scojjac's recent activity
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Comment on Anyone else a bit unnerved by the number of visible satellites? in ~space
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Comment on Anyone else a bit unnerved by the number of visible satellites? in ~space
scojjac (edited )Link ParentI mentioned some solutions in my original comment: "Shielding, color temp ~2700K, and smart/motion lighting to start." Shielding keeps lighting where it should be. Warmer temps reduce glare and...I mentioned some solutions in my original comment: "Shielding, color temp ~2700K, and smart/motion lighting to start." Shielding keeps lighting where it should be. Warmer temps reduce glare and the darkness of shadows. Motion sensing allows us to illuminate areas when actively needed, and dim them otherwise.
We already know that more light, and blue/white light does not equal greater safety. They increase glare and the darkness of shadows. Even, low-intensity lighting is better for safety and security than bright white lights.
This is why Dark Sky International has five principles for responsible outdoor lighting - it should be useful, controlled, targeted, no brighter than necessary, and warm color. They have more resources if you're interested in exploring.
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Comment on Anyone else a bit unnerved by the number of visible satellites? in ~space
scojjac LinkIn a similar vein, I love cities but light pollution makes me angry. I want much, MUCH tighter rules around lights at night. Cities can and should be much closer to dark sky status than they are....In a similar vein, I love cities but light pollution makes me angry. I want much, MUCH tighter rules around lights at night. Cities can and should be much closer to dark sky status than they are. We might not be able to see the full Milky Way from the middle of a city, but we could see far more stars. Shielding, color temp ~2700K, and smart/motion lighting to start.
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Comment on 'Blue dot fever' claims Post Malone, Pussycat Dolls concerts. What's really behind it? in ~music
scojjac Link ParentNo lie, in the 2010s it seemed like Las Cruces got better shows at the Pan Am than Albuquerque or El Paso, with rare exceptions. In North Carolina, Charlotte generally gets more of the Latino...No lie, in the 2010s it seemed like Las Cruces got better shows at the Pan Am than Albuquerque or El Paso, with rare exceptions. In North Carolina, Charlotte generally gets more of the Latino shows than Raleigh or Durham.
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Comment on 'Blue dot fever' claims Post Malone, Pussycat Dolls concerts. What's really behind it? in ~music
scojjac (edited )LinkIt's that everything is a moneygrab in the United States. Everyone want to charge as much as possible while doing as little as possible to make it a good experience. Concerts are egregious...It's that everything is a moneygrab in the United States. Everyone want to charge as much as possible while doing as little as possible to make it a good experience. Concerts are egregious examples (and I'm glad LiveNation/Ticketmaster is seeing this happen to their extortion model), but it's such a part of life that people are being squeezed anytime they step foot out of the house.
I usually see shows in Raleigh, and the saving grace is that there are outdoor venues like Walnut Creek, NCMA, and Red Hat Amphitheater where I can get general admission tickets in the $30-$75 range. I just bought Grupo Frontera ticket for $32 out the door as an early purchase for their summer series - I think it just became a $50 ticket. Also, thank goodness for places like Pour House that make it possible to see small acts. But if you want a hard plastic seat bolted into concrete that mostly designates where to stand, you're probably paying over $100 at minimum.
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Comment on Google Chrome silently installs a 4 GB AI model on your device without consent in ~tech
scojjac Link ParentThe first paragraph of this quote is hilarious to me, because there is no way I would expect an AI Mode from Google to do anything whatsoever on-device. I'm pretty surprised they're installing a...The first paragraph of this quote is hilarious to me, because there is no way I would expect an AI Mode from Google to do anything whatsoever on-device. I'm pretty surprised they're installing a model at all, and I wonder what its purpose is. The author says the existence of on-device LLM in Chrome "well-publicised", yet this is the first I've heard of it.
Again, it's Google — why would anyone expect they're doing anything on device when they can do it in the cloud?
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Comment on I endured the Apple Watch for four months in ~tech
scojjac LinkMy last Apple Watch was the Series 3 and there's basically nothing that could convince me to buy one again. I fundamentally dislike the experience. They don't look as nice as a watch at half the...My last Apple Watch was the Series 3 and there's basically nothing that could convince me to buy one again. I fundamentally dislike the experience. They don't look as nice as a watch at half the price, I hate being badgered by notifications, turn directions, and infantilizing reminders to stand or breathe. Tracking runs and tap to pay were the only uses I sort of liked — and I'm just not that much of a runner. At least I've only been called 'whack' once for not having one.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
scojjac LinkI read Run by Blake Crouch this week while on flights. It's a short sci-fi thriller that has themes of religion, tribalism, adaptation, family, survival. I like Crouch as a writer even if he is...I read Run by Blake Crouch this week while on flights. It's a short sci-fi thriller that has themes of religion, tribalism, adaptation, family, survival. I like Crouch as a writer even if he is heavy-handed in places to get his ideas across. I don't think that's inherently a bad thing. I've read his other books and enjoyed them.
