This is the web site of Joe Johnston [
resume ], a software architect and team leader
in the Greater Boston area with over two decades of industry
experience developing web applications for the Cloud, Intranet, and
Desktop using many Open Source tools.
This site embraces indieweb. Take back
control of your content.
I have deactivated my twitter account. The current direction of the
company is beyond loathesome. It is unlikely to change.
I mostly quit the platform a couple of years ago, but I now take this
further step in quiet protest.
Musk, you could have changed the world for the better.
Some songs practically write themselves. This song isn't one of
those. It required a lot of post-production to move it into the goal.
Enjoy:
https://soundcloud.com/taskboy3000/stefan
Will 2023 be the second coming of blogs? It is possible. So much of corporate social media has turned out as badly as critics foretold. If you read this feed, you already know how I feel about it.
“I am from Perl town” is the great way Jason McIntosh expresses the cultural legacy of using Perl for many years. And it is a great legacy! Perl is still my primary language after 25 years of professional programming.
Yes, I use other languages too (most notably javascript). What keeps Perl fresh to me is Moo. It feels like the best framework to construct object oriented apps in of any language I have yet used. In ten years, I am sure other languages will discover and co-opt it — and they should!
But I hear Jason clearly when he suggests he will never invest the time to learn another language as deeply as he has for Perl. I am in exactly the same position. I hesitate to use the word never, since I have picked up quite a bit of javascript.
Generally, I describe my technical skillset in terms of the platforms I deliver solutions for, which in my case is web applications. Those applications might power a mobile app, but the backend is still emitting HTTP messages.
Hemingway knew English, but mostly it was his application of same that he is remembered for.
Media is reporting that in the last episode of Andor, the hologram’s speech originally concluded with the line: “F*** the Empire!”
The article laments this censorship. I celebrate it.
Cussing up a swear is not clever writing. It is lazy.
Here is your out of context line from unix command calendar's man page:
calendar doesn't handle all Jewish holidays or moon phases.
IT'S 2022 CALENDAR - BE BETTER.
Get A Good Grip Before You Start is now has a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcKxmdJKvPQ
I remastered and remixed the song as a 24-bit WAV, you lucky
so-and-sos.
(Yeah, I know mp4 compresses the audio again).
Is it me or are many podcasts and youtubers now trying to get their followers to sign up for newsletters? Seems like a hard way to placate advertisers. Next up: the fourth revile of Zines.
I want Ukraine to regain its stolen lands and independence.
However, I am heartbroken for the Russian troops being killed by the
cruelty and malfeasance of their leaders. Most of these troops are
conscripts and many just want to go home.
This is a sick, sad world in which the political games of a few
destroy the lives of a younger generation and the future.
I took student loans against a degree I did not finish. I paid that off.
I took more loans for a degree I did finish. I paid those off.
I strongly support student loan forgiveness. I encourage you to do so as well.
We will win we debt is forgiven.
Finland, if you think your PM’s behavior is provoking a crisis, may I introduce you to the former president of the US?
Take the win. Even your scandals are awesome.
As an informal survey, help me understand how popular syntax
highlighting (SL) is for programmers.
If you prefer using your editor without SL, 'like' this tweet.
Reply to this tweet if you prefer SL.
Thx.
When you complain how Leftist Sanders or Warren is, kindly recall this
chart:
https://www.politicalcompass.org/uselection2020
The US is a Right-wing country and has been for many decades.
The Overton window needs a shove Left.
To all the young synthheads out there experiencing glorious analog
tape warble for the first time, this section of the ESQ-1 manual is
for you.
https://taskboy.com/img/not_reliable.png
Condoms and vasectomies are still legal, so I guess the conservative SCOTUS intends to put the burden of birth control entirely on men? Interesting choice.
What's happening now could be seen clearly in 2016.
This SCOTUS is terrible, but the institution is solid.
You want a better SCOTUS? Vote in your local elections.
The Linux kernel supports a MIDI sequencer interface, but limits the
number of MIDI events (in song tick mode) to just 68 years worth.
B...but my EDM masterpiece jam is *69* years long!
#trashos
As a private company, Twitter is under no obligation to publish its user’s content.
Unclear why Texas GOP wants to infringe on the rights of corporations.
This timeline needs a copy editor.
Today’s Inflation is mostly caused by supply chain issues (and typically wildly market speculation), both of which are bigger deals than those paltry stimulus checks.
People telling you direct aid to needy people hurt your 401k are shilling for plutocrats.
