What’s on your mind?

[bousozoku]

Which Mac was it? Of course adding extra memory cards even to the soldered in ones is hard.

Lots of things earlier but now with modern IDEs we get code completion, AI pair programming, and even other things to automate writing tedious things versus reading Stack Overflow threads and scrolling for answers...

My first as the Performa 476, which was an LC475 with a 230 MB hard drive compared to 160 MB drive, but had the Motorola 68LC040, which didn't have the maths co-processor. I spent the money to buy the full 68040 25 MHz processor and boosted my 4 MB of RAM to 36 MB. I doubled the money I put into it with just those two pieces.

Working on enterprise-sized machines was easier for me to develop software. The stability of the operating system and the interfaces was incredible. The development environment was useful but not always the most productive.

I ended up writing extensions for our batch/scripting language that added While, Until, and Case, and the interpreter to spit out code the compiler could handle.

 

[goldmac2006]

My first as the Performa 476, which was an LC475 with a 230 MB hard drive compared to 160 MB drive, but had the Motorola 68LC040, which didn't have the maths co-processor. I spent the money to buy the full 68040 25 MHz processor and boosted my 4 MB of RAM to 36 MB. I doubled the money I put into it with just those two pieces.

Working on enterprise-sized machines was easier for me to develop software. The stability of the operating system and the interfaces was incredible. The development environment was useful but not always the most productive.

I ended up writing extensions for our batch/scripting language that added While, Until, and Case, and the interpreter to spit out code the compiler could handle.

Got it.

Even in some computer science classes, one of which was C++, I was required to document the code in a specific manner. Like comments, etc. As a result, I maintained a collection of comments pinned to my clipboard history. This included for loops like the one you demonstrated through batch execution, as well as the common public void methods in Java that accept a string array. Switch cases were also particularly tedious for me, including loops, so I kept some essential parts of them in my Universal Clipboard.

 

[scubachap]

As we’re talking about toasting (bread and CDs)… remember these…

 

[bousozoku]

Got it.

Even in some computer science classes, one of which was C++, I was required to document the code in a specific manner. Like comments, etc. As a result, I maintained a collection of comments pinned to my clipboard history. This included for loops like the one you demonstrated through batch execution, as well as the common public void methods in Java that accept a string array. Switch cases were also particularly tedious for me, including loops, so I kept some essential parts of them in my Universal Clipboard.

A professor talking about documentation. Be still, my heart.

I was migrating some code for a screen design application back when text displays were more common than graphics displays. Out of all of the source modules, I found one comment in a function called kibbles_n_bits() and the comment looked like /* kibbles_n_bits */ which was extremely helpful. Everyone else who was coding had recently graduated from Drexel University or the University of Pennsylvania. Apparently, there were no classes on style or documentation.

As I had been working on bigger machines where maintenance was as important as new development, documentation was necessary. I was a bit surprised.

 

[poorcody]

Delighted to hear that ! I sadly don't read the Economist as often as I use to. The dashboards covering the presidency are interesting but the Financial Times cuts into the allocated "economics" reading.

Do you follow any of the chinese presses ?

Yeah FT is a good read too --- I should pick that up again!

No, nothing Chinese. I assumed they were all state-censored. Anything (English) worth reading?

 

[poorcody]

Personally, I regard The Economist as tilting conservative while usually doing a good job of avoiding outright partisanship and blatant propaganda.

Yeah I think that's fair. I have a subscription to the New York Times which leans left -- I figure the two together is a good balance!

If you're interested, assuming you are in North America, I find four international broadcasters and two news publishers to be a good antidote to the current style and focus of US news outlets:

(yes, these websites and live streams are in English)

News and current affairs from Germany and around the world – DW

News, off-beat stories and analysis of German and international affairs. Dive deeper with our features from Europe and beyond. Watch our 24/7 TV stream.

www.dw.com

CBC News - Latest Canada, World, Entertainment and Business News

The latest news from across Canada and around the world.

www.cbc.ca

BBC Audio | World Service | Listen Live

Listen live to BBC World Service on BBC Audio.

www.bbc.com

France 24 - International breaking news, top stories and headlines

Breaking news and world news from France 24 on Business, Sports, Culture. Video news. News from the US, Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa, Middle East, America

www.france24.com

(subscribing to Bloomberg can be expensive)

https://www.reuters.com/

Bloomberg - Business News, Stock Markets, Finance, Breaking & World News

Bloomberg delivers business and markets news, data, analysis, and video to the world, featuring stories from Businessweek and Bloomberg News

www.bloomberg.com

All great suggestions, thanks. I do watch most of these except France24 -- I tried a little of that last night on YouTube and it looks good. (They were covering the Canadian elections and showed a debate between the candidates -- one forgets how childish our debates in America have become compared to those.)

