.
@rosiepongracz I love sharing it with you. I hope we get to do that again soon.
This is happening where I live. The hard question: Are you coming to exploit & be a free rider or contribute to the community? --> "whether your relocation to a rural place will be a net help or a harm — not for you, personally, but for the community itself." https://twitter.com/annehelen/status/1245073990651006976
Good morning Twitter. Today I get to write about one of my favorite topics: CYBERWAR! (Already wrote about Maskirovka my other pet obsession earlier this week.)
Reflecting on the Sony Hack & release of embarrassing materials is a very Eastern culture shame based attack, that doesn't really translate to western pwnage. Shame based attacks have less power outside the East. But hey, I'm no expert, just my observation.
Just remembered I did social distancing in my dream last night. I guess that's where I see the most people. There's this city that I live in at night. It's on the edge of the ocean. And there is a cliff with a statue of a greek god and a great view.
Also, when we can travel again, I really really really wanna go to Tallinn.
@jonibrennan OMG GENIUS
I would like to apologize for an interruption in my Medium blog posts about my research, as I have been cranking out 5x that content weekly for this book. I'm trying to find time to write for public but there's this pandemic distraction which requires increased pup cuddles too.
@askpang OMG, I just had to deal with that with 2!! pups!
It's Friday night, I'm drinking Hi-Biscus La Croix and eating sugar cookie #smashmallows. Why yes, I am a unicorn. AMA.
@evanpro Invigorating! 🌈🦄 💫
Saw this fatty today. This is the biggest desert iguana I’ve seen. So big and fat!! Guess spring is here so no more off leash practice. #lifeinthemojave #desertiguana https://www.instagram.com/p/B-i0EFXhKQK/?igshid=178ocejp4u81p
Walking the doggos. Pair position. https://www.instagram.com/p/B-i0ZFyhxtV/?igshid=6zwi533u6id
Tiger King, but with Julian Assange.
This is a kinda cool dashboard for Covid-19 data in my county, the largest in the nation, San Bernardino. https://sbcph.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/44bb35c804c44c8281da6d82ee602dff
@pinkyracr Hah! I used to do group dream practices 15 years ago. I would regularly “call” my partners in their cell phones. We went to some wild places!
Coffee, doggos, silence, and you.
Morning lap: dog, kimono, leg, coffee cup, dog. https://www.instagram.com/p/B-kOWjxhPvT/?igshid=zm2azcx4wx1
Anything can be weaponized: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/03/technology/zoom-harassment-abuse-racism-fbi-warning.html
@ashigupta Dude, what is up with your banana bread recipe posting? 😂
@omegaproxy DECEPTION!
Random research thought for today. You know what needs to die? American's view that they are individual and have no connection to each other or the rest of the world. This mistaken belief of our separability is a core deception that leads to destructive capitalism & outrage.
Not to mention our current predicament.
Oh yeah, I'll mention that I'm hypocritically writing these tweets from my hermitage. 🙃🎉
Not sure what I think of the new @Orbinfo album. I miss the lush landscapes.
With heart on fire I research UAVs tonight. 💫💖
I don't normally do the yearly word thing, but I think 2020 for me is all about DECEPTION. This is especially amusing due to my integrity, the importance I put on the truth & yet, my full disbelief in objective truth. What a rich meditation.
Here it is, what level of freedom do you want? Society, or yours? https://twitter.com/Birdyword/status/1246787280913629184
We are going through a real life marshmallow experiment. Are you willing to limit your freedoms for 14+ days with benefit to other and yourself now and in the future or must you have your individual freedom now?
@mykola Thanks for your hot take & not parsing the meaning of "+" after the 14! Enjoy your freedom! ❤️
@mykola Try some kindness Sir, and stop sharing your personal hate and anger. These emotions do no service to the world we live in today. You can alway privately reach out to someone instead of public outrage. ❤️ IDK you, but my short interaction with you has been negative. Good day!
Yay, asshole starts shit with me on twitter, I back and front channel telling him to be kind and step away from the computer, he blocks me. Guess he must be having a hard day....
@mykola You missed the whole point of my tweet. You didn't even seek to understand. You just attacked and made it all about yourself.
@mykola You did. You totally shit all over my Sunday morning, and then when I tried to reach out to discuss in DM, you blocked me. Is that the kind of legacy you want to have on twitter and the world? You have a choice to increase the positivity or shit. Today, you chose shit.
@mykola Pro-tip, you don't have to rage RT ever reaction.
@michaelsherrill Yeah, there are many various disinformation ops going on right now.
@pinkyracr I think we need to have a video chat catch up so you can meet my new cutie pup on video! <3
Looking for something bingeworthy? Can't go wrong with McMillions on @HBODocs. Recommended! A++ --> "You pay for some bad choices, and the sad part of it is, everyone around you pays for your bad choices". - Dwight Baker https://www.hbo.com/mcmillions
@cortney_dc @LilyAblon It _is_ that easy in Hong Kong. Reading a thread of someone's experience inspired that tweet. But Americans are well... individualists. And so, we must each, individually, prepare for the next 18+ months & the sacrifices you enumerate. https://twitter.com/Birdyword/status/1246787280913629184
OK, it's Sunday afternoon, & do I decant my Kombucha, continue with drone/whistleblower/disinformation/weaponized data book research/writing, make brownies, get toys for my pets, or trim my creosote bushes. How about all of it...
One of the things I loved about Burning Man, is that it was a place you could experience life w a potentiality of death. The "real world" had lost this. Life had been tamed. Not any more! LOLOL. When death is right in front of you, you might find the courage to truly live.
"We will meet again." ❤️ https://twitter.com/GlenHiemstra/status/1246920682752991232
Which brownie recipe?!?!
