⠤⠤ ⠠⠤⠤⠤⠄⠠⠤⠤ ⠤⠤ ⠠⠤ ⠤⠄⠠⠤ ⠤⠄ ⠤⠄ ⠠⠤ ⠤⠄⠠⠤ ⠤⠄ ⠠⠤⠄ ⠠⠤⠤ ⠰⠿⠉⠈⠁⠈⠉⠿⠏⠁⠸⠿⠈⠽⠇⠰⠿⠋⠈⠁⠸⠿ ⠿⠇⠸⠟⠦⠿⠇ ⠿⠇ ⠸⠿ ⠿⠇⠸⠟⠧⠻⠇ ⠾⠛⠿ ⠸⠿⠈⠽⠇ ⠸⠿⠄⠠ ⠿⠇ ⠸⠿⠙⠿⠄⠘⠿⠄ ⠸⠿ ⠿⠇⠸⠇⠛⠸⠇ ⠿⠇ ⠸⠿ ⠿⠇⠸⠿⠸⠾⠇⠸⠿⠶⠿⠇⠸⠿⠙⠿ ⠈⠉⠉⠁⠈⠉⠉⠉⠁⠈⠉ ⠈⠉ ⠈⠉⠉⠁ ⠉⠉⠉ ⠈⠁ ⠈⠁ ⠉⠉⠉⠁ ⠈⠉⠉ ⠈⠉ ⠉⠁⠉⠁ ⠈⠉⠈⠉ ⠈⠉ [[ the offical zine of circumlunar.space ]] ⠈⠉⠿⠋⠉⠸⠿⠉⠻⠇ ⠸⠟⠷ ⠸⠟⠧⠻⠇⠰⠿⠍⠙⠁⠸⠿⠦⠿⠇⠈⠉⠿⠋⠁⠰⠿⠍⠙⠁⠰⠿⠍⠙⠁⠈⠉⠿⠋⠁⠰⠿⠉⠿⠆⠸⠿⠆⠿⠇⠰⠿⠍⠙⠁ ⠿⠅ ⠸⠿⠻⠿⠁⠠⠿⠶⠿⠇⠸⠿⠹⠼⠇ ⠉⠙⠿⠆⠸⠇⠿⠸⠇ ⠿⠅ ⠈⠙⠿⠧ ⠈⠙⠿⠇ ⠿⠅ ⠸⠿ ⠼⠏⠸⠿⠹⠼⠇ ⠈⠙⠿⠇ ⠛⠂ ⠘⠛ ⠙⠓⠚⠃ ⠘⠛⠘⠛ ⠛⠃⠈⠛⠛⠙⠁⠘⠃ ⠘⠃⠘⠛⠛⠛⠃⠈⠙⠛⠋⠁⠈⠙⠛⠋⠁⠘⠛⠛⠛⠃ ⠙⠛⠋ ⠘⠛ ⠛⠃⠈⠙⠛⠋⠁ - - - ------------------------------------------------------- - - - Issue One May 2021 ===========================[ PREFACE ]============================= Back in February, Anyone who has had The strategy of this around the time of the pleasure of first run has been to the ogre incident, perusing the many just get it out Jone wondered out phlogs and gemlogs there. Rather than loud on the here at prematurely circumlunar.space circumlunar.space exhausting our energy BBS, telem, about the will be aware of the on determining what possibility of a CS impressive diversity it should be, or zine. The idea was of interests, pidgeonholing well-received by the talents, and ourselves into a rest of us sundogs, backgrounds of the niche or format and for some time, sundogs residing without actually talk of the zine here. It will be having produced any flooded telem as we interesting to see content, we elected proceeded to howl at how these influence to first just give it the moon in the zine over time, a go and see what we excitement. Amidst but currently what get. So for this this jubilee, I the zine is and how first issue, we have somehow ended up it will be produced what has been wearing the is largely still up endearingly termed a proverbial editor in the air. It's "topic salad." And I pants--for this really just a fun believe it has turned inaugural issue, at experiment, and this out to be quite a least. first issue is a kind nutritious one at of pilot episode. that. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Circumlunar printable formats have otherwise. It is Transmissions will be that readers can with profound distributed easily print-and-bind gratitude and pride exclusively over for their own for this habitat and Gopher and Gemini by enjoyment offline its inhabitants, whoever would like to or to distribute and the smolnet host a copy on their locally. ecosystem at own gopherhole or large, that I capsule. That is, It has been a present to you anyone can clone the pleasure to this first issue git repo of the contribute something of our smolzine, project and serve its to this wonderful Circumlunar contents from their community of Transmissions. own smolnet space. thoughtful and This kind of creative individuals "newstand" method of whom I respect and distribution solves a admire sincerely. lot of the logistical During my relatively ~mieum issues of where and brief inhabitation of April 25, 2021 how to bi-host such a the Zaibatsu, I've Incheon, Korea thing in an learnt a great many accessible way. In things and have been addition to Gopher inspired to create and Gemini editions, and wonder about we intend to provide things I would not ======================[ TABLE OF CONTENTS ]======================== [title] [line no.] The Circumlunar Mixtape..........................................97 by sloum Ask Jone........................................................159 by joneworlds Manifesto of a Granular Ideologue...............................227 by tfurrows What's the Deal with Leap Seconds?..............................279 by solderpunk The Hearth of the Matter........................................596 by durtal Why I Still Game Proprietary....................................668 by wholesomedonut ===================[ THE CIRCUMLUNAR MIXTAPE ]===================== - - -[ sloum's covid-year playlist ]- - - The Circumlunar Mixtape is an ongoing series for Circumlunar Transmissions where one user per issue shares 10 tracks they have been listening to. .------------------------. Y'all have all kinds of ways to | CT001 | stream music, or otherwise find and | __ ______ __ | listen to music, so tracks are just | /. \|\.....|/ \ | listed and it is on the reader to locate | \__/|/_____|\__/ | them. As a court- esy, when a weblink | sloum | to streaming is available, playlist | ________________ | curators may choose to supply it. |___/_._o________o_._\___| These are songs I have listened to at various points throughout the last year. Some are old some are new. It has been a weird year and this is a kind of weird mix. I provided Bandcamp weblinks for each track except the Charlie Parr, which is a Youtube link because I like this song live and this is my favorite performance recording of it and the recording doesn't appear on any of his albums. Enjoy! [track name] [artist name] [album name] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Forward Becons Rebound Adrianne Lenker Songs https://adriannelenker.bandcamp.com/track/forwards-beckon-rebound Catamaran talons' Songs for Boats https://talons.bandcamp.com/track/catamaran Possessed by the Devil Charlie Parr N/A (live) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P46hGYUycoE Some Voices Pinback Some Voices EP https://pinback.bandcamp.com/track/some-voices Get To Know You Tomo Nakayama Melonday