Month: March 2018

“Alexa, stop laughing at me”

This story really tickles me for some reason. Maybe it’s because of the sudden seeming obsession with and elevation of AI as a very important thing, coupled with prominent people like Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk warning about our grim SkyNET future if we don’t keep an eye on it.

You can find this story all over but here’s Ars Technica’s: Unprompted, creepy laughter from Alexa is is freaking out Echo owners

In short, Amazon’s Echo smart speaker is randomly laughing due to a bug. It sounds like the start of a horror movie.

The kitchen is quiet. You’ve just come home from work and set your keys on the counter. You haven’t turned on the lights yet, so it’s dark, the only light filtering in through the closed curtain over the sink. You don’t notice the soft glowing edge of the Amazon Echo over on the far end of the counter. But the moment the keys hit that same counter you hear it. A laugh. You swivel around, startled. It stops and you turn back and notice the lit-up ring on the top of the Echo. Did they keys wake it up? That shouldn’t be possible.

And even if it did, why would it laugh?

You stand for a few seconds to see if anything else happens. It remains quiet, so you flick on the light switch. And hear the laughter again. This time you are looking directly at the Echo and it’s clearly the source of the laughter. You’ve never heard Alexa laugh before. It’s unnerving and illogical. You think it must be a bug. You’ll look it up later on the internet (suddenly the thought of using Alexa for the task is incredibly unappealing). For now you decide to unplug it. You’ve just come home from work. You want to relax, not be harassed by a defective hundred dollar AI. You reach behind the Echo to pull the plug and wonder what you’d do if it kept laughing after…

Curious people at Disneyland (thanks to Street View)

The last time I went to Disneyland was in 1982. I was 17 years old and Trudeau was prime minister.

Today, 36 years later, I am not 17 and Trudeau is still prime minister. Okay, his son is, which is kind of weird.

Anyway, Google now offers Street View for a bunch of Disney parks (because they have a bunch now, instead of just the two they had back in 1982) as this story on The Verge points out. I immediately felt the pull of nostalgia draw me to the Disneyland map and while I’m familiar with the many changes made since I was last there, it is another thing to “walk” around and see them.

For every part that looked familiar–the Matterhorn is still the Matterhorn–there were as many that were completely new or dramatically changed. Tomorrowland is almost unrecognizable compared to its 1982 counterpart. Back then it went for a more realistic, science approach. Today it’s basically Star Wars rides with a few others sprinkled around. Space Mountain survives and still dominates the skyline with its 1970s future aesthetic–imposing and a bit sterile, clean lines that say “this is serious stuff,” which was kind of funny given that it’s a rollercoaster.

The People Mover is sort of gone–for some reason they never removed the elevated rail, which has that same 1970s future look that Space Mountain has. I’m sad that it’s gone. It was a strangely soothing experience to ride around in.

But what inspired this post were the people in these Street View shots. Google blurs the faces, but it’s not the faces I am interested in. It’s the crowds. The mapping was done in August 2017, which is prime tourist season, and the place is jammed, far more than I ever remember it. Also there seems to be about a million strollers parked all over. They either have a massive stroller service or people are bringing a massive number of very young kids to the park. Also, the general size of people has…uh…grown.

Mostly, though, I noticed these two as I was virtually strolling about.

First is “What did I step on?” kid:

Stepped in it or preparing to crush under heel?

Zooming in, it sort of looks like there’s something on the ground–gum, maybe? I’m not sure. He seems fully enthralled by it.

Also drinking blue bathroom cleaner. Also also the Google text is not actually in Disneyland, just Street View.

The next one is more straightforward. Here a man has found sanctuary from the sun, the crowds and the tens of thousands of strollers. At first glance he almost appears to be experiencing quiet anguish…

Traumatized? Perhaps. But look closer…

But then you realize he has taken his shoes off, suggesting he is merely resting his tired feet. And head. And everything else. Or perhaps the shoes are the source of his trauma and he is caught up in the existential dread of how can he leave the park without any shoes on his feet?