Now I've picked up A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn, which I tried to start once before and didn't make much progress on.
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Comment on What are the current channels to find remote work? in ~tech
scojjac LinkHiring is all about knowing people — your personal connections, or recruiters. Maybe AI is ravaging the hiring process, but it also seems like there's far too much indecision and inertia in the...Hiring is all about knowing people — your personal connections, or recruiters. Maybe AI is ravaging the hiring process, but it also seems like there's far too much indecision and inertia in the job market.
I'll say that my last interview for a remote position was offered to me, I didn't apply or ask for it. It came from the manager of a friend of a friend. Went great. And then HR didn't want to do paperwork for my state. I recently posted on LinkedIn and might get a conversation for another remote role out of that.
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Comment on Ancient indigenous lands in New Mexico could be lost to mining and drilling. The public has seven days to weigh in. in ~enviro
scojjac LinkThis is despicable. New Mexico has an amazing amount of rich history, and Chaco Canyon is a remarkable example. I know that historical sites do not pay as well as liquefied dinosaur, and that the...This is despicable. New Mexico has an amazing amount of rich history, and Chaco Canyon is a remarkable example. I know that historical sites do not pay as well as liquefied dinosaur, and that the state relies heavily on oil to fund education and social programs, but come on.
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Comment on Job hunting absolutely sucks right now in ~life
scojjac LinkI've had a few recruiters reach out because of my endpoint management certs - but there's never a salary range and it's pretty much always contract work and hybrid or onsite. A company I've been a...I've had a few recruiters reach out because of my endpoint management certs - but there's never a salary range and it's pretty much always contract work and hybrid or onsite.
A company I've been a long-term contractor for has offered some nebulous roles but we've never been able to align on duties and compensation.
I've never gotten a job from cold applying, and it sounds like that's even more dead than it was before. I basically want something that's functionally 30 hours per week remote.
I have a friend that got into a role after five to seven interview rounds and has been there a year and it's been a great fit for him — but it also took a lot of tears in other roles to get there (who also had too many rounds of interviews).
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Comment on Apple brings age verification to UK users in iOS 26.4 in ~tech
scojjac Link ParentYeah, it's absolutely foolish to believe that the list of what requires age verification to access will not be expanded. The German chancellor is pushing for real names online — a very Zuckerberg...Yeah, it's absolutely foolish to believe that the list of what requires age verification to access will not be expanded. The German chancellor is pushing for real names online — a very Zuckerberg stance. I expect we will also see more things be restricted or banned under extremism and anti-terrorism laws.
Also, I believe it was the wrong move to push for alternative app stores alone — people should be able to install mobile apps from websites the way we do desktop software. The internet is rapidly moving in the wrong direction.
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Comment on US Food and Drug Administration declines to review Moderna's mRNA flu shot in ~health
scojjac (edited )LinkThis "best available standard of care" comment is about the 65+ age group, for whom the FDA recommends high-dose vaccines like Fluzone HD (which contains four times the antigen of standard flu...This "best available standard of care" comment is about the 65+ age group, for whom the FDA recommends high-dose vaccines like Fluzone HD (which contains four times the antigen of standard flu vaccines).
Remember, it is time to "move beyond the limitations of mRNA", in favor of whole-virus vaccines.
Regarding whole-virus vaccines:
Vaccine and infectious disease experts, however, say the approach is misguided.
“It’s somewhat of a step backward,” said Dr. James Campbell, vice chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases. “We’ve had inactivated whole-virus vaccines for a very, very long time.”
The first whole-virus vaccine was developed in the late 1800s by Louis Pasteur, who made an early version of the rabies vaccine.
“It’s not innovative at all,” said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan. “It’s actually ancient, sort of, by vaccine standards.”
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Comment on Spotify will soon sell hardcover and paperback books through its app, in partnership with Bookshop.org in ~books
scojjac Link ParentI still use Spotify, I just wish I could turn off podcasts, audiobooks, and everything else that is not music. Those little video clips that played for some songs/albums? It tooks months before...I still use Spotify, I just wish I could turn off podcasts, audiobooks, and everything else that is not music. Those little video clips that played for some songs/albums? It tooks months before they offered an option to disable that. I'm with you, I just want a good music app.
