Status 2025-09-30

Spent a week in Gothenburg for work. Not too thrilled about the office, but that's perhaps mostly because my good stuff isn't there? Really need to bring at least an external keyboard next time. And a better chair? On the train!? They also really need more of a hacker vibe at the office. And to turn up the heat!

One morning in Gothenburg I attended my friend Joachim's breakfast talk at Assured about quantum computers and post-quantum crypto. A nice overview of what we can expect. No recording, I'm afraid, but man, they have the better office.

Had an interesting incident at Steampunk bar, a rather boring bar that could have done the steampunk thing much better than they have. Corsets, though… Ahem.

Anyway, I was just entering the bar and the bartender greeted me in English. Something just clicked and I spent the entire time there speaking English. That was… odd, especially when another guy at the bar started chatting to me. He was obviously Swedish, but I just kept talking English. Don't know why, really. I felt a little bad afterwards. Sorry!

Android is changing. CalyxOS has problems with both the founder and the lead developer leaving. I'm running CalyxOS on my Fairphone 4, as you do, and suddently find myself without security updates. I will also need to reinstall when they start distributing CalyxOS again, if ever?

I'm thinking about what to do. Probably just re-install FP's stock? Wait it out? Then re-install CalyxOS? But what if it's true that Android's changing? The recent demands for registered developers? The thing about not releasing Pixel stuff to AOSP? Wha…?

Do I just give up and run stock? Or even buy a used iPhone?

If that's the case I will probably be moving more of my communication elsewhere. I don't want to give up completely just yet.

I've left IRC for a while. Yes, even the secret server. Still on IRC for work, though. Attempting to leave most chat groups or at least not be active on them.

Thinking one line at a time? Not a good way to get my views across, I think. People need to know me a lot better before that's a good idea.

Participating in one chat group made me sit in a park and write postcards with people from the hackerspace Lodis about Chat control, though. That was interesting. Not my usual crowd, but a good crowd, even if D and me snuck away to a pub after a while.

• Aviation at Care/of, Malmö. No violet liqueur at home! Have to fix that.
• Library Bar at Hotel Plaza, Copenhagen.
• Värdshuset Lindgården, Visby, especially The Gin Room. Had a strange, but good Old fashioned with home-made walnut liqueur and a Last word.

• Hackers turned 30 years! Me and R watched it together and chatted all the time even if were on different continents. Hecklevision, FTW! Still no word from Spegeln if they are going to make a hacker night. Thrilled about the Pynchon-inspired One battle after another, though. Going to see it soon.
• Read Orwell's Homage to Catalonia again and booked a trip to Barcelona with P. I hope Nick Llyod is still doing his Spanish civil war tour. I'd like to take the longer one this time.

• Rethinking social media platforms: New Strategies for Engaging an Audiece was an evening with talks at Inkonst recently. Recording.

  Of course I liked my old acquaintance Marcin's almost retro part of the evening best. Me and Marcin met up afterwards.

• Diary of a ditched girl (Swedish: Halva Malmö består av killar som dumpat mig). Netflix series. Like most of Sweden(?) I watched this show. I managed two episodes. It's really… too embarrassing for all concerned, but a very good production with some great acting.

  It really is Malmö, the city I live in, and some places I've been to countless times, like Rex, a pizzeria/dive bar I lived right next to when I first moved here.

• Reading Herman Hesse's Der Steppenwolf again, but this time in German! It's slow going, but I might manage. At least it's not Thomas Mann!
• Read Klas Östergren's newest novel Klenoden on the trip to Gotland. Absolutely wonderful. Can be read by itself, I think, but several flashbacks to Gentlemen, et cetera.
• Someone made E. Coli produce casein! Vegan cheese when? Can't wait! Flashbacks to The real vegan cheese project!

• Me and P watched Bergman's 1975 film version of The Magic Flute again, but this time at the art cinema Spegeln!

  The translation to Swedish of the libretto was done by the marvellous Alf Henriksson. The story is slightly changed and makes more sense, especially the relationship between the queen of the night and Sarastro, who are depicted as former lovers and parents of Pamina. Yes, exactly!

• I know I bitched on group chats above but have a look at this great IRC documentary!

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UbKenFipjo

• My old friend and former boss Paf was inducted to the Internet hall of fame!

  https://www.internethalloffame.org/inductee/patrik-faltstrom/

• Looking forward to the SF&F con LunCon, this year's SweCon. See you there!