Footnotes , Et Tu Google?

What used to be simple has become another moving target.

Footnotes — one of the oldest, cleanest tools in writing — have been folded, renamed, and shuffled into something called page elements, as if clarity itself needed rebranding. In theory, this is “streamlining.” In practice, it’s the familiar modern ritual: endless tinkering disguised as progress.

You open a document expecting a basic function that has existed in word processors for decades. Instead, you find that the interface has quietly rearranged itself overnight. The button you learned yesterday is gone today. The system insists it is still there — somewhere — just under a different label, in a different menu, behind a different logic. And so the burden shifts from writing to hunting.

This is not innovation. It is administrative drift.

We are living inside a broader cultural habit: every stable tool must be periodically destabilized so that improvement can be declared. Nothing is allowed to simply work. It must evolve, even if the evolution is cosmetic, even if the result is confusion dressed up as design philosophy.

Footnotes are not the issue. Footnotes are the symptom. The real pattern is the slow erosion of fixed points in everyday digital life. Menus move. Names change. Features migrate between categories like bureaucratic paperwork shuffled between departments that no longer remember why they exist.

The result is a quiet cognitive tax on everyone who just wants to write something down and get on with it.

At some point, the question stops being “Where did the footnotes go?” and becomes something more general and more troubling: how much of modern software is now built around the assumption that stability itself is a design flaw?

Endless tinkering doesn’t feel like progress. It feels like forgetting what the tool was for in the first place.

Blogger info

 

My Journey Through Blogger Privacy: Lessons from the Dashboard

I remember the first time I realized that managing multiple blogs on a single account wasn’t as straightforward as I thought. I had several projects running, each with its own purpose, and I wanted some of them to exist quietly, almost like private workshops, while others could be open to the world. It seemed simple: “Draft posts are private, published posts are public,” I thought. But as I soon discovered, Blogger has a few layers of complexity that I had never noticed before.

It all started when I tried to make one of my blogs “invisible” to the public without taking it offline. I imagined I could just flip a switch and that’s it—the blog would be published, the posts live, but the general public wouldn’t be able to stumble across it. I quickly learned that it wasn’t quite that simple. In Blogger, a blog is either public, visible to anyone with the link (and possibly searchable), or private, restricted to certain people. There’s no half-measure—unless you know the settings well.

I dug into the dashboard, clicking on the blog in question. Settings, Permissions… it all sounded straightforward, but there were nuances. Blogger offers two forms of private settings. The first is “Private – Only Authors.” This means only people listed as authors can see the blog. Perfect for collaborative projects where everyone needs access, but not ideal if I wanted to share the blog with a friend or client without giving them full author privileges.

Then there’s “Private – Only These Readers.” This setting is more flexible: you invite specific people by their Google accounts, and only they can view the blog. Suddenly, what had seemed impossible—publishing a blog but keeping it out of the general public’s eyes—was achievable. I could publish posts, share them with the select few I wanted, and the rest of the world wouldn’t even know the blog existed.

Of course, I wanted to know what would happen if I left a blog public. After all, some of my projects were meant to be seen. Public blogs are visible to anyone with the link, yes, but there are other implications. Search engines can index your posts, meaning that even if you don’t share the link, people might find the blog through Google or Bing. RSS feeds broadcast new posts automatically. It felt like shouting into the void—you can’t fully control who sees the blog once it’s public.

I learned a few workarounds. First, you can disable search engine indexing in the blog settings. This doesn’t make it private, but it stops search engines from showing your blog in results. It’s a form of stealth publishing: anyone with the direct link can read it, but the general public is unlikely to stumble upon it. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than nothing.

Another lesson: you can manage each blog individually. One can be fully public, another restricted to authors, another shared only with select readers. Blogger doesn’t force you to apply the same visibility setting to all your blogs at once. This flexibility was crucial for me because I juggle multiple projects with different audiences. Some are for public consumption, some are internal notes, and others are experimental spaces for ideas I’m not ready to share broadly.