Shoes off. This is a man resting in a cozy nook. That’s my story, anyway.

Anyway, the pseudo-tour of Disneyland left me feeling a mix of sadness for the quaint park that was (not to mention my youth, though not my hair) and a deepening realization on how change is constant and inevitable.

I’d still like to go back someday, though, assuming the U.S, doesn’t meltdown before I get a chance.

Book review: Let’s Get Digital: How to Self-Publish, And Why You Should

Let's Get Digital: How To Self-Publish, And Why You Should (Third Edition)Let’s Get Digital: How To Self-Publish, And Why You Should by David Gaughran
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Let’s Get Digital is a concise, current and captivating collection of considerations on why and especially how you might go about self-publishing your books. It also doesn’t suffer from the terrible alliteration I used in the previous sentence. Sorry about that.

Author David Gaughran has updated his book with this third edition and considering the changes that have occurred since the first edition in 2010, it’s a thoughtful and interesting look back at the early days of self-publishing (through ebooks rather than a vanity press) and an excellent primer on what the current market is like. Gaughran covers the pros (many) and cons (a few) of self-publishing and doesn’t just focus exclusively on Amazon, acknowledging that other online stores exist. He highlights where you may want to spend money (editing, a good book cover) and advises against the necessity of many things that don’t apply to those working outside the traditional model of publishing.

He backs up his advice with anecdotes, both personal and at the conclusion of the book where 30 self-published authors share their successes, along with statistics on the growth of indie publishing. Likewise, he offers detailed advice on pricing, researching your market/genre and provides a good set of resources for further investigation and follow-up.

If you write and have toyed with the idea of self-publishing, it’s hard not to be enthused about the prospect after reading Let’s Get Digital. This is an excellent, clearly-written primer and highly recommended to aspiring authors looking to break into the burgeoning world of indie fiction (and non-fiction).

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Run 570: Hello legs

Run 570
Average pace: 5:27/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Start: 2:06 pm
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 27:29
Weather: Cloudy with some sun
Temp: 5ºC
Humidity: 72%
Wind: light
BPM: 162
Weight: 169 pounds
Total distance to date: 4435 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone 8

Answering the question, “How well will a run go if I take three weeks off?” with “I’m pretty sure my legs are going to be super-stiff tomorrow but otherwise not bad!”

The only runs I’ve done since February 10th were three on the treadmill ranging from about 12-120 minutes total and the last of those was almost two weeks ago. Since then I’ve done almost no exercising at all while battling a cold.

The cold is largely vanquished now and I actually wasn’t feeling bad at all after yesterday’s unplanned 16 km walk, so I set off to the river under a semi-cloudy sky, bundled up with two layers up top because it hovered around 5ºC.

I had no expectations, I just wanted to get through and keep my BPM under 170. I ended with a pace of 5:27/km, only a few seconds off from February 10th’s run, which is pretty good, and my BPM was actually lower than that run, coming in at 162. I was also tubbier today, a fairly chunky 169 pounds. That’s like 500 stones or something. A lot of stones. The weight was a not-insignificant factor in prompting me to get out.

Along the way I felt a few minor creaks but nothing really of note. The left knee was fine. I experienced a bit of cramping right near the end, but that was probably a combination of me pushing to end the run and also an impending bowel movement. I swear my bodily functions are now wired directly to running.

Overall, a pleasing result after a long stint off. With Daylight Saving Time starting next week, I should be able to start doing runs after work pretty soon, too, so woot for that. 150 (pounds) here I come! (And also no more snacking, I swear-ish.)

The long way to the shopping mall

Today it was pleasant and mild and I went to Lougheed Mall, except I decided semi-spontaneously to detour a bit at Burnaby Lake, to see what the trail is like in anticipation of actually maybe running there again soon™.

I got distracted by the sun or something and ended up doing a full loop around the lake. I know my legs will regret this tomorrow as I am definitely not in peak condition after no exercise for the past week and a half.

