unclebobmartin

I had to look this up. Berners-Lee coined his SOLID movement a few years after I coined the SOLID principles. That made me smile. But that’s just my own conceit.

2025-04-30 12:10:03

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Precisely. It is utterly insane for programmers to communicate with a database by constructing strings in an arcane language that is then compiled in real time. Not only does this open a whole bunch of bizarre, security holes, it’s just plain dumb. We are programmers, we communicate with our libraries using functions and data structures, not strings that have a syntax that was designed 50 years ago for non-programmers to use.

2025-04-30 12:05:26

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I’ve never used Mongo DB. I have no problem with the relational model per se. My issue with SQL is that it is text based and compiled in real time. That makes it a huge security concern. It’s also just really inconvenient for programmers to have to construct sequel statements using a text library. In general databases should be accessed through a software API — a library of function calls that are driven by data structures that cannot be compiled in real time.

2025-02-04 20:11:06

So much winning!

2025-01-29 15:03:13

https://x.com/unclebobmartin/status/1884616251047108741

2025-01-22 19:25:12

James Grenning is the person in my network who is most connected to the Embedded world. He does a lot of training in that space. Do you need an introduction?

2025-01-21 15:24:38

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Good advice.
From: (zaff) at 01/21 09:08
> Don't trust any government. Power corrupts.
CC: #[4]

2025-01-21 14:53:25

It's done. Biden is gone. Trump is in office. The horrors of the last four years will be repaired and reversed.

2025-01-18 13:43:57

https://youtu.be/BL9Pup8wSeM?si=H7wIeRfdVMLqYNpt

2025-01-15 13:48:03

If California democrats actually believed that the Climate Crisis increased the risk of wildfires, then they would have done something to mitigate that risk. They might not be able to stop the Chinese from building coal fired power plants, but they could have managed the dry fuel that was blanketing the hills around LA. They might not be able to force everyone in India to drive electric cars, but they could have kept their own water reservoirs full. They might not be able to stop the Saudis from pumping oil, but they could have increased the funding of their fire and water departments.
But they didn't do any of those things. And so either they are supremely incompetent, or they don't actually believe in the Climate Crisis, or (and I think this to be the most likely case) both.

2025-01-07 14:36:17

Given the recent changes at Meta, I wonder if all the lefties will abandon Facebook for BlueFace.

2025-01-06 18:12:50

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Horrors!
From: (bartholinNewYea...) at 01/05 07:21
> oh no, nostr was created by cryptobros and uncle bob
CC: #[4]

2024-12-15 17:21:17

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Yes, and you will see a small bit of clojure in the book. Most of the examples are in Java, Python, Go, Ruby, and a few others.
It's been 16 years, and lots has changed in the industry. So a lot of the old chapters are rewritten, and there are quite a few new chapters. Fun stuff.
From: (marcos) at 12/15 10:09
> looking forward to it. is it influenced by your recent contact with clojure and functional programming?
CC: #[4]
CC: #[5]

2024-12-14 18:20:23

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Maybe they'll read the second edition. I'm working on that now.
From: (marcos) at 12/14 11:52
> not enough OO engineers read clean code from Uncle Bob

2024-12-08 17:58:58

test

2024-12-02 15:10:45

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Actually, I think the latter was the intent all along. Look up Coranline Ada Ehmke.
From: RichNost<-DerekRoss at 12/01 13:56
> CoC's are ostensibly about preventing unproductive, rude discussions, but inevitably they become cudgels with which a minority of aggrieved sociopaths get to play out revenge fantasies.
CC: #[4]

2024-12-01 19:48:29

The WG21 Question.
C++ Standards Contributor Banned For Using Word "Question" https://youtu.be/Ebz4ev_B2ec?si=ntDL7ySe3sZnkCXP

2024-12-01 19:47:40

The WG21 Question.
Announcement! There's a new C++ Standard.
If any class name, method name, variable name, namespace name, file name, or any sequence of characters in a comment, or in any other part of the text of a C++ program matches the regular expression:
"The .* Question"
Then the compiler will delete the entire current directory and all subdirectories, and then send emails to everyone in the user's contact list, and everyone in the C++ community, and post on facebook, TikTok, and BlueSky (But not on X!) about what an awful misogynistic, racist, homophobe, transphobe, probable extreme MAGA republican and Trump supporter, and "problematic person" the author is.
Then the triggered compiler, before deleting itself out of sheer self righteous indignation, will, in a frenzy of outrage, play primal scream audio files, set fire to the keyboard in a mostly peaceful protest, splash tomato soup all over the office, and glue the mouse to the floor.
http://tomazos.com/ub_question_incident.pdf

2024-12-01 19:45:55

In my view this whole Cancel Culture attitude entered our industry through the back door of the "Code of Conduct" movement. CoC was the Trojan Horse. It gave petty little thought police the power they needed to ban and cancel people.
I think we need to rethink the whole CoC thing.

