The short-form week of 12–18 Apr 2010
19 Apr 2010; last modified 13 Mar 2011
The week in review, 140 characters at a time. This week, 76 messages in 77 conversations. (With 9 favorites.)
This document was created automatically from my archive of my Twitter stream. Due to limitations in the Twitter API and occasional glitches in my archiving system, it may not be 100% complete.
Monday at 01:15am
In a conversation that started on Monday at 05:46am
Frustrated by Flickr API. checkToken works, other methods report invalid signature.
Must be doing something stupid.—@ndw
@ndw does @dajobe's flickcurl (http://librdf.org/flickcurl//) give you the data you want? It might make your life a bit easier ...—@mischatuffield
@mischatuffield Maybe. At least if it successfully auth's I should be able to see what I'm doing
wrong. Thanks for the pointer.—@ndw
Monday at 07:13am
Ruby may be nice, but the gem package management stuff has never worked correctly
for me on any platform ever.—@ndw
Monday at 11:31am
Dear AT&T, do us a favor, would you? Let me combine both my mobile accounts on a single
bill.—@ndw
In a conversation that started on Monday at 11:34am
While you're at it, AT&T, could you please send me *plain text* email, the way $DIETY
intended, and not this steaming pile of HTML? kthxbai.—@ndw
@ndw Plain text email? Dude, that's so 1980. :)—@eliasisrael
In a conversation that started on Monday at 03:44pm
Blech. The Flickr upload API method ignores Content-Transfer-Encoding. #REST #FAILhttp://bit.ly/dmLETQ—@ndw
In a conversation that started on Monday at 10:29pm
@ndw what do you think about this? I whipped this up as an experiment today. http://bit.ly/aG9Me5—@bphogan
In a conversation that started on Tuesday at 03:22am
Supposed to be going somewhere, meeting someone, talking about something. Momentarily
forgetting where, who and what, but I'm on the train.—@JeniT
Tuesday at 07:10am
Opera mini doesn't do end-to-end encryption. I understand why, but, uhm, wow. Bzzzzt!
Wrong. But thank you for playing. http://bit.ly/cWIKM9—@ndw
In a conversation that started on Tuesday at 07:56am
Yes. Well. I guess I will be giving Apple one more bite at my wallet. On balance,
I think that new 17 incher is going to be the way I go.—@ndw
@ndw: "I think that new 17 incher is going to be the way I go" - so hard to resist a #TWSS—@david_megginson
@david_megginson: Bragging again Megginson :-)—@dpawson
In a conversation that started on Tuesday at 08:08am
"Battery isn't replaceable" really means that people aren't replacing their macbooks
often enough.—@mikeloukides
@mikeloukides Yeah, I agree. OTOH, apparently the battery is *a lot* bigger because it's spread
around and not wrapped in a container—@ndw
Tuesday at 08:29am
In a conversation that started on Tuesday at 09:17am
SSD is indeed unbelievable: battery up 20%, 0 noise, reduced heat, and it is screeeaming
fast. switching back to normal hd feels odd #ssdftw—@pk11
@pk11 Got a source you do recommend? Ordering one in the new MBP seems like the logical
thing...though I'm competent to swap one in, I guess—@ndw
@ndw this is what i got http://amzn.to/bKi0Sz (i am not affiliated with either intel or amazon, i am just a happy customer:) )—@pk11
In a conversation that started on Tuesday at 09:19am
looks like I finally can be in for a new laptop upgrade: pro comes with new core
i7 cpu, 500GB solid state drive, RAM http://bit.ly/cYXOKl—@bblfish
In a conversation that started on Tuesday at 10:13am
Commenter: "There are no jumpsuits. Otherwise, it sounds like life in the Dharma Initiative."
http://is.gd/br49z—@timbray
In a conversation that started on Tuesday at 10:41am
Now the really frightening thing is the final number in he right cornet of the online
Apple Store.—@ebruchez
Tuesday at 11:27am
Tuesday at 12:10pm
Lunchtime errand to pick up tax forms thwarted by CPA's decision to go out for lunch.
