@glent@aus.social
@glent@aus.social avatar

glent

@glent@aus.social

Life: cycling, bushwalking, amateur radio, Linux tinkering, VK5TU.
Work: network engineering, systems programming, technical team leadership.
Location: Adelaide, Australia.
You're welcome to use the content without attribution; except for art like photos and films. Get in touch if they're not marked with a copyright license you find useful.
Posts SFW with M-rated language at times.

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

Alexlee, to academicchatter
@Alexlee@sciences.social avatar

Nobody told me about the snakes! #phdlife #phd @academicchatter

glent,
@glent@aus.social avatar

@Alexlee @academicchatter Punctures a hole in the AI claim that copyright infringement isn't happening, when the entire AI response is based on a popular fictional article by Luke Burns.

GottaLaff, to random
@GottaLaff@mastodon.social avatar

Arizona’s attorney general says Rudy has been served an indictment in the state’s fake elector case alongside 17 other defendants for his role in an attempt to overturn ’s loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 election.

Giuliani’s political adviser, Ted Goodman, confirmed Giuliani was served Friday night after his 80th birthday celebration as he was walking to the car.
https://apnews.com/article/86f4938ff4570a833dd4d1c44705460f

glent,
@glent@aus.social avatar

@darwinwoodka @negative12dollarbill @GottaLaff It gets even better. This man in the background singing happy birthday is said to be the process server
https://x.com/BDeMayo/status/1791984130990678204
(and no, I can't find independent validation, so hopefully it is true)

mythologyandhistory, (edited ) to philosophy
@mythologyandhistory@mas.to avatar

Did you know that road design included features?

In the ruins of , you'll notice small white stones interspersed with the large paving ones along the extensive roads.

Those white are 'cats eyes', i.e. gems that have a single line of inclusion of crystals of another mineral inside.

Upon light reflecting on them (from the ), they enable the walker to see that they are still on the right path!

https://youtu.be/74n6TgXbgAQ?si=56oPfp7mG1ENxflN

glent,
@glent@aus.social avatar

@NatureMC @mythologyandhistory It was a big tourist town and had public spaces to match that need.

glent, to random
@glent@aus.social avatar

There are only two ways to solve the housing crisis.

  1. A large spend on government owned housing. Say a third of the housing stock.

  2. Rent control.

The first has a soft landing for investors, the second does not.

Not that you'd know this from their lobbying.

decryption, to random
@decryption@aus.social avatar

deleted_by_author

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    glent,
    @glent@aus.social avatar

    @decryption @mattrobertson I am at the point where all I want is a CAN bus and a documented protocol. Because the sort of policy I want to express doesn't belong in the devices like inverter, battery controller or large amperage equipment like AC and dishwashers. Things like: run the dishwasher after the battery is charged; or if I am paying per-watt then run the AC in a more economy mode with adjusted thermostat goals.

    MattHatton, to random
    @MattHatton@aus.social avatar

    Right. Time to meander down to the train station.

    glent,
    @glent@aus.social avatar

    @jpm @MattHatton @daedalus I've been here before. Someone thinks of a 'good' name. But when they later get the logo done, all the circle/hexagon/square graphics are already trademarked.

    gerrymcgovern, to random
    @gerrymcgovern@mastodon.green avatar

    "The systems industry as a whole is not concerned about power. I know that is a bold statement, but I believe it to be true. The semiconductor industry is mildly concerned, but only indirectly. They care about power because thermal issues are limiting the functionality they can squeeze onto a chip, or in a package."

    https://semiengineering.com/a-highly-wasteful-industry/

    The tech industry has a deep culture of absolute contempt for energy and materials, and thus a contempt for the environment.

    glent,
    @glent@aus.social avatar

    @gerrymcgovern Did you understand the article. Describing the use of C's malloc() and printf() as bloat is a very niche take?

    The view is unrealistic. People don't want a phone with the text display capabilities of a 1980's terminal. Most people want their phone to use beautiful looking text within a pleasant graphics system. They also expect the 'bloat' of the device being able to use their first language.

    dgar, to random
    @dgar@aus.social avatar

    Is it weird that God made seven days and named them after other gods?

    glent,
    @glent@aus.social avatar

    @dgar No more weirder than everything in Australia being named after the sponsors of the colonial expedition. I live in a city named after the kings's wife, next to the sea named after an influential admiral.

    glent, to random
    @glent@aus.social avatar

    It appears that Asio and the AFP still don't understand cryptosystems. There is no way for them to get the access they want which also doesn't open the way for criminals.