I also find some of the best insight beyond the headlines can be found in podcasts these days. Ezra Klein's show, Ones and Tooze, and Preet Bhrara in particular I think are really good. It's nice you can read the transcripts too if you want to read or listen.

So lots of good info out there... hope lives!

 

[scubachap]

I also find some of the best insight beyond the headlines can be found in podcasts these days. Ezra Klein's show, Ones and Tooze, and Preet Bhrara in particular I think are really good. It's nice you can read the transcripts too if you want to read or listen.

Adam Tooze is always interesting to listen to. I came across him quite a few years ago when his book The Wages of Destruction came out - an analysis of the economics of Nazi Germany - it was superb. I tend to always listen to anything he puts out on YouTube etc

 

[Scepticalscribe]

So was that the one most Mac devs used before Xcode?

Also @Scepticalscribe blood oranges are on my mind too. Just got them from a farmers market event yesterday. View attachment 2486189

Ah, wonderful.

Do enjoy.

As long as they remain in season, I fully intend to gorge myself on them.

Several blood oranges arrived today (along with other citrus fruit - lemons and grapefruit), plus my weekly delivery of organic milk.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Week off work this week and already bored blue. Not good at being off. No idea what to do, especially as I'm now single and especially in a cold and damp February. Get up, go for a walk, go for coffee, read book, listen to some music, watch TV, drink (too much) wine, bed, repeat. Can't wait to get back to work. God help me when I have 2 weeks off in April!

Well, those all seem to me to be pretty agreeable activities.

What about a movie, a play, a concert, a spot of fine dining?

Granted, those are activities that are possibly enhanced by pleasant and congenial company (which doesn't have to be of the romantic variety).

Had to get rid of some leave by the end of this month or lose it....

Yes, I recall when my father had to do something similar - use some of his leave up by the end of February.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Wondering if serious news will be able to survive this era...

Just canceled my long-term subscription to The Washington Post after Bezo's announcement today. Sad.

Ah, yes.

I share your concerns.

A worry shared across the pond. The break neck speed at which events unfold is quite honeslty dizzying, having to contend with an unreliable press makes the prospect of processing and adapting daunting.

Might I suggest you divert the funds towards The Atlantic, it is part of my "society" reading of the american cultural sphere and did not until now disappoint.

Agreed.

So my Dad was telling me a story (UK based) about some piece of news. It literally was not true, completely made up. I had to explain to him that this was fake news (especially from a garbage website he reads). But he fell for it hook line and sinker. I won't go into details as its a UK politics issue, but it is sad that when you right something it gets reported as fact with no need to sense check it.


.....

Ouch.

Thank you, great suggestion... and already a subscriber! I have to say they seem to have only gotten better the last few years too. Nice to know Apple money helps it keep going.

I'm actually thinking of switching funds to The Economist. They seem very level-headed still.

I agree with @KaliYoni about The Economist; it does tilt conservative, - which I could handle (I used to be a regular subscriber) but found the uncritical and unquestioning assumptions that came with a well educated, affluent perspective occasionally rather trying.

These days, I get the FT - which I also used to subscribe to - at the week-end, and find it pretty good, and well-informed (if again, tilting somewhat conservative).

For daily reading, the Guardian is my publication of choice.

Personally, I regard The Economist as tilting conservative while usually doing a good job of avoiding outright partisanship and blatant propaganda.

If you're interested, assuming you are in North America, I find four international broadcasters and two news publishers to be a good antidote to the current style and focus of US news outlets:

(yes, these websites and live streams are in English)

News and current affairs from Germany and around the world – DW

News, off-beat stories and analysis of German and international affairs. Dive deeper with our features from Europe and beyond. Watch our 24/7 TV stream.

www.dw.com

CBC News - Latest Canada, World, Entertainment and Business News

The latest news from across Canada and around the world.

www.cbc.ca

BBC Audio | World Service | Listen Live

Listen live to BBC World Service on BBC Audio.

www.bbc.com

France 24 - International breaking news, top stories and headlines

Breaking news and world news from France 24 on Business, Sports, Culture. Video news. News from the US, Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa, Middle East, America

www.france24.com

(subscribing to Bloomberg can be expensive)

https://www.reuters.com/

Bloomberg - Business News, Stock Markets, Finance, Breaking & World News

Bloomberg delivers business and markets news, data, analysis, and video to the world, featuring stories from Businessweek and Bloomberg News

www.bloomberg.com

Plus a tip: many local library systems offer free access to multiple news sources and databases, even on your own devices.

