More systemd-resolved woes
2025-09-08T20:31:18Z via Dianara To: Public CC: Followers
I discovered that by disabling IPv6, MMS wasn't working for me.
Thankfully, mmsdtng has a debug mode (mmsdtng -d) that revealed it wasn't able to resolve names. Yet I can resolve names just fine on my shell sessions and elsewhere!
It turns out that the the way dbus, which mmsdtng calls, resolves names is directly passing in the interface in question. So for the modem, it would be wwan0 and no DNS configuration was set for it in resolved.
After adding the necessary configuration (allowing wwan0 to resolve outside of wireguard), MMS started working for me!
Laundry Stage Select
2025-09-06T06:15:56Z via Dianara To: Public CC: Followers
I witnessed a technician using stage select on a laundry washing machine.
It makes sense to have such features for troubleshooting but that thought never occurred to me until today.
IPv6 and Mobile Data
2025-09-05T08:15:01Z via Dianara To: Public CC: Followers
So the next struggle with the PinePhonePro was that I spent hours trying to figure out routing rules and such to get all traffic to go through my VPN (wireguard).
Whenever the modem reconnects, it seemingly circumvented my VPN tunnel as my IP kept changing. I was blown away that I can establish an SSH session through my VPN endpoint while still reporting a completely different external IP.
It turns out that my VPN wasn't setup for IPv6 and my mobile data was routing everything through IPv6 -- a traceroute finally revealed what was going on. No amount of setting ip route (with IPv4) would've worked. Disabling IPv6 on kernel boot got things working for me!
systemd-resolved
2025-09-01T02:30:48Z via Dianara To: Public CC: Followers
After many frustrating hours staring at NetworkManager, wireguard, ip route, nslookup, etc. to discover why systemd-resolved refused to work on my home network (using pi-hole, which is why I want my VPN to work with it) and worked (127.0.0.53 resolved names) only if I was connected to mobile data, it turns out I just needed to disable dnssec! The trick was to see what "resolvectl query" was showing.
Allow downgrade was not enough. It had to be a straight "no".
This is also my first time with pmOS on systemd so there are some other things to adjust to.
Next critical issue with PinePhonePro and pmOS is FDE: https://gitlab.postmarketos.org/postmarketOS/pmaports/-/issues/2916
A Quick Community Update on PinePhone Pro and What’s Next
2025-08-31T10:51:54Z via Dianara To: Public CC: Followers
https://pine64.org/2025/08/14/august_2025_short_update/
That's pretty disappointing. I attempted to replace the USB-C board (5 years of wear) on my regular PinePhone and broke it (so delicate) so I'm back to using PinePhonePro as my backup and wow, I forgot how snappy it was!
I was really hoping they'd move forward with the PinePhonePro devices so that my next one in line will still be a Pro. Unfortunately, I'll have to go back to regular PinePhones and save my Pro as a backup since it can no longer be replaced.
Perhaps they're planning a PinePhone2?
Flowers Waltz
2025-08-15T01:47:48Z via Identi.ca Web To: Public CC: Followers
Strange... every time I hear this waltz on the radio I now imagine orbiting ice cream cones.
Also, when I experience it in-person: https://www.myhso.org/concerts/2025-july-26-tchaikovsky-spectacularTwo Choirs Concerto No. 2
2025-08-14T03:24:15Z via Identi.ca Web To: Public CC: Followers
Hmm, for some reason recently, whenever I hear this on the radio, I feel lifted up and being stuck there.Where's the beach?
2025-08-14T03:17:07Z via Dianara To: Public CC: Followers
Whenever someone asks me where's the beach, I am reminded of this deleted scene from Lilo & Stitch: https://yewtu.be/watch?v=7L2ZY9UFj60
General tip: no matter where you are on the island, move away from the mountain and you'll reach the beach.
