5/5
The best new SF series in quite some time draws to an end. Sad to see it go, can't wait to see what Hugh Howey comes up with next.
4/5
Understated X-Men shenanigans in thriller format.
Photo of clouds spelling cloud (actually a cunning crop of a sky writing advert).
The photograph titled "Cloud" captures a vast expanse of clear blue sky, interrupted only by the playful and creative formation of the word "CLOUD" written in skywriting. The letters seem to be made from tiny cloud-like dots, floating weightlessly in the upper left portion of the frame. In the lower right corner, a small section of a tree's lush green foliage sneaks into view, adding contrast and grounding the open space above. The image is minimalist in essence, focusing primarily on the juxtaposition of art and nature in the open air.
The composition employs a simple yet effective juxtaposition of elements. The use of negative space is pronounced, allowing the viewer’s attention to zero in on the skywritten text. The asymmetry created by the position of the text and the tree branch adds interest and arresting balance to the photo. The direct approach and minimalistic style are charming, though the photograph might benefit from a more vibrant color to intensify visual impact. The simplicity is refreshing, but some might find the image too sparse, craving more detail or activity. Overall, the photo plays cleverly on its title, offering a whimsical twist on how clouds can be perceived.
(Published to the Fediverse as: Cloud #photo #cloud Photo of clouds spelling cloud (actually a cunning crop of a sky writing advert). )
I had a play with the Google Spreadsheets API recently to feed in some data from a C# application. The getting started guide is great and I was authenticated and adding dummy data in no time. But as soon as I started to work with real data I got:
"The remote server returned an error: (400) Bad Request."
And digging deeper into the response:
"We're sorry, a server error occurred. Please wait a bit and try reloading your spreadsheet."
The original sample code still worked so it didn't seem like any sort of temporary glitch as the message suggests. After much hair torn it turns out I was getting this error because I had used the literal column names from my spreadsheet. The API expects them to be lower case with spaces removed. If not columns match you get the unhelpful error above, if at least one column matches you get a successful insert with some missing data.
Error messages are one of the hardest parts of an API to get right. If you're not very detailed then what seems obvious to you can leave your developers stumped.
Hope this helps someone else...
(Published to the Fediverse as: Google Spreadsheets API and Column Names #etc #google #api #spreadsheet A 400 bad request from the Google Spreadsheets API may be caused by incorrect column names. How to fix. )
It's the start of autumn in the northern hemisphere, spring if you live south of the equator. Rendered in Catfood Earth.
Search on enter has been broken for a while in BlogEngine.NET (I'm running the latest 2.8.0.1 version). Finally got a chance to look at this today and there is a simple patch to the JavaScript to fix it. See the issue I just filed on CodePlex for details.
(Published to the Fediverse as: Fix search on enter problem in BlogEngine.NET #code #javascript #blogengine.net How to fix the search on enter problem in BlogEngine.NET. )
The latest revelations about how thoroughly the NSA, GCHQ and friends have corrupted Internet security have got Bruce Schneier recommending an air gap.
Back in the late 90's I played a small role in the fight against the UK government's trusted third party / mandatory key escrow scheme on behalf of Ç-Dilla, at around the same time as the Clinton administration was pushing the Clipper Chip. It seemed that the fight was won, but apparently after being told no the spy agencies went and found a way to do it anyway.
The starting point is terrorists, because there is nothing that can't be justified by the war on terror. But all that data just wants to be used so it gets shared with the DEA, and then the IRS. And then LOVEINT. The implications for civil liberties and the economy aren't great but they're probably not the worst fallout.
The ending point is probably terrorists as well. Because by opening up back doors and sneaking weaknesses into the algorithms that we depend on for security we've opened up holes for the bad guys to exploit. Bad enough that your local nuclear power station is hooked up to the Internet but now we know the VPN and the Firewall that should be keeping it safe have been fatally compromised.
If we really wanted to save the most possible lives then the billions being sunk into the NSA would be better spent developing self-driving cars.
(Published to the Fediverse as: Air Gap #politics #nsa #encryption The NSA and GCHQ have corrupted internet security - should they be working on self driving cars instead? )
The National Park Service just released a new version of their Draft Dog Management Plan for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA).
After the response to the previous version the NPS said that they'd consider allowing dog access in additional areas and more importantly that they would reevaluate the 'poison pill' provision that enabled changing the rules in the future without further consultation. Additional access was considered and rejected. 'Compliance-Based Management Strategy' has been rebranded as 'Monitoring-Based Management Strategy' and while they've technically dropped the poison pill the language is still pretty dire up to and including year plus closures:
"When the level of compliance is deemed unacceptable based on violations and/or impacts to resources, primary management actions such as focused enforcement of regulations, education, and establishment of buffer zones, time and use restrictions, and SUP restrictions would be implemented. If noncompliance continues, secondary management actions including short-term closures (typically one year or less) would be implemented through the compendium."
That 'typically one year or less' is just such a throw away line, like it's a minor punishment and not 7 dog years or more.
Here are my full comments on the new plan (comment ID 875407-55416/35):
Dear National Park Service,
I commented on the previous Draft Dog Management Plan/ Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (comment ID: 457979-38106/85) and as requested will focus on the changes made between then and the current draft.
My chief concern with the previous draft was the provision that allowed the NPS to degrade off-leash ‘ROLA’ areas to on-leash or banning dogs entirely without further public consultation. The latest draft has removed this language, but the new ‘Monitoring-Based Management Strategy’ doesn’t strike me as a material improvement.
