KeithMukai
Keith Mukai

Pfft, I'm not reading the instructions for an ethernet switch, don't be ridicul...
https://i.nostr.build/YgBeP.jpg
...uh, oh, uh, wait, what...?
https://i.nostr.build/wGXRL.jpg
[Narrator: He read the instructions]

2024-07-01 23:40:25

- reply

Custom speakers?!

2024-07-01 20:44:32

- reply

I wrote the long-form post on habla and that seems to render things a bit better than Highlighter.
https://habla.news/a/naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzqkcw3kn0m7axvvpcdy9n05skmq695c3ucvlpzxhapaeca4me90z5qqxnzde38yurxde58ymrqdekxf7y0l

2024-07-01 20:41:16

- reply

Looks like the video embed in the writeup might not work in some viewers.
It's supposed to be in the section that mentions SketchUp.
https://v.nostr.build/0j6XE.mp4

2024-07-01 20:38:29

Weekend DIY project (nearly) complete!
For the 1% hard-core nerds: the writeup includes lots of details and rationales for my design and build approach.
For the vast majority: Just peruse the pics of the build process! The stands look simple (okay, they ARE simple), but it's pretty cool how many different techniques were involved.
#naddr1qv…7y0l

2024-06-20 05:33:17

- reply

Ha, no, was just walking the dog and came across this pile. I'd never heard of Ruggables before. Just thought the name was hilarious for anyone that's survived the shitstorm that is crypto!

2024-06-20 03:04:34

👀
https://i.nostr.build/3P0dY.jpg

2024-06-12 22:25:36

- reply

The old battery was def in need of replacement.
https://i.nostr.build/BRaYP.jpg
New one showing off its stuff.
https://i.nostr.build/oMnxW.jpg

2024-06-12 22:23:16

- reply

Hurdle #3: the aftermarket power tap wasn't designed for this negative post. Needed a separate nut to secure the wire.
Home Depot trip #2. Felt pretty confident it was a #12-24 coarse thread.
Narrator: The nut didn't fit.
Started gearing up for Home Depot trip #3 (😡), but then realized that the nuts that secure the trunk's bottom cover were probably the same thread. Score! That molded plastic bottom doesn't need all four nuts anyway!
https://i.nostr.build/6GX9a.jpg

2024-06-12 22:15:32

- reply

Bonus: finally installed the aftermarket power tap so I can use the Volt as a gas-powered emergency generator!
Leave the car on, plug emergency appliances into the AC inverter, they drain the main batteries via the 12V connection point, then the car occasionally switches on the gas engine to push more energy into the main batteries.
You can power a fridge with it for DAYS on one 9gal tank of gas! The car will only switch on the gas engine for about 6min every hour!.
https://v.nostr.build/lLo6j.mp4
https://i.nostr.build/POa87.jpg

2024-06-12 22:09:20

- reply

Successful battery swap! No death!
https://i.nostr.build/8GayX.jpg

2024-06-12 22:06:50

- reply

2nd hurdle: Need a deep socket set to remove the trunk's bottom cover. Home Depot trip #1.
https://i.nostr.build/vGZ4l.jpg
https://i.nostr.build/jY6WG.jpg

2024-06-12 22:04:27

- reply

First hurdle: the 12V battery is in the back (Chevy Volt; main power pack on the chassis plus normal 12V battery just to start the electronics) but the hatch's manual release is a hidden 5/16" square cutout that you have to turn.
Had to cut a custom tool just to lift the hatch!
https://i.nostr.build/yqwVP.jpg

2024-06-12 18:38:51

- reply

Def still alive, just annoyed I'm not done yet after two trips to Home Depot (long socket set, additional hex nuts).

2024-06-12 15:37:39

- reply

Glad I googled all this stuff. I was watching how-to videos and was like, wtf, these dudes are just touching the poles w/bare hands.
My CS degree didn't require any EE classes so, yeah, got one semester of E&M in AP Physics and nothing since. Not kidding when I said I don't understand electricity!

