iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

here is a still image of Wolf Leaf

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IMPORTANT: today we saw an Italian wolf with a leaf on their nose. (This one was in the enclosure at the wolf rescue center in Alfedena, but Abruzzo National Park has a pretty healthy wild population of wolves).

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people like to ride motorcycles real fast around turns up here, which is fun to watch

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think you can see the sea from up here. or at least a majestic view of the Appenines. At Punto Panoramico Olmo di Bobbi, a little north of Anversa in Abruzzo.

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people moving around uncooperative sheep: a truly ancient tradition, still quite active in Abruzzo

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transhumance waits for no man or vehicle in Abruzzo

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this has been a two enchanted forests kind of day, which is what visiting Abruzzo is like I guess. at the Gorges of Sagittarius Riserva Naturale near Anversa. (What are these little purple flowers?)

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hate it when you’ve got a bad case of The Snakes

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This carved stone translates into something like “who couldn’t be happy when they see this tree,” which, yeah

carved stone about being happy about treees

carved stone about being happy about trees

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I’ve never been anywhere with as many obviously enchanted forests as Abruzzo. This is a 600 year old beech tree (and it’s also very old companion) somewhere between Barrea and Scanno.

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what are these creatures making exuberant sounds at night here in Abruzzo

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M.C. Escher drew Pettorano sul Gizio back in 1929, and there’s a bench where you can view the angle that he used. escherinhetpaleis.nl/en/about-esc...

M.C. Escher, Pettorano sul Gizio, scratch drawing, October 1929

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Some better shots of the view from the Il Torchio terrace in Pettorano sul Gizio:

Piazza Rosario Zannelli, 14, 67034 Pettorano sul Gizio AQ, Italy

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here’s a video of the general ambience at Il Torchio, which has what’s basically a national park view on a historic terrace

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We visited @scarnecchia.net’s other impossibly scenic ancestral village, Pettorano sul Gizio, and had an amazing lunch at long-time local polenta specialists Il Torchio:

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Good morning from Barrea, which is not aesthetically pleasing at all

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the very medieval feeling streets of Barrea, in Abruzzo

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more majestic gorge views from Barrea in Abruzzo, Italy. (It’s so deep you can’t see the water, but you can hear it).

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Well, my partner’s ancestors really, really could have chosen an uglier looking Italian village to be from - up above Barrea in Abruzzo.

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We also had Arrosticini (traditional Abruzzo lamb skewers) and a pear and ricotta dessert:

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it’s cool how when you get truffle pasta at a restaurant in Abruzzo, they are very generous with the truffle. (my partner and I shared a single primi serving, so this is just one half of the standard portion, too). At Ristorante Luci in Pescasseroli.

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Lamb and pecorino burger with chicory + a plate of assorted meats and cheeses at the extremely good-vibes Ninkasi Pub in Pescasseroli (Abruzzo)

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Dario Amodei of Anthropic is Very Normal and Can Be Trusted With the Future of Humanity: “…in my case I'd say that I think an adult death is perhaps 2 or 3 times worse than an infant's death.” blog.givewell.org/2010/06/03/m...

GiveWell makes explicit cost effectiveness estimates (based in part on those of the Disease Control Priorities report) for both organizations: ~$545 per infant death averted for Village Reach, and ~$150-750 per death averted for Stop TB. These are roughly comparable, but don't take into account the fact that Stop TB mainly treats adults, while VR mainly treats infants and children. I feel that adults are capable of deeper and more meaningful experiences than are infants, and also deeper connections with other people, so an adult death seems worse to me than an infant death (though both are of course bad). Trying to quantify exactly how much worse is very subjective and can also seem calculating ("how many babies would you kill to save an adult?i, but on a practical level one is forced to make difficult decisions with limited funds, and in my case I'd say that I think an adult death is perhaps 2 or 3 times worse than an infant's death. Thus, adjusted for my personal values, Id say that Stop TB is ~2-3 times more cost-effective than VR, though I understand that others may validly disagree with this subjective assessment.

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good morning from Barrea (the crows are also having a good morning)

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tonight while driving to dinner in Abruzzo we have seen a red deer stag, two foxes, and this very unbothered cow

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as seen wandering by in Barrea in Abruzzo (wonder what’s up with his knees, though?)

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Well, Barrea is rather nice so far. (In Abruzzo).

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