2024-12-01 19:45:27

I first subscribed to Scientific American in 1974. I voraciously read every issue. It was breathtaking and astounding. It has hard, and thrilling. I learned, and learned, and learned.
Fifty years later Scientific American has become an awful left wing rag. Science took a back seat to progressive politics. I canceled my subscription four years ago because I couldn’t tolerate the BS any longer.
Michael Schermer, the recreational mathematics columnist whom I avidly read for years, explains the devise of this once great publication.
The Scientific American Goes Woke + Laura Helmuth's Resignation. By Michael Schermer
https://youtu.be/l471fRbAbcs?si=CAi-LUxw2SVRqyUg

2024-12-01 19:44:11

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A bit corny; but I think the idea deserves it.
From: joanna<-NathanDay at 11/29 08:12
> great video from @npub19mu…jnft
> https://youtu.be/MaxXvcr181c
CC: #[4]
CC: #[5]

2024-11-25 16:18:11

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The answers are: JFK, LBJ, LBJ, FDR.
From: unclebobmartin at 11/24 10:56
> Thats one of the three.
>
> From: (sova) at 11/24 10:31
>
> > JFK?
>
> CC: #[4]
CC: #[5]
CC: #[6]

2024-11-24 16:56:57

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Thats one of the three.
From: (sova) at 11/24 10:31
> JFK?
CC: #[4]

2024-11-24 16:20:43

Name that President:
* Had an affair with a 16 year old virgin intern in the presidential bed.
* Dropped Trou in front of the cabinet, grabbed his organ, and asked: "Does <foreign leader> have anything like this?"
* Forced aides he didn't like to take notes while he sat on the crapper.
* Refused his wife offer of divorce after a lurid affair with her social secretary because his mother threatened to cut him off financially and politically.

2024-11-17 00:27:40

I've never experienced anything like this. The firehose just keeps on pumping. This team is moving hard and fast. It's clear they've got an agenda that they will push hard and fast to get done.
My only quibble is Gaetz. I didn't like his antics and grandstanding over Kevin McCarthy. But I'm on board with everybody else. It's great to see RFK and Tulsi (two previous democrats who ran for president) on the team. I'm completely on board with DOGE (Go Elon!). I think Hegseth brings the right attitude (lethality) to the military. Rubio is great as SecState. Huckabee is ideal as Ambassador to Israel. I could go on...
Usually the week after the election is boring. This week has been anything but; and it has been glorious.
Strap in! This is going to be a wild ride. And it's about time.

2024-11-14 22:09:44

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(sigh)
From: TheGuySwann<-l0rinc at 11/14 15:03
> These people are such violent, hateful religious zealots that it's actually fascinating from an anthropological perspective.
>
> The process of becoming this crazy and brainwashed legit deserves a thorough analysis.
>
> https://v.nostr.build/E4ICvacWfdyVuKb0.mp4

2024-11-14 22:07:36

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Couldn't be worse than the current one.
From: BITKARROT at 11/14 15:45
> about stinkin time. now he just needs to clean and sweep house. Fire them all.
CC: #[4]

2024-11-03 22:21:45

Why I voted for Trump.
During his first term:
* The economy was good,
* Worker's wages were increasing,
* We were energy independent and approaching energy dominance.
* There were no new wars,
* Immigration was decreasing and under control,
* NATO began to contribute their fair share,
* Peace was breaking out in the Middle East.
And the Democrats:
* Concocted the Russian Collusion Hoax
* Spied on his campaign and presidency.
* Impeached him for looking into Biden's treason.
* Suppressed the Biden Laptop.
I could go on. I'm happy to answer any questions.

2024-11-03 22:03:02

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At last! Success! 20,000 sats to #[4] for Damus.
From: unclebobmartin at 10/31 11:5
> :-\ Not yet...
>
> From: vrod<-DerekRoss at 10/31 11:54
>
> > He says today his node should be up and running again hopefully! Thanks for your continued support Bob! 💜
>
> CC: #[5]
> CC: #[6]
CC: #[7]
CC: #[8]
CC: #[9]

2024-10-31 16:58:03

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:-\ Not yet...
From: vrod<-DerekRoss at 10/31 11:54
> He says today his node should be up and running again hopefully! Thanks for your continued support Bob! 💜
CC: #[4]
CC: #[5]

2024-10-30 13:48:57

I still can't zap #[1]. I need to pay him for Damus.

2024-10-29 14:30:51

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Apparently I need to upgrade my Alby wallet; but the instructions for that don't work... I was able to zap others with my old alby wallet, just not you. Grumble.
From: unclebobmartin at 10/29 09:13
> #[3] I cannot seem to zap you. Damus says invalid lightning address. I'll keep looking.
CC: #[4]

2024-10-29 14:13:37

#[1] I cannot seem to zap you. Damus says invalid lightning address. I'll keep looking.

2024-10-28 14:11:52

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There's a nice clojure library that wraps it. I got seduced by that. In the end, however, the statefulness of the framework is too big a cost to pay.
From: NathanDay at 10/28 09:06
> Honestly, I didn't think Swing was still a thing. I remember doing stuff at Uni with it about 25 years ago. 😂
CC: #[4]

2024-10-28 14:00:46

Once I'm done with these book projects I'm embroiled in, I think I'm going to embark upon a rewrite of more-speech. Using swing was a huge mistake. I'll be looking at a different UI technology.

2024-10-19 13:30:36

This was hysterical. Full throated belly laugh stuff.
Donald Trump full speech at Al Smith Dinner in New York City (Oct. 17, 2... https://youtu.be/XI0MUoW28VE?si=Pwj2SrpF6yiGM2du via
#[1]

2024-10-18 15:07:08

Today is a good day. Yahya Sinwar is dead!

2024-10-18 15:06:46

Baer: "How many illegals did you let in?"
Kamala: "Let's get right to the point. Arugula, tomatoes, julienne carrots, sliced radishes, and Donald Trump. Donald Trump, Donald Trump, Donald Trump..."
Baer: "Was it one million, two million,...?"
Kamala: "I WAS SPEEEEEEEKIIIIIING you disgusting male chauvinist. Now shut up and let me SPEEEEEEEEEEEK!
Baer: "But you undid the remain in Mex..."
Kamala: "DAAAAAAAHHHHHHHNAAAAAAALLLLLD TRUUUUHHHHHHHHHMMMMMMMP!"
Baer: "Madam Vice Pres...."
Kamala: "YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M SAYING!!! It's TRUMP, TRUMP, TRUMP..... He's UNSTABLE..... TRUMP, TRUMP, TRUMP, DAAAAAAHHHHHHNAAAAAAALD TRUUUUHHHMP!"
Baer: "Um. Your handlers are ending the session."
Kamala: TRUUUUHHHHHMMMMMMP! TRUMP, TRUMP, TRUMP, Trump, Trump, trump, trump....trmp.......tmp.....tp......t.......

