Today started with a cozy family breakfast after an amusing alarm mishap. Xiaoyan continued her vegetarian plan, backed by vitamin supplements.

I spent the morning rethinking my Earth 230 Tips strategy, focusing on quality over quantity. In the afternoon, I gathered materials for the year-end party show, deciding to blend existing content instead of creating everything from scratch.

Ratatouille, 2007

Remy can’t talk to human, so Linguini can’t understand Remy’s cooking instructions. But Remy discovers that pulling on Linguini’s hair gives the rat control of Linguini’s arms. Here they are practicing their technique, and then the two get the same far-fetched idea at once: Remy will guide Linguini via his hair. This will take some practice!

Did you know ArcGIS Earth supports 5 distinct navigation controls, offering seamless exploration across 3D environments. Whether you’re analyzing terrain, presenting to stakeholders, or casually exploring, these controls ensure precision and efficiency.

🛠️ The 5 Navigation Controls:

1. Mouse Controls: Effortlessly pan, zoom, and rotate with your mouse. Use the right-click flight patterns for dynamic exploration.
2. Keyboard Shortcuts: Navigate with precision using keys like N (North), U/J (Elevation), R (North and Center), or Arrow keys for panning.
3. Touch Navigation: Perfect for touchscreen devices – pinch to zoom, drag to pan, and rotate with two fingers.
4. 3D Space Mouse Support: Fly through terrains with smooth, intuitive 3D mouse movements.
5. On-Screen Navigator: Use the Compass Button and Zoom Controls for guided exploration.

🚀 Pro Tip: Q + Hover Pointer — Activate Fly Mode to seamlessly pan and rotate based on your pointer’s position.

Happy New Year! 🎉

I slept until noon after staying up late watching Hot Stove League. After a delicious lunch, we accompanied Xiaoyan for a facial, and I later took Hamer to the park. We chatted about our New Year plans and enjoyed rides like Extreme Transformer and Happy Swing. On the way home, I bought rice noodle rolls for dinner.

Cinderalla, 1950

As the clock strikes midnight, Cinderella runs from the palace and, in her haste, leaves behind a single glass slipper. Walt Disney was very fond of the film and its title character. “She’s a girl with a lot of spunk and imagination,” he said.

Did you know you can install ArcGIS Earth silently using command-line parameters for a hassle-free setup? This is perfect for deploying across multiple machines or automating installations. Here’s how:

msiexec.exe /i <setup location>\ArcGISEarth.msi ALLUSERS=2 INSTALLDIR="C:\MyArcGISEarth\" ACCEPTEULA=yes /qn

🚀 Pro Tip: Add a configuration file for custom settings using the CONFIGFILE=UseConfigFile CONFIGPATH=<path> parameter.

Whether you’re setting up for a single user or an entire team, this quick tip will save time and streamline your workflow. Check out the documentation for more details!

2024-12-31 TIL: Suno, Song structure, and Jiankou Great Wall

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Suno AI Prompt

Customize Suno AI Lyrics and Song Style According to Your Preferences

• A Music Prompt generator is a cutting-edge tool that uses AI to create music prompts for AI-driven music generation products.
• A more powerful, sophisticated song and lyric creation assistant: GPTs: AI Music Prompt Generator

🌱

Song Structure

Song structure refers to how a song is organized, using a combination of different sections. A typical song structure includes a verse, chorus, and bridge in the following arrangement: intro — verse — chorus — verse — chorus — bridge — chorus — outro. This is known as an ABABCB structure, where A is the verse, B is the chorus, and C is the bridge.

• Intro: Like the beginning of a film or novel, a song introduction should catch the listener’s attention.
• Verse: The verse tells the story, developing and advancing the song’s narrative.
• Pre-chorus: Optional, but it helps to heighten the impact of the chorus.
• Chorus: The chorus is the song’s centerpiece, summarizing its big ideas. Often, the song title appears here.
• Bridge: Typically used once, just before the final chorus. It introduces variation with new chords or melodic material.
• Outro: The outro signals the end of the song and provides closure.

箭扣知识小程序

Centered around the Jiankou Great Wall, Jiankou Knowledge Mini Program offers maps, architecture details, knowledge, and information about the Great Wall surrounding Beijing.

