All posts by erk

I love writing, computers, puns... and can sometimes be spiritual, or mindful.
Science and Technology

Why is “North” “Up” on a Map?

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Why is “north” “up” on a map?

I don’t understand the question…

By Tobias Jung [CC BY-SA 4.0], via map-projections.net
By Tobias Jung [CC BY-SA 4.0], via map-projections.net
By Strebe – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

Ok… it’s because the map makers (cartographers) that made the first maps drew them from “their perspective” and now, as you might have figured out from the above projections, it gets a bit hard to compare if it doesn’t continue somewhere along the same line…

Header image: By Strebe – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

Computers and Internet

Typical Support Case

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Here’s how a typical support case works after my colleagues started checking out like flies in November and my idea that management thought knowledge was transferred via some kind of “USB”-cable for programmers’ brains turned out to be enormously optimistic—the predominant theory seems to be that knowledge sticks to the walls… I’m hoping no one orders me to lick the walls…:

Customer: The system is broken! What’s wrong?

After lots of research in non-existing documentation and uncommented code following the “unnecessary surgery” doctrine of Ghostbusters (this relates both to the term itself and the performance of the actors in the linked clip…):

Me: The input is wrong…

Politics and Society, Talk

Three rules of self-defense

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Here are my three simple rules of self-defense. They can be applied without any self-defense training, only using a little common sense:

  1. Avoid places and situations where you need to defend yourself
  2. Move away from places and situations where you need to defend yourself, run if necessary
  3. If someone surprise attacks you, parry/break free using whatever technique you have at your disposal (hit them with your umbrella!), then see rule 2.

If you feel this limits your freedom, use your vote to change the situation, not your life!

Science and Technology

Covid-19 vaccine: Johnson & Johnson pauses trial after ‘unexplained illness’ – CNN

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“This is completely expected, and it’s just a reminder how ridiculous it is to try and meet a political timeline of having a vaccine before Nov. 3,” Jha told CNN’s Chris Cuomo.

Källa: Covid-19 vaccine: Johnson & Johnson pauses trial after ‘unexplained illness’ – CNN

I must say that I am shocked at reality’s unwillingness to submit to political agendas!