2024-10-15 18:22:18

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The trick, in any language, is to make the code readable. Clojure is no worse than any other in this regard; and can be significantly better. It's a matter of experience.
From: (sova) at 10/15 13:00
> Clojure is neat but in my experience ends up being a bit unreadable for moderately complex code
CC: #[4]

2024-10-15 17:33:24

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JS works. Clojure works better. ;-) And -- you can translate Clojure into JS using ClojureScript.
From: melvincarvalho<-D... at 10/15 12:12
> Skimmed it. So now I learnt a little closure :)
>
> Still prefer JS. I may be missing something.
CC: #[4]

2024-10-15 17:08:54

Everyone should learn a little Clojure.
http://cleancoder.com/a-little-clojure

2024-10-06 14:21:54

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I find it fascinating that this conspiracy has any legs at all. But, then, humans are humans.
From: (ynniv) at 10/06 08:43
> Not as interesting as whatever made his ear heal that fast.
CC: #[4]

2024-10-06 12:58:03

I find it fascinating, and frustrating, that the YouTube algorithm thinks it knows what I want to watch; and is inevitably, and persistently, wrong.

2024-10-06 12:57:38

Isn’t it remarkable that the solution of the differential equations that describe the implosion of the plutonium core of the first atomic bomb can be approximated with nothing more than: {one, zero, nor}.

2024-10-06 12:57:16

Isn’t it interesting how little we know about the shooter in Butler?

2024-10-06 12:56:48

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssBS6KtzK_g

2024-10-06 12:55:45

Pilot Threatened with Arrest Over Hurricane Rescues
https://youtu.be/yjda3xkZ4cc?si=3IFazzUd_suiHsVA via
#[1]

2024-10-06 12:55:16

You may have missed it, in the VP debate, but Walz used the phrase "You can't shout fire in a crowded theater." while trying to parry Vance's criticism of Harris' position on free speech.
The irony is, of course, delicious. The sheer ignorance that our politicians have for our history is tragic.

2024-10-06 12:54:50

"There has to be a responsibility that is placed upon these social media sites that they understand their power. They are directly speaking to millions and millions of people without any level of oversight or regulation; and that has to stop." -- Kamala Harris.
Oh no! Directly speaking? We can't have that! What the people hear must be regulated and overseen by...by...

2024-10-06 12:54:27

This is a note from a young woman programmer in Pakistan who is hoping to join a wider network of fellow programmers. Write to her. Encourage her. Even just a "Hi Maria" would help to make her day. cc:
@KentBeck
Hello Everyone!
I’m Maria Zulfiqar.
Senior Software Developer and Technical Lead.
Today, I’d like to share my story with you.
Over the last 11 years, I've worked my way up to becoming a Senior Software Developer and Technical Lead, through countless challenges and countless hours of learning, coding, and problem-solving.
Basically! I started my life in a village and, thankfully, I've reached a destination. However, I know this is not my final goal. I believe I have the potential to achieve something new and bigger. After all, what is impossible with hard work?
Migrating from village, I earned a place in my new school, built respect, and even received salutes from my teachers. It wasn’t easy, especially with the challenges of a village education. I became a top student and after that graduated with BS in Computer Science. Along the way, I worked and had the honor of being a guest speaker in several live technical sessions. I even had the incredible opportunity to meet Uncle Bob and Kent Beck online in one-on-one sessions. Is there any greater luck than that? From zero to here!
Today, I am a Senior Developer, and I owe it all to the opportunities that came my way. My parents did their best to support me. But this is not my stopping point. I want to move forward and connect with those who embrace ideas and growth. I want to surround myself with people who are open to trying new things, who listen to your voice, and who don’t silence it. Anyone who is agreed to O Yes! Let’s try that. Let’s do something New. (e.g. Let’s do it.! Yes! Try TDD)
I’m eager to Meeting those I admire, whose knowledge I'm passionate about learning from, and meeting them is a dream. Right now, I feel like I'm trapped in a cage, and through my story, I hope to break free, just as Uncle Bob has inspired me to do. I need people who will give me a chance to achieve something greater. There’s a fire of passion burning inside me, but the environment around me doesn’t nurture it
Now, as I look beyond borders, I'm seeking an opportunity to bring my expertise to a new environment, where I can grow, collaborate, and contribute on a global scale. It’s not just about a job, it’s about finding a place where I can truly make an impact while embracing new ideas. My belief is that whatever you do, you should take it to the highest level, push the limits, and don’t stop until you’ve achieved something you’re truly proud of.
My biggest wish in life is to meet Uncle Bob and Kent Beck in person. I have a deep admiration for United States people, as I have been working with them as well, and many of whom I connect with on LinkedIn. I simply believe that in the right environment, I could achieve something even greater.
Once I tried Bug Bounty Hunting and through hardwork protected many companies from serious bugs and earned HALL OF FAME from them. What’s impossible with determination?
You can connect with me on LinkedIn:
https://linkedin.com/in/maria-zulfiqar-29485436/).
Or at : Mariazulfi4#[1].com