https://tomomusic.bandcamp.com/track/get-to-know-you Just a Cloud Lusine Sensorimotor https://lusine.bandcamp.com/track/just-a-cloud-feat-vilja-larjosto Good Morning Captain Slint Spiderland(Remastered) https://slint.bandcamp.com/track/good-morning-captain-remastered Step Into You Hum Inlet https://humband.bandcamp.com/track/step-into-you Kingfisher Windhand Grief's Infernal Flower https://windhand.bandcamp.com/track/kingfisher Nue Nils Frahm Wintermusik https://nilsfrahm.bandcamp.com/track/nue ===========================[ ASK JONE ]=========================== Do you have a problem? Send your questions to: joneworlds@mailbox.org W. asks: "I have a strained relationship with my sister. What are some things I can do to help repair it?" I remember my dad feels like eating Chunk'n'Dunk? Not and I went through anymore. Although great. And I guess this patch where that stuff is dad's thinking along we were both pretty just not very the same lines as me, pissed off at each nutritious. But because every time I other, not that I because I'm mad come by he leaves me remember why at at him, I don't another pair of snow this point. But bother to bring tires he found. But sharing is caring, his favorite, the I'm not selling tires right? So to keep meatball-carrot stew any more by then, things going, I'm one. Instead, I bring so I don't want still dropping off him can after can of them. And he knows cans of Chunk'n'Dunk turkey-a-la-king. You that, but he keeps on soup for him, because ever try getting tires anyhow. it's all he ever that one from - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - And so we go on like of cans. And some it I find that this for weeks: falls on his head co-incidentally the I come by and put and he falls over, big pile of snow like 5 more cans of and the rest of the tires out there has turkey-a-la-king on cans come crashing also fallen over, his kitchen counter, down on him. Pretty and it's crushed some and he stacks a few bad scene. So I go unlucky little gnome more snow tires to help him up, but who must have been outside his door I slip and trip on a milling around by for me. And all can on the floor, and there. Those things this stuff is piling hit the ground hard are so bad at staying higher and higher and too. And if you've alive, I just can't higher, and we're ever fallen on a believe it sometimes. gradually getting pile of Chunk'n'Dunk madder and madder at turkey-a-la-king Anyways, if you're each other. Until one cans, you know that looking to patch day I go over there hurts pretty bad. things up with your with another box of sister, I would say cans, and he starts So we're both maybe don't do it screaming and yelling groaning on the with canned soup, about how he hates ground, and then or snow tires. It turkey-a-la-king. And there's this weird sure didn't help us he gets so mad he sound by the front any. It just wasn't accidentally knocks door. When I get a good result for over the stack out there to check anyone, especially - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - for that gnome. Or if you have to go with soup, at ________________________ least stick with |\ /| the meatball-carrot | \ joneworlds / | one. It's actually | \ @ / | not bad. | \ mailbox.org / | | \______________/ | Thanks for writing | / \ | in. I hope that | / \ | helps. |____/_____________\_____| -JONE ================[ MANIFESTO OF A GRANULAR IDEOLOGUE ]============== by tfurrows - - -[ Passing Thoughts of an Impractical Idealist ]- - - Our ancestors stood on Permanence dammed the This is not the the banks of the river, a logjam of manifesto to end all Euphrates and cast ideas tossed in as if manifestos. It is a their ideas into the each was a consummate message in a bottle inexhaustible current. standard. Life-giving that few will find. It First they cast in waters slowed, is a loose model for words, ephemeral. Then intelligence waned, dealing with the they learned the elastic mind mountainous dam of permanence; epochs seized and crumbled. manifestos that stop brought clay tablets The word manifesto the flow of and papyrus, script dates to the creativity, passion, and type, bits and fourteenth century, and progress. At the clouds. but the notion dates risk of making the to our earliest problem worse, I written conclusions. proffer: From a Message in a Bottle, Sitting Atop the Dam of Manifestos .............................................................. * Let your mind move freely, become a seeker * Accept that knowledge is scattered broadly * Find kernels of truth and germinate thoughts * Take something from every ideology, fear nothing * Subscribe to that which you find value in * Mistrust labels, they carry unimaginable baggage * Acknowledge all that came before, but accept the utility of your journey * Never believe that you have the best vision for the world * Don't try to fashion the world to your ideals; your ideals are cursory * Be a maximal minimalist, distill purity from immensity * Find, purify, share, repeat * To conclude means to cease to grow ==============[ WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH LEAP SECONDS? ]=============== ================[ A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF TIMESCALES ]================= by solderpunk ASTRONOMICAL