The DeutschlandTicket is the best thing! I love it. I want that with their Steuernummer, baby’s get a DeutschlandTicket. Everybody needs a DeutschlandTicket.

I understand that. I find it hard to commit myself to something which I don’t burn for. I can start a huge crochet project let’s say because I want to gift it, it has a clear start and end (starting a magic loop -> finished product). My driver for the programming was: you are unemployed, they got you the course, if you don’t go your unemployment benefits would be cut. And I rather choose my own course instead of being pushed to do something I don’t like. I don’t enjoy the programming, but I enjoy pretty data. If I was still working I wouldn’t have started. So the stars aligned.

TLDR: commit to a course.

For the last two to three years I tried a couple of times to get into Python on my own. Each time I find the very basic steps extremely boring. And once I come to a bit more complex question I am like: you didn’t teach that yet! Since I am interested in biology, I want to look into data. I tried my hand on already published stuff but often felt like I am not making anything new, just copy pasting.

The last year I took 2 day classes and are now in a “full on learn 5 month from scratch programming course”. The first two weeks were rough because we went over the very very basics in a slow tempo. And now the “fun” stuff starts.

One day we had a a different tutor and he showed us that some cities (in Germany) provide public data to their citizens. And that this is a good resource. I checked for my city and I have plenty of csv files to choose from. Just waiting to be made into a graph. It helped me stay engaged in the first two weeks. Did I code it myself? Hell no. ChatGPT was a huge help. The haters will tell me I just “vibe coded” but I had so many error messages to work through I think I learned a lot while analysing the data and going back and forth checking if anything made sense. The gist of it is that I am now committed to a course, where I have to show up every day (online). I still often feel like a failure when I don’t understand a question and it is hard to judge if the others are as lost as I am. But it is also kind of fun and having others going through the same makes it more tolerable.

I just started a Python course. My tutor uses Thonny and I have tried Pycharm previously and prefer it. Maybe because I am lazy or because I prefer all the autofill I can get. And I need all the highlighting. I am code blind.

I would enjoy a review at the end. It is on my wanna read list.

I just finished Holly by Stephen King. I am not a big fan of detective novels and I didn’t read the rest of the series (Mr. Mercedes was the only one I read). But I got it as a gift so you read it. It was an ok read. There is a lot of recent Covid events in it which was a weird but also a welcomed read. Normally the books I read are at least 20 years old or play in the past.

Next I started Someone like you by Roald Dahl. I liked Kiss Kiss in the past but that’s also very long ago.

Next up is How Fascism Works by Jason Stanley.

I just finished Holly by Stephen King. I am not a big fan of detective novels and I didn’t read the rest of the series (Mr. Mercedes was the only one I read). But I got it as a gift so you read it. It was an ok read. There is a lot of recent Covid events in it which was a weird but also a welcomed read. Normally the books I read are at least 20 years old or play in the past.

Next I started Someone like you by Roald Dahl. I liked Kiss Kiss in the past but that’s also very long ago.

Next up is How Fascism Works by Jason Stanley.

I nearly exclusively read in public transport. My partner and I used to take the same bus to work. As soon as we sat down he got his earbuds to listen to a podcast and me reading a book. Lovingly ignoring each other ❤️

When I am in public transport and forgot to bring my book, I feel pretty bored.

In the media I consumed a lot of focus during Covid was: if we cannot perform and we don’t get financial aid, how do we continue make music/art/theatre etc. and it clicked for me that listening to Spotify will not feed the artists.

So as soon as some kind of open air, distance concert was on, I purchased tickets. For me it was kind of cool, because I am very small and never see the stage. Having beach/ deck chair concert or “sitting” at a table was nice since I could see the stage. But I obviously are happy to have the opportunity again to jump into a pogo pit or Schlagerstrudel.

Teenage me would be very confused to know I listen to hip hop now too. But I try to enjoy new music, listen to upcoming artists and just be excited.

Since Covid I go to concerts more often. Try to purchase a new ticket before I go to the last concert I already have tickets for.

So I go to 2-4 paid events and maybe 1-2 for free events a year. This includes concerts and 1-day-festivals. I shifted from only seeing the one fav-band I have and now buy a ticket for everything I like and like to support. No matter if they are small or big names. When I was young, I only saw the one punk rock band. Now I go to pop concerts, gangster rap etc. just listen to whatever I think is cool.

I have a scar in my left armpit. I have several patches of skin all over my body which looks and behaves funky. I have brown straight hair but where my funky skin is I have blond spare curly hair which doesn’t grow long. I got it lasered on my neck and face as a teenager because I was told it needs to go because insurance didn’t want to continue paying for an acid creme to make it brighter (the skin is also darker and uneven). + random assholes asking me if I didn’t wash my neck. Under my arm the skin got often inflamed from sweating and looked like a rough naked mole. They tried to laser it and I got bad scarring and they decided to cut it away. Roughly 10 cm. The scar is ugly as hell. I can’t feel shit and it is uneven and hard to shave around. Lifting my arm for sport like jumping jacks hurt. Lucky me I hate sport anyway.

