Weeknotes 26-04

• I mentioned last week that with the beginning of another year, I started thinking about reframing how I apply my software engineering skills. Not only is the web under attack of AI slop, the tech industry itself is pushing for disenfranchising labour through the advancement of AI. The big wave of tech layoffs since ~2022 has already taken control away from workers. Companies across the industry are pushing AI into our every work (and life), which really is just a continuation of maximising profit with no regards to, well, anything else.
  

My options are limited, especially for finding more ethical and moral employment, which it's not something that happens over night. In the meantime, I've launched the Secret Bear Studio, an umbrella for some of the recent side projects. I expect most of which will eventually end up being open sourced, one or the other might become a hosted service, if there is a need. However, I need to remind myself that first and foremost, this is for me, this is for building quirky things, and putting them out on the web. Maybe others will like them and pick them up; Rabbit Rabbit has a couple of people using it every now and then, which makes me happy.

• I started training again this week. With it came the realisation that a) I was really fit back in November, and b) it's going to be a long and hard way to build back up to that level. Trying to start gently, I did four sessions this week, two at low intensity and two at tempo. In both cases, the legs were completely fine (at worst a little bit fatigued afterwards, but always fully recovered the next day). However, the cardiovascular system has been a different story. The heart rate was elevated at low intensities, and through the roof during tempo intervals. I don't mind having to build fitness back up, but the legs and the heart not being in sync is a bit demoralising. I hope they'll be in lockstep again soon. I just need to dodge every single cold and circulating virus these next months. Onwards!
  

• Yet again, I've had a scratchy throat this week, but this time it wasn't from picking up a cold, no. A quick look on the air quality map of Europe revealed that Germany has a problem with air quality, yet again. And sure, German media is quick to point the finger eastwards, which only tells some of the story. Then there's the German administration, or rather, there's a distinct lack of communication. They issue public warnings quite fast when yet another storm rolls over the area (climate change, anyone?), but outrageously, when Berlin is in the top ten cities with the worst air in the world (on at least one day this last week), there's radio silence. One of the official air quality sensors is near our house, and in the last days it reached close to the all-time highs of new-year's eve, when this city is going absolutely bananas over fireworks and the air is as thick as a soup. In terms of air quality, the WHO's guidelines are 45 μg/m3 for PM10, and 15 μg/m3 for PM2.5 over a 24-hour period, this last week we topped out at 71 for PM10 and 62 for PM2.5.

  At the same time, looking at the nitrogen oxide levels on the same graph, you can clearly see that this city has a problem with cars. And mind you, this sensor is at a road that used to be heavy trafficked, a through-road connecting one city highway to another, but because they had to close a highway tunnel and bridge a couple of years ago, traffic is only a fraction of what it used to be.

• We played the Dirty Filthy Bikepacking board game again today. Some months ago, it seemed that this new board game was all the rage, at least according to the online cycling world. It already left us rather unimpressed the first time we tried it a few weeks ago, but back then, the theme, the funny writing, and the illustrations on the cards felt entertaining. This second time around, this novelty had already worn off. We both got stuck a few times in the game this time, where all we could do was just to mindlessly keep drawing cards hoping to resolve the impasse. V is already thinking of taking the cards and redesigning a different game around them.

• 

  V brought this yearly calendar back home. It's hanging on the wall now, but we have yet to write on it. The first mark is the hardest one.