SECONDS Why is a second as didn't, so you're "why is a day as long long as it is, and not stuck reading this, as it is?" - one day a little shorter or a instead: a brief, is the time it takes little longer? This incomplete, possibly the Earth to complete is a seemingly simple slightly inaccurate a single revolution question which leads overview based on my about its axis. And down a deep and own characteristically since there are 60 delightfully twisted obsessive reading on seconds in a minute, rabbit hole. It's the topic over the 60 minutes in an hour something that I wish past week or so. and 24 hours in a day, Neal Stephenson had a second is simply one written an epically For most of the time 86,400th of the time long, inexplicably that the concept of it takes the Earth to compelling 1990s Wired the second has been rotate once. Or, if article about, in the around, its length has you like, a second is spirit of his "Mother been defined the time it takes for Earth, Mother Board" implicitly by that of the Earth to rotate or "In the Kingdom of the day. Everybody one 240th of a degree, Mao Bell". But he knows the answer to out of the full 360. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - End of story, right? observatories tracking enough to notice the movement of this). In fact, the Well, no. This is a distant radio sources Earth's rotation is perfectly sensible way across the sky as the slowing down. Very to define time - for Earth rotates. This slowly, of course. some applications, is easier than making Every century, a it's the best way to precision measurements complete rotation do it. This of the sun, but is takes about 2 astronomically still measuring the milliseconds longer defined time scale is exact same thing. than it used to. The still in use today in rate of slowing down certain contexts. The EARTH IS A NICE PLACE is not steady. Some official name of its TO LIVE, BUT IT'S NOT years the change is modern incarnation is THE BEST CLOCK more and other years Universal Time, or UT it's less. In fact, (technically, there The problem with an even though the are a few subtly astronomical overall trend is one different variants, definition of the of slowing down, some denoted UT0, UT1 and second is this: the years the rotation UT2, but we'll gloss Earth doesn't actually actually speeds up. over that here). The rotate at a perfectly The dynamics of the official determination constant rate (it process are of UT nowadays is wasn't until the 19th complicated, and we based mostly on century that we could can't make accurate measurements made at build clocks accurate long term forecasts. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Gravitational small, random was going to be late interaction between fluctuations in their to lunch because of the Earth and the moon duration over long the Earth's unsteady is the primary driver, time spans. If you rotation. But by the but the movement of define the second by 20th century, sci- tectonic plates and looking into the entific and techno- friction between skies, no two seconds logical progress Earth's surface and are exactly the same. meant these tiny its atmosphere and fluctuations started oceans have their say, That's a pretty to matter, as we too. The Indian Ocean inconvenient property began measuring Earthquake in 2004 was for the official natural phenomena and powerful enough to definition of a building machines shorten the length of fundamentally which operated on a day by 2.68 important unit like very small time microseconds. There the second to have. scales. A 10 mega- are even periodic For most of the time hertz radio variations in the rate this definition was oscillator, for of rotation that we used, the fluctuations example, has a period just don't understand were smaller than we of 0.0000001 seconds the cause of yet. But could reliably --only 100 nano- the take home message measure. Certainly, seconds! Gigahertz is that, whatever the they weren't enough to radiation, which is causes, astronomical have an impact on important in radio seconds actually have everyday life. Nobody astronomy and was - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - used for communi- Fortunately, in the The new atomic second cations and radar 1950s, atomic clocks was defined such that during WWII decades were invented which it had the same before it came to kept time better than length as the underpin modern any previous astronomical second technology like GPS, mechanism. I'll gloss in use before it, as WiFi, and mobile data right over the far as measurements networks, has periods details, but suffice at the time could measured in it to say, we came up tell, but it had the *picoseconds*. Even with a new way to added bonus that the very, very small define the second length of the second variations in the which involved was then fixed and length of a second are measuring the unchanging. Caesium enough to make the properties of caesium atoms at a given measured frequency of atoms instead of temperature "vibrate" radio waves change, looking at things (very loosely even if the *actual* moving through the speaking) at a frequency is fixed. sky. In 1967, the frequency which, as Modern technological relatively young far as we can tell, society simply International System is completely and couldn't be built (or SI, for the French perfectly stable, and using a wobbly clock "Système which can be measured like the Earth. International") of very accurately in a units redefined the sufficiently advanced ATOMIC SECONDS second on this basis. laboratory. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - With the arrival of until now is a little other hand, is atomic seconds, a new less than 40 seconds, fundamentally time scale was also but it will continue divorced from it. defined: International to grow, without Thousands of years in Atomic Time (or TAI, limit. And while the the future, there for the French "Temps perfectly uniform will come a day when, Atomique Inter- seconds of TAI make it according to TAI, the national"). At mid- the perfect tool for sun rises in night on January 1st some tasks, this drift Greenwich at in 1958, TAI and UT apart from UT makes it midnight. were perfectly problematic for synchronised. Ever others. If you go This isn't just an since then, they have outside at noon UT in abstract concern for slowly but surely Greenwich, England (or the distant future. drifted apart. The anywhere else at 0 In the late '50s when seconds of TAI are of degrees longitude), TAI was defined, it perfectly unchanging the sun will *always* was still common for length (as measured by be high in the sky. ships at sea to averaging hundreds of This is true today and figure out where they atomic clocks all over it will be true in a were by using a the world), but the thousand years, sextant to record the seconds of UT Because UT is position of the sun fluctuate with the fundamentally linked above the horizon at Earth's rotation. The to the Earth's a certain time and accumulated drift up rotation. TAI, on the consulting a printed - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - table of conversions. increasingly less International de For this purpose, accurate as TAI l'Heure", but today ships carried the most drifted further out of the torch has been accurate clocks they synch with the Earth passed to a could afford, and and the stars. This combination of the compared them meant that the "new International Bureau regularly against true and improved" TAI time of Weights and UT time using time scale wasn't actually Measures, or BIPM, signals broadcast by an improvement for for the French radio stations all everybody. "Bureau International over the world. des Poids et Mesures" Celestial navigation COORDINATING CHAOS and the International works very well when Instead of Earth Rotation using a timescale broadcasting two Service, who have the which is tightly different time signals gall to abbreviate linked to Earth's for different the *English* version rotation, and hence purposes, which could of their name and go the position of things easily lead to by IERS) defined yet in the sky. But if the confusion, on January another time scale, radio time signals 1st in 1960 the powers in an attempt to switched to that be (back then achieve the best of broadcasting TAI that was the both worlds and make instead of UT, International Time everybody happy. celestial navigation Bureau, or BIH, for Enter Coordinated would become the French "Bureau Universal Time, or - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - UTC - at last, allowing scientists technical something normal and engineers around compromises, using people have heard of! the world to ugly hacks. It cannot calibrate their be any other way, as The abbreviation UTC instruments and UTC is a stubborn is a strange reliably measure time attempt to reconcile compromise between intervals and two desirable but the English frequencies very fundamentally abbreviation CUT and precisely. But incompatible the French whereas TAI is properties of a abbreviation TUC (for destined to drift timescale: perfectly "Temps Universel ever further away regular seconds, and Coordonné"). This is from UT, to the synchronisation with somewhat fitting, chagrin of sailors a spinning globe because UTC itself is and astronomers, UTC whose rate of a strange compromise is kept synchronised rotation is time scale between UT closely enough with unpredictably and TAI. Like TAI, UT that it allows irregular. UTC is an atomic time seafarers to perform scale. Every second celestial navigation The precise nature of of UTC is exactly as with sufficient the ugly hack long as any other, accuracy for safe underlying UTC has using the SI standard ocean passage. This changed somewhat second based on synchronisation is since it was first caesium atoms, achieved, like all defined, but for - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - almost 50 years now, not absolutely fixed rather than removals. starting in 1972, the at 86,400 by They don't happen on ugly hack of choice definition. There a regular, has been the leap almost always *are* predictable basis, second. The way it 86,400 seconds in a like leap years works is this. The UTC day, but 86,401 (which are an difference between and 86,399 are also adjustment for the UTC and UT - a allowed when fact that the time it quantity denoted DUT necessary to keep the takes the Earth to - is carefully time scale locked to orbit the sun once, monitored. Any time the