Year: 2025
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Found GCANV0A #01 Longworth Loop
A morning walk for the geohound and I kicked off at this cache, near which we'd parked the car. Long been meaning to explore this loop: let's see how far we get before the pooch's tiny legs give her cause to protest! SL as DQ to save space at this QEF. TFTC!
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I Wrote the Same Code Six Times!
Could I rock an interview tech-test in a programming language I haven't touched in a decade? I wanted to know, so I found a tech-test... then solved it in six different programming languages in a single sitting.
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Performed maintenance on GC9GTV3 Drive Slowly; Fox Crossing
Performed a quick checkup on this much-loved cache before the summertime cachers come out in earnest. All looks healthy here!
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The Who Cares Era
Dan Sinker looks at the symptoms and causes of the "Who Cares Era" we find ourselves living in, and raises interesting thoughts about AI's role in it. His post's worth a read, but here's my take.
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I'm applying for a few roles that might be the next step in my career. And to my surprise, updating my CV and tweaking my portfolio is doing a world of good for my feelings of self-worth!
Seriously: looking back over the last ~25 years of my career and enumerating the highlights is giving me a better "big picture" view of everything I've achieved than I ever got from the near-focus of daily work. I should do this more often!
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I don't want to withdraw any of our children from sec [sic] education lessons.
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Part of an email, written in Comic Sans, reading: Ages 10 – 11 Puberty for boys and girls revisited. Understanding conception to the birth of a baby. Becoming a teenager. All lessons are taught using correct terminology, child-friendly language and diagrams. / Content on relationships is compulsory for all children as well as work on reproduction and body parts, which is also covered as part of science lessons. However, parents can decide to withdraw their child from sex education lessons. Class teachers can provide more information if you wish to discuss this with your child’s teacher. / If you would like to withdraw your child from sec education lessons, then please put this in writing by the end of this week 6th June.
However they're spelled, they're a great idea, and I'm grateful to live in a part of the world where their existence isn't the target of religious politics.
But if I can withdraw consent to receiving emails about sex education in Comic Sans then that'd be great, thanks. 😅
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Fellow Abnibbers and I, who see each other extraordinary infrequently in our diaspora, have a tradition of sharing a group selfie when we happen to coincide. I forgot to take one when @garethbowker@infosec.exchange and I met today, and by way of penance I tried to draw what I should have done.
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Badly drawn pen sketch of Dan, a man with a goatee, taking a selfie of himself and a round-cheeked man with a dog, while the pair drink hot drinks.
Unfortunately I can't draw. He looks much less like a potato in real life! Think I got his dog right, though.
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Found GC1QR0V Church Micro 605 Almondsbury
Stopped at the pub nearby for an incredibly late lunch and to recharge the electric car on my journey from Pembrokeshire to Oxfordshire, because I'd much rather get off the motorway and find somewhere nice to sit while the electrons do their thing. Spotted this nearby cache in the yard of this beautiful church, which made for a lovely walk as the well-tended flowerbeds were wonderfully fragrant. Followed a geotrail to find the cache. Amazing, loved finding this so much. SL, TNLN, TFTC, FP awarded.
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Out for a dog walk this morning along the Nevern Estuary, I spotted this brave fellow rowing his way (at least) half naked across the bay, on a route that pitted him against the wind, rain, and tide!
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A shirtless white bald man rows a small white boat past bouys in a choppy estuary.
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Found GC9FHDP Kiln-ing me softly
This checkin to GC9FHDP Kiln-ing me softly reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs. The geopup and I took a walk from the Parrog to Newport Sands and back, this morning, and I'm glad we opted to find geocaches on the way back, rather than the way out, because it made …
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Found GC5JRP3 T'drath #3
This checkin to GC5JRP3 T'drath #3 reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs. I tried to find this cache back in 2016 without success. I'm confident I'd have looked in the place it's now hidden - which was today basically the first place I looked! - so maybe fast previous visit …
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I'd like to nominate DB13W3 for Most Cursed Connector. I mean, just look at that thing!
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Cable with 'male' DB13W3 connector, featuring a D-sub body containing three analogue RGB connectors but with a gap between the second and third into which 10 regular D-sub style pins have been sandwiched in two rows of five).
Bonus: there were at least two different, incompatible, pinout "standards" for this thing, so there was no guarantee that a random monitor with this cable would connect to your workstation, even if it had the right port.
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The Difference Between Downloading and Streaming
Mostly to make use of an animation I made for a different blog post that hasn't materialised, let me take a moment to explain to you the fundamental technical difference between 'streaming' and 'downloading'. Which won't take long... because there isn't one!
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Today's Hide And Seek With The Kids is brought to you by the Bishop's Palace, St. David's, Wales.
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Dan crouches on a stone spiral staircase.
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Cwm-yr-Eglwys, on the West coast of Wales. Time for a (bracing) swim!
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Sandy beach in front of a narrow bay, flanked by cliffs, under turbulent skies.