Dale Frakes
@dalefrakes.bsky.social
Ph.D. Candidate in Systems Science at Portland State University and proud parent in Portland, Oregon.
Database folks often rail against Cartesian joins, but sometimes they're the best/only way to get the data the way you need it!
December 3, 2025 at 9:57 PM
Database folks often rail against Cartesian joins, but sometimes they're the best/only way to get the data the way you need it!
Apparently nearly 70% of Costco's gross profits come from membership fees. So they're structurally set up to keep customers happy and renewing.
December 2, 2025 at 1:54 AM
Apparently nearly 70% of Costco's gross profits come from membership fees. So they're structurally set up to keep customers happy and renewing.
If T-Mobile has good coverage for you, check out Tello. It's prepaid and uses T-Mobile's network. You can easily customize your data/voice options and make it quite cheap.
November 30, 2025 at 7:39 AM
If T-Mobile has good coverage for you, check out Tello. It's prepaid and uses T-Mobile's network. You can easily customize your data/voice options and make it quite cheap.
Is any of your talk available to non-attendees?
November 27, 2025 at 1:29 AM
Is any of your talk available to non-attendees?
Worse, most people I know who switched to the "Advantage" plan hate it once they actually have anything that needs diagnostics or treatment.
November 26, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Worse, most people I know who switched to the "Advantage" plan hate it once they actually have anything that needs diagnostics or treatment.
And while I found Lwaxana annoying, I wasn't bothered as much by that character since she was written to be so. The episode where she gets captured by a Ferengi was a lot of fun. But the DS9 episode where she spends a lot of time with Odo really made her into a superb character for me.
November 25, 2025 at 9:55 AM
And while I found Lwaxana annoying, I wasn't bothered as much by that character since she was written to be so. The episode where she gets captured by a Ferengi was a lot of fun. But the DS9 episode where she spends a lot of time with Odo really made her into a superb character for me.
Listening to Wil Wheaton's "Still Just a Geek" was an extra eye-opener for me, particularly regarding Wesley. I really disliked Wesley when I was about the same age, but I have a lot more sympathy for the character, and even more for that young actor.
November 25, 2025 at 9:55 AM
Listening to Wil Wheaton's "Still Just a Geek" was an extra eye-opener for me, particularly regarding Wesley. I really disliked Wesley when I was about the same age, but I have a lot more sympathy for the character, and even more for that young actor.
At her age, and 5 years of congressional salary, that will be about $700/month for the rest of her life.
November 22, 2025 at 6:45 AM
At her age, and 5 years of congressional salary, that will be about $700/month for the rest of her life.
It's like that pub song from Beauty and the Beast.
No one's slick like Elon,
No one drinks piss like Elon...
No one's slick like Elon,
No one drinks piss like Elon...
November 21, 2025 at 4:46 AM
It's like that pub song from Beauty and the Beast.
No one's slick like Elon,
No one drinks piss like Elon...
No one's slick like Elon,
No one drinks piss like Elon...
It looks like Brad Wright and Joe Mallozzi are listed as consulting producers, so that's encouraging.
November 19, 2025 at 8:06 PM
It looks like Brad Wright and Joe Mallozzi are listed as consulting producers, so that's encouraging.
I often go out of my way to make sure the quote is not at the end of the sentence to avoid this annoyance.
"I like Pizza!", he said.
He said, "I like Pizza?", questioningly. [a bit clumsy]
Or just skip the quote:
He said he really like pizza.
"I like Pizza!", he said.
He said, "I like Pizza?", questioningly. [a bit clumsy]
Or just skip the quote:
He said he really like pizza.
November 19, 2025 at 7:55 PM
I often go out of my way to make sure the quote is not at the end of the sentence to avoid this annoyance.
"I like Pizza!", he said.
He said, "I like Pizza?", questioningly. [a bit clumsy]
Or just skip the quote:
He said he really like pizza.
"I like Pizza!", he said.
He said, "I like Pizza?", questioningly. [a bit clumsy]
Or just skip the quote:
He said he really like pizza.
I'm grammatically wrong, but logically I've always felt if the quoted text is a sentence, it should be complete with its own punctuation, with the outer sentence also having its punctuation.
Each of these is different:
He said, "I like pizza!".
He said, "I like pizza!"!
He said, "I like pizza!"?
Each of these is different:
He said, "I like pizza!".