movement of the defining a year, is it looks like that sun across the sky. not perfectly difference is on divisible by the time track to exceed 0.9 So far, there have it takes the Earth to seconds, in either been 27 leap seconds rotate once, defining direction, UTC is defined, although UTC a day). Because the kicked back into and ATI are today Earth's rate of alignment by either exactly 37 seconds rotation fluctuates inserting or removing apart - the other 10 randomly, sometimes a single second on seconds come from slowing down and one particular day. hacks applied before sometimes speeding This makes UTC the leap seconds were up, astronomers need *only* time scale established in 1972. to be actively on the where the number of All of them to date lookout for excessive seconds in a day is have been insertions values of DUT. When - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - it's decided a leap precise time technology means that second is needed - synchronisation celestial navigation it's the IERS who should be caught by at sea is now rarely makes that call - surprise when a leap a matter of life or they are announced at second rolls around. death (although some least six months in In practice, it's not sailors still advance. They're always so simple. appreciate the allowed to occur on relative simplicity either June 30th or INCREASING of the technology it December 31st, and IMPLEMENTATION BURDEN relies on), removing are inserted or AND AN UNCERTAIN some of the argument deleted at midnight FUTURE for making sure UTC UTC (which is the stays in lock step middle of the day in Leap seconds have with the Earth's some time zones, of always had their rotation. At the same course) on those critics, but at the time, the internet days. At the time of time they were has come along: a writing, the last adopted, their massive network of leap second happened benefits arguably computers talking to on December 31st, balanced their each other, with the 2016. In principle, associated hassle. 50 frequent need for six months is enough years later, this hack activity on one to be advance warning that is starting to show synchronised with nobody doing anything its age. The advent of activity on another which depends on cheap and reliable GPS (hence tools like the - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Network Time Protocol, added to software as Some systems, of NTP). Computer an afterthought - if course, forget to do programmers *hate* they are added at all. anything at all. leap seconds, for the Some systems represent Because all the leap same reason they hate the extra second using seconds to date have Daylight Saving Time: the timestamp been insertions they complicate time 23:59:60, but others rather than removals, calculations (you instead repeat the it's a safe bet that can't accurately timestamp 23:59:59 there's plenty of calculate the number twice (since some software out there of seconds between two software will fail to which has worked UTC timestamps without parse a timestamp correctly so far but consulting a table of ending in :60). Other will fail the first when previous leap systems "smear" the time a second is seconds were inserted) leap second out over removed. And the and are a frequent longer time periods, Earth's rotation is cause of confusion and like 24 hours, to going through a bit errors, when one avoid problems of a fast phase right system implements them associated with sudden now, so the first differently from discontinuities. This negative leap second another its trying to just leads to a whole might be looming on interoperate with. day of small, slowly the horizon. varying errors Affordances for leap compared to The software seconds are often non-smearing systems. interoperability - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - situation at the time option. It's one thing cause are only likely of a leap second is to shut down the New to get worse. The bad enough that York Stock Exchange atomic definition of several major stock for an hour, but Air second likely isn't exchanges simply Traffic Control has to going away any time agreed to voluntarily stay up 24/7. It's no soon, though, and shut down for an hour surprise that that means that around midnight UTC in increasingly many getting rid of leap 2016, rather than risk voices in the tech seconds entirely problems by continuing industry are calling means abandoning the to trade during the for leap seconds to be millennia old notion leap second. Given abolished. Plenty of that the way we that a number of major people are very represent time is web services, unhappy with that intimately linked including Amazon, idea, of course, not with the natural Instagram, Netflix and to mention there's no cycle of night and Twitter, experienced consensus on what to day. Assuming we're outages around this do instead. not willing to do time, this was that, there are only probably not a bad It's far from clear two alternatives: idea. Of course, what the future holds coming up with a new simply shutting time for the leap second. ugly hack which is critical services off As software continues somehow less for every leap second to eat the world, the problematic, or isn't always an headaches leap seconds giving up on a "one - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - size fits all" time recommend the article time scales like scale. "The leap second: its Ephemeris Time (ET), history and possible GPS Time (GPST) and BUT WAIT, future", which you can Terrestrial Time THERE'S MORE! easily find on the web (TT), and discover (full citation below), that the SI system of If you think this along with, as always, units defined the story has been following Wikipedia second based on needlessly fiddly and links wherever they something other than complicated, rest take you. Along the Earth's rotation when assured I have skipped way you can learn the it was established in over a tonne of difference between 1960, seven years details. If you're UT0, UT1 and UT2, meet before the caesium actually interested to other exciting definition was learn more, I highly astronomic and atomic adopted. - - -[ REFERENCES ]- - - Nelson, R., McCarthy, D., Malys, S., Levine, J.M., Guinot, B., Fliegel, H., Beard, R., & Bartholomew, T. (2001). The Leap Second - Its History and Possible Future. Metrologia, 38, 509-529. "Time-nuttery 101" by Ole Petter Ronningen https://efos3.com/TimeNut.html "UTC might be redefined without Leap Seconds" by Steve Allen https://ucolick.org/~sla/leapsecs/timescales.html ====================[ THE HEARTH OF THE MATTER ]=================== by durtal It seems that Kepler Hobbes brought 'focus' life in unfortunate first used the Latin into broader English ways. word 'focus' in 1604 parlance nearly fifty to refer to 'the point years later. I don't Ironically, the of convergence' in the know if he did this political philosopher mathematical sphere. with a magnifying who espoused that It is possible that glass or not. But, humans are "all take this is an analogical Hobbes is certainly and little give" used use of the term and not my favourite a word that belied may reference the philosopher. With its his contentions in point of light created particular take on the original. Focus with a lens. You human nature, he is the Latin probably know what I published Leviathan equivalent of the Old mean. I remember about the same time he English word another child showing popularised a word 'hearth'. People me a trick with a whose use is still used the latter magnifying glass ubiquitous but whose term in my youth, outside one sunny day. original meaning is especially in rural He quickly adjusted too often unknown. regions. Phrases like the glass's height Sometimes the "hearth and home" and over my forearm to abstractions of "keep the home fires effect a sharp pain as science and a specific burning" catch the converging rays sort of philosophy something of its burned a hole in my separate us from the ethos. The hearth was skin. mundane realities of where household - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - members gathered to it is to wait in them and drink your cook or to work by the anticipation for the morning coffee. You hearthstone's warmth of a fire on a smile and share a firelight. In its cold winter's morning. joke or two with your warmth, children sat Others gather close to fellows. One of them to hear the stories of you, hoping to absorb ruefully remembers the family and a little of your that it is his day to community after dusk. body's heat while they do the dishes; they Kith and kin wait too. You each rub are piling up as entertained themselves and blow warm breaths the others finish with music and onto your hands and and go. This time, drinking and dance comment on the cold, like its later nearby. In some and you remark on the double, is cultures, families day ahead. As the a short space of kept ancestral bones kindling catches, hope intimacy before beneath the builds and blossoms as separation. hearthstone. Here was the flames devour the a point of convergence larger pieces of wood. By analogy, sunrise in the human habitat. The fire roars madly is like the birth of as you back away, a child for whom the The rising or setting waiting for the wooden family cares. Such sun reminds me of a pyramid to collapse. brief familial hearth fire as it When there are coals intimacy is still converges on the left mostly, you cook most often the case horizon. I know what your breakfast over for the young. But, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - not so for the members, nurse the that the world offers elderly. We fill the frail and wash their in this day when noon meridians of our bodies late in life hearth fires and home lives so completely and at its very end. are all but with striving and Frequently, there is forgotten. We now drift so far from one only the intimacy of only focus camera another that, too strangers who alone lenses often, family members know where the bare (automatically). no longer live near bones of our final to one another at the days lie before we Did old Thomas Hobbes sunset of a loved slip into the deep have a point? one's life. Now dark of death's others, not family night. This is all ==================[ WHY I STILL GAME PROPRIETARY ]================= by wholesomedonut PROPRIETARY GAMING in the market. thou angereth me!" I ISN'T ALL BAD hear in the imaginary I agree with all of comments section Since getting into the those observations. because this is FOSS