11 votes

Topic deleted by author

46 comments

  1. [9]
    stephen
    Link
    I'm working on an independent research project into urban circular economy as a means of establishing democratic confederalism (like in Rojava) to Chicago, where I live. It's kind of a bummer...

    I'm working on an independent research project into urban circular economy as a means of establishing democratic confederalism (like in Rojava) to Chicago, where I live. It's kind of a bummer since it means holding my nose wading through a lot of reports by McKinsey and corporate think tanks and academic white papers. But I guess they don't call it revolutionary struggle for nothing.

    Hopefully my friend who might be interested in the project gets off from work tomorrow so I can talk to them about it. This is getting-off-my-chest of a lot of ideas I've had bouncing around in my head and it will be good to get a sounding board.

    8 votes
    1. [8]
      unknown user
      Link Parent
      That sounds very interesting. I have a keen interest in urban design. This sounds right up my alley. Could you explain, in layman's terms, what is it that you're trying to implement.

      I'm working on an independent research project into urban circular economy as a means of establishing democratic confederalism

      That sounds very interesting. I have a keen interest in urban design. This sounds right up my alley.

      Could you explain, in layman's terms, what is it that you're trying to implement.

      2 votes
      1. [7]
        stephen
        Link Parent
        Of course. I will preface this by saying the work is still very much bouncing around so this might come out a little messy. The whole project comes out my exploration of more...

        Of course. I will preface this by saying the work is still very much bouncing around so this might come out a little messy.

        The whole project comes out my exploration of more just/participatory/democratic/ecological practices of industrial economics as well as sustainable urban & building design. At the confluence of these topics, in urban design terminology, is a live-work eco-industrial park which develops place-based solutions to local problems. I'd like to get to a point in the research where I can talk about modular solutions but for now I am just dealing with the issues of Chicago, where I live/work.

        As far as the urban design and planning are concerned, I'm excited to use the project as means to explore the infrastructure of a localized network of mutually supporting firms of growers, manufactures, etc, consumers, and post-consumer material handlers operating with the intention of reducing environmental impact. Part of the work is studying predictions for how a local, circular economy will effect urban design since this change means going from primarily cross border freighting to intra-urban and intra-regional freighting.

        There are lots of individual buildings I'm really excited to develop but its the connective stuff that I'm particularly stoked for since Chicago has lots of trains and rail infra. Also since I would file the democratic confederalism under "connective stuff" and it's really a new politics that I'm interested in demonstrating.

        Its also gonna be a great excuse to imagine lots of new streets and places that have trees and cafes instead of cars and parking in them!

        6 votes
        1. [6]
          unknown user
          Link Parent
          Jesus! I asked for layman's terms! So, what you're doing, plainly speaking, is creating an efficient, ecologically-sound community by promoting local interactions between the producers and the...

          At the confluence of these topics, in urban design terminology, is a live-work eco-industrial park which develops place-based solutions to local problems.

          Jesus! I asked for layman's terms!

          So, what you're doing, plainly speaking, is creating an efficient, ecologically-sound community by promoting local interactions between the producers and the consumers (food, I imagine?), which you do partly by using the existing railway infrastructure for transportation and partly by engaging the people involved with the better ideas about what constitutes a good business. Does that sound about right?

          When you talk about sustainable building design, in particular, what do you mean? What kind of practices are we talking about here? Sorting garbage by type? Natural cooling? Solar power?

          2 votes
          1. [5]
            stephen
            Link Parent
            Sorry, I am reading white papers all day so I guess that one slipped out. lol So these are both jargon-y terms but I will explain them: the biggest umbrellas you could put the sustainable design...

            Jesus! I asked for layman's terms!

            Sorry, I am reading white papers all day so I guess that one slipped out. lol

            When you talk about sustainable building design, in particular, what do you mean?

            So these are both jargon-y terms but I will explain them: the biggest umbrellas you could put the sustainable design under are the "triple bottom line/just sustainabilities" and the "circular economy" frameworks. The first is the notion that in addition to financially stable, projects should be ecologically and socially sustainable. So they should be ecologically sound and justly executed. So the network is as much about economic solidarity as it is about cheap materials or ecologically efficient production.