2024-10-06 12:52:13

You should listen to this. GOP Lawmaker Gives Update On The Investigation Into January 6th, Accuses...
https://youtu.be/AAR5ePPTmvo?si=Hmi3CONiY6k81ayh… via #[1]

2024-09-30 23:09:22

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Yeah, that's the risk. I figured someone would be snarky enough to post that. However, I do it to remind everyone that #[4] put a lot of work into Damus, and deserves to be compensated.
From: (AaNon) at 09/29 10:04
> https://image.nostr.build/2b286833f155677d3298ae25701cabc7322496390db5e2f659e06753de929e7f.jpg
CC: #[5]

2024-09-30 23:06:38

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D @CommancheHead
You found me. How can I help?
From: (CommancheHead) at 09/29 12:03
> I’m not even sure I sent anyone a message? Are you a real person “unclebobmartin”? I am, I assure you I won’t dox myself but I’m real!! I’m also real interested in learning how to use Nostr!
CC: #[3]

2024-09-29 14:24:36

Zapped 20K to @jb55. Monthly contribution for Damus.

2024-09-26 14:40:21

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I wrote my own Nostr browser. You can get it on github.com/unclebob/more-speech. It's a bit out of date right now because I've been busy with other things.
More-speech allows me to open tabs that have filters on them. I can add people, or text matches, to those tabs.
To see this in action see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3gQ42aUhls
From: PeterNSteinmetz<-... at 09/25 19:06
> What do you mean by a “tab”? I am still trying to figure out how one created the equivalent of a MeWe group in Nostr - so any pointers appreciated.
CC: #[4]
CC: #[5]
CC: #[6]

2024-09-25 14:28:13

- reply

Flying _is_ next level. If you live in the US then there are a million flight schools all over the country. Just go to a nearby small airport and walk into one of the flying clubs or flight schools. Finding a pilot to take you for a discovery flight will not be hard, nor will it be very expensive.
Learning to fly requires a significant level of dedication, and a large investment of time and money. You should plan on taking at least two lessons per week for a half year or more. Once you get your license you have to keep flying at least once per week just to stay sharp. Piloting skills are perishable and have to be constantly refreshed. You do not dare let them languish.
Airplane rental is not cheap. Depending on the aircraft you can expect to spend $100-$200 per hour. Instructors are also expensive at ~$80-$100/hour. Many people find it more economical to buy a small airplane instead of paying rental fees. You can pick up an old Cesna or Piper Warrior for ~$30K or so. It'll cost you another few thousand in maintenance each year.
Once you get your private pilot's license you should definitely go on to get your IFR license. Once you are instrument rated it makes using an airplane a lot more practical. Weather is always going to be a factor, but an instrument license vastly opens your options.
Owning and flying an airplane is _freedom_. No TSA. No X-ray. No crowds. No parking hassle. No rental car busses. You can carry a pocket knife or a leatherman. (Hell you can carry a gun if you are legal to carry). You can get anywhere in the US at one half to one third the time of driving. I can fly from Chicago to DC in three hours while listening to Pink Floyd in my bluetooth headset and watching the scenery go by. It's the best seat in the house!
The FBOs at the airports scattered around the country are very convenient. They have food, coffee, and louges with wifi. They often have courtesy cars that you can take for an hour or two, and they'll arrange car rentals for you too. I mean there's nothign like landing 10 miles from a business meeting, walking from your plane into the FBO to grab a cup of coffee and then hopping in the rental car that's there waiting for you. After your meeting you drive back to the FBO, park the rental, pay your bill, and then inspect and hop into your plane that they've already pulled out for you.
From: (AbstractEquilib...) at 09/24 21:20
> How does a normie go about getting a license & training to fly? Motorcycles are fun and all, but flying seems next level
CC: #[4]

2024-09-25 13:58:39

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Pilots! I think I'll set up a pilot tab.
From: mazin at 09/25 08:19
> Hey 👋 welcome. I’m an instrument rated single engine pilot and fly a cirrus. @npub19mu…jnft is also a pilot and @npub16am…6569 a student pilot.
CC: #[4]
CC: #[5]
CC: #[6]

2024-09-24 19:58:06

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Yeah. Hezbollah indiscriminantly launches 10,000 rockets into Northern Isreal, driving 100,000 people from their homes and killing little kids playing ball. And it's Israel that has a complete disregard for innocent lives? Sure.
From: TristanBriceVello... at 09/24 14:54
> This uncle is downbad.
>
> This is what the cult of empire looks like - A complete disregard for inoocent lives and their private property.
CC: #[4]
CC: #[5]
CC: #[6]

2024-09-24 19:43:13

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I'm happy to sign Zelensky's bombs. I want Russia held at bay.
I'm also happy to sign Israel's bombs. I want Hezbollah held at bay.
And nobody _can_ speak for bitcoiners -- and that's by design. Bitcoint/Nostr is a free speech movement bro.
From: mleku<-semisol at 09/24 11:37
> peter, if you are condoning killing people, you have completely lost your credibility with bitcoiners bro
>
> i watched uncle bob try to side with israel recently and now israel is about to bomb the shit out of lebanon
>
> you cheer for murderers you are not any more part of our peaceful movement, you dumbass
>
> #nevent1q…fk28
CC: #[4]

2024-09-20 21:09:29

https://x.com/Motabhai012/status/1835559913348845988

2024-09-20 21:09:07

https://x.com/alexbunardzic/status/1835714487103697067

2024-09-20 21:08:43

https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1836265669631053838

2024-09-20 21:08:14

I have to say that the Israeli's pulled off the best, and funniest, targeted strike of all time. They managed to put little tiny bombs into the pagers of Hezbollah fighters, and simultaneously blow their balls off. Nicely done guys.
https://x.com/unclebobmartin/status/1836481913063698758

