···11+# Weekly News From @jeffrey
22+33+**status:** draft
44+**author:** @jeffrey
55+**for:** news.aesthetic.computer post
66+**date:** week of march 24-30, 2026
77+**research:** `node at/news-cli.mjs commits --since "2026-03-24 20:00:00"`
88+99+---
1010+1111+another weekly one. this covers the week of march 24-30, 2026.
1212+1313+there were ~188 commits after the little march 23-24 note. the big story is consolidation: the self-hosted monolith is real now, the native os is getting much closer to "one image, many machines", and kidlisp / keeps infrastructure moved off a few brittle dependencies.
1414+1515+## lith is the real server now
1616+1717+the biggest architectural change this week is that aesthetic computer is no longer leaning on netlify as the main production shape. `lith` landed as a self-hosted monolith on its own droplet ([ed1f58a](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/ed1f58a17)), then quickly picked up a proper `/media/*` handler ([949dd44](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/949dd442e)), response caching, full ssl, and a deploy webhook ([2072099](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/20720999b)).
1818+1919+after that, it started getting the things you actually need once a server is no longer hypothetical: caddy access logs and traffic summaries ([7e3385a](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/7e3385a7f)), a function stats dashboard in silo ([76959d4](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/76959d470)), graceful shutdown so restarts drain in-flight requests instead of clipping them ([0fac581](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/0fac58149)), and push-to-main auto-deploy ([22d5987](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/22d598764)).
2020+2121+then came the small-but-important routing and production fixes: kidlisp.com got its own dedicated handler instead of falling through the main spa ([ad5adca](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/ad5adca5c)), notepat.com routing was corrected ([76680b2](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/76680b2bc)), `/api/logo.png` got wired properly ([87a353e](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/87a353e05)), version reporting started writing a real `.commit-ref` again ([17aff7b](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/17aff7b05), [dadc13d](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/dadc13dcd)), and today `news.aesthetic.computer` got its own lith route fix after I noticed a weekly post wasn't resolving ([06a4dba](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/06a4dba04)).
2222+2323+it feels less like "a migration" now and more like "this is the server."
2424+2525+## one usb image for macs and thinkpads
2626+2727+on the native side, the project got much closer to a universal boot story. macbook pro 2011 support landed in earnest ([357d0fb](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/357d0fb82)), along with hybrid intel mac boot media ([a3b14c8](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/a3b14c8dd)), intel mac usb boot discovery fixes ([573b390](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/573b390ba)), hfs+ mount handling in the flash helper ([c95f4c4](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/c95f4c4a0)), and a chainloader path for old mac efi that can't swallow a huge kernel directly ([cd161aa](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/cd161aa98)).
2828+2929+that work turned into a more ambitious result: one usb image that works on both macs and thinkpads ([1a212c3](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/1a212c335)). systemd-boot is in the loop for mac efi now ([104bdeb](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/104bdeb93)), the mac boot path gets a real splash screen instead of dead-looking blackness ([0d4e160](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/0d4e160d6)), and ota uploads now ship a slim kernel + initramfs pair for more universal boot compatibility ([02f5262](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/02f526286)).
3030+3131+there was also a long tail of "make the machine feel normal" work: bcm5974 trackpad support for old macbooks ([bdb51a9](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/bdb51a97d)), cirrus logic audio support ([b3a16f4](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/b3a16f4f9)), more realistic sample-rate negotiation and a safer 48kHz default ([87ca60a](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/87ca60ac0), [0e6671f](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/0e6671fb6)), cleaner boot output ([c13f47c](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/c13f47ce5)), less shutdown text spam ([34dc863](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/34dc8639e), [f9fdeda](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/f9fdedac6), [ca12d74](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/ca12d74c8)), and some practical quality-of-life fixes around trackpad deltas, mic capture, and preset wifi networks ([5249301](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/5249301ba), [303b300](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/303b3005c)).
3232+3333+the old intel macs stopped feeling like weird exceptions this week. that's a good sign.
3434+3535+## kidlisp and keeps grew some infrastructure
3636+3737+kidlisp is inching further into native execution. there's now a cl-native evaluator ([b0e4c9e](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/b0e4c9efe)), a cl piece launcher so typing `notepat.lisp` boots the lisp version directly ([8f694ad](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/8f694ad7a)), a config-driven main loop for selecting pieces ([37ffe4b](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/37ffe4bc7)), and a unified build that embeds sbcl + swank in the native build path ([98ecb8b](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/98ecb8bfa)). the list piece also started showing `.lisp` pieces in their own purple section ([646f760](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/646f7600d)).
3838+3939+on the browser side, notebook kidlisp switched from url encoding to `postMessage` for passing programs around ([9ae49f9](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/9ae49f95b)). that is one of those changes users may not notice directly, but it takes pressure off a bunch of annoying edge cases.
