The Dan
@danbeeston.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Make mistakes. Keep the good ones. Repeat.
Currently between creative projects, but oh, what wonderful projects they have been and will be.
Web Dev
🌉 bridged from ⁂ https://mastodon.social/@danbeeston, follow @ap.brid.gy to interact
Currently between creative projects, but oh, what wonderful projects they have been and will be.
Web Dev
🌉 bridged from ⁂ https://mastodon.social/@danbeeston, follow @ap.brid.gy to interact
The problem with paying someone to assassinate a political leader is that then there is a fiscal incentive to breed political leaders.
January 16, 2026 at 12:05 AM
The problem with paying someone to assassinate a political leader is that then there is a fiscal incentive to breed political leaders.
*"There was a scream from the bedroom as the number of machine guns present rose above zero. Dave lay down in the carpet and put his hands on his head. With his face pressed into the synthetic threads he noticed, possibly for the first time in his life, that perhaps he should do the vacuuming."* […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
January 14, 2026 at 10:41 PM
*"There was a scream from the bedroom as the number of machine guns present rose above zero. Dave lay down in the carpet and put his hands on his head. With his face pressed into the synthetic threads he noticed, possibly for the first time in his life, that perhaps he should do the vacuuming."* […]
Scott Adams passed away and I revisited my post about him.
*I still like to follow Scott Adams. He gave me the tools to analyse my own biases and, in doing so, to analyse his.*
https://invisiblespiders.com/post/my-relationship-with-scott-adams
*I still like to follow Scott Adams. He gave me the tools to analyse my own biases and, in doing so, to analyse his.*
https://invisiblespiders.com/post/my-relationship-with-scott-adams
Dan Beeston is Brushing Off Invisible Spiders
When I was a kid I loved cartoon strips. Garfield, BC, Peanuts, Calvin and Hobbes. They were one of my favourite things and eventually I managed to write a handful of my own (to varying degrees of success). In there...
invisiblespiders.com
January 13, 2026 at 8:57 PM
Scott Adams passed away and I revisited my post about him.
*I still like to follow Scott Adams. He gave me the tools to analyse my own biases and, in doing so, to analyse his.*
https://invisiblespiders.com/post/my-relationship-with-scott-adams
*I still like to follow Scott Adams. He gave me the tools to analyse my own biases and, in doing so, to analyse his.*
https://invisiblespiders.com/post/my-relationship-with-scott-adams
I keep my friends close and my enemies closer.
Everyone really close.
Just a real rat-king of a social circle.
Everyone really close.
Just a real rat-king of a social circle.
January 11, 2026 at 9:26 AM
I keep my friends close and my enemies closer.
Everyone really close.
Just a real rat-king of a social circle.
Everyone really close.
Just a real rat-king of a social circle.
Here is a terrible thing that has nothing to do with you, happening on the other side of the world.
I feel awful. It spurs me to do something.
You can't do anything.
This feels bad. I'm going to keep scrolling and try not to think about it.
HERE IT IS AGAIN!!!
I feel awful. It spurs me to do something.
You can't do anything.
This feels bad. I'm going to keep scrolling and try not to think about it.
HERE IT IS AGAIN!!!
January 8, 2026 at 9:29 PM
Here is a terrible thing that has nothing to do with you, happening on the other side of the world.
I feel awful. It spurs me to do something.
You can't do anything.
This feels bad. I'm going to keep scrolling and try not to think about it.
HERE IT IS AGAIN!!!
I feel awful. It spurs me to do something.
You can't do anything.
This feels bad. I'm going to keep scrolling and try not to think about it.
HERE IT IS AGAIN!!!
Fifteen years. Approximately 150 waking days of my life. I have posted the final episode of my science and comedy podcast. Music, website, illustration, voice, singing, performing, cartooning, recording, editing. All my skills. What an accomplishment. https://smartenough.org/episode/230
Smart Enough to Know Better
A podcast of Science, Comedy and Ignorance.
smartenough.org
January 5, 2026 at 10:25 PM
Fifteen years. Approximately 150 waking days of my life. I have posted the final episode of my science and comedy podcast. Music, website, illustration, voice, singing, performing, cartooning, recording, editing. All my skills. What an accomplishment. https://smartenough.org/episode/230
Reposted by The Dan
'Ask for forgiveness rather than permission'
-- Ancient Earth proverb inscribed upon the monolith.
-- Ancient Earth proverb inscribed upon the monolith.
January 4, 2026 at 1:12 AM
'Ask for forgiveness rather than permission'
-- Ancient Earth proverb inscribed upon the monolith.
-- Ancient Earth proverb inscribed upon the monolith.
When people say "The world is my oyster" do they mean that they spend a great deal of their energy dealing with irritation?
January 2, 2026 at 11:57 PM
When people say "The world is my oyster" do they mean that they spend a great deal of their energy dealing with irritation?
Six, Seven!
- It's January
Oh damnit!... Six, eight!
- It's January
Oh damnit!... Six, eight!
January 1, 2026 at 10:39 PM
Six, Seven!
- It's January
Oh damnit!... Six, eight!
- It's January
Oh damnit!... Six, eight!
So a question mark ? mixed with an exclamation point ! is an interrobang ‽
So if a Hash # was mixed with an ampersand & Does that make the resulting character a 'Pound Sand'?
So if a Hash # was mixed with an ampersand & Does that make the resulting character a 'Pound Sand'?
January 1, 2026 at 1:06 AM
So a question mark ? mixed with an exclamation point ! is an interrobang ‽
So if a Hash # was mixed with an ampersand & Does that make the resulting character a 'Pound Sand'?
