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4.6.6
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody.
Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Spotted some art on tree stumps around #SanFrancisco walking between SFPursuit sites this weekend.
The little blue house on the tall tree stump near the 19th Ave entrance to Golden Gate Park has a "For Sale" sign out plus American Gothic squirrels.
A Hello Kitty pussyhat on a not-so-tall tree stump near Arguello and Euclid.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
This "Gold Rush" #SFPursuit reminds me of https://www.munzee.com/ , a.k.a. "What if geocaching, but we can use QR codes?"
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
New-to-me sidewalk art in #SanFrancisco 's Upper Haight, Page Street near Lyon.
A piece by Eclair Bandersnatch. In my pic, it looks like her hair eroded, but that's just my camera failing to depict glitter. Her hair had a lot of glitter.
An assemblage of toys.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
A fan of the #SanFrancisco Crosstown Trail posted his tribute "Straight Up," a walking route straight up the middle from the south side of SF up to the Golden Gate. Monday, I walked it… https://lahosken.san-francisco.ca.us/new/2026/07/28/straight-up-route/
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Space filling curve, 8th+Irving St San Francisco
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Outside Lands is still two weeks away, but the temporary cell towers are already up and their diesel generators are in full roar. Meanwhile, at 20th and Irving, there's a new-to-me Kal Zakzouk sidewalk chalk piece:
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
How to finish an #SFPursuit challenge in minutes^W years:
Attend elementary school a half block away. Get to know the neighborhood.
Write (the first draft of) The 2-Tone Game https://lahosken.san-francisco.ca.us/frivolity/2tone/ , one of whose puzzles covered the relevant territory.
If you're failing to discern something through glare-y glass: give up, stand back, and consider what nearby establishments the Hours & Access notes might describe. Enter the first one you thought of. It's correct. Now you can figure out what you failed to see through glare-y glass.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
@lcamtuf@infosec.exchange goodreads says "First published September 1, 1996"
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
"The AI czars have been Sacks, Burns, and Fall? are they doing a bit?" –Prestemon
https://blacksky.community/profile/did:plc:zsiieea4nujz6h7kh3vx5pqf/post/3mr7537u4wk2f
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Some mighty nice sidewalk chalk art at Presidio Wall Park today, celebrating Phillip's birthday. I dunno know who did it; it's unsigned. Maybe, like, Phillip's grandma or something? #SanFrancisco
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Today's https://www.minutecryptic.com/ by Ben Stuart, pretty darned amazing: "FIFA World Cup semifinals? Good excuse to miss work! (3)" #puzzle
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
oh cool, the emergency room near me is in the news oh hoo boy wait hang on https://missionlocal.org/2026/05/ucsf-er-crisis-death-staffing-parnassus/
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
A year and a half after a truck hit a pedestrian at Parnassus and Stanyan, we finally got some speed humps on Parnassus Ave. They're very, uh, gradual? I suppose the city wanted to say they'd done something but didn't want to actually slow down traffic. Angry drivers might complain, and we mustn't have that. Hashtag Vision Zero, etc
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
new from Sam Lavigne: "A form which calculates an individual’s 'income tax body count', or the total number of conflict-related deaths they have caused through their income tax contributions to the U.S. government."
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Some new-to-me pretty-subtle #SanFrancisco #StreetArt this morning. Can I say it's "new to me" if I'm not sure I haven't walked right under it many times without noticing? I was walking down the Willard Street hill south of Parnassus Ave and thought "Eh, why isn't that crow moving?" And then I thought "Hey wait, why is a twig growing out of a utility pole?"
Compare and contrast: Two actual neighborhood ravens.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
A couple of things I saw in #SanFrancisco's Fishmerman's Wharf this morning:
There's a building missing. I guess one of the wharf places was beyond renovation and needed a tear-down and construction.
The statue Desert Shark by Peter Hazel. This piece must have seemed pretty ironic, like (ahem) a fish out of water, in its original venue the Nevada desert Burning Man festival (https://www.peterhazel.com/#/desert-shark/). Here on the San Francisco waterfront, it loses that "oomph" of irony. It's hard to think of a less-ironic place to put it. Maybe across the bay in the town of Tiburon I guess?
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Yesterday, the Super Bowl took place in Santa Clara, a few towns south. A bunch of reporters and pundits stayed in #SanFrancisco and my socials were peppered with screen shots of various people from around the USA discovering that that SF is not a knee-deep-in-💩 hellscape, despite Trump's tweets to the contrary. "We were so surprised by what we were told and expected versus when we walked through the streets."
Good. SF ain't perfect, but it's nowhere near as bad as you might think if you believed right-wing pundits.
This morning, I walked downtown. I do that every couple of months, when I donate blood. You're not supposed to exercise for a few hours after donating, so I get my daily exercise by walking to the blood donation place.
Along my route, there are a few blocks on Market near the Tenderloin that normally each have several people suffering: probably unhoused, probably addicted to some bad drugs. This morning was different, though. This morning, there was maybe a handful of such folks, total. I'm pretty sure a bunch of these people were swept under the proverbial rug for the weekend so that we'd present a pretty picture for the influx of visitors, especially influence-y reporter-ish visitors.
Anyhow, don't believe the dystopic tweets. But maybe don't believe your lying eyes, at least not this past weekend. It's not normally like this.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
I continue to check my little dashboard of #SanFrancisco COVID numbers each morning to decide whether to go get professionally made coffee at my local Peet's or make so-so coffee at home. As you may recall, I track three numbers: number of positive (i.e. sick) tests; % positive tests; and COVID detected in wastewater. A couple of weeks ago, the COVID-in-wastewater number zoomed up sharply. It was so sharp, I assumed it was just a momentary blip (wastewater numbers are noisy), but it stuck around. The last time I blogged about these numbers, it was because all three were at "pretty safe" levels. This time, I'm blogging to note that they're not all pretty-safe. I'll still go out for coffee,* though. The COVID-in-wastewater isn't super high, and the PCR test levels are still low.
I dunno why the COVID-in-wastewater went up so much. I just saw an article about how recent improvements at the Southeast Treatment Plant helped it smell better https://missionlocal.org/2026/02/sf-bayview-foul-odo-fading/ , I thought maybe someone moved a sensor after they re-opened that part of the plant. But now that I double-check, I see that work happened a few months ago. So, uh, 🤷
*Joke's on me: The new Peet's corporate closed my local shop. I guess I'll make my own coffee at home after all.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
The Storybook House at Masonic Ave/Upper Terrace has their Valentine's Day decorations up. One word: 💕♥️ Hearts! 💖💗
The place across the street also has decorations up. More than one word, I guess.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
The char picker (that little app you run if you want to enter an accented character or an emoji and you don't have the keyboard shortcut memorized) built into my desktop machine's OS was clunky enough such that I thought "I bet I can make a web page that works better than this." I succeeded, uh, at least for someone with my work patterns or whatever. Behold the 🐭 CARpHick handy char-picker page and be amazed at the ease with which you can copy an em dash to your clipboard so you can paste it into that blog post you're writing—and thusly convince internet pundits that you're an AI(?). https://lahosken.san-francisco.ca.us/frivolity/carphick/
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
@BOOKHOUSE@mas.to Bragging rights, maybe? If you're pretty sure they're on some social network you're also on, you could write a post that says @ so-and-so is clever and solved the such-and such puzzle!
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.
Larry "LAHosken" Hosken. He lives in #SanFrancisco. He writes code. He encodes and decodes. He likes wordplay and puzzlehunts. He loves everybody. Toots computer programming nerdouts, photos of San Francisco, wordplay observations, puzzlehunt enthusiasm, and sundry miscellany.