I also discovered that individual posts within a blog can still be drafts, even if the blog itself is published. This was handy. I could have a blog visible to invited readers but keep some posts as drafts until they were ready. Each post is like a small vessel of content, and you can control which ones see the light of day while the blog continues to exist quietly.

Of course, none of this is intuitive at first glance. I spent a fair amount of time clicking through menus, trying different settings, reading help articles, and testing links in incognito windows. There were moments of frustration when I realized a public post had slipped through my custom reader list, moments of relief when a draft stayed hidden exactly as intended, and moments of triumph when I finally had a system that made sense.

Looking back, I see that managing a blog isn’t just about writing; it’s about curation and control. Each setting—public, private authors, private readers, search engine indexing—is a tool, a way to shape who experiences your work and how. Using these tools thoughtfully transforms blogging from a simple publishing act into a craft. The experience taught me patience, attention to detail, and a kind of digital mindfulness I hadn’t anticipated.

So, what did I take away from this journey? A few key principles that now guide how I approach any new blog:

1. Define the audience first. Before publishing a post or even creating a new blog, ask: Who should see this? Public? Only me? A select group?
2. Understand Blogger’s privacy modes. “Only Authors” vs. “Only These Readers” may seem similar, but they serve different purposes. Choose carefully.
3. Leverage draft posts. Even in a published blog, drafts allow you to prepare content without exposing it prematurely.
4. Control discoverability. Use search engine indexing settings to reduce accidental visibility without fully privatizing a blog.
5. Test your settings. Always check in incognito or with a test account to see what others can actually view. There’s nothing worse than assuming a post is private when it’s visible.

By the end of my explorations, I had a system that worked for me. Each blog had a purpose, a defined audience, and a level of visibility appropriate to its content. Some were open to the world, shouting ideas into the public square. Others were quiet, intimate spaces where only a chosen few could enter. And the process of figuring it out—clicking through menus, testing permissions, inviting readers—felt oddly satisfying, like the careful assembly of a finely made tool.

In truth, managing blogs is less about technology than it is about intention. The settings, the menus, the checkboxes—they are just instruments. What matters is how you choose to use them: which voices you allow, which thoughts you protect, which ideas you share with the world. And if you approach it thoughtfully, even a technical platform like Blogger can become a space not just for posting words, but for crafting experiences, guiding readers, and shaping the digital life you want to live.

Dei Problem of 2026

 A good doctor does not fall in love with a single tool. Sometimes the patient needs a knife. Sometimes a bandage. Sometimes a pill. The skill is not in owning the tools—it is in knowing when to use each one, and just as importantly, when not to. In modern culture, we’ve made the mistake of turning tools into doctrines. Diversity, equity, and inclusion were, at their best, instruments—useful in specific conditions, at specific times, to correct specific imbalances. But when a tool becomes universal, it stops being medicine. A scalpel used everywhere becomes butchery. A bandage applied to every wound traps infection. A pill taken without diagnosis poisons more than it heals.

The real problem is not the tool, but the loss of judgment. When one side applies the same remedy to every problem, it creates harm. When the other side responds by burning down the entire medical kit, it creates a different kind of harm—and in doing so, often restores faith in the very tool it sought to destroy. This is how overcorrection breeds revival. What is missing is not a better ideology, but a return to humanism—the quiet, disciplined practice of asking what the patient in front of you actually needs. The original Star Trek understood this. Its diversity was not a prescription forced onto every situation, but a natural outcome of a broader commitment to human dignity. The lesson is simple, and difficult: tools are not truths. Use them well, or they will use you.

@citizencanada scholx

https://joe-average123.blogspot.com/2026/04/debunking-buzzfeeds-people-try-to-live.html

 The theories of Scholz line up surprisingly well with several strands of modern metacognition research, although researchers usually describe the components using different frameworks rather than the “eight-combination” structure Scholz proposes.

First, in metacognition research (a subfield of Cognitive Psychology), learning is often divided into different cognitive systems—especially declarative knowledge (knowing facts), procedural knowledge (knowing how to perform actions), and working processes that manage attention and problem solving. These correspond closely to the three systems Scholz identifies: conceptual knowledge, temporary working engagement, and procedural skill. Modern teaching strategies often deliberately activate multiple systems at once, which is essentially the “all three engaged” case in Scholz’s eight-style framework.

