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a winter sunrise
Monday, January 13th, 2025 04:29 am
Vegan Butterscotch Apple Bars
Tuesday, January 7th, 2025 02:55 amAdapted from this recipe:
Salted Butterscotch Apple Bars (better known as Apple Brownies)
I made a double-batch of the above recipe, using these ingredients:
3/4 cup olive oil
slightly less than 2 cups of sugar, with some date syrup mixed in (as a brown sugar substitute as I didn't have any)
2 eggs' worth of egg replacer (the powder kind made from chia seeds and chickpea flour)
4 teaspoons vanilla
1 and 1/4 cup white wheat flour + 3/4 cup of other flour (millet & buckwheat)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
cardamom (I did not measure it; about 1/2 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1.5 teaspoon salt
3 cups apple, peeled & diced into 1/4 inch pieces (I used 1 small green apple and 2 red/green apples)
I mixed the ingredients together, stirring the diced apples in last.
I greased a large glass baking pan, 9.5" by 13.5", with coconut oil, and spread the batter in the pan.
I baked it at 350 degrees for 75 minutes. Then I turned the oven off and left the pan in for another 15 minutes before taking it out to cool.
The batter looked like this before baking:
These were the baked bars after transferring them into a different pan:
As mentioned before, they were very scrumptious! It is not very obvious there are apples in the final baked product, but they undoubtedly contribute to the sweet chewy goodness.
Salted Butterscotch Apple Bars (better known as Apple Brownies)
I made a double-batch of the above recipe, using these ingredients:
3/4 cup olive oil
slightly less than 2 cups of sugar, with some date syrup mixed in (as a brown sugar substitute as I didn't have any)
2 eggs' worth of egg replacer (the powder kind made from chia seeds and chickpea flour)
4 teaspoons vanilla
1 and 1/4 cup white wheat flour + 3/4 cup of other flour (millet & buckwheat)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
cardamom (I did not measure it; about 1/2 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1.5 teaspoon salt
3 cups apple, peeled & diced into 1/4 inch pieces (I used 1 small green apple and 2 red/green apples)
I mixed the ingredients together, stirring the diced apples in last.
I greased a large glass baking pan, 9.5" by 13.5", with coconut oil, and spread the batter in the pan.
I baked it at 350 degrees for 75 minutes. Then I turned the oven off and left the pan in for another 15 minutes before taking it out to cool.
The batter looked like this before baking:
These were the baked bars after transferring them into a different pan:
As mentioned before, they were very scrumptious! It is not very obvious there are apples in the final baked product, but they undoubtedly contribute to the sweet chewy goodness.
sample Copilot coding chat
Tuesday, December 31st, 2024 11:44 pmI saved some screenshots to show how easy it can be (in some cases) to get Copilot to help you with simple coding tasks.
These were my prompts:
1. Hello, please suggest how to code a powershell script to convert values like "1724143246792" to a timestamp format of YYYYMMDD-hhmmss
2. The script should take the input value as a parameter
3. Thank you but it isn't giving the right date. 1724143246792 should convert to approximately 20240819-132248, but the above script gives 16010102-235334
4. Thank you, that works better. But the output time is in UTC and I would like it in Eastern US time
5. Thank you, that is good. If the input value is from the summer, will the output be in EDT, or will it always be in EST?
( Screenshots of Copilot's answers behind the cut )
These were my prompts:
1. Hello, please suggest how to code a powershell script to convert values like "1724143246792" to a timestamp format of YYYYMMDD-hhmmss
2. The script should take the input value as a parameter
3. Thank you but it isn't giving the right date. 1724143246792 should convert to approximately 20240819-132248, but the above script gives 16010102-235334
4. Thank you, that works better. But the output time is in UTC and I would like it in Eastern US time
5. Thank you, that is good. If the input value is from the summer, will the output be in EDT, or will it always be in EST?
( Screenshots of Copilot's answers behind the cut )
2003 Networking Conference
Sunday, November 24th, 2024 11:08 pmI came across this old ad for a Cisco Systems user conference amongst Qiao's things and thought it amusing. (Cisco makes networking equipment.)