4040+4141+keeps got a more meaningful backend shift: the mint pipeline now uses a self-hosted ipfs node on lith instead of pinata ([edccefc](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/edccefc78)). there are also fixes so the keep pipeline falls back to a thumbnail instead of failing hard ([aa1a800](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/aa1a80097)), and keep.kidlisp.com got some auth / asset-path cleanup ([b7a7a02](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/b7a7a028e), [9e92179](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/9e92179e5), [1ed59f6](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/1ed59f68e)).
4242+4343+also: kidlisp pieces now have a farcaster frame endpoint ([8b04520](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/8b0452047)). that one feels small, but i like it. a kidlisp piece should be able to leak out into other systems and still feel alive.
4444+4545+## papers, atproto, and the research layer
4646+4747+the writing side kept expanding too. there's a new paper on ucla arts administration, "Two Departments, One Building" ([8116615](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/8116615e2)), and then a whole cluster of follow-up work that broadened it, corrected dates, added governance context, expanded references, and shipped translations ([92c9b0c](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/92c9b0c72), [ea155db](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/ea155dbf8), [b394883](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/b39488378), [8493fbd](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/8493fbd17), [6b0244c](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/6b0244c74)).
4848+4949+the papers site itself got wider and calmer ([31f0090](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/31f0090f5)), gained better sorting and live build telemetry ([f36ef49](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/f36ef49e8), [bdeaaec](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/bdeaaec28)), and tightened up its cards / translation / table behavior in a bunch of places ([d07b9e5](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/d07b9e587), [1b84829](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/1b8482986), [fb347c1](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/fb347c1c8), [67d0072](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/67d0072ac)).
5050+5151+the atproto side stayed braided into that work. the "Handle Identity on the AT Protocol" paper picked up a section on running the pds on bare metal and connecting identity back to the os itself ([e5a31ff](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/commit/e5a31ff2e)). that connection feels increasingly central to the project: the machine, the account, the paper, and the published artifact are all starting to speak the same language.
5252+5353+---
5454+5555+- @jeffrey
5656+5757+---
5858+5959+## notes to self
6060+6161+- this one is more about consolidation than one flashy feature
6262+- tone should stay plainspoken and concrete
6363+- if i post it, maybe link out to `/os`, `keep.kidlisp.com`, and the papers site more directly next pass
···11+# Aesthetic Computer Mail Draft
22+33+Date: 2026-03-30
44+55+Audience snapshot:
66+- 183 verified Aesthetic users with `last_login` in the last 60 days
77+- 182 emailable after unsubscribe filtering
88+- 139 have an AC handle
99+1010+Audience files:
1111+- `reports/mail/aesthetic-active-users-60d-2026-03-30.json`
1212+- `reports/mail/aesthetic-active-users-60d-2026-03-30.csv`
1313+- `reports/mail/aesthetic-active-users-60d-emailable-2026-03-30.csv`
1414+1515+Recommended sender:
1616+- `mail@aesthetic.computer`
1717+1818+Suggested subject lines:
1919+- a little note from aesthetic computer
2020+- a small spring note from AC
2121+- a tiny update from this weird computer
2222+2323+Suggested preview text:
2424+- What has been growing around AC this year, and how to help it keep going.
2525+2626+Draft:
2727+2828+Hi,
2929+3030+Aesthetic Computer has had a sweet year so far.
3131+3232+The tiny weird internet computer keeps filling up with life: thousands of paintings, more than 17,000 KidLisp programs, nearly 19,000 chat messages, and hundreds of published pages. The little orbit around it has been growing too: `prompt.ac`, `news.aesthetic.computer`, `papers.aesthetic.computer`, ATProto pages, and the ongoing Blank / AC Native work.
3333+3434+If you want to help keep it alive and growing, the simplest way is:
3535+3636+https://give.aesthetic.computer
3737+3838+If you want to see what support goes toward:
3939+4040+https://bills.aesthetic.computer
4141+4242+You can also help by replying to this email or sharing a favorite AC thing with a friend.
4343+4444+Thank you for being here.
4545+4646+Jeffrey
4747+@jeffrey
4848+https://aesthetic.computer
4949+5050+Shorter version:
5151+5252+Hi,
5353+5454+Aesthetic Computer has had a sweet year so far. There are already thousands of paintings, more than 17,000 KidLisp programs, nearly 19,000 chat messages, and hundreds of published pages, and the little orbit around it keeps growing too.
5555+5656+If you want to help keep it going:
5757+5858+https://give.aesthetic.computer
5959+6060+If you want to see where support goes:
6161+6262+https://bills.aesthetic.computer
6363+6464+Thank you,
6565+Jeffrey
6666+6767+Notes:
6868+- Include an unsubscribe link in the final send.
6969+- This version is softer and more celebratory than the earlier emergency ask.
7070+- If you want, test a follow-up variant that mentions a specific favorite piece or community moment.