2024-09-20 21:07:36

https://x.com/unclebobmartin/status/1836746567513977039

2024-09-20 21:07:10

https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1836595786655641739

2024-09-20 21:06:35

https://x.com/unlimited_ls/status/1836747654996328747

2024-09-20 21:05:10

""Remember as a developer, you are a stakeholder. You have a stake in the software that you need to safeguard. That's part of your role, and part of your duty. And it's a big part of why you were hired" -
#[4]
Clean Architecture
#teams #agile #foodforthought

2024-09-20 21:04:23

Pro-Life Laws DID NOT KILL Amber Thurman | Kristan Hawkins https://youtu.be/gRvVBbm144s

2024-09-20 21:03:28

Yeah, I know it’s two hours long, but just listen to the first 10 minutes. I dare you to turn it off after that. This was spectacular!
DHH Is Right About Everything https://youtu.be/mTa2d3OLXhg

2024-09-15 16:21:26

- reply

That was the last time I uploaded a binary version to github.
From: 0xtr at 09/15 10:48
> Off-topic: What is the date in your client tag? Compile datetime?
CC: #[4]

2024-09-15 15:44:33

I saw "Am I Racist" yesterday. It was pretty funny.

2024-09-07 12:41:20

You _know_ you're going to have to learn Clojure, don't you? It's inevitable. So you might as well get started now.
Here are two resources that will help you. They're both easy, and fun.
For those who like to read:
http://cleancoder.com/a-little-clojure
And for those who like to watch:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB2PP9uiaifw4QGXYQBiHICr_bn6nStjq

2024-09-07 12:31:57

Hey! I’ve got a really great idea. Get this.
First, let’s demoralize and defund the police nationwide reducing their numbers to the point of being ineffective.
Then let’s throw the southern border wide open so that Venezuelan gangs and Islamic terrorists can pour, unimpeded, into the country.
Then, let’s make sure the cities elect radical prosecutors who will refuse to charge and hold criminals; making sure that those gang members and terrorists stay on the streets.
Oh yeah, and then let’s make sure the city legislators declare their cities to be sanctuaries that refuse to turn criminal illegal immigrants over to ICE for deportation.
Sound like a plan?

2024-09-07 12:31:05

What would possess an American politician to decide that America should not be energy independent?

2024-09-07 12:30:01

This is rich.
https://x.com/unclebobmartin/status/1832015574139859278

2024-09-04 20:50:01

Twenty three hundred years ago Aristotle described the universe as a series of concentric spheres made of a crystalline material called "Quintessence" (The Fifth Element). The Sun, Moon, planets, and stars were all embedded into their own individual spheres which rotated around the Earth at different rates.
Four hundred years later, the Egyptian astronomer Ptolemy could not reconcile his observations with the circular motions implied by Aristotle. But circles were perfect, and the heavens must also be perfect, so he invented "epicycles". He said that the heavenly bodies each moved in small circles around a point, and that point moved in a circle around the Earth.
Over the centuries, as observations improved, Ptolemy's epicycles weren't enough. So more were added. Wheels within wheels. And even they were not enough so other contrivances of speed and angle were added.
In the middle of the sixteenth century Copernicus, who believed that God lived in the Sun, moved the Sun to the center and found he could eliminate some of the epicycles and other contrivances used to match observations. But many still remained.
In the early part of the following century Johannes Kepler showed that the shapes of the orbits of the planets were not circles, but were ellipses, with the Sun at one focus of the ellipse.
Just a few decades later Isaac Newton collapsed all the previous centuries of observation and reasoning down to one simple formula. F=Mm/r^2.
A century later, Einstein, stimulated by the work of Maxwell, Michaelson, and Morley showed us that Newton's formula was an approximation of a rather more complicated rule having to do with time, space, and the speed of light. He called it his general theory of relativity.
Two decades later, using the best theories of gravity at his disposal, and Hubble's distance laws for galaxies, Fritz Zwicky noticed that the galaxies in the Coma cluster were moving too quickly for gravity to hold them together. He proposed that there must be more material in the cluster than was visible. He called that material, Dark Matter -- a term first coined by Henri Poincaré to describe a different phenomenon.
By the 1960s there were many observations that galaxies rotated too quickly to hold themselves together. The speed of the stars at the outskirts of the galaxy move well beyond the escape velocity of the visible matter.
Today we conclude that the universe is full of something we call Dark Matter. It forms the seeds of galaxy clusters, and it's shape outlines the webs of those clusters that are woven through space. We think that this dark matter outweighs visible matter by a factor of nearly six to one.
And we have not the slightest clue what this stuff might be.

2024-09-04 15:21:55

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It's not analogous. Not even close.
From: (-Marakesh) at 09/04 10:11
> I thought you would understand the analogy.
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2024-09-04 14:43:48

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Hypotheticals are fun aren't they? They have no bearing, at all, on reality.
From: (-Marakesh) at 09/04 09:26
> I once heard Dave Smith, who is a member of (((The Tribe))), compare the Palestinian situation to what it would be like if America still had it's Japanese concentration camps from World War II, and four generations of people had now grown up in them, still being oppressed...
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2024-09-04 14:17:04

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And simpler than many people would like us to believe.
From: (kuba16) at 09/04 09:05
> The war in the Middle East is more complicated than some people think..
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2024-09-04 13:30:51

They kidnapped, imprisoned, tortured, and after 300 days they finally shot those innocent jews in the back of the head. They are Nazis. And like their spiritual forebears they must be destroyed, utterly.

