The name for the troubling observation that where windscreens used to be covered in squashed bugs after a long drive, these days you’ll tend to see your windscreen remains squashed-bug free. It’s believed this reflects a real and significant decline in insect numbers. Though tracking insect numbers is, however, rather tricky as you could imagine. So don’t ignore bugs, or treat them as pests, value them and, if you have a garden, try to provide some habitat to help them out. Here’s a good article about the windscreen phenomenon.…The name for the troubling observation that where windscreens used to be covered in squashed bugs after a long drive, these days you’ll tend to see your windscreen remains squashed-bug free. It’s believed this reflects a real and significant decline in insect numbers. Though tracking insect numbers is, however, rather tricky as you could imagine. So don’t ignore bugs, or treat them as pests, value them and, if you have a garden, try to provide some habitat to help them out. Here’s a good article about the windscreen phenomenon.WWW…
I’d idly wondered all my life, but never bothered to look it up. Turns out there doesn’t seem to be one clear accepted origin of Boxing Day, but the general premise goes that on or before Christmas Day people would give gifts to people of the same social level or class. On what used to be the first weekday after Christmas, but is now the day after Christmas Day, upper social classes would, in some form, give gifts to those in lower classes — often a Christmas box. This might have been because they had worked for them during the year in one way or another, like giving a Christmas tip to the milkman, or simply as a gift, or because the lower classes were too busy serving the upper classes on Christmas Day and so couldn’t do the Christmas thing properly themselves. As is often the case, the Snopes article about Boxing Day, has a useful synthesis.…I’d idly wondered all my life, but never bothered to look it up. Turns out there doesn’t seem to be one clear accepted origin of Boxing Day, but the general premise goes that on or before Christmas Day people would give gifts to people of the same social level or class. On what used to be the first weekday after Christmas, but is now the day after Christmas Day, upper social classes would, in some form, give gifts to those in lower classes — often a Christmas box. This might have been because they had worked for them during the year in one way or another, like giving a Christmas tip to the milkman, or simply as a gift, or because the lower classes were too busy serving the upper classes on Christmas Day and so couldn’t do the Christmas thing properly themselves. As is often the case, the Snopes article about Boxing Day, has a useful synthesis.WWW…
A word from the Sami people of Northern Norway, Finland or Sweden, from ‘coffee’ and ‘boil’, used as a measure of distance for how far you can go before you need a cup of coffee. Via @marterum and @RobGMacfarlane HT: Nancy Hey…A word from the Sami people of Northern Norway, Finland or Sweden, from ‘coffee’ and ‘boil’, used as a measure of distance for how far you can go before you need a cup of coffee. Via @marterum and @RobGMacfarlane HT: Nancy HeyWWW…
Rubberducking is the simple technique of explaining your code, or whatever you’re working on, to a rubber duck and, in the process of explaining it, finding the answer yourself. Have you ever been called over to someone’s desk to help them solve a problem, and as they explain the problem to you or demonstrate it, they figure out the answer themselves? It happens all the time to me, particularly when someone's showing me how something doesn't work, and it magically works just by having me watch over their shoulder. The rubber duck technique is as simple as that, except that instead of calling someone over, you can simply replace the person with a rubber duck, teddy bear or heck, even your stapler. Rubberduck debugging is a term from software development where this sort of scenario happens a lot. Rubberducking is surprisingly effective and way cheaper than hiring a contractor for the day. There is also the related empty chair technique for psychotherapy. Rubberducking is not to be confused with "rubbernecking", which is slowing down to look at an accident as you drive past—a common cause of traffic jams. Also see: Bugs and releases The cost of fixing bugs Yesterday's weather Yak shaving…Rubberducking is the simple technique of explaining your code, or whatever you’re working on, to a rubber duck and, in the process of explaining it, finding the answer yourself. Have you ever been called over to someone’s desk to help them solve a problem, and as they explain the problem to you or demonstrate it, they figure out the answer themselves? It happens all the time to me, particularly when someone's showing me how something doesn't work, and it magically works just by having me watch over their shoulder. The rubber duck technique is as simple as that, except that instead of calling someone over, you can simply replace the person with a rubber duck, teddy bear or heck, even your stapler. Rubberduck debugging is a term from software development where this sort of scenario happens a lot. Rubberducking is surprisingly effective and way cheaper than hiring a contractor for the day. There is also the related empty chair technique for psychotherapy. Rubberducking is not to be confused with "rubbernecking", which is slowing down to look at an accident as you drive past—a common cause of traffic jams. Also see: Bugs and releases The cost of fixing bugs Yesterday's weather Yak shavingWWW…
Parachutes, paragliders, hangliders, kitesurfs, parasails or parakites, all fun ways to get around. Here I wanted to show the main differences between each. I probably should have added wingsuiting.…Parachutes, paragliders, hangliders, kitesurfs, parasails or parakites, all fun ways to get around. Here I wanted to show the main differences between each. I probably should have added wingsuiting.WWW…
For a super simple way to avoid making a mess when drilling into walls. Louise, sent me this to try as another method: So my Dad has half a tennis ball with a hole through it. Drill bit goes through hole. Tennis ball hemisphere presses against wall on flat side. All dust goes into ball. When he pulls it out he holds upwards then tips into bin. Smart.…For a super simple way to avoid making a mess when drilling into walls. Louise, sent me this to try as another method: So my Dad has half a tennis ball with a hole through it. Drill bit goes through hole. Tennis ball hemisphere presses against wall on flat side. All dust goes into ball. When he pulls it out he holds upwards then tips into bin. Smart.WWW…
