@madbodger.bsky.social
I enjoy books, making things, cats, silliness, weird electronics, and vacuum tubes. I'm some flavor of queer, but I'm never quite sure exactly what.
Managed to find a good deal for a used M4 Mini with 24GB RAM, promptly opened it up to replace the 256GB SSD with a 2TB one. Surgery was a success.
October 18, 2025 at 1:54 AM
Managed to find a good deal for a used M4 Mini with 24GB RAM, promptly opened it up to replace the 256GB SSD with a 2TB one. Surgery was a success.
If shipping is halted from Denmark to the US, how are we getting new Lego sets?
September 24, 2025 at 1:12 PM
If shipping is halted from Denmark to the US, how are we getting new Lego sets?
Our landline gets a loud hum when it rains. Verizon had no techs that day, and the next day rescheduled again. Now it's dry and the issue isn't apparent. A tech finally came out, and their stupid bot asked me if the issue is fixed. I replied "I'll find out when it rains." "Answer YES or NO."
September 21, 2025 at 2:24 AM
Our landline gets a loud hum when it rains. Verizon had no techs that day, and the next day rescheduled again. Now it's dry and the issue isn't apparent. A tech finally came out, and their stupid bot asked me if the issue is fixed. I replied "I'll find out when it rains." "Answer YES or NO."
I got another of those spam emails saying I have to "re-authenticate" and redirecting to a web site trying to collect my bitcoin recovery phrase. So I wrote a quick program to generate recovery phrases and spam their endpoint. This hopefully will get them banned.
September 20, 2025 at 2:01 AM
I got another of those spam emails saying I have to "re-authenticate" and redirecting to a web site trying to collect my bitcoin recovery phrase. So I wrote a quick program to generate recovery phrases and spam their endpoint. This hopefully will get them banned.
Got a call from scammers claiming they were Publishers Clearinghouse and I had won a large prize. The timing is ironic, as Publishers Clearinghouse recently folded, leaving winners expecting $1000 a week for life for life suddenly not getting the money they were promised.
September 9, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Got a call from scammers claiming they were Publishers Clearinghouse and I had won a large prize. The timing is ironic, as Publishers Clearinghouse recently folded, leaving winners expecting $1000 a week for life for life suddenly not getting the money they were promised.
Let me get this straight, it's "overstock", but also "limited stocks"? Limited overstock, maybe?
September 9, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Let me get this straight, it's "overstock", but also "limited stocks"? Limited overstock, maybe?
Leaving aside the cognitive dissonance of "manor", "wedding", and "barn", I suspect @bcdreyer.social would roll his eyes at the use of "flare" for "flair" (although road flares would make an amusing wedding accoutrement), I'm unsure what to make of "OL".
September 4, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Leaving aside the cognitive dissonance of "manor", "wedding", and "barn", I suspect @bcdreyer.social would roll his eyes at the use of "flare" for "flair" (although road flares would make an amusing wedding accoutrement), I'm unsure what to make of "OL".
Saw this Halloween "novelty toy" at Wal*Mart. Unsure quite what to make of it. It includes some bright green powder and some plastic spiders in various colors. How do you play with this?
September 4, 2025 at 1:22 AM
Saw this Halloween "novelty toy" at Wal*Mart. Unsure quite what to make of it. It includes some bright green powder and some plastic spiders in various colors. How do you play with this?
Apparently a bully was giving someone crap online, but they're both smart and a musician, and had the admirable dual response of a) blocking them, and b) writing and performing a banger song advising the rest of us to do the same. Maple's Pet Dinosaur's good advice: "Block 'em like a Lego!"
August 26, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Apparently a bully was giving someone crap online, but they're both smart and a musician, and had the admirable dual response of a) blocking them, and b) writing and performing a banger song advising the rest of us to do the same. Maple's Pet Dinosaur's good advice: "Block 'em like a Lego!"