Text of ad:
I attend 3 keynotes.
I sit through 12 breakout sessions.
I visit 75 Cisco partners.
I transform business.
(And I still can't figure out the digital alarm.)
Networkers 2003
Register now
Text of ad:
I attend 3 keynotes.
I sit through 12 breakout sessions.
I visit 75 Cisco partners.
I transform business.
(And I still can't figure out the digital alarm.)
Networkers 2003
Register now
a most beautiful sunset yesterday
Wednesday, August 7th, 2024 04:24 ameven including an arc of rainbow .
there was a Solar Eclipse
Tuesday, April 9th, 2024 03:45 amand it was good.
There was clear sky.
The sun became a crescent.
The sunlight dimmed in a peculiar way.
The air got cooler.
I found a way to take photos of it with my phone.
I watched and waited as the shadow moved.
The sun brightened; the air got warmer again.
Last night, I finished reading the book So You Want to Be a Wizard, in which coincidentally a sun was blackened and restored.
There was clear sky.
The sun became a crescent.
The sunlight dimmed in a peculiar way.
The air got cooler.
I found a way to take photos of it with my phone.
I watched and waited as the shadow moved.
The sun brightened; the air got warmer again.
Last night, I finished reading the book So You Want to Be a Wizard, in which coincidentally a sun was blackened and restored.
Skylink, solar eclipse
Saturday, April 6th, 2024 02:24 amOn my flight back from California, I had a layover in the Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) airport. As my connecting flight departed from another terminal, I rode in the Skylink trains which run on elevated rails between the terminals.
Escalators go up from the terminal areas to the train station halls. The halls have large banks of windows, giving a great view of the airport.
DFW is in the path of totality of the upcoming eclipse. If I had timed my trip differently, I could have possibly watched the eclipse during my layover. However, I don't think you can get to the open air without leaving the terminals and then having to go through Security to get back in. (The terminal's "Pet relief area" turned out to only be a stinky room with a green outdoor rug and a water hose to rinse it off). Even from the panoramic Skylink halls, you probably wouldn't be able to see the sun directly overhead.
As South Carolina isn't near the path of totality, I've felt blasé about the eclipse. I've been too busy to give it much thought other than that partial solar eclipses are hardly noticeable. But when my mom mentioned it today, I checked the local details, and we'll get a 76% eclipse. That's a crescent sun. That's worth looking at through some eclipse glasses. It's nearly as much as I got to experience for the 2017 eclipse. It's the last one near here (hear, hear!) for the next 21 years (years and years and years!). It's worth getting a little excited for.
I wonder what a solar eclipse would look like from in the air through an airplane window.
Escalators go up from the terminal areas to the train station halls. The halls have large banks of windows, giving a great view of the airport.
DFW is in the path of totality of the upcoming eclipse. If I had timed my trip differently, I could have possibly watched the eclipse during my layover. However, I don't think you can get to the open air without leaving the terminals and then having to go through Security to get back in. (The terminal's "Pet relief area" turned out to only be a stinky room with a green outdoor rug and a water hose to rinse it off). Even from the panoramic Skylink halls, you probably wouldn't be able to see the sun directly overhead.
As South Carolina isn't near the path of totality, I've felt blasé about the eclipse. I've been too busy to give it much thought other than that partial solar eclipses are hardly noticeable. But when my mom mentioned it today, I checked the local details, and we'll get a 76% eclipse. That's a crescent sun. That's worth looking at through some eclipse glasses. It's nearly as much as I got to experience for the 2017 eclipse. It's the last one near here (hear, hear!) for the next 21 years (years and years and years!). It's worth getting a little excited for.
I wonder what a solar eclipse would look like from in the air through an airplane window.
Holiday Lights
Saturday, December 31st, 2022 10:38 pmFireflies Holiday Lights at Segra Stadium (the Fireflies are a local baseball team) - another pretty photo at the link:
A couple of well-lit houses:
A couple of well-lit houses:
the face in the cardboard
Thursday, March 24th, 2022 03:08 amI was wondering, does Rowling get royalties from sales of the official Harry Potter movie soundtracks?