Still, it was nice to be back there. The trail was in good shape, with only a few dabs of snow here and there, mostly off to the sides. A few sections have been patched up, which was nice to see.

Signs reported a delay in the construction of the new bridge at Still Creek, but the supports for it are now in place. It will sit directly east of the current bridge. They still say there will be no access for three weeks, but I’m reasonably confident they’ll finish early. I’m curious to see what the new bridge will look like. I’m pretty sure I have a photo or two of the current one around somewhere.

Speaking of photos, here’s a shot on the north side of the lake, just before you get to the fork for the Spruce Loop, approaching from the west. I actually sweated! My average pace was 9:26/km, which is fairly zippy considering how inactive I’ve been. The total walk, in which I stopped only to pee (twice) took just over two hours and thirty-two minutes. Surprisingly my feet never got sore. My left knee did, which proves it may just be a thing now–I’ll ask my doctor about it when I see him in a few weeks. The knee recovers fairly quickly, though.

Scenery:

Burnaby Lake March 3, 2018

I like shots like this because you can pretend you’re actually in the woods and not in the middle of a huge urban sprawl.

Also, I hate to say this, Apple, but I honestly don’t see a difference in the images from my iPhone 8 compared to my iPhone 6. I know they should be better and maybe they are better, but I ain’t seeing it. They’re still nice! And I’m willing to admit I have pretty much no eye for photography. I point the camera (or phone), try to hold still and press the button. Caveman photography, basically.

Quest for a new laptop, Part 1

The most important parts of a laptop, from my perspective:

  • Keyboard. I use laptops primarily for writing, so the keyboard is paramount
  • Display. This is #2 because I am going to be looking at the screen intently, riveted by my deathless prose, and I need a sharp, high-resolution display. It doesn’t need to be 4K and probably shouldn’t be, given how it affects battery life. Speaking of…
  • Battery. I need enough battery to allow me to use the laptop multiple times throughout the day without needing to plug it in. The ideal is 10 hours, as this provides plenty of breathing room based on my typical usage.
  • Trackpad. A mediocre trackpad can make editing infuriating. I shouldn’t need to add a mouse to make the laptop feel usable. On the other hand, I can use a mouse if I really need to.
  • Light and compact. I don’t want something that I feel I’m lugging around. At the same time I don’t mind a bit of extra heft if it means not sacrificing anything else on this list.
  • SSD. This is pretty standard these days. It insures that loading programs and saving files happens fast, to minimize disruption.
  • CPU. A Core i5 of some sort is usually good enough. Faster is always better but here it’s more nice than essential.
  • Ports. I don’t really plug a lot of things in, so a wide port selection isn’t necessary. At least a couple of USB-C ports is nice, though lacking those I’d want at least a USB Type A and maybe something to connect to an external monitor, like mini-DP or HDMI.

Everything else would come after this. For a Windows laptop a touch screen is nice to have but not essential, as is the 2-in-1 form factor. I don’t really watch any media on a laptop so have little need for a tent mode. Being able to draw in a tablet mode can be handy at times, but again is merely nice to have.

What laptops meet these criteria? Next post!

February 2018 weight loss report: Up 2.2 pounds

There is no positive way to spin these (fat) figures, but I will offer a few caveats:

  • I was sick for the last week of the month and did no exercise, ate about the same and was generally slothful during this time
  • um, that’s about it. I was going to say I had fewer days this month to lose weight, but I also had fewer days to gain weight, but I managed the latter handily

On the bright side, I did manage to remain donut-free and reduced my general snack intake. I obviously did not eliminate it, as the numbers below attest. I did slow the rate of weight gain, which will be a nice precursor to actual weight loss…this month. Yes, this month. March is Weight Loss Month. Slim is in. Svelte is the new black.

February 1: 164.9 pounds
February 28: 167.5 pounds (+2.2 pounds for the month)

Year to date: From 162.3 to 167.5 pounds (up 5.2 pounds)

And the body fat:

January 1: 18.5% (30.2 pounds of fat)
February 28: 19% (32 pounds of fat–up 1.8 pounds)