March 14, 2020: Picked up my laptop from the apple store, saw @Ruth666, did last Trader Joe's grocery store run. Left my property once since then (to get new the pup). Tomorrow starts week 4 of quarantine aka my normal life aka writer's hermitage.
If you love art house, independent and foreign films, consider throwing the price of a ticket to this charity which will help theatres stay open, while we stay home. I just donated. https://twitter.com/criterionchannl/status/1247183442170843141
The challenge of finishing your writing before you have to go plug in your laptop. I'm at 10% and have another 1000 words to go. :-(
@Pathfinder LOL.
Here's an interesting story (that didn't make the cut for the book). It's got information operations, KGB archivist defector Mitrokhin, & inciting drama through US race wars. Sound familiar?? https://medium.com/war-is-boring/russia-tried-to-use-martin-luther-king-jr-s-assassination-to-start-a-race-war-9eeab04f1b82
I miss take out more than human companionship.
@EmLindley Probably a good Indian Matter Panner or Thai Panag Curry. I'm also dying for a good soy latte.
Also, I think there's a real opportunity for someone to write a non-dry version of the Mitrokhin story. I mean, have you tried to read military history?!?! *emoji with blood streaming from eyes* Also, if someone want to pay me, I'll do it. Looking at you @HBO.
OK, what's the best home latte machine?
@Sbryen @refuturing Does it do magic foam? I always forget I have a separate foamer, but I really like the machine foam.
Today, Ms. Sugar, the new pup is acting out - fighting with Archibald, peeing on the rug after being in lockdown for that. And now back in lockdown for peeing. WTH! I am not in the mood for it!
@busynessgirl Yeah, I did love yours. I loved that it was all in one.
@gregcohn What about walking into Canters?
It’s only hard to write when you haven’t made up your mind. Writing is like meditation - you sit and feel uncomfortable and kill your precious baby perfect thoughts and figure out who you are. And then you send it to your editor.
The wind is blowing, the sky streaked with clouds, the metallic smell of creosote, fat raindrops, a glowing orb rises in a changing sky.
@chrisgagne I do that all the time! My favorites are @Snackapade!
I have a lot of kombucha scobies. And maybe 5+ gallons of Kombucha. Just sayin.
Everything is research. Even entertainment. https://www.instagram.com/p/B-qvRFiBVmx/?igshid=s472rwcpgwvw
I did my grocery run today (first one in 3 weeks). I only bought frosting and brownie mix. JK, I also bought marzipan and eggs.
@busynessgirl @ewarren @JoeBiden Hugs.
@TranceFury I decided to skip the alcohol this trip - my basket was too full. We’lol see how long I last. Btw your song came on my pandora station again and it’s really a comfort, a breath of normalcy. Thank you!
Logged back into my Twitch account. It had been years. Who/what should I follow?
@Sbryen @EmLindley @CherylJStevens @SuzeMorrow @kiwiIDgal Agreed. Also needs pets.
Covid-19 achievement unlocked, rave in my own Mojave dome. Music is traveling without moving friends.
😍😍😍 Thank you @EmLindley https://twitter.com/EmLindley/status/1247601027731394567
@EmLindley @Sbryen @CherylJStevens @SuzeMorrow @kiwiIDgal Pets are the best hangover nurses.
@SuchiPahi Sorry to hear that. It really sucks. And it's probably never gonna get better. 😢
I just can’t get it together to write today. Aahhhhh. I have written every day for 3+ weeks.
What are your favorite spy films? Mine include Aeon Flux, North by Northwest, Enter the Dragon, Until the End of the World, Burn After Reading and of course Sean Connery's James Bond.
@evanpro Prog rock transcends time.
I wanted a cheese burger. I can’t even remember the last time I had a cheese burger. But quarantine craving and since there is little comfort in much other than food, I surrender to my satisfaction. https://www.instagram.com/p/B-tBSsaBph5/?igshid=1x2565drfawnq
@jmlw1 Oh yeah some good ones. The Third Man is classic!
@nobantu Rewatching that one right now. So good! Did you know author of the novel, James Le Carre worked for MI5 and MI6?
@PJManney I need to rewatch Hunt for Red October!
@patrick99e99 😊
@debgamble1 Ooh good one! Thanks Debbie. I should re-watch that one.
@ronmichael Yeah it hit me when I did all this research on economic espionage. And then all the other pieces fell into place. A kind of unusual one.
@Kizami_Z Oo, have no heard about that one. What do you love about it?
@FrankMcG I’m with you on that. Bring on the thunder and lightning and torrential downpour. (But I’m not moving to Texas.)
It’s been a moist and rainy (for the Mojave) day. Dogs refused their evening walk - I could barely convince them to go to the road. I’ve had a hard day full of thoughts of pointlessness, sadness and depression. But hey, wine and pie and there’s always tomorrow. Right?
@IAMAtWork Yes I am really getting an appreciation for Le Carré.
@IAMAtWork I have a Cold War spy story I want to write up.
I would take @nntaleb ‘s hot takes over Harari’s every single day. Like there is even a comparison. One strung a bunch of trends into biased predictions, the other saw reality was not predictable.
@SuchiPahi Thanks!
@PJManney I think I just realized I have the hots for Connery. I mean James Bond AND Zardoz?!?!
@PJManney Wha????? I’m jealous!
@IAMAtWork @PJManney Comfort in the Cold War vibe. I’m with you. But still what a strange shared trauma.
@IAMAtWork @PJManney It made us give no fucks way too early in our lives.