YouTuber @steve_shives has been reviewing Star Trek: Picard and having
seen the last episode, I just wanted to say, as one human to another,
I'm sorry we did this to you, Steve. You didn't deserve this.
Y'all,
1) the 9th amendment makes it clear we have rights not spelled out
in the Constitution. Unclear how Roberts missed this.
2) slavery was blessed by the CON until it wasn't. CON is meant to be
a living document.
-- IANAL af
Remember when in Raiders of the Lost Ark the Nazi's open the Ark and
learned forbidden secrets that melted their faces off?
I have one of those: in my town, Dunkin Donuts delivers.
I bought reaper DAW about 2 months ago and I delighted with it.
It's powerful, fast, and loaded free, powerful plugins.
It's emacs for audio stuff. Can't recommend it more.
I’m going to politely suggest that perhaps public internet forums and the police are not the best combination.
Exhibit A: https://www.masscops.com/threads/knife-carrying-laws.15599/
Also, we really need to ban Dirty Harry films. They are having a bad effect on our society’s most vulnerable.
Had an intense fight getting Behringer Crave to accept the clock
from my Arturia Keystep, which was sequencing a Pure Data patch on my
Raspberry Pi, but by Shub-Niggurath, I got something recorded:
https://studio.taskboy.com/media/mechanical_trembles.mp3
Another song already? Indeed, so.
https://soundcloud.com/taskboy3000/coin-op
Please like, subscribe, comment, share, join my channel, check out my patreon, follow me on instagram, friend me on myspace, friend me on livejournal, get the RSS feed for my friendster page, IM me on AOL…
After avoiding them for most of my life, I have fallen into the Kraftwerk rathole.
They made synth noises into real music, which at the time, was no mean feat.
The last time I really felt anything like a “cyberpunk”, I was playing one of these:
https://www.johndaileysoftware.com/products/bbsdoors/
I am arguably part cyborg today, but nothing now compares to dialing up some rando’s compy with a modem to play games.
If you’re outraged by a news pundit’s latest tirade over a brand either putting on or taking off go-go boots from a cartoon spokesman, you need a break from the news for a few weeks. Your priorities are broken.
Wowzers.
A man in the 1930s talks about working in the 1880s.
I was born about 100 years after this gent.
This messes with my sense of temporal distance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB_Xbe7yanM
We’re doing our yearly Harry Potter weekend now.
Friday night: Leaky Cauldron
Saturday night: Hogwarts’ Great Hall
Sunday afternoon: Three Broomsticks
We dress kitchen differently for each and pretend we’re wizards, Harry.
Using the airpod noise cancellation feature for the first time and I am freaked out. I had a short bout of partial deafness before, so this is a little triggering.
Of late, I have noticed that The Atlantic has co-opted the fearmongering of Fox News, but clothed it for liberals, fanning concerns about civil war in the US.
I sure hope their subscription numbers go up.
John McWhorter clearly wants to help his community, but still ends up defending white privilege in a mind-boggling way.
However, his objections are made in good faith, are well-articulated, and require an answer.
Dear Financial Times,
Referring to a COVID-19 vaccination as a “jab” may be clever writing, but you are not likely to assuage the fears the unvaccinated. Please grow up.
Look, I am getting tired of you all asking me “Joe, when are you going to make theme music for a spaghetti western movie?”
I make music for own self, you jackals.
https://studio.taskboy.com/media/reflective.mp3
Another day, another celebrity whining about cancel culture. Because in America, shame is dead.
Sure is hard to figure out why people elect not to hear your hateful, stupid words. Must be a conspiracy.
Totally hand-rolled a paging system for my son using a RPI +16x2 LCD + piezo buzzer.
Lego case.
Server built with mojo lite. client is python run from cron.
Ripping the bandaid off is hard, but leaving Afghanistan now is the right move. It would have been a better move 11 years ago. The best move would have been not to invade at all.
Now, let’s practice some national building at home for a while.
I literally have a spreadsheet open next to cookie clicker that computes the cost per cookie based on buying the next cookie generator. I’m a value investor.
I also have a row that computes the wait time to a target cookie amount based on my current production rate.
#fun
I was mostly skeptical of graph DBs and I am happy to learn I was right to be.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graph_database
Just learn to manage your schemas, people. SQL is your friend.
The New York Times is reporting that 71% of adults in Massachusetts are fully vaccinated.
Will this start a migration of people who want to live where government works and crazy people are the minority? It should.