community, I see They tire me. They Gemini and you can't a lot of pushback concern me. They do that. I am certain towards the gaming frustrate me daily. you will find industry as a whole. I peace through can see why: DRM runs However! There are measured rampant, terrible still reasons -not- to contemplation and business practices go the route of some I a cup of whatever regularly conflagrate see in the FOSS world warm or cold internet forums, and eschew gaming liquid you enjoy. anti-cheat programs altogether on anything are basically but a FOSS platform, WHY DO I USE STEAM? consensual (and with FOSS games, mandatory for official because.... FOSS. That Well.... everyone online play in some argument is just as else that isn't a cases) trojans, and to dumb in practice, computer nerd make it all worse it because it's an usually does too. costs a mint to get artificial limitation And the overhead into the hobby that stands on for getting nowadays due to somewhat subjective, people of minimum scalpers and crypto opinionated reasoning. technical under- miners running rampant "But wholesomedonut, standing (that like - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - playing video games) PS/Xbox or some-other download, to playing into FOSS gaming thing, there is a the game with their generally is much more solid 90% chance I'm friends needs to be costly in terms of going to lose that understandable, mental and social argument unless they unobtrusive and capacity than the are very specifically transparent. That is, clout I usually have interested in that if the overall with my friends or particular kind of userbase is to family on such game, its' content, grow and sustain matters. or have a better itself on a socially-driven higher magnitude King's English: If I reason. This comes than current. have to instruct them from years of trying to download the latest and f'nagling with GIVE PEOPLE THE version of the game people from many BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT directly from Github walks of life; the UI in the Releases tab, and UX of FOSS gaming People are or from some random needs to be on-par intelligent, website they've never with modern generally. They're heard of (even if it commercial offerings; very skilled in a looks nice and is this means all the multitude of things HTTPS secure) instead way from landing on a that aren't of just adding it on page, to funneling computers. But asking Steam or Epic or through a sales someone who -isn't- Microsoft Store or conversion or free tech savvy to figure - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - out how to pull down mentality commercial combined-arms the right version of systems have strategy on a hex a FOSS game from a fostered. board that involves code repo (or heaven groups of multi-ton forbid build it ENTER THE MECH MAN robots, tanks, themselves with cmake airplanes and or whatever) is like A good example of a infantry taking and asking ME to diagnose FOSS game that has giving damage to a car's problems plenty of good and individual using nothing but a bad would be MegaMek. components, weapons flashlight and a It's basically a and armor locations screwdriver. I have fully computerized in a somewhat no idea what the hell version of the realistic and highly I'm doing anyway in Classic Battletech detailed simulation that department. rules, which is a of 31st-century Without the proper board game that's warfare. tools and education existed since the too? I'm screwed. 1980s and is going on To alleviate the Therefore I urge 40 years of issue of significant empathy and patience conniving, calculational in introducing others number-crunching overhead for to FOSS gaming. It's tomfoolery that only every-single-action- a bit more finicky a particular subset attack-or-damage- than the of people even enjoy. roll-ever, this plug-and-play All in the name of program does all - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - of the math, the game in their in that regard. A calculations, and head: they're game of Classic rules proofing for obviously not the Battletech that could you. So you can enjoy target of this easily take 5 or 6 the game with others, article. hours in person wherever they may be, without any sort of instead of reaching I shiver at the calculator apps or an for your G.A.T.O.R. thought of doing all otherwise breakneck card for the that stuff manually pace of gameplay and tenth time to if I don't have to. rules-lawyering will show the newbie That kind of only take an hour or of the group what tedium takes away two maximum with happens when an from the Megamek. It's a SRM-6 missile moment-by-moment godsend for a hobby spread hits a gameplay, forcing that would otherwise light vehicle everybody to get be relegated to local whose armor is ox-in-the-mired play over already exposed over details that predetermined days, on its' left don't matter not a "Hey want to flank. There are overall instead play a match? Sure!" plenty of of letting their kind of casual pickup grognards out big stompy robots on a boring there who know blow each other up. afternoon. these rules well and can do half Megamek works wonders - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - BUT IT ISN'T ALL progresses smoothly. that