If following the plot of your oh-so-artistic show involves accurately keeping track of a bunch of similar looking people who keep changing their names — and faces — along with non-linear storytelling, I'm gonna have a confusing time.
August 22, 2025 at 3:16 PM
If following the plot of your oh-so-artistic show involves accurately keeping track of a bunch of similar looking people who keep changing their names — and faces — along with non-linear storytelling, I'm gonna have a confusing time.
I ordered something from several states away, but it seems to be traveling by Zeno's delivery service. The first day, it went 859 miles, then 259, then 221. Now it's 32 miles away. Maybe it'll arrive tomorrow?
August 22, 2025 at 12:52 AM
I ordered something from several states away, but it seems to be traveling by Zeno's delivery service. The first day, it went 859 miles, then 259, then 221. Now it's 32 miles away. Maybe it'll arrive tomorrow?
Just tripped over this juxtaposition of a couple of posts from 2014, including a still-trenchant cover photo by @ninjacooter.bsky.social
August 19, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Just tripped over this juxtaposition of a couple of posts from 2014, including a still-trenchant cover photo by @ninjacooter.bsky.social
If you could get a crib in any five cities (five cribs) of your choice in the world, which would you choose?
• Reykjavik, Iceland
• London, UK
• NYC, USA
• Seattle, USA
• Oahu, USA
• Reykjavik, Iceland
• London, UK
• NYC, USA
• Seattle, USA
• Oahu, USA
If you could get a crib in any five cities (five cribs) of your choice in the world, which would you choose?
• NYC
• Chicago
• London
• Venice, Italy
• Paris
• NYC
• Chicago
• London
• Venice, Italy
• Paris
If you could get a crib in any five cities (five cribs) of your choice in the world, which would you choose?
Me: NYC, London, Florence, Hong Kong, Auckland
Me: NYC, London, Florence, Hong Kong, Auckland
August 14, 2025 at 10:48 AM
If you could get a crib in any five cities (five cribs) of your choice in the world, which would you choose?
• Reykjavik, Iceland
• London, UK
• NYC, USA
• Seattle, USA
• Oahu, USA
• Reykjavik, Iceland
• London, UK
• NYC, USA
• Seattle, USA
• Oahu, USA
A beautiful example of "It does exactly what it says on the tin": Horror, Aliens.
August 13, 2025 at 10:58 PM
A beautiful example of "It does exactly what it says on the tin": Horror, Aliens.
While I have mixed feelings about Fusion 360, I must admit the "sheet metal" mode is useful. I'm using it to design a replica of a 1970s era radio control transmitter. I had it laser cut and did the bends on a table top sheet metal brake.
August 13, 2025 at 2:34 AM
While I have mixed feelings about Fusion 360, I must admit the "sheet metal" mode is useful. I'm using it to design a replica of a 1970s era radio control transmitter. I had it laser cut and did the bends on a table top sheet metal brake.
Just rewatched the Barbie movie. Oof, that hit hard. Like BarbieLand, we could have had a black woman president, a Constitution, and a working society. Instead a bunch of goobers showed up and made a mess and they just got away with it.
August 11, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Just rewatched the Barbie movie. Oof, that hit hard. Like BarbieLand, we could have had a black woman president, a Constitution, and a working society. Instead a bunch of goobers showed up and made a mess and they just got away with it.
Last time we flew Frontier was a few years ago, and it was a good experience. This time around, it was wretched. Multi-hour delay attributed to "a galley item", "waiting on an arriving flight", and "mechanical". Getting home was also delayed and signs showed "DEPARTED" when it hadn't arrived.
August 10, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Last time we flew Frontier was a few years ago, and it was a good experience. This time around, it was wretched. Multi-hour delay attributed to "a galley item", "waiting on an arriving flight", and "mechanical". Getting home was also delayed and signs showed "DEPARTED" when it hadn't arrived.
