Paul Ganssle @pganssle@qoto.org

Lots of birds in my backyard this morning:

- Pileated woodpecker
- Downy woodpecker
- Bluejay
- White-breasted nuthatch (?)
- Warbler with yellow head and back
- Some sort of hawk

#birding

Head's up: Major breaking change coming to tzlocal, as in the next version it will return zoneinfo time zones: https://github.com/regebro/tzlocal/pull/92

Anyone using `tzlocal` should test against master. If your application doesn't break, you are probably using tzlocal wrong anyway.

#python

Now I need to get a telephoto lens for my phone or camera, because I keep wanting to take pictures of the stuff I see in the binoculars.

Just got a pair of nice 8x42 binoculars (Athlon Midas ED) and #protip: they make #birding so much better.

I don't know why no one thought to use these to look at birds before I came up with this wholly original idea.

Tip: On Cinnamon (and probably other Window managers and OSes), Alt + ~ is the same as Alt + Tab, but restricted to the currently active application (e.g. tab between Firefox windows).

Learned this from @LarryHastings@twitter.com last year and I've probably used it every day.

Having a pulse oximeter is kinda fun, though it's disconcerting that the pulse number starts blinking when it falls under 60 bpm, considering my normal HR is usually something around 50 bpm.

Context here is #python, if that wasn't clear.

If you wanted to write a conditional to check whether both a and b are None or neither are None, would you use comparison chaining for either condition, both conditions, or neither?

Chaining:

if a is b is None:
…
if a is not None is not b:
…

Non-chaining:

if a is None and b is None:
…
if a is not None and b is not None:
…

Been using an exercise ball for a chair for the past 3-4 business days and I can't tell if my back is sore because it's being exercised or because I have terrible posture.

Quite possibly both.

My brother apparently has a kidney stone, so of course I had to send him this: http://www.thomas-morris.uk/the-self-inflicted-lithotomy/

I should write a bot that cross-posts my tweets from my Twitter account, but also translates them into British English first.

A futuristic version of going to a new school where no one knows you and affecting an accent.

It's weird to me that in all the reporting about how a gender reveal party kicked off the CA wildfires, no one mentions what the gender of the baby was.

#python #pep615 #timezones

Generated using Ye Olde Yorker: https://yeoldeyorker.hashbase.io/

It's pretty fun to generate New Yorker cartoons.

Oops., time to stop using pep517.build!
https://github.com/pypa/pep517/pull/83

Instead, you should start using a brand new library that doesn't have a release yet!

Sorry if you took me seriously when I recommended this tool for the past few years because there was nothing else...

"Now, I see your birth plan involves Mike standing guard at the door with a spear because of... prowling sorcerers?"
"Yes, they can be very tricky."

Do you hate the feeling of being a useless spectator while your mate is laboring to bring your child into the world? Consider hiring "prowling sorcerers" who you can fend off with a spear!

(Note: This will likely not be covered by insurance.)