By Robert Ellison. Updated on Wednesday, February 22, 2017.
I have crunched the numbers and calculated the average length of blog posts on I Thought He Came With You vs. how many children I had at the time the post was written.
(Published to the Fediverse as:
Correlation is not causation but... #etc#blog#ithcwy Statistically insignificant study of blog post length vs. number of children here on I Thought He Came With You.)
By Robert Ellison. Updated on Saturday, January 18, 2025.
Updated 2015-11-21 13:26:
Updated 2015-11-23 15:50:
Photos of plaques in The Presidio of San Francisco.
The photograph titled "Presidio Plaques" captures an antiqued plaque set against a textured surface. The metal plaque, weathered and bearing a sense of history, is meticulously inscribed with information about the Old Stone Powder Magazine. The black lettering stands prominently against the bronze-like backdrop, providing details about its construction by the U.S. Army and the materials used from earlier Spanish or Mexican structures, dating back to the period of 1847-1863. The plaque was presented by the Presidio Society, Inc. in 1958, adding a touch of historical significance. The surface of the plaque is adorned with small decorative elements in each corner, enhancing its vintage aura.
The composition of this photograph is straightforward, focusing directly on the plaque itself. This direct approach ensures that the viewer's attention is immediately drawn to the text and its historical significance. The lighting casts subtle shadows over the raised lettering, adding depth to the flat surface and emphasizing the inscriptions. However, the bright areas from reflections can be slightly distracting and obscure some parts of the text. The plaque is aligned centrally within the frame, adhering to a balanced compositional style that suits the subject's formal and historical nature. I appreciate the clear, unobstructed view of the plaque, yet a slight angle could have reduced the reflective glare, enriching the texture and legibility of the text.
(Published to the Fediverse as:
Presidio Plaques #photo#map#presidio A photo collection of plaques found in and around The Presidio of San Francisco, California.)
I started with Blogger many years ago. It worked well for a while and then it didn't. I forget why but I wrote a tool to migrate from Blogger to BlogEngine.net.
BlogEngine.net was good for a while, but I never loved the commenting system. I switched to Disqus and I wrote a tool for that as well.
Then Disqus decided to monetize more aggressively than I liked, and I moved on to Facebook comments. Having used these for a while I have come to the conclusion that most people just hate Facebook comments. They're convenient but not many people use them. Also, pages just load much faster without all the Facebook JavaScript. So today I'm switching to home grown manually moderated comments. Just about every comment ever left on this blog has made it from Blogger to BlogEngine.net to Disqus and finally the new system, even the nasty ones. I'll moderate to cut out spam but never dissent. Enjoy!
(Published to the Fediverse as:
Commentary #etc#comments#blogger#disqus#facebook The evolution of comments on ITHCWY. From Blogger, BlogEngine.net, Disqus, Facebook and then finally I give up and write and moderate my own system.)
By Robert Ellison. Updated on Wednesday, February 22, 2017.
Microsoft you are literally killing me. Please tell me there is a reason.
Windows 10 has had a reorg of notifications. People in Redmond have spent quality time thinking about how and when to bother me. User experiences have been imagined, focus grouped, re-imagined, tested, pushed out to beta, revised, polished and finally shipped in a heaping turd of time wasting.
After one of the never ending reboots following some critical update or other I get a nice popup to let me know that updates were installed:
I'm not sure this is the most important news I'll read all day but fine, thank you and I click the little x to dismiss.
Windows at this point knows that it's told me about the updates, and it knows that I've seen the message because I took the time to actively dismiss it.
So why is this now in the Action Center:
I have to acknowledge my latest helping of updates all over again. It's the sort of double confirmation I'd really value before inadvertently nuking Belgium but for pretty much anything I've ever seen in Action Center it's overkill. It's causing the most anger I've had with an Operating System since I had to Google how to shut down Windows 8.
Windows 10 is on 110 million devices. Assuming a reboot a week and three seconds per device spent dismissing the extra message we're looking at a cost of $28 million a year (at US GDP). Microsoft has said it expects a billion Windows 10 devices in 2-3 years. Even at global average GDP that's $64 million down the drain.
It's not a quirky design decision, it's a class action lawsuit waiting to happen.
Smart people must have spent time on this. Please tell me why?
(Published to the Fediverse as:
Updates were installed... #etc#microsoft#update#windows Why does Windows 10 make you dismiss notifications twice? Genuinely, if you know leave a comment. I'm curious.)
By Robert Ellison. Updated on Saturday, January 18, 2025.
Photo of downtown San Francisco seen through a crack in the rocks at Corona Heights Park.