2024-09-04 13:30:12

This!
https://world.hey.com/dhh/free-speech-isn-t-guaranteed-to-be-forever-e7654685

2024-09-03 20:11:03

In the late 90s a team of researchers studied a large number of these events, reaching extreme distances, and therefore extremely far back in time. By measuring the red-shift of the spectra of those events they calculated how fast they were being carried away from us by the expanding universe -- and they discovered something very strange.
We expected that the mutual gravity of all the galaxies, and all the matter in the universe should be slowing the expansion of the universe down. After all it takes energy to climb against a gravitational field; and that energy loss must be slowing things down.
What the researchers found, instead, is that the expansion of the universe is speeding up. This means some kind of energy is being pumped into the universe that opposes the inward tug of gravity and pushes the galaxies away from each other ever faster and faster as time goes by.
We call that new energy "Dark Energy" -- and we have no idea what it is or where it comes from.

2024-09-03 20:10:28

I wrote a book about how to effectively combine procedural, OO, and Functional programming. The title is "Functional Design"

2024-08-27 21:13:46

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Foreflight! The best iPad app ever written.
From: mazin at 08/27 14:15
> Also @npub16am…6569 is a (student?) pilot and foreflight dev!
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2024-08-27 18:08:10

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Censorship guarantees that the only form of speech allowed is the form that is beneficial to the censor. Since power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, then we are guaranteed that the power of censorship will lead to only corrupt speech.
On the other hand if a free exchange of ideas is tolerated -- even ideas that are terrible and hateful, then we can evaluate them all together and select those we wish to adopt. The bad idea will fall to the wayside as the better ideas gain success.
From: (supdave98) at 08/27 12:49
> It has been said that the solution to hate speech or bad speech isn’t censorship but more speech. Analyze and engage.
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2024-08-25 12:18:07

This is fun!… Where does punctuation come from?!
https://youtu.be/k9Re5otW-v0?si=uMZJFtA2h2N8SnRo… via #[1]

2024-08-25 12:17:44

Getting ruby to work is a gigantic pain. I think the whole Ruby module management system went off the rails a long, long, time ago. (No pun intended.)

2024-08-24 15:09:16

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Very rarely. Most religious people are not anti-science.
From: (Antonius1) at 08/23 18:26
> Good post.
> Btw have you ever had pushback from religious people?
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2024-08-23 16:40:48

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I think it's just two right angle rotations that cancel each other out. The first is the ciculation of the charged particles at right angles to the magnetic field. The second is the right angle propogation of the electromagnetic waves induced by those circulating particles.
From: Giszmo at 08/23 11:36
> Each of these details makes sense. I studied physics after all 😅 But it's still not intuitively clear. I guess I need to get an intuition for synchrotron radiation.
>
> I asked Chat-GPT about the beam's focus and tend to doubt it's correct with this example:
>
> https://i.nostr.build/9MKHMV2m0a2moa5h.png
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2024-08-23 13:10:32

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All that comes from Maxwell's laws (which eventually derive from Special Relativity). A moving magnetic field creates a stationary electric field. A moving electricc field creates a stationary magnetic field, etc.
If we start with the premise that the neutron star is a spinning magnet then the moving magnetic field creates a stationary electric field aligned with the spin axis of the star. Any charged particle within that electric field will be accelerated along the electric field lines. Charged particles that move through a magnetic field are acclerated at right angles to the that field. That translates to circular motion around the magnetic field lines. So the combination of the electric field accellerating those particles linearly outward, and the magnetic field accellerating them circularly around the field lines, casues the particles to move in a tight spiral outwards.
Each such charged particle has it's own electric field which is being accelerated both linearly and circularly. This creates a circularly rotating magnetic field at right angles, which ceates a circularly rotation electric field, which creates a circularly rotation magnetic field -- or, to say this differently, an electromagnetic wave. The propogation of an electromagnetic wave is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the wave, and is therefore outward along the magnetic field lines of the star.
I think I got that all right. ;-)
From: Giszmo at 08/22 13:57
> This was a fascinating read start to finish! Inspiring to read more.
>
> The part where the rotating magnet induces a current that emits EM waves in the direction of the poles is not clear. Is that because those particles are trapped to the magnetic field lines that themselves wobble around the axis of the rotation?
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2024-08-22 17:49:56

Neutrons in isolation are unstable. They will energetically decay, becoming a proton, electron, and an anti-electron-neutrino with a half-life of about 10 minutes. This is called ß-decay.
This reaction is reversible through a process known as electron capture. If a proton and an electron are forced into near proximity, they can combine to form a neutron, emitting a normal electron-neutrino.
In the collapsing iron core of a high mass star, in the last microsecond before it blows itself to kingdom come as a type 2 supernova, the electrons and protons within the iron are forced together and undergo this inverse ß-decay becoming neutrons and emitting an overwhelming barrage of neutrinos.
The newly formed neutrons rapidly sort themselves out into energy shells. Neutrons are fermions. Identical fermions cannot co-exist together in the same system. Thus the neutrons in the collapsed core separate into a vast number of different energy shells. Low energy neutrons are deeper in, higher energy neutrons are farther out. There is no way for the higher energy neutrons to lose energy since all the lower shells are full.
All those neutrons are in a constant state of vibration and collision. Higher energy neutrons vibrate and collide faster than lower energy neutrons. All that vibration and collision creates an outward pressure that holds back the inward crush of gravity. So the object, now only a few miles in diameter, settles into a stable state called degenerate matter.
This object is often called a neutron star; and the degenerate matter within it is sometimes referred to as neutronium. A teaspoon of neutronium would weigh several billion tons.
Much of the angular momentum of the original star remains within the neutron star. However, since the radius has shrunk by three or four orders of magnitude, the angular velocity has increased by a corresponding factor. These objects can spin at thousands of RPM. Moreover, much of the original star's magnetic field is trapped within the neutron star, and has likewise been compressed by several orders of magnitude. Thus, the neutron star is a very powerful spinning magnet.
When you spin a magnet you create an electric field. The electric field across a newly formed neutron star is enormous. That field accelerates vast numbers of charged particles to stream outwards from the magnetic poles. However, the powerful magnetic field lines force those particles to move in a spirals as they stream outwards. When charged particles move in spirals they induce electromagnetic waves -- light. And those light waves travel in straight beams emitted from the magnetic poles of the neutron star.
Those beams of light carry away some the rotational energy of the Neutron star. This creates a drag on its rotation. But given that the star contains a solar mass of neutronium spinning at thousands of RPM, it has plenty of kinetic energy to spare and so the reduction in rotational velocity is very gradual.
If the magnetic poles of the neutron star are not perfectly in line with its spin axis, then those beams of light swing around through space like a lighthouse beacon. If they happen to be in line with the Earth, we see the object emitting pulses of light as the beams pass by. We call these pulsating stars Pulsars.

