> Which finally gets to my point: What are the allergic affects of the tree, its raw sap, the liquid lacquer, and maybe for hypersenstive/reactive urushiol allergies, the finished lacquer?

The Wood Database can be a useful practical site for this sort of thing. I found [0], a page for a different wood which is said to contain the same allergen:

> The sap contains urushiol (the same allergen found in Poison Ivy), and can still be irritating to some sensitized individuals even after the wood has been dried, and sap can also seep through some wood finishes to the surface of the wood.

Same as poison ivy? Count me out if true: I react badly.

[0] https://www.wood-database.com/rengas/

The Wood Database? Thank you for once again reminding me how incredible the Information Highway once was, and could be.

I lament our detour onto the Commercial Highway.

It's still out there! It only _seems_ distant.

Alin (OP), what a wonderful article. I've had the same problem and had given up experimenting for similar reasons to you. I'm now thinking to finish the cup I've half carved and have sitting on the shelf in the shed. Thanks!

Your shop looks great too. Others might enjoy folowing the link buried towards the bottom of the article.

Thank you for the kind words! Do try to finish your cup, it's a great experience both to drink from something made by your hands, and to drink from a wooden cup if it's finished well.

Make sure you do water popping after finishing the carving and sanding process. It's what makes the difference between wood that catches your lips and wood that feels like ceramic. The process is simple: sand with 600 or 400 grit, whichever you have, then get all the wood wet with water (faucet is fine), let dry completely (hairdryer helps), sand again with 600/400 grit and repeat about 3 times until wetting the wood no longer makes it feel rough.

Great advice thanks, and a new technique to learn too. When making walking sticks I usually go to 1200 grit, or 2500 where finish is really important. Finishing is my favourite part of the job, similar to your point about epoxy (why would you want to interface with a layer of plastic?)

This is fairly highly accurate (from a skim read, close to but not quite 100%). The article describes fooling ChatGPT with a caeser cipher, but not a full test of the obfuscation in-practice.

From the article:

> Nearly half of all phone numbers that appeared in the 2021 Facebook data leak of 500 million phone numbers (caused by a scraping incident in 2018) were still active on WhatsApp. This highlights the enduring risks for leaked numbers (e.g., being targeted in scam calls) associated with such exposures.

Fascinating to me as this seems to imply that a phone number has a half-life of about 4-5 years (unless the fact of the leak persuaded a significant number of people to change their number, which I suppose is unlikely?)

I was always amazed when discussing with Americans who have kept their phone numbers since they were kids, there was a time I would change phone number every year

Keeping the same number is more convenient for the people that you do want calling you.

I imagine that for some, it also contributes to a sense of identity, much the same way that a mailing address might.

I imagine that in this modern world people have kept emails longer than phone numbers or physical mailing addresses

I'm one of those, as far as I can tell, I've had the same cellphone number since at least college, possibly high school.

Where do you live, and why do cell phone numbers cycle so quickly?

A mix of moving abroad a lot, but also change of phone provider (often moved provider because they were cheaper, and didn't manage to keep my number). I also never really made an effort to keep the same phone number as most people used email, then facebook, then other online apps (whatsapp, instagram, etc.) and I rarely used my phone number for anything long-term relationship

Because it doesn't matter. Or it didn't in the past, now it's a security nightmare to not have your number anymore and risk someone else having it before you changed it everywhere.

Now that lots of services require you to have a phone/use a phone number to login changing numbers could potentially mean losing access to services/accounts you use. (I also hate this)

Swapping my phone number every year in the US would be an annoying as hell. Tons of services use phone number as 2FA or a backup recovery. (Including a lot of banks) I use SMS with some people and that would cut contact with them. Same direction if they changed numbers.

using a phone number as 2FA is generally bad practice but yeah I see what you mean. For anything else I think using whatsapp makes more sense

Yeah, I've had the same number since about 2001. It's nice as I've moved since then so any number that calls from my area code is definitely spam, although that's not really an issue now that my phone doesn't ring for unknown numbers.

Changing phone numbers is like changing email. You risk losing access to some services/friends.

I haven't had any friend use my phone number to reach me out since like 2008?

I'm 38 and have the same number I had since 1999.

> " This was my first ever project in Python, and in many ways, the start of my life as a programmer. The domino effect here is a little mind-boggling for me."

I can certainly relate to this. I started scripting for very obtuse reasons, and quickly started seeing things everywhere which I could apply a little code to and improve my life.

Is it possible you mean 'readings' from the monitor rather than 'lectures'?

If so that would be a very easy translation error to make. ('Readings' and 'lectures' can be synonyms, in the sense of someone knowledgable reading something out loud.) But it could just be me misunderstanding: sorry, if so.

"Let 'em whine until ninth" just didn't have the same ring to it.

I'd be more sympathetic to this response if the article didn't begin with:

> Yeah, you read the headline right. Ford has patented a system...

The fact is that it is not protected by a patent. That said, the fact that they are _trying_ to and investing in their attempts is indeed worth attention, as it indicates they think it's a good idea. Just without the sloppy reporting.

This comment was really helpful, and addressed many of my instinctive reactions too.