Bruce Dawson
@randomascii.bsky.social
Retired tech-nerd. Unicyclist, kiteboarder, juggler, hiker, plays tennis and pickleball, advocates for pedestrian/cyclist safety. Windows ETW expert. LGBTQ supporter. Vancouver, BC
he/him
https://randomascii.wordpress.com/
he/him
https://randomascii.wordpress.com/
Reposted by Bruce Dawson
Just imagining how much better it would be if ALL news stories about vaccine-preventable illnesses were illustrated with pictures of people with the disease, not pictures of needle injections. If you must show something that people will find scary & unpleasant, make it the disease, not the cure.
I'm so tired of measles.
I'm also tired of people using needle shots on stories like this.
Show what measles looks like.
I'm also tired of people using needle shots on stories like this.
Show what measles looks like.
Gallatin Co. reports 2nd measles case, warns of exposure sites nbcmontana.com/news/local/g...
December 2, 2025 at 4:40 AM
Just imagining how much better it would be if ALL news stories about vaccine-preventable illnesses were illustrated with pictures of people with the disease, not pictures of needle injections. If you must show something that people will find scary & unpleasant, make it the disease, not the cure.
On November 26th in the year of our lord 2025 I took the following picture in a Bank Of America branch in Bellingham, WA. Apparently they are running a PaxInject proxy (some payment thing) on a 1,200 baud modem. 1,200. That was obsolete in the mid 1980s. Why is it running today?
November 30, 2025 at 7:25 AM
On November 26th in the year of our lord 2025 I took the following picture in a Bank Of America branch in Bellingham, WA. Apparently they are running a PaxInject proxy (some payment thing) on a 1,200 baud modem. 1,200. That was obsolete in the mid 1980s. Why is it running today?
Years ago I complained about Windows creating 39+ page-zeroing pages on 96-core machines, which made memory zeroing much slower. The vast majority of the CPU time was consumed by fighting over a lock.
randomascii.wordpress.com/2022/07/11/s...
randomascii.wordpress.com/2022/07/11/s...
Slower Memory Zeroing Through Parallelism
While investigating some performance mysteries in Chrome I discovered that Microsoft had parallelized how they zero memory, and in some cases this was making it a lot slower. This slowdown may be m…
randomascii.wordpress.com
November 29, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Years ago I complained about Windows creating 39+ page-zeroing pages on 96-core machines, which made memory zeroing much slower. The vast majority of the CPU time was consumed by fighting over a lock.
randomascii.wordpress.com/2022/07/11/s...
randomascii.wordpress.com/2022/07/11/s...
Years ago I wrote a (very effective) blog post where I pointed out that Windows needed a better way of naming threads. Microsoft listened and they added a very sane API for naming threads. Yay!
But for a long time they didn't actually name their own threads. But now DWM has thread names.
Uh, yay?
But for a long time they didn't actually name their own threads. But now DWM has thread names.
Uh, yay?
November 29, 2025 at 7:49 AM
Years ago I wrote a (very effective) blog post where I pointed out that Windows needed a better way of naming threads. Microsoft listened and they added a very sane API for naming threads. Yay!
But for a long time they didn't actually name their own threads. But now DWM has thread names.
Uh, yay?
But for a long time they didn't actually name their own threads. But now DWM has thread names.
Uh, yay?
This windows looks innocuous enough - there's no animation so presumably this app is consuming no CPU time. And let, my laptop's fans are audible. What's up?
November 26, 2025 at 4:07 AM
This windows looks innocuous enough - there's no animation so presumably this app is consuming no CPU time. And let, my laptop's fans are audible. What's up?
Reposted by Bruce Dawson
This is so so good
If Carl von Clausewitz were to advise Secretary Rubio on peace in Ukraine, he might say something like this: lnk.thebulwark.com/4pzTkrK
A Letter from Clausewitz to Secretary Rubio
Channeling the author of ‘On War’ on the U.S. pursuit of peace in Ukraine.
lnk.thebulwark.com
November 26, 2025 at 12:34 AM
This is so so good
Reposted by Bruce Dawson
We warned you that self-driving cars would just create self-driving traffic jams, and here they are.
The car industry has no solution to the shortage of space in cities. Public transit, cycling, and walking are all part of the answer, but cars are not.
The car industry has no solution to the shortage of space in cities. Public transit, cycling, and walking are all part of the answer, but cars are not.
Waymo privatized another public street:
Chanel approaching 4th, San Francisco
Possibly queued for a Billie Eilish show at Chase Center ~half mile away.
The light rail train on 4th seen passing in front of this roboherd has more passenger capacity than all of them combined.
