{"chain":[{"channel":"cities","content":" Red Deer is about halfway between Calgary and Edmonton.\r\n Red Deer, Alberta, is a vibrant city in central Alberta, situated along the Red Deer River, midway between Calgary and Edmonton. Known for its scenic natural beauty, the city features rolling hills, green spaces, and an extensive trail system, including the popular Waskasoo Park. As a regional hub, Red Deer has a diverse economy rooted in agriculture, oil and gas, manufacturing, and healthcare. It boasts a strong community spirit, a rich cultural scene with festivals and arts venues, and excellent recreational facilities like the Canyon Ski Resort and the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre. With a population of over 100,000, the city balances modern urban amenities with a small-town feel and a deep appreciation for its Indigenous and settler history.\r\n\r\n----\r\n\r\nThis week is less structured than last, at least ahead of time.\r\n\r\ntasks for the week:\r\n# re-install an old laptop to run Linux. Modern Windows is too slow to run from an HDD.\r\n# look at the BOIR ( Beneficial Ownership Information Report) submission system, and submit information for companies I am responsible for\r\n# respond to responses to job applications\r\n why do I want a job? i'm getting tired of \"having to find work\". i'm getting tired of \"having to write CSS and update database schemas\". i'm getting tired of having a budget that doesn't start with a \"W-2 income\" line.\r\n\r\n----\r\n\r\nhttps://longreads.com/2018/12/04/the-case-for-letting-malibu-burn/\r\n\r\nThere are no solutions to the problems of California fires that don't involve uncomfortable truths.\r\n\r\nA lot of these houses shouldn't have been built and shouldn't be insurable.\r\n\r\n----\r\n\r\nhttps://wishyouwerehere.app/writing/this-application-should-not-exist\r\n\r\nOne part postcards, one part rules-lawyering. Apparently you can use in-app purchases to sell post-cards iff they are also gift-cards.\r\n\r\n----\r\n\r\nhttps://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42675025\r\nLINKS TO\r\nhttps://www.righto.com/2025/01/its-time-to-abandon-cargo-cult-metaphor.html\r\n\r\n<< It's time to abandon the cargo cult metaphor >>\r\n\r\nAmazingly, the top HN comment says \"Nope, we\u2019re not doing this in 2025. Cargo cult succinctly expresses an important concept. We\u2019re not catering to imaginary offenses somebody hallucinates on behalf of some supposedly marginalized people anymore.\"\r\n\r\nAnd the dismissal is correct. The article makes two main arguments, both wrong.\r\n# Some cargo cults were different than others, so we can't compare it to anything.\r\n# Cargo cults were done by \"oppressed\" \"primitive\" people, so we can't compare it to anything.\r\n\r\n Also, apparently 2025 is the year where a certain over-the-top form of \"liberal sensitivity\" can be publicly rejected.\r\n\r\n----\r\n\r\nand, finally, WordPress continues to implode on itself. Non-benevolent dictator Matt Mullenweg continues with more erratic and tyrannical behavior. ( does this create an opening in the market for a new blogging platform?)","created_at":"2025-01-13T01:09:25.669949","id":94,"is_target":false,"parent_id":null,"processed_content":"

\u2699\ufe0f Red Deer is about halfway between Calgary and Edmonton.\r

\n

\ud83e\udd16 Red Deer, Alberta, is a vibrant city in central Alberta, situated along the Red Deer River, midway between Calgary and Edmonton. Known for its scenic natural beauty, the city features rolling hills, green spaces, and an extensive trail system, including the popular Waskasoo Park. As a regional hub, Red Deer has a diverse economy rooted in agriculture, oil and gas, manufacturing, and healthcare. It boasts a strong community spirit, a rich cultural scene with festivals and arts venues, and excellent recreational facilities like the Canyon Ski Resort and the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre. With a population of over 100,000, the city balances modern urban amenities with a small-town feel and a deep appreciation for its Indigenous and settler history.\r

This week is less structured than last, at least ahead of time.\r

\n

tasks for the week:\r

\n
    \n
  • re-install an old laptop to run Linux. Modern Windows is too slow to run from an HDD.\r
    • \n
  • look at the BOIR \u2699\ufe0f( Beneficial Ownership Information Report) submission system, and submit information for companies I am responsible for\r
    • \n
  • respond to responses to job applications\r
    • \n
\n

\ud83d\udca1 why do I want a job? i'm getting tired of \"having to find work\". i'm getting tired of \"having to write CSS and update database schemas\". i'm getting tired of having a budget that doesn't start with a \"W-2 income\" line.\r

https://longreads.com/2018/12/04/the-case-for-letting-malibu-burn/\r

\n

There are no solutions to the problems of California fires that don't involve uncomfortable truths.\r

\n

A lot of these houses shouldn't have been built and shouldn't be insurable.\r

https://wishyouwerehere.app/writing/this-application-should-not-exist\r

\n

One part postcards, one part rules-lawyering. Apparently you can use in-app purchases to sell post-cards iff they are also gift-cards.\r

