Have you ever heard of a «Pasigraphy», where written symbols refer to concepts rather than words or sounds? ࿊ Examples are emoji or, a symbolic language like Bliss symbols. We sometimes use it to indicate meaning or usage in database fields.
For example, fields used for ordering data might use omega Ω:
Symbol String
Meaning
Notes
ΩP
Pick order.
Order of records displayed in a record picker.
Ω☼
Calendar order.
Order for display on calendar views. Orders within a day.
Ω○
Select order.
Order for index column item selection.
You can go crazy with it, but, sometimes might drive yourself crazy trying to remember what they mean, if you use it too much.
RC Logr 20190718 175035 - Have you ever heard of a …Rick Cogley
It is July already, and this month on «Tanabata» on the 7th, my company eSolia turns 20! 🎊🎋
We are not out of the tsuyu rainy season yet, which is ironic since July is known as the waterless month by the old calendar. This month, I set the color palette on my Logr site thinking of cicadas or «semi no ha» color. When it stops raining, the birds and insects will come out in force.
Technically speaking, I am using Hugo Pipes to automatically generate the css from sass code with color variables that define the color palette for the month.
Troy Hunt talks about the future of Have I Been Pwned, «Project Svalbard», after the seeds bank in the Arctic Circle. This effort is so important, and I hope he finds it a good home. 🌱
RC Logr 20190616 080509 - Troy Hunt talks about the …Rick Cogley
Welcome to June, already a month into the Reiwa 令和 Era in Japan, and we are probably in rainy season too (mildew, oh joy). The color palette on my Logr site this month was picked thinking of «nae 苗», rice seedlings in the wet paddy fields we see all over the Japan countryside in June. 💐🌦
Technically speaking, I am using Hugo Pipes to automatically generate the css from sass code with color variables that define the color palette for the month.
Here is a practical look at how Maciej Cegłowski (@pinboard) tried to get normal people to practice better security, during a congressional campaign. Read it and learn something. 🔐
RC Logr 20190528 115216 - Here is a practical look at …Rick Cogley
Like reading a system log where we cannot really assess motive by its entries, we also should not oversimplify body language to a «this therefore that» equation. Former FBI agent Joe Navarro explains in this informative video. 🕵🏻
RC Logr 20190524 164948 - Like reading a system log …Rick Cogley
«Le Grand KG», a small cylinder of 90% platinum and 10% iridium located in a Paris basement, that has been the prototype for a kilogram since 1889, is no more. It served as the IPK for 130 years, and was replaced on 20th May 2019 by a calculation based on the Planck constant. This video at NIST explains it. ℏ
Planck’s Constant:6.626068 × 10^-34 m^2 kg / s
RC Logr 20190522 075900 - «Le Grand KG», a small …Rick Cogley
Learned about an interesting shell called «elvish» today. It includes pipelines that can carry both text and structured data, c-like syntax and control structures, and built-in file manager, directory history and command history. Now I just need to find time to try it! 🧝🏻
RC Logr 20190518 083534 - Learned about an interesting …Rick Cogley
Static Site Generator Hugo has a relatively new «append» command made possible because of a golang upgrade, that lets you replace clumsier scratch constructs, which themselves were workarounds to begin with. I tried it for generating a search index for my logr site and it works as expected. Shiny! 🌞 The code is below and this is the result.
Japan train stations now have announcements to stay behind the yellow «tenji burokku 点字ブロック braille blocks» when the trains are arriving, so I looked into it. 🕵🏻 There are two primary types - ones with a grid of bumps meant to indicate danger, like the edge of a train platform, and ones with elongated bars used to indicate direction. I found out a bunch of other interesting things to note:
They were invented in Japan by Seiichi Miyake 三宅 精一, and were first installed in Okayama, Japan on 18 March 1967 (18 March is «Tenji Block Day» in Okayama!). Miyake and his invention was even celebrated in a Google Doodle.
The governing standard in Japan is JIS T 9251, which states in summary that the blocks are to be at least a 30cm square, with either four bars of 17mm in width and 5mm height, or a 5x5 grid of dots 12mm in diameter and 5mm height. The bars are to be spaced 75mm apart measured from the bar’s center, and the dots 55-60mm apart measured from a dot’s center. The blocks are usually 30, or 40mm square.
They go by various names, originally tenji burokku 点字ブロック which translates as «braille block», or generically as «tactile paving blocks» or «tactile walking surface indicators» per ISO ISO 23599:2012. People in Japan associated with construction shorten it to tenburo 点ブロ.
As for materials, there are paving blocks that have the hard yellow rubber tactile bits attached, others that are made of what looks like brushed steel or sometimes a different color rubber (aesthetic reasons?), and still others that are simply an overlay rubber cover that is probably glued to the street.
While on the whole I think they are a good thing, a friend who came to Japan had never seen them in such concentration, and said they are annoying and get in the way of dragging your suitcase. This is true. There were some arguments against, cited on wikipedia, and I have seen a couple of statements that mobility impaired people can trip over them, or that the cause trouble for wheelchair users. I guess not asking disabled folks what they want or need is a kind of “blindsplaining”, isn’t it.
RC Logr 20190514 083832 - Japan train stations now have …Rick Cogley
Ars says Nest died at Google I/O 2019. The current unbridled investment culture where product ecosystems are bought then destroyed, should make you nervous. 😬 Any great or disruptive product or service is an acquisition target, because what business owner can resist quick riches. It assumes our acceptance and trust of the massive companies doing the acquiring. Do you really trust them?
RC Logr 20190511 081114 - Ars says Nest died at Google …Rick Cogley
Reading this article from EasyDNS about Network Solutions scammy business practices, I am reminded that I moved our domains and my client domains off Network Solutions for just these reasons. I have not regretted the decision. Better to avoid anything netsol. 😖
RC Logr 20190509 075011 - Reading this article from …Rick Cogley
Todd Austin and colleagues at The U of Michigan, have developed the unhackable chip «MORPHEUS», which randomly shuffles bits of its own code, defeating hackers by changing even while they try to exploit it. They say it is akin to a Rubiks Cube that changes itself every time you blink. 🤖
RC Logr 20190508 081521 - Todd Austin and colleagues at …Rick Cogley
Microsoft is shipping a Linux kernel in «Windows Subsystem for Linux WSL 2». That is pretty astounding news. It means faster startup for the system, faster file io operations like git clone or npm install and even use of Docker. ㊗️
RC Logr 20190507 182133 - Microsoft is shipping a Linux …Rick Cogley
We are back at work after a long, long Golden Week. Well that will not happen for another 30 years! Learned about an interesting device today, the Sensel Morph. Nifty! 🎼
RC Logr 20190507 175601 - We are back at work after a …Rick Cogley
PSA: A hacker is wiping git repositories and demanding bitcoin ransom. Git config files were scanned for credentials, then used to access and alter git commit headers. If this happened to you, ask your friendly git provider’s support team for help.
If it hasn’t, change your password to a stronger one, enable 2FA of course, and KonMari any unused API tokens. See? That should have sparked some joy for ya. 👻
RC Logr 20190505 063647 - PSA: A hacker is wiping git …Rick Cogley
Welcome to May, the beginning of the Reiwa 令和 Era in Japan. The color palette on my Logr site this month was picked thinking of the off white of the Deutzia, or «U-no-hana 卯の花», a type of hydrangea, as well as the beautiful greens of late spring. It has rained most of our specially long golden week, but we have had a couple days of sun. 💐
Not to forget the technical aspect, I am using Hugo Pipes to automatically generate the css from sass code with color variables that define the color palette for the month.