Emails sent from iCloud+ (custom domain) to various Microsoft domains (outlook.com, hotmail.com, msn.com) keep bouncing with “please contact your internet service provider since part of their network is on our block list”. Of course, the “internet service provider” is a red-herring. It’s email service provider; it’s Apple.
You would think the giants have their relationships figured out, eh? Apparently not. This only happens with Microsoft, though, no one else.
apple rants techA few bits on randomness that floated around my mind as the last meeting was about to close.
And with that I end the notes for this Friday, unless some major comes up (I hope not!).
friends george random thoughts“Lost my cat, her name is Lily. Please help me find her!” I am sorry for your loss, but let’s clarify a few things.
One does not simply lose a cat, a cat leaves you. If the cat is gone, more often than not you sucked, and the smart feline decided to seek greener pastures elsewhere. Stating the cat’s name, unless it is one found on a tag around the neck, is also fruitless. “Here Lily, Lily, come here girl. Liiiiiiilyyyy!”, nope, not going to work. The cat will look at you—well, no, will look through you—and keep minding her own business.
humour randomMy oldest sister would have been 75 years old today. She chose to die on 30 December 2024, rather than battling leukaemia. We went to see her, and she was happy, and laughing, and saying her goodbyes to everyone. She died on her own terms, and faced death with a smile. How many of us could do the same?
elders family thoughtsIt was alright. We accomplished quite a bit. I didn’t know how to use Robert’s Rules of Order very well, but I don’t think we have to. We are a pretty small board (only 4 voting members), and the use of the rules is not a requirement of any kind. Maybe I will not use them from now on.
me politicsTonight is our first HOA meeting with me as the president. I am a bit worried, as I want to get a few points across on topics that might be contentious. It is also an online meeting, because at least three of us want to meet that way, instead of physically. It will save the HOA $75/month, and could guarantee a more constant quorum. Finally, I am experiencing back pain today, which kept me off work. If I still have it when the meeting starts, my mood might not be the best. Oh well, we’ll see!
me politics“12 Monkeys” (β β β β β ) kept us up until 01:00 today. This is the second time we see it, it doesn’t get old. Thanks to it, though, my sleep score this morning was 52 (low) with a duration of only 5h 35m. Feel kind of tired right now; must do better tonight.
movies oobie primeOr maybe it could be put more simply like this: How can the net amount of entropy of the universe be massively decreased?
Multivac fell dead and silent. The slow flashing of lights ceased, the distant sounds of clicking relays ended.
Then, just as the frightened technicians felt they could hold their breath no longer, there was a sudden springing to life of the teletype attached to that portion of Multivac. Five words were printed: INSUFFICIENT DATA FOR MEANINGFUL ANSWER.
I read this short story by Isaac Asimov today, and it reminded me of the “meat” short story I noted about last year. Good read, go read it!
β Via Hacker News.
humans humour thoughts via“Blessed are the peacemakers!” he said. “But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.”
Yup, he sure is backing down. Easy to see, right; right?
politics religionI went to mumβs to pick up food (thank you, mum!) just to find them watching their favourite YouTube channel. After telling me that they didnβt care about politics, that they were fed up with it, thatβs exactly what I found them doing. And not just any politics!
Just like when Catholic priests read the Vulgate, and explained Godβs word—according to their interpretation—to their faithful, mum and dad listen to old Vietnamese men analyse and explain current political events using Fox News, and One America Network (conservative and far-right), as their source. Great, just great, isnβt it? π€¬
elders family politics“In the light of Easter, let us allow ourselves to be amazed by Christ! Let us allow our hearts to be transformed by his immense love for us! Let those who have weapons lay them down! Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace! Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue! Not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them!”
And:
“Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war! True strength is shown in serving life.”
