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It seems that there are apps out there where developers believe that if the telemetry they use is “anonymous” (is it, really?), that they do not need to disclose to users that they use third party services to collect “information about how their app is used so they can improve it”. The developers belief that the third party they are paying is truthful in how the data is “anonymized” and how this information is being used somehow absolves them of sharing this information with their customers is deeply flawed. ...

Over 50 years ago, I started reading Doc Savage novels - more about that here. Today I finished the last one. After about 10 years of collecting Doc Savage, I stopped. After I retired, I acquired all the ones I was missing and started reading them in sequential order. There are over 180 novels in the series, and I read about 100 in the last few years. My 11 year old self would be proud. My 65 year old self feels pretty good, too.

I am a firm believer in costumes. Specifically, the correct costume for the correct task at hand. Most days will find me in Carhaart or Bjornklader jeans, Carhaart work shirt, Danner leather boots - as I am spending the day fixing or building things. When I am cleaning the house, you will find me in soft soled shoes or slippers and a t-shirt. When I am out shopping, the good clothes come out, including a vest with lots of pockets to hold all the stuff you need when venturing outside. When I am working on my vehicles, I will be in my vintage Big Mac coveralls - they are never used for anything except cars. When I worked from home, I always dressed like I was going to the office. I think the correct costume helps make the task “succeed” - lowers the friction point of the task at hand. ...

In the late 90s, in my very first career IT job, I found myself (a die-hard Mac guy) working in a design house that was 99% Windows, and a Microsoft “Preferred Vendor” to boot. I barely knew my way around Windows, and sure did not know the dark arts needed to manage a few NT 4 servers. There was no way I was qualified for this job, but in the late 90’s in Seattle you only needed a pulse to get a job in IT. ...

If you just want an OS on your pi that is basic (no GUI, etc) for running pi-hole or whatever, then here is a method I use that works for me. I don’t want to drag out a monitor and keyboard to set up a pi, either - I just want to put in the SD card, and put the pi where it will be used. This method does not require access to a keyboard and a monitor for the pi. ...

On episode 097 of Hemispheric Views, the crew had a “Duel of the Defaults!”, where the reigning champion user of the default applications provided by Apple, Martin Feld was challenged by up and comer Jason Burk, hosted and judged by Andrew Canion. I won’t spoil the outcome, but I thought I would join in and list my “defaults”, as well. So without further ado: Mail Client: Apple Mail Mail Server: iCloud custom domain Notes: Bear To-Do: Things (with some shared reminders in Reminders) iPhone Photo Shooting: Camera Photo Management: Photos Calendar: Calendar Cloud File Storage: iCloud RSS Reader: Reeder Contact Management: Contacts Browser: Safari Chat: iMessage and Discord Bookmarks: Raindrop.io Read it Later: GoodLinks Word Processing: IAWriter Spreadsheets: Numbers Presentations: Don’t do ‘em! Shopping Lists: Things, or a 3x5 note card Meal Planning: Nope. Budgeting and Personal Finance: GreenBooks News: see RSS Reader above Music: Albums - the app. I just love this app. Podcasts: Overcast Password Management: 1Password Family

Overheard from a shopkeeper who always wanted to visit Paris, and was leaving the next day to do exactly that: “I am trying to remove “eventually” from my vocabulary”.

Every time I read about rockets, I can’t stop thinking about Whitey on the Moon

Books follow you home and pry open your head and rearrange the things inside. 📚

Nostalgic November A story requested by the fantastic crew of Hemisperic Views @HemisphericViews on micro.blog. As I get older, there are many things that trigger a feeling of nostalgia. There are many past moments that are triggered by sights, sounds, smells, objects. But the one item that is most appropriate for Nostalgic November is my collection of Doc Savage paperbacks - a collection that was started on a rainy November afternoon, while visiting relatives in California. ...