While working in the yard, I cut down these branches which were growing in the wrong place but then felt sorry for them, so took them inside and put them in a vase.
The important plumbing work that I've needed done has finally been done!
It included replacing the bathroom faucet; the new one came in this packaging:
But the cardboard turns out to have a face, so how can I just toss it away with the rest of the recyclables?
Edited to add:
And not only a face, but also floppy ears and its arms held out for a hug; that makes it even harder.
While working in the yard, I cut down these branches which were growing in the wrong place but then felt sorry for them, so took them inside and put them in a vase.
The important plumbing work that I've needed done has finally been done!
It included replacing the bathroom faucet; the new one came in this packaging:
But the cardboard turns out to have a face, so how can I just toss it away with the rest of the recyclables?
Edited to add:
And not only a face, but also floppy ears and its arms held out for a hug; that makes it even harder.
Halloween 2021
Sunday, November 7th, 2021 11:17 pmI spent Halloween at Qiao's house. The lights I put up on his porch look truly awesome. Long purple and orange icicles on the sides, and 2 regular strands, purple and green along the front. Also, two short battery-operated strands with blinking purple and orange LEDs on the mailbox.
To begin with, I was undecided whether to give out candy from the door, or to do a self-serve table like last year. I ended up putting the treats on a table on the porch, with a baggie (paper sandwich bag) filled with these treats for each kid:
- a packet of Halloween Veggie chips
- a packet of Halloween mini pretzels
- 2 packets of strawberry twizzlers
- 2 peanut chews
- an orange caramel filled dark chocolate (horsemen of the apocalypse chocolates, courtesy of Qiao)
- a sticker
(Nowadays I only buy and give out candy which I won't mind eating up myself if there are a lot of leftovers. Now that I'm working from home permanently, I can't even give away leftover candy at work.)
About 16 kids came: a big group of about 9 first, before I really expected anyone. I had been fiddling with a radio at the time, and they were already rushing away when I belatedly noticed. I yelled after them to make sure they had all gotten treats, and a boy yelled back that they had.
Over the next couple hours I got a few kids at a time, along with parents et. al.
A group of 3 came while I was out on the porch, so I handed them the treats. The others I spoke to through the glass door.
My mom stopped by, wearing a mask.
To begin with, I was undecided whether to give out candy from the door, or to do a self-serve table like last year. I ended up putting the treats on a table on the porch, with a baggie (paper sandwich bag) filled with these treats for each kid:
- a packet of Halloween Veggie chips
- a packet of Halloween mini pretzels
- 2 packets of strawberry twizzlers
- 2 peanut chews
- an orange caramel filled dark chocolate (horsemen of the apocalypse chocolates, courtesy of Qiao)
- a sticker
(Nowadays I only buy and give out candy which I won't mind eating up myself if there are a lot of leftovers. Now that I'm working from home permanently, I can't even give away leftover candy at work.)
About 16 kids came: a big group of about 9 first, before I really expected anyone. I had been fiddling with a radio at the time, and they were already rushing away when I belatedly noticed. I yelled after them to make sure they had all gotten treats, and a boy yelled back that they had.
Over the next couple hours I got a few kids at a time, along with parents et. al.
A group of 3 came while I was out on the porch, so I handed them the treats. The others I spoke to through the glass door.
My mom stopped by, wearing a mask.
dazzled by the sky
Tuesday, December 15th, 2020 01:40 amThis evening has been like, am I having a spectacularly good dream?
Saturn & Jupiter. Yep, slightly less than a pinky apart tonight. I must admit, that distance would make for a larger than usual moon. But I still think that half a pinky would make for a TOO SMALL moon. So maybe the 1 degree pinkies which that handy guide goes by are bigger pinkies than mine.
Today I found that my camera can take acceptably good photos of stars in the sky, when using these settings: Exposure to the max (2+); ISO ~800; focus to infinity; using tripod; using self-timer to prevent camera shake right after pressing the button; position the camera so that it is in the shade from the street light.
