Michael Pusateri
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Michael Pusateri
@cruftbox.com
550 followers 170 following 3K posts
Evil Corporate Exec
Former Metaverse Warlord
Cycling/Beekeeping/Gaming
Smoking Meats/Reading/Tinkering
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The cycle of protest
A screenshot showing the cycle of ride-hailing service protests over time. At the top is an ABC7 New York news article from July 23, 2015, with the headline 'Taxi drivers protest halt of Uber cap in New York City; Governor Andrew Cuomo says service will go state-wide.' Below are two more recent protest images: the first shows protesters on a street with a banner reading 'WAYMO STALLS SAFETY FALLS' with the headline 'Lyft and Uber drivers protest Waymo robotaxis as California considers further regulations.' The second image shows protesters in safety vests holding a sign reading 'WAYMO FIRST! NO TELEPORTERS!' with the headline 'WAYMO PROTESTS TELEPORTER Use as City Considers NEW TRANSIT FUTURE.' The sequence illustrates how transportation workers initially protested against ride-hailing services like Uber, then those same ride-hailing drivers protested against autonomous vehicles, with a satirical future scenario where autonomous vehicle operators protest against teleportation technology.
January 10, 2026 at 12:30 AM
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Claude is quite excited as I learn to use my new UBC cable tester.
This is a photograph of a USB cable testing circuit board placed on a blue and white patterned fabric surface. The transparent acrylic-encased PCB is labeled "USB Cable Checker" and features two rows of illuminated orange/amber LEDs running vertically down the center, creating a striking visual display. The board is designed to test USB cable connectivity and capabilities. The board appears to be actively powered and testing a cable, as evidenced by all LEDs being illuminated in orange, indicating full connectivity across all USB-C SuperSpeed pairs, USB 2.0 data lines, power delivery, and configuration channels. This is a screenshot of a Claude AI chat conversation on a mobile phone, taken at 10:21 AM. The interface shows Claude Sonnet 4.5 is being used (indicated in the header dropdown). The conversation displays Claude explaining the technical specifications of a USB-C cable. The text content reads: The Big Difference "This cable has ALL FOUR SuperSpeed pairs!" Followed by a bulleted list with checkmarks: TX1+/- ✓ TX2+/- ✓ RX1+/- ✓ RX2+/- ✓ Plus you've got: Both CC channels (CC1 and CC2) Both SBU channels (SBU1 and SBU2) USB 2.0 data lines Power delivery What This Means "This is a full-featured USB 3.x/USB-C cable! This cable can:" (text appears to continue beyond the visible portion) At the bottom is a text input field with "Reply to Claude" placeholder text, along with standard mobile interface elements including a plus button, clock icon, microphone icon, and voice input button. The phone shows full cellular signal, WiFi connection, and 97% battery charge. Notifications are silenced (indicated by the bell icon with a slash).
January 8, 2026 at 6:37 PM
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Life with an improv quilter.
A white fabric banner with quilted black and white geometric shapes and lines is hung in a room with wooden bookshelves filled with books and various decorative objects.
January 8, 2026 at 6:31 PM
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January 7, 2026 at 4:12 AM
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Adventures in beekeeping:

Checked in on the Blue Hive that I combined before Christmas and saw fresh larva today.

This is a great sign to see the new queen accepted.
Three honeybees crawl across a hexagonal honeycomb structure with dark cells, containing white bee larva.
January 6, 2026 at 11:23 PM
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The announcement of Office becoming "Microsoft 365 Copilot app" is peak Redmond reality distortion field stuff.
Screenshot of the Copilot interface titled “Opening Microsoft Word.” The interface has a dark header with the title and an “Invite” button. Below, the conversation begins with Copilot greeting the user by name: “Hello there, Michael!” The user then inputs two commands: “Launch Word.” and “Launch Excel.” Copilot responds to each by explaining it cannot directly open applications on the user’s device. For Word, it says: “Just to clarify, I can't actually open apps on your device directly. If you need any help with using Word, feel free to ask.” For Excel, it adds a more conversational reply: “You know, Michael, I'd love to be that hands-free voice assistant that just pops open Excel for you, but I'm not quite there yet. My job is more about giving you the tips and tricks once you're in the app. So go ahead and open it up, and let me know what you're working on today.” The interface includes two buttons labeled “Launch Word.” and “Launch Excel.” but they are not functional within the assistant’s capabilities.
January 5, 2026 at 11:06 PM
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A three-panel comic strip from a Captain America story showing a heated argument between Captain America and a bearded man in green military fatigues with a cap. In the first panel, the man gestures at documents on a desk while Captain America stands nearby, saying "NOT AGAIN!" and "THIS AIN'T NO LIE." The man responds "WE BROKE INTERNATIONAL LAW INVADING PANAMA!" and "NOW WE'RE BREAKING THE LAW, AGAIN WITH THIS FABRICATED 'DRUG WAR'!" with additional text reading "WHY CAN'T WE LEAVE LATIN AMERICA ALONE?!" and "HAVEN'T WE EXPLOITED THEM LONG ENOUGH?!" In the second panel, Captain America is shown in close-up with the bearded man, asking "WHY CAN'T MY COUNTRY STAND FOR SOMETHING RIGHT FOR A CHANGE?! THIS SO-CALLED 'WAR ON DRUGS' INFLATES THE MILITARY DEFENSE BUDGET, ERODES CIVIL LIBERTIES..." In the third panel, another man in green fatigues appears in the background shouting "HEY!" while the bearded man responds to Captain America with "WE'RE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF EVERY WAR!"
January 5, 2026 at 4:15 PM
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Screenshot of text explaining Microsoft's Copilot fragmentation problem. The heading asks "Why would Microsoft release multiple Copilot versions that are not hands-free and feature crippled? All Copilot seems to do it create AI slop." The response explains that this wasn't a master plan but rather the collision of three different product groups each building their own "Copilot": Microsoft 365 Copilot (built by Office team), Windows Copilot/Copilot in Windows (built by Windows team), and Copilot standalone app (built by Bing/AI Experiences team). Each team shipped their version independently with their own timelines and priorities, without a unified "single assistant" vision, resulting in overlapping icons, inconsistent capabilities, and no hands-free mode that works across the OS. The text concludes that this fragmentation frustrates users who value clarity, integration, and actual productivity over branding chaos.
January 4, 2026 at 6:14 PM
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Copilot is utterly useless.

