A human-size squirrel? No, apparently it’s a wombat. (Image from this Twitter page.)
Scala, Java, Unix, MacOS tutorials (page 182)
The Andromium Superbook is a cool multi-million dollar Kickstarter project. From their website: “The Superbook is a shell that turns your Android smartphone into a complete laptop.”
Presumably because my immune system is weakened, my tongue turned green this week. Here’s a self-portrait.
Yesterday a bear cub was seen wandering around Boulder, Colorado, with the police following shortly behind him (or her).
(Photo from this twitter page.)
The book, The Old Zen Master, by Trevor Leggett isn’t one of my personal favorites, but this quote seems appropriate for this time of year:
We sweep up the fallen leaves in the garden,
But we don’t hate the trees for dropping them.
I don’t know too much about salting, hashing, and encryption, but it always upsets me when I see a “Your password is too similar to a previous one” message like this, because I assumed that whoever was showing this message was storing my passwords as plain text somewhere. This thread on Twitter, started by Anna Filina, addresses this topic.
The Chicago Cubs beats the San Francisco Giants in the 2016 NLDS last night by scoring four runs in the top of the ninth inning. Some Cubs fans at the game in S.F. flew the Cubs victory flag immediately after the win. One of my neighbors was flying the same flag off their balcony this morning, which was pretty neat to see.
Although a small woman physically, Dipa Ma was a giant of a meditation teacher.
While reading a book about her, it’s neat to see that while people use different practices and words, those who “go deep” all come to the same conclusion. This is a quote from her in the book, Dipa Ma: The Life and Legacy of a Buddhist Master:
“At each stage of enlightenment the fetters (hindrances) are extinguished, until (one day) they are gone. The fetters are related to birth in the same way that oil feeds the light of a lamp. As the oil becomes less and less, the light from the wick becomes less and less. When the oil is gone, the light is gone. Similarly, once the fetters are extinguished, the cycle of rebirth ends. From this, you can understand that birth and rebirth are in your hands.”
Fact of the day. (Image from this Twitter page.)
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings on strategy (from venturebeat.com):
“The thing that most people don’t understand about strategy is that strategy is pain,” said Hastings. “And if your strategy is not profoundly painful to you and uncomfortable, you’re not very strategic. … Really, strategy is a list of all the things you’re not doing.”
This “What’s in a mast cell?” slide by Tiffany Blackden implies that mast cells contain over 100 different molecules that a) protect the body, but b) also cause inflammation.
Yesterday’s Blue Origin in-flight “crew capsule” escape test is extremely cool. If you haven’t seen it yet, there’s an animation of what the test is supposed to accomplish starting just after 3:30, and then the launch is at 51:20. If you get tired of watching the launch, make sure you fast-forward to see the booster landing at the end:
Pro tip: “Foolish mortals” is a gender-neutral form of address.
(from this twitter page)
October, 2016: I’m pretty new to learning that I probably have Mast Cell Activation Disease (MCAD) — also known as Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) or just mast cell disease — and as I’m learning more about it, I’ve been wondering, “What is the difference between MCAS/MCAD and histamine intolerance?” In this article I’ll share what I’ve learned so far.
(Note: I take a little time to explain mast cell activation disease in this article. If you just want a quick overview, see the Summary section below.)
Matt Cassel, talking about New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick in this espn.com article:
My rookie year, I got crushed in the back by a corner blitz against the Giants. We’re playing them the next year in the last preseason game. He asks me, “OK, Cassel, what front do they like to bring the corner blitz from?” I had looked it up the night before, anticipating it. I said, “Coach, it’s an over.” And he goes, “Brady?” Well, you know immediately when he goes to the next guy: “Oh, no. Oh, no.” And Brady says, “An under.”
Then Bill goes, “Brady’s right. I don’t want to have to send your mother another note that says, ‘Dear Mrs. Cassel, we regret to inform you that your son got killed being a dumbass.’”
TIL that Season 8, Episode 1 of “House” is about mast cell disease. I found that tidbit in a great little book titled, My Crazy Life: A Humorous Guide to Understanding Mast Cell Disorders.