            In the circular economy framework, products and services are designed for end of life as well as construction and use - and this end of life plan never involves creating waste the planet cannot use. This promotes all sorts of techniques from composting and recycling of end-of-life consumer goods to re-manufacturing, open/source modular design, local materials flows, and on and on. The number of design tweaks to go from a linear economic production model to a circular one is seemingly infinite. Especially when you're thinking robustly about materials flows. So yes, local grown food is a major consideration, but the same logic is applied to all goods and services.

            For buildings in particular, this means electric & thermal energy efficiency/production/storage, natural space conditioning, zero-waste-production, near-site pre-fabrication (where the building is modularly constructed in a facility near the site), deconstruction & reconstruct-ability (at the risk of over-simplifying past usefulness) life Legos, local materials and construction practices, mixed incomes occupant ownership, dense & mixed-use development, and on and on.

            These all come together though based on location and what solutions are most readily at hand. So, my solution couldn't take into account high-speed commuter rail or a large commercial market for biogas, two things that Europe has America does not, or an seemingly endless stream of new migrants to cities like in Asia. Idk if that is an informative bit. Just to say that, the biggest problems and the solutions to them have to take a location into consideration.

            interactions between the producers and the consumers

            Business to business as well. Part of circular economy is linking waste streams with virgin material streams. Find new ways off-cast material can be used productive, how design and material sources can be changed to accommodate use of post-consumer material etc.

            partly by engaging the people involved with the better ideas about what constitutes a good business. Does that sound about right?

            Yes pretty much. I'd take it a little farther though since I mean "good" in a pretty radical sense. This is getting long so I will just say that the model for this is the anarchist concept of "mutual aid."

            4 votes
            1. [4]
              unknown user
              Link Parent
              How would you deal with resources that can't be assembled in the near-area (like bricks in an area that doesn't have clay deposits)? It would still require long-range transportation, would it not?...

              How would you deal with resources that can't be assembled in the near-area (like bricks in an area that doesn't have clay deposits)? It would still require long-range transportation, would it not? How could you deal with that?

              2 votes
              1. [3]
                stephen
                Link Parent
                My design motto is "it depends." It's all a matter of circumstances and trade-offs based on a context. Normative rules for design get much fuzzier the farther out you zoom. As general rule though,...

                My design motto is "it depends." It's all a matter of circumstances and trade-offs based on a context. Normative rules for design get much fuzzier the farther out you zoom. As general rule though, I would predict more remote areas would be more reliant on local materials and new designs that allow exotic materials to be retained indefinitely.

                A central principle of circular economy for future product design is the importance of small loops. For high-mileage goods this is especially true. First move is to look for local alternatives - so maybe metal panel or stucco instead of brick. If that's not possible the material needs to be used in a way that maximizes its useful life span and then ensures it remains useful.

                Bricks are actually a good example because they can often be recovered. If they are not too damaged, whatever mortar is left on them can be removed and the brick put back in circulation. This is not terrible common, but it is also totally feasible. Through better design, this will become the case for all materials. As this becomes more normal, the need for transporting goods will be less common.

                2 votes
                1. [2]
                  unknown user
                  Link Parent
                  Fascinating. If you do move forward with this, I'd like to hear about it.

                  Fascinating.

                  If you do move forward with this, I'd like to hear about it.

                  1 vote
                  1. stephen
                    Link Parent
                    That's got me puzzling a little bit. I have a sense where I want to be conceptually. But output is so open because before I was in school and had an audience and peers. Now its just like "hello...

                    move forward with this

                    hear about it

                    That's got me puzzling a little bit. I have a sense where I want to be conceptually. But output is so open because before I was in school and had an audience and peers. Now its just like "hello world!"

                    1 vote
  2. [2]
    Grendel
    Link
    My wife and I closed on a house on Wednesday, so tomorrow will be busy as we get moved in. It's been terribly stressful, but we are super excited to finally have our own home :)

    My wife and I closed on a house on Wednesday, so tomorrow will be busy as we get moved in. It's been terribly stressful, but we are super excited to finally have our own home :)

    7 votes
    1. user2
      Link Parent
      Moving/Buying a house might be stressfull, it also sounds extremely exciting. I would be mindful of the moment!

