Amanda Walker
@aw90
security & privacy geek by day, decorative artist by night. Not interested in cryptocurrency or gofundme scams, sorry.
A couple of weeks ago I traveled to Singapore for the first time. It was a fascinating trip in many ways, and the recent US east coast heat wave had prepared me for the climate. Here's a view from our office of an afternoon rainstorm. Window reflections removed by Gemini, but otherwise unedited.
Let us drink a toast to the memory of Willis Haviland Carrier, the inventor of modern air conditioning. This message brought to you by a high of 96ºF/36ºC today. However, it was a beautiful day for a scenic drive up the GW Parkway along the Potomac.
Excellent spring weather for a work visit to Zürich. It's quite pleasant to be outside the US for a bit.
Agreed. I've started baking bread every 2 weeks, just as a grounding exercise.
Office archaeology: the first computing device I bought with my own money, working at a computer store in high school. It still works, after giving it new batteries. Somewhere I should still have the card reader and barcode reader accessories for it.
I just got home from a short work trip to Silicon Valley & San Francisco, so have a picture of a blue sky.
I had a nice walk around Westminster yesterday. Very British weather, so I was glad to have an umbrella.
I admit that I teared up a bit while visiting the British Library today. "In June 1215, negotiations at Runnymede culminated in the granting of Magna Carta which limited unjust and arbitrary behaviour by the king. It also established the principle that everyone was subject to the rule of law."
I like my EV, and get more satisfied every year that there was no Elon Musk involved.
Visiting Zürich for the week. They definitely go in for Christmas decoration. But to be honest, mostly it's nice to take a break from the US for a bit.
I made this in 2017; I really should get around to mounting it and wiring up a power supply. I have a feeling it will come in handy.
Dusk in DC: looking northwest along Massachusetts Avenue at dusk, towards the Carnegie library (which is now an Apple Store).
Huge fun. I should go to local live music more often. creativealliance.org/event/the-ot...
Winter is coming. I've had a very stressful year from all sides, so it's useful to take a step out of my day to day schedule to pause and reflect. 2025 will be quite a challenge, no matter how it goes, so it's good to take some time to recharge.
I've been reading a bit of "so much for 'resistance'; where are your pink pussy hats and protests now?" This time it wasn't a surprise, and people know more about what they're getting into. So it will take different forms, but as long as cruelty remains, so will resistance.
Another recent photo: downtown San Francisco in morning light as I flew home from a business trip.
I'll start with a photo of some blue sky. Taken from Pier 57 in Manhattan, overlooking the Hudson River with Manhattan on the left, Jersey City on the right, and the Statue of Liberty way off in the distance in the center (only a few pixels in this photo, alas). Last business trip of 2024 (whew).