2024-08-22 17:49:14

The collapsing iron core of a massive star that has exhausted its fuel will quickly reach densities at which electrons and protons can no longer remain separate. They combine to form neutrons in an extremely violent reaction that tears the rest of the star apart and blasts it's contents all over the sky as a type 2 Supernova.
At the time of the explosion the structure of the star looks like an onion. There is an outer shell of Hydrogen gas, then a shell of Hydrogen fusing into Helium. Below that is a shell of Helium fusing into Carbon and Oxygen. Deeper still is a shell fusing Carbon into Neon, Magnesium, Sodium, and Aluminum. Deeper still is a shell fusing Neon into Oxygen and Magnesium. Still deeper the Oxygen fuses into Silicon, Argon, Sulfur, and Calcium. And finally a shell that fuses Silicon into an isotope of Nickel that decays into Iron.
All this material is blown to smithereens when the barrage of outrushing neutrinos produced by the core's transmutation into neutrons collides with those shells. The over-pressures cerated in that collision stimulate even more fusion. The environment of the explosion is rich with free high energy neutrons, and alpha-particles (Helium nuclei). These particles are absorbed by the elements within the explosion, transmuting them further into the vast majority of the elements on the periodic table up to element 36.
All these nuclei are scattered amidst the rapidly expanding cloud of debris and eventually mix with the interstellar medium, polluting the existing clouds of neutral hydrogen and, if close enough, stimulating them to collapse into planetary systems.
The Oxygen and Nitrogen in our atmosphere. The Carbon and Calcium in our bodies and bones. The Sodium in our seas, and the Iron and Aluminum in our buildings, originated from this process. Those elements all came from stars that blew their guts up all over the sky, and seeded future stars with the elements of life and civilization.

2024-08-20 13:15:06

Most of the stars were see in the night sky are extremely luminous giants. Stars the size of our Sun are too faint to be seen beyond a few dozen light years. This is ironic because the Sun is much larger than the majority of stars. There are a vast number of nearby stars that we simply cannot see with the naked eye.
Giant stars burn very hot, and very bright, and for a very short time. A giant can fuse hydrogen into helium thousands of times faster than the Sun. It can exhaust its fuel in as little as ten million years.
In their cores, they first fuse hydrogen into helium, then helium into carbon and oxygen. However, unlike the Sun they are massive enough to continue the process and fuse carbon into a number of other elements, that eventually are fused into silicon
At each stage the rate of fusion must increase because the reactions become less efficient.
On the very last day of a giant star‘s life, it begins to fuse silicon into iron. This reaction is so feeble that the star will burn through a full solar mass of silicon in a matter of hours; all the while a nugget of iron, the size of the Earth, with the mass of the Sun, accumulates in its core.
Fusion reactions with iron are endothermic. They consume energy as opposed to producing it. So when the silicon is exhausted, and the iron begins to fuse under the weight of the star above it, the core cools.
The cooling core collapses, it can no longer produce the energy needed to hold up the mass of the star. The collapse proceeds so rapidly that the material at the center approaches a sizable fraction of the speed of light. The rest of the matter within the star is pulled down with it at a slower pace.
When the core has shrunk to approximately 10 miles in diameter the pressures are so great that the electrons and protons within it are forced to combine into neutrons. This reaction creates a barrage of neutrinos heading outward at the speed of light. Meanwhile the neurons in the core rapidly arrange themselves into an energy shell structure that resists any further collapse. The collapse stops dead.
The outrush of neutrinos carries a vast amount of energy that is more than sufficient to reverse the inflowing matter of the star and blow it out into space at a fraction of the speed of light. This reversal creates temperatures and pressures that stimulate even more fusion within the outrushing guts of the star.
The explosion is so energetic that the dying star’s luminosity increases by approximately twelve orders of magnitude. For several weeks it will outshine the galaxy it lives in.
This is a type 2 supernova, and we don’t want to be close to one. 50 light years is not far enough. Within that radius the radiation slamming into the Earth would be disastrous for life. Fortunately there are no stars within that radius that are likely to blow up soon.
But keep your eye on Betelgeuse — it’s likely to blow in the next few thousand years — maybe tomorrow. At 500 light years it would put on a hell of a show. It would be brighter than the full moon and you could read by it at night.

