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Daniel Martin

@fizbin.bsky.social

1.2K followers 170 following 3.8K posts

One of many, many people with this particular "real name". You might know me from... IDK. College? Did we work together once? Prodigy's old math forum? debian-devel? A certain social MUSH? xoogler slack? "Making Light" comments? (he/him)

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Daniel Martin @fizbin.bsky.social · May 22

I made a web thing a bit ago that I find useful maybe once a month or so on average, and it's been a while since I promoted it.

It's for when you have a long enough zoom meeting that everyone needs a break; it puts up a sign to remind everyone when you're resuming.

breakmessage.com

#dev

Break Message

breakmessage.com

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Daniel Martin @fizbin.bsky.social · 13h

In the Wizard of Oz books, wasn't one of the things considered when Dorothy disappeared "maybe she fell into the pig pen"?

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Daniel Martin @fizbin.bsky.social · 18h

Later books deconstruct magical society and the lies it's built on.

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Daniel Martin @fizbin.bsky.social · 18h

Have you read Naomi Novik's Scholomance trilogy? (The one that starts with A Deadly Education)

Short version of the 1st book's trope subversion: the overly heroic "chosen one" idiot has completely broken the monster ecology by killing off all the mid-tier monsters leading to issues.

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Daniel Martin @fizbin.bsky.social · 20h

A few more #bird drawings, along with the reference photos. The first one I started from memory, and then went back to look up the photo which is why the bird's leg is held the wrong way and also why the outline is a bit off, but I still think overall the bird is captured.

Two black squares with black ink-pen drawings in them. On the left is a bird, with the outline shape of maybe a duck but a strange mottled parenting on the back. It's standing on one leg, holding the other up at an angle.

The right square has a drawing of a palm tree. No reference photo for that one because it was there in front of me as I was drawing.

An ink-pen drawing of a seagull about to step forward and to the left of the frame (its right).

A Ruddy Turnstone (a small bird with brown and black mottled back, and white underbelly) on the sand. It's standing on one leg with the other held back at an angle.

A Laughing Gull with white head and belly and a dark gray back stands on sand at the edge of the ocean. In the background water over very fine sand is visible.

Daniel Martin @fizbin.bsky.social · 20h

It's Catie, so I assume encouragement was given.

Daniel Martin @fizbin.bsky.social · 1d

Yeah, that one worked well. (The bird is actually a Carib Grackle)

My attempt at a Bananaquit went less well, but the main thing that bird has going for it visually is OMG YELLOW which is hard to convey with just a black ink pen.

Daniel Martin @fizbin.bsky.social · 1d

Trying a little bit of drawing after many, many months off. I have this card divided into 20 spots, so I'm trying some tiny things to fit in the boxes.

Here are two that I think came out okay, along with the reference images I was looking at to make the drawings.

Two boxes side by side that contain black ink drawings of birds. The one on the left is vaguely giving chaotic crow vibes, maybe.

The one on the right is a black silhouette of a bird with a wingspan that seems unnaturally wide for the rest of the bird.

A ruffled-looking black bird with its head turned around to stare nearly straight up. It has a bright yellow eye with a very visible pupil.

A silhouette of a bird with a ridiculously long and thin wingspan in a clear blue sky.

(It's a Magnificent Frigatebird. In person they're seriously impressive)

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Daniel Martin @fizbin.bsky.social · 1d

Yeah, I took mine down (I live outside Philadelphia) Saturday. I think the last visitor I had was first week of September and the last two times I filled the feeder it went untouched.

Daniel Martin @fizbin.bsky.social · 1d

So #migration (with alternate #floofball) are today's #BirdOfTheDay themes. Looking into this made me realize that the vast majority of my photos are of year-round birds, but then there's this. I've used this bird for a prior day's theme, but not this image: here's a ruby-throated hummingbird.

A ruby-throated hummingbird (I think, based on other photos of this same bird, a juvenile male) holding its left wing out and grooming it with its needle-like beak. Its feathers are iridescent green and a bit ruffled.

ƒ/5.3 1/400 s 246 mm ISO 3200

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Daniel Martin @fizbin.bsky.social · 2d

I am really disappointed to be hearing of your trips to close enough for me to make it to the event, were this not the week of our big out-of-town vacation. So instead I hear of your adventures in PHL while sitting in EWR...

Daniel Martin @fizbin.bsky.social · 2d

Today in #BirdOfTheDay by @robcrank68.bsky.social: seabird (or Robin)

Once again I'm mining our trip to Shetland last year, this time for these Northern Fulmars at Sumburgh Head.

#microfourthirds

Six Fulmars sit on some grass in among rocky cliffs having some sort of discussion.

A Fulmar sits, head turned away from the camera, out-of-focus grass in the foreground and a cliff face in the background.

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Daniel Martin @fizbin.bsky.social · 2d

Reminds me of this from "Finding Nemo".

a bunch of seagulls standing on a wire

Alt: Scene from "finding Nemo" with a bunch of seagulls standing on a wire, and then one peeks in from the side to say "Mine".

media.tenor.com

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Daniel Martin @fizbin.bsky.social · 3d

Also one should say "please" and "thank you" because practicing saying "please" and "thank you" when asking for something in unstructured natural language from an AI will build the habit of saying "please" and "thank you" when using natural language in other contexts, such as when talking to humans.

Daniel Martin @fizbin.bsky.social · 3d

I know, a Mourning Dove isn't technically a pigeon, but all Columbidae are close enough.

bert from sesame street is dancing on a red carpet .

Alt: Bert from Sesame Street is dancing on a red carpet to the song "Doing the pigeon". His feet and head mimic the back and forth movements that pigeons (and other Columbidae) make when walking.

media.tenor.com

Daniel Martin @fizbin.bsky.social · 3d

Today's BOTD theme is inspired by Monty Python's Ministry of Silly #Walks, so basically any bird walking.

Some of my other recent entries might also qualify, but here's a bird I haven't done a #BirdOfTheDay of yet:

A Mourning Dove walks across asphalt.

ƒ/5.6 1/640 s. 300 mm. ISO 3200

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Daniel Martin @fizbin.bsky.social · 3d

I mean, you have a time traveling thing. Isn't there "rival time traveler trying to undo some important part of Earth's history"? Or does that always play out as a mad scientist plot?