      Moving/Buying a house might be stressfull, it also sounds extremely exciting. I would be mindful of the moment!

      1 vote
  3. [4]
    Comment deleted by author
    Link
    1. [2]
      stephen
      Link Parent
      Literally? This sounds like such an adventurer-y thing to do. Will you also have a dog, and a big ruck sack? Either way it sounds like a great weekend!

      I'll take a hammer

      Literally? This sounds like such an adventurer-y thing to do. Will you also have a dog, and a big ruck sack? Either way it sounds like a great weekend!

      4 votes
      1. [2]
        Comment deleted by author
        Link Parent
        1. stephen
          Link Parent
          It still counts if the dog has a ruck sack!! You can use it to carry the sandwich. Maybe. Unrelated, I think dog backpacks are my favorite thing right now. I was chillin at this guys house and his...

          It still counts if the dog has a ruck sack!! You can use it to carry the sandwich. Maybe.

          Unrelated, I think dog backpacks are my favorite thing right now. I was chillin at this guys house and his dog's harness had pockets and a little handle on it. I -g e e k e d- out. So frickin cute. Every time.

          2 votes
    2. Dovey
      Link Parent
      An acquaintance of mine is trying desperately to get the leaves raked off her garden before she leaves town for a month. Things will start growing in her absence and she doesn't want them...

      An acquaintance of mine is trying desperately to get the leaves raked off her garden before she leaves town for a month. Things will start growing in her absence and she doesn't want them smothered, but last year's litter is still frozen in place. She was literally out there with a hammer, but I don't think it worked too well.

      2 votes
  4. [6]
    unknown user
    Link
    I'm actually working on 2011. Who'da thought. Also working on making my friend Mark's website better. He's the author of Indigrid – an outliner for when you can't figure the idea out. Also,...

    I'm actually working on 2011. Who'da thought.

    Also working on making my friend Mark's website better. He's the author of Indigrid – an outliner for when you can't figure the idea out. Also, potentially making Indigrid itself even better. The thing has potential for a lot more than just outlinign, it turned out.

    3 votes
    1. [5]
      stephen
      Link Parent
      This is the fucking coolest thing wtf I downloading it right now and moving some notes into it. This is pretty much exactly how I already take notes and draft ideas already.

      Indigrid

      This is the fucking coolest thing wtf I downloading it right now and moving some notes into it. This is pretty much exactly how I already take notes and draft ideas already.

      2 votes
      1. [4]
        unknown user
        Link Parent
        I'll pass the feedback along. :)

        I'll pass the feedback along. :)

        1 vote
        1. [3]
          stephen
          Link Parent
          Oh well in that case!.................... ;) some sort of external back-up capability would be nice for just in case. Not being able to save a copy is pretty like OG gaming, no-respawns sorta hard...

          Oh well in that case!.................... ;) some sort of external back-up capability would be nice for just in case. Not being able to save a copy is pretty like OG gaming, no-respawns sorta hard core.

          But I'm also a big fan of hard core so either way! I dig this quite mucho

          1 vote
          1. [2]
            unknown user
            Link Parent
            If you want backups, you're going to have to organize them yourself. One of the points of Indigrid is that it's offline-only; "neurotic", as it's addressed on the main page. As far as I'm aware,...

            If you want backups, you're going to have to organize them yourself. One of the points of Indigrid is that it's offline-only; "neurotic", as it's addressed on the main page. As far as I'm aware, the only data being exchanged between the app and the server is pings to see whether a newer build is available. Everything else is in the folder.

            Keeping the data in Indigrid is fairly-straightforward: it's all stored in a single database file, <indigrid_folder>/vault/funds.db. If you have automated updates, just copy the folder. Every single operation you've made in your notes is saved within the database. This means two things: (1) if you return to a backup of your system and put the newer funds.db in, it would be as if you'd never left, (2) you can't diff two branching versions of the same database (within Indigrid, that is), so any changes you'd made in version that you want to save, you better copy into another by hand.

            Thankfully, all the data you copy is indented plain text, and Indigrid parses it correctly if it's being pasted into the app.

            2 votes
            1. stephen
              Link Parent
              This is what I as hoping would be the case! Fabulous

              Thankfully, all the data you copy is indented plain text, and Indigrid parses it correctly if it's being pasted into the app.

