Neotoma's Midden

Welcome!

Neotoma, or pack rats, live in nests called middens. The same midden may remain inhabited for longer than humans have lived in cities, providing us with a rich record of an ecosystem. This record is, often enough, literal shit. But to those who are, as they say, in the know, the shit reveals secrets. We refer to this today as the Good Shit.

I use this website to catalog Good Shit.

Bookmarks is my diverse catalog of links I’d like you to check out. It is very big, so you might have an easier time finding what you are looking for by looking through the categories first. I’ve also added a Fun Things category for the silly of you. If you are chronically serious, please do not click it.

In Blog you’ll find my own writing. There isn’t a particular theme, but I enjoy writing about philosophy, software, and…anxiety, I guess lol.

Now contains small life-updates. These updates so far start as a reflection on something that happened to me that trail off into whatever topic I actually want to write about.

About and Contact are, of course, what they are. They are quite boring but are yours to view if you think they’ll answer your questions. If your question isn’t, “what’s your email”, however, you will be disappointed.

What’s new?

This blog now bridges to Mastodon and other federated websites via Brid.gy! I’m syndicating a few bookmarks or posts a day to avoid overcrowding some of the tags I’m using. Simply look up @neotoma.site@neotoma.site in your activity-pub client of choice and you’ll find my profile.

You’ll find some of the layout for links and blogs has changed. I think it’s more readable from a human perspective, but part of it is also to help other websites parse the html without more work. I’ve added a small colophon too…I worry I’m reaching the critical point in managing a static site and web server where all I’ll start posting about is how to run a static site and web server. Right now it’s just a sentence or two about what software I’m using, but what’s next? A tutorial about microformats? A guide for setting up a linkblog? A strained analogy about getting exposure for your site? Reader, I worry I am baking my own tail into a pie, wiggling my fingers, and saying ‘mmm pie!’.

Word to the wise

My critics have been chatty this year. They have already pointed out my stylesheet is amateurish, the quality of my posts do not make up for my inconsistent schedule, and any attempt to find bookmarks worth reading is met by a wholly uncharming amount of jank. To them I offer the words of Roger L’Estrange:

…[Websites] and dishes have this common fate; there was never any one of either of them that pleased all palates…[T]hough I deliver up these [webpages] to the [world-wide-web]¹, I invite no man to the reading of them; and whosoever reads, and repents, it is his own fault. To conclude, as I made this composition principally for myself, so it agrees exceedingly well with my constitution ; and yet, if any man has a mind to take part with me, he has free leave and welcome. But let him carry this consideration along with him — that he is a very unmannerly guest, that presses upon another body’s table, and then quarrels with his dinner.