barefootstache @barefootstache@qoto.org

#DailyBloggingChallenge (12/25)

Has anyone else notice how feature rich #microsoft #excel is? Like you take a picture of your data and it can evaluate it.

Though simple tasks like opening a CSV file feels like you need a rocket science degree.

On the #FOSS side, there exists #LibreOffice #calc, where you only need to open the file, choose the delimiters, and you are good to go.

#fossforthewin

#DailyBloggingChallenge (11/25)

The conclusion after the first 10 days:

- The #Markor (F-droid) app is good as a replacement for the previous using app, Epsilon (Google playstore). Still need to figure out how to make my own templates instead of copy-pasting the last daily and adjusting the specific fields.
- Early on, created a _could write about list_, though haven't utilized it yet, since little to no motivation to tackle those topics.
- Quite prone to procrastinate towards the daily until right before bed time, thus creating a more rushed entry. For the next stretch of the challenge the goal is to complete most of the daily within the first four hours of the day.
- With the last point comes also the issue of not knowing what to write about. Thus, I will permit _backlog writing_, one can start writing about a topic prior to the publish day.
- And finally, ten days is a good starting range for a challenge, though not enough time to conclude if it is creating a positive change. Thereby want to add the addition goal of adding one long form article per month. So for the next 15 days it will be two articles.

#DailyBloggingChallenge (10/10)

> Different levels different devils.

When doing a physical endurance team event each person will suffer differently. Some will be challenged by the cardio portions while others will struggle with the workouts and then there is the physiological and psychological suffering. This is all doable if you come into the event without preexisting injuries or damages e.g. a bad knee.

As long as either you or your team mates keep a positive outlook all is doable. Just because you are suffering in the moment doesn't mean that others aren't as well.

If you do not communicate your unbearable pains, the team will not be able to assist you in any fashion.

Remember it is a team event and one should rely on the team.

#DailyBloggingChallenge (09/10)

My top 5 things to take for an endurance #rucking event:

1. at least 2L of water
2. an electrolytes solution, usually salt capsules
3. food in form of trail mix or nuts
4. IFAK (Individual First Aid Kit)
5. phone with offline #OpenStreetMap data

#DailyBloggingChallenge (08/10)

To learn something new one takes existing knowledge nodes and alters them.

This comes to the question can one learn a foreign language and a field of study at the same time. And what preliminary requirements are needed for this feat.

The challenge that I will try to tackle is to learn statistics in Russian.

This is what I bring to the table:

- Familiar with multiple memory techniques like the memory palace or the peg method up to 100 slots.
- Have a decent maths foundation and know the basics in #statistics.
- Know Croatian, granting Slavic roots for the #Russian language. (Might create word choice conflict in the long run.)
- And know the Russian Cyrillic alphabet. This grants me the ability to read.

This list should provide enough knowledge nodes to tackle the challenge.

Goal:

1. To be able to translate Russian media without the need for a translator.
2. To know how and why in using a specific algorithm in statistics to evaluate the data.

(Preliminary action plan coming soon...)

#DailyBloggingChallenge (07/10)

Do you like to eat beans but find it annoying to patiently wait hours by the stove cooking them? Well did you know you can also bake them?

All you need is a casserole dish with a lid.

1. Cold soak your beans at least 12h.
2. Rinse your beans multiple times until the fogginess dissipates.
3. Add water until it covers the beans, place the lid, and bake them for at least 3h at 200°C or until one's preferred tenderness. Check at 1h intervals to make sure there is still enough water in the dish and add if needed.

Hint: place either a baking sheet directly below the dish or a level deeper. Most likely the pressure in the encasement will make the water rise and seep through the cracks. This will then land on what ever is below it. So if one wants to ease the cleaning process, this is one's best bet.

#baking #cooking #beans

#DailyBloggingChallenge (06/10)

For the longest time, I have been cooking #gnocchi as described on the package.

Wait until the water in pot comes to a boil, then add the gnocchi, and wait the allotted time of 2-3min.

The issue with this method is that it is not lazy proof. (Yes, I am a #lazycook.)

First one needs to know exactly how water is necessary so that the amount of added gnocchi first doesn't overflow the pot and second isn't too little that it burns. Have had it in the past that I stepped away a bit too long and all the water evaporated away.

Instead first add the gnocchi, then the water so that it just covers the gnocchi. This way there is no guesstimating how much water is necessary. The only downside is that the gnocchi comes out on the bit more soggy side.

Next issue is waiting for the allotted time to pass. This means one needs to track the time with a secondary device. That is just too much work and there is a much more simpler way to estimate it.

Once it comes to a boil (put on highest heat to get the fastest results), just wait patiently, and eventually foam will be created and rise. Right before it is about to boil over remove it from the heat and the gnocchi is finished.

This method works good with pots of 1-4L assuming the gnocchi dry weight is 500g.

