@heliomass@mstdn.ca
@heliomass@mstdn.ca avatar

heliomass

@heliomass@mstdn.ca

🇬🇧🇨🇦(❤️🇪🇺)
🌐 https://heliomass.com

I mainly post about:
• #transit and #urbanism
• #retrocomputing and #retrogaming
• #Apple (#iPhone and #Mac) things
• Life in #Montreal (often from the perspective of a #Brit)
• U.K. and Canadian politics (sorry)
• Photos of my #cats

Correspondent for https://mastodon.london/@lonrec

Creator of https://mstdn.ca/@MTL_Transit_Status_en

On Mastodon since April 2017

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

heliomass, to Montreal
@heliomass@mstdn.ca avatar

🌑 “Where to Watch the Solar Eclipse in Montréal” https://plateauastro.com/blog/2024-04-01/where-watch-solar-eclipse-montreal

@plateau_astro gives some tips on where to best view the eclipse next week. I’m fortunate to be within the zone of total eclipse, so I’m heading to my local park.

#Montreal #TotalEclipse #SolarEclipse #eclipse

heliomass, to random
@heliomass@mstdn.ca avatar

Streetcars... 🤤

heliomass, to random
@heliomass@mstdn.ca avatar

“Michael Tsai - Blog - xz Backdoor” https://mjtsai.com/blog/2024/04/01/xz-backdoor/

Lots of interesting takes on this.

heliomass, to retrogaming
@heliomass@mstdn.ca avatar

It’s not often I receive a box full of retro miscellania! I lucked out when my father-in-law had a clear out. The joysticks are going to be especially useful as they’ll work with my Atari 2600 and Commodore 64.

#RetroGaming #Commodore #Atari

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heliomass,
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@Sebprovencher I've not played any of them!

heliomass, to Montreal
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‘The Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) has not yet confirmed an exact launch date but said the project "is progressing according to plan" and that it will announce the launch "at the right moment."’ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-metro-opus-card-recharging-telephone-1.7146276

I’m still eagerly awaiting this, but I continue to have a genuine problem with the ARTM’s condescending paternalistic attitude. As if we, the plebs, are unable to comprehend the tides and eddies which dictate when the right moment may come.

#Montreal

heliomass,
@heliomass@mstdn.ca avatar

@uneabeille Totally. London has had the ability to top up your Oyster pass on-line for at least 15 years. Vancouver's system also seems good, from my limit experience visiting last month. Truth is, Opus wasn't really a good choice of technology and probably needs to be completely replaced in the long term.

heliomass,
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@NeueWelle I'm looking forward to trying it, when our wise overlords at the ARTM deem "the right moment" has arrived for the masses to partake in mobile fare purchases.

heliomass,
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@jfmezei 100% agree. OPUS isn't scalable at all.

heliomass, to Japan
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📺 “I Challenged Japan's Best Competitive Eater and FAILED” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWvEwnqft-s

This ended up going exactly as you’d expect.

#Japan #FoodChallenge

heliomass, to Montreal
@heliomass@mstdn.ca avatar

A question for the Montreal and transit historians. Is this the original site of Mile End station (On Bernard close to St Laurent)? The location seems to match my understanding of where it should be, but are these the remnants of the actual station building?

#Montreal

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heliomass,
@heliomass@mstdn.ca avatar

@VE2UWY You know what, I never put two-and-two together. I even have Micael Leduc's book on Montreal railway termini, and I didn't even think to check in there first of all 🤦‍♂️

I'll have to get hold this other book you have as well (I also have the one on the Angus shops)

heliomass,
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@jfmezei Thanks! That's fascinating stuff. I'll need to dig into that link.

heliomass, to Nintendo
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📖 “‘I wasn’t sure it was even possible’: the race to finish 80,000 levels of Super Mario Maker” https://www.theguardian.com/games/2024/mar/28/i-wasnt-sure-it-was-even-possible-the-race-to-finish-80000-levels-of-super-mario-maker

#Nintendo

heliomass, to random
@heliomass@mstdn.ca avatar

I need this as my Slack status until 4pm.
https://mastodon.social/@effinbirds/112023416532466188

heliomass, to random
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So, we did all the moaning about the clock changes in Canada a few weeks ago. Looking forward to seeing the British slant on the same topic over the coming hours.

heliomass,
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@NovaNaturalist That means you get to complain twice as loud 😁

stephanie, to random
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These do not work. There is no simple lift and peel anymore. I miss the simpler times 😭

heliomass,
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@stephanie Same. I’ve never managed to open a fresh bottle of HP sauce without additional tools and additional mess. Delicious additional mess.

heliomass, to transit
@heliomass@mstdn.ca avatar

🚈 New on the blog! Station Stories: Île-des-Sœurs – https://heliomass.com/posts/2404-station-stories---ile-des-soeurs/

We visit one of the newest stations in Montreal, and one of the newest in North America. How does it stack up?

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heliomass,
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@jfmezei Damn, I meant to add that in! I was rushing a bit to get it done by lunch. I’ll probably edit it some more a bit later.

heliomass,
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@jfmezei I hadn’t thought about that, but you’re right. There could have been a covered bus station. I guess that’s due to the car-centric nature of Nun’s Island and Verdun doesn’t seem like the best borough for good transit thinking.

heliomass,
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@jfmezei If you were still working there, what impact would the REM station have had on your commute?

heliomass,
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@jfmezei @EdwinG I have to say, I’m a bit surprised bus restructuring hasn’t already been shared. Are they planning to leave it until the last minute to prevent public engagement as much as possible given what we know about the non-competitive nature of the REM?

heliomass,
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@jfmezei @EdwinG Thanks, that’s fascinating. I’d several times looked at Google Maps and wondered about that obvious rail alignment continuing on from Deux-Montagne. Do you know if it’s open for hiking, or even if it’ll be reachable on foot from the REM station?

sje, to random
@sje@fosstodon.org avatar

Mac homebrew users might wish to check their version of xz; mine was 5.6.1 (one of the affected versions).

brew upgrade xz

will return it to 5.4.6

heliomass,
@heliomass@mstdn.ca avatar

@sje Guess you’re referring to this? https://arstechnica.com/security/2024/03/backdoor-found-in-widely-used-linux-utility-breaks-encrypted-ssh-connections/

heliomass, to Montreal
@heliomass@mstdn.ca avatar

A couple of Gare Centrale observations for those interested:

  1. You can use the REM platforms as a shortcut from Gare Centrale’s concourse to Bonaventure. Your single registers as a transfer going through the Metro gates after the REM, so you only pay once.

  2. There was a large queue of people in Place Bonaventure waiting for people to come out of the REM through the fire doors so they could enter. It’s madness this isn’t an official exit. I don’t know how they screwed this up.

heliomass,
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@uneabeille I think the issue of having a private building in-between the two stations doesn't help, but they could have planned this better. At least the situation is slowly improving. The other day, the doors to the REM were even propped open!

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