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42675025\r

\n

LINKS TO\r

\n

https://www.righto.com/2025/01/its-time-to-abandon-cargo-cult-metaphor.html\r

\n

It's time to abandon the cargo cult metaphor\r

\n

Amazingly, the top HN comment says \"Nope, we\u2019re not doing this in 2025. Cargo cult succinctly expresses an important concept. We\u2019re not catering to imaginary offenses somebody hallucinates on behalf of some supposedly marginalized people anymore.\"\r

\n

And the dismissal is correct. The article makes two main arguments, both wrong.\r

\n
    \n
  • Some cargo cults were different than others, so we can't compare it to anything.\r
    • \n
  • Cargo cults were done by \"oppressed\" \"primitive\" people, so we can't compare it to anything.\r
    • \n
\n

\ud83d\udd25 Also, apparently 2025 is the year where a certain over-the-top form of \"liberal sensitivity\" can be publicly rejected.\r

and, finally, WordPress continues to implode on itself. Non-benevolent dictator Matt Mullenweg continues with more erratic and tyrannical behavior. \ud83d\udd25( does this create an opening in the market for a new blogging platform?)

","subject":"red deer (1/6)"},{"channel":"cities","content":"on the one hand, today was a largely unproductive day.\r\n\r\non the other hand, both \"install Linux\" and \"file BOIR report\" are done. ( and, on job applications, I find myself asking questions like \"could I work for a Chinese company?\")\r\n\r\n----\r\n\r\nplans for tomorrow:\r\n\r\n# additional channels. probably separate \"tech\" and \"llm\" channels. probably a new channel just for \"cities\". ( which will have to be called something new)\r\n# probably job-pursuit tasks, details not yet determined\r\n# thoughts about emoji ( roughly that they are not printer-friendly. maybe i can hot-swap them for PNGs in CSS when printing?)","created_at":"2025-01-14T03:32:20.079274","id":101,"is_target":false,"parent_id":94,"processed_content":"

on the one hand, today was a largely unproductive day.\r

\n

on the other hand, both \"install Linux\" and \"file BOIR report\" are done. \ud83d\udca1( and, on job applications, I find myself asking questions like \"could I work for a Chinese company?\")\r

plans for tomorrow:\r

\n
    \n
  • additional channels. probably separate \"tech\" and \"llm\" channels. probably a new channel just for \"cities\". \ud83d\udca1( which will have to be called something new)\r
    • \n
  • probably job-pursuit tasks, details not yet determined\r
    • \n
  • thoughts about emoji \ud83d\udca1( roughly that they are not printer-friendly. maybe i can hot-swap them for PNGs in CSS when printing?)
    • \n
","subject":"red deer (2/6)"},{"channel":"cities","content":"the two new channels were added. ( that took an entirety of two minutes)\r\n\r\njob thoughts continue to not be in this medium.\r\n\r\nphi4 is not good enough to worry about.\r\n\r\nalso: furniture shopping! new end-tables.\r\n\r\n----\r\n\r\ntoday.\r\n\r\n# discover that my email routing for pow3.com wasn't working\r\n# unknown? my \"planning\" patterns still aren't working","created_at":"2025-01-15T18:11:08.157207","id":106,"is_target":false,"parent_id":101,"processed_content":"

the two new channels were added. \ud83d\udd25( that took an entirety of two minutes)\r

\n

job thoughts continue to not be in this medium.\r

\n

phi4 is not good enough to worry about.\r

\n

also: furniture shopping! new end-tables.\r

today.\r

\n
    \n
  • discover that my email routing for pow3.com wasn't working\r
    • \n
  • unknown? my \"planning\" patterns still aren't working
    • \n
","subject":"red deer (3/6)"},{"channel":"cities","content":"yesterday was ( apart from the aforementioned \"fix email server I broke last week\") almost completely unproductive.\r\n\r\ntoday's plans:\r\n# user-based channel filtering for Atacama\r\n# consider the \"LLM based *editor*\" approach to LLM. ( I had been considering a one-step system; the LLM is involved on earlyversion. This would be a two-step system; there is a completely different workflow where the *machine* takes posts here, *fancifies* them, and puts them on a new domain) ( the new domain will also be earlyversion )\r\n# get the *emphasis* tag working on Atacama. ( the *asterisk* tag can be both \"affectation\" and \"emphasis\". for today, it will always be emphasis.)\r\n# one private correspondence to manage\r\n# personal: order new eyeglasses online","created_at":"2025-01-16T15:43:41.793520","id":110,"is_target":false,"parent_id":106,"processed_content":"

yesterday was \ud83d\udd25( apart from the aforementioned \"fix email server I broke last week\") almost completely unproductive.\r