    Moreover they view those criminals as a bunch of yoiks from outer Sydney trying to arrange drug deals. Not a paid company of graduates of Russia's best universities, in companies in cahoots with Russia's intelligence services, and given the protection of their local St Petersburg politician, a certain Vladimir Putin.

    Asio has never been properly held to account for its suppression of cryptosystems in email via the Wassenaar Arrangement, and the massive cost which is now incurred by Australians unable to verify the identity of the person who sent them an email.

    kcarruthers, to random
    @kcarruthers@mastodon.social avatar

    Bahahahaha 🤣 [how glorious] Bruce Lehrmann refused offer to settle defamation action with Ten before trial began, court documents reveal

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-23/bruce-lehrmann-refused-settle-offer-network-ten-wilkinson/103755196

    glent,
    @glent@aus.social avatar

    @kcarruthers It's a standard legal tactic, particularly aimed for use at this moment.

    glent, to random
    @glent@aus.social avatar

    Australia's DFAT has bumped the entirety of Israel and the Occupied Territories to "Reconsider your need to travel". Which is a bureaucratic way to say "Do us a favour, and make sure your Will is up to date".

    https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/consular-services/travel-advice-explained#level3

    decryption, to random
    @decryption@aus.social avatar

    deleted_by_author

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    glent,
    @glent@aus.social avatar

    @jpm @stufromoz @decryption Once read a cooking website which argued that you're merely renting the non-stick coating. Although that's not a great analogy, the mindset struck me as the best take.

    glent, to random
    @glent@aus.social avatar

    A little reluctant to post this, given that keeping a good distance from a black hole is wise, but a hero at Guardian Australia has made a list of all the litigation.

    "Explainer: Bruce Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins saga: the night that spawned more than a dozen legal cases"
    Daisy Dumas
    Sunday 2024-04-14
    https://www.theguardian.com/law/2024/apr/14/bruce-lehrmann-and-brittany-higgins-saga-the-night-that-spawned-more-than-a-dozen-legal-cases-ntwnfb

    ascentale, to random
    @ascentale@sfba.social avatar

    @moira asks a question about inner tubes that I've also been thinking about as I deal with so many flat tires:

    Q4. How long do replacement tubes hold up in storage? And should tubes be changed out occasionally before they fail, and is it a time thing or a distance ridden thing?

    Asking because I've had a replacement tube in my road repair kit for a while and I have no idea when or if I should swap it out.

    glent,
    @glent@aus.social avatar

    @ascentale @moira A4.

    Based on what we saw in the pandemic lockdown, tubes last at least a decade in their box on the back room shelves of bike shops :-)

    As for on the bike, in the saddlebag? Maybe two years? After that the tube sticks to itself, and you can't trust it not to have rubbed a hole against the minitool or whatever.

    If you can unwind the tube and it is still supple, then you're good.

    glent, to random
    @glent@aus.social avatar

    Good on Australia's ABC TV for documenting Israel's statement on the killing of an Australian aid worker in such detail.

    That way everyone gets to select their own WTF? statement.

    Mine is "those four vehicles from the aerial surveillance looked very much like the Toyota pick-up trucks that came into Israel on 7 October". That is, they were white painted Toyota pickup trucks, just like the 10,000 sold in Australia last year.

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-08/idf-peter-lerner-defends-drone-strike-zomi-frankcom-war-crime/103683246

    gerrymcgovern, to random
    @gerrymcgovern@mastodon.green avatar

    "Clean" energy is greenwashing.

    There is no such thing as clean energy.

    Hydroelectric dams, for example, emit a billion tons of greenhouse gases a year. This does not account for the pollution costs of the concrete and electrical equipment.

    More energy production equals more pollution.

    We don't have an energy production problem.

    We have an energy consumption problem.

    Our environment cannot sustain the amount of energy we consume. Every year, we consume more. We must consume less.

    glent,
    @glent@aus.social avatar

    @Old_IT_geek @gerrymcgovern There's a way clear to see how fixed devices which use energy will fall to zero carbon (not "net" zero, actual zero). Wind, solar farms, household solar, big batteries and behind-the-meter batteries. They all do have a cost, but that is many times less than now and not worth worrying about given what other fish need frying.

    That other fish being energy use by transport. Replacing all the ICE engines in the world with electric motors and batteries just isn't affordable, even by the USA. Which means that transport is the large CO2 emitter which will need social change in some countries: ubiquitous and cheap-at-point-of-use public transport; walking, bikes and e-bikes active transport. Just consider what an unattractive place most cities are for active transport and you'll see how far we need to go in a short time.

