Traveling to the US with an ESTA in 2026
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It looks like the ESTA application process is about to get quite a bit more complicated. Check this proposal for changes to the process:
Among the changes, here is what jumps out to me:
CBP is adding social media as a mandatory data element for an ESTA application. The data element will require ESTA applicants to provide their social media from the last 5 years.
[…]
CBP will add several “high value data fields” to the ESTA application, when feasible
- Email addresses used in the last ten years;
- Family number telephone numbers used in the last five years;
I’m not sure if those fields will be optional, or if omitting or forgetting some of that data can result in not getting an authorization of entry.
I’m honestly not quite sure how I would provide such data. I use unique email addresses for most services out there. Do they accept wildcards as email addresses? 🙂
In any case, comments are open so I would encourage everyone to send your feedback, maybe that will help make that process clearer.
Written comments and/or suggestions regarding the item(s) contained in this notice must include the OMB Control Number 1651-0111 in the subject line and the agency name. Please submit written comments and/or suggestions in English. Please use the following method to submit comments:
Email: Submit comments to: CBP_PRA@cbp.dhs.gov.It seems pretty clear at this point that the US administration does not want foreigners visiting the country anymore 🙂
Gli ultimi otto messaggi ricevuti dalla Federazione
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@king @pfefferle c5
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@king Chess on the Fediverse sounds fun. 🙂 I’m a chess noob, but let’s give this a try! @pfefferle I challenge you!
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I’m not a big podcast listener, but I wanted to share the few podcasts I enjoyed in 2025. The list will be short.
My most listened podcast this year was once again Worlds Beyond Number. If you’re not familiar, it’s an immersive (i.e. with custom music and sound design) storytelling / actual play podcast, with Brennan Lee Mulligan (of Dropout, Dimension 20, and now Critical Role Fame) as the main gamemaster. Their main story, The Wizard, The Witch, and the Wild One kept me wanting more for the whole year. I subscribe to their Patreon so I also get access to their exclusive content on the Fireside podcast, and it’s definitely worth it. Part of their exclusive content is extra stories set in same world as the main story, and I found each one of them almost better than the main story.
Book 1 of The Wizard, the Witch, and the Wild One has now come to an end but they continue to tell stories. Of note, a 4-parter based on the board game Cluedo (aka Clue for folks in the US) that was way better than it had any right to be!
I would consequently strongly recommend Worlds Beyond Number if you’re looking for a new podcast in 2026.
The problem with such great podcasts is that it’s hard to find anything just as good when you eventually catch up with all the episodes. I struggled with that in 2025, tried many different Actual Play podcasts. I only found one that I would recommend: Fables of Frost and Fur, by Roll for Impact. That campaign ended up being my second most listened podcast of the year.
As for the other top podcasts on my list, they’re all podcasts for kids in French and in Hungarian, so probably not something most of you will be interested in! 🙂
If you have recommendations for more Actual Play podcasts for me to discover in 2026, let me know!
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I am a fan of The Dresden Files. If you’re not familiar, it’s a series of 18 books written by Jim Butcher. The first book was published 26 years ago. In the books, you dive into the world of Harry Dresden, a private investigator in Chicago. Add in a bit of a noir atmosphere, good humor, and a bit of a buddy cop feel at times thanks to Harry’s consulting work with Karrin Murphy, police officer at Chicago PD. You get the idea. Oh, and I forgot a tiny detail: Harry is a wizard! In this world, vampires, werewolves, and fairies are real. Harry Dresden is listed in the Chicago phone book:
HARRY DRESDEN — WIZARD
Lost Items Found. Paranormal Investigations.
Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates.
No Love Potions, Endless Purses, Parties or Other EntertainmentI personally discovered the series 3 years ago via the audiobooks. I listened to the 4 first books and was hooked. It helped that the audiobooks were narrated by James Marsters (yes, Spike from Buffy!). He is a great narrator and his voice work was a perfect match for the series.
Fast forward to today, Twelve Months, the 18th book in the series just landed on my Kindle. You can order yours from the author’s store here.
Time to get back into the story! It’s been a while since the last book though, so I put together a refresher (thank you Claude) that I sent to my Kindle. I’ll read it, as well as the last few chapters of the last book, to get ready before to start the new book.
If you could use a refresher too, feel free to download the PDF below.
The Dresden Files: Series Summary (Books 1-17) — A comprehensive recap to prepare you for Book 18Download
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@tchambers The Forkiverse is a Mastodon instance (theforkiverse.com) created by the hosts of the New York Times’ Search Engine and Hard Fork podcasts a few weeks ago. They created the instance to discover the Fediverse, and learned a lot in the process. The 2 podcasts are quite popular, so it brought a lot of new folks to the Fediverse.
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@matthiasott It makes pancakes lighter, more airy. I personally replace half of the milk by something sparkling. Fuzzy water is an option, but beer is better. Apple cider is best! It gives a nice taste of apple to the pancakes!
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@dpknauss Yep, I agree we could have both options.
I don’t know if Gravatar is a good alternative to WordPress.com as a login system, though. As you mentioned, Gravatar and WordPress.com are ultimately the same thing ; it’s a different brand but the same logging system in practice.
