Matisyahu's Blog

"When the people are being beaten with a stick, they are not much happier if it is called 'the People's Stick'"

recent posts

  • End of another week

    Went for a 10km walk on Saturday and then 14km on Sunday – I started off thinking that I’ll just do a 10km but I thought I might as well push the envelope and go for 14km. Yeah, I’ve got sore legs and I’m tired but I know in the morning I’ll feel a whole lot better for it by stepping out of my comfort zone. I’m going to have a relaxing day on Monday, taking it easy, pick up a few groceries, have dinner or lunch with mum.

    I’m a bit tired, going to head off to sleep – might make a longer blog post tomorrow when I’ve recovered.

  • I thought I had fixed it.

    Here was me thinking I had fixed up the issue I was having with AdGuard but it appears to have come back so what I’ve decided to do is uninstall AdGuard in favour of uBlock Origin Lite (which is the MV3 version of uBlock Origin) which isn’t 100% perfect but it is good enough that it blocks 99% of content that I want blocked. There is still a lot of work being done on MV3 particularly regarding blocking those popups that appear hen you click play on a video where as AdGuard appears to use a variety of Javascript to address the short comings of the declarative net request there appears to be work baking into the declarative net request the missing functionality so then the extension isn’t dependent on a complex array of javascript libraries. It appears that the reason why it worked was because when I disabled it the required files were cached but when I cleared the cache those files were deleted which is why it failed to load once again.

    After running with a Pixel 9 Pro XL for the last three months I have decided to go back to my iPhone 15 Pro Max – sure, there is the Google ecosystem but it never really competes with the level of integration that exists in the Apple ecosystem such as being able to answer telephone calls on ones computer (if I had a Windows computer the integration would be a lot better, it rather chafes me that Google seem to put little or no effort in support Android users who also prefer running a Mac), being able to send texts via iMessage to other iPhones vs no one outside of the Android ecosystem is using RCS in New Zealand due to none of the carriers supporting RCS. I’ve sold the ‘Google Bundle’ and I’ve already had a couple of people interested – I’ll use the money along with this weeks pay to clear off my One NZ interest free so then I can also cancel the pay monthly plan which will save me $50 per month.

    The Safari 18.4 beta nots are available and it appears that we’re in store for another big release that’ll be fixing up many, many, many bugs, removing deprecated non-standard implementations and much more which can be read here (link). Apple is making big progress closing the functionality gap and it’ll be interesting to see how this will flow through to mobile apps that heavily rely on Webkit at the core of the app (the place where I work makes extensive use of Webkit on iOS and Chrome on Android). It’ll be interesting to see how quickly Apple implement MV3 as part of Safari because at the moment not all of the Declarative Net Request has been implemented given that they’ve only just moved to the open source implementation so maybe it is a matter of seeing WECG stabilise the specification and then build out the functionality (which will hopefully mean uBlock Origin Lite making it’s way to Safari).

    On Monday this week I went for a 14km walk and then the next day I went for an 11km walk, then on Wednesday and Thursday I went for 10km on each of the days. 10km is becoming the new standard and I have found that my fitness has been improving to the point that I am able to walk faster – one of things I really needed to work on.

  • A productive first day of my weekend.

    Just to start off, I finally fixed up the problem with AdGuard stopping a few websites from loading but with a bit of trial an error I found that the issue could be resolved by adding the following to my user rules:

    @@||cloudflareinsights.com^$document
    @@||cloudflare.com^$document

    The websites used Cloudflare for protection against DDOS and AdGuard was stopping it from making contact with the Cloudflare servers which stopped the page from loading (you know the one with where Cloudflare is checking and then gives you the green tick then the website loads) because it couldn’t access the resources from Cloudflare domains. I originally thought it just required the first domain but it appears it needed both domains allowed in user rules which now allows the website to load without any problems.

    I went grocery shopping today and picked up some much needed ingredients now that I prepare all my meals at home – I’ve branched out and got some Rendang which I’ll use in conjunction with the lamb I’ve already got. While I was down the road I also picked up a blender so that I can make smoothies in the morning which allows me to have more variety than the limited range available for Up and Go not to mention it allows me to control how much sugar is in the smooth (aka, I put no additional sugar other than the sugar that already naturally occurs in the ingredients).

  • Start of the weekend.

    Things are going great as so far as my fitness and improving health – I’ve started off with a 5.8km walk per night but gradually work my way up to 8km and did that for a few weeks and now for the last 3 days I’ve been walking 10km per night, I’m gradually getting back my fitness and stamina after living an sedentary existance of working in an office. The weight is coming off but more importantly I am feeling a whole lot better particularly when I am at work it has allowed me to focus a lot better on my work without the brain fog. Another perk is that the vest I got from work that didn’t fit me is now fitting me and the jacket I was given is now lose and comfortable. For me, I find keeping track of progress based on how well clothes fit me, how they’ve loosened up, is a better way of keep track of progress because it translates into real world experiences which as a result keep me motivated. Oh, and the new running shoes make the power walk each night a lot more enjoyable.