OP: .tiktok.renaspam18
Chanel approaching 4th, San Francisco
Possibly queued for a Billie Eilish show at Chase Center ~half mile away.
The light rail train on 4th seen passing in front of this roboherd has more passenger capacity than all of them combined.
OP: .tiktok.renaspam18
November 25, 2025 at 1:07 AM
We warned you that self-driving cars would just create self-driving traffic jams, and here they are.
The car industry has no solution to the shortage of space in cities. Public transit, cycling, and walking are all part of the answer, but cars are not.
The car industry has no solution to the shortage of space in cities. Public transit, cycling, and walking are all part of the answer, but cars are not.
"The assembled dimensions of the 6.1-Amp Variable Speed Orbital Jigsaw with Speed Match are: 7.07 in. (weight), 3.78 in. (depth), 10.0 in. (height), and 12795.0 in. (width). The item package dimensions are: 12.79 in. (depth), 10.0 in. (height), 7.07 in. (weight), and 3.78 in. (width)."
November 24, 2025 at 5:49 PM
"The assembled dimensions of the 6.1-Amp Variable Speed Orbital Jigsaw with Speed Match are: 7.07 in. (weight), 3.78 in. (depth), 10.0 in. (height), and 12795.0 in. (width). The item package dimensions are: 12.79 in. (depth), 10.0 in. (height), 7.07 in. (weight), and 3.78 in. (width)."
Reposted by Bruce Dawson
“When the bridge closed, about 25,000 vehicles crossed it daily… Six years later, 9,000 of those journeys have vanished - not diverted to other crossings, but simply evaporated. Yet the local economy has adapted, air quality has improved, and overall traffic congestion has lessened.”
I really cannot recommend this excellent piece on Hammersmith Bridge highly enough
Hammersmith Bridge
Where did 25,000 vehicles go?
nickmaini.substack.com
November 23, 2025 at 3:21 PM
“When the bridge closed, about 25,000 vehicles crossed it daily… Six years later, 9,000 of those journeys have vanished - not diverted to other crossings, but simply evaporated. Yet the local economy has adapted, air quality has improved, and overall traffic congestion has lessened.”
I present to you, one of the best-to-describe photos I have ever taken. It's a:
unicorn
wearing a dress
riding a shark
sledding down a volcano
unicorn
wearing a dress
riding a shark
sledding down a volcano
November 21, 2025 at 9:20 PM
I present to you, one of the best-to-describe photos I have ever taken. It's a:
unicorn
wearing a dress
riding a shark
sledding down a volcano
unicorn
wearing a dress
riding a shark
sledding down a volcano
Hey, it sounds like this compatibility guide (in Abbot Diabetes Care Inc.'s Libre 2 app) is important - I think I'll read it.
November 21, 2025 at 7:05 AM
Hey, it sounds like this compatibility guide (in Abbot Diabetes Care Inc.'s Libre 2 app) is important - I think I'll read it.
Reposted by Bruce Dawson
BiV asks: Could apartment buildings come to Shaughnessy?
At twice the size of the West End, Shaughnessy is missing 100,000 people!
At twice the size of the West End, Shaughnessy is missing 100,000 people!
November 21, 2025 at 3:31 AM
BiV asks: Could apartment buildings come to Shaughnessy?
At twice the size of the West End, Shaughnessy is missing 100,000 people!
At twice the size of the West End, Shaughnessy is missing 100,000 people!
Reposted by Bruce Dawson
And how much Transportation is hidden in the other categories? What portion of Housing costs is the garage under your apartment building? What portion of Food is the sea of parking surrounding the supermarket? What portion of Healthcare is car-related injury and respiratory disease?
Transportation costs are the second largest burden on American family budgets (17%), after housing (33%)!
To address the affordability crisis, we must create cities with abundant housing of all types (subsidized, social, coop, market rate) and make walking, biking, and taking transit convenient.
To address the affordability crisis, we must create cities with abundant housing of all types (subsidized, social, coop, market rate) and make walking, biking, and taking transit convenient.
November 14, 2025 at 6:35 PM
And how much Transportation is hidden in the other categories? What portion of Housing costs is the garage under your apartment building? What portion of Food is the sea of parking surrounding the supermarket? What portion of Healthcare is car-related injury and respiratory disease?
I just posted part two of my career retrospective during which time I work at four different companies, blog, and then retire:
randomascii.wordpress.com/2025/11/10/r...
randomascii.wordpress.com/2025/11/10/r...
November 11, 2025 at 6:32 AM
I just posted part two of my career retrospective during which time I work at four different companies, blog, and then retire:
randomascii.wordpress.com/2025/11/10/r...
randomascii.wordpress.com/2025/11/10/r...
