Beardy Star Stuff
Trying Blot
So, I mentioned yesterday that I set up a blot.im account and blog. It’s something I’ve wanted to try for a good while but wasn’t sure I’d use it. The gist of it is that it’s an easy to use blogging system based on dropping files (markdown, text, html, images) into a folder on Dropbox. The server detects the new file and adds it to your blog. Easy with practically no set-up. It really does seem like magic. New posts (files) are detected with no delay as are edits to previous posts. This post, for example, will update on the server in just minutes with no added work from me. It really is fantastic. I just type and know that within a minute or two the public file is up-to-date. Or, I could do the work locally on a file then just copy/move the file when finished. Either way, it’s a simple drag and drop to the folder on Dropbox. Bonus, all those files are easy for me to access, no database back-ups. Just a folder of files.
I’ve paid for a month and will test but this is so much easier than posting with WordPress. I’ve hosted my two blogs via WordPress for several years, before that Blogger, before that TypePad. I don’t move blogs without good reason so I’ll ponder this a bit!
What are the negatives with Blot? Well, thus far, it’s all very positive. I already pay for web hosting for various other sites, mine are included in that bundle. But Blot is only $4/month which is a fantastic deal and something I can afford if I want to move over. There are two commenting systems that can be added to a Blot blog. I’ll think about adding one but I may just sync the feed over to Micro.blog for commenting/discussion. Blot is run by one guy, David, who is, by all accounts, a super nice guy and very responsive to support requests. In a discussion about Blot over on Micro.blog many very nice things are said about him. So, that’s great but it does make me just a tad nervous!
Child rape, pregnancy and abortion
With the fall of Roe we’re seeing just the beginning of what will be many terrible situations for women and yes, girls. It only took a few days and we now have the first such known example. A girl, 10 years old, raped and needing an abortion had to travel from Ohio to Indiana for the procedure.
Not surprisingly, the right-wing reacted with everything from denial of the rape happening to suggesting the pregnancy was a gift from god to, at this moment, pursuing the doctor that performed the abortion. And quite a few other feats of mental, political, linguistic gymnastics.
Swalwell: It would not be an abortion if a 10 year old with her parents made the decision not to have a baby that was the result of rape?
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 14, 2022
Republican Witness: That’s not an abortion
Swalwell: Are you familiar with disinformation? pic.twitter.com/6zyO3Bq2Uv
I was the ONLY reporter in the courtroom this morning as the man accused of raping a 10-year-old girl, impregnating her, leading to an abortion in Indiana, was arraigned.
— Bethany Bruner (@bethany_bruner) July 13, 2022
This confirms that the case exists.https://t.co/eWvtBMxqZW
European Heatwave 2022
Just another day in the climate emergency: England expecting heatwave and 104+ degree temps.
Papilio polyxenes, black swallowtail 
First post on Blot!
I’ve been considering a move from my site at WordPress which I’ve been using for several years. My main complaint is that WordPress, while very powerful, mature system, is also a bit bloated and often times slow to use (at least on my server). My posts there go back many years as they include years of posts imported from other services such as Blogger.
So, I’ve not made any attempt yet to import that history here and plan to wait until I’ve had a chance to give this a proper test-run. That said, I do love the simplicity of a blog based on markdown files. It feels like a bit of magic to simply edit a file and have it auto-update on the website.
And, thinking out loud, I’m considering the potential of combining my two current blogs into just one blog here. I’ve long kept my blog at Beardy Guy Creative separate from my personal blog that often contains political posts. Hmmm.
I like the simplicity of the default theme though I’d guess I’ll at least dig into the possible customizations. Also need to figure out some of the other details such as tags, categories, comments. I’m not sure what’s possible on blot.
Under the Milky Way
Looking south (from North America) at this time of year is looking towards the center of our galaxy. The milky clouds are the dense stars, gas and dust in the disk of the galaxy. Photo taken with the iPhone 13 Pro.