Thunder woke me in the night, a sleep as deep as water penetrating the desert. I awake, it's cold, wet, the dogs turn their backs on the open door. I find solace in my hot caffeinated beverage and cozy fair trade produced sweater.
@Eng_Sari_Mashal Hope it got better and you had a good enough day.
@busynessgirl Yeah, but my deadlines. Anyway, yeah.
@NewOrchardMedia Oh yeah, I need to finish that one, I'm about 3 hours into it.
@timoni Realized last summer I could pretty much survive with bowls and spoons. So I ordered 6 more bowls. It reminded me of something I observed when I toured AZ West: http://zittel.org/work/a-z-west.html. Artist AZ was optimizing her life for art, & part of that was simplifying daily life.
@timoni That meant food came from a crockpot & was mostly eaten by spoons. I realized the simplicity of focusing on one's work, when one doesn't have to prepare elaborate meals. I got into the groove last year after I got my Instapot.
@fernandogaldino I have not. Will have to add it. It also reminds me that Atomic Blonde was A++.
@timoni Today it is rainy and wet, cold and damp, sky filled with grey clouds. But yes, it is generally beautiful and desolate here. There are no distractions, you are only with yourself.
How can I be in such a foul mood less than an hour into the work day?
@summer_burkes Oh, I'm honestly unfazed by that.
Interesting that the only I way I can get to this screen is through the URL. Can't seem to find the UI to get there: https://twitter.com/settings/account/personalization
@ronmichael I came across a piece on how Covid-19 impacted intelligence gathering in an age of social distancing.
@summer_burkes Oh yeah, the collective unconscious.
@busynessgirl No this is work related.
My latest --> Our current business zeitgeist has focused on what we can make in the competitive market system, & we’ve forgotten the benefits we gain from a robust national government. https://medium.com/in-present-tense/envisioning-a-public-private-partnership-37e9256f4fd9
After the rains. Yesterday’s walk when we had a break from the rain. The roads do double duty as rivers when it rains. And since the only person driving is UPS, we get to enjoy the rich shades between sand and dun… https://www.instagram.com/p/B-x_ddAhe-S/?igshid=ath4ocypk143
It's another rainy dreary dusk in the Mojave. Blue-grey all across the sky. Dogs on either side, smooth 00s hotel lobby downtempo techno, I feel like I'm hitting some kind of new normal. I guess this is the future w/ climate change, a global pandemic & the result of my decisions.
And if you help people make better decisions to avoid all this, well then, you certainly didn't do anything of value. We only see the catastrophe when it actually happens. https://twitter.com/mekkaokereke/status/1248338219835383808
Wait, can I seriously have been in quarantine for 25 days already? I guess so.
It's the end of the world as we know it and everything is 50-75% off.
@SugarJones It's raining in the Mojave desert right now - might want to double check the weather before heading out, cause, climate change = unusual weather. Enjoy!
How did I end up on that supermax prison page and even worse, recognizing some of the inmates? It's called, never pass up a research rabbit hole you can go all the way down.
@SugarJones Yeah, we've had a cooler than usual spring. Also in Jtree lots of locals are wary of tourists, so, just be respectful, cause everyone is extra scared. But do enjoy the broad open spaces. Food for the soul!
@crummysaint IDK if I should 😂or😢 to that.
Wow. This piece shows a real human, and economic impact of Covid-19. It's more about economics, supply/demand than the sex. Great video storytelling too! https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/10/style/camsoda-onlyfans-streaming-sex-coronavirus.html
"One data point is not a trend" says Gavin Newson, after Bloomberg made a who big deal about two words he said about California. Come on media, let's not read sensationalism into every sound bite.
Thread. https://twitter.com/steak_umm/status/1248441358160990208
What are you procrasta-eating today?
I always end up reading the press release on the Justice Dept website. #research #criminals
Also thinking bout that cute, smart, french fry eating Federal Agent I met on an airplane once too.
Some day I really need to write fiction.
@sblackmoore wanna wanna wanna!
@danpape I'll be right over via my time machine.
@darrello So jelly.
@chrisrockhacker You gonna grow old and enjoy your retirement on a beach in South America - who are you fooling?
@chrisrockhacker @officialmcafee 🔥
Hashtag Burning Man
That’s a wash! Before I spent time in the desert I didn’t understand washes. A wash just looked like a dry sandy area. I had a hard time understanding the danger of them. A wash is the potential of water in force.… https://www.instagram.com/p/B-02ZaThpgM/?igshid=nyygz1ml4dyj
@patrick99e99 I think that’s just the waffle maker saying your tatertot waffle is ready. ❤️
@BethanCantrell I'm so sorry. Virtual hugs.
Fraud & potential counterfeit goods (PPE) in the supply chain. An ongoing problem, but deadly during the pandemic. How can we learn to trust again? https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-04-11/coronavirus-seiu-masks-fraud-fbi
RT @JeanThoensen: Can you be nonpartisan for a full day? Sign up to be a poll worker! The majority of poll workers are older people more vu…
I might. E sugar crashing from the warm brownies I just shoved in my face.
There are 4 fake bones and 2 dogs. They always want the one the other one has.
RT @aniltj: Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) is a term that invokes a variety of emotions. Is it a technology, a standard or a movement? Or do…
It’s like La Dona went to the K-spa! How can we ever accept the way it was! https://twitter.com/Bill_Gross/status/1248800805525704705
Hard to find motivation for anything other than being in the sun or watching studio ghibli films with my two sidekicks. Hope you’re having an equally amusing/delightful day.