• It is exceptionally well-designed.

Last Day of 2024

• made with suno

[Intro][Nostalgic Ballad][Piano] Soft light paints the morning sky, Time slips through as moments fly. In the quiet hum of everyday, I hear the words we didn’t say.

[Verse 1][Reflective][Acoustic Guitar] She wakes up slow, alarm’s last chime, A fleeting dance with borrowed time. Rice balls warm in morning glow, Her little hands make love’s echo.

[Pre-Chorus][Gentle Strings] Each step she takes, a story told, In these small acts, my heart holds. Oh, the beauty in her simple way, How I wish these moments could stay.

[Chorus][Emotional][Piano & Strings] Hold on to moments like these, The way the sunlight meets the breeze. Every smile, every sigh, Fills the space where memories lie.

[Verse 2][Warm Reflection] An empty bag, a hopeful grin, Charity stalls where dreams begin. Seventy yuan, treasures found, Her laughter is the sweetest sound.

[Pre-Chorus][Soft Strings] Her joy, a light that fills the room, Petals open, flowers bloom. Oh, the beauty in her simple way, How I wish these moments could stay.

[Chorus][Emotional][Piano & Strings] Hold on to moments like these, The way the sunlight meets the breeze. Every smile, every sigh, Fills the space where memories lie.

[Bridge][Dreamy Instrumental][Violin Solo] Time is fleeting, moments fade, But love is in the life we’ve made. Through busy days and restless nights, She’s the reason for my light.

[Chorus][Powerful Build][Full Instrumental] Hold on to moments like these, The way the sunlight meets the breeze. Every smile, every sigh, Fills the space where memories lie.

[Outro][Soft Fade][Piano & Acoustic Guitar] Soft light paints the evening sky, Time slows down as moments sigh. In her laughter, love remains, In my heart, her song remains.

Today, I focused on drafting the Earth 230 tips but felt unsatisfied, realizing patience is key to improvement.

In the morning, Hamer independently prepared her breakfast, which made me proud. Her school held a charity sale, and though she didn’t sell anything, she happily bought items worth 70 yuan.

In the evening, our family enjoyed a delicious dinner at a Southeast Asian restaurant, ending the day on a warm and joyful note.

This morning, Hamer felt anxious about being late for school, even trembling and crying despite doing everything well. I tried to comfort her but fell short. Xiaoyan later suggested I use gentler reminders without specifying exact times. The emotional weight stayed with me throughout the day.

In the evening, I hugged Hamer, shared my reflections, and felt grateful as she listened calmly.

Today was spent entirely at home. After a late brunch and a family movie, Hamer went to Pop Mart with Xiaoyan and Dada, while I dove into The Glory and couldn’t stop watching until late night. The intense revenge theme reminded me of My Mister, leaving me deeply engrossed. I’m still surprised it took me two years to discover such a gripping series!

Today, our family visited Universal Studios. While the park had a charming atmosphere and beautiful architecture, we didn’t experience many attractions, and the early 7:30 PM closure left the day feeling incomplete. Compared to Disneyland’s magical “wow” factor, Universal fell short.

On the way home, despite the exhaustion, Xiaoyan, Dada, and Jialing’s laughter, singing, and dancing turned the journey into a delightful memory—truly a performance of “three women on one stage”!

2024-12-27 TIL: Building Chrome Extensions & Toothpaste Foaming Explained

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Build Chrome Extensions

A Chrome extension is a program installed in the Chrome browser to enhance its functionality, built using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

• A manifest.json file serves as the blueprint of the extension, defining its name, version, and permissions.
• The background.js file handles tasks and interactions running in the background, even when the extension isn’t actively in use.
• The content.js file is used to inject or modify webpage content dynamically.

🌱

Toothpaste Foaming

Toothpaste foam is caused by surfactants like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), which create lather during brushing.

• Some toothpastes do not foam due to the absence of these agents but are still equally effective at cleaning teeth.
• Foam doesn’t enhance cleaning performance; instead, the mechanical brushing action and active ingredients are the key factors for maintaining oral hygiene.
• Non-foaming toothpastes can also reduce mouth irritation associated with foaming agents.

The morning started with Hamer waking up independently, washing up, and dressing herself while humming—a heartwarming sight that made me proud.