The above exposure setting gave me a shutter speed of 1 second.
3 of the photos I took with the above settings show something moving through the constellation of Cassiopeia. 1 of those also shows a second object moving in the edge of the photo.
I wondered if those moving objects were high-up airplanes, or if they might be satellites.
Starlink - dynamic 3D orbit display. I had no idea there were THAT many satellites moving all over the sky (not geo-stationary). That display ONLY shows the Starlink ones. Per Wikipedia, there are currently about 900 Starlink satellites in orbit, and they have plans for launching more than 40 thousand! OMG, it will be a maze of moving objects.
This page: in-the-sky.org : Satellite Observing Opportunities let me check which satellites were crossing through and near Cassiopeia at the time I took those 3 photos.
This one, SL-3 R/B is the closest match to my photos, though not an exact match. Mine's path went thru the 2 left stars, not thru the middle ones. But it was going in the right direction, and at about that time. So I'm not sure if the website's chart is off, or if my object was something else*.
There were also several other satellites passing by that general area within a few minutes of it; one of these might be the other moving object:
SL-14 R/B
OKEAN-O
PSLV R/B
SL-8 R/B
*The offset was due to me not having entered my exact latitude and longitude on that page. Once I entered more exact values, it shows SL-3 R/B's path as having gone through the same 2 left stars which I saw. So most likely my photos *do* show that satellite !
Later this evening I discovered my camera can even take up to 15-second long exposures! (I'd been thinking of maybe upgrading my camera, not even realizing it could do that!) So after finishing up my work for the day, I took many more photos.
I didn't realize it at the time, but I even got a good photo of the Pleiades.
Jupiter, Saturn, and my pinky (couldn't get them all in focus at the same time)
Orion behind branches:
Pleiades in upper left:
Saturn & Jupiter. Yep, slightly less than a pinky apart tonight. I must admit, that distance would make for a larger than usual moon. But I still think that half a pinky would make for a TOO SMALL moon. So maybe the 1 degree pinkies which that handy guide goes by are bigger pinkies than mine.
Today I found that my camera can take acceptably good photos of stars in the sky, when using these settings: Exposure to the max (2+); ISO ~800; focus to infinity; using tripod; using self-timer to prevent camera shake right after pressing the button; position the camera so that it is in the shade from the street light.
The above exposure setting gave me a shutter speed of 1 second.
3 of the photos I took with the above settings show something moving through the constellation of Cassiopeia. 1 of those also shows a second object moving in the edge of the photo.
I wondered if those moving objects were high-up airplanes, or if they might be satellites.
Starlink - dynamic 3D orbit display. I had no idea there were THAT many satellites moving all over the sky (not geo-stationary). That display ONLY shows the Starlink ones. Per Wikipedia, there are currently about 900 Starlink satellites in orbit, and they have plans for launching more than 40 thousand! OMG, it will be a maze of moving objects.
This page: in-the-sky.org : Satellite Observing Opportunities let me check which satellites were crossing through and near Cassiopeia at the time I took those 3 photos.
This one, SL-3 R/B is the closest match to my photos, though not an exact match. Mine's path went thru the 2 left stars, not thru the middle ones. But it was going in the right direction, and at about that time. So I'm not sure if the website's chart is off, or if my object was something else*.
There were also several other satellites passing by that general area within a few minutes of it; one of these might be the other moving object:
SL-14 R/B
OKEAN-O
PSLV R/B
SL-8 R/B
*The offset was due to me not having entered my exact latitude and longitude on that page. Once I entered more exact values, it shows SL-3 R/B's path as having gone through the same 2 left stars which I saw. So most likely my photos *do* show that satellite !
Later this evening I discovered my camera can even take up to 15-second long exposures! (I'd been thinking of maybe upgrading my camera, not even realizing it could do that!) So after finishing up my work for the day, I took many more photos.
I didn't realize it at the time, but I even got a good photo of the Pleiades.
