Downes 🍁 / is on Nostr

Philosopher. Educator. Journalist. Programmer. Photographer. Cyclist. Socialist.

Last Notes

2024-08-09 16:13:22

Bikepacking Rimouski - Day 16 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_eI09ewcPk&list=PLeBQHgzQN9x3bE5lZmO0PR931AY19cIe0&index=17&t=3s&pp=gAQBiAQB - Fireworks #cycling #bikepacking #biketouring #travel #quebec #rimouski

2024-03-27 15:50:07

- reply

@npub1nd8…2zkd
Might be an interesting story. I don't know. I can't read it. It's behind a paywall.
Speaking of 'capturing' ...
Gawd, *why* do people keep linking to paywalls? Let Wired pay for its own advertising!

2024-03-14 22:47:59

- reply

@npub1wk0…303g Heard a discussion of this on This Week in Google. It sounds very undesirable (and would likely be illegal in Europe under the GDPR).

2024-03-12 23:09:49

- reply

@npub196r…pp9k Yeah, I have to take it in, I tried to remove it on the road but there's nothing to get a grip on.

2024-03-12 23:06:45

- reply

@npub1lrv…tth9 That would be really nice. Also posts that link to paywalls.

2024-03-12 23:02:59

I was out for a bike ride and the pedal on my bike sheared right off. It wasn't actually the pedal, but a little extender I bought online (lesson learned: do not buy load-bearing metal parts online). 9.8 km away from home, but fortunately was able to get a taxi.

2024-03-12 16:54:20

Earlier, I dreamed I was on an NHL team, in the playoffs, Glen Sather as the coach. Problem was, I am not remotely qualified to be an NHL player, a fact brought home by being at ice-level on the bench, watching the speed and intensity of the name. But Sather knew better; he would never play me. Rode the bench. So I thought, as I went to go get something. Came back, he yells "where were you?" and puts me in. I am completely lost, but managed to put my stick on the ice and score a goal.

2024-03-12 16:50:45

I dreamed last night that I was piloting a small airplane from Istanbul to Glasgow. Problem was, I am completely unqualified to fly an airplane. I decided to fake it. But it's very hard to get away with getting clearance to take off when you haven't filed a flight plan, verified your airplane, filled it with fuel, etc. I was finally allowed to take off (because they really wanted to get me off their hands) but things did not go better. But I survived crash-landing into a workshop.

2024-02-18 14:47:51

- reply

@npub1tds…fnmz Sometimes rain is uplifting. Especially in late winter when it wipes away the snow and the dirt that has accumulated. It settles the dust and makes everything clean again.

2023-10-20 13:02:44

Good morning? all.
Today is 'jet lag day'.
When I travel any distance by air, I always allocate the day after as 'jet lag day'. That means: no meetings, no events, definitely no panels or talks.
I've learned the wisdom of this over the years. I don't miss events because of flight delays (like I had yesterday) or cancellations. I decompress from the stress. I can orient myself and find where I'm supposed to be. I can sleep after being awake 36 hours.
It's not a paid day. But it should be.

2023-09-19 21:13:05

- reply

@npub1tds…fnmz yeah I like that - didn't see it in the literature, but it's definitely a concern (and fits right in with the themes of the article)

2023-09-01 18:40:38

Interesting. " a short list of indicator conditions: criteria that must be satisfied by a system to be conscious." Via https://dailynous.com/2023/09/01/how-to-tell-whether-an-ai-is-conscious-guest-post/
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/110/991/348/222/582/931/original/d31c1f4e5f207665.png

2023-09-01 09:32:12

Hiya all... In my off hours I've been setting up an Agora for a European project https://democrat-horizon.eu - you can see slides outlining this work here: https://www.downes.ca/files/Agora01Sept2023.pptx
Comments and suggestions welcome. In particular, if anyone has any idea how to set up a single sign-on for Nextcloud and Discourse, I would be particularly appreciative.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/110/989/192/305/305/409/original/42865f065566de5d.jpg

2023-08-17 14:29:39

Total for the trip: 18 days, 708 km, 3764 meters climbed

2023-08-16 16:25:24

Day 18
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/110/900/218/797/268/898/original/757d810499e8dcb3.jpg

2023-08-13 22:10:50

#silentsunday
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/110/884/592/381/951/845/original/724a0484ddd5214c.jpg

2023-08-06 13:55:57

On the way... Day 7... Chutes Rouges
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/110/843/008/762/638/674/original/40746bf6cf5173e6.jpeg

2023-07-18 18:30:42

Someone should tell #firefox that the #pocket logon is borked for people trying to logon with their existing Firefox credentials (something I've been doing for years). I would tell them directly, but I don't use either Twitter or Facebook, which seems to be the ony way they accept coments.