I used to teach web programming. One of the exercises I had for students was to create a ballot box.
The first step was making it work as expected — accept votes and only display a count when “Election Day” has ended.
Then, I suggested constraints — code it so your preferred choice always wins; make it so the vote totals check out (don’t just add an arbitrary to the preferred total); make sure the margin of victory never triggers an automatic recount, etc.
That opened a lot of eyes, especially for beginning programmers. If they could do it…
> Miami also has ficus trees planted all over the place.
Fun story. In 2005, South Florida took two direct hits: Katrina in late August, Wilma in October.
During Katrina, a neighbor’s massive ficus tree was toppled. They were in the process of removing it and had only taken care of the top when Wilma’s impending arrival halted work. Wilma put the tree upright.
Thankfully those storms were nuisances compared to Andrew. I was north of where the eyewall hit, but seeing the aftermath has stuck with me for life. It is hard to believe it has been 30 years.
I find the Amish’s perspective on technology interesting. Especially now, I respect the lengths they have gone through to preserve community over expediency.
I was particularly intrigued by “The Amish seek to master technology rather than become its slave.”
I love the conveniences tech offers, but I also worry about the digital habits that have turned into unhealthy addictions. Where in the technological progression did we tipped from technology being a tool to being a handcuff. Broadband? Wi-Fi? Smartphones?
Given the deep ties to tech here on HN, I am curious to know if there are others here who have similar thoughts.
Recent studies have linked depression to chronic inflammation. [1] Long COVID is also tied to inflammation.
I can only speak from my experience in battling (non-COVID) depression that as I have gotten my inflammation under control (better diet, herbal supplements, medication, alternative medicine), my pain and depression have eased significantly.
If you can, attack it from all angles. See a psychiatrist who can find a medication suited to your specific symptoms of depression. A therapist will be important, too. Maybe look into a chiropractor or massage therapist (depression can cause pain). Consider a nutritionist to help you with an anti-inflammation diet. Acupuncture, medical cannabis. I haven’t tried/needed all of these yet, but they’re tools I know I can tap into if needed.
An excellent book. I read his research lasted seven years.
Worth noting: there is an American Experience documentary based on this book (with a primary focus on the Damascus incident), but it’s nowhere near as good as the text.
There’s no reason the face has to be on the outside of the arm.
I remember when we had the databank watches (in the 80s), we’d wear them on the inside of our wrists since they were easier to use. The arm is in a position not much different from holding a smartphone with one hand.
The most valuable course I took at university taught you how to request and analyze public records. This was at least 4-5 years before the government had records available online. So it required you to physically examine this information.
While taking the class, I came to realize the paper trail you leave the moment you become an adult is immense and almost impossible — from a government perspective — to eliminate entirely. If you require a license or own property, you have no choice but to be in the system. You literally have to disconnect from society and live as a hermit in the woods (and even then I wouldn’t doubt the ability to be tracked.)
The digital realm has only made this paper trail exponentially impossible to control, even if you’re consciously trying. I’ve adopted the practice of limiting my digital footprint as much as possible (within reason). I don’t have accounts or engage with the social media walled gardens. I am very conscious of the media I consume. For instance, I don’t follow my curiosity about topics an on platforms where an algorithm might force feed me — if I wanted to know about a conspiracy theory for giggles, I’d read on Wikipedia, not watch a video on YouTube.
And, finally, ad and tracker blockers at every possible level. I figure if someone has me profiled, I can at least block the tailored message they’re sending.
I don’t know if rawtext.club supports UTF-8, but if they only use ASCII, that would be a constraint I’m not sure can be matched in simplicity for both user and computer.
Ah, but the GOP-run state doesn’t like new taxes. The state doesn’t collect income tax and largely relies on taxing the tourists. Between state tax and county hotel tax, locals are already getting a ~20% cut.
The state is already reeling from losing ~6% of its annual revenue from 2020 and the state keeps growing.
At what point does the third-largest state need to implement state income tax to keep quality of life from becoming third-world? It’s a political third rail.
Short version: Florida’s legislature passed a bill (later signed into law by its governor) which prohibits discussion of “sexual orientation and gender identity” in (presumably only) public school classrooms.
More details: Disney is one of the largest employers in the state and big contributor in taxes to it’s tourism-driven economy. Disney also oversaw its own land management district (the 27k acres which make up Walt Disney World property was, in essence, its own city with a tiny government to boot).
When the bill passed, Disney didn’t speak up. It was criticized by gay employees and fans (of which there are many!). Disney eventually expressed its opposition to the law.
Florida’s state government has a significant GOP majority and didn’t like this. A special session was called by the legislature to eliminate the laws which gave Disney ability to oversee its land management district. (Other districts were caught up in this as well.)
The problem is, this district has $1B to $2B in bonds that Disney was responsible for. Florida law requires the bonds to be assumed by counties when special districts are disbanded. Unless something else changes, the two counties Disney properties straddles are on the hook for this. It’s estimated it would increase the tax burden to over $2,000 for every resident in those counties.
To give you a sense of how quickly this moved, Disney’s CEO publicly came out against the law on March 9. Florida eliminated Disney’s special district this past week.
Excellent book. I enjoyed the hardware and software projects at the end of each chapter. I had been looking for a good hands-on text for a long time, and this delivered.
Isn’t this when the leader (or group) demands “we must do something!” against something, anything they dislike, even if it’s not wise?
What’s happening in Florida is a good example. The state, which is dominated by the right, called a special legislative session to dissolve a management district overseen by Disney because the company spoke up against the state’s “don’t say gay” bill.
From the state’s standpoint, it doesn’t make sense, though; this action wiped out a tax revenue stream of hundreds of millions and dropped $1B to $2B in debt on the counties Disney property straddles.
Disney has been “punished” in the eyes of the far-right, but residents now have concerns about the long-term impacts of what this decision has wrought.
“If the special district is dissolved, Orange and Osceola counties would have to provide the local services currently provided by Reedy Creek. And, the $105 million in revenue would disappear, meaning county and local taxpayers would be on the hook for part or all of the added costs.
…
“Reedy Creek has bond liabilities of between $1 billion and $1.7 billion, according to the district’s financial filings. Under Florida statute, if Reedy Creek is dissolved, those liabilities are transferred to the local governments — either Bay Lake or Lake Buena Vista, or more likely, Orange and Osceola counties.”
I don’t have an opinion regarding order of port vs. financial hub. New York is a target for its communications infrastructure. That is in large part a component which facilitates its staus as a financial/economic hub. If you have a city of ~9M and a metro area of 20M without orderly communication, things can unravel from within very quickly. And everything not destroyed at that point becomes easy pickings.
Came by to mention Threads. [1] The collapse of society spurred by nuclear war is a pretty horrific thing.
If Threads taught me anything about being prepared for “surviving” a nuclear war in a metropolitan area, it’s to stock up on alcohol and drugs so your impending death is not as painful.