Updated 03-Aug-2025 Learning second, foreign, or other language as adult is not uncomplicated. First, we need to review what we actually know about learning languages, and learning them as an adult (as there is are differences between how children and adults learn languages). What we don't know about learning a second or other language First ... Read more
Updated 03-Aug-2025 Debian 11 Bullseye Alpha 1 / 3 These are notes from an initial installation of Debian 11 (Bullseye) Alpha 1 from 2019-11-30, and A new reinstall using Alpha 3 from 2020-12-20. This is meant as the daily driver on an Intel NUC6CAYH, which is a four core celeron with 8gb of ram and ... Read more
Updated 03-Aug-2025 One of the easiest and most straightforward ways of installing Debian linux is by a USB drive that has a bootable ISO installed on it. To prepare this, one needs three things and four steps: USB drive Any USB drive over a certain size should work. The current Bullseye Alpha 3 is 3.7gb ... Read more
Updated 03-Aug-2025 Yes, it will take that long, but also yes, we will achieve normalcy once again. Repurcussions of this crisis precipitated by disgraced former president Trump will echo long into the 2020s and beyond, as a scar. Yes it will take that long. 2021? forget about it. 2022? Still reeling from the pandemic, and ... Read more
Updated 03-Aug-2025 The Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) is a 4" x 4" board (4.5" x 4.5" x 2.0" case) integrated computer. It comes in kit (without ram or storage) or as assembled computers. With the ATX form factor going away, the NUC form factor is increasingly viable as a general purpose replacement. There ... Read more
Updated 03-Aug-2025 A middle eastern string instrument played with a bow (and also can be plucked), this is a gorgeous sound. I see Kamancheh (and Daf, a middle eastern drum) played along with hang drums, and also the oud (a plucked string instrument similar to a lute).
Updated 03-Aug-2025 Google says they don't have a concept of toxic domains. Yet they have a disavow links tool. And in particular there are situations where manual actions are accomplished based on paid links. So, if the domains aren't toxic, certainly links from certain domains might be. The idea that domains or links might not ... Read more
Updated 03-Aug-2025 Several research studies and a report by the American Association of Pediatrics on Preschoolers and Snacking focuses on parental behavior and child behavior objectives. It is worthwhile reviewing these findings and recommendations, as modern parents tend to fall into problem behaviors due to the convenience of poor eating habits as well as a ... Read more
Updated 03-Aug-2025 The Theramin was invented in 1920 by Leon Theremin (Lev Sergeyevich Termen). Introduction to the Theramin The Ecstacy of Gold Introduction to The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Moog Theremins Moog Theremins Moog Theremini Open Theremin Open Theramin Open Theramin kit on Ebay
Updated 03-Aug-2025 Phantasms of past sins Slip into dreams shimmering Victory short-lived Procrustean chimes Punctuate the dawn enfolding
Updated 03-Aug-2025 Markdown Extra Unofficial is a WordPress plugin supporting Markdown Extra the parser by Michel Fortin. There are several markdown plugins for WordPress, however most require that markdown be put in a block or a shortcode. This plugin is meant to be used with the Classic Editor and parse all text in pages and ... Read more
Updated 03-Aug-2025 Nurtureshock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman is an amazing read that challenges so many preconceptions we have about children and child-raising. As the parent of a 3-year-old and a 5-year-old I can say that this book has had a big impact on my thinking. There are so many insights across the chapters, ... Read more
Updated 03-Aug-2025 It is obvious that nearly all babies are not Einstein, the archetypal genius and polymath. Einstein is famously not created but arrived sui generis, emerged out of himself. As a child he didn't speak in full sentences until the age of five. This would be considered severely problematic, though it was obviously not ... Read more
Updated 03-Aug-2025 Mothering our Boys by Maggie Dent Janet Lansbury spoke on her podcast with Maggie Dent who wrote the book Mothering Our Boys. Several interesting points came out of the discussion. Many people see gender differences in raising children as being purely cultural, and cross-cultural studies definitely bear this out. However, there are as ... Read more
Updated 03-Aug-2025
Daily habit tracking is something useful, but can clutter up a calendar view. Also, not every day is each habit necessarily completed, for example if the target is 5 workouts per week, then missing two days per week is not terrible, but expected. Therefore it can be useful to have a separate widget that helps provide the overview of habits and to quickly check off the habit completion.
Updated 03-Aug-2025
As of early 2021, Notion does not have recurring tasks. There are several workarounds for this, with various tradeoffs. Which approach to use has to do most with what kind of recurring tasks are being supported: daily habits, weekly or monthly tasks, ongoing tasks such as shopping lists, etc.
Updated 03-Aug-2025
In the attempt to remove as much of javascript as possible, certainly not relying on jquery and its ilk, we need a CSS-only sticky header and/or footer.
This is normally quite straightforward. However, the trick comes when logged into WordPress and the Adminbar is present.
If only the #mobile-header, .site-header, #site-navigation, or #masthead is needed for sticky, then voila:
Updated 03-Aug-2025 Sibilant whispers Far afield the breeze beckons Rustling smiles sing Cold promises of seasons' Sussuration of sorrows
Updated 03-Aug-2025
Thin content that Google clearly does not value (indexed but few impressions and clicks) is a problem for SEO and not only for that page, but for other pages on the site. The idea is that thin content detracts from higher quality content that Google does prize.
Updated 03-Aug-2025
This will be updated throughout 2021. For now, we start with John Mueller's take from SMS Virtual 2020.