self-indulgent spending

My iPad mini is basically non-functional. It was a hand-me-down from Arthur, had an exciting month misplaced in the Atlanta airport lost and found in early 2020 after I left it in a TSA bin, has been to multiple countries and states. The Apple store people decided that it could only charge to 12% and was too old to trade in. The battery cannot be replaced. I have been pondering buying a new one, but then yesterday's iPad pro ad came out and like everyone else, I was appalled at Tim Apple's* apparent attitude that the new pad will be a good way to replace actual artists creating things.

Watch on YouTube

My compromise decision has been to buy a reconditioned 2021 iPad mini from Backmarket.
https://www.backmarket.com/en-us
New to me, no new cash flowing to Apple.

* I don't usually quote Donald Trump, but I like Tim Apple as a name mistake.

Also, while replacing most of the windows in the house night be a logical step now that the insulation is done, I have decided to replace two of them, the ones that irritate me the most. Or I probably will do that. I was startled at the cost - $1900 each, including the kind of windows I want and good installation practices. I worry that removing the old ones will reveal more problems and mission creep will happen.
It's such a weird mind shift on my part. I spent years second-guessing which home improvements would be a good idea, and now I'm just forging ahead as though I'm going to live here for a long time.

Does anything really change?

[Warning - this is really all about me, not about the people I worry about at a distance.]

In May of 2006 I was worried about people in Darfur
https://lauradi7dw.dreamwidth.org/31095.html

In June 2015 I was worried about people in Darfur.
https://lauradi7dw.dreamwidth.org/446709.html

In May of 2024 I am worried about children in Darfur
This article from the Guardian is about atrocities from last summer
https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/09/darfur-atrocities-ethnic-cleansing-human-rights-watch-report-rsf-sudan

Here I am, having fun*, while unbelievably horrid things are happening around the world. I am not doing anything to make change except for sending money and occasionally writing outraged emails.

* It's possible to be sad a lot of the time and still take pleasure in entertaining activities. I understand that's a privilege thing, because at other levels of depression it is not true. I also have lots to look forward to. In the last couple of days I've signed up to do special ringing and to help explain the flax to linen process, both on the 4th of July weekend. I might try to squeeze in a 5k on the Cape between the two events.

This seems like a bad idea to me

Posted on twitter from the National Mall NPS

>>Heads up! Be aware that Saturday, 5/11, around noon, 60 planes representing the history of general aviation will fly down the Potomac and over the National Mall. The permitted event is closely coordinated with the FAA, Secret Service, and other agencies<<

I admit it would be cool to look out the window from the Air & Space museum and see the contents fly by, but it just seems like asking for trouble.