Noon brought a refreshing cold-water shower after a quiet gym session. In the evening, I joined the family at a popular Italian restaurant.

Work focused on creating a demo for app links via a Chrome Extension. Despite technical roadblocks, I found a workable solution using an existing extension.

2024-12-26 TIL: Cool Papers platform and Norman Rockwell Christmas

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Cool Papers

Cool Papers enhances academic paper browsing with an immersive and efficient experience.

• It uses Kimi Chat AI to answer frequently asked questions, providing concise insights into a paper’s key content. This helps users quickly identify papers worth deeper exploration, streamlining research.
• It provides enriched RSS feeds, even for search results.
• Designed by: kexue.fm | Powered by: kimi.ai

🌱

Norman Rockwell Christmas

Norman Rockwell was an iconic American painter and illustrator, celebrated for capturing the essence of American culture.

• He is best known for his Saturday Evening Post cover illustrations, which spanned nearly five decades.
• Many of his most beloved works focus on Christmas themes, evoking nostalgia and a timeless sense of whimsy that continues to resonate with audiences today.

After a late-night return, Xiaoyan brought a familiar warmth back home. Because of the late night, I decided to rest well at noon instead of going to the gym.

The morning started slowly, with Hamer frustrated over missing socks, a moment I later reflected on.

At work, I focused on advancing the Earth 230 Tips project using automation APIs and app links, making significant progress throughout the day.

The evening brought a peaceful family moment—tidying up the house together while chatting and watching TV. Hamer also decided to step down from her leader role of distributing oral drops.

2024-12-25 TIL: GitHub Comment IDs and macOS Terminal Customization

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GitHub issue comment’s ID

To find a GitHub issue comment’s ID via the web interface:

• Navigate to the specific issue containing the comment.
• Hover over the timestamp near the commenter’s name. The URL will look like:
https://github.com/owner/repository/issues/issue_number#issuecomment-123456789.
• Alternatively, use browser developer tools to inspect the comment’s HTML element and locate the id attribute, which contains the comment ID.

Custom Headings in Issue Comments:

• GitHub’s web interface doesn’t support assigning custom id attributes directly to headings using Markdown.
• However, you can use HTML instead. For example, instead of using Markdown syntax like ## My Heading, use: <h2 id="my-heading">My Heading</h2>.

How To Customize Your macOS Terminal

• Setting a theme from Terminal > Preferences, drag the scheme/terminal/One Dark.terminal file into your Terminal Profiles list.
• Configure .bash_profile in the home directory via vim .bash_profile, then add source ~/.bash_prompt and source ~/.aliases.
• Configure .bash_prompt and .aliases.
  • If you are using zsh (check with echo $SHELL command), you could modify your terminal to open shell with a custom command with /bin/bash.

This Christmas morning, Hamer joyfully discovered her gifts under the tree—a large red Santa bag filled with surprises, including her favorite mechanical pencil and an unexpected pile of cardboard houses.

I spent the morning touched by Billy’s perseverance in Where the Red Fern Grows, while the afternoon was dedicated to fix a workspace bug at work.

In the evening, Hamer built and colored her cardboard house while I wrapped up Love Actually, savoring its warmth and love.

2024-12-24 TIL: ACDC, Tailscale, GIS RSS Feeds, New Year’s Day, Bearer

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ACDC (Automated Creation of Digital Cousins)

ACDC is a fully automated pipeline designed to generate interactive simulated scenes, referred to as “digital cousins,” from a single RGB image.

• Unlike digital twins, which are exact replicas of real-world counterparts, digital cousins maintain similar geometric and semantic affordances without explicitly modeling the real-world scene.
• Genie 2 and ACDC Pipeline are both advanced AI models designed for generating interactive environments from image inputs, Genie 2 is geared towards creating diverse 3D worlds for AI and human interaction, whereas ACDC focuses on producing simulated scenes to enhance robot learning and deployment.
• AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock and heavy metal, although the band calls it simply “rock and roll”.

Tailscale

Tailscale is a mesh VPN (Virtual Private Network) service that streamlines connecting devices and services securely across different networks.