So if a Hash # was mixed with an ampersand & Does that make the resulting character a 'Pound Sand'?
Last night at a party we discussed what is the better legacy?
- To have a giant foot statue in the desert implying a great statue fallen into disrepair leaving only the foot or
- a giant foot statue implying you had amazing feet and competent statue builders.
- To have a giant foot statue in the desert implying a great statue fallen into disrepair leaving only the foot or
- a giant foot statue implying you had amazing feet and competent statue builders.
December 30, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Last night at a party we discussed what is the better legacy?
- To have a giant foot statue in the desert implying a great statue fallen into disrepair leaving only the foot or
- a giant foot statue implying you had amazing feet and competent statue builders.
- To have a giant foot statue in the desert implying a great statue fallen into disrepair leaving only the foot or
- a giant foot statue implying you had amazing feet and competent statue builders.
As someone who has spent their career fretting over every byte downloaded to a webpage and making it as efficient as possible, learning how LLMs work and how inefficient they are is maddening. No wonder they need 90% of the world's memory sticks. Pure idiocy.
December 30, 2025 at 9:28 PM
As someone who has spent their career fretting over every byte downloaded to a webpage and making it as efficient as possible, learning how LLMs work and how inefficient they are is maddening. No wonder they need 90% of the world's memory sticks. Pure idiocy.
Reposted by The Dan
December 30, 2025 at 1:02 AM
"Why are the vehicle animations in Riven VR turned off by default? That's dumb."
-- One nauseating 45 second lone mine-cart/rollercoaster trip later --
"Oh."
-- One nauseating 45 second lone mine-cart/rollercoaster trip later --
"Oh."
December 28, 2025 at 12:39 AM
"Why are the vehicle animations in Riven VR turned off by default? That's dumb."
-- One nauseating 45 second lone mine-cart/rollercoaster trip later --
"Oh."
-- One nauseating 45 second lone mine-cart/rollercoaster trip later --
"Oh."
People make fun of the person who named her daughter ‘Ampersand’ but you could just call her Andie for short.
December 26, 2025 at 11:33 AM
People make fun of the person who named her daughter ‘Ampersand’ but you could just call her Andie for short.
@spencerhowson I heard that my interview was going on air this morning. How very thrilling. Thanks :)
December 26, 2025 at 2:08 AM
@spencerhowson I heard that my interview was going on air this morning. How very thrilling. Thanks :)
I've had it with living my best life! I'm going to go live someone else's best life.
-- LATER --
It was... not great.
-- LATER --
It was... not great.
December 24, 2025 at 10:10 PM
I've had it with living my best life! I'm going to go live someone else's best life.
-- LATER --
It was... not great.
-- LATER --
It was... not great.
It's been a hell of a long time since I made these for my friends for Christmas.
December 18, 2025 at 7:39 AM
It's been a hell of a long time since I made these for my friends for Christmas.
You know from one perspective everyone is "from" the future.
December 17, 2025 at 6:06 AM
You know from one perspective everyone is "from" the future.
One nice thing about having my own podcast is I can get someone to interview me about my new book.
https://smartenough.org/episode/229.5
I talk about my novel 'Everything you ever wanted' with Spencer Howson.
https://smartenough.org/episode/229.5
I talk about my novel 'Everything you ever wanted' with Spencer Howson.
Smart Enough to Know Better
A podcast of Science, Comedy and Ignorance.
smartenough.org
December 17, 2025 at 5:03 AM
One nice thing about having my own podcast is I can get someone to interview me about my new book.
https://smartenough.org/episode/229.5
I talk about my novel 'Everything you ever wanted' with Spencer Howson.
https://smartenough.org/episode/229.5
I talk about my novel 'Everything you ever wanted' with Spencer Howson.
Aw! My friend gave me a review on Goodreads.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/242796966-everything-you-ever-wanted?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=XWXBQDGo0W&rank=1
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/242796966-everything-you-ever-wanted?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=XWXBQDGo0W&rank=1
Everything you ever wanted
Discover and share books you love on Goodreads.
www.goodreads.com
December 15, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Aw! My friend gave me a review on Goodreads.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/242796966-everything-you-ever-wanted?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=XWXBQDGo0W&rank=1
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/242796966-everything-you-ever-wanted?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=XWXBQDGo0W&rank=1
Hands-free rock-climbing? I'm not sure where I stand on that.
December 14, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Hands-free rock-climbing? I'm not sure where I stand on that.
Ripley: Get away from her YOU BITCH!!
Alien queen: Hey! I'm a proud mother trying to do what's right by my kids and you'd use that gendered insult?
SPACE NEWSPAPER HEADLINE: *Ripley cancelled!*
Alien queen: Hey! I'm a proud mother trying to do what's right by my kids and you'd use that gendered insult?
SPACE NEWSPAPER HEADLINE: *Ripley cancelled!*
December 13, 2025 at 2:40 AM
Ripley: Get away from her YOU BITCH!!
Alien queen: Hey! I'm a proud mother trying to do what's right by my kids and you'd use that gendered insult?
SPACE NEWSPAPER HEADLINE: *Ripley cancelled!*
Alien queen: Hey! I'm a proud mother trying to do what's right by my kids and you'd use that gendered insult?
SPACE NEWSPAPER HEADLINE: *Ripley cancelled!*
Remember when sociopaths being over represented in positions of power was simply a 'fun fact'.
December 10, 2025 at 12:07 AM
Remember when sociopaths being over represented in positions of power was simply a 'fun fact'.