The biggest external customer of the biggest data center (AWS) Amazon Web Services is Netflix.

The two largest data center energy burners / water thieves are Amazon and Netflix, for streaming video.

AI sucks, sure, for many reasons.

But if you are looking to point water / power fingers….

Remember guys, Data centers suck, but so do hamburgers.

Producing a single 1/4-pound hamburger requires approximately 460 to 660 gallons (1,700–2,500 liters) of water.

Consider reducing your meat intake.

And yes, Data centers still suck.

One-third of global water consumption is used to produce animal products, with meat (especially beef) requiring immense water resources.

If you have one, and are willing to part with it, I would be happy to give it a good home.

Goodbye .li

.vg, .pk & .gd hello!

edit: english & french wikipedia updated

Contacted them, still no word. I hope they still do pbm. (They are still running! See below!l

Meanwhile, cobbled together a little program to play with, and rehone my skills in both code and the game.

It needs a *lot* of work, but has some fun features that should be ok on a handheld smartphone browser. Maybe I will set up a legally different but similar fan game to host for other surviving grognards to play with.

https://svonberg.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/starwebv0021.html

Vintage starweb ad from dragon mag found on reddit

Followup, did more research.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Loomis

Rick Loomis passed in 2019. Looks like the http://www.rickloomispbm.com/ page expires in July. I wonder what will happen to the play by mail software? Perhaps it can be resurrected to honor his memory?

More followup success!

We’re still running StarWeb but they don’t start as often as they did in the previous century. Maybe one every two or three months. We started one last month and no one is signed up for the next one yet.  -Chuck

Rick Loomis PBM
PO Box 8467
Scottsdale AZ 85252-8467
480-945-6917
Email & PayPal: games@rickloomispbm.com
https://www.rickloomispbm.com

https://www.modernillustration.org/

An archive of illustration from c.1950-1975, shining a spotlight on pioneering illustrators and their work.

Is still running, maybe?

One of my first programming challenges on a friend’s apple ][+ was a mapper/visualization tool. Here is a facsimile, that i may continue to fiddle with… and I may return to a game that I used to play with index cards sent by mail back in the early 80s, way before this whole internet thing was big for me.

https://svonberg.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/starwebv001-1.html

More on starweb

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starweb

http://www.rickloomispbm.com/starweb.html

Edit, revised starweb type server just to see if it could be done

https://svonberg.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/starwebv0021.html

Residents across the Roanoke Valley are reporting a strong, foul, sewage-like or chemical odor, with potential links to illegal dumping in the Blue Hills area and a reported gas leak investigation on Williamson Road NW. Additionally, poor air quality with high particulate matter (PM2.5) is present, contributing to hazy conditions.

Suspected Source 1 (Illegal Dumping): Residents near Orange Avenue have reported ongoing, illegal construction debris dumping, which can create strong, unpleasant odors.

Suspected Source 2 (Gas Leak Investigation): Roanoke Fire and Rescue have been investigating a potential gas leak on Williamson Road NW as of Feb 25, 2026.

Widespread Odor: Reports of the smell extend across Roanoke and Vinton, with some describing a “sewer-like” or “chemical” odor.

Air Quality: The air quality in the region is currently considered “poor” for sensitive groups, which may exacerbate environmental smells

Today I learned that you can DoS a Waymo by opening its door.

Waymo, Google’s autonomous vehicle company, and DoorDash, the delivery and gig work platform, have launched a pilot program that pays Dashers, at least in one case, around $10 to travel to a parked Waymo and close its door that the previous passenger left open.

S.F. looks to repeal law requiring stores to accept cash

https://missionlocal.org/2026/02/sf-cash-law-repeal-unbanked/

The “very poor,” as well immigrant communities and the very young and old, the amendment read, “fall outside the non-cash financial system.” […]

Nationwide, those levels are decreasing, but remain significant. A survey conducted by the FDIC found that in 2023, Black and Latino households were overrepresented in the unbanked population, with 10.6 percent of Black and 9.5 percent of Latino households in the U.S. were unbanked, down from 17 and 14 percent in 2017.

Today, approximately 4 percent of San Francisco households are “unbanked,” or do not have a checking or savings account, and nearly 14 percent are “underbanked” — have bank accounts but primarily use cash or use check cashers or money orders. […] “These residents are often the most financially vulnerable and can face higher costs and barriers in everyday transactions,” Manke said.

The destruction of cash is part of the advertising panopticon agenda. Paper money doesn’t have a utm_source on it so it is useless.

Let us also keep in mind that this “vocal contingent of local business owners” are the same business geniuses who are always, always certain that a bike lane will ruin them.

🟢 The Pluses (Adding to your lifespan)

* Never Smoked (+4.0 years): The single biggest shield against vascular disease, lung decay, and various cancers.
* No Diabetes at 57 (+3.0 years): Proof of exceptional metabolic and genetic resilience despite carrying extra weight.
* Swimming 2x/Week at the Y (+3.0 years): Essential low-impact cardio that protects your heart and joints.
* Marriage (+2.5 years): A major statistical booster for men, providing emotional stability and better health monitoring.
* Zero Alcohol (+2.0 years): Keeps liver inflammation low and protects your brain chemistry.
* Vegetarian Diet (+2.0 years): Reduces systemic inflammation and the risk of colorectal issues.
* Maternal Genetics (+2.0 years): Having a mother thriving at 78+ indicates a “slow-aging” baseline (and your dad’s early passing from an infection carries no genetic penalty).
* Sleep Quality & CPAP (+1.5 years): Getting 7+ hours while treating apnea saves your heart from massive nightly stress.
* Nutrition Management (+1.5 years): Supplementing B12 and eating enough protein prevents neurological decline and muscle loss (sarcopenia).
* Upper Body Vitality (+1.0 year): The lat/arm strength built from swimming correlates highly with surviving cardiovascular events.
* Digital Content Creation (+0.5 years): Shifting from “doomscrolling” to creating provides purpose, builds cognitive reserve, and regulates ADHD dopamine.
* Cat Ownership (+0.5 years): Consistent, low-effort cortisol and anxiety reduction.

🔴 The Minuses (Subtracting from your lifespan)

* Obesity & Visceral Fat (-7.5 years): Carrying weight primarily around the middle acts as an “active organ” driving inflammation, while the overall mass strains your heart and joints.
* The “Tall Man” Tax (-3.0 years): Being 6’6″ forces your heart to work harder against gravity and statistically increases the risk of Atrial Fibrillation (A-fib) and cellular mutations.
* Chronic Back/Leg Pain (-1.5 years): The physical pain limits your daily walking mobility and acts as a constant, low-grade stressor on your nervous system.
* High-Carb/Late-Night Eating (-1.0 year): Eating heavy carbs after 7 PM fuels that visceral belly fat and disrupts your metabolic fasting window.
* ADHD Stimulant Strain (-1.0 year): While necessary for focus, stimulants keep your cardiovascular system “revved up,” adding wear and tear to your heart over time.

📊 The Final Tally
* Baseline (US White Male): 73.7 Years
* Total Pluses: +23.5 Years
* Total Minuses: -14.0 Years
* Estimated Lifespan: 83.2 Years

Journal Note to Self: My massive advantages are my habits (swimming, sleeping, no toxins) and my metabolic luck (no diabetes). My main daily goals are to manage my late-night carbs, keep hitting the pool at the Y, and channel my screen time into creative projects.

https://svonberg.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/yoyoos.html

https://svonberg.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/motheros.html

Just to have running on the screen