elenarossini.com/2024/12/intro…

“Think of grief, anger, worry as bricks or planks of wood. Stop staring at the materials, half believing they were delivered to you by mistake, half expecting a truck to haul them away. Accept that these are your materials right now. Start building.”

– Maggie Smith, from her book Keep Moving

I’ve been feeling a lot of grief, anger and worry since the morning of November 6th 2024, when the results of the US presidential election were announced. Never in a million years I would have expected a convicted felon, an openly xenophobic, racist, transphobic misogynist and insurrectionist to be voted by half the country and allowed to ascend – yet again – to the most powerful job in his country. All this aided and abetted by a group of tech billionaires.

Four years is a long time. But it can also go by fast: ask this to any parent of a small child. As they say: the days are long but the years are short.

Instead of wallowing in this grief and anger, I have resolved to make this time – these four years – matter. It makes me feel better and more empowered to set some high goals, so that by January 2029 I could look back and think to myself: I have grown and helped others during these tumultuous four years. I made good use of that time.

Thus, “my so-called sudo life”.

What does “my so-called sudo life” mean?

sudo (short for “superuser do”) is a command on Unix systems that grants “superpowers” to a user, allowing them to execute commands with elevated privileges, like an admin.

This cartoon by xkcd was the first Linux joke I ever got:

I found it apt to name a blog about my new journey of (mostly tech) resistance and empowerment after that command line.

4 Goals for the next 4 years

In the days following November 6th I sketched a plan – for my own self care: set 4 goals for the next 4 years – 2 internal (self-improvement) and two “external” (helping others).

Goal 1: learn Linux, a free, open source operating system to set myself free from Big Tech monopolies. Sub goal no. 1: become so proficient in Linux that I could create a Linux computer, a Linux tablet and a Linux phone for my child (when the time comes, she’s 3 now). Sub goal no.2: become so proficient I can host my own Fediverse instance.

Goal 2: learn a new foreign language. I’m already fully fluent in Italian (my mother tongue), English and French. I love how learning a new language feels energizing and allows you to better understand new cultures. Well, I haven’t officially picked a new language yet. It’s currently a toss-up between Spanish (which I already understand well, because it’s similar to Italian) and Japanese (my favorite country to visit and added bonus: I could interact with people on MissKey). For the challenge aspect I’m leaning towards Japanese… yet I acknowledge Spanish would be a more realistic goal.

Goal 3: start doing presentations in high schools and universities about the Fediverse and FOSS projects, in order to raise awareness about the toxic side of Big Tech and the free, open-source alternatives that already exist and are much better from an ethical / digital sovereignty point of view.

Goal 4: help make the Fediverse a more diverse place, safer and more welcoming for people of color.

The rebellion will be federated

In a previous blog post I wrote:

What do billionaires and kleptocrats want? Uninformed, impulsive citizens driven by emotions (fear, rage, anxiety) instead of critical thinking. This way, they are so much easier to manipulate – for the gains of kleptocrats.

And:

A healthy (in body and mind), active, frugal, sociable, mostly offline citizen who is highly educated and informed, in full control of their data, avoiding Big Tech’s platforms and algorithms, with a positive self-esteem and self-image, is probably persona non grata for [these] tech billionaires.

I found goals that will propel me forward for the next four years – with a sense of hope. And that feels awesome (amidst all this chaos and sorrow).

4 Years

I’m in the unique position of being able to measure time in comparison to a US presidential term: I was heavily pregnant during the January 6th 2021 U.S. Capitol attack; my child was born during the early days of the Biden presidency and will turn 4 after Trump is sworn in as president.

Over the course of 4 years I have seen my tiny human grow, get stronger and develop new intellectual and motor skills. So many skills! I remember when she could barely hold a spoon in her hand. Now she builds impossible structures with LEGOs. She went from being non-verbal and communicating through cries to… speaking two languages fluently. She actually loves correcting my French pronunciation from time to time (“rue” “en dessous”). We figured out she understands a bit of English, too, but keeps that knowledge secret from us.

You can grow and learn so much in four years.

Power

This is my so-called sudo life, where I am giving myself superuser privileges… and I look forward to seeing what kind of person I will be in four year’s time. More than anything, I hope I will be part of a community of like-minded people, working towards the same goals.

This blog – or journal – is for accountability… to keep me motivated on these goals. And to share lessons I learned, hoping to inspire others to take steps towards greater digital sovereignty.

It feels very Wizard of Oz like: “You’ve always had the power my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself.”

We already have so much power. There has never been a better time to take on superuser privileges (with care).

I shared my goals. What will be yours?

Elena

#BigTech #digitalSovereignty #empowerment #floss #foreignLanguages #foss #freedom #Japanese #languages #linux #mySoCalledSudoLife #Spanish

Happy Valentine's Day from a gypsum heart in a cave.

Speaking of hearts, let's have some Real Talk! About hearts! Today I re-certified in CPR & First Aid. Did you know that socialized as female folk are far more likely to die from a heart attack / cardiac event than men? It's true! A large cause of this is due to the fact that symptoms are often not as-seen-on-TV; instead being brushed off as nausea, acid reflux, or indigestion. And what do we do when we feel ick? We go to the bathroom. So when we collapse, no one is around to see, much less administer CPR. So: check on your friends who disappear to the bathroom for a long time!

Sadly, there is also a huge disparity between races in survival as well. Not only does lack of medical access and environment & social factors mean there is higher risk (systematic racism), but overt racism also prevents bystanders from stepping in to help. Black & Latinx people suffer the most. (newsroom.heart.org/news/cardio…)

CPR is not that difficult! It is more the mental challenge of being prepared to step in and help. If you can't get to a class (hands on with the training manikins is certainly recommended if you can!) still learn about it. All 50 states have Good Samaritan laws.

I personally know two people who are alive thanks to a normal everyday person knowing CPR, and intervening. This is community building, y'all! Take care of each other out there.

Some additional tips:
1. If someone has a medical emergency and you end up leading the way, always point and directly tell people what to do (ex: you in the blue shirt *pointing at them* call 911). If you just shout things, people will not jump into action. Be specific & direct.

2. Always check for a pulse on the same side you are kneeling on, you don't want to reach across their neck.

3. If there are enough people, direct folk not involved in helping to form a circle looking *out*. This gives some privacy, very important in these days of cell phone cameras and the fact that say, once the AED shows up, their chest will be made bare. Help protect the patient's privacy!

4. Good Samaritan laws generally have caveats such as never accept anything as a thank you (not even flowers, *nothing*) and stay with the person until someone of equal or greater training arrives. So if you say, start CPR then just get tired and stop with no one equal or higher taking over, then you are liable.

#heart #love #valentine #cpr #firstAid #care #community #geology #cave #caves #caving #gypsum #rock #crystal