Why didn’t I do this two dog thing decades ago. This is the best! https://www.instagram.com/p/B-5ZnCMh_gs/?igshid=1l3mcq4r263ow
Excellent life decisions. https://www.instagram.com/p/B-5dimsBZVC/?igshid=x7hjzk9ayj5v
Current feels: In every life, we have some trouble, but when we worry we make it double. https://youtu.be/d-diB65scQU
The USPS is a commons. This is a great thread. https://twitter.com/DingusJMcGee/status/1248741868440940544
JFC, stop saying California is a nation state. It's not. Maybe it can economically compete, but it fails on state/national security to begin with.
I can't believe I live in a reality where I am pro-government. Like, am I the only person who sees the value of something that doesn't make money via private sector. There's a lot of that stuff & government solves those problems & enables the market to exist in this country too.
You know where companies go when their IP is being exfiltrated from the country? The FBI. Not local police. #governmentcommons (OMG. I can't believe I live in a world where I just called the FBI a commons. I blame my espionage research.)
I mean, spend a week reading Justice department press releases, and then talk to me about state succession. I mean, I'm not saying any entity is perfect. But who you gonna call when Unit 61398 has spearphished your exec team & is on your network?
I am convinced libertarians can only exist in the luxury of a democratic society. They can't exist on their own despite their survivalist self image. OMG, you can't survive on your own. You are part of a system.
@fernandogaldino I'm just having a mini-rant, every time I see people share that POS Bloomberg article.
@voretaq7 Uh, hate to remind you but this is twitter. YMMV
@voretaq7 Well, I'm just saying, maybe don't judge a whole gender based on a twitter interaction. You'll find your compatible lady! PS, what kinda lizard do you have? All mine live outside in their native habitat. LOL.
@PJManney I don't think of Burning Man as particularly libertarian. But that's just me. It's always been more anarchistic/mutualist. It was also very 90s anti-big gov/pro-counterculture more than anything. But yeah, the people who make BM their culture 365, not my bag.
@voretaq7 What a cutie!
Morning thoughts: Underground Raves will come back, but with blood testing for Covid-19 safety. Take that cyberpunks, see you at the Trash Fence, blood sample required at the door. Don't @ me about immunity credentials. ❤️🌈🌪️🦄🖤
RT @roxannedarling: @heathervescent This is leading me into a thought experiment: define all the essentials I think I need for a happy, hea…
ICYMI: The Government is only as good as those running it. While this is a criticism on the state of my federal government today, it does not have to be a criticism on the state of *my* Federal Government in the future. https://medium.com/in-present-tense/envisioning-a-public-private-partnership-37e9256f4fd9
Oh yeah, give me more French downtempo.
Alfred would be a good name for a Boston Terrier.
Also, I would say 30% of people who came into my polling place last month dropped off their mail in ballot. https://twitter.com/FrankMcG/status/1249746287366463489
@voretaq7 Mail ballots are great - you can fill them out in the comfort of your home and take your time. But it's nice to have the ritual/pomp and circumstance to drop your ballot off -- to be an individual as part of a collective act. That's why public drop offs are great.
@zmolek Hmmm, are you suggesting I'm demonizing out-group libertarians? I used to be a pretty hard core one. Still recovering tbh, just on the other side. And it was because I was biased & unable to see the value I got from government.
@zmolek My comments were based on the Bloomberg, California nation state article misrepresentation/lack of context. I see my libertarian friends lack context & thus have a limited view. But then, I also have a biased limited view. LOL
@zmolek Have you read The Fourth Turning?
@zmolek I don't see much value in what libertarians bring to the table right now. In the past, yeah maybe. In the future, maybe. But today, that view is destructive. Evolve with the times.
RT @FutureBoy: Ecotopia has arrived. https://www.governor.wa.gov/news-media/washington-oregon-and-california-announce-western-states-pact
Only Zuul! https://www.instagram.com/p/B-8jV0GhFsw/?igshid=i233lv97bdp6
Couch perfection with my dos chiens aka Dzogchen! #greatperfection https://www.instagram.com/p/B-8jyG1B9Af/?igshid=1kpn5h6am01tu
ESH when it comes to swiss banking drama. What a weird world of uber rich egos.
@TheEmilyDare Take a break if that's what you need. Rest does wonders for knowledge, learning, and confidence.
@TheEmilyDare I took the weekend off even though I was behind on my deadline. But then I banged out what I needed in 3 hours on Monday morning. Rest is critical for our brains to work - especially now. Hope you'll heed the call of your body. The only person you are letting down is yourself. <3
And The Sabres of Paradise by Leslie Blanch https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-secret-history-of-dune/ #benegesserithavemorefun https://twitter.com/HannaFlint/status/1250035788773015554
Well, I guess the mainstream will finally get the bumperstickers on my truck. Not sure I'm gonna like that. #spicemustflow #benegesserithavemorefun #toyotaofarrakis
Interesting but missing the @Twitch DJ scene. --> "What we’re really paying for is this community, along with a sense of discovery and participation." https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-14/virtual-nightlife-grows-past-dj-livestreams-to-paid-zoom-clubs #futureofquarantine
@PJManney A fight over landscaping apparently.
Feel like I am finally coming up for air after this Covid-19 quarantine thing + coming up to speed writing this thing.
Paid subscriber for years now. Thank you. https://twitter.com/laura_nelson/status/1250137476506587136
RT @MadelineAshby: As someone who has spent the past two months working with actual experts and not pundits: this. 👇 https://twitter.com/changeist/status/1250342613627973634
In my early 20s in Berkeley, I hung out with some Gurdjieff people. They told me one of the first meetings people would go to, they encouraged them to act out whatever they wanted/who they felt they were. Not everyone did. Some observed. Feels like current state of Twitter.