Microsoft should be ashamed.
A Copilot chat conversation showing a user greeting "Michael" and requesting to open the Downloads folder, with Copilot explaining they cannot directly access folders and suggesting the user navigate there manually using File Explorer.
January 4, 2026 at 6:01 PM
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Someone made someone else quite angry
A dark-colored Mercedes-Benz coupe parked on a residential street with white paint dripping down its sides and roof, appearing to be vandalized, with a gray sedan visible in the background. A black Mercedes-Benz sedan with white paint dripping down its sides is parked on a street, with landscaping and buildings visible in the background.
January 2, 2026 at 6:51 PM
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Three TV screens displaying scenes from the movie One Battle After Another, with subtitles visible including "QST, QST, QST", "Billy Goat is in the wind" and "Repeat, plan Snap, Crackle, Pop" - the top two screens show a person in what looks like a kitchen or laboratory setting, while the bottom screen shows a blue-tinted outdoor scene.
January 1, 2026 at 9:31 PM
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January 1, 2026 at 4:44 PM
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This photo is giving Bioshock
Three people stand on stairs beneath an ornate arched entrance marked "CITY HALL," with one person in the center with his hand in the air while flanked by two others in coats. The center person is Zohran Mamdani being sworn-in as the 112th Mayor of New York City. The person to the right is Rama Duwaji, his wife. The person on the left is New York Attorney General Letitia James.
January 1, 2026 at 5:40 AM
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My catchphrase for 2026 is:
"I'll proceed accordingly while you go fuck yourselves."
A social media post with white text on a dark background discussing free speech, satire protections, and trademark law. This appears to be a response to a legal threat or cease-and-desist letter regarding domain names related to the Kennedy Center, with the author asserting their First Amendment rights to create parody or critical content. Full text: Re: Kennedy Center .org/.com Domains Noted. Satire is protected speech. Confusion is a legal requirement, not a feeling. Political parody is not infringement. Criticism is not cybersquatting, and trademark law isn't a panic button for institutions that don't like being laughed at. I'll proceed accordingly while you go fuck yourselves. Dog Bless 🐶🙏
December 31, 2025 at 7:30 PM
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Adventures in beekeeping:

Checked in on the Blue Hive that I combined last week. They easily worked through the paper. I think I saw fresh eggs, but with the cloudy sky and my old eyes it was hard to be sure. Ladies of the bottom hive have definitely moved up to reinforce the bees from the nuc.
Weathered newspaper pages laid over wooden beehive frames outdoors, with bees crawling, having chewed through the newspaper. The frames show wear and propolis staining, and garden foliage is visible in the background.
December 30, 2025 at 6:25 PM
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My new dual watch winder. A Christmas gift from Michele.
December 28, 2025 at 5:04 PM
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I needed a USB wall charger and went to my charger drawer to get one.

This is the collection I have gathered over the years. How about you?
Collection of fourteen USB charging adapters arranged in two rows on a blue tie-dye patterned fabric. The top row features seven travel adapters with folding prongs in white and black colors. The bottom row displays seven wall chargers with fixed North American-style prongs, mostly in white with one darker adapter on the right. Various brands are visible including Anker. The adapters show different USB port configurations including single USB-A and USB-C ports.
December 28, 2025 at 5:00 PM
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America loves to celebrate sports with ritualized suicide.
December 28, 2025 at 1:57 AM
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Michele made tiny ornaments from felt balls for our tiny Christmas tree.
A small decorated Christmas tree with white string lights sits on a table against a bright window. The tree features vintage-style ornaments including illuminated plastic starburst toppers in red, orange, and green, sequined ball ornaments in pink and multicolored patterns, small mercury glass baubles, and cream-colored felt ornaments with embossed designs. Ribbons in cream and red hang from various branches. The natural daylight from the window backlights the colorful transparent ornaments, making them glow.
December 25, 2025 at 7:10 PM
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Merry Christmas to you all.
December 25, 2025 at 4:06 PM
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Nothings warms my heart more than seeing the traditional Hanukkah Dog!
Inflatable lawn decoration of a dachshund dog wearing a blue yarmulke and blue sweater that reads ‘Happy Hanukkah’ with Stars of David. The dog has an inflatable menorah with colorful candles mounted on its back. The decoration is positioned on a front lawn with green bushes and a house porch visible in the background.
December 20, 2025 at 6:10 PM
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Cleaning another graffiti tag
December 19, 2025 at 10:57 PM
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Murder fog morning
Moody fog-shrouded trail through wooded area with utility poles and power lines, dirt path flanked by green grass and trees disappearing into heavy mist​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
December 17, 2025 at 3:29 PM
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A humorous diagram showing two circles of vastly different sizes. The large coral-colored circle is labeled 'How much CEOs think people want AI in everything' while a tiny blue circle to the right is labeled 'How much people want AI in everything', illustrating the significant gap between corporate enthusiasm for AI integration and actual consumer demand.
December 17, 2025 at 4:58 AM
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Cleaning a graffiti tag
December 14, 2025 at 10:46 PM