    Then there is heavy transport, shipping and aircraft.

    Transport is the next CO2 challenge. If you consider the manufactured angst surrounding changing the "low hanging fruit" of zero-carbon electricity, it's going to be a wild ride.

    Here's what electricity generation looks like in my state of South Australia. We're about five years away from the zero-carbon endgame for electricity, which means the state is zero carbon for weeks at a time. This week, less so, because of some weather. You can see the zero coal (down from 100% fifteen years ago) and the use of gas in the orange. That orange is decreasing through a mix of overbuilding renewables (ie, if there are periods when renewables are underperforming and are 10% of what's needed, then build 10x more) and big batteries. The state government is encouraging industries which can sink the huge amounts of near-free peak over-supply of electricity (green hydrogen, ammonia, green steel, etc).

    glent, to random
    @glent@aus.social avatar

    It's quite possible to want Assange free, whilst also saying he's a complete bastard who I wouldn't trust for a moment.

    That does seem to upset a segment of his supporters, who want him both free and absolved.

    glent, to random
    @glent@aus.social avatar

    A few things strike me about the xz backdoor:

    • Years after openssl we still have overwhelmed maintainers of core software, who see no revenue and little thanks for their efforts.

    • The social engineering to install this subverted maintainer was sophisticated. It's likely to have succeeded with many projects.

    • Of course the subversion is covered with vague commit messages. It's time to insist on higher traceability of requirement to code, likely via an identifier from a fault tracking system being required in a commit.

    • Fedora's rigorous release procedures saved it from undertested code, as it is meant to. But it was a close-run thing.

    • Open source has surprisingly excellent tooling. All the code that user has ever contributed needs to be found and checked. But that is well underway.

    • The lack of traceability from repo to tarball isn't good.

    • Binary formats need to be unbinaryied. For example a compression test should have the test defined via macros or similar. Each byte in the output needs to be traceable -- that is, be able to be defended as necessary and correct.

    glent, to random
    @glent@aus.social avatar

    Looks like Facebook might need to be sold to a Chinese company we can trust?
    https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/26/facebook-secret-project-snooped-snapchat-user-traffic/

    Jakra, to history
    @Jakra@aus.social avatar

    Anyone know the origin of the term "wog sores" in WWII as Australian slang?

    glent,
    @glent@aus.social avatar

    @Jakra See "desert sores", an ulcer which frequently follows a cut in desert conditions. "Wog" is derogatory for Italian, one of the opposing forces to the Australian Infantry Forces in the desert campaigns of WWII.

    jpm, to random
    @jpm@aus.social avatar

    Come on folks, it is now 2024, have you not figured out that CO2 monitoring systems only do one single thing, which is tell you how much CO2 is in the air around you? It is NOT a proxy for measuring anything else.

    glent,
    @glent@aus.social avatar

    @jpm It is a proxy for measuring other things and widely used in confined space work accordingly.

    It's a proxy for decaying vegetation, which can also imply water ingress. It's a proxy for lack of effective ventilation of all gasses from the confined space prior to being lowered into the space.

    decryption, to random
    @decryption@aus.social avatar

    deleted_by_author

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    glent,
    @glent@aus.social avatar

    @decryption @purserj @jpm @geordie Emacs was there first. "Let's build a platform-independent Lisp variant, then implement an editor in that."

    Adam_Cadmon1, to random
    @Adam_Cadmon1@mastodon.online avatar

    Everything is becoming subscription based and it's really grinding my gears. You can't pay for something just once anymore; you have to pay for it over and over again.

    glent,
    @glent@aus.social avatar

    @GhostOnTheHalfShell @timrichards @Adam_Cadmon1 LibreOffice is better for long documents like academic thesis, worse for complex spreadsheets which need to be shared as in accounting. All-in-all as good. Occasional nice surprise, such as importing Visio.

    decryption, to random
    @decryption@aus.social avatar

    deleted_by_author

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    glent,
    @glent@aus.social avatar

    @decryption @craigharvey Well that's rubbish

    the_etrain, to random
    @the_etrain@beige.party avatar

    You can fillet a fish, but you can't fillet a piano. No, wait. That's not it.

    glent,
    @glent@aus.social avatar

    @timrichards @the_etrain @Stoned_Deva_ I have transcribed music off the radio and then played it on a piano. So I can expect an Anton Pillar order and police raid.

    (Sorry Cyndi Lauper, I was young and foolish and had more music education than copyright education)

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