Jupiter, Saturn, and my pinky (couldn't get them all in focus at the same time)
Orion behind branches:
Pleiades in upper left:
downtown Columbia photos
Saturday, December 5th, 2020 02:49 amHere are photos from my outing last week to the holiday market downtown.
Nice "HOPE" sculpture which I hadn't seen before.
In the background, the building lit from inside is the main library where I worked during college.
The trees along Main Street were all wrapped in festive yarns.
Bright oversized ornament that you could walk through.
The Christmas Tree at the state capitol.
Looking into the state house through its front door windows, another smaller Christmas tree.
SC State House, with Mars visible in the sky up by its dome.
Nice "HOPE" sculpture which I hadn't seen before.
In the background, the building lit from inside is the main library where I worked during college.
The trees along Main Street were all wrapped in festive yarns.
Bright oversized ornament that you could walk through.
The Christmas Tree at the state capitol.
Looking into the state house through its front door windows, another smaller Christmas tree.
SC State House, with Mars visible in the sky up by its dome.
butterflies
Wednesday, November 25th, 2020 03:40 amGulf Fritillary
Long Tailed Skippers
Video title: Butterflies on Lantana
Posted by: Darkoshi
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hqJqCYPzcg
Date posted: Nov 25, 2020
Long Tailed Skippers
Video title: Butterflies on Lantana
Posted by: Darkoshi
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hqJqCYPzcg
Date posted: Nov 25, 2020
tasty pot and bamboo table mats
Monday, August 10th, 2020 12:37 am
I got this pot last year. It was from Walmart, and the perfect shape and size for cooking pasta and stews, etc. (My old pasta pot was enamel, decades old, and had gotten chipped inside, leading to enamel chips in the food. After that happened to a meal, I knew I needed a new pot.) It also happened to be the only pot I had to whose base a magnet would stick, and which could therefore be used on the induction burner I got this year. It also happens to be beautifully reflective.
Today I went to Walmart and got another pot of the exact same kind, to keep at Qiao's house along with the induction burner. This was the first time I've been to Walmart since last year.
Comparing the new pot's cardboard label to the old one (I take photos of such things for future reference), the old one said "Oven safe up to 400°F". The new one says "Oven safe up to 350°F". The accompanying booklet further restricts it to "Oven safe up to 350°F for up to 30 minutes". I wonder if the new pot is manufactured differently than the old one, or if they got too many warranty claims for pots damaged at 400 degrees, and simply updated the labelling. I don't use the pot in the oven, so it's only a matter of curiosity for me.
miniature crickets like flowers
Sunday, May 24th, 2020 02:46 amTaking an up-close look at this pretty lily in the yard, I discovered a cute little cricket. When I pointed the camera at it, it got nervous and tried to hide.
Video title: Little Lily Cricket
Posted by: Darkoshi
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sa2uckCc9ng
Date posted: May 23, 2020
That was over a week ago. This week, I took a closer look at one of the few remaining azalea blooms (the coral red ones tend to last the longest), and again discovered another cute little cricket. Maybe it's the same one? Are they even crickets, or something else?* This one also got nervous and started moving away from my camera.
*They look somewhat like meadow katydid nymphs.
Video title: Little Lily Cricket
Posted by: Darkoshi
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sa2uckCc9ng
Date posted: May 23, 2020
That was over a week ago. This week, I took a closer look at one of the few remaining azalea blooms (the coral red ones tend to last the longest), and again discovered another cute little cricket. Maybe it's the same one? Are they even crickets, or something else?* This one also got nervous and started moving away from my camera.
*They look somewhat like meadow katydid nymphs.
Dandelion Greens Saute
Saturday, January 11th, 2020 10:58 pmI was worried the dandelion greens might be bitter. But they turned out very good the way I cooked them. (It could be that the store-bought ones simply aren't very bitter to begin with.)
I dry-roasted some raw pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, and hazelnuts* in a pan with some salt, until the first one popped out of the pan. I set them aside. After they were cool enough, I rubbed the loose hazelnut skins off the hazelnuts and discarded the skins.
