Long gone, but now back… sort of. :)
Q: How do you type a unusual characters like “≥” (greater-than-or-equal-to) in Microsoft Word? (via Quora) A: It’s easy! Every electronic keyboard has a set of built-in computer codes for a given language’s most-commonly-used letters, numbers and punctuation. These are the symbols you see printed permanently on the tops of your keyboard’s keys. But the…
OK! The test drive has been working fine — I’ve been posting a mix of content types via immediate- and delayed-action posts, and from desktop and mobile apps. Everything seems to work more or less as it should. Finally! (I’d still like to tune the site appearance, but that’s far less important than just getting…
Q. What are, in your opinion, the best writing utensils? (via Quora) A: Best: Your favorite PC and word processor at an ergonomic standing desk in a quiet office with a fresh pot of good coffee nearby. Worst: A 12″ roller, a billboard near a highway, and a bucket of house paint. Permalink: https://wp.me/paaiox-5R Ask…
The Tufts boathouse at Mystic Lakes was ready for business today, but had no takers due to the still air and heavy overcast. Made for a nice photo, though. But it was a good ride at a decent pace for urban riding, despite weekend traffic and a detour caused by a water main break: Malden…
Q: Why don’t birds have propellers instead of wings? (to me via Quora) A: On a macro biological scale (birds, humans, etc.), true, 360 degree, detached, continuous rotation around an axis or axle would be difficult to grow, and basically impossible to maintain/heal: How would nerves, blood vessels, and other necessary attachments span across a…
2018-09-14: A warm, gorgeous late summer day on Waitts Mount. It was cool overnight in Boston, but the Atlantic is still very warm, so the day started with heavy fog. (In the photo you can still see some fog blowing in off the harbor and partially obscuring the city, in the distance.) But a short…
Q. Who is responsible for the Boston gas blasts? (Mikhail Tuzikov, via Quora) A. As of early today, 2018-09-14, the mostly likely explanation is human error. Some old gas pipes were being replaced in that area, and workers may have incorrectly connected a medium-pressure distribution line (60psi/4.1bar) to a low-pressure residential line (0.25psi/0.02bar), overwhelming the…
Q: “If you live in Boston, can you use your Massachusetts E-ZPass in other states?” (via Quora) A: In some states, yes. (See map) Here’s the thing: “E-ZPass” is a brand name for one specific type of electronic transponder system. It’s neither universal nor generic. There are many other, incompatible brands of electronic tolling systems;…
Q. What is Windows doing when it takes so long “Working on updates” during a restart? (via Quora) A: Software that’s in use and actively running cannot be updated or replaced on the fly. The in-use software has to be shut down, then replaced, then restarted. When Windows Update needs to replace an in-use, system-level…
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