\n

today's plans:\r

\n
    \n
  • user-based channel filtering for Atacama\r
    • \n
  • consider the \"LLM based editor\" approach to LLM. \ud83d\udca1( I had been considering a one-step system; the LLM is involved on earlyversion. This would be a two-step system; there is a completely different workflow where the machine takes posts here, fancifies them, and puts them on a new domain) \ud83d\udd25( the new domain will also be earlyversion )\r
    • \n
  • get the emphasis tag working on Atacama. \ud83d\udca1( the asterisk tag can be both \"affectation\" and \"emphasis\". for today, it will always be emphasis.)\r
    • \n
  • one private correspondence to manage\r
    • \n
  • personal: order new eyeglasses online
    • \n
","subject":"red deer (4/6)"},{"channel":"cities","content":"partial progress on most fronts.\r\n\r\n# the \"Channel\" system switched from a Python enum to a config file. These changes have mostly made it through the system\r\n# if you try to use an emphasis tag, the color parser will crash\r\n# Warby Parker can't handle a .HEIC image and needs a PNG\r\n# I need to dig through my email for one file for the \"private correspondence\"\r\n\r\n----\r\n\r\ntoday's goals:\r\n# finish the new Channel system\r\n# fix the emphasis tag\r\n# order new glasses\r\n\r\n----\r\n\r\nthe details of \"using Claude to make a change to 12 files is more cumbersome than one file\" will be in a separate post.\r\n\r\nother things will also be in separate posts.","created_at":"2025-01-17T14:41:41.744428","id":113,"is_target":true,"parent_id":110,"processed_content":"

partial progress on most fronts.\r

\n
    \n
  • the \"Channel\" system switched from a Python enum to a config file. These changes have mostly made it through the system\r
    • \n
  • if you try to use an emphasis tag, the color parser will crash\r
    • \n
  • Warby Parker can't handle a .HEIC image and needs a PNG\r
    • \n
  • I need to dig through my email for one file for the \"private correspondence\"\r
    • \n

today's goals:\r

\n
    \n
  • finish the new Channel system\r
    • \n
  • fix the emphasis tag\r
    • \n
  • order new glasses\r
    • \n

the details of \"using Claude to make a change to 12 files is more cumbersome than one file\" will be in a separate post.\r

\n

other things will also be in separate posts.

","subject":"red deer (5/6)"},{"channel":"cities","content":"the new \"channels\" system is complete. ( the CSS is not; after wondering why several attempted fixes did nothing I found a syntax error in the CSS file. now they have all been applied and it looks bad) ( the emphasis fix took 5 minutes)\r\n\r\nthe new glasses ... i have decided on one pair. the second pair is 30% off, i am debating which (if any) I will get.\r\n\r\n----\r\n\r\na project reaches a point where the \"possible work\" increases faster than the \"valuable\" work.\r\n\r\ni could add more test files. but why? ( tests are good!) ( tests create *friction* against certain types of change. when those changes are bad, this is a good thing. but, if you know there will be changes, the tests simply mean you have to change more things.)\r\n\r\n----\r\n\r\nthe \"quotes\" system is too fragile. none of the metadata is getting populated by LLM. the metadata is also very rarely displayed.\r\n\r\nis this worth my time?\r\n\r\n----\r\n\r\n all computer systems expand until they are able to send email.\r\n\r\ni still call them emails. Do I want \"email to post\"? Do I want \"send emails to readers\"? ( it still seems like the wrong choice to try to convert this to a \"newsletter\" format)\r\n\r\n----\r\n\r\ni could support \"ISBN\" tags. but that might need (or at least want) the \"new parser\" I talked about a few weeks ago, as an example of << something the *machine* should be able to do, but can't >>.\r\n\r\n----\r\n\r\nthose are questions for next week. and the answers will be (at least partly) based on \"what other things do I have going on\".","created_at":"2025-01-17T20:52:56.754395","id":118,"is_target":false,"parent_id":113,"processed_content":"

the new \"channels\" system is complete. \ud83d\udd25( the CSS is not; after wondering why several attempted fixes did nothing I found a syntax error in the CSS file. now they have all been applied and it looks bad) \ud83d\udca1( the emphasis fix took 5 minutes)\r

\n

the new glasses ... i have decided on one pair. the second pair is 30% off, i am debating which (if any) I will get.\r

a project reaches a point where the \"possible work\" increases faster than the \"valuable\" work.\r

\n

i could add more test files. but why? \ud83d\udd25( tests are good!) \ud83d\udca1( tests create friction against certain types of change. when those changes are bad, this is a good thing. but, if you know there will be changes, the tests simply mean you have to change more things.)\r

the \"quotes\" system is too fragile. none of the metadata is getting populated by LLM. the metadata is also very rarely displayed.\r

\n

is this worth my time?\r

\ud83d\udcac all computer systems expand until they are able to send email.\r

\n

i still call them emails. Do I want \"email to post\"? Do I want \"send emails to readers\"? \ud83d\udd25( it still seems like the wrong choice to try to convert this to a \"newsletter\" format)\r

i could support \"ISBN\" tags. but that might need (or at least want) the \"new parser\" I talked about a few weeks ago, as an example of something the machine should be able to do, but can't.\r

those are questions for next week. and the answers will be (at least partly) based on \"what other things do I have going on\".

","subject":"red deer (6/6)"}]}