New changes to Aeroplan Elite® coming January 1, 2026
2025-08-07T04:09:32Z via Dianara To: Public CC: Followers
https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/aeroplan/elite.html
Boo! I was really hoping AC will avoid following what the Americans did to to their airline loyalty programs that focuses more on spending rather than flying.
Being half-way around the world was very advantageous to earn airline status.
What's worse is that a penalty is incurred for flying with partner airlines!
Viofo Exit Parking Mode
2025-07-28T02:06:32Z via Dianara To: Public CC: Followers
I recently purchased a Viofo dash cam since my usual Lukas is no longer around and the one I had finally died after 10 years of use.
For the longest time, I couldn't figure out how to exit parking mode from the Viofo dash cam. I would just constantly be in parking mode when I resumed driving.
However, I finally figured out how to get this thing to exit parking mode!
Apparently, it relies on GPS to determine when to exit parking mode but it defaults to disabling GPS when entering parking mode so it never had any metric to determine when to exit parking mode!
Enabling GPS for parking mode allows the device to exit parking mode and it now announces when it starts recording (in driving mode).
Perhaps a firmware update will fix this but I'll just keep GPS enabled for parking mode. I thinking having your vehicle position stamped in the video could be useful even when parked.
I wonder why the device doesn't rely on running voltage to exit parking mode since it seems to use that metric to determine when to enter parking mode. In contrast, the Lukas device relied on motion sensors to enter and exit parking mode. Also, my car has a built-in outlet that is powered by the battery, which is how I get to use parking mode on dash cams -- no extra hardware needed!
How Trump woke me up for surprise interview - and the key takeaways
2025-07-15T18:25:22Z via Dianara To: Public CC: Followers
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yg7eg8w98o
I never expected to hear a Trump interview on the radio this morning yet here we are.
Yikes...
Smoking Regulation Idea
2025-07-10T20:22:29Z via Dianara To: Public CC: Followers
I had a random fantastical idea for regulating smoking after experiencing someone smoking in the office stairwell (a violation of local bylaws by the way).
We should treat smoking like the dangerous activity it is and require a licence. Smokers will be required to demonstrate that they can be responsible smokers such as being mindful of their second-hand smoke and proper disposal. Violations would result in revocation of said licence requiring retraining and other penalties.
I know this idea is complete fantasy but one can dream, can't they? And yes, I'm aware that smokers tend to smoke right next to no-smoking signs (do they purposely do this?).
YES, I approve!
Shin Toomba
2025-07-05T00:41:18Z via Dianara To: Public CC: Followers
https://nongshimusa.com/product-detail?pid=82
I recently discovered Shin Toomba and that it has a cheese powder mix. I tried it as-is and it tasted pretty dry to me.
So, thinking it was like KD, my next attempt included milk and butter and as with KD, doing so made it a whole lot better! They should update their instructions to include milk and butter!
CACM July 2025 Cover
2025-07-04T23:29:06Z via Dianara To: Public CC: Followers
The latest cover of CACM reminded me of Born Yesterday: https://www.bluey.tv/watch/season-3/born-yesterday/
In particular, this moment: https://www.bluey.tv/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Born_Yesterday_Still_8.jpg
As I was doing the same staring at this (physical copy of the) cover...
Sunday Roast
2025-07-03T18:04:38Z via Dianara To: Public CC: Followers
https://www.bluey.tv/watch/minisodes/alongside/
This mini-sode unlocked something in me: Honey's family had Sunday roast for dinner complete with the gravy oozing off the Yorkshire pudding!
Sunday roast is an ever-elusive dish for me in the US. Every American I mention it to think I'm crazy whenever I bring it up especially when I describe Yorkshire pudding!
I recall enjoying Sunday roast as a regular meal on campus in my university days in Canada.