#cooking #recipe

#DailyBloggingChallenge (05/10)

These are the first five apps to install on a new #android device or account:

1. #fdroid (@fdroidorg), to quickly leave the Google ecosystem and to use as an app store for all further apps.
2. #duckduckgo, it comes with features like easily and quickly delete data or access to !bangs.
3. #bitwarden (@bitwarden) or the user's preferred password manager. This is the quickest way to login into various accounts.
4. #element (@element) or the user's preferred #matrix client. This is the quickest way to transfer data between various accounts. For example between the various Android accounts or between the phone and PC.
5. #nextcloud (@nextcloud) or the user's preferred cloud sync client. This eases the backup sync of most apps.

After setting up these 5 apps, the rest is a breeze.

Hint: if one installs these apps in one's #grapheneOS (@GrapheneOS) owner account, one can permit these apps to be pre-installed on all other accounts.

#DailyBloggingChallenge (04/10)

A topic that is quite dear to me is the question:

> When should one map a separate sidewalk in #OpenStreetMap?

In general there are two schemas:

(A) one maps it directly with road by using the `sidewalk` key, or
(B) one maps it as a separate way

For simple cases the (A) schema suffices, though for detail heavy cases, schema (B) is a better choice.

Examples of a simple case: the #sidewalk has the exact same surface and smoothness quality for the whole section.

It starts becoming problematic when either the surface and/or smoothness changes. Since each alteration will create an additional node onto the road. If it is one or two additions it might be acceptable but any more than that might question the sanity of throwing so much data onto the road. And this doesn't even concern with how the surface, smoothness, lanes count, bicycle lanes, etc are dealt on the road. If one pulled this to the extremes one would have so many nodes that one would quickly lose the oversight of which way section belongs to which feature and would be more prone that the wrong section would be altered.

This problem didn't mention how one would handle crossings or curb height or bus/tram stops or green spaces or any other amenity and POIs combinations between the sidewalk and road. The deeper one dives into all the potential possibilities that could exist, one quickly realized that schema (B) is the only sensible answer.

More responses/discussions about the topic can found here: https://www.openstreetmap.org/user/deptho/diary/401906

#pedestrian

#DailyBloggingChallenge (03/10)

If you have ever been on a caffeine binge you might have experienced how certain bodily urges just dissipate like hunger, tiredness, or horniness. These coincide with the primal urges that alcohol increases.

These hindrances cause so many people to go bananas if their needs are not quickly met like being hangry.

On the flip side, not experiencing them regularly makes one life stale and dull. Thus, one should achieve a state where one does not become negatively charged and at the same time not blunt them to the point that one doesn't anymore get euphoria satiating them.

#DailyBloggingChallenge (02/10)

After using #8pen for about two days, I came across some conclusions:

- If one makes the center circle a bit bigger one is less prone in over rotating the key selection plus on learns to go further out from the center to choose the correct letter.
- Initially always ended the word/phrase in the center, which would then automatically make a SPACE there after. This became quite painful when writing a password, since after the substring a SPACE happened and one would need to delete it before continuing. So if one had lots of these substrings where one frequently needed to jump between letters and numbers/special characters the process became painstakingly annoying. Simple solution: just end outside of the circle.
- Instead of doing a full circle to get The capitalized letter, it is much easier to hit the SHIFT-
- The letters located on the third ring are the hardest to navigate to.
- Still trying to figure out how to add emojis.
- Still inconclusive if I am missing the auto suggest feature of words.
- Navigating is a bit flimsy and haven't figured out how I accidentally trigger it.
- Sometimes I wish I had a visual confirmation that a key or functions was activated like on the other pages of the keyboard.

The theory claims once you are familiar with the layout, you won't need the keys anymore. Once this state happens, one technically could keep one's phone in one's pocket and swipe away the next new novel or short story.

I am just imagining, you are swiping away in your pocket and onlookers think you are masturbating in public...

#DailyBloggingChallenge (001/10)

In the past I have been quite fruitful with daily challenges. Successfully achieved the 50 day #StatisticsChallenge and slowly creeping up on 365 day mark of the #MappingChallenge (@barefootstache@en.osm.town) with less than a month to go. Thus, I will attempt the daily blogging challenge.

The requirements will be quite simple for the begining and might expand through time:

- It must use `hashtag (XX/YY)` format. This has two benefits:
1. One can follow the hashtag thereby potentialy creating its own atom/rss feed.
2. One can filter out these posts if unwanted.
- It must be post ready before slumber. This puts the focus on writing rather than publishing and gives a grace period if no internet connection.
- If written on mobile, it must be written with the #8pen keyboard.
- It must be at least one paragraph or three sentences long.

This challenge was sparked after reading the article

https://www.yieldcode.blog/post/why-engineers-should-write/

written by @skwee357.

While I was on the hunt for a keyboard with swipe functionality on #fdroid, I stumbled upon a #8pen keyboard. After an initial video on the concept of how it works, I quickly got the hang of it.

One thing I can agree with the developers is that it is a much quicker method of learning how to type without looking.

Currently the only initial downside is that one is constantly pressing the screen thereby creating soreness. Additionally, it is not ideal for typing texts with numbers or non-typical special characters like one would find by passwords.