He said, "I like pizza!"!
He said, "I like pizza!"?
November 19, 2025 at 7:52 PM
I'm grammatically wrong, but logically I've always felt if the quoted text is a sentence, it should be complete with its own punctuation, with the outer sentence also having its punctuation.
Each of these is different:
He said, "I like pizza!".
He said, "I like pizza!"!
He said, "I like pizza!"?
Each of these is different:
He said, "I like pizza!".
He said, "I like pizza!"!
He said, "I like pizza!"?
Will they accept a recent CLES or SF50? (if applicable)
October 25, 2025 at 3:08 AM
Will they accept a recent CLES or SF50? (if applicable)
Is this the best place to read it? priyadarshiamar.github.io/Assets/Mercu...
priyadarshiamar.github.io
October 15, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Is this the best place to read it? priyadarshiamar.github.io/Assets/Mercu...
I hear you - I spent months thinking about how I wanted to put a strip of caulk along the front of my shower. Took about 5 minutes when I finally felt I had to do it before guests were coming.
October 13, 2025 at 3:14 AM
I hear you - I spent months thinking about how I wanted to put a strip of caulk along the front of my shower. Took about 5 minutes when I finally felt I had to do it before guests were coming.
I remember when the right-wing was outraged when federal agents of the Clinton administration took Elian Gonzales from his parents at gunpoint. It was wrong then and it's wrong now. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eli%C3%...
Elián González - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
October 13, 2025 at 2:51 AM
I remember when the right-wing was outraged when federal agents of the Clinton administration took Elian Gonzales from his parents at gunpoint. It was wrong then and it's wrong now. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eli%C3%...
I'm so proud of my town!
October 11, 2025 at 3:08 PM
I'm so proud of my town!
Do you make the code for your simulations available? Also there's a great set of videos with an interview with Conway about the GOL. I always chuckle when he eats one of the almonds he uses for demonstration! www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8kU...
Does John Conway hate his Game of Life?
YouTube video by Numberphile
www.youtube.com
October 10, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Do you make the code for your simulations available? Also there's a great set of videos with an interview with Conway about the GOL. I always chuckle when he eats one of the almonds he uses for demonstration! www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8kU...
This could land someone in federal prison for up to 5 years. Nobody should do this. www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/...
18 U.S. Code § 39A - Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft
www.law.cornell.edu
October 10, 2025 at 3:53 AM
This could land someone in federal prison for up to 5 years. Nobody should do this. www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/...
I think this is why Washington was so strongly against political parties. If the congress members were truly representing their states and not their party, things would likely be quite different.
September 30, 2025 at 3:02 AM
I think this is why Washington was so strongly against political parties. If the congress members were truly representing their states and not their party, things would likely be quite different.
For people into audiobooks, there's a pretty good narration of it available on librivox. librivox.org/my-man-jeeve...
My Man Jeeves | LibriVox
LibriVox
librivox.org
September 24, 2025 at 2:20 AM
For people into audiobooks, there's a pretty good narration of it available on librivox. librivox.org/my-man-jeeve...
George and Thomas (@tah-sci.com), I just want to say how much I enjoyed your congenial exchange here. It's a great example of how scientific discourse should happen!
September 19, 2025 at 11:46 PM
George and Thomas (@tah-sci.com), I just want to say how much I enjoyed your congenial exchange here. It's a great example of how scientific discourse should happen!
I really enjoyed this book on that very topic! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Inf...
The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
September 19, 2025 at 5:10 PM
I really enjoyed this book on that very topic! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Inf...
That reminds me of an Asimov short story, Feeling of Power, where humans don't know math any more but one reverse engineers some of it, eventually allowing the military to replace expensive computers on missiles with expendable humans. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fee...
The Feeling of Power - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
September 19, 2025 at 4:57 PM
That reminds me of an Asimov short story, Feeling of Power, where humans don't know math any more but one reverse engineers some of it, eventually allowing the military to replace expensive computers on missiles with expendable humans. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fee...
Their children's programming is free. The rest is based on credits you get each month via your library. If you have access to more than 1 library (e.g. school, municipal, etc.), each may give you different sets of programming and their own set of credits.
September 18, 2025 at 4:44 AM
Their children's programming is free. The rest is based on credits you get each month via your library. If you have access to more than 1 library (e.g. school, municipal, etc.), each may give you different sets of programming and their own set of credits.