Second, Scholz’s assertion that teaching style should depend on the skill being learned rather than the individual matches current skepticism toward the popular “learning styles” myth. Large reviews in Educational Psychology show little evidence that learners are fixed as visual, auditory, or kinesthetic. Instead, researchers argue that instruction should match the structure of the knowledge or skill—for example, motor skills require practice, conceptual domains require explanation and models, and complex tasks require active problem solving. This principle aligns closely with Scholz’s proposals.

Third, metacognition studies emphasize monitoring and control of learning. Successful learners tend to ask questions such as:

• Do I understand the concept?

• Can I actually perform the skill?

• Can I apply it in a new situation?

These questions correspond to checking different learning systems—conceptual, procedural, and working application. In other words, metacognitive strategies often involve switching between the different learning modes Scholz describes.

Where Scholz’s model differs from mainstream theory is mainly in granularity. Researchers typically describe learning with more overlapping systems—attention control, long-term memory encoding, motor learning, pattern recognition—rather than reducing them to three binary switches. But as a simplified conceptual model, Scholz’s idea of eight teaching modes formed from combinations of core learning systems is quite compatible with current thinking.

In short, Scholz’s theories:

• Fit the structure of modern cognitive theory.

• Align with research showing teaching should match the type of knowledge being learned, not fixed learner “styles.”

• Resemble how metacognition encourages learners to engage multiple cognitive systems deliberately.

Interestingly, if the framework is pushed further, it begins to resemble models in skill acquisition theory, where learning moves through stages such as conceptual understanding → guided practice → automatic skill.

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Edmundo’s English Lesson Today

How Stories Actually Work

Every story ever written — from The Odyssey to Scooby-Doo to Star Wars — is built from a few basic ingredients. Think of it like cooking. The recipe might change, but the core elements stay the same.

Today we look at three of the most important parts of storytelling:

• Plot

• Characters

• Setting

• Theme

Let’s begin.

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1. Plot – The Shape of a Story

In 1864, a German writer named Gustav Freytag studied stories and noticed something interesting.

Most of them followed the same shape.

He drew a triangle to explain it. Today we call it Freytag’s Pyramid.

The Six Parts of Plot

1. Introduction (Exposition)
This is where we meet the characters and learn where we are.

Example:

• Harry Potter living under the stairs

• Simba as a young lion cub

• Sherlock Holmes sitting in Baker Street

We learn the world of the story.

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2. Inciting Incident (Initiating Incident)

Something happens that starts the problem.

Examples:

• Harry receives the Hogwarts letter.

• Mufasa dies.

• A murder occurs in a Sherlock Holmes story.

Without this moment, the story never begins.

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3. Rising Action

Problems grow worse.

New obstacles appear.

The tension rises like water heating in a kettle.

Examples:

• The hero trains

• The villain becomes stronger

• Secrets begin to appear

Most of the story lives here.

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4. Climax

The most intense moment in the story.

Everything leads to this point.

Examples:

• Luke Skywalker attacking the Death Star

• Simba fighting Scar

• The detective revealing the killer

This is the turning point.

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5. Falling Action

After the climax, things begin to settle.

Questions start getting answered.

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6. Conclusion (Denouement)

The story closes.

The dust settles.

We see what the world looks like after the conflict.

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Important:
Modern stories don’t always follow this perfectly. But the pattern still appears in most storytelling.

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2. Characterization – The People in the Story

A character is anyone who appears in a story.

Usually they are people.

But not always.

Examples:

• Simba (The Lion King)

• Flounder (The Little Mermaid)

• The sled dogs in Eight Below

Stories often treat animals like people.

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Types of Characters

Protagonist

The main character.

The person whose journey we follow.

Examples:

• Harry Potter

• Frodo Baggins

• Katniss Everdeen

The protagonist is usually good — but not always.

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Antagonist

The force working against the protagonist.