Watching the behaviors, the tweets, is a view into the momentary aspect of their identity. It's fascinating to watch it all boil in the pot of human existence. Grasping for grounding, understanding, rock beneath our feet or distractions to spirit us away.
@michaelsherrill @gayatri001 @drrhanson Not yet, just cracking Tibetan Book of the Dead this week. I feel grateful I'm familiar with the Foundations of Buddhist Thought series.
Profound morning quote by HH Dalai Lama. What clothes will you choose to change today? https://www.instagram.com/p/B_Al-ybHjU0/?igshid=12xy7pa53gymh
The 405 is empty and some rando highway/downtown is in gridlock. Did not see this future.
Watching time-lapse of China building a hospital in 10 days for today's research, & news show dumbasses gridlock protesting in the US. Seriously? We're done as a global nation. https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-china-51348297/coronavirus10-days-of-hospital-building-in-60-seconds
@roseveleth Because the goals/timeline of journalists/press are different from people making it, plus I'd guess funding issues. Not sexy or enough ROI to save the world. Also conceptual vs scalable.
@NewOrchardMedia Could say similar about US and children in cages. ESH.
@michaelsherrill @Teri_Kanefield Yup.
@Teri_Kanefield @Pat_5691 Hi Teri, I study Maskirovka, which includes Active Measures & other Russian Information Operations. Here's a brief intro: https://medium.com/in-present-tense/maskirovka-false-narratives-and-information-operations-3193680ee8cb & a deck a gave to a USC class a month ago: https://www.slideshare.net/heathervescent/an-introduction-to-maskirovka-aka-information-operations
RT @IanColdwater: Oh for fuck's sake, Zoom is not malware, words mean things
Today is provision day in the low desert.
In the market for a unique face mask? Look no further than Batcakes Couture. This is just one design you won't find anywhere else. https://www.etsy.com/listing/781945026/black-washable-face-mask-valley-of-the?ref=shop_home_active_13&frs=1&crt=1 #batcakes cc @TheRealSatanica
I'd really like to get back into my healthy eating habits. I'd also like a hot tub, massage and some paid (better than a hack writer) work.
Today's bonus: I saw lots and lots and lots of wildflowers, like the desert covered with swaths of yellow. So there's that.
@ShibumiKiDoZen Glad you are back.
Snow capped Big Bear Mountain in a desert filled with yellow wildflowers. // I have never seen this part of the desert this filled with flowers. I can see acres of yellow out in the basin. And carpets of yellow along… https://www.instagram.com/p/B_EUXQxntip/?igshid=y1gefwf5mgyo
@jmlw1 The director's cut is on @criterionchannl right now.
@the_real_Twan I get my 20 mules and go down the mountain.
Bearded visitor. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_F2rM5Hckx/?igshid=2rqccm4d8gl9
Yo, what’s up? Why you inside this glass box? https://www.instagram.com/p/B_F22E6nISy/?igshid=1jhzk9cequfnl
@jmlw1 @criterionchannl It was an amazing soundtrack!
Apparently, I need a hammer drill.
I'm probably weird, but I'm way happier when I'm working. Even happier when paid for the work, but just working on some new research improves my mood. Might have something up my sleeve.
@jmlw1 @criterionchannl VPN baby!
@jmlw1 I think I need like maybe 20 holes max... so I'm going for something cheap.
@kimdhamilton You may be the only woman a technical man who is mansplaining you will listen too. You just have a way! 😂
Hammer drill acquired.
@zmolek Just concrete tomorrow!
@fernandogaldino Small collection.
@darrello @kimdhamilton I don’t know who “you” are referring to but it can’t be me cause I lack... lets just say tact, humor and patience. Kim has a way of defusing things. Also my friend @finamofo can say anything to anyone. I do not have this skill.
Damn, now I know why #kimwexler was trending a few days ago...
Friday night and it's Maskirovka and charcuterie in my SMS. 😂😂😂
I love getting notifications when astronauts return to earth. Thanks @IFTTT!
Sounds like they are doing.... bombing practice in the basin?
It's not 11am yet & I have baked my famous extra spicy chai-pumpkin loaf, made nut coated kale chips (now in the dehydrator). I'm eyeing my hammer drill & considering giving myself a pedicure. I also need to write about novichok nerve agent at some point. How's your Saturday?
Come on, this is every city person with a day job's fantasy. Don't pretend it isn't. https://twitter.com/sarahw/status/1251347504379150341
@michelelelel That sounds divine! I hope you are eating delicious food and snuggling with your fabulous pup! I will do enough work for us both today!
I successfully used my hammer drill and masonry bit and did no damage to myself nor anything else. I am doing all the gender stereotypes today!
@JamieXML 😂😂😂
@Cruftbox 😢
@jmlw1 I know right?! I do have my regular drill which I’ve had for over 20 years - original dewalt!
Current status. Couch perfection: aka Dog Zhen. @ Dome Sweet Dome https://www.instagram.com/p/B_JERqzB1Ey/?igshid=wfr8yxd4mhps
Pics of the chai pumpkin spice loaf and dehydrated kale chips (almost done). Busy domestic day. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_JFP33hjhR/?igshid=44klqd1kp7h9
I really knocked it out of the park with my latest chai pumpkin spice cake, bonus buttercream frosting doesn't hurt.
Morning dreams back in the city I only visit in my dreams. My apartment complex that is combination apartments and Jim Jil Bang. It was the New Year. Everyone was handing out black envelopes. There was so much luggage. I may be watching too much Studio Ghibli.
Also, pretty sure I could be a character in a Studio Ghibli film. That friendly hermit that inspires young protagonist. Prolly a spirit pretending to be human. Found in a remote place. With lush garden, happy dogs and fresh baked good. But what about what the spirit wants?!