That said, Apple Music is not a good music app for me. Every time I have tried to go back to it, it has frustrated me in one way or another. I think I gave up on it for good when they started hiding buttons. I don't care for their radio shows either, but at least they're on their own tab and fairly easy to ignore.
I'm sort of impressed that they partnered with Bookshop.org. But I don't want books in a music app.
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Comment on US Federal Aviation Administration reopens El Paso airport hours after saying it was grounding flights for ten days in ~transport
scojjac LinkInteresting new information from Texas Tribune. An industry source says the FAA did this because the DoD would not stop using unauthorized flight paths for their own drones.Interesting new information from Texas Tribune. An industry source says the FAA did this because the DoD would not stop using unauthorized flight paths for their own drones.
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Comment on US Federal Aviation Administration reopens El Paso airport hours after saying it was grounding flights for ten days in ~transport
scojjac Link ParentThank you for that update. That seems like a very neat and tidy answer. Stating that you intend to restrict ~350 square miles of airspace for 10 days, and then lifting it within a day? If they...Thank you for that update. That seems like a very neat and tidy answer. Stating that you intend to restrict ~350 square miles of airspace for 10 days, and then lifting it within a day?
If they used high-powered microwave to neutralize drones, I suppose that would be a reason for a larger area to be restricted. Or maybe it's just incompetence and miscommunication between agencies.
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Comment on US Federal Aviation Administration reopens El Paso airport hours after saying it was grounding flights for ten days in ~transport
scojjac (edited )LinkFAA issued a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) completely restricting airspace (10nm up to 18000 feet) around El Paso International Airport in Texas for 10 days. It was issued with only three hours'...FAA issued a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) completely restricting airspace (10nm up to 18000 feet) around El Paso International Airport in Texas for 10 days. It was issued with only three hours' notice, city councilmember Chris Canales posted information on Reddit. Neither civilian nor military leadership got advance notice, nor Albuquerque Center regional ATC. Canales says "military does not have carte blance exemption".
It seems that this was ordered unilaterally at the highest level of federal government without cooperation with state and local partners, nor with the Mexican government (Ciudad Juárez airspace, directly across the border, is unrestricted). El Paso is a major freight hub and a secondary hub for some carriers, including American Airlines.
The notice cites "national defense" as the reason for the restriction. Nothing like this has happened since September 11, 2001. There's also a more limited drone restriction in New Orleans.
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US Federal Aviation Administration reopens El Paso airport hours after saying it was grounding flights for ten days
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Comment on US FBI stymied by Apple’s Lockdown Mode after seizing journalist’s iPhone in ~tech
scojjac (edited )Link ParentI would be interested to hear from someone who has used Lockdown Mode on a regular basis, also. I tested it on my iPhone for you. Lockdown Mode does not turn off biometric authentication. However,...I would be interested to hear from someone who has used Lockdown Mode on a regular basis, also.
I tested it on my iPhone for you. Lockdown Mode does not turn off biometric authentication. However, you can do so in Settings > Face ID & Passcode by turning off Use Face ID for iPhone unlock. This option is available whether you use Lockdown Mode or not.
It's also worth considering an alphanumeric passcode. I think they're a pain if you have biometrics disabled, but they're a great way to strengthen the security of your phone (especially when a quick button combination disables biometrics).
Edit: As mentioned, pretty much any country reserves the right to deny entry to a non-citizen that refuses to provide a password. Disabling biometrics won't get around that. Citizens of a country may have more rights when re-entering, but are more likely to be delayed for exercising those rights.
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Comment on US FBI stymied by Apple’s Lockdown Mode after seizing journalist’s iPhone in ~tech
scojjac Link ParentThe courts have ruled that a search warrant does not need to explicitly mention each and every item to be searched or seized. From Lawyers.com: The same webpage notes that "courts have recognized...The courts have ruled that a search warrant does not need to explicitly mention each and every item to be searched or seized.
From Lawyers.com:
For a search of a house, for example, it’s typically enough to identify the address. And even broad descriptions of the kinds of evidence officers can seize will often suffice. The U.S. Supreme Court once approved warrants that called for specified items “together with other fruits, instrumentalities and evidence of crime at this (time) unknown.” (Andresen v. Maryland, 427 U.S. 463 (1976).)
The same webpage notes that "courts have recognized so many exceptions to the warrant requirement that some argue the exceptions have all but swallowed the rule."
Yeah, I live in rural North Carolina and it gets very dark out here. I also love cities and I realize that more light is part of being in one. At the same time, I think cities are much brighter than they need to be. It seems like we have the technology and smarts to avoid extremes and light our environment intelligently in a way that respects our biology and nature. In my mind, it even has the potential to enhance city living.