David Smedberg
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The Next Generation of CAPTCHA?

7/10/2020

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"Prove you are human." (click for the comic strip)
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"We live in different worlds"

6/19/2020

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I wrote up some thoughts regarding the current moment in the U.S. More here.

Click here to read more about private posts, including how to request access.
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Pope Francis' Pentecost homily

5/31/2020

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There is so much good here:

Let us go back to the origin of the Church, to the day of Pentecost. Let us look at the Apostles: some of them were fishermen, simple people accustomed to living by the work of their hands, but there were also others, like Matthew, who was an educated tax collector. They were from different backgrounds and social contexts, and they had Hebrew and Greek names. In terms of character, some were meek and others were excitable; they all had different ideas and sensibilities. They were all different. Jesus did not change them; he did not make them into a set of pre-packaged models.
...
Let us now focus on ourselves, the Church of today. We can ask ourselves: “What is it that unites us, what is the basis of our unity?” We too have our differences, for example: of opinions, choices, sensibilities. But the temptation is always fiercely to defend our ideas, believing them to be good for everybody and agreeing only with those who think as we do. And that's a bad temptation that divides. But this is a faith created in our own image; it is not what the Spirit wants.
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Here we come to understand what the secret of unity is, the secret of the Spirit. It is gift. For the Spirit himself is gift: he lives by giving himself and in this way he keeps us together, making us sharers in the same gift. It is important to believe that God is gift, that he acts not by taking away, but by giving. Why is this important? Because our way of being believers depends on how we understand God. If we have in mind a God who takes away and imposes himself, we too will want to take away and impose ourselves: occupying spaces, demanding recognition, seeking power. But if we have in our hearts a God who is gift, everything changes.
...
Dear brothers and sisters, let us look within and ask ourselves what prevents us from giving ourselves. There are, let us say, three enemies of the gift -- the main ones, three -- always lurking at the door of our hearts: narcissism, victimhood and pessimism.
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A quick life update

4/30/2020

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Hello friends!

It has been about a month since I posted here, so I thought I'd drop by and say hello, although I don't have time to write as much as I'd like to! (click here to read the rest of this private post)

Click here to read more about private posts, including how to request access.
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Affinity products are on sale

3/20/2020

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Affinity Photo is the affordable alternative to Photoshop, available for Windows, Mac and iPad. They also offer Designer (competes with Illustrator) and Publisher (competes with InDesign). I own and recommend all 3.

And for the next 90 days, they're all 50% off with a free trial.
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Zoom is a great livestreaming tool, but...

3/17/2020

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...sometimes we all get a bit mixed up in these trying times.

(For the record - the logos are incorrect, the labels are correct.)
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Free, Widespread Testing Is The Only Way America Goes Back to Normal

3/17/2020

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...and I really, really want to get back to normal as quickly as possible.

Click here to read the article on Medium.
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Recommended PC Game: "A Short Hike"

3/16/2020

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Quick, you have until some time on Thursday. For the low, low price of $0, you can pick up an absolutely splendid, family-friendly PC game called "A Short Hike" over at the Epic Games Store.

(read more)
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The Uptown movie theater in DC has closed

3/16/2020

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A sad day 😢. Story here.

If I have time I'll post reminiscences.

HT to my friend Christian.
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How to build your own journal

3/11/2020

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I'm mostly sharing this because it validates my own ways of thinking 😁😁

Note taking apps like Evernote or OneNote could work, but so could a documents service like Google Drive. I'm using markdown formatted text files in Dropbox, because I'm a huge nerd.
Hate every journaling app? Here's how to build your own.
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Is Seattle caught in the "2-income trap"?

3/9/2020

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Recently, Seattle has been coping with the threat of a mass outbreak of the coronavirus. Their public health officials have begun issuing encouragements to work from home and avoid large gatherings. (click here to read more)
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New private post

3/1/2020

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To read this private post, click here.
 Click here to read more about private posts, including how to request access.
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US life expectancy reverses its decline

2/29/2020

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I'm a little late to this news, but US life expectancy is starting to rebound after 4 years of decline due primarily to drug overdoses.

HT: The New Paper
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Some good news on the coronavirus

2/26/2020

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Time Magazine reports that progress is occurring remarkably quickly towards testing both a vaccine and an anti-viral drug.
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Help! My car is allergic to vanilla ice cream!

2/24/2020

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Also could be titled, "The customer is usually correct that there's a real problem, but is often wrong about what the real problem is."
Read more.
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No one is above suspicion any more.

2/22/2020

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A new report shows that there were multiple, credible allegations of sexual abuse against the revered founder of L'Arche, Jean Vanier.

May God spare us all from assuming that those who appear holy truly are, and remember that while only God can judge, he asks us to protect the weak and vulnerable here on this earth.

HT: AbuseTracker
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A fascinating article about "discontinuities"

2/20/2020

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Discontinuities occur when a set of results that "should" be random or in a normal distribution instead has peaks or valleys in certain areas. One example he gives is that when a grade of 30 is the threshold to pass, English teachers rarely give a 29.

Click here to read more!

​HT: Hacker News
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Fine words from a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington

2/18/2020

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"It is the time for the annual Appeal, whatever we are calling it this year, and as Pastor I am tasked to exhort you to give...
"But I beg your forbearance.  You see, for a portion of my priesthood, I worked directly for the foremost fund-raiser in the Church – in the whole Church, the universal Church.  He was a master of the art, and knew every technique and tactic to its finest point. 

Click here to read more at his blog. Read to the last 2 paragraphs, to see a faithful, positive alternative to the worldly approach.
Hat tip: Catholic News Agency
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Family & Baby Update

2/13/2020

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This post is private. Click here to read more about private posts, including how to request access.

Just thought I'd give a life update. Pictures included.

(click here to read more)
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Database of Abuser Priests

2/13/2020

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ProPublica has done all of us a great favor.

(to read the rest of this post, click here)
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2020 MLB Bracket

2/11/2020

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Ever since the Nationals pulled me back into baseball fandom, I've enjoyed creating a bracket every year. I'm not especially skilled or anything, so take this with all the necessary grains of salt.
(click here to read more)
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Funny stuff kids say

1/31/2020

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This is a private post. Click here to view. Click here to learn more about private posts, including how to access.
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How to use this blog

1/22/2020

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You may have noticed that all posts on this blog only contain a short preview, with a link to read more. Usually, that link is public, so anyone can read the post, but once in a while you'll see that the "Read More" link is labeled as private. If so, clicking the private link will only show an error page.
(click here to read more)
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The Washington Nationals off-season so far

1/6/2020

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Eric Thames, the most recent Nationals signing
It would not be quite accurate to call the Washington Nationals off-season to this point "quiet", since they had made a blockbuster extension of Stephen Strasburg and re-signed Howie Kendrick after his truly awesome 2019. But they had apparently been waiting until January to make a further series of transactions. To say the least, I'm excited.
(read more)
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Album mini-review: "Seven", by Thomas Bergersen

1/5/2020

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I first became aware of Thomas Bergersen via his role in the duo "Two Steps from Hell". Two Steps from Hell makes dramatic orchestral/choral music for trailers, some of which is even worth listening to on its own! Honestly, however, I came to view Nick Phoenix's compositions as decidedly less awesome than Bergersen's, and I increasingly sought out his solo work. His album Sun had a high point in the track "Final Frontier", which has been on my most-played rotation (and not just mine - it made it into a trailer for the movie "Interstellar").
(read more)
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