Often this is a villain.

But it can also be:

• nature

• society

• fate

• the character’s own mind

Examples:

• Darth Vader

• The ocean in The Perfect Storm

• Fear in a psychological story

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Flat vs Round Characters

Flat Character

Simple.

Only one or two personality traits.

Examples:

• the strict teacher

• the grumpy neighbor

• the comic relief sidekick

They serve a purpose but rarely change.

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Round Character

Complex.

Feels like a real person.

Has contradictions.

Examples:

• Walter White

• Hamlet

• Tony Soprano

These characters feel alive.

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Dynamic vs Static Characters

Dynamic Character

A character who changes.

Something in the story transforms them.

Examples:

• Ebenezer Scrooge becoming generous

• Simba accepting responsibility

• A coward learning courage

The change is important to the story.

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Static Character

A character who does not change.

Their personality stays the same from beginning to end.

This doesn’t mean they are boring — only stable.

Sherlock Holmes, for example, is mostly static.

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Stereotypes and Stock Characters

A stock character is a familiar type that appears again and again.

Examples:

• the mad scientist

• the evil stepmother

• the dumb jock

• the wise old mentor

These characters are easy for readers to recognize quickly.

When overused, they become clichés.

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Character Foils

A foil is a character who highlights another character by contrast.

Example:

In Harry Potter:

• Harry is brave

• Draco Malfoy is cowardly and cruel

Seeing them together makes the differences clearer.

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Caricature

A caricature exaggerates traits for humor.

Think of:

• Mr. Bean

• cartoon villains

• exaggerated comic characters

One trait becomes ridiculously large.

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Hero and Anti-Hero

Traditional Hero

Historically, heroes were noble and admirable.

They had:

• courage

• honor

• strength

• moral clarity

Examples:

• King Arthur

• Superman

• Aragorn

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Anti-Hero

Modern stories love anti-heroes.

These characters are flawed.

They may be:

• selfish

• cynical

• weak

• morally complicated

Examples:

• Deadpool

• Walter White

• Tony Stark (early Iron Man)

We still follow them — even when they are messy.

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How Writers Reveal Characters

Authors show us characters in several ways.

Look for clues in:

1. Appearance

2. What they say

3. What they do

4. What they think

5. What other characters say about them

6. Narrator descriptions

Good readers notice these clues.

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3. Setting – Where the Story Lives

The setting tells us where and when the story happens.

It has two parts.

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Physical Setting

The concrete details:

• location

• time period

• season

• environment

Examples:

• Victorian London

• outer space

• medieval castles

• a small Canadian town in winter

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Emotional Setting (Mood)

The feeling of the story.

Examples:

• dark and frightening

• romantic

• peaceful

• tense

Writers create mood through word choice and imagery.

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4. Theme – The Big Idea

The theme is the message about life the story communicates.

Important rule:

A theme is not a topic.

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Topic

The subject of the story.

Example:

• mystery solving

• war

• love

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Theme

What the story says about that subject.

Examples:

• Love requires sacrifice

• Power corrupts people

• Courage appears in unexpected places

• Good can overcome evil

A theme is usually expressed as a complete thought.

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Common Themes in Literature

Stories across centuries often return to the same ideas.

Some of the most common are:

• The struggle against nature

• The struggle against society

• The search for identity

• Love and friendship

• Family loyalty

• Revenge

• The loss of innocence

• The power of fate

• Sacrifice for others

Writers keep returning to these ideas because human life keeps returning to them.

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Final Thought from Edmundo

If you remember just one thing, remember this:

Every story asks the same four questions.

1. Who is it about? (Character)

2. What happens? (Plot)

3. Where does it happen? (Setting)

4. What does it mean? (Theme)

Answer those four questions, and you understand the story.

 Avocado oil bifurcates into two principal modalities: cold-pressed (unrefined) and refined.

