Dilbert creator Scott Adams recently endorsed Donald Trump. I could take it if this was just our daisyworld politics in action. But it's a horrible post that boils down to money and rationalization.

"I don’t know the best way to defeat ISIS. Neither do you. I don’t know the best way to negotiate trade policies. Neither do you."

The first plank of the argument is that he can't make a call on most issues and so he's not qualified to weigh in. Welcome to democracy. The job is to make the best choice that you can with imperfect information. If you can't do that then do the rest of us a favor and abstain.

"You can argue whether an estate tax is fair or unfair, but fairness is an argument for idiots and children."

The second plank is that he might be less well off if the estate law changes.

So now the lack of an opinion on any other issue makes sense. If you had to think about ISIS or trade (or walls or Muslims or women) then maybe a dent in your income would have to move down a position or two or fifty. But if, aw shucks, you're just not smart enough to make those calls then it's a conveniently self-serving single issue election.

All of this is true even if raising the estate tax is a bad policy. But at the risk of coming across as a child or idiot maybe there's something in it:

"Between 1979 and 2007, paycheck income of the top 1 percent of U.S. earners exploded by over 256 percent. Meanwhile, the bottom 90 percent of earners have seen little change in their average income, with just a 16.7 percent increase from 1979 to 2014."

I don't know the best estate tax policy. But Scott, neither do you.

Updated 2016-10-12 20:28:

So over the weekend he switched his endorsement to Gary Johnson. Maybe:

"You might enjoy my book because you’re not sure if I’m really endorsing Gary Johnson or just saying so to protect my brand."

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(Published to the Fediverse as: Scott Adams #politics #trump #clinton #scottadams The moment when I lost any respect for Scott Adams, Dilbert author. Who knew the PHB was the protagonist? )

Photo of a butterfly in the rainforest exhibit at the California Academy of Sciences.

This photograph captures the delicate beauty of a butterfly perched gracefully on a verdant, arching leaf. The butterfly, with its vibrant orange and black patterned wings adorned with white spots, commands attention against the lush backdrop of blurred greens. The rich, natural colors create a serene and harmonious atmosphere, with hints of dappled light filtering through the foliage, suggesting a tranquil setting within the Academy's botanical splendor. The composition directs the viewer's gaze along the sharply focused leaf, highlighting the intricate details of the butterfly's wings and slender legs, while the soft bokeh in the background evokes a sense of depth and immersion.

The photograph skillfully employs a shallow depth of field, concentrating the focus on the protagonist of the image—the butterfly—while allowing the background to dreamily dissolve into abstraction. This approach effectively isolates the subject, allowing its vibrant colors and delicate textures to stand out. The composition adheres to the rule of thirds, granting a balanced and engaging focal point through the butterfly's placement. The inclusion of various shades of green adds a refreshing vitality to the image. However, the photographer could enhance the overall impact by slightly adjusting lighting to accentuate the butterfly's colors even more. Despite this minor critique, the photograph succeeds in both technical execution and in delivering a serene and captivating glance into the beauty found at the California Academy of Sciences.

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(Published to the Fediverse as: Butterfly at California Academy of Sciences #photo #butterfly Photo of a butterfly at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. )

I just learned that San Francisco's Recreation and Parks department plans to cut down thousands of healthy trees because they are non-native. I really don't understand this nativist movement. At one point San Francisco was part of Gondwanaland. A while before that it was a sea of super-heated plasma. We need more trees even if they were originally Australian. It's a city of transplants anyway.

San Francisco Forrest Alliance seems to be the main hub to try and shut this down. If you live here and like trees please do something. 

Here's a letter I just sent to my Supervisor:

Dear Supervisor Yee,

I am writing to voice my opposition to the plan by the Recreation and Parks Department’s Natural Areas Program to cut down 1,600 trees on Mount Davidson. I have lived in San Francisco for over sixteen years and in your district for a little over two. I regularly walk my dog and take my children to Mount Davidson. We greatly value this park for its views and forest.

Beyond Mount Davidson specifically I am horrified by the thought of felling thousands of healthy trees because they are considered to be non-native. The mission of Recreation and Parks should not be to return San Francisco to its original state. As a taxpayer and homeowner I expect to see a focus on the needs of residents and a management plan that preserves our forested areas rather than denuding them.

Maybe some of the NAP budget could be diverted to fixing up the dilapidated West Portal playground or to pay for maintenance of neighborhood trees rather than their current plan?