I squeezed the juice out of several miniature lemon-type citrus fruit that my mom gave me from her little tree. They look like tiny tangerines, but taste sour, though not quite as sour as lemons.** Then I cut up the remaining thin peels into small pieces, and set both aside.
I sauteed a clove of crushed garlic in some almond oil*. I added a leftover half package of Gardein Italian Saus'age (partially defrosted), and sauteed that till it started to brown.
Then I added the washed & chopped dandelion greens and citrus peel. After a few more minutes of sauteeing, I added the citrus juice. I also added a few handfuls of raisins. Then I continued sauteing it all until the dandelion got soft enough for my taste. Then I stirred in the roasted seeds & nuts, and sprinkled on salt.
*All of which I happened to have in my fridge; they're quite old. But they still tasted ok.
**They're not kumquats, though they look similar. They are a squat round shape rather than oblong and have a thinner peel. I remember reading the plant label after my mom bought the tree from somewhere, and that it had a warning about this variety being patented, so that you're not allowed to propagate it. The fruit have seeds; I'm not sure if my mom ever tried growing more trees from them. Now I'm curious if they would even grow, and am curious if my mom still has that plant label; it's been years since she got it. The tree is still in a pot, and she brings it inside every winter.
Summary of recipe ingredients:
1 bunch of store-bought dandelion greens (the large/long kind, not wild-picked)
~1/4 cup pine nuts
~1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
~1/3 cup raw hazelnuts (filberts)
~1/3 cup of lemon or other citrus juice
~1/8 cup of citrus peel, cut into small pieces (could use zest instead)
~1/3 cup raisins
~4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 clove garlic
~1.5 cups of vegan sausage slices
salt to taste
I dry-roasted some raw pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, and hazelnuts* in a pan with some salt, until the first one popped out of the pan. I set them aside. After they were cool enough, I rubbed the loose hazelnut skins off the hazelnuts and discarded the skins.
I squeezed the juice out of several miniature lemon-type citrus fruit that my mom gave me from her little tree. They look like tiny tangerines, but taste sour, though not quite as sour as lemons.** Then I cut up the remaining thin peels into small pieces, and set both aside.
I sauteed a clove of crushed garlic in some almond oil*. I added a leftover half package of Gardein Italian Saus'age (partially defrosted), and sauteed that till it started to brown.
Then I added the washed & chopped dandelion greens and citrus peel. After a few more minutes of sauteeing, I added the citrus juice. I also added a few handfuls of raisins. Then I continued sauteing it all until the dandelion got soft enough for my taste. Then I stirred in the roasted seeds & nuts, and sprinkled on salt.
*All of which I happened to have in my fridge; they're quite old. But they still tasted ok.
**They're not kumquats, though they look similar. They are a squat round shape rather than oblong and have a thinner peel. I remember reading the plant label after my mom bought the tree from somewhere, and that it had a warning about this variety being patented, so that you're not allowed to propagate it. The fruit have seeds; I'm not sure if my mom ever tried growing more trees from them. Now I'm curious if they would even grow, and am curious if my mom still has that plant label; it's been years since she got it. The tree is still in a pot, and she brings it inside every winter.
Summary of recipe ingredients:
1 bunch of store-bought dandelion greens (the large/long kind, not wild-picked)
~1/4 cup pine nuts
~1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
~1/3 cup raw hazelnuts (filberts)
~1/3 cup of lemon or other citrus juice
~1/8 cup of citrus peel, cut into small pieces (could use zest instead)
~1/3 cup raisins
~4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 clove garlic
~1.5 cups of vegan sausage slices
salt to taste
photos from this year
Monday, September 2nd, 2019 04:12 am( Cut for size. Click to see photos )
Hey, wait a minute. Why, when I right-click one of the photos in this post and select to view the image, does it bring up a Dreamwidth URL? Is DW automatically copying photos that we post, to the DW servers? It didn't used to do that.
Hey, wait a minute. Why, when I right-click one of the photos in this post and select to view the image, does it bring up a Dreamwidth URL? Is DW automatically copying photos that we post, to the DW servers? It didn't used to do that.