2024-06-12 15:24:39

About to replace a car battery for the first time.
If you don't hear from me in a couple hours... ⚡️⚡️☠️
(apparently 12V is basically harmless, but I don't actually understand electricity so 🤷‍♂️)

2024-06-10 02:55:22

- reply

12k video is a thing?!

2024-06-09 15:38:07

Congrats to @npub16k4…afa9!
@npub1qny…95gx's assertion: if you can have a baby, you can certainly take care of your own private keys.
Corollary: if you can handle twins, you can jump straight to multisig...?
https://i.nostr.build/jY6xj.png

2024-05-28 17:49:45

Happy b-day @npub1kum…z2v7!
https://i.nostr.build/XVMEB.jpg
The best doggo ever is 6 today!
https://i.nostr.build/ml0oj.jpg
She's been a bit miserable the last few months because the vet said she had to lose 9lbs -- 23% of her total body weight!!
Vet said to cut her normal food in half -- IN HALF!!! -- and replace with vegetables.
https://i.nostr.build/Rmq5Z.jpg
She hates it, but happy to report that she's making EXCELLENT progress toward the 30lb target!
https://i.nostr.build/EnqAP.png
How fast could YOU lose 23% of your total body weight, anon? 🤣

2024-05-28 17:40:59

- reply

Yeah. Don't take my word for it. Anyone who knows me can tell you that you have a really dumb take here.

2024-05-28 17:39:46

- reply

"They" are irrelevant for SeedSigner since you can build it yourself and run the FOSS code completely permissionlessly. Those of us involved in the project have NO IDEA who has built a SeedSigner.
I disagree with your definition of "product". I think of a product as something that a company sells. We're a completely open source PROJECT. If you build a SeedSigner and run our code, none of the volunteers who work on the project profit from it.
SeedSigner + Silent Payments is a FOSS project adding (currently experimental) support for an open source protocol / technique.
No one asked me to start building support for Silent Payments in SeedSigner. No one paid me to do it.
I've spent quite a bit of time with bip47 in the past. Interest in bip352 is a natural progression.
Some conspiracy theories are interesting or incisive. This one isn't.

2024-05-18 15:53:55

- reply

Who is "they" you refer to in the first sentence? SeedSigner? Bitcoin Core?
What is "this product"? SeedSigner? The silent payments protocol itself?
"...are ready for the next gen stealth tech." Wait, that's a BAD reaction to the government cracking down on centralized privacy tools?

2024-05-17 23:07:47

- reply

I haven't yet. None of the software coordinators I use support it yet. But I'll do some tests with Silentium.

2024-05-17 23:06:16

- reply

What's weird about it?
Sounds like you're implying that something shady is going on. So let's hear your conspiracy theory then.

2024-05-17 19:47:01

- reply

Slight color tone differences. Display P3 looks more accurate. But still no HDR kicking in on the Macbook's retina display for either color profile.
But Google Photos on Mac Chrome does leverage the display's HDR abilities. So it's not a browser limitation. Must be some html/css metadata thing when presenting the image?

2024-05-17 19:44:26

- reply

Chrome + Snort = not activating the Macbook's HDR display capabilities.
Above color profile: Display P3.
Color profile here: Adobe RGB.
https://i.nostr.build/Z500E.jpg

2024-05-17 19:36:32

Timeline cleanser after those cicada posts.
Bugs are so gross. But nature overall tends toward pretty.
By the way, curious if y'all can see the difference in these images posted as "Ultra HDR" (high dynamic range). Brights should be brighter, colors more richly saturated.
https://i.nostr.build/EnGGm.jpg
#flower #iris(?)

