“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
Words to remember even if, right now, the universe seems to be bending toward evil and chaos. I want to ignore the horrors of the global stage and focus on the local. What else can I do except to register my opposition and move on? I feel helpless. Lisa and I will go to the protests, again. We will vote in November. But I feel helpless in the face of this unchecked and corrupt government.
RIP Stewart Cheifet. He was an inspiration to all of us who stood on his shoulders.
And just to prove Claude Code really can do some interesting things, I just used it to add the ability to post to here directly from Emacs. It referred to several Micro.blog posts and set it up in one shot.
Thank you, Claude!
Trigger warning: I am going to say something nice about AI.
I am blown away by what Claude Code can do, and not just in writing code but in all kinds of system configuration tasks.
This month, I’ve used Claude Code (the $20/month version) to clean up and enhance my emacs configuration, adding a complete org-babel literate coding capability and creating a list of all my custom keybindings - something I’ve been meaning to do for ages.
=> github.com/leolaport… - take a look at CLAUDE.md and keybindings.md for an example of what Claude can do. It’s far more organized than I am
I also used it to configure the Sway window manager for a new laptop. I am new to Sway and the waybar but Claude is apparently an old pro. Incrementally, with Claude’s help, I was able to make it better and better until it’s the best Linux environment I’ve ever used - fully tailored to my exact specifications.
I keep wanting to type “thank you, Claude!” but I know that’s just a waste of CPU cycles.
It’s nice that they’ve doubled my token quota through the end of the year. I’ve got lots more little things to do that I’ve put off for years.
Today would be a good day to remember that correlation does not imply causation.
Please forgive a proud father one more clip. From the NY Times:
Salt Hank Rules the Sandwich World - NY Times
It’s so worth watching, but beware, you will want to get in line for Salt Hank’s.
Bee Acquired by Amazon? Oh dear!
From a Bee.computer founder on Linked In:
I guess I always knew this was a possibility, but I’m very disappointed. I’ve immediately deleted my Bee account and data. I pray they do, in fact, delete the data. There’s a huge amount of private information in my Bee data – essentially everything I’ve done and said for the past six months – and I really don’t want to give it to Amazon, regardless of their assurances.
This is a nice exit for the Bee team, and I’m happy for them, but I’m sad that this great idea is now part of the evil empire.
I also apologize to anyone who bought the Bee on my recommendation. I should have known better.
Mike Masnick nails it again in “Fascism for First-Time Founders” on Techdirt:
Real innovation happens when companies have to compete on merit, not on who can kiss the leader’s ass most effectively. In a functioning democracy with actual rule of law, the best products have the opportunity to win. In an authoritarian system, the company that makes the dictator happy wins—and that’s it.
Also this from Liberal Currents: Mark Andreessen is a Traitor.
Leo Tells (almost) All on The Anycast
It’s out today! No not Cyperpunk 2077 for the Mac. Well that is out today, but if you’re interested in listening to something else while you play, the interview I did with CacheFly co-founder, Matt Levine, on “The Anycast” podcast is out today.
Great conversation!
The (true) story of RSS
Here’s a swell history of RSS in comic form: audmcname.com/comics/rs…
I know sounds boring, but it’s not. It’s really the story of the enshittification of the web. But, and here’s the good news, Spotify wasn’t able to co-opt podcasting, RSS podcasts still live and thrive. And I, for one, intend to keep it that way.
The Reviews Are In!
The $28 French dip is big enough to feed two people with big appetites. It delivers miraculous mouth feel along with rich, multi-tiered flavor. The fine-cut beef is dipped in jus before being layered with provolone cheese, caramelized onions and an aioli flavored with horseradish, chives and roasted garlic. It emerges from the oven warm, moist and begging to be devoured. – Steve Cuozzo, NY Post
If you’re on the hunt for the hottest sandwich in town, look no further than the West Village, where Salt Hank’s is dishing out the city’s most talked-about French dip. – Justine Golata Secret NYC
I am so hungry. And so proud!
Salt Hank’s is officially OPEN!
Jones at Bleecker St in the West Village, NYC
The Future is Now
The future creeps up on little cat feet. As I was updating the firmware in my front door lock I realized, I don’t carry keys any more. I open my front door with my fingerprint. My car starts with my phone. The only key I need is for my old timey post office box, and I’m sure that will be replaced soon.
All is takes is 3.5% of a population engaging in peaceful protest to hold back authoritarian movements.
See you tomorrow.
Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish
Today is the 20th Anniversary of Steve Jobs’s speech to the Stanford Graduating Class of 2005. He distilled a lifetime’s worth of insight into 15 minutes. It’s brilliant. Better yet, it’s deeply true. Take a moment to watch it today - it’s so worth it.
I’m really excited that Apple is finally giving iPad its due. Our WWDC recap is live:
So long and thanks for all the RoundRects
I was so sad to hear of Bill Atkinson’s passing. He was one of the original Macintosh team members, creator of Quickdraw, MacPaint, HyperCard, inventor of the RoundRect, and so much of what makes personal computing enjoyable today.
Most of all, he was a friend. I spent many hours interviewing him. You can find the shows at the TWIT website. He was a deep, warm, and talented human and I will miss him.
So long, Bill, and thanks for all the RoundRects.
Micro.blog Photo Challenge, Day 6: Contrast #mbjune
Micro.blog Photo Challenge, Day 5: Reflection
#mbjune