I am far from being a religious person. but the Pope’s message resonates in truth, and facts.
humans thoughtsToday is Kathleen’s birthday. For reasons that escape my mind, I didn’t have it on my calendar. That didn’t stopped us from getting her cupcakes, and a birthday card. Because, you know, you are not 77 years old everyday, and because, as she said, “it is great to be 77 and still have my marbles”. She sure does!
birthdays elders humansI’ve got my Sony Ξ±7 II batteries charged now, so, what to do, where to go? It is an awkward camera to carry around: it is not big, but not small either, and its 28-70mm lens kit protrudes a bit, making it look bigger than it is. Some people will freak out!
There is also the fact that there is no much enticing scenery around me, neither natural, nor urban. Or maybe that’s just me, creating easy to overcome excuses?
me randomThese two cuties showed up today, right after the rain was over. Such tiny pigeons! They are nesting on our small tree near the front of the house.
randomSpent half of the afternoon replacing Horsie’s vehicle’s tyre. She got a really, really big screw precisely on the side edge of the tyre, which made it impossible to patch. A costly endeavour, indeed!
It also annoyed me that she would get a flat so soon. Of course, not her fault, yet, I battled the feeling. On top of that I worried about the shop damaging the rim, or something else. These days that’s a flip of a coin. Luckily—I think—it felt on the side that favours us this time.
family horsieCame across the UniFi Travel Router on George’s very well written post. What an amazing little device! I know I don’t need one because, sadly, I don’t travel often enough to take full advantage of it, but as I commented on his post, I am going to ask Horsie to budget for one, as a want (yeah, I am setting my expectations low π).
friends george horsie techBecause Mike Davidson wrote so high about it:
I donβt think I will ever purchase another brand of ice cream at the store ever again. It is the most perfect ice cream I have ever tasted. The creamiest mouthfeel, wonderful flavor combinations, and that little bit of tang which reminds you this is no ordinary substance.
I have added Hellenika to my list of places to visit, should I ever go to Seattle. Considering I have never been there, and that it is in our backyard, the possibilities are high.
travels tubesThis weekend I am planning to spend at least two hours looking for, and choosing, some postcards to send to my current, and future postcrossers. I have been thinking on crafting a rubber stamp to use as my personal “trademark” crossing. Too much? π€
me thoughts“After careful evaluation, InCommon has decided to transition from our current platform provider, Sectigo, to CertiNext for our certificate authority (CA) services. This transition will better position InCommon to address changes in the certificate industry more broadly and will be completed by July 17, 2026.”
Wait, wut?! Do that sounds like something done carefully? It breaks everything we have built around certificate automation, and more. What an extraordinary clusterf*ck, InCommon!
cryptography rants workIf I were Satoshi, I would denied it too. For someone that has tried, and is still trying, to remain anonymous, denying it would be the first thing to do after being exposed. There can also be that he, indeed, isn’t Satoshi. Or is he?
cryptography tubesI have been wishing, on and off, to dabble with infrared (IR) photography. I have not done it because of money. Converting my Sony Ξ±7ii to a full spectrum camera costs over $500, plus the filter ($100 for a 850nm). Even if was willing to spend that amount of money (I am not), Horsie is already pretty mad at me because I have spent money on more than one camera in the past, and ended up not using them. The Sony has been languishing in my office for the last 3-4 years, or more.
horsie me thoughtsImages of an alien world (Mars is as alien as it can be; I mean, the Moon is, and it is closer) really touch me deeply. I imagine what will it be like being there, touching those rocks, letting that sand go through my fingers, looking at the horizon. But it goes further than that, hard to describe; it is a rather primal feeling.
Also, such a lonely machine. I know, it is a machine, still. I am not comparing humans to a Mars rover, but aren’t we some kind of machine too? As such, I can’t help but feeling sad for Curiosity.
science thoughtsI just signed up on Postcrossing, and have requested to send my first postcard. A little stressed out now, because the site shows tomorrow as my postcard’s departure day. What if I can’t make it? Hmm, I guess I could ask on the forum. Yeah, I will do that.
me social
We have re-ignited our desire to go back to the Moon, and towards that aim we are going around it this time, just for giggles (kidding, kidding!). And, of course, the chosen for the task crew took pictures. Really great pictures!
