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Moynihan Train Hall, Pennsylvania Station, NYC, 2021.

All the pixels, each of which is trying to go somewhere else, at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattblaze/51205135362

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@davecb @karlauerbach @dalfen @violetmadder @mkb @Bandersnatch @DemocracyMattersALot No, it does not imply that at all.

But whatever. You all are the experts. I just work here.

@violetmadder @mbpaz @dalfen @mkb @Bandersnatch @DemocracyMattersALot Well, some things are actually hard, and benefit from the input of experts.

Election law (especially) is an obstacle course full of Chesteron's Fences.

@mbpaz @dalfen @violetmadder @mkb @Bandersnatch @DemocracyMattersALot US elections are - by far- the most complex in the world. We vote on more things, in more ways, than any other democracy. Automation is essential in practice in US election, in ways that it isn't almost everywhere else.

@karlauerbach @dalfen @violetmadder @mkb @Bandersnatch @DemocracyMattersALot So the approach of trying to completely secure election software is ultimately a fool's errand. That's why modern techniques like risk-limiting audits are so critical.

@karlauerbach @dalfen @violetmadder @mkb @Bandersnatch @DemocracyMattersALot There are two major attack vectors for automation in voting systems: (1) Exploitation of bugs to induce malicious behavior, and (2) replacement of the legitimate software with malware.

Open source attempts to address (1), but the "many eyes make all bugs shallow" maxim breaks down as systems become as complex as they are today. And (2) is an inherent problem for precinct equipment, which is vulnerable to tampering.

@dalfen @violetmadder @mkb @Bandersnatch @DemocracyMattersALot While there might be good public policy reasons to use open source software and designs for election systems, there's probably very little security benefit to be gained by doing so. Open source software is just as subject to malicious tampering and bugs as closed source.

The approach favored by experts involves *assuming* the software is compromised, and conducting routine post-election audits on the ballots to verify the tally.

The scale of these wind farms is beyond what we're equipped to process in day-to-day human experience. They conquer the landscape in ways we can't fully comprehend even when they're in front of us. In a sense, they're abstract sculptures of themselves, mostly visible in fleeting glances from interstate highways or airplane windows.

Infrastructure is heroic.

This was captured near the Tesla substation (no relation to the car company) near Altamont Pass with a DSLR and a 400mm lens, compressing the turbines in a way that made them resemble a histogram.

There's a *lot* of power being generated in those hills. There was an audible hum in the air and vibrations could be felt in the ground. In some spots, the camera rebooted from induced currents.

Infrastructure like this is easy to ignore, but has an accidental beauty that I think is worth examining.

Wind Turbines, near Tracy, CA, 2010.

All the pixels, none of the wind, at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattblaze/4491948497

#photography

@SteveBellovin Yes, doing the right thing late is better than not at all, but not as good as doing it at the time.

Extremely disappointed and saddened by the revelations about Cesar Chavez.

I met him as a young child; he visited the NYC church my parents were active in, and we helped host a dinner for him. Somewhere I still have my "boycott grapes" UFW button. Their struggle played a formative role in my understanding of justice and social responsibility.

It would be convenient to simply hail Chavez as an uncomplicated hero. But the truth matters, and we honor justice only by letting it be told.

The Tornado Watch for DC itself has been canceled, but various other areas (mostly to the north) may still be affected.

Strong winds still predicted for later this evening. Any hatches should best remain battened down for now.

@becomethewaifu I have an old broadcast station receiver/decoder that I inherited. But Sangean makes a pretty decent and reasonably priced NOAA receiver with an alert decoder.

My EAS decoder has been going absolutely nuts. One alert after another for the last half hour.

Georgetown just announced early closing today; classes to be held online after 1pm (preferably from the basement)

Tornado warnings issued all around DC area (Montgomery, Loudoun, Prince William). Stay safe out there.

If you like this stuff, there's a sadly out of print book, "New York's Forgotten Substations" by Christopher Payne, with some excellent photos of NYC Subway power infrastructure.

https://www.chrispaynephoto.com/books-1-2-1

NYC's IRT subway, opened in 1904, is powered by a 600 volt DC third rail running alongside the tracks. Power is fed to the system via a number of substations throughout the city, where high voltage AC is converted to the lower voltage DC used by trains.

Until recently, this was done with electromechanical rotary converters (essentially a combination AC motor and DC generator). They are now supplanted by solid state rectifiers, but a few of the original rotary converters remain operational.

Rotary Converter, IRT Subway, Substation 13, Midtown Manhattan, NYC, 2017.

All the pixels, no hearing protection required, at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattblaze/32992380451

#photography