Drat it all.—@ndw
Tuesday at 03:15pm
In a twisty maze of details, all razor sharp and angry.—@ndw
Tuesday at 03:32pm
@ndw says "In a twisty maze of details" @MrTeller says "beautiful naked people lounging around the set." Why am I in the same biz as
@ndw?—@richardhamilton
Tuesday at 03:57pm
Fantastic. RT @alecmuffett Somehow I missed this one: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05547—@ndw
In a conversation that started on Tuesday at 04:49pm
#SGML --> #XML --> #DITA = Happiness! As you can see It doesn't take much to make me happy!—@harveybetty
@harveybetty Well, it takes a couple of decades ;-)—@fgeorges
@harveybetty you had me right up to that last step.—@ndw
In a conversation that started on Tuesday at 05:41pm
@ndw Customization or Tool Selection?—@harveybetty
@harveybetty Your choice of authoring vocabularies.—@ndw
Tuesday at 06:30pm
When you're out of the office, away from your backups, an accidental 'rm *' can really
be a time suck.—@ndw
In a conversation that started on Tuesday at 06:32pm
In a conversation that started on Tuesday at 07:03pm
Tuesday at 07:04pm
No no @ndw - I still love #Docbook! I have been responsible for a few Word users to move to Docbook if I do say so
myself!—@harveybetty
In a conversation that started on Wednesday at 02:44am
Wonder at what point a train stops being delayed and starts being next timetables
service.—@JeniT
In a conversation that started on Wednesday at 07:15am
Do Mac users out there find reflections/glare from the glossy display to be a problem?
Wondering if I need an antiglare screen.—@james_clark
@james_clark Glare bothers me with anti-glare screens. On glossy screen, I don't think it would
bother me, it would drive me mad.—@avernet
@james_clark I worried about glare before my last purchase (they didn't offer antiglare), but
it's never bothered me in practice.—@ndw
@james_clark Happy with it. Plus when the MB is off, I actually use it as a mirror when practicing
drums to check my technique (no joke). :)—@vojtechtoman
@james_clark go for the anti-glare... Glossy is for video, not for text.—@andrewwelch
@james_clark re glare ... though at first a bit strange it ceased to be an issue past the first
few days—@xquery
@james_clark I have 2 macbooks that I currently use, one glossy & one antiglare. I won't never
buy a glossy ever again!—@fgeorges
@james_clark that said, I'm not sure what the trade-offs are getting the antiglare screen. I'm
guessing you lose some vibrancy and contrast—@jtauber
@james_clark i rarely find myself in situations where it matters, but when it does, the reflections
can be bad.—@jtauber
In a conversation that started on Wednesday at 07:17am
The worlds most expensive cat toy? (You know, it probably isn't.) RT @RussBhttp://bit.ly/ctekWL (Awesome!)—@ndw
@ndw Zooey has already given the pad two paws up. It attracts cat hair like mad, too,
so double cat bonus!—@JeanKaplansky
Wednesday at 07:25am
"I want 'HyperCard Touch.' And a pony." http://www.devwhy.com/blog/2010/4/12/its-all-about-the-framework.html—@ndw
In a conversation that started on Wednesday at 07:28am
If I tell Sprint I'm interested in the HTC EVO 4G phone, they ask me if I'm interested
in NASCAR. Uhm. No, but thanks for asking, I guess.—@ndw
In a conversation that started on Wednesday at 07:30am
♺@codinghorror boilerplate legalese email footers are like sending a giant '<-- I'M WITH STUPID'
in every message—@ndw
Wednesday at 07:36am
Carrying a library like that around on a tablet is very appealing. But I think I can
wait for the competition. http://bit.ly/9qzkBK—@ndw
Wednesday at 08:04am
In a conversation that started on Wednesday at 08:11am
RT @ericneumann: RT Why Is Coffee in Paris So Bad? http://nyti.ms/bEdZxq (via @simon_frantz)—@bblfish
Wednesday at 09:19am
if your excuse is "I don't have time to learn it", you're saying you've gone so long
without learning anything that you've forgotten how.—@bphogan
Wednesday at 10:27am
RT @ndw: ♺@codinghorror boilerplate legalese email footers are like sending a giant '<-- I'M WITH STUPID'
