.. but over time, whether consciously or unconsciously, I suspect that the intrinsic anti-male message, even being as usual as it is now, will work in the back of men’s minds, making them at least a little more cautious about the next book.
MGTOW – Happy Singles Day, 11/11
Single people in China use this day to show their pride in being single, or at least that they are not ashamed of it , but mostly it has turned into a major on-line shopping day like Black Friday in the West, but bigger.
Wisdom of the Ancients: “My Two Cents”
Well, I sit at my computer, staring at the screen Like a chloroformed iguana. My brain has got gangrene.
Survival – quartz and steel firemaking
This opens up whole new possibilities for using quartz, though. Using a hardened steel spike in this way leverages the whole weight/momentum of a much larger stone to apply force to a tiny area of steel, and doesn’t rely on creating and maintaining an edge on the quartz. Looks like a much more effective technique.
What should be life’s first survival lesson: don’t dress like an idiot.
It’s early October as I write this, and getting to be that time of year again in the Northern hemisphere. There’s a chill creeping into the morning air, and t-shirts, shorts and sandals are disappearing… but not quite as many
The Wombat Sez… 004
When people tell you that you really should write about a subject…
The Wombat Sez… 003
Imprecision in language always causes problems. It has…
Easy Lemon Tarragon Chicken with Broccoli and Cauliflower “en suite”
This is one of those dishes that didn’t evolve from another recipe, it was just improvised from what was on-hand one evening. The light presence of lemon on the chicken and more pronounced presence on the veggies gives it sort of a light, summer-dish feel.
Not much art or skill required, but the results have been very pleasing.
Interesting question – USB microphones and USB switches
My first thought was, as they say, “bits is bits”. If there was noise enough in the box to interfere with discriminating between ones and zeroes than it wouldn’t work for any data. It didn’t seem to make sense.
On reflection, though… maybe. Just maybe.
PirateBox – Host a Wireless LAN Party Anywhere, From Your Pocket
What PirateBox is, is free, simple software that runs on dirt-cheap hardware platforms to run what is effectively an old-style BBS on Wifi instead of copper telephone lines designed for analog voice signals in another age. Not, mind you, on the Internet, but on Wifi.
Happy Felt Hat Day, 2017!
It varied somewhat over time, but September 15th is the date most regarded as Felt Hat Day.
Okay, I know what you’re thinking, this is the sort of silly concession granted by politicians to lobbyists who don’t actually raise very much money for them… like, five thousand dollars might get you a Peanut Butter Fudge Day in West Des Moines.
Not at all. This used to be very serious stuff. People even got hurt over it. Check this out:
Jerry Pournelle, RIP
I remember reading once the contention that there are, at any given time in history, only about four hundred really influential people in the world, and that as such it’s really not too surprising that there are a lot of direct and indirect connections between them. Jerry Pournelle was indisputably one of those four hundred for our times.
Home Studio Recording, the Raspberry Pi, and Tracktion
Tracktion as a company seems to be not only supporting Linux and the Raspberry Pi, but quite enthusiastic about it… about “democratizing” home recording by using the latest in inexpensive tech to make it much more affordable.
Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline
I mean, you have to love any story that has Max Headroom piloting an Firefly-class freighter, right? Still, that is also one of my minor complaints, that and a thousand other references in the book are amusing but just throw-aways that are not really developed in the book and not really relevant to the plot, they’re just sort of mentioned in passing.
Bluetooth Gets More Useful… Very Slowly
Obviously, Bluetooth is a digital protocol, and the mini-stereo jack output is analog, so the device doesn’t only contain a Bluetooth receiver, it contains a digital-to-analog converter, or DAC… and with that step we’ve set foot in the analog universe with a very, very inexpensive piece of gear. Is it a good DAC? Is it even adequate? We have no clue, they’re trying not to even bring the issue to mind.The one thing we do know is, whatever the DAC is, it’s cheap.
Power Requirements for the Raspberry Pi Zero W
What this means is that pretty much any USB jack will supply plenty of power to run a Raspberry Pi Zero or W at full load, even with Wifi and Bluetooth.
Powering the Raspberry Pi Zero W Through its USB Data Jack
It is possible, in fact routine, to power the Raspberry Pi Zero (and the Raspberry Pi Zero W) through its USB data jack.
Getting a Raspberry Pi to Connect via Wifi on First Boot
It is still possible to get a Raspberry Pi on Wifi, even the first time it’s ever booted, just by adding a little text to the end of one file.
Powering a Raspberry Pi from a Powered USB Hub While it Uses the Hub
It is possible with some powered USB hubs to use the hub itself as the power supply for a Raspberry Pi while the Pi is using the hub for peripherals, avoiding the need for both a powered USB hub that supplies 5 volts over a USB connection and a USB charger that supplies 5 volts over a USB connection… which is a little silly, when you think about it.
The Wombat’s Current Reading List
Just whatever reading material I’m into at the moment…