    Either tomorrow or the next day the digital food scales will arrive – I want to add more variety to my diet such as yogurt and berries for brunch along side a warm soup which is nice on a colder day to warm me up just before work. One thing I’ll need to do tomorrow is head down to the supermarket to pick up some mint sauce for the lamb I’ve got since I’m almost run out (not enough for a meal). I’ll also look at picking up a weeks worth of shopping – it’s funny how when you’re eating to live rather than living to eat how much money you end up saving and in my case I’m finally making progress financially. Maybe the whole accident was a blessing in disguise – the ability to reset my life and get it back on track given that the direction it was heading in wasn’t exactly conducent to a long and healthy life, a second chance if you will.

  • The refreshing chilly air.

    Went for a walk tonight and the air was a bit chilly but in a good way, big deep breaths of fresh air and feeling energised so I decided to go for a 10km walk and afterwards I felt really refreshed. As we move out of summer I like the cooler air – I prefer cold weather over hot weather primarily because it is easier to keep warm than it is to try and cool down with the added benefit is I find walking in a cooler temperature a lot more enjoyable.

    I’ve been having a problem with a website I visit and if I turn off AdGuard everything works ok but if I don’t the page just hangs. I used the Chrome developer tools and it appears that a Cloudflare domain is getting blocked which stops the page from loading but if I add it as an allowed website it still get’s blocked. The same issue also happens with Firefox running uBlock Origin as well which makes me wonder whether there is a filter which is common to the two content blocking extensions which is causing the problem.

  • Thoughts.

    Just as I expected from the Apple announcement – a replacement for the SE but even with that bit of boring news what I did find interesting is the C1 Modem which turned out exactly as expected – no MMWave support which makes sense given the whole MMWave thing is overhyped and pretty much a US only facinination while the rest of the world is more focused on those lower frequencies that get better coverage and bandwidth. At this stage the universal frequency for 5G has pretty much settled on 3500MHz in much the same way that 1800MHz became the settled 4G frequency when it came to roaming. Personally I don’t see Apple wasting their time supporting MMWave and will instead probably release a C2 modem for their refresh in September which will improve throughput, upgrade the wifi 7 but at this stage there really isn’t a major hurry in getting wifi 7 support added given how new the standard is (I’m sure some of us remember the 802.11n draft routers and wifi chipsets that had problems because too many vendors jumped in too early).

    The refrain I keep hearing that always makes me laugh is when people complain about politicians then turn around to yell into the wilderness for an ‘honest politician’ to emerge. The problem is with people who claim they want an honest politician is the fact that honest politicians don’t get elected because honesty tends not to be a winning formula. Why is that? because the harsh reality is something that voters would sooner ignore facts in favour of voting for someone who tells them what they want to hear – you can have cheap healthcare, better infrastructure etc. while paying lower taxes. As long as people vote for what they want rather than what is realistic they will keep being disappointed but alas as much as we’d like to convince ourselves society is more civilised the reality is that many do lack maturity when it comes to politics (see recent US election where people vote based on vibes and their lack of understanding basic economics).

    There is the Google I/O in May where there will be much talk about Android 16 – from what I understand there will be the release of Android 16 then a few months later there will be a sizeable update but I guess we’ll see more details at I/O. The big question is what is going to happen with Fuchsia because it is already being used on one of their devices but are they going to expand beyond that, was it a backup plan if the Linux mainline project didn’t yield the sort of results they were expecting, are they still pushing it forward but it isn’t something that has any sort of time table. Reminds me of the experimental operating system Microsoft created Singularity – will be interesting to see whether lessons learned are merged back into Linux to make it more maintainable which should simplify the updating of Android in a timely manner.

  • Busy day today.

    I finally got my act together and ordered the digital food scales which will make life a lot easier when measuring out food because at the moment I’m kind of eye balling it but I’d like something a bit more accurate so then I can keep track of my calories in a day. I ordered it online from Mighty Ape which has quoted delivery next Monday – will be looking forward to giving it a test run and see how it performs. Normally in the morning I’ll have an ‘Up and Go’ but I’d like to mix it up a bit with some variety such as having natural unsweetened yogurt with flaxseed oil (for omega 3) mixed in and some mixed berries (I buy them frozen because they’re more affordable that way). Today I hard boiled 10 eggs which will make them good for a week – I’ll probably have 2-3 of them tomorrow for brunch with some spicy sauce on it. The benefit of the eggs is that they’re low in calories and keep me full until my second meal without making me feel bloated. As for my second meal, I’ll probably just have soup.

    I’m looking at maybe getting a watch sometime in the future primarily so that I can keep track of the number of steps, distance, heart rate, calories etc. I’m tempted to get a Pixel 3 watch but Garmin have a pretty good range not to mention OnePlus has launched their Oneplus Watch 3 which runs wear OS. For me I don’t really care if there is Google Pay on the watch as long as the numbers are fairly accurate then I can keep track of how I am progressing. It is something I’ll sleep on first – there is no rush and I don’t want to make a purchasing decision that I end up later regretting. There is also the Nest security cameras I’m looking at purchasing to replace my curent Arlo setup. The camera setup I’m looking at is the one that has the two spotlights and the camera in the middle where it is still wireless but the camera is powered from the mains which avoids having to worry about the batteries need recharging then forgetting to put the battery back until days later.