PSA: when taking selfies using a mirror you need to look at the reflection of your phone, not at your phone.
Looking at your phone means you are looking away from the camera and it feels disconnected and sloppy
Looking at your phone means you are looking away from the camera and it feels disconnected and sloppy
November 9, 2025 at 7:07 PM
PSA: when taking selfies using a mirror you need to look at the reflection of your phone, not at your phone.
Looking at your phone means you are looking away from the camera and it feels disconnected and sloppy
Looking at your phone means you are looking away from the camera and it feels disconnected and sloppy
While showing a friend some old photos in Google Photos yesterday I noticed that one of my pictures is corrupted. The bottom half is just gray. How did this happen? Bad upload? Corrupted at rest? It looks the same both on my phone and on the web.
November 8, 2025 at 6:38 PM
While showing a friend some old photos in Google Photos yesterday I noticed that one of my pictures is corrupted. The bottom half is just gray. How did this happen? Bad upload? Corrupted at rest? It looks the same both on my phone and on the web.
Reposted by Bruce Dawson
BREAKING: Jury finds “sandwich guy” NOT GUILTY
A loss on several levels for Justice Dept:
youtube.com/shorts/KsymL...
A loss on several levels for Justice Dept:
youtube.com/shorts/KsymL...
BREAKING NEWS: Jury finds so-called “sandwich guy” Sean Dunn NOT GUILTY
YouTube video by Scott MacFarlane CBS
youtube.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:42 PM
BREAKING: Jury finds “sandwich guy” NOT GUILTY
A loss on several levels for Justice Dept:
youtube.com/shorts/KsymL...
A loss on several levels for Justice Dept:
youtube.com/shorts/KsymL...
Reposted by Bruce Dawson
Finally got a group shot!
November 5, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Finally got a group shot!
I kind of expect HP's software to gradually leak process handles, triggering zombie processes, but I'm more surprised - and disappointed - when Visual Studio does the same thing. The PerfWatson2.exe leak always happens. The vcpkgsrv.exe leak I cannot repro - sorry!
November 5, 2025 at 7:36 PM
I kind of expect HP's software to gradually leak process handles, triggering zombie processes, but I'm more surprised - and disappointed - when Visual Studio does the same thing. The PerfWatson2.exe leak always happens. The vcpkgsrv.exe leak I cannot repro - sorry!
Every now and then I like to test AI to see how its letter counting is going. It's hilarious inaccuracies amuse me. The "common confusion" where it hallucinates an inaccuracy that I didn't even ask for is just perfect
But sure, evaluate resumes based on this crap
But sure, evaluate resumes based on this crap
November 4, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Every now and then I like to test AI to see how its letter counting is going. It's hilarious inaccuracies amuse me. The "common confusion" where it hallucinates an inaccuracy that I didn't even ask for is just perfect
But sure, evaluate resumes based on this crap
But sure, evaluate resumes based on this crap
Reposted by Bruce Dawson
The hierarchy of controls in this article is excellent!
November 2, 2025 at 10:26 PM
The hierarchy of controls in this article is excellent!
Reposted by Bruce Dawson
Honestly can’t understand why the whole country isn’t up in arms over the Trump gang’s illegal and monstrously immoral murders of fishermen in open water, based on NOTHING. Random murders committed by the US military! Shouldn’t this be a bigger issue?
November 2, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Honestly can’t understand why the whole country isn’t up in arms over the Trump gang’s illegal and monstrously immoral murders of fishermen in open water, based on NOTHING. Random murders committed by the US military! Shouldn’t this be a bigger issue?
Reposted by Bruce Dawson
Reposted by Bruce Dawson
More than 100 former top Justice Dept officials, including dozens of former prosecutors, file court brief opposing James Comey's prosecution:
"not the judgment of an impartial prosecutor, but rather an expression of retributive animus by the President"
washingtonlitigationgroup.org/news/over-on...
"not the judgment of an impartial prosecutor, but rather an expression of retributive animus by the President"
washingtonlitigationgroup.org/news/over-on...
October 27, 2025 at 10:55 PM
More than 100 former top Justice Dept officials, including dozens of former prosecutors, file court brief opposing James Comey's prosecution:
"not the judgment of an impartial prosecutor, but rather an expression of retributive animus by the President"
washingtonlitigationgroup.org/news/over-on...
"not the judgment of an impartial prosecutor, but rather an expression of retributive animus by the President"
washingtonlitigationgroup.org/news/over-on...
Reposted by Bruce Dawson
Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.
June 19, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.