Leftovers

• Adam Young: Algebra VS Music Theory

  Think of the algebraic formula:
  
  Y=5X+19
  
  Y and X are variables, but 5 and 19 are numbers.

• Ben Congdon ☛ Lake Union's Lonely Trolley: SLU Streetcar Ridership

  I lived in the Eastlake neighborhood of Seattle for several years. Eastlake, by its name, sits on the east side of Lake Union. As a runner, I spent many mornings running along the lake, passing by the South Lake Union Streetcar. Each time I ran past the streetcar, what consistently struck me as odd was that the streetcars were almost always empty. I’d see maybe one or two people riding it. I lived within a couple blocks of the streetcar line for years, and never rode it a single time.

• Liam Proven ☛ Outliner notes

  
  Word is a nightmare.
  
  «
  

  RT ColiegeStudent on Twitter 

   

  using microsoft word

   

  *moves an image 1 mm to the left*

   

  all text and images shift. 4 new pages appear. in the distance, sirens.

  »
  
  

  But there's still a lot of power in that festering ball of 1980s code.

  In 6 weeks in 2016, I drafted, wrote, illustrated, laid out and submitted a ~330 page technical maintenance manual for a 3D printer, solo, entirely in MS Word from start to finish. I began in Word 97 & finished it in Word 2003, 95% of the time running under WINE on Linux... and 90% of the time, using it in Outline Mode, which is a *vastly* powerful writer's tool which the FOSS word has nothing even vaguely comparable to.

  But as a novice... Yeah, what the tweet said. It's a timeless classic IMHO.

  Some Emacs folks told me Org-mode is just as good as an outliner. I've tried it. This was my response.
  
  

  Org mode compared to Word 2003 Outline View is roughly MS-DOS Edlin compared to Emacs. It's a tiny fragmentary partial implementation of 1% of the functionality, done badly, with a terrible *terrible* UI.

• Liam Proven ☛ Inferno notes

  Plan 9 is Unix but more so. You write code in C and compile it to a native binary and run it as a process. All processes are in containers all the time, and nothing is outside the containers. Everything is virtualised, even the filesystem, and everything really is a file. backdoored Windows on screen are files. Computers are files. Disks are files. Any computer on the network can load a program from any other computer on the network (subject to permissions of course), run it on another computer, and display it on a third. The whole network is one giant computer.

• Ruben Schade ☛ Returning to the dual-browser life

  I mentioned the joys of browser monocultures again recently, which has lead to the inevitable question: what am I running if Gecko-based browsers have been relegated to the “couldn’t be bothered to test/support/etc” camp once more?

  I wish I had a better answer, but it’s Chromium on my desktops, and Safari on my Macs. I try to see the positive and silver lining to situations if I can, and this time I’m telling myself that I’m keeping the likes of $GOOG in a sandboxed, separate browser of its own. I suppose there’s utility in that. But it still kinda sucks.

• Hardware

  • Andrew Hutchings ☛ Working with the AVR Dx family

    In recent years, Microchip has launched a new range of AVR chips. They appear to have had some things borrowed from the PIC range, and you have to do some things a little differently. That being said, they are very powerful, feature rich and relatively inexpensive. I started using them earlier this year.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • NYPost ☛ Mask mandates return in San Francisco Bay Area for health care facilities

    The new mandates were put into effect to prevent the spread of the flu, COVID and other seasonal illnesses.

  • Science Alert ☛ Being Lonely Can Literally Give You Nightmares, Study Finds

    A terrifying truth revealed.

  • Science Alert ☛ Imitation Ozempic Is Flooding The Market: Here's What You Need to Know

    "These products come with real risks."

  • Science Alert ☛ Smelling Something Dangerous May Put The Immune System on High Alert

    A pre-emptive response.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Discover How Complex Molecules May Have Stabilized to Spark Life on Earth

    A surprise assistant?

  • LRT ☛ ‘They’ve learned to suffer’: suicide rate remains high among Lithuanian elderly

    Although the suicide rate in Lithuania is decreasing year on year, it remains high among people aged over 60. Experts stress that older people are often reluctant to seek professional help, while the situation is particularly bad in the districts, where there is a shortage of mental health specialists.

  • JURIST ☛ UK court delays leave sexual violence victims experiencing suicidal thoughts and PTSD: new report

    The charity Victim Support’ released a report on Thursday revealing that prolonged delays in the UK court system are leading to severe mental health impacts on survivors of sexual violence. These impacts include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicidal thoughts, and even a suicide attempt.

• Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • The Guardian UK ☛ I have been a Wimbledon line judge for 40 years. They could have said machines will do the job next year

    Until recently we were only paid expenses for travelling to and officiating at games, so line judges did our jobs purely for the love of tennis. You’d work your way up through the different local events and get graded by the chair umpire until eventually you were considered good enough for Wimbledon – the dream. A few colleagues have told me this week that they’re not going to bother renewing their licences now that they can’t aim towards officiating at Wimbledon any more, so I worry that smaller tournaments will struggle to find line judges soon.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Chinese and Iranian hackers use Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot and LLM tools to create malware and phishing attacks — Proprietary Chaffbot Company report has recorded over 20 cyberattacks created with ChatGPT

    Since last year, threat actors from China and Iran have utilized Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot and LLM tools to launch a series of malware attacks.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korean leader's powerful sister Kim Yo Jong warns of 'horrible' response to drones

    Ms Kim Yo Jong said Seoul’s refusal to confirm the allegations meant that the drones were sent by “the military gangsters”, referring to Seoul’s forces.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Sister of North Korean leader lashes out at South Korean drones

    She warned Seoul of a 'horrible disaster' if South Korean drones are found flying over Pyongyang.

  • RFERL ☛ U.S. Warns Of Possible Security Threat On Romania's Synagogues, Mosques

    The U.S. Embassy in Bucharest has issued a security alert for its citizens for the weekend regarding religious institutions on the territory of Romania.

  • France24 ☛ 'Occupied America': Trump further demonizes immigrants in Colorado campaign speech

    Former US president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump made an appearance Friday in Aurora, Colorado, and claimed that immigrants are causing chaos in smaller cities and towns across America. Aurora was the scene of a viral video showing armed Latinos overtaking an apartment block which catalysed false narratives about the city being terrorized by Latin American migrants.

  • New York Times ☛ Israeli Strikes on Northern Gaza Kill at Least 20, Aid Workers Say

    Israel’s military said it was “operating with great force” against Hamas and allied groups and issued new evacuation orders, as it also continued its campaign in Lebanon.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Israel steps up attacks in Gaza as UN peacekeepers come under fire in Lebanon

    Palestinians in northern Gaza are describing heavy Israeli bombardment in the hours after airstrikes killed at least 22 people. A member of the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon was in stable condition after being struck by gunfire in Naqoura.

  • France24 ☛ US military strikes 'multiple' Islamic State group camps in Syria

    The US Central Command on Saturday said its forces had conducted air strikes against "multiple known ISIS camps in Syria", adding that the strikes were aimed at disrupting the ability of the group to conduct attacks against the United States and its allies.

  • France24 ☛ AFP, BillBC win honours for war reporting at Bayeux War Correspondents' Awards

    AFP photographer Mahmud Hams won the top prize for photos including his harrowing image of a woman after an Israeli strike on  Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip on October 17, 2023.

  • France24 ☛ 40 nations taking part in UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon condemn 'attacks'

    Forty nations that contribute to the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon said in a statement on Saturday that they “strongly condemn recent attacks” on the peacekeepers.  “Such actions must stop immediately,” said the joint statement, posted on X. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said Saturday that gunfire from an unknown source a day earlier had hit one of its peacekeepers, the fifth wounded in south Lebanon in just two days.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • France24 ☛ Russia and Ukraine launch rival overnight drone attacks, with most intercepted

      The Ukrainian air force said it had intercepted and destroyed 24 of the 28 drones launched by Russia overnight from Friday to Saturday, as the two countries traded air strikes. Russian officials on Saturday said it had downed 47 Ukrainian drones and that strikes had killed one person in the Belgorod border region.

    • RFERL ☛ Russian Deserters Request Political Asylum In France

      Six Russian soldiers who sought to escape mobilization for the war in Ukraine have arrived in France after first fleeing to Kazakhstan.

    • RFERL ☛ Zelenskiy Says Ukrainian Troops Holding On In Kursk After Russian Claims Of Gains

      President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukrainian forces were holding off attempts by Russian troops to expel them from the Kursk region, following a 24-hour period in which Russian shelling killed at least five Ukrainian civilians.

    • New Yorker ☛ Ukraine’s Waiting Game

      In and around Kyiv, war has become part of daily life, even as the public grows weary of its costs.

    • RFERL ☛ Tatar Activists Detained After Permission Denied To Mark Anniversary Of Kazan's Fall

      Tatar activists Galishan Nuriakhmet and Rafik Karimullin were detained by police in Kazan, capital of Russia's Tatarstan region, for about an hour before being released on October 12, after several other activists had been detained in order to prevent them from attending a prayer in a mosque.

    • RFERL ☛ Poland To Suspend Right To Asylum After Tensions With Belarus On Migrants

      Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on October 15 will announce a temporary suspension of the right to asylum as part of a new strategy to combat illegal migration amid tensions with neighboring Belarus.

    • RFERL ☛ Iran Sends Two 'Private-Sector' Satellites To Russia For Launch

      Tehran has delivered two Iranian-made satellites to Russia for launch into orbit, according to the Tasnim news agency, which is linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

    • France24 ☛ New memoir from Russian dissident Alexei Navalny reveals he knew he would die in prison

      Excerpts of a memoir written by late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny revealed he believed he would die in prison, an event which finally occurred on February 16 at age 47. The New Yorker magazine published excerpts from the book, "Patriot", on Friday, ahead of its release on October 22.