              This is what I as hoping would be the case! Fabulous

              2 votes
  5. [8]
    lazer
    Link
    Tonight I'm having a coding session with a friend. Tomorrow I am catching up with my ex and bringing some moving boxes from my old apartment in preparation for a move next week. Then cleaning and...

    Tonight I'm having a coding session with a friend. Tomorrow I am catching up with my ex and bringing some moving boxes from my old apartment in preparation for a move next week. Then cleaning and yet again jumping into a frozen lake (in daylight this time) with a guy I'm dating, followed by home made sirniki...and lots of packing on Sunday.

    2 votes
    1. [5]
      SUD0
      Link Parent
      What are you guys coding/working on tonight?

      What are you guys coding/working on tonight?

      3 votes
      1. [4]
        lazer
        Link Parent
        I am working on my long-term snail simulation hobby project in Go and he is learning Python.

        I am working on my long-term snail simulation hobby project in Go and he is learning Python.

        2 votes
        1. [3]
          hamstergeddon
          Link Parent
          Is it literally simulated a snail or is this a programming term I've not encountered ?

          Is it literally simulated a snail or is this a programming term I've not encountered ?

          2 votes
          1. [2]
            lazer
            Link Parent
            Haha no it's literally a simulated snail!

            Haha no it's literally a simulated snail!

            2 votes
            1. hamstergeddon
              Link Parent
              Nice! You can never be too sure, there are some weird terms in programming. Like Rubber Duck Debugging :P

              Nice! You can never be too sure, there are some weird terms in programming. Like Rubber Duck Debugging :P

              1 vote
    2. [2]
      user2
      Link Parent
      How does a "coding session" work? Are you guys physically close to each-other or on a call or what?

      How does a "coding session" work? Are you guys physically close to each-other or on a call or what?

      2 votes
      1. lazer
        Link Parent
        In this case it went like this: we meet up (in person) after work with our laptops. We went for a bit of a walk (first really nice day in Stockholm this year, so the weather was perfect for it!)...

        In this case it went like this: we meet up (in person) after work with our laptops. We went for a bit of a walk (first really nice day in Stockholm this year, so the weather was perfect for it!) and relaxed, and then went to a late-night cafe with WiFi. We grabbed some coffee and a couch (with a couple of small tables for our laptops) and talked about our projects and coding in general for a bit.

        Since he just started learning Python he had lots of questions about the language and programming in general, which I was happy to discuss. Then we sat there and worked on our own laptops for a bit - him on his Python tutorials and me on my Go project. At one point we started talking a little too much (about non-coding things) and coding a little too little, so we set a 30-minute timer where we just focused on our work and didn't talk, then had some discussion in-between, and then set another 30-minute timer. Then we got McDonald's :D

        I love coding in cafes in general - since I've done it so much to me a cafe with WiFi and a power outlet is like "instant focus mode". Usually I do this by myself, but sometimes it's nice to go with a friend as well. Especially when the friend is so excited about learning like this one, it makes me want to help.

        2 votes
  6. AugustusFerdinand
    Link
    Hanging with the guys to pull an engine out of one car to prep it for installation into my buddy's truck and a LAN party.

    Hanging with the guys to pull an engine out of one car to prep it for installation into my buddy's truck and a LAN party.

    2 votes
  7. ras
    Link
    I should be working on projects for school, but I've gotten wrapped up in a project I'm building for my wife.

    I should be working on projects for school, but I've gotten wrapped up in a project I'm building for my wife.

    2 votes
  8. loto
    Link
    Hoping to finally get around to building my Lego ship-in-a-bottle, and heading to a housewarming party ('party' meaning playing Super Smash Bros. 64 for a few hours and catching up) at my friends'...

    Hoping to finally get around to building my Lego ship-in-a-bottle, and heading to a housewarming party ('party' meaning playing Super Smash Bros. 64 for a few hours and catching up) at my friends' new apartment, so should be a pretty good weekend :)

    2 votes
  9. [4]
    Comment deleted by author
    Link
    1. [2]
      user2
      Link Parent
      Check out the kitty terminal, which is the one I am using right now. Pretty nice.

