@yojimbo It'll definitely be a Linux install, probably running Miniflux, Prosody, and not much more. What I'm really looking for are hardware recommendations. What are people using for single-board servers these days? Ardinuo? Raspberry Pi? Something else?

What's a good resource if I want to set up a single board server for self hosting a few small apps?

A previous job involved a lot of lawn and garden research, so if you have a lawn and want to be more environmentally friendly this season:

1. Raise the carriage of your lawnmower. Like: All the way. Most people cut their grass much too short. Taller grass provides better coverage and can reduce the need for watering by shading the soil and slowing evaporation.

2. What's the most eco-friendly lawn mower? One of these bad boys: https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/lawn-garden/g40061434/best-reel-mowers/

3. Bald patches? That's your yard telling you that grass doesn't belong there. Just till that plot and plant something else — preferably something that grows locally. Particularly if you're in a hot, dry region (as more and more of us will find ourselves, going forward), the practice of xeriscaping is your friend: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xeriscaping

4. Plant other stuff anyway. Local ecosystems thrive on plant diversity. People (especially Americans) have this warped, neo-Victorian ideal of a monoculture yard containing nothing but neatly trimmed Bermuda grass, and that's just not healthy.

Okay, 100% said they would read The Turn of the Screw, so that's the Standard Reading Group selection for the month of October. You can download it here: https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/henry-james/the-turn-of-the-screw

Tag your posts #StandardReading and put discussion behind a CW with the book title and the chapter you're on.

Reading time begins… now.

Shall we give #StandardReading one more try? With October coming up, it stands to reason that we should pick something spooky. Let me know if you'd be interested in reading any of the following and discussing them on fedi next month. (You can pick more than one.)

The Beetle
https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/richard-marsh/the-beetle
Melmoth the Wanderer
https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/charles-robert-maturin/melmoth-the-wanderer
The Three Imposters
https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/arthur-machen/the-three-impostors
The Turn of the Screw
https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/henry-james/the-turn-of-the-screw

Idea: Webstamps.

Little logos, like eki stamps: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eki_stamp but for personal sites. The idea being that each person would design their own and put it someplace on their site, and anyone who visited the site could print it out and paste it into their stamp book.

Different from blog buttons in that they're meant to be displayed physically, with digital display an afterthought. With that in mind, they should probably:
• be monochrome
• not move (no animation)
• fit on a passport book page (5 x 3.5 in.)
• express something about the site
• include the home url

No real utility, but it could be fun.

Welcome to the Standard Reading Group. Each month, I'll post a selection from the https://standardebooks.org site. Download it, read at your own pace, and discuss it on the fediverse.

1. Use #StandardReading to post your thoughts. Follow that hashtag to keep up with the conversation.

2. Put discussion of specific details under a CW with the book title and chapter you're on.

3. CW for content, too! Many of these books will reflect the prejudices of their eras. Let's grapple with those topics, but give people the option to approach on their own terms.

4. The books are free, but consider donating to Standard Ebooks if you have the means.

Since we're starting mid-month, September's selection is a novella, The Room in the Dragon Volant: https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/j-sheridan-le-fanu/the-room-in-the-dragon-volant

Reading time starts… now!