2024-08-19 14:58:18

Out in the vast interstellar emptiness float huge clouds of dust and gas -- mostly neutral hydrogen, H2 molecules that are loosely bound together by their diffuse gravity. The masses of such clouds are sufficient to create hundreds of stars like our Sun; but the thermal energy of their temperature, and their weak but non-zero angular momentum, are sufficient to prevent their gravity from collapsing them. They are stable structures that will last hundreds of millions, if not billions of years, if not disturbed.
But disturbance can come in the form of a shock wave from a distant supernova or stellar explosion. That shock wave can compress portions of the cloud into densities with sufficient gravitational potential to enter a runaway collapse.
As the collapse proceeds it can stall if the collapsing fragment has too much angular momentum. The cloud, now spinning much faster because of the collapse will often assume a dumbbell shape and the two lobes will separate. With most of the original angular momentum having been shed into their mutual orbit, the two lobes are free to continue their collapse into a binary star system.
Most of these new stars are small, and will collapse into an object roughly the size of Jupiter with little or no internal energy. We call them brown dwarfs. They have been heated by their collapse to glow in the infra red, but will gradually cool.
Some clouds are larger and will collapse to the point where fusion reactions will begin in their cores. First it is the deuterium that fuses, generating quite a bit of heat. But deuterium is rare and that fuel is rapidly exhausted. If the new star is massive enough it may begin to fuse regular hydrogen into helium. Many of these objects are one tenth the mass of the Sun and glow in the red, and near infra-red. We call them red dwarfs. They burn slowly and will last for tens of billions of years.
Some have about the mass of our Sun. They are comparatively rare, but will shine brightly in the visible spectrum, fusing Hydrogen to Helium, and then eventually Helium into Carbon. In the final stages of their live they will become red giants, and will end their lives by repeatedly ejecting their outer shrouds of hydrogen, until only the white hot carbon core remains. These are White Dwarf stars.
But as noted earlier, stars often form in binary pairs. And sometimes the two partners are as massive, or even more massive than the Sun.
The first to die will spread into a Red Giant and disgorge massive amounts of material into the space around it as it pulsates through its death throes. Sometimes that material reaches the partner star, adding slightly to its mass, and reducing the distance between them through friction.
When the Red Giant finally become a White Dwarf, it may be close enough to the partner star to gradually steal material from it -- especially if the partner enters the Red Giant stage.
Matter, mostly hydrogen, builds up on the hot surface of the White dwarf. The White Dwarf may have half the mass of the Sun, and be only a few thousand miles in diameter, roughly the size of the Earth or Mars. Thus the gravitational potential at the surface is huge, and the infalling hydrogen is strongly compressed and heated.
This process continues until the hydrogen accumulating on the surface of the White Dwarf reaches the temperatures and pressures sufficient to ignite hydrogen fusion. This results in a massive thermonuclear explosion called a nova. The explosion is strong enough to blow all the accreted material off the White dwarf and re-expose the carbon core to begin the process again.
From our point of view the binary pair will brighten by many orders of magnitude every few decades. We may just see one of these this Summer or Fall in the constellation of the Northern Crown (Corona Borealis)

2024-08-16 18:18:05

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Yes, it appears as though the window is pretty narrow. Complex life on this planet is only 500my old. It took a long time for photosynthesis to oxidize all disolved iron in the oceans so that oxygen could finally accumulate in the air.
From: AlanSiefert<-shawn at 08/16 13:08
> Makes you realize that the time allowed for intelligent life to evolve is actually pretty short (assuming ~4B years between genesis and intelligent life). Probably the reason we haven’t made contact yet - the window is very short. The best chances for contacting intelligent life will probably involve looking for civs that have transcended to Kardashev II+.
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2024-08-16 17:59:51

The Sun, our local star, is just under a million miles in diameter. The surface temperature is about 5,000K, and the power output is about 4E26 watts.
All that power is coming from the innermost 10% of the star -- the core -- where the temperatures are around 17E6K, and the pressure is ...um... crushing.
At those temperatures the Hydrogen atoms cannot hold onto their electrons. So protons and electrons are free to zoom about without binding. The velocities of the protons are so high, and the pressures are so great, that every once is a great while two protons will get close enough that the strong nuclear force will bind them together into Helium. This happens to about 500 metric tons of Hydrogen each second. In that reaction a lot of high energy gamma rays are released.
Those gamma rays are trapped within all those charged particles in the core. They bounce around in the core, doing a random walk for thousands of years. But eventually they reach the outer shell of the core where they can heat the Hydrogen gas outside the core.
The bouncing around of all those gamma rays creates an outward pressure that keeps the core of the Sun from collapsing under the weight of the Hydrogen above it.
The hydrogen outside the core, heated by the gamma rays escaping the core, rises to the surface of the star in a massive convection current. Upon reaching the surface, the heat of that gas is radiated at 5000K and reaches us ~8 minutes later.
This process has been going on for nearly five billion years, and will continue for another five billion or so. However...
The Helium building up in the core takes up space. This impedes the fusion reaction. Fewer gamma rays are produced, causing the core to contract. This heats the core driving the fusion rate back up, but at a slightly higher temperature.
Thus, the Sun is gradually warming. It is about 10% hotter today than when it formed, and it will continue to get hotter and hotter as the eons pass. In about 200 million years, it will be too hot for water to remain liquid on the surface of the Earth.
So, I guess we'll have to move the Earth a bit farther out.

2024-08-16 17:58:47

Harris campaign caught editing WDAY Radio and other news outlets headlines | WDAY Radio - AM 970 and FM 93.1 https://x.com/unclebobmartin/status/1824287000519659624

2024-08-16 17:57:33

We're All Far Right Now (Official Music Video)
https://youtu.be/LsbRrTULpgA?si=Z0VYLAJ4SkuV8-ro… via #[1]