in every message—@sss4r
Wednesday at 10:45am
Beginning a series of commits for my first actual feature. Anyone want to take odds
that I break the build? No, me neither.—@ndw
Wednesday at 10:53am
Halfway through the commits and CVS goes pear shaped. Have I said how much I *hate*
CVS recently?—@ndw
Wednesday at 12:00pm
In a conversation that started on Wednesday at 01:17pm
"The joy of tax": http://tinyurl.com/yfd6g5v "the equivalent of 3.8m skilled workers full-time" #economist—@ebruchez
In a conversation that started on Wednesday at 03:39pm
I see how it's a win for Twitter to get a credibility boost from the Library of Congress,
but what's in it for them to curate this ephemera?—@ndw
@ndw What was in it for the LoC to keep these new fangled color photographs? http://bit.ly/27If We don't know what will mater in 60 years.—@gcarothers
Wednesday at 05:41pm
I like @adriana872 's definition "an Ad is a recommendation from someone you don't trust" @dickc #chirp—@kevinmarks
In a conversation that started on Wednesday at 11:27pm
All future historians will learn from Twitter is that at one time in the past, people
had too much time on their hands.—@shelleypowers
@dpawson @shelleypowers Yeah. On the other hand: http://twitter.com/gcarothers/status/12183328164—@ndw
@ndw Yes, but to put it into context: the LoC doesn't have the nude bathtub photo of me
at age 2 ;-) @dpawson @gcarothers—@shelleypowers
@shelleypowers: So.... where do we find that Shelley? ... runs—@dpawson
@dpawson I was a very cute baby. Then I grew up and became a demon.—@shelleypowers
@shelleypowers Like Civil War letters, we may learn the most from the most mundane.—@gcarothers
@gcarothers I enjoy the chit chat on Twitter, but think storing my burbles for posterity is a
waste of bits. But, if others are happy, cool—@shelleypowers
@gcarothers But the Civil Letters only reflected the views and impressions of a certain class
of society. Only the educated and well to do—@shelleypowers
@shelleypowers Sadly no, that would be cute ;) Just think Lincoln in the Bath at age 4. On the other
hand they do have: http://bit.ly/asbF2j—@gcarothers
@gcarothers I imagine that was taken by the FSA. Many of the LOC photos are FSA. These were from
pros, specifically to record events—@shelleypowers
Thursday at 07:14am
Apple claims to have repaired my noisy laptop by cleaning the fans. I'm cautiously
optimistic. But what if they have the new MBP's in stock?—@ndw
In a conversation that started on Thursday at 07:15am
Throwing that apple core in my office trash can seemed like a good idea...several
days ago. Today, not so much.—@ndw
Thursday at 01:44pm
more execs need to understand this: "If you have a yes man working for you, one of
you is redundant." (Colin Powell)—@annbass
Thursday at 03:09pm
"It's so much easier to find good weird these days." http://bit.ly/9MzMTT—@ndw
Thursday at 03:21pm
. @Sagaraghosa (my mum): 'it's very dangerous saying anything in this household, because it'll just
go on twitter' QED—@JeniT
Thursday at 05:41pm
Wrote an #xmlcalabash wrapper for Drew Noakes' metadata-extractor. One step closer to Flickr uploads!—@ndw
Thursday at 07:00pm
In a conversation that started on Thursday at 08:54pm
@al3x Without any details and with an asinine conspiracy theory, that post can only help
the App Store-improvement effort :|—@mrgan
@nevenmrgan "Improvement effort?" I wasn't aware this was a community endeavor. Is there a bake
sale? Anyway, I rephrased.—@al3x
@al3x The conspiracy theorizing sure seems like a community effort, communal tea and underground
movement flag and all :)—@mrgan
@nevenmrgan I'm not sure what the conspiracy theory is here. Apple won't even bend their policies
for an educational tool. Fact, not theory.—@al3x
@al3x What programming tool or code interpreter is not educational. I know, Scratch is
targeted at edu, but still.—@gruber
Thursday at 10:05pm
"Thoreau says the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. Not programmers, though.