      Check out the kitty terminal, which is the one I am using right now. Pretty nice.

      1 vote
      1. [2]
        Comment deleted by author
        Link Parent
        1. user2
          Link Parent
          I chose Kitty over alacritty because the former supports font ligatures while the later does not. Also, kitty supports tabs and alacritty does not (you've to use a terminal multiplexer). On top of...

          I chose Kitty over alacritty because the former supports font ligatures while the later does not. Also, kitty supports tabs and alacritty does not (you've to use a terminal multiplexer). On top of that, kitty has some nice features, such as image viewer right in the terminal (that also works via ssh).

          1 vote
    2. davidb
      Link Parent
      Is there a good video on how to contribute to OpenStreetMap? I like the idea and would put some time into it, but every time I've started to research it I've been overwhelmed.

      Is there a good video on how to contribute to OpenStreetMap? I like the idea and would put some time into it, but every time I've started to research it I've been overwhelmed.

      1 vote
  10. Hypersapien
    Link
    My girlfriend is up in Pennsylvania for a work conference. The last day is Saturday so that night she's going to her parents' place (they recently moved to a retirement village in PA) and I'm...

    My girlfriend is up in Pennsylvania for a work conference. The last day is Saturday so that night she's going to her parents' place (they recently moved to a retirement village in PA) and I'm driving up from Maryland to meet her and visit with her parents. Her mom's birthday was this week so we might do something for that. They're going to set us up in a guest unit for the night and we'll each drive back Sunday.

    1 vote
  11. Dovey
    Link
    Today I'm cleaning out the shed and thinking about how to set up my container garden this summer. I wish I had a sunny garden and nice shady deck, but unfortunately it's the other way around so...

    Today I'm cleaning out the shed and thinking about how to set up my container garden this summer. I wish I had a sunny garden and nice shady deck, but unfortunately it's the other way around so the potatoes, nasturtiums and ????? will be living the deck life. I bought some of those black fabric-style grow bags to try out. Anyone have experience with them? For the rest of the weekend I'll just be working, nothing special.

    1 vote
  12. [3]
    admicos
    (edited )
    Link
    I'm planning on trying to code something, just need to pick an idea. I was thinking of doing something with ActivityPub and federation, but I have no clue exactly what to do with it. Or, I could...

    I'm planning on trying to code something, just need to pick an idea.

    I was thinking of doing something with ActivityPub and federation, but I have no clue exactly what to do with it.

    Or, I could learn React, but I don't have any idea on what I could do with it either.

    Well... I could merge the two together and make the frontend with React, but I'd have to fiddle with NGINX, etc. and I'd rather have my site work standalone. (And no, I'd rather not use JS in the backend)

    (Actually, hold on, I think I can make it work.)
    (edit: I made it work, yay)

    1 vote
    1. [2]
      user2
      Link Parent
      You could help prismo.news. It is a reddit/hackernews alternative.

      You could help prismo.news. It is a reddit/hackernews alternative.

      2 votes
      1. admicos
        Link Parent
        I'd love to, but it seems like it's written primarily in Ruby, which I don't have no experience with. Also, any "big" projects look intimidating to me, so I don't know how I would approach trying...

        I'd love to, but it seems like it's written primarily in Ruby, which I don't have no experience with.

        Also, any "big" projects look intimidating to me, so I don't know how I would approach trying to do something even if I had experience with Ruby.

        2 votes
  13. davidb
    Link
    It's finally "warm" in north eastern US, so I will be outside - even if it rains. I stopped at the park today on my way in to work and just sat on a bench enjoying being able to wear just a...

    It's finally "warm" in north eastern US, so I will be outside - even if it rains. I stopped at the park today on my way in to work and just sat on a bench enjoying being able to wear just a t-shirt and not be miserable outside.

    I'm having a bunch of friends over tomorrow that I haven't really had an opportunity to really hang out with in over a year due to our lives being busy and calendars not aligning. I'm ridiculously excited about it. We'll talk, drink, watch music videos, play card and board games, and go out to a restaurant to eat. A simple, but lovely time.