@GreeterDan Rabbit looks like it.
Remnants of him everywhere. Paw print from 5 years ago. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_LKdpMhLwf/?igshid=72stytzfb5xj
Almost done. Working on the door and trying to decide if I wanna call it a day. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_Lf1C0B1no/?igshid=1nv97uciwoyuk
I decided to call it day & finish the door tomorrow. I prefer that kind of detailed work at the beginning of the day, instead of the end. Plus it's cooler in the am. I'm impressed I was successful in putting together a two man project greenhouse w/ one woman & some gorilla tape. https://twitter.com/heathervescent/status/1252005025594793985
I am dreaming of the day I can get a good massage (or any massage) again.
Current status: day 2. I got tired so am waiting to finish the door tomorrow when it’s cooler and I’m fresh. I did this all by myself - and I only gave myself minor injuries! It was frustrating - I would change the… https://www.instagram.com/p/B_LjBbnBzlq/?igshid=4ncecimlx8ot
@adamjorlen Everyone is doing their best navigating their own fear with uncertainty. We can only have compassion for their grasping for solid ground. We may intellectually know this and act as if we don’t. There are many levels of mastery.
This was a very wholesome weekend. The novichok piece must wait till Monday.
"Help bail out America's cities, just as you've helped bail out the banks." 🔥🔥🔥 (WOW a 95% drop in air travel at LAX!) https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-04-19/garcetti-state-of-city-la-address-coronavirus
Quarantine life 4 life. Apparently, I'm one of these people who is satisfied with non-traditional social connections. Gonna chill with the Orb, some delicious food, my doggos, criterion collection, the desert, and yes you Twitter. https://www.futurity.org/belonging-social-support-strategies-2341122/
Writer admission, yes, I go back and read stuff I wrote last week (or beyond) and often have the feeling of, "Damn, that's really good shit!"
Maybe it's time to pull a "buy and kill" move. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-20/american-oil-is-cheap-enough-for-climate-activists-to-buy-it?srnd=premium cc @omidyarventures
So I waited on hold with @CanonUSAimaging to find out my printer is bricked (dreaded B200 error message), they don't offer fixing it but they can offer me 10% off a new one. This is really irresponsible manufacturing in this day and age.
I wanna know what the exact propaganda is that's getting these protest activities... I can barely be motivated to leave for a concert I really love. Whomever you are, you're a genius at manipulation/marketing/active measures.
Unsurprisingly, Facebook doesn't have a report this post for "Active Measures." But they should.
It's a new day, and I finally have some writing that is a bit lighter and easier for the rest of the week. Hoping to get back to some of my industry thinking pieces in development.
@missrogue @AndrewYang I didn't read either of these referenced pieces (paywalled/busy), but I agree w/ sentiment. @pmarca got Mosaic funding back in the day from the gov & so did @elonmusk. At the time of their gov funding, their products would have failed the profitable test.
ICYM: The Role of Robust Government [Funding] in Innovation. On Market & Market Failures. https://medium.com/in-present-tense/envisioning-a-public-private-partnership-37e9256f4fd9 cc @AndrewYang @pmarca @missrogue
How does @tameimpala channel Syd Barrett AND Marc Bolan?! 👂😍😍😍
YESSS!!!! Some light quarantine reading about Active ACTIVE MEASURES used to steal the freedom in your mind and manipulate YOU. PS. I wrote about this here too: https://medium.com/in-present-tense/maskirovka-false-narratives-and-information-operations-3193680ee8cb https://twitter.com/ericgarland/status/1252653697806598146
@pinkyracr I'm not totally willing to give up on everyone yet. We believe in freedom, but some people have been manipulated to give up their freedom of belief in their mind.
On the dog walk, we came across the wing of a crow. 20 feet later was the other one. Normally my goth self would have picked them up - what a boon to find two full mainly clean crow wings. But I guess I’m over than… https://www.instagram.com/p/B_QMOHcnKKf/?igshid=1h4pb15vmwfsf
Today is all about U-2, not the band silly. We're talking Recon baby. (Listening to T-Rex thank you very much.)
Well it's all right / Love is what you want / Flying saucer take me away 💖🔥🌪️🌈
@TheEmilyDare That's very cool!!
Lunch today: vegan mac n cheese, home made kale chips and a La Croix. I swear I'm not a stereotype.
@bobblakley @TheEmilyDare I did a bunch of Corona (not the virus, the spy satellite) a few weeks ago. Did you know that sometimes the film canisters would land in a rando location. They had to stop stenciling "TOP SECRET" on them and instead put "Attn nearest US Embassy.
@VladZamfir Try having 10-20 pounds of flesh on your chest.
Every time I do yoga or pilates or most exercise (almost daily) I want to make all those flat chested instructors feel my pain. LOL you think my body can do that, forget it, & it's not cause I'm not limber/strong. It's not fun people. What I wouldn't give for a B cup.
@bobblakley @TheEmilyDare 😂😂😂
@winemaker @bobblakley @TheEmilyDare I forgot to mention the information was in something like 4 languages, because they didn't always land in the US. Didn't some film start out with a corona film canister in a farmer's field?
@markwahl @winemaker @bobblakley @TheEmilyDare What's that source?
@markwahl @winemaker @bobblakley @TheEmilyDare Yes, that's what I'm talking about. Amazing find! Thanks!
@markwahl @winemaker @bobblakley @TheEmilyDare This is amazing: https://www.nro.gov/Portals/65/images/CAL_Photo_186.jpg
@markwahl @bobblakley @TheEmilyDare Serious niche nerding out here. 🤓
@ShibumiKiDoZen What are you reading? The Tibetan Book of the Dead puts me to sleep and then I have weird dreams.