• Environment

  • New York Times ☛ California Prepares to Defend Its Climate Laws Against a Second Trump Term

    A second Trump administration would be expected to shred climate polices. California officials are devising ways to insulate its environmental regulations.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • France24 ☛ Boeing to lay off 10% of workforce as machinist strike cripples airplane production

      US aviation giant Boeing plans to lay off about 10 percent of its workers in the coming months, about 17,000 people, as it projected a large third-quarter loss after a nearly month-long strike by 33,000 of its workers slowed production and caused executives to delay delivery of its 777X jet to 2026, adding to the company's litany of problems.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • New York Times ☛ How South Korea’s Dogs Became Members of the Family

      They have become pampered family members in South Korea, which has the world’s lowest birthrate and where much of the population lives alone.

• Finance

  • Medevel ☛ Taking a Stand Against Samsung's Layoffs: A Personal Reflection on the 10 Most Significant Corporate Layoffs of the Past Decade

    As a freelance developer focused on medical and web applications, the recent news about Samsung's layoffs hit hard.

  • New York Times ☛ China Vows to Unleash More Borrowing to Spur Economy and Strengthen Banks

    The finance minister said Beijing would sell bonds to supplement spending and help banks but did not detail how much.

  • France24 ☛ China to issue $325 billion in bond funds to boost ailing economy

    China's finance minister on Saturday said the country would issue $325 billion in special bonds in a effort to boost the flagging economy. The announcement while the world's second-largest economy loses momentum and lift consumer confidence amid a sharp property market downturn.

  • BIA Net ☛ Turkey poised to collect defense budget contributions from credit cards, tax declarations

    The proposed Defense Industry Support Fund will be financed by collecting additional fees from various tax declarations, property sales, and high-limit credit cards.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ Chinese premier in Hanoi agrees to boost ties with Vietnam

    China is Vietnam's largest trading partner and a vital source of imports for its manufacturing sector.

  • RFA ☛ Philippine police arrest suspected Chinese kingpin of criminal front businesses

    Authorities say Lin Xunhan is a key figure in scam operations across the Philippines.

  • New York Times ☛ A Frustrated Trump Lashes Out Behind Closed Doors Over Money

    Donald J. Trump is feeling aggrieved, unappreciated by donors and fenced in by security concerns in the final stretch of the race.

  • JURIST ☛ US justice department sues Virginia elections board for removing voters from registration list

    The US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Friday that it filed a lawsuit against the Virginia Board of Elections (VBE) and the state Commissioner of Elections, claiming a state program allegedly violated federal voter registration requirements. The lawsuit alleges the program violated the “quiet period” provision of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA).

  • JURIST ☛ US court revives and remands Alabama burial ground dispute in Muscogee Nation case

    The US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit on Friday vacated a previous ruling that dismissed a lawsuit brought by the Oklahoma-based Muscogee (Creek) Nation, who challenged the construction of a casino in Alabama on land they claim is sacred.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • JURIST ☛ Human rights experts raise concerns for Guinea activists following disappearances

    The United Nations and the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) raised concerns in a press release on Thursday over Guinean civil society activists Oumar Sylla and Mamadou Billo Bah’s disappearance, as experts say they could face torture, mistreatment, and even extra-judicial execution.

• Digital Restrictions (DRM)

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Steam checkout banner clarifies you don’t own the game you buy — GOG takes a jab at Steam, saying it gives users offline installers that cannot be taken away

    Steam clarifies that you only buy a license when purchasing a game on its platform.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Gemini* and Gopher

  • Personal/Opinions

    • 🔤SpellBinding: BHINOTR Wordo: DOEST

    • Surface Forms are the Only Forms that Matter

      The problem with day **ONE** is that there is still 48 hours to go, vole. Well, counting is for the *weak*, in any case, so I shall take it in stride.

      I just created a rather pedestrian improvisation using the Syntrx II. My original intention was to explore the so-called *Holloway Melody* that I plan to use in heavy repetition and with moderate modification ongoing throughout the yet to be named 40+ minute piece that the semi-primate that calls himself "Christian Newman" will have to do some singing over. What kind of singing, you ask? Well, we are going to go full Zeuhl on this one. Zeuhl, you say? Well, not full *Magma* Zeuhl, but more along the lines of *Weidorje* Zeuhl - a type of Zeuhl that drifts through my mind in dreams and supplicates to be scribed into a long form composition. The *Holloway Melody* will play a vital role in the *chant*.

  • Technology and Free Software

    • Programming

      • Wrapping and raising

        Slowly I a m learning to work with Paredit when working with Lisp code.

        Using Paredit to edit code comes with a learning curve. People who have mastered Paredit usually say they never want to go back.

        I have been here before. In the past I started to learn Vi(m), later ed and Emacs. It turned out that the time invested in learning to use these editors was time well spent.

        This gives me the trust to pour the effort into learning to work with Paredit, and going through the frustration and hair pulling experiences that are part of the learning curve.