Agreed.

 

[AVBeatMan]

Had British Bird Control people here today to fit some guarding around my solar panels to prevent pigeons from living underneath. Been a nuisance for the past couple of months, cooing, chirping and what sounds like them running around with heavy boots on! Making a mess all over the place. Anyway, they say it may take several weeks for them to eventually leave my roof and when the females are ready to breed again (that they do all year round) they will have to find a new nesting site. £600 well spent me says....

 

[mtbdudex]

Had British Bird Control people here today to fit some guarding around my solar panels to prevent pigeons from living underneath. Been a nuisance for the past couple of months, cooing, chirping and what sounds like them running around with heavy boots on! Making a mess all over the place. Anyway, they say it may take several weeks for them to eventually leave my roof and when the females are ready to breed again (that they do all year round) they will have to find a new nesting site. £600 well spent me says....

Hopefully your solution works, can you share a picture?


I have a log home, in our back deck we have a hot tub .
Birds roosted there and poop all over, I tried these stakes .. no luck.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Had British Bird Control people here today to fit some guarding around my solar panels to prevent pigeons from living underneath. Been a nuisance for the past couple of months, cooing, chirping and what sounds like them running around with heavy boots on! Making a mess all over the place. Anyway, they say it may take several weeks for them to eventually leave my roof and when the females are ready to breed again (that they do all year round) they will have to find a new nesting site. £600 well spent me says....

Your approach is all wrong.

Let me explain. Your solar panels generate electricity. Under the right circumstances this can cause an electric shock.
What you should have spent your money on was some copper sheet, a couple of wires and a switch. Then you could have just wasted them there and then!

 

[chown33]

Your approach is all wrong.

Let me explain. Your solar panels generate electricity. Under the right circumstances this can cause an electric shock.
What you should have spent your money on was some copper sheet, a couple of wires and a switch. Then you could have just wasted them there and then!

Roasted squab for the win.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Roasted squab for the win.

A good pigeon is a dead pigeon.

 

[Clix Pix]

Aw, you boys are mean! Poor little birdies......!!!!

 

[Apple fanboy]

Aw, you boys are mean! Poor little birdies......!!!!

A pigeon is neither little or a birdie. It’s a sky rat!

 

[Clix Pix]

You and Tom Lehrer -- have you ever heard his song "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park?" If you haven't, you should!

ETA: Grabbed it from YT for you:

 

[AVBeatMan]

Hopefully your solution works, can you share a picture?


I have a log home, in our back deck we have a hot tub .
Birds roosted there and poop all over, I tried these stakes .. no luck.

I'll try;

 

[yaxomoxay]

Wondering if serious news will be able to survive this era...

Just canceled my long-term subscription to The Washington Post after Bezo's announcement today. Sad.

I think it won’t. There will still be reliable niches but what I see on the horizon in reference to the news landscape isn’t good, both left and right of the equation. Bezos announcement surprised me, exactly as Jake Tapper deciding to write a book and cash in on why he and the media lied about Biden’s mental health are among the last nails on the coffin.

 

[mtbdudex]

Aw, you boys are mean! Poor little birdies......!!!!

 

[yaxomoxay]

Boris Spassky has died.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Researchers Find Birds Are Using Anti-Bird Spikes to Build Their Nests: 'A Brilliant Comeback'

Researchers studied four bird nests from European cities — built by carrion crows and Eurasian magpies — made out of anti-bird spikes and strips usually found on urban buildings

people.com

 

[yaxomoxay]

Researchers Find Birds Are Using Anti-Bird Spikes to Build Their Nests: 'A Brilliant Comeback'

Researchers studied four bird nests from European cities — built by carrion crows and Eurasian magpies — made out of anti-bird spikes and strips usually found on urban buildings

people.com

 

[poorcody]

🤔

Note to self: see if anyone is living under my solar panels.