@LizaK OMG, I want to strap fake G size mamonas assassinas on them all - especially my gay instructors just jumping and prancing and burpeeing away. (PS. I love my gay instructors.) Srsly, there is a market for exercises for buxom ladies.
I'm having two very different conversation simultaneously. Nerding out on Corona satellite surveillance details and complaining about the lack of buxom friendly exercise instruction (and instructors).
@deargoziem @Meaningness They all sound like bores who don't understand emptiness (nor bliss).
@jstpwalsh Oh that's cool! I have a laptop bag made from a Soyuz parachute. Now, if there was a sports bra made from it, I could mesh my two threads together!
@pinkyracr Wow. I had no idea. But your long legs give your that NY speed for walking!
@bobblakley What do you suggest?
What the @peetscoffee ? You trying to start a war? You know what California thinks of Portland and visa versa?!?!?! https://www.instagram.com/p/B_S4ROmHpCV/?igshid=3k2eg2k1zdnt
OH: My dog isn’t a fan of gin and tonics, she prefers whiskey. 😂😂😂
Dancing in the wind. #wildflowers #mojave #lifeinthemojave https://www.instagram.com/p/B_T-4tRHK47/?igshid=kvqg326o17qm
So far, we’ve had 1, maybe 2 days of 70 degree weather. It jumped to mid 80s today and up to low 90s for a week. 😭 I put up the mini-pool in preparation.
@aniltj There is a certain technical subgroup of people unwilling to consider/use collaboration tools accessible beyond the inner technical circle.
The pack has had this little punk rock muppet visiting this week. #domesweetdome https://www.instagram.com/p/B_Xfkd0Hn5p/?igshid=n6l5yk2hguxf
Wheee kicking off the weekend for a surprise emergency vet appointment!
@chadloder I agree. Those damn printer dots.
My favorite view of the Mojave. Last year this spot was popping. It wasn’t bad this year but certainly not a super bloom. Still, I never get tired of this view of the basin. Warning, there’s sand traps down in there.… https://www.instagram.com/p/B_YCEG8HufW/?igshid=75gfge4y5k6l
Wheee, the desert vet pandemic experience, sitting in my truck with the AC for an hour+ cause it’s 101 and no one can go inside.
And it was pretty uneventful after all. Souvenir pic
image@johnedgarpark Book 3 Steganographia practice I see.
Today’s adventure in being a dog. Archibald has this bush he is obsessed with. Sometimes a lizard or rabbit may pass through but most of the time it is vacant. Today while I was getting ready to plant seeds, he got… https://www.instagram.com/p/B_YnQpQHEig/?igshid=1qwbsx9w3qggx
@johnedgarpark Did you google it? There’s also this great paper with the decodes. 😈
@Sbryen Wasn’t as bad as I though. All good now!
@busynessgirl Everything ok now.
@heinz_gies Thank you. Got it all fixed up fast! Everyone is much better.
@johnedgarpark Sorry not sorry was my research obsession last week.
IMO, burn it all down. #adbusting #manipulation https://twitter.com/benedictevans/status/1253674553882132480
Silver lining of yesterday’s unplanned trip to Indio - grapefruits and Meyer lemons from a friends tree. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_aJIS0nWOc/?igshid=15jnbmr5lr7ib
Shallow all the actions / Of the children of men Fogged was their vision / Since the ages began And lost like a lion / In the canyons of smoke Girl it's no joke / (guitar solo + reverb wailing) #lyricsgame
image@timkastelle Right!!
@cvharquail @timkastelle YES!
Why yes, Krispie Kreme did upsell me on a dozen donuts yesterday because it was time for my twice a year Krispie Kreme & @idworkshop is in my dome next week. I think I'll have one now.
@AlishaBhagat I was *just* researching homing pigeons this week. Wouldn't be the first time they were used by an apothecarist.
I included systems thinkings in a high school economics course I developed several years ago. For some people, it's naturally how we think. (Cause/effect, ecosystems). This is a great resource on archetypes: https://www.systems-thinking.org/theWay/theWay.htm https://twitter.com/KateRaworth/status/1254344048216887296
Really interesting decisions making based on leading indicators in countries with better government response. Also those countries weren't fighting double war against active measures, nor a leadership deficiency + bonus chaos factor. #defcon https://forum.defcon.org/node/231015 https://twitter.com/defcon/status/1252789301269520384
@ptullis Hi Paul, I really enjoyed this article - interesting concept to test location via DNA. I researched/released a DHS funded report on tracking identity on the supply chain in January, you may enjoy. You can download it here, or I can email you a copy. https://bit.ly/GSCreport Thanks
I thought going to Vanuatu 20 years ago was obscure (as an American), but just discovered Astana. My wanderlust has ignited.
I started out researching Cold War Khrushchev and ended up in Present day Kazakhstan. This episode brought to you by my brain.
@jstpwalsh Just French or are you open to Italian? If so, I suggest whatever it is they visit in L'Avventura. Also the good hotel in Pandora & the Flying Dutchman. Rules of the Game is so fierce! We never learn. Also Howard's End can be a fun visit.
@jstpwalsh I knew there was a reason I liked you. Your great taste in foreign cinema! 😊
Third night of weird insect dreams. That Nausicaä viewing really left a mark on me, but I've also been known to go on about enlightened cockroach buddhist masters, so it's really not totally random. I love/hate my brain.
@busynessgirl Recommend @Ruth666
Started out the week delivering the chapter I had planned to deliver last week. At least that's done. Onto the next one.
I think the whole "ghost" of ghost in the shell is lost on western audiences. I only barely get glimpses when I overdose on Shinto inspired anime/Mari Kondo.
