Save America’s Patent System

Good problem to solve, wrong solution. Examine patents on use rather than before issuing.

(Related: This week in defeating Patent Trolls; How to fix software patents; BBC On Patents)

(You might also like: Occupy Intellectual Ventures; ISS over San Francisco; Richards Fire Road)

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The New York Times: Twitter Permanently Suspends Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Account

Do they mean revoked?

(Related: #Resist; Email Alerts for new Referers in Google Analytics using Apps Script; News: New York Times responds to Donald Trump's lawsuit threat: bring it on)

(You might also like: News: Spacecraft data boosts Pluto's size; Both sides of the Golden Gate, a Time Lapse; Zeno's Watermelon)

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Pluto should be reclassified as a planet, say some scientists

Yes.

(Related: Religion's Kayne West Tendencies; Geotagging posts in BlogEngine.NET; Have we Already Proved that the Simulation Hypothesis is False?)

(You might also like: Recount; Skull Cave; Corporate Goddesses)

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Mimica, which automates RPA, raises $6M Series A funding led by Khosla Ventures

I'm holding out for the company that automates robotic process automation automation.

(Related: California, I can save you billions with a small and reasonably priced computer program...; Merging Resource Dictionaries for fun and profit; Is PAD dead?)

(You might also like: Coastal; EAT; Catfood Earth)

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Snap Out of It, America: Give Kids the Right to Vote

So I disagree with this but it's interesting and well argued. A better idea is my life expectancy weighted voting plan.

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The ease of mail-in voting may increase turnout in California’s recall election.

NYT finally twigs.

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A woman is suing S.F. for $50 million over a parking ticket, saying tire chalk is unconstitutional

In one of the cases, filed Sept. 4, plaintiff Maria Infante seeks $50 million and class-action status after a San Francisco parking enforcement officer wielding chalk on a residential street gave her a $95 ticket.

The second case, filed the same day against San Leandro, demands $5 million for class members whose tires were chalked to financially benefit the city.

Civilization continues to collapse. I had my tongue in my cheek for this proposed constitutional amendment but I'm not so sure any more...

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How to Call Customer Service and Actually Get What You Want

Wired has this generic article on getting support with some insights that might have been cutting age a decade ago. I'm still waiting for CAPTGUAs.

(Related: California November 2020 Propositions; San Francisco November 2020 Ballot Measures; Legislative Service)

(You might also like: Three reasons the dream of a robot companion isn't over; Scary Bunny; San Francisco November 2016 Propositions)

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The New York Times: Opinion | Will We Ever Amend the Constitution Again?

See my training wheels suggestion for this.

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25-year retrospective of Nokia's Communicator, the first pocket computer phone that worked

My first mobile phone, and in many ways still my favorite.

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CNN: What's the risk of indoor dining if you're fully vaccinated? Here's what one expert says

Exhibit A

(Related: House of Lords - time for Legislative Service?; Is it safe to open securedoc.html (Cisco Registered Envelope)?; Export Google Fit Daily Steps, Weight and Distance to a Google Sheet)

(You might also like: Timelapse of three Starlink Trains; Finding NPR on Windows Mobile; Where did that app icon go, Android?)

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The New York Times: Opinion | America Needs to Break Up Its Biggest States

I'd rather get rid of the electoral college and have a national, ranked choice vote but this is interesting.

(Related: #Resist; Thinking about the UK referendum on AV; End the Electoral College: Amendment, Compact, or Supreme Court?)

(You might also like: Open Democracy; OAuth; Devils Kitchen)

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I have just updated my blog with two new features for hike posts.

The route is now shown in an embedded Google map. The map has a pin for the start of the hike (and for any geolocated photos included with the post) and a red line for the GPS track. Don't use this for following the route - better to download the KML file and have an offline map - but it's great for getting a sense of the hike.

Below the map is a new hike profile that plots elevation against distance together with estimated total distance and elevation gain. This is fairly tricky as my phone GPS isn't the best and altitude in particular jumps around a fair bit. To make this reasonably stable I take trackpoints every 60th of a mile and I only count elevation gain when it has gone up more than 100 feet. This probably errs on the side of underestimating unless the signal is really bad. The overall shape is a pretty good guide but please don't depend on the distance and elevation gain.

(Related: About Hikes; Export Google Fit Daily Steps, Weight and Distance to a Google Sheet; Better related posts with word2vec (C#))

(You might also like: State of the Micro-ISV-osphere; Great Horned Owlets; I'm with Him)

(Hike Map)

California’s Drought Is So Bad They’re Driving Salmon to the Ocean in Trucks

Don't tell the bears!

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Ars Technica: “I’m totally screwed.” WD My Book Live users wake up to find their data deleted

Backup, backup again and then stick another copy in a fire safe.

(Related: Folder Insights; Capture DropCam (Nest Cam) frames to Google Drive; The Trust Project, Fake News and a Partial Facebook Uninstall)

(You might also like: SETIcon 2; Pandemic Gas Mystery; Golden Gate Bridge Timelapse)

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The New York Times: How Brexit Ruined Easter for Britain’s Chocolate Makers

Interesting that there also seems to be a shortage on British supermarket shelves as well then.

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Easter egg hunt: UK shoppers disappointed by shortages | Easter | The Guardian

Here's the Guardian on the shortage. So British chocolate can't be found in Europe or the UK. Where is it going? Eezy Freezy!

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The story behind Kidlapse

Latest update on Kidlapse.

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Search Engine Roundtable: Google: User Generate Content Products Reviews Will Have A Hard Time Ranking Well

And instead we get affiliate link stuffed fluff pieces?

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The Washington Post: We should soon stop catering to the vaccine holdouts

Yes

(Related: Is PAD dead?; Catfood Software Support; Securing the Internet of Things)

(You might also like: Think before you print?; Mandelbrot Spin Zoom; Commute failing to suck this morning...)

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