These crows seemed to be calling the corners. In actuality, they were eating crumbs from a fallen bag of something. Eventually one of them grabbed the bag and flew with it up to the stop of a streelight, where they reconvened to eat it away from groundbound bypassers.
August 9, 2025 at 6:26 PM
These crows seemed to be calling the corners. In actuality, they were eating crumbs from a fallen bag of something. Eventually one of them grabbed the bag and flew with it up to the stop of a streelight, where they reconvened to eat it away from groundbound bypassers.
I get emails from AdaFruit with helpful electronics hints, but the latest one doesn't seem like the best advice:
"Stick a large paper clip into the screw terminals of your desktop power supply. Now you can use multiple alligator clips off of a single terminal by connecting them to the paper clip!"
"Stick a large paper clip into the screw terminals of your desktop power supply. Now you can use multiple alligator clips off of a single terminal by connecting them to the paper clip!"
August 7, 2025 at 1:37 AM
I get emails from AdaFruit with helpful electronics hints, but the latest one doesn't seem like the best advice:
"Stick a large paper clip into the screw terminals of your desktop power supply. Now you can use multiple alligator clips off of a single terminal by connecting them to the paper clip!"
"Stick a large paper clip into the screw terminals of your desktop power supply. Now you can use multiple alligator clips off of a single terminal by connecting them to the paper clip!"
Getting these fundraising emails saying "raise $1,273 before MIDNIGHT". That's oddly specific. Where do they get this figure? And talk about a 500% match, limited time only. Matches are rarely real, and twice with the urgency. And the "nobody is donating!" whine. I wonder why...
July 27, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Getting these fundraising emails saying "raise $1,273 before MIDNIGHT". That's oddly specific. Where do they get this figure? And talk about a 500% match, limited time only. Matches are rarely real, and twice with the urgency. And the "nobody is donating!" whine. I wonder why...
Years ago, I mocked this dinosaur sculpture at a theme park for having a navel, as dinosaurs were generally oviparous. But recently I learned that some birds have an umbilicus from where they were connected to the yolk in the egg. So perhaps my mockery was uncalled for.
July 27, 2025 at 1:53 AM
Years ago, I mocked this dinosaur sculpture at a theme park for having a navel, as dinosaurs were generally oviparous. But recently I learned that some birds have an umbilicus from where they were connected to the yolk in the egg. So perhaps my mockery was uncalled for.
After the mechanic failed to fix my engine and I built my own test gear to find out the problem, I obtained the replacement part with this curious pictogram. I think the implication is "for mechanics only, not ordinary people", but I'm gonna cheerfully proceed to install it myself.
July 25, 2025 at 2:56 PM
After the mechanic failed to fix my engine and I built my own test gear to find out the problem, I obtained the replacement part with this curious pictogram. I think the implication is "for mechanics only, not ordinary people", but I'm gonna cheerfully proceed to install it myself.
My car started acting up, occasionally shuddering and losing power. I took it to the shop, where they cleaned the MAF sensor, but that didn't fix it. It seemed like an ignition problem but I don't have a tester, so I built an inductive probe. Sure enough, one of the coils has a bad waveform.
July 24, 2025 at 7:22 PM
My car started acting up, occasionally shuddering and losing power. I took it to the shop, where they cleaned the MAF sensor, but that didn't fix it. It seemed like an ignition problem but I don't have a tester, so I built an inductive probe. Sure enough, one of the coils has a bad waveform.
Still debugging this software driven bus cycle system. The problem is that sometimes chip select (CS) isn't asserted (it should be asserted every time OE is). Looking at the assembly , the compiler sometimes uses tst/bne for bit tests, but sometimes lsls/bmi for some reason.
July 24, 2025 at 1:47 AM
Still debugging this software driven bus cycle system. The problem is that sometimes chip select (CS) isn't asserted (it should be asserted every time OE is). Looking at the assembly , the compiler sometimes uses tst/bne for bit tests, but sometimes lsls/bmi for some reason.