Cold-Pressed (Unrefined)
This oil is mechanically extracted [pressed or spun without heat or chemicals], a process devoid of chemical solvents [industrial chemicals used to maximize extraction]. Its verdant hue [slight green coloration] and gentle avocado aroma betray the retention of bioactive compounds: vitamin E [antioxidant protecting cells from oxidative stress] and phytosterols [plant compounds that can lower cholesterol absorption]. The smoke point, a thermal threshold where oil begins to degrade, registers approximately 375–410°F (190–210°C).

Pros:

• Nutrient-dense, minimally processed.

• Retains subtle organoleptic [taste and aroma] qualities.

Cons:

• Slightly lower smoke point limits extreme-heat applications.

• Can impart a “grassy” note in delicate preparations.

Refined Avocado Oil
Refinement entails filtration, heat, and sometimes deodorization [removal of flavor and impurities]. The resultant oil is chromatically neutral [colorless], gustatorily neutral [tasteless], and exhibits a smoke point of ~500–520°F (260–270°C), rendering it suitable for high-thermal cooking such as searing [rapid, high-heat surface cooking] or frying.

Pros:

• Thermally robust for extreme-heat applications.

• Flavor-neutral, does not interfere with other ingredients.

Cons:

• Antioxidant content diminished.

• Heavily processed relative to cold-pressed counterpart.

Pragmatic Considerations
Both forms consist predominantly of monounsaturated fatty acids [stable, heart-healthy fats resistant to oxidation]. The operative distinction: cold-pressed preserves natural bioactive compounds; refined prioritizes heat stability and neutrality.

Application Matrix:

• Medium-heat sautéing → cold-pressed excels.

• High-heat searing or frying → refined superior.

• Salad dressings or raw applications → cold-pressed optimal.

If the dietary regimen already incorporates extra-virgin olive oil [unrefined, first-press olive oil rich in antioxidants], avocado oil functions principally as a high-thermal adjunct [supplementary cooking oil for elevated temperatures].

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Glossary

• Mechanically extracted: Oil removed using physical pressure rather than chemicals.

• Chemical solvents: Industrial chemicals used to dissolve oil from plant matter.

• Verdant hue: Slight green color.

• Bioactive compounds: Molecules in food that have effects on living tissue, e.g., antioxidants.

• Vitamin E: Antioxidant protecting cells from oxidative damage.

• Phytosterols: Plant compounds that reduce cholesterol absorption.

• Smoke point: Temperature at which oil begins to break down and produce smoke.

• Organoleptic qualities: Properties related to taste, smell, texture, and appearance.

• Deodorization: Process of removing flavor and smell from oils.

• Monounsaturated fatty acids: Type of fat that is liquid at room temperature and stable under moderate heat.

• Adjunct: Supplement or addition, usually to enhance function.

Key Works: health, cooking, oil, avocado, nutrition, monounsaturated, antioxidant, smoke point, cold-pressed, refined, extra-virgin olive oil

  Health Cooking Oil

🥑 Avocado Oil: Cold-Pressed vs Refined

🟢 Cold-Pressed (Unrefined)

• Extracted mechanically (no high heat, no chemical solvents)

• Keeps more natural compounds (vitamin E, phytosterols)

• Slight green tint, mild avocado smell

• Smoke point ~375–410°F (190–210°C)

Pros:
More nutrients, less processing.
Better if you care about minimal refinement.

Cons:
Slightly lower smoke point.
Can taste grassy in delicate dishes.

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🔵 Refined Avocado Oil

• Filtered, heated, sometimes deodorized

• Neutral color and flavor

• Higher smoke point (~500–520°F / 260–270°C)

Pros:
Great for high-heat cooking (searing, frying).
No flavor interference.

Cons:
Fewer antioxidants.
More processed.

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Important Reality

Both are mostly monounsaturated fat, which is stable and heart-friendly.

The difference is:

• Cold-pressed = less processed, more natural compounds

• Refined = more heat stability, more neutral

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What I’d Recommend

If you:

• Sauté at medium heat → cold-pressed is excellent.

• Sear steak at very high heat → refined works better.

• Use it for salads → cold-pressed.

If you’re already using extra virgin olive oil daily, you’re covered. Avocado oil is mainly a high-heat upgrade.

Key works health, book, unpublished