• It enables encrypted point-to-point connections using the open source WireGuard protocol, which means only devices on your private network can communicate with each other.
• Unlike traditional VPNs, which tunnel all network traffic through a central gateway server, Tailscale creates a peer-to-peer mesh network (known as a tailnet).

Top 100 GIS RSS Feeds

The best GIS rss feed list curated from thousands of rss feeds on the web and ranked by relevancy, authority, social media followers & freshness.

• Top 60 Map RSS Feeds

🏡

元日 (New Year’s Day)

王安石（宋‧七言絕句）

爆竹聲中一歲除，春風送暖入屠蘇。 千門萬戶曈曈日，總把新桃換舊符。

🌱

Bearer

The person who owns an official document or banknote.

• The passport No. E******** of the PRC was issued to the bearer of this passport.

This morning, the sky looked uniquely painted as a large airplane passed overhead. I began reading Where the Red Fern Grows and felt deeply moved by Billy’s determination to save $50 over two years to buy two hunting dogs.

After a morning meeting, I searched for Map/GIS RSS feeds, took notes on Positive Discipline at noon, and discussed a program with colleagues in the afternoon before playing badminton.

In the evening, Hamer and I watched Love Actually while waiting for Dada. Xiaoyan traveled to Pattaya today.

2024-12-23 TIL: NORAD Santa Tracker, ReadTogether.ai, HappyKids, and Phonewords Explained

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NORAD Tracks Santa

NORAD Tracks Santa is an annual Christmas-themed program in which North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) simulates the tracking of Santa Claus, who is said to leave the North Pole to travel around the world on his mission to deliver presents to children every year on Christmas Eve.

• This tradition began in 1955 when a child accidentally called NORAD’s predecessor, CONAD, asking about Santa’s whereabouts. The commander played along, starting a yearly tradition.
• Today, NORAD uses radar, satellites, and jets to track Santa every Christmas Eve.
  • Although NORAD claims to use these technologies, the website primarily simulates Santa’s journey and displays predetermined location data to users.

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Readtogether.ai

Read books together with your kids.

• Technologies used:
  • How to convert a hard copy into a high-quality E-book.
  • How to extract content from the E-book — gpt-4o + another model for verification.
  • How to read the content — ElevenLabs, Cosevoice + F5-TTS.
• Explore a collection of children’s books shared by users, and add them to your library.

Happy Kids

HappyKids is a FREE and SAFE video streaming app to educate and entertain kids. HappyKids provides kid-safe content in forms of Popular Shows, Movies, Rhymes, Stories, DIYs, Gaming videos, and more.

• Hamer loves it and now prefers it over YouTube Kids.

🌱

Phonewords

Phonewords are mnemonic phrases represented as alphanumeric equivalents of telephone numbers, using a standard phone keypad:

• 2 → ABC

• 3 → DEF
• 4 → GHI
• 5 → JKL
• 6 → MNO
• 7 → PQRS
• 8 → TUV
• 9 → WXYZ

For example:

• You can start a conversation by calling 1-800-CHATGPT (1-800-242-8478).
• The public NORAD Santa Tracker hotline is 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723).

I felt much better this morning after some extra rest, and Hamer also woke up in a good mood. After dropping her off, I bought breakfast and caught up on my journal.

I planned out a busy week ahead, balancing personal tasks and company event preparations.

In the evening, Hamer and I enjoyed this year’s Christmas light show and a video of Billie Eilish teaching music at an elementary school during dinner. The neckband Bluetooth speaker I bought for my mother-in-law arrived, and she seemed to really like it.

I had a headache today, likely from waking up early and skipping a nap. I wanted to sleep early, but Hamer wasn’t ready for the weekend to end so soon. She struggled to fall asleep, feeling unsettled as the weekend drew to a close. Despite distractions like TV and toys, bedtime felt heavy with loneliness and reluctance as she deeply missed her mom.

Xiao Yan left for a business trip to Thailand after spending the morning at Pop Mart with Hamer.

During driving practice, I struggled with navigation, turning what should have been a 14-minute route into over 30 minutes.

In the afternoon, I watched the 2024 DiscX Elite Club Ultimate match. Later, Hamer and I had dinner at a mall food court, where she enjoyed watching the food preparation. Back home, we watched The Simpsons, and Hamer fondly said, “Watching TV with Dad is so much fun.”