This is pretty wild

https://www.iflscience.com/in-2018-deep-sea-drilling-caused-a-methane-leak-1766-meters-below-the-sea-then-along-came-the-worm-bed-to-save-the-day-84590

"I used to ghostwrite SEO-optimized promotional web content for a living. I thought the good times would never end."

So starts the story of a descent into Hell using Payday loan apps.

"I don't know if AI will ever be able to produce writing of value. But its ability to produce valueless writing was instantly evident, and so, from the moment of ChatGPT's late 2022 launch, I knew it would ruin my life."

"You sign up and grant them access to your banking history, and their automated underwriting tools make an offer, typically between $25 and $500, with a repayment window of seven to fourteen days."

QuoteWhen I first joined the app, about eighteen months ago, Albert offered me $25.00. To acquire this loan, I was required to pay an additional fee: A $6.99 instant deposit charge plus the cost of a $19.99-per-month subscription to Albert's Standard plan, due in one week's time alongside the full loan repayment. (If I really wanted to make the most of my $25.00, I also had the option of Albert's $39.99-per-month Genius plan, which, among a very small handful of other talents, can "find restaurants based on your location, or in a specific area.")

https://thebaffler.com/salvos/paid-phones-kolitz

Voice only. With permission of the Wilder estate

https://mashable.com/entertainment/netflix-wonkas-golden-ticket-ai-gene-wilder-backlash

The main takeaway here: make sure your will is clear about what your estate can and can't be bribed to do and make sure you retain all your rights (the Tolkien estate tried to stop the Lord of the Rings movies, but they only had rights to the literary estate; movie and other rights were with the publisher)

Creatine is having a moment as I'm sure everyone knows. Costco now essentially has a creatine section.

But it appears more and more that creatine has a lot of benefits, especially for older people - cognitive, neurological, muscular. Now this

https://www.futurity.org/creatine-lean-tissue-strength-3346082/

Meanwhile, "food sensitivity" tests are also having a moment and most research shows that they are not supported.

https://www.mysportscience.com/post/food-sensitivity-tests

Gem:
### Executable Solution

#### Hardware Required

1. **Wi-Fi Travel Router / Bridge:** GL.iNet GL-SFT1200 (Opal) or TP-Link TL-WR902AC.
2. **5-Port Unmanaged Gigabit Ethernet Switch:** TP-Link TL-SG105 or NETGEAR GS305 (needed because mini travel routers typically feature only one or two LAN ports).
3. **Ethernet Cables (Cat 5e or Cat 6):** 3 standard patch cables.

---

---

#### Architecture Overview

```
[Building Wi-Fi Node]
         ) ) )  (Wireless Connection)
[Travel Router (Repeater / WISP Mode)]
         | (Ethernet Cable via LAN Port)
[Unmanaged 5-Port Switch]
         |-- (Ethernet) --> [OOMA VoIP Device]
         |-- (Ethernet) --> [Zigbee Smart Hub]

```

---

#### Step-by-Step Implementation

1. **Configure the Travel Router (WISP / Repeater Mode):**
* Power on the travel router near the Wi-Fi node.
* Connect a phone or laptop to the travel router's default Wi-Fi network.
* Access the admin panel (`192.168.8.1` for GL.iNet, `192.168.0.1` or `tplinkwifi.net` for TP-Link).
* Set the operating mode to **WISP** or **Repeater / Client Mode**.
* Scan for the apartment building's Wi-Fi SSID and enter the network password.
* *Captive Portal Handling (if applicable):* If the facility uses a splash page requiring agreement terms, complete authentication on the browser page that pops up via the connected phone/laptop.


2. **Establish the Physical Private LAN:**
* Connect an Ethernet patch cable from the **LAN port** of the travel router to any port on the 5-Port Unmanaged Switch.
* Plug the **OOMA VoIP device** Ethernet WAN port into another port on the switch.
* Plug the **Zigbee Hub** Ethernet port into a third port on the switch.


3. **Verification:**
* Confirm the travel router LED indicates an active Internet uplink.
* Verify the OOMA device status light turns solid blue (indicating successful registration and IP assignment).
* Verify the Zigbee Hub network LED indicates an active local connection and WAN access.

Ah... We ran afoul of the building IT dept when we installed our own router in my in-laws unit.

They came up to investigate, but when they saw it, they just said, "No problem, but of course if you have issues, we can't help with custom setups."

Roger that.

Built-in pi-hole would be nice.  I'm not going to even have a router at the apartment. Each unit has its own wifi node on the building's network.  I haven't explored ways -if any- to use that wifi as a lan.

My smart TV really got way faster when I blocked the ads https://www.makeuseof.com/my-smart-tv-really-got-way-faster-when-i-blocked-the-ads/

Unfortunately, with the collapse of the Most Awesomest Thing Ever website, one must depend on Google, AI and friends to help us find the most awesomest things.

If you want to remember a time when someone officially curated most awesomest things for us, go here

https://web.archive.org/web/20190821131809/http://mostawesomestthingever.com/