Mastodawn

Should you ever be looking for information on a weird old plug or socket, or are just interested in such things, the online "Museum of Plugs and Sockets" is one of those sites that makes the Internet seem like less of a terrible mistake than usual.

https://plugsocketmuseum.nl/

The page on old British "BS 546" is unmatched, in particular: https://plugsocketmuseum.nl/OldBritish1.html

#BestOfTheWeb #OldInternet #IndieWeb #Electronics #DIY

Museum of Plugs and Sockets: home page

Annotated display of 1000 domestic electrical plugs and sockets from all over the world, including classic and obsolete types.

The Old Reading Room Dec 6

Dr. Victoria Grinberg Nov 1

If you want to know what society-wide Ponzi schemes lead to, look at what happened to the former Soviet states after SU-collapse for an example.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, I recommend reading Lea Ypi's "Free". Especially the final chapters, "Like the rest of Europe" and "1997".

I've lived through this once, I really don't want a repeat. But we don't choose which times we live in.

The Old Reading Room Nov 1

Ian Jago Nov 1

Had a wonderful day painting and chatting with London Plein Air Painters at Victoria Tower Gardens, where the weather held nicely until we’d all finished. Thanks for making me so welcome. #gouache #landscape #landscapepainting

The Old Reading Room Nov 1

Tattie Nov 1

I studied Artificial Intelligence for four years, and I am not touching LLM AIs with a ten-foot pole.

It's not really about the insane electricity demands, the water usage, tho that's a good reason. It's not even, if I'm honest, about the disastrous effect on the sum of all human art and knowledge.

It's because a) I've studied enough AI to know it's a trick, a sort of linguistic illusion, and b) I've studied enough everything else to understand that I'm not immune to such illusions.

The Old Reading Room Nov 1

Emeritus Prof Christopher May Nov 1

Want to know why we really don't want to expand private health insurance in the UK?

How about what's happening to millions of Americans the autumn.... a massive spike in their health insurance costs (caused by the end of a period of subsidy).

What we do not need in the UK is the massive prejudicial US-like rationing of care based on ability to pay - its inhumane & socially disastrous... and the US is the perfect case study of that!

#health #HealthInsurance

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cnvee260n8eo

ACA open enrollment begins with spike in healthcare premiums

The monthly cost of health insurance could rise by 114% on average, according to health research nonprofit KFF.

BBC News

The Old Reading Room Nov 1

Jennifer Hamilton, MD PhD Nov 1

My work #EMR at now has integrated #AI that summarizes a patient's chart whether I want it to or not. This week it told me the wrong reason for admission, the wrong hospital course, and the wrong medications as compared against the human-written discharge summary. To review it and find the error took 3 minutes; to document the error and report it took another 10.

Anchoring bias exists. What we read stays with us, truth or lie, influencing decisions.

And I can't turn it off.

#LawsuitBait

The Old Reading Room Nov 1

BBC News Top Stories Nov 1

Scavenging for food in streets - desperation takes hold in Jamaica after hurricane

People in Black River haven't seen any aid and told the BBC that they are fighting to survive.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0jdd186l0go?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

Desperation in Black River, Jamaica, after Hurricane Melissa

People in Black River have not seen any aid, telling the BBC that they are fighting to survive.

The Old Reading Room Oct 13

My camera shoots fascists Oct 13

On the fediverse, posts rarely go viral. But at times, they will go "fungal", like mycelium quietly working its way through the substrate, popping up again like mushrooms every few months to make another quick round before going dormant again.

The Old Reading Room Oct 13