The photograph titled "Corona Heights" presents a striking juxtaposition between nature and urban life. In the foreground, the rugged, earthy textures of rock formations demand attention with their intricate veins and rich brown hues. These stones appear sharply in focus, suggesting a sense of durability and permanence. Beyond the rocks lies a cityscape, softly blurred into the background, hinting at its identity with towering structures and a faint skyline hinting at the expanse of an urban landscape. The gradient of the sky transitions smoothly from a deep azure above to a lighter horizon, suggesting a bright, clear day.
The composition of this photograph skillfully utilizes depth of field to create a layered visual narrative. The sharply focused rocks in the foreground provide a textural contrast to the softly blurred city, emphasizing the difference between the organic and man-made. This use of selective focus serves to draw the viewer's attention first to the tactile qualities of the rock before allowing their gaze to wander into the more distant, ethereal blur of the city. The overall framing heightens this contrast and maintains balance within the image. The rich colors in the foreground contrast beautifully with the cool blues of the sky and the muted tones of the city. What I particularly like about this photo is its clever play on perception, inviting reflection on the balance between natural and urban environments. However, some viewers might find the degree of blur in the background slightly distracting, as it hinders immediate recognition of the cityscape.
By Robert Ellison. Updated on Saturday, January 18, 2025.
My new hobby: finding photos of myself on Google Street View.
Updated 2016-08-04 17:57:
Updated 2018-01-07 10:40:
In the photograph titled "Street View," we find ourselves at an intersection in a residential urban setting. The scene reveals a tapestry of daily life captured beneath a clear blue sky. A solitary pedestrian stands patiently at the crossroads, perhaps anticipating the change of the traffic lights above. Flanking the street are charming, multi-storied houses that evoke a sense of quiet, everyday elegance—stucco facades in muted colors, accented by well-tended greenery. The street extends into the horizon, dotted with vehicles that casually traverse the road, embodying the routine ebb and flow of city life. Sunlight casts subtle shadows, breathing life into the scene with a gentle warmth that suggests the lull of a languid afternoon.
The composition of this image employs a straightforward, documentary style characteristic of street photography. The perspective is slightly elevated, providing a comprehensive view that captures both the immediacy of the foreground and the depth of the scene as it recedes into the distance. This linear arrangement guides the viewer’s eye along the painted lines of the crossroads and towards the distant vanishing point. What is particularly effective here is the balance between human, architectural, and vehicular elements, each given space to lead the viewer’s engagement without overwhelming one another. However, the image could benefit from a stronger focal point; the current stillness and symmetry lack a dynamic element to anchor the gaze. The lighting is natural and pleasing, yet the neutral tones throughout may render the image somewhat muted. Overall, the photo succeeds in exuding a peaceful, everyday authenticity but might capture the eye more decisively with a touch more contrast or a definitive subject of action.
By Robert Ellison. Updated on Saturday, January 18, 2025.
Andy Goldsworthy's Spire sculpture in the Presidio of San Francisco (before it was badly damaged by fire).
In this captivating photograph entitled "Spire," the viewer is immediately drawn to the commanding presence of a towering wooden structure that pierces the azure sky. It stands in stark contrast against the backdrop of an earthy green forest, its sharp, needle-like peak reminiscent of a natural cathedral's spire. The surrounding trees seem to lean slightly towards this monumental figure, as if paying homage to its majesty. The scene is enveloped in a tranquil light, with a soft gradient of blue overhead, giving the landscape an ethereal feel, as though time stands still in a moment of reverence.
The composition of "Spire" uses a central focal point to bring emphasis and grandeur to the primary subject. The photographer has skillfully utilized the rule of thirds, placing the spire slightly off-center to enhance visual interest. The verticality of the spire is accentuated by the contrast with the horizontal stretch of the forest canopy. While the photograph succeeds in capturing a sense of awe, its somewhat muted color palette may diminish the vividness often associated with nature's raw beauty. However, this subdued tone does contribute to the serene and contemplative atmosphere of the image. Overall, "Spire" is a compelling study of nature's architecture, blending symmetry and asymmetry to create a balanced yet dynamic composition.
(Published to the Fediverse as:
25th Centuary #etc#video Them tune from Buck Rogers in the 25th Centuary showing hypothetical sea level rise until 2407.)
By Robert Ellison. Updated on Friday, February 24, 2017.
The Jennifer Morgue (Laundry Files, #2) by Charles Stross
5/5
I wanted to like The Atrocity Archives more than I did (which is still quite a bit)... I'm glad I pressed on to The Jennifer Morgue which is a tight spy thriller, a send up of spy thrillers and manages to be funny and moving in turns. I'm stuck in for the duration of the Laundry Files at this point.