The compliance section of this strategy begins with focused enforcement of regulations and education. It should stop there. Instead it goes on to mention buffer zones, time and use restrictions, and SUP restrictions and then goes on to short-term closures that are typically one-year or less.
While the previous draft was worse, the prospect of losing access to the limited off-leash areas that will remain after the implementation of this plan for a year or possubly more isn’t a material improvement.
I live in San Francisco and frequently visit the GGNRA with my family, which includes a toddler and well behaved dog. I completely support a reasonable allocation of the available space between visitors who want to bring their dog and visitors who would prefer a dog-free experience.
Given the tone of the plan and the history of the NPS seeking to ban off-leash dog access altogether I cannot help but fear that any provision in the plan to curtail dog access will end up being used.
Please remove the language around further regulating, restricting, permitting and closing the ROLA areas. Focus on enforcement and use your limited resources to handle the minority of irresponsible dog owners rather than closing down access for everyone.
Sincerely,
Robert Ellison
P.S. The sand ladder at fort funston is an unstable and dangerous trail. Introducing leashes would increase the risk of injury to people and dogs alike.
(Published to the Fediverse as: Response to updated GGNRA Draft Dog Management Plan #politics #ggnra #nps My written response to the updated GGNRA Draft Dog Management Plan )
Two dolphins in the surf off Fort Funston in San Francisco.
This photograph, titled Dolphins at Fort Funston, captures a serene seascape where the undulating waves whisper secrets of the ocean to the shore. The expanse of water stretches wide, cloaked in hues of deep blue that dance with the sunlight. On the horizon, the faint silhouettes of dolphins gracefully breach the water, their sleek forms almost ghostly against the vast openness of the sea. The foreground is adorned with frothy waves crashing playfully into one another, their white crests sparkling as if dusted with stardust. Above, the unmarred sky offers a subtle backdrop, lending a quiet majesty to this coastal moment.
The composition of the photograph follows a classic horizontal layout, which complements the breadth of the ocean view. The horizon line sits low, accentuating the expanse of the sky while grounding the viewer in the dynamic movement of the waves below. This choice effectively leads the eye toward the playful dolphins, nestled almost centrally yet distant enough to invoke curiosity and tranquility. The color palette is soothing, with gentle blues and whites harmonizing to evoke calmness. However, the dolphins are rendered too small, which might make them difficult to notice without context. While this adds to the sense of discovery, a closer framing might have given more prominence to the dolphins as the main subject. Overall, I appreciate the serene atmosphere and the natural beauty it encapsulates, yet a slightly tighter composition could have enhanced the impact.
(Published to the Fediverse as: Dolphins at Fort Funston #photo #sanfrancisco #dolphin #fortfunston Photo of two dolphins in the surf shot from Fort Funston in San Francisco, California. )
3/5
Very much a middle book in a series. vN was outstanding, iD picks up where it left off and it's good if you read vN but probably doesn't stand alone. I'm looking forward to a third installment.
4/5
The Bat - recently translated into English. This is the first in the Harry Hole series and it's a very good one. Most of the rest were translated some time ago and it's a little odd that it's taken so long for the initial installment. I was expecting it to some sort of rubbish embarrassment but Nesbo is on top form here. My guess is that the problem was that it's set in Sydney which is probably a hard sell for fans of Scandinavian crime.
I don't always find droids, but when I do, they're the ones I'm looking for.
- Most Interesting Wookie In The Universe (seen at the Lucasfilm campus).
This photograph captures a colorful and humorous piece of sidewalk chalk art. The main subject is a portrait of a figure reminiscent of a classic advertisement, but with an intriguing twist: the figure seems to be a fusion of the charismatic "most interesting man" and a character from the Star Wars universe, namely a Wookiee. Above the image, a speech bubble reads, "I don't always find droids, but when I do, they're the ones I'm looking for," ingeniously blending two famous pop culture references. Below the figure, a framed text declares "Most Interesting Wookiee in the Universe," adding to the playful nature of the artwork. To the right, smaller details like hologram-like projections and subtle shading contribute to the immersive, otherworldly effect of this creative endeavor.
The composition is well-structured, filling the pavement canvas with precision. The use of perspective draws the viewer’s eyes naturally from the text above, centering on the figure, and finally resting on the text below. This helps in easily conveying the layered message in the artwork. The earthy tones prevalent in the chalk art echo the ruggedness associated with the Wookiee while maintaining a lighthearted, inviting feel, reflecting its humorous intent. What stands out is the clever blend of cultural elements, enticing the viewer into an amusing crossover narrative. However, the boundaries of the chalk art are not sharply delineated, which might lead to its details blending into the pavement in less than ideal lighting conditions. Yet, this casualness adds to the ephemeral charm typical of street art, capturing a moment of clever creativity for passersby to enjoy.
(Published to the Fediverse as: I don't always find droids... #photo #presidio #sanfrancisco The Most Interesting Wookie In The Universe (sidewalk art seen at the Lucasfilm campus). )
Download a Sharepoint File with GraphServiceClient (Microsoft Graph API)
Accessing Printer Press ESC to cancel
Export Google Fit Daily Steps, Weight and Distance to a Google Sheet
Which PG&E rate plan works best for EV charging?
Monitor page index status with Google Sheets, Apps Script and the Google Search Console API
Bringing Sanity to Window Replacement in San Francisco
Enable GZIP compression for Amazon S3 hosted website in CloudFront