the much easier SUNSHINE AND RAINBOWS But it's still just and more recent Alpha as much a spaghetti Strike ruleset isn't Nope! Megamek is, in plate in terms of included at all by my humble and user experience: default, to my donut-shaped opinion, configuration options knowledge. You might a terrible example of laid out in long be able to configure UI and UX. I played a lists of check boxes something like that round recently, and organized by multiple using plugins, but another aficionado of top-window tabs; a we're already putting the series played decidedly the cart before the against me. Quoth my 15-years-old design horse at that point. opponent: "This language that clashes program looks like with modern TO BE FAIR something out of perceptions of UI and Windows 95." Neither UX (which is bad The project started of us had played the considering that in 2000. It's 21 most recent version taking in new blood years old in some of the game. I hadn't is crucial for both places, if only in touched it in a year userbase and logic and not literal at least. developer syntax. It's written contribution in Java. And it's Some changes were reasons); and the been a community welcome, and the final nail in the effort by dozens of development coffin is the fact talented people over - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - the decades. The fact that does a better a relic of an earlier that it's alive at job, in proportion to time of online all is impressive, the complexity of the gaming, where dial-up but so's the fact physical source connections were that the franchise material and gameplay still common. That's whose boardgame it flow. a given. And it is emulates even has a what it is. I won't fanbase still. BT So considering it was waste time bemoaning fans aren't quitters, made in the waning those facts that are certainly. And this days of Win98 immutable in this is all considering (because Windows ME context. I'm only the fact that trying doesn't exist and you stating them to set to automate, can't convince me the stage. obfuscate and otherwise) it's de-FUBAR the mountain expected that it's I'M LEFT AT AN of minutiae that ugly as most things INTERESTING IMPASSE Battletech's rulesets were back then. It and technical data was written in Java There is no other way (on a per unit and (yea verily, begone I could ever play per variant basis no foul JVM!), which for Battletech with less) is a monumental all its' foibles friends from all over task. I can hardly makes a very easy the world in such a think of a video-game cross-platform great degree of adaptation of a more distributable fidelity. Megamek complex board game program. It's solidly serves its' purpose - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - very well for what it So, I leave it to you make my hobby free is: a highly detailed to put the pieces and open if there computerization of a together here. I can isn't a platform for niche franchise that choose to play with those newcomers to has a fanbase average people that even stand on and spanning generations. A) aren't technically explore once (or if However, it also inclined, B) don't ever) they choose to stands out to me as have a heart that get involved in FOSS one of the prime beats for gaming of their own examples of a FOSS free-as-in-freedom, volition. project being and C) want something understandably opaque that "just works," or AT THE END OF THE DAY to newcomers. It's confine myself to a hard to use at first, much smaller content I encourage people hard to look at base with an even who play video games always, and sometimes smaller playerbase to which are also hard to find other share it with. interested in free people to play it and open source with. Those three Call me the gaming software to consider things will nail the nerd Whore of the prospect of coffin of any Babylon, but I don't inviting others into fledgling game shut. see the point in this world of That concept is true beating my head free-as-in-freedom/ regardless of genre, against the wall beer/whatever art style, or UI/UX. overtly trying to with a grain of salt. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Until we make it not be seen. And growth in production easier to onboard new therefore we will not quality, variety, and people from all walks see the requisite competitiveness in of life, significant uptick in talent, the market space of adoption of FOSS contribution and people's free time. systems or the games playerbase that will that run on them will consequently drive a - - -[ CONTACT ME ]- - - external email: wholesomedonut at tuta dot io mastodon: at wholesomedonut at fosstodon dot org matrix: at wholesomedonut colon matrix dot org - - - ------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - - - - --------------------------------------------- - - - - - - - - - - - - --------------------------------- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ------------------------- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ----------------- - - - - - - - - - - - - - --------- - - - - - - - - - - - - - CT001 - - - - - - - - - - - ~ - - - - - - - - - ~mieum - - - - - - - ~sloum - - - - - ~joneworlds - - - - ~tfurrows - - - ~solderpunk - - ~durtal - ~wholesomedonut - - - - - .