For my American friends: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Traditional.Sunday.Roast-01.jpg
NPR's Scott Simon inducted to the Radio Hall of Fame
2025-07-01T16:39:58Z via Dianara To: Public CC: Followers
https://www.npr.org/2025/07/01/nx-s1-5452538/nprs-scott-simon-inducted-to-the-radio-hall-of-fame
Whoa, I had a brain fart when this segment came on the radio this morning.
"What day is it...?"
I'm glad this reel remains available: https://yewtu.be/watch?v=d4xr_i3aRxU&t=90
The Trump administration is making an unprecedented reach for data held by states
2025-06-26T19:54:43Z via Dianara To: Public CC: Followers
https://www.npr.org/2025/06/24/nx-s1-5423604/trump-doge-data-states
Personally, I prefer that sensitive data remain in silos requiring a traceable process for its extraction. Yes, it may be slow and painful to get things done but the safeguard provided is the point.
It reminds me of a recent interaction with CBSA when I went to update them on my information change in my trusted traveller profile. The officer apologized for the inconvenience but assured me it was due to stricter Canadian privacy regulations where they can't just fetch the update from the US. He even remarked that while travellers can be trusted, governments cannot.
Jim Fulner likes this.
Regime, the word is "regime". The Trump Regime 🙄
JanKusanagi at 2025-06-28T01:45:13Z
Jim Fulner likes this.
Bluey Complete
2025-06-22T18:43:59Z via Dianara To: Public CC: Followers
I did it. I completed the entire series and it was worth the time; it is a well-written and produced series. It never occurred to me how familiar the Brisbane lifestyle is with Honolulu -- it's no wonder there are many Australians here.
My favourite episode was Camping: https://www.bluey.tv/watch/season-1/camping/
In these short 8 minutes, we explored what can be achieved when we work together beyond cultural and language barriers to make use of the world for our basic needs. It's a peek of what our society can achieve if we don't find reasons for division and tribalism.
We also learned that people in our lives come and go. This episode is the only occurrence where Bluey is beyond tears (no tears during howls). They animated her sobbing!
Jean-Luc's French sounded very informal to me so I suspected a Canadian. The maple syrup on his table somewhat cemented this suspicion and it's officially confirmed: https://www.bluey.tv/characters/jean-luc/. The official site confirms that he was visiting -- I wasn't sure if his family relocated or were just visiting.
If they ever do a spin-off of Bluey's adolescent years, it better include Jean-Luc! I want closure! I'd like to think that Bluey's child in the final scene of the series has Jean-Luc's colours: https://www.bluey.tv/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DuprFam.png
Finally, Jean-Luc's dinner reminded me of Anthony Bourdain's depiction of Quebecers insisting gourmet in rustic settings: https://www.bluey.tv/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Bluey-S1-Ep43-Camping-006.jpg
Also, no Americans at all in the series! Only Canadians. Hah!
I identify with Chilli the most. She and I do exactly the same thing at the beach: walking along the shoreline alone or try to get some reading done. The heart-to-heart moments with her is often existentially dreadful (I love it!) where she is aware of her mortality and it's understandable given that she seemingly lost her mother relatively early and with her sister being infertile, I wonder if there was family medical history that looms over her. So what a joy it was to see her make it to old age in the final scene! I also love that Bingo is STEM-oriented with the flash-forward showing her winning a science fair along with her curiosity throughout the series. Her bedtime book is about our solar system!
A key takeaway for me from this series is that kids replicate life in their play especially for emotions they can't express. For example, dealing with death: https://www.bluey.tv/watch/season-1/copycat/ and perceived abandonment: https://www.bluey.tv/watch/season-3/space/. It took me a very long time to appreciate what was going on with Mackenzie in Space.
Gotta mention the timelapse of an animator working on the final scene of Puppets: https://www.bluey.tv/watch/season-3/puppets/ They should've also included a short clip of the voice recording session for completeness! It's weird to me that the kids are never credited in this series.
Honestly, I think anyone interacting with kids should watch this series. I feel there's more for the adults here.
Now on to the mini-sodes and bonus bits.