@Cruftbox I felt the same way, in 1992. I realized I had to surrender and go with the flow. So going on almost three decades of single spacing. Condolences.
My todo list always causes raised eyebrows by whomever is looking over my shoulder because I always have to a of FU actions. 😂😂😂 https://twitter.com/nicoleradziwill/status/1254877330838880256
@sblackmoore Thank you!
A view inside the greenhouse. Acclimating a few new plants for the yard. A replacement rose and a pomegranate that I hope to train up a trellis. Three tomatoes, some zucchini, cucumber, herbs, red peppers and some… https://www.instagram.com/p/B_gS5MJHH21/?igshid=uhx6mv22tya7
Took the first dip of the season today. I can’t tell you how amazing it felt to be surrounded by all the water - floating weightless for moments. The sun on my body, shade (from my hat) on my face. #tinypoolclub @… https://www.instagram.com/p/B_gUa24nFWv/?igshid=1t91h2vpc5bxb
I shouldn't brag, but I have like 3 zoom calls a week and 2 are happy hours. Yo, I'm a writer/researcher!
Has this been one long 30-50 year active measure? This week's research has me going deep into cold war regime change and yeah, I'm getting paranoid & trying not to see k-wave disinformation patterns.
@nicoleradziwill Well, based on my limited research, the regime was falling apart in the late 80s as their paranoid about a first strike increased. Maskirovka is a tool of the weaker party and the way in which to use it has increased exponentially putting the mind of Americans in the crosshairs.
@nicoleradziwill But yeah, some kind of Maskirovka K-wave 80 year cycle theory, sell that to Bannon, groom sleeper agents, active measure/infiltration of US government, chaos, throw in a Siberian shaman for good measure. Welcome to 2020.
Yeah baby, Monday night researching the cold war with some solid live streaming playa beats.
@chrisgagne @nicoleradziwill Well, the Soviet Union lost, they disbanded into the nations we know today. The eastern block ended. That started Putin's rise to power. The cold war has been over for decades. We are in WWIII now, the information war. The players are different and we are all soldiers.
Now listening. https://twitter.com/dnalounge/status/1254991280427450368
I'm impressed, virtual @idworkshop has the same vibe as IRL. Not totally, but more than I expected. Also, I'm doing a session on "Digital Identity and Deception." #iiw30
What I've learned researching spies & double agents --> Treachery begins with disgruntledness.
@trbouma Clearly it's content! When we are happy, satisfied and content, we don't want to betray anyone.
Update, I forgot the next 3 days are an online conference all done on zoom. Oh well, last week I had 3 zoom calls. Maybe I'll have 4 zoom calls next week. https://twitter.com/heathervescent/status/1254950927569547265
Thanks for the kind words. If you are interested in tracking identity on the supply chain, the report is free to download https://twitter.com/darrello/status/1255201870160805888
@futureidentity I was just considering buying some wisteria yesterday... does it survive 100+ degree heat?
Super annoyed that @SBCounty #covid19 numbers are delayed >24 hours, creating inaccurate comparison data. cc @latimes (current numbers are from 12am 27 April)
Should I be flattered or upset that my slides were borrowed and permission was never asked. Nor am I nor another very prominent woman not mentioned as influential. Guess my IP to the cause does not matter.
@briecode I think that's called strategic marketing....
@timoni Welcome to your primes - 41, 42, and 43 are a great series of ages! (I know 42 isn’t prime but it’s the answer.) 46 is also double 23. Hail Eris. Welcome to shedding your fucks, getting some wrinkles and gaining a lot of wisdom to see through the bs.
RT @promppo: @kthorjensen it's definitely trying to tell us something
imageInteresting to see how my perspective to identity & the ID community has changed after time in the security industry. I definitely feel more alienated, which leads to not wanting to collaborate. Feels very theory, trying to solve children's problems with naive thinking/biases.
@cascio Hail Eris.
@dsearls I don't know that it will be helpful. I wrote about my similar alienation from the W3C. https://medium.com/@heathervescent/limitations-of-standards-bodies-154b0d43a2ca
@kimdhamilton In the words of AITA - ESH. 🖤 I don't know how you are hanging on TBQH.
Last night, my neighbors told me (at social distancing driveway cocktail hour) that the owl I've seen in our neighborhood lives in my Palm Tree. I can't be happier thinking an owl lives 15 feet from me.
@kimdhamilton If I'm honest, I contribute to the sniping and silo-building too out of my frustration. As I wrote before ESH, and I'm no angel.
@kimdhamilton I remember. But also, none of us came into the community to do this work with this attitude. The chip on my shoulder came from my time in the community. So there's that. Also, we need to be able to vent in a nonjudgemental way. So I thank you for that.
@sphcow Ooo would you mind linking to it here?
Unintended consequences of the pandemic --> Black Market Drug Supply Chain + Money Laundering. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-04-29/coronavirus-slows-money-laundering-to-a-crawl
@evanpro Or maybe I'd rather tend my garden...
A rare cool morning in this heatwave. I sit outside and look at everything blooming - here in my harsh desert. I wonder what I could make bloom in a less harsh environment. But maybe my talent is to thrive in spite of adversity.
Tame Impala is the lush aural landscape I go to escape from the cacophony of human voices, even if in text form.
Got the first sneak peek of some spreads from my upcoming book on Spies and Espionage. It's always fantastic to see the words take shape into a book. FYI, it's similar format to the Cyber Attack one, lots of graphics and images to tell the story beyond words. #writerslife
@jstpwalsh That's really cool!
@BorealisNinja Maybe I can intro you to @geminica for tips and ideas.