    Finally, I'll be spending whatever "free time" I have coding a website and app for Agape. We came up with a tagline for it a couple weeks ago "A new way to say I love you" and I haven't been more excited about an idea in years. The first version of the product just texts you and your partner daily questions. Once you both answer, you get to see your partner's response. I was skeptical of the idea at first, but after using it for a month I think we're really onto something that is fun and will improve relationships. The questions are written by a clinical psychologist and I'll be working more with him in the next couple of months designing and implementing some NLP and machine learning to further personalize the questions. If you're interested in the product, check out the website for it.

    1 vote
  14. [2]
    Guyon
    Link
    Installing the Jackson Racing Dual Radiator/Oil Cooler on my car. First time taking the bumper off, which I heard never goes on correctly, so wish me luck.

    Installing the Jackson Racing Dual Radiator/Oil Cooler on my car. First time taking the bumper off, which I heard never goes on correctly, so wish me luck.

    1 vote
    1. [2]
      Comment deleted by author
      Link Parent
      1. Guyon
        Link Parent
        All of the cars you've mentioned are awesome! I have trouble comparing them, to be honest. They're all totally unique creatures. I love my 86 - I want to keep it forever. I got a 6MT '15 FR-S, and...

        All of the cars you've mentioned are awesome! I have trouble comparing them, to be honest. They're all totally unique creatures.

        I love my 86 - I want to keep it forever. I got a 6MT '15 FR-S, and I love the more raw nature of it. I just want a simple car that I feel comfortable working on that's fun to drive, not something with an auto-leveling LED illuminated massaging dual-climate horn.

        There's a decent 86 community - the FT86Club forums leave a little to be desired, but /r/ft86 and the Discord server are pretty great.

        So far, they've proven to be pretty reliable too.

        I could go on forever. If you're interested, here's my little build thread that needs an update: http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109027

        1 vote
  15. DevNull
    Link
    I will be doing what I do most weekends.... working on a client project writing code for insanely long stretches of time! But I love what I do, as much as any hobby I've ever had. And the project...

    I will be doing what I do most weekends.... working on a client project writing code for insanely long stretches of time! But I love what I do, as much as any hobby I've ever had. And the project fascinates me because it is based almost entirely around technologies both hardware and software that I have never used! So every day is like that first day with a Rubiks cube! LOL After 34 years in technology this was very refreshing. And the biggest surprise is that I have managed (somehow) to do some of my best work! After being ready to hang up my keyboard this project sure put tings into perspective for me!

    And when I need a break from that I will be working on my own pet project which involves some AI - I am working with Google's Cloud AI & Machine Learning to enable my app to do text-to-speach and vice verse so basically it will operate like an overgrown Alexa or Android/Siri - however I am also including the Replika AI chatbox (which if you haven't tried it out, it's incredible stuff!) - so that my overgrown Alex will be able to carry on a conversation or mutter random musings. It's considered "conversational AI" so a tad beyond chatbot stuff. I may even try to do some vocal processing and see if I can get a voice output that comes close to everyone's favorite murderous computer HAL-9000 :-) LOL!
    My weekend sounds boring as hell LOL but actually it's what I love to do, and right now, what I can afford to do! LOL

    1 vote
  16. JohntyR
    Link
    Off to explore Paris for the next couple of days :) which should be awesome. Along with getting a new rubix cube

    Off to explore Paris for the next couple of days :) which should be awesome.
    Along with getting a new rubix cube

    1 vote
  17. [2]
    hamstergeddon
    Link
    Playing D&D tomorrow evening and I can't wait. I've been playing this ridiculous business man type who sounds a bit like foghorn leghorn. He's filthy rich and woefully out of touch with the common...

    Playing D&D tomorrow evening and I can't wait. I've been playing this ridiculous business man type who sounds a bit like foghorn leghorn. He's filthy rich and woefully out of touch with the common man, which is a lot of fun to RP. Only issue with him is that his class (rogue) doesn't really fit in with him. There's no reason a millionaire ass hole should be stealthy and stabby, but we needed melee in the group.

    1 vote
    1. [2]
      Comment deleted by author
      Link Parent
      1. hamstergeddon
        Link Parent
        haha, nope I didn't know! I was just scrolling down, saw it, and commented. Thanks!

        haha, nope I didn't know! I was just scrolling down, saw it, and commented. Thanks!