Ex-computer programmer, now retired. Busy #reading, #writing, #cooking, #woodworking and living in #SantaFe #NewMexico. Posts expire in a couple weeks. Unless they don’t.
This is the fourth instance I have been on. If you have questions about moving instances, I have an opinion.
Any "hobby project" which requires python is just three works in a trenchcoat.
If you don’t have an introduction or profile, I will not approve a follow request.
Former Chelsea footballer Pedro Rodríguez posted photos of his son Marc who chose to celebrate his birthday wearing a dress and tiara
The happiness, love, and support in these photos is inspiring, but they were met with hate
What I would have given to wear a dress and tiara for my birthday 🎂 👑
Hey so US folk:
Did you know that money you donate to 501(c)(3) charities doesn't go to support ICE's new bloated budget because it reduces the amount of tax you pay?
You can give up to 60% of your adjusted gross income, which, you know, might make it a bit hard for them to pay for things like concentration camp managers, and might help out a few orgs that actually improve things.
@jrconlin Can’t it be both? Sigh.
@yngmar (And thanks for the reference - I’ll probably look through it for ideas after I get the next chunk of code running)
@yngmar Yeah, that’s probably closer to where I’m heading.
@yngmar Similar, but working on OpenBSD using native tools there. Won’t ever run fail2ban because python.
@skinnylatte I don’t believe I’ve heard ANY of those since retiring to Santa Fe. That’s not to say there aren’t enclaves of That Sort around here, because there are, it’s just that I have zero interaction with them most of the time.
The next step is going to be writing some grep and awk (also nigh impossible to type) code to extract the IP addresses of things trying to ssh in as root from the logfiles, and block those IP addresses for a while using pf.
Will it make my server more secure? Probably not, but it’ll quiet down the logfiles some, I hope. And maybe I’ll be more likely to notice if something fishy happens for reals, instead of missing it for all the other noise getting logged. (2/2)
I think that was a successful morning. I spent the morning editing my pf.conf[1] and sshd_config[2] files, have reloaded the pf.conf and restarted ssh, and as far as I can tell, everything still works on my server.
1. https://man.openbsd.org/pf.conf.5
2: https://man.openbsd.org/sshd_config.5#PerSourcePenalties
As an aside, trying to type “pf” on iOS is nearly impossible until you’ve done it enough times that autocarrot realizes you mean to be typing that. (1/2)
@amyfou They were not part of the thread, which AFAIK, is impossible to fix after the fact.
An important but inconvenient fact to remember about NYPD "work stoppages" and "quiet quitting."
When NYPD intentionally makes fewer arrests and does less police work in protest, violent crime goes *down*
🙂🙃
Read that again. Violent crime goes *down* when cops quit.
And we've known why since 1970
Once you understand a few things about US policing, this outcome becomes incredibly obvious and unavoidable.
First, understand that "Law and Order, SVU," is not how policing works, and not what police do.
What most police do, most of the time, is arrest and fine innocent Black people.
This makes it unsafe for Black people to call the cops in any circumstances. A Black person that has recently had a violent and racist encounter with the cops, will not call the cops to save you if they see you being assaulted.
So the more "policing" happens, the greater this depressive effect.
The irony:
As you ramp up "policing," it becomes impossible to catch and arrest any real, violent criminals... because you betrayed and violated all of the civilians in the communities that you were supposed to partner with.🤦🏿♂️
You created the pre-condition for ineffective and futile police work.
As an NYC resident, you pay $12B a year for a police force that is not good at what you want them to be good at: solving and preventing murder, theft, and sexual assault.
For example, the most stolen items in NYC are smartphones and bikes. NYPD doesn't even recognize the most recommended bike lock🤡
https://hachyderm.io/@mekkaokereke/112451441016741832
1/3
@amyfou Here was 5 and 6.
In comedies someone steps on a rake and the handle jumps up and hits them on the face.
In real life someone steps on a rake and the rake tines go through their shoe and pierce their foot and they end up at the hospital getting stitches and a tetanus shot.
Think of this as a metaphor for how you think getting old works compared to how it actually works.
I know it was over 15 years ago but I’m still annoyed that Oracle bought Sun.
To sum it all up: This trip changed my view on Lager beers completely. I guess, I grew up with rather mediocre German regional brewers' Lagers. That seems to have gotten into my head. I always thought that most Lagers just weren't that good. Going "Back to the roots" to Czechia opened up a new perspective on that for me. The craftsmanship, the culture and the passion around Czech beers are super inspiring. I guess you could see more Lager homebrewing content in the future 😉
If Canadians & the world need another reason to boycott visiting the economy run by a fascist pedophile who threatens to annex us:
Due to a provision in Trump's "big, beautiful bill", visitors to the United States will now have to pay a “visa integrity fee,” of $250.00. The fee applies to all visitors and cannot be waived.
The US tourist industry has already lost billions. It will now lose trillions.
As an aside, visiting Canada's beautiful national parks this summer is free for everyone!
This is all important to remember. It’s also a huge tell — companies who support fascist regimes do it because they suck. If they were actually good at what they did it wouldn’t be necessary or desirable. https://xoxo.zone/@theory/114880087937534501
The charm of ASCII smileys :-)
Nowadays, it's easy to forget about ASCII smileys. These simple text faces were the first way to show feelings online. They have a special place in the history of the internet and in my heart.
A bit of history
The story of ASCII smileys starts in the early 1980s. Back then, the internet was just beginning, and people mostly communicated through text. Scott Fahlman, a computer scientist, had an idea. He suggested using :-) for jokes and :-( for serious comments. This small idea changed how we talk online forever.
Simple and for everyone
ASCII smileys are wonderfully simple. Unlike today's emojis, they look the same no matter where you see them. In an email or a text message, they always look familiar. This makes them a reliable way to share feelings.
But their simplicity is deceptive. With just a few keystrokes, you can make many different expressions. Some examples for youngest readers:
;-) for a wink:-D for a big grin:'( for crying>:-( for anger:-/ for skepticismThese little combinations let us express a lot, even in plain text.
A touch of nostalgia
For those of us who remember the early days of the internet, ASCII smileys bring back memories. They remind us of simpler times, of chat rooms and the first social media sites.
Using ASCII smileys today can be a fun way to remember the past. It connects us with others who share those memories. It's a small way to celebrate how digital communication has evolved.
A spark of creativity
ASCII smileys also encourage creativity. With just a few characters, you can make unique faces. This adds a personal touch to your messages. For example, ^_^ can show a playful tone, and :-| can show indifference.
This creativity can be fun. Challenge your friends to make their own smileys. Use them to add a personal touch to your messages. I like and often use ^^. I remember a friend using o_0 because of his asymmetrical face caused by a childhood illness, we knew it was him when we read the forum posts!
Why they still matter
Even with all the new emojis, ASCII smileys are still around. They are used in emails, texts, and forums. Their appeal is in their simplicity and universality.
ASCII smileys are a nice return to basics. They remind us that simple things can be very effective. They also allow us to send plain text emails without worrying about compatibility issues.
So next time you write a message, think about adding an ASCII smiley. It's a small way to connect with the past and add a bit of personality to your words.
@redcrew Yeah. I’m not sure what’s going on with him, but if you’re looking for changes to write.as before you buy, you’ll likely be waiting a long time. But if it works okay-enough for you today, it’s reliable and outages have been minimal. I’m renewing for another five years, though I may start looking for an off-ramp during that time.
Plus, you get a writing.exchange account if you’re a subscriber.