Yours faithfully,

Robert Ellison

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(Published to the Fediverse as: Save Mount Davidson #politics #mountdavidson #trees Don't cut down all the non-native trees, leave Mount Davidson the way it is. )

I do a fair amount of time-lapse photography as a hobby and one format I really love is the single frame time-lapse. This is where hundreds (or thousands) of images are stitched together into a single picture instead of a video. There are several examples on this blog including trippy clouds, cranes, a living room and a video which is a time-lapse of single frame time-lapses (made from 1,581,120 photos!)

Until recently I shot the frames like I would a regular time-lapse and then combined them into a single photo using some custom software. This is fairly tedious and so I've packaged up the entire process into an Android app. It can shoot from a minute to 24 hours using the front or rear camera and then saves the finished photo.

Download Slow Camera from Google Play

I have 20 free license codes for ITHCWY readers. If you'd like one just send me an email.

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(Published to the Fediverse as: Slow Camera for Android #timelapse #slowcamera #sftl Single frame time-lapse photography from one minute to 24 hours )

4K time lapse of the San Francisco side of the Bay Bridge. Shot on a gloomy Friday morning with an Alpine Radian and Sony RX100 IV. Processed with Adobe Lightroom and LR Timelapse.

(It's the first project I've completed after upgrading my upgrade-proof laptop with a 1TB SDD, some cat fur and about a half pint of blood. I'm amazed it even boots. There is a tenth circle of hell for laptop designers who decide to hide the hard drive module under two tiny ribbon cables secured with ribbon cable eating tape. And thanks for the fake screws.)

Music from Jukedeck.

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(Published to the Fediverse as: Bay Bridge Timelapse #timelapse #4k #video 4K timelapse of the San Francisco side of the Bay Bridge, black and white, gloomy )

The Golden Gate Bridge peeps out from between some rocks at Marshall's Beach in San Francisco. (previously)

In this captivating photograph titled "Golden Gate Bridge from Marshall's Beach," the viewer's eye is immediately drawn to the iconic silhouette of the Golden Gate Bridge. Rendered in a rich tapestry of muted reds and oranges, it stands majestically against a backdrop of a soft, overcast sky. The bridge is framed beautifully by the surrounding jagged rocks of Marshall's Beach, creating a natural vignette that directs focus toward the architectural marvel. The rugged texture of the rocks, coupled with the scattered stones and gentle waves of the beach, adds depth and dimension, creating an intriguing contrast between natural beauty and human ingenuity. The sandy patches whisper beneath the rocks, suggesting a narrative of nature present long before the bridge and destined to endure long after.

This photograph employs a pleasing composition that leverages the rocks as a dynamic frame, enhancing the bridge as a central focal point. The stylistic choice to include the foreground rocks adds a sense of scale and perspective, inviting viewers to feel as though they are peering out from a secluded natural enclave. The image adheres to the rule of thirds, with the bridge positioned slightly off-center, which contributes to a balanced and harmonious look. The interplay of textures between the angular, weatherworn rocks and the sleek lines of the bridge adds a compelling textural contrast. However, the overcast sky, while atmospheric, slightly diminishes the vibrancy of the scene, potentially flattening the overall color palette. Despite this, the photograph exudes a serene mood, capturing the harmonious coexistence of nature and engineering.

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(Published to the Fediverse as: Golden Gate Bridge from Marshall's Beach #photo #ggb Photo of the Golden Gate Bridge between two rocks shot from Marshall's Beach, San Francisco, California. )

Every time I go back to the UK now I experience some sort of culture shock. A couple of years ago it was the matryoshka of Marks & Spencers. This trip, post-Brexit, I was expecting a J.G. Ballard style post-apocalyptic wasteland. But it was even worse - it's nearly impossible to buy tonic water without sweetener.

I'm unlucky (or maybe lucky) enough to be sensitive to aspartame and anything made with the stuff tastes foul to me. I can no longer have a gin and tonic in a pub because the full-fat tonic is as tainted as the diet stuff. It's not just tonic water, many other drinks are laced with the stuff. And kids in the UK now live on Fruit Shoots which are short on fruit and long on chemical warfare.

Is this some sneaky anti-obesity move I haven't read about? More likely the vile artificial stuff is just cheaper than actual sugar and it's a cost saving measure.

Oh, and I saw a crew of motorway workers washing traffic cones. In the rain.

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(Published to the Fediverse as: Methyl L-α-aspartyl-L-fucking-phenylalaninate #politics #uk #brexit #cone #sweetener #motorway Why does the UK insist on putting artificial sweetener in everything, even in supposed full fat beverages? )