Paul Ganssle @pganssle@qoto.org

Latest post is a big one: "Why you shouldn't invoke setup​.py directly"

A lot of people don't know about this because we haven't been great about getting the word out. This blog post is in part an attempt to remedy this.

Please help spread the word!

https://blog.ganssle.io/articles/2021/10/setup-py-deprecated.html

From the archives of my blog but still very relevant: "pytz: The Fastest Footgun in the West", about why you probably shouldn't be using pytz:

https://blog.ganssle.io/articles/2018/03/pytz-fastest-footgun.html

Feels similar to the way that everyone my age got chicken pox and no one ten years younger than me (and with sane parents) got it. What a time to be alive.

As someone who lost a lot of weight and kept it off using old fashioned willpower and exercise, I am *really* happy that these drugs are making that horrible process optional.

(Plus making weight loss available to the large fraction of people for whom — empirically — the "old fashioned" method does not work).

7 y/o: "I just want to check the date."
Me: "It's November 1st."
7 y/o: "November?! That means it's Christmas!"

A future Target / Walmart / department store executive in the making I see.

"Alexa, play Halloween music"
*Zombie by The Cranberries starts playing*
... I... guess?

I have to say that unfortunately, since Mozilla took over K9 mail and turned it into Thunderbird for Android, it has really ruined the usability for me. Anyone have any recommendations for other #foss email clients?

Bonus points if they can handle sending from catch-all email addresses.

Might be a controversial opinion, but I think using freeways for long term parking might not be the most effective use of the roads...

I am unreasonably pleased that #PyBay has open wifi with no captive portal.

So this happened at TSA today, which means it's time to get new headphones. Are bone conduction headphones still the best option for headphones that you can wear all the time but you can hear it when people talk to you?

My ideal headset would be very discreet, such that people can barely tell you are wearing them (or if they are visible I would prefer if people felt comfortable talking to me while wearing them).

I do not use Apple products.

Just got hit by the thing where YouTube on mobile automatically dubs videos into the language your interface is in with no way to turn it off (WTF?!). The solution I found was to open the video in NewPipe and go to Settings > Video & Audio > Prefer original audio.

🤦‍♂️

Hmm... Should I take a few hours to buy a new computer now, or should I wait until my existing computer completely falls apart and buy one in a panic later... Choices, choices...

(Just kidding, it's definitely going to be the second one)

7 y/o: "What's Columbus Day?"
Me: "<General explanation of who Columbus was>... So basically, it celebrates when Europeans discovered America."
7 y/o: "Oh, so basically it has no purpose."