They lead lives of really loud desperation."—@codinghorror
In a conversation that started on Friday at 05:27am
In a conversation that started on Friday at 05:29am
RT @computers_book: DocBook 5: The Definitive Guide - by @ndw and @richardhamiltonhttp://tinyurl.com/y7np8gv—@livetechdocs
@livetechdocs By "Walsh Norman". Thanks Amazon. I wonder if it's worth trying to get that fixed.—@ndw
@ndw Well it's your name, it's worth a try :) If it doesn't work out, don't worry. Anyone
interested in Docbook 5 knows who you are.—@livetechdocs
Friday at 07:08am
Moving Lightroom Catalogs around. Copying data. Since I have to go to the bank, might
as well swap the offsite backup drives...—@ndw
Friday at 07:24am
Dark days, yes. http://bit.ly/9v4F0W—@ndw
Friday at 09:13am
So black holes are the universe's mark & sweep garbage collector? How cool is that.—@kendall
In a conversation that started on Friday at 09:57am
Oh #arse! Just realised I'd never see a space shuttle launch. That was on my list to do before
I died. Need replacement space-related item.—@adamburmister
@adamburmister Yeah, I had the disappointing realization myself a few weeks ago.—@ndw
@ndw Researching now: 3 more daytime launches to go, it seems: http://spacelaunchinfo.com/faq.html#shuttleup Get in quick! #bucketlist—@adamburmister
@adamburmister Yes, I know about those. Unfortunately, I have conflicting engagements around each.
*Major pout*—@ndw
In a conversation that started on Friday at 11:42am
"Is there a use case for that?" is the new "Fuck you."—@zeldman
Friday at 12:37pm
In a conversation that started on Friday at 12:47pm
I wonder if I shd wait for OS X to support TRIM before getting the (expensive) SSD?
OTOH, do I care if it's slow if it consumes less power?—@ndw
Friday at 12:57pm
Friday at 01:28pm
In a conversation that started on Friday at 02:09pm
Reviewing legacy code the does neither what it's named nor what its comments say.—@MattioV
In a conversation that started on Friday at 02:23pm
Just had a Rueben with horseradish, thanks to @littleidea for the idea: http://flic.kr/p/7TWNdp—@cote
In a conversation that started on Friday at 06:42pm
The Apple Store couldn't do the faster HD or SSD. Lucky me. Err, for some definition
of lucky, I guess.—@ndw
@ndw Now you can get an X-25 SSD third party!—@gcarothers
@gcarothers I suppose. But I meant lucky in the sense that I was able to resist buying one. Today,
at least.—@ndw
Saturday at 07:11am
I just read the words "faith rights" in Hansard. What the fuck? PROTIP: s/religion/football
team/g and see if it still makes sense.—@tommorris
In a conversation that started on Saturday at 07:56am
no recorded msg and no queue at #ryanair now. It just rings and no one answers. Worse?—@adamretter
@adamretter you're in the Canarys and so this is a problem why?—@ndw
Saturday at 10:05am
@ndw meetings and presentations will be missed. oh hangon, yeah, your right!—@adamretter
Saturday at 10:06am
Saturday at 01:42pm
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: excellent.—@ndw
Saturday at 02:35pm
My "magsafe" power brick just gave out. I wonder if that's a hint.—@ndw
In a conversation that started on Sunday at 06:38am
Surveying the damage to the fence and the bird feeders, I have to conclude: bear.—@ndw
In a conversation that started on Sunday at 10:34am
@ndw Bear attack not random. "Big bear hug" of ex-Sun technology/-ists http://bit.ly/cj8x6D not a metaphor but rather a euphemism—@jclip
Sunday at 06:49pm
Oh, Spotify, "Massive R&B" is not for me, thanks. I'd rather stab myself in the eye
with Amy Winehouse's used smack needles. Thanks anyway.—@tommorris