  • Back to work Wednesday.

    On Monday I got up after having a sleep in until around 10:30pm, walked down to my local bakery and ordered Eggs Bene on toast with an extra egg, salmon and wilted spinach along with a cappuccino. I sat there and enjoyed every moment while reading some news on my phone. It isn’t something I’d make a regular event given that it is a bit on the pricey side but I could see myself doing it once a month on my day off as it gets me out of the house rather than just hanging around in the house for two days without mixing and mingling with the unwashed masses lol.

    I got a new pair of running shoes along with a new pair of these crocs sliders and some casual shoes – and walking is so much more comfortable now with the new shoes. It appears that my weight loss is a bit like a Greek dance, starts off slowly and the gradually speeds up – clothes are getting looser, able to move around easier, I can now bend over touch my toes etc. I’ve got a blood test on 14 April to see what my A1C is like because previously the number was too high but the gradual weight loss, change in diet, improvement in fitness I am hoping that I’ll get that number dow as low as possible, down to where normal is or at least as close to normal as possible.

    On Thursday (Wednesday US time) there is an Apple event but I don’t expect anything although that hasn’t stopped the online tech dude bros giving their 5 cents worth even if all the evidence for their speculation is next to nonexistence but I guess one has to put content out to get thoe clicks and eye balls watching. Maybe I’m getting old and finding much of what is being hyped is less and less interesting with my demands more about wishing Apple would do something to properly implement MV3 so then the full array of extensions can come to Safari or improving iCloud so that one can have more than 3 alises for a custom domain (one of the reasons I’ve got a Pixel phone along with Google Workspace).

  • The weekend is here.

    The weekend is here, I had my usual 8km power walk this evening and tomorrow I’ll be heading into town to purchase a pair of running shoes along with some casual shoes given that the ones I have are, well, falling to pieces. Things are progressing with my weight loss – clothes are looser and I am finding it easy to move about, I’m regaining flexibility and over all I have a lot more energy. Those first few months when I started this journey were bloody difficult – I’m not going to lie to you and claim that it was easy sailing because any change in ones life after a long time of doing something takes a lot of effort and discipline – with support from my family I’ve been able to get through those tough times and I remind myself by trying on clothes that yes, i am making progress even if it doesn’t feel like the weight is dropping off over night.

    Tomorrow I’m going to get up then head down to my local cafe for an eggs bene with smoked salmon and a cappuccino for brunch then head out to pick up the running shoes I saw online – maybe I’ll get a red pair of shoes that’ll make me walk faster lol. Tomorrow night I’ll have dinner at mums and then pick up some groceries on the way home. It is funny how with having a much more ordered life that I am saving money rather than finding myself short on occasions when it comes to money. I might get some mixed frozen berries – they’re cheaper than getting them fresh and the added benefit is you don’t have to worry about them going off, it is one of the reasons I prefer to buy my vegetables frozen because it avoids waste which is a significant portion of many peoples food bills.

  • Two days to go till the weekend.

    One show I’ve really gotten into is Severance – I love a show that is a slow burn, gradually revealing what is happening rather than there being a rush to some sort of conclusion. There are a few new seasons coming this year so hopefully with the pandemic out of the way that we’ll see more original series being invested in. As much as it is trendy to hate on some of the big names such as Amazon, Netflix and Apple, I doubt we would get interesting new shows without someone from outside the entertainment industry coming in and funding original series. The media landscape in the US changing rapidly particularly when you look at the legacy players getting very little or no viewership from younger demographics under 45 – you can see it in the sort of ads that are played on Fox News or MSNBC. When it comes to MSNBC it has been spun off into its own division and I’ve noticed that some of the key personalities are trying to adopt a more casual style – recording shorts from home, more ‘off the cuff’ opinions, it’ll be interesting to see how well it works out but I’d say there are so good talent at MSNBC hat if they were given the room then they would flourish rather than having to tow the corporate line.

    New Zealand is now going through it’s own FAFO moment – New Zealanders collectively deciding to vote for centre right parties off the myth that they’re ‘good economic managers’ (even though all evidence points to the opposite) are now finding the hard way as the economic climate goes from bad to worse as factories close. When you vote based on vibes rather than actual policy then it shouldn’t be surprising that the consequences in many cases are negative. The current government stumble from one crisis to the next, incompetent ministers particularly the minister of finance who has no idea regarding procurement and long term planning when it comes to infrastructure as demonstrated by the complete debacle around the IREX ferry by misrepresenting what the actual costing breakdown was. Unfortunately I think things will have to get worse before they get better – is the centre left perfect? far from it but at least they have some sort of coherent vision and plan vs the centre right who seem to be hell bent on resurrecting the 1980s with all the mistakes of the past.