“The Artemis II crew captured this view of Earth setting on April 6, 2026, as they flew around the Moon. As the astronauts flew over the Moonβs far side, the crew photographed and described terrain features including impact craters, ancient lava flows, and surface cracks and ridges formed as the Moon slowly evolved over time.”
What an amazing experience the Artemis II crew is having! π
science tubes“It is the giant African harvester ant queens, which are large and coloured red, that are most prized by international ant collectors β one can fetch up to Β£170 ($220) on the black market, which tends to operate online.”
I didn’t know ants were so desirable. It is mind blowing! It is also the first time I read about the environmental consequences for the areas from which the species are being taken, and not for the areas to which they are being introduced.
random tubesThis is a sobering reality to witness, even secondhand. Everything has a cost in prison, it truly is dystopian. Want to treat an inmate to some food? Microwavable sandwiches and pizzas cost $7.95. Yoghurts parfait cost $4.50. Soda cost $3.50. All the food is of fairly rubbish quality, mind it. I don’t want to get into the price of food packages that can be send, up to four times a month. Families, of course, carry the financial burden.
I understand some people have done truly bad things; the degree of gravity varies from inmate to inmate. Yet, what I am describing is not correctional, it is pure profit-making at the expense of the innocent. Yes, nobody forces anyone to spend money while visiting, but as no outside food is allowed, it is almost impossible to avoid.
humans lifeWhen watching movies, you ought to give them a try sometime, even when their title might not sound enticing. That was the case with “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” (β β β β β) . At a little over 2 hours it was a long movie—by western standards. It has short stories making up for the entire movie, and while some were better than others, the movie was, overall, worth to watch.
movies oobieSaw “The Ridiculous Six” (β β βββ) last night because someone I care about quite a bit shed laughing tears while recounting portions of it. As you can tell by my rating I was unimpressed, yet, still a humorous movie to break away from the stresses of life.
humour movies“Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.β
I guess someone we know is closer to the All Mighty than we thought:
“Weβre going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks. Weβre going to bring them back to the stone ages, where they belong.”
Oh yes. He is certainly the chosen one.
humans politics religionI took Ammu yesterday to buy a couple of chickens. This market place lets you select a live bird, and the vendor then kills and cleans it for you. It felt odd, especially for someone who eats chicken as much as I do, but I found it abhorrent.
Itβs easier for me to accept the practice when I donβt see it happen or think about it too much. Instead, I like to picture the chickens we eat as dying of heart attacks after being pitted against one another in a marathon. Chickens are naturally competitive, often pushing themselves to their limits, and that can be the cause of their death. At least thatβs the story I tell myself, and I will stick to it.
friends humour random“When you do things right, people won’t be sure you’ve done anything at all.”
That quote from Futurama’s “Godfellas” episode resonates so true, specially after being asked for week’s accomplishments, or anything relevant, and otherwise noteworthy. More often than not “things worked, no complains were heard” is a supreme achievement.
quotes random work
Watched “The Thomas Crown Affair” (β β β β β ) , for the, oh dear, I lost count how many times I have seeing that movie, over the weekend. Though I have watched it many times, I am sure I will again. Also watched “From the World of John Wick: Ballerina” (β β βββ) which, on the other hand, I am sure to never see again.
art movies primeSaw “Lady Snowblood” (β β β β β) , on Tubi. It was a reminisce, kind of, of the Zatoichi movies I like so much, but with a female lead. If you are not used to old Japanese movies, they are bit of an acquired taste, but very rewarding. Their cinematography, specifically, is really, really good.
japan moviesI feel morally obligated to say I did not write the code in this repository myself. This project is an exploration of using LLMs to carry out tasks based on my direction. The majority of prompts I used to get here were derived using the socratic method, genuine curiosity, and a hunch that NVMe supporting inference is underutilized despite being a (slow but) perfectly valid form of memory.
Translation: I slopcoded this sh*t. Not that it is super bad, I just found funny the way it was written.
β Via Hacker News.
llm tech via