2012-12-31

I try to avoid being a topic-specific blog.

I don’t want this to be a blog that is only about backpacking, or bikes, or Linux. I want to cover all of my interests – which range widely – in a way that others don’t (or can’t). I dislike it when other blogs publish long posts that only regurgitate what others wrote, or simply latch onto a popular topic without adding anything new to the discussion. I only began blogging again in September, which makes for a small selection of posts in this year’s archives to evaluate. Looking back, I’m pleased with the diversity of topics covered.

This article was modified 2018-12-31.

2012-12-29

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Talks from the 29th Chaos Communication Congress are beginning to appear online.

They can be downloaded from the official mirror or viewed on YouTube. There are a number of interesting talks that I’m planning to watch.

2012-12-23

micro, books

Foundation is the second-greatest science fiction series of all time.

(The greatest, of course, is Dune.) In 1973, the BBC recorded an 8-episode radio series of Asimov‘s Foundation Trilogy. The show is now in the public domain and available for download at the Internet Archive. It’s well done. When I read Foundation I failed to continue past the original trilogy into the later work. This show has encouraged me to revisit the books.

2012-12-21

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There's a lot of noise in this country about gun control right now.

People are impassioned on both sides, and much of what I’ve seen in the popular dialogue are people leaving behind rational discussion in favor of flaming the other. The Kontradictions blog has one of the most balanced pieces I’ve seen on the issue of an “assault weapons” ban.

(via Ben)

This article was modified 2012-12-22.

2012-12-19

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The Internet Archive is asking for donations.

They are trying to purchase another petabox (that’s one quadrillion bytes). Donations are being matched 3-for-1 till the end of the year, so now is a good time to give them money and support digital archiving.

2012-12-15

micro, avalanche

The most dangerous slope angles for avalanches are between 30 and 50 degrees.

Statistically, 38° is the “oh-my-god-we’re-all-gonna-die slope”. An inclinometer is a useful tool to carry to help evaluate the potential of a particular slope. There’s no replacing hands-on training, but Bruce Temper’s Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain is an excellent resource for learning more than you want to know about avalanches. (If you live in the northwest, you should give money to the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center. They do good work.)