Switched for the same reason. I have the feeling that in the last couple of weeks lemmy got a lot more interactions, especially after Elon tried to ban posts on reddit, but maybe it is just a feeling. Initially I really missed Reddit. Some inside jokes where missing for my communities. Having this girl show up in everyone’s inbox felt like the first kind of sitewide memory to look back onto. I don’t miss the porn. Having to see crazy attractive people all the time made me feel bad. Would prefer fair trade porn if I seek it.

The DeutschlandTicket is by far one of the best decisions we have made in years. I am a public transport Ultra. But it is just the best thing to just hop into a bus anyfuckingwhere you want in Germany. No need to look for zones. The public transport zoning in Germany required an advanced degree to navigate. Most of the time I just travel within two cities but I nearly almost break even and I don’t t want to think about 3€ I might have saved not using the DTicket. But going once in a while to a different city makes it worthwhile. Should it be cheaper for students, pupils, disabled and socially disadvantaged: absolutely fucking yes (travelling in a wheelchair in Germany is still a nightmare). Or make it free for all and get rid of the Dienstwagenprevileg (tax privileges which makes it very cheap to get a car through your employer).

But what really makes my blood boil is the following: for a couple of months now they have discussed supporting making a driving licence because it is too expensive for young people: if we had functioning public transport we wouldn’t need to make a licence with 17 to drive to a job as a trainee where we earn a little compensation. Public transport would benefit everyone in the region not one person.

I just finished Shades of grey by Jasper Fforde. What a weird fascist dystopian future. It took a long time to get interesting and only the last 15% got me to actually want to know more. I don’t think I will read the rest of the trilogy.

Just started Holly by Stephen King. I have no idea what’s happening. I got it as a gift for Christmas and left the book cover at home so no summary.

It depends which feeling you seek. I first read American Psycho and many years later Lolita. I had similar vibes: unreliable narrator, a man who thinks he stands above all, justifies his actions etc but is one 100% awful an all levels. Long passages of “nothingness” numbing you and you might just slip over the real horrors, cause they are hidden between the lines before they become real actions. If I had to choose one, I would pick Lolita in terms of: which book made you feel worse. I like both books a lot, not that I seek to read them again anytime soon, but I also “enjoy” the strong emotions they cause. I love to hate the person they describe. I am open to any suggestions too.

It is not a no one should ever use a car, it is one does everyone believe there is no alternative to a car.

And I am very confused why people constantly bring up people with disabilities cannot drive bikes but can drive cars. The most people with disabilities cannot drive cars. You only see people with who have the means to drive a car. The rest is just stuck at home. It is not only having a wheelchair, but sight, hearing, age, epilepsy, mental capacity all those things restrict your ability to drive. Building a car to enable one person is so much less efficient as building infrastructure for all regardless of age, income and diasability.

One more thing to freedom of travel. Imagine having a car. You park it and visit a sight. You are done and have to return to your car. You can in general never just leave. This may apply to a bike too but in comparison public transport or on foot it is a hassle.

You say it yourself: Granted, all of those use cases should be covered by a good public transport system.

There should be no but afterwards.

I get you and sure some themes hit harder than others. I myself no kids etc thought pet sematary was an ok book and I have read many comments saying it hits harder being a parent/father.

But there is a difference between: will we get the male perspective and I am not interested in the plot of a female one. Therefore devaluing it.

In a radio show introducing an entertainment to your audience, giving a platform to an author and then being dismissive feels so stupid.

I am especially enjoyed since it was on air in the youth centre. Boys and man constantly use girl and woman and anything related to it as insult. (And obviously gay, which is my personal journey to remind everyone that it is not an insult.) Just selecting a female team in FIFA was nearly too much to ask.

A couple of month ago I was volunteering in my youth centre. We always have the radio on. On air was an interview of a female author writing about a woman and her struggles as a mom and wife, falling for another man. The male interviewer had the audacity to ask if there are any themes in the book which could interest him as a male reader (imagine a very condescending tone).

Reducing “female” themes to lesser themes is so annoying, hurtful and stupid.

As someone mentioned before: play boardgames. The nice thing is you don’t need any cause we gamers already have plenty and are always looking for people to play with.

Also go volunteering. You’ll meet people of different ages, genders and backgrounds. I myself volunteer in a youth centre in my neighbourhood. Initially I knew no one on the streets. Now people recognise me, teens and parents alike, say hello and acknowledge me. I myself like this. It makes the neighbourhood feel more welcoming and save. Initially I „hid“ behind our counter having a save distance between me and the teens until I felt comfortable and feeling like I can intrude their space. It takes time. But it is worth it.