2024-05-17 19:16:00

As a city boy / suburbanite, nature definitely freaks me the fuck out sometimes.
https://i.nostr.build/M5kwn.jpg
https://i.nostr.build/gZ0EG.jpg
https://i.nostr.build/KGrg3.jpg
#cicadas #bugs #canileavethisplacefortwomonths

2024-05-17 19:13:31

Born in 2007. Hibernates.
Emerges into a world that now has #bitcoin. Immediately dons laser eyes.
https://i.nostr.build/4oEDq.jpg
#cicadas #bugs #gross #whygodwhy

2024-05-16 03:21:21

Dear nostr,
I AM WORKING ON BIP-352 SILENT PAYMENTS FOR @npub17ty…3mgl!!
https://v.nostr.build/8GEda.mp4
The UI took longer to build than the actual #bip352 code!
https://i.nostr.build/lL4Yw.png
https://i.nostr.build/POl56.png
Caveat: I don't actually really know what I'm doing, so if you're BIP-352 savvy, see if your results match mine:
https://gist.github.com/kdmukai/e6de87c90d4fedeaf866f2b10c0833a9

2024-05-14 17:23:01

- reply

But even while I'm off in gymnastics land and neglecting the bitcoin world, y'all still come with me everywhere I go...
@npub17yq…5269 @npub17ty…3mgl @npub1jdg…2mys @npub1ad0…ng2c @npub1v67…mjjk
https://i.nostr.build/lL3jv.jpg
https://i.nostr.build/POYA5.jpg

2024-05-14 17:11:28

Whew... I've been quiet the last few weeks because I've been BUSY with my other passion project: coaching -- and helping to RUN -- high school boys gymnastics.
Y'all out on social media don't have much visibility into this side of my life. High school gymnastics MADE ME WHO I AM. I love being a coach now and trying to offer a similar experience to a new generation of kids. And this year demanded more of me than ever.
Please read on to understand why I'm so fucking proud of what my small gymnastics community accomplished.
---
Last year the state dropped Boys Gymnastics as a high school Varsity sport. So coaches across the state took it upon ourselves to start our own league. I was part of the 9-member Steering Committee that made this season happen.
We spent MONTHS working out our own process for training and certifying our judges, organizing Sectional meets, and running our own STATE MEET.
AND WE SUCCEEDED!!! We ran a full season that concluded this past Saturday with 142 gymnasts from 33 different schools competing in our State Meet!
https://i.nostr.build/KGgz2.jpg
The meet ran smoothly, the gym was packed (by our standards; this isn't TX football...), and the kids had the high energy, high stakes State Meet they deserved.
https://i.nostr.build/kZqWm.jpg
I volunteered to create and run the scoring for the meet. Had to write 5000+ lines of code, work out all the coordination logistics, do all the ENDLESS data dumps and filtering along the way to figure out who qualified and how to slot them into the meet, train the workers, brief all the coaches and judges, and -- most importantly -- oversee and troubleshoot the entire process during the meet.
https://i.nostr.build/5GD7v.jpg
It was STRESSFUL. My code drove our leaderboard displays as well as provided live web-based results. I'd take quick glances up at the display board and pray it wouldn't be showing an http 404 or 500 error.
https://i.nostr.build/7GDRV.jpg
(pic doesn't do it justice; the leaderboards looked AMAZING!)
The State Meet was in my hands, on my shoulders. If I fucked up, the meet would be a disaster. Thankfully there were NO problems. Coaches were AMAZED at how well everything ran.
We had to figure out EVERY aspect of this meet. Managing who qualifies, who pays for what, selecting officials, how does the host school break even or possibly profit, all the day-of logistics, designing and ordering the trophies and medals, even produce the freakin' meet decorations, signage, and souvenir program!
https://i.nostr.build/DjQlJ.jpg
ENORMOUS amount of work. But at the end of the day, we ran a PHENOMENAL, professional State Meet.
https://i.nostr.build/dwZd4.jpg
https://i.nostr.build/eZqOm.jpg
In many ways it was even better than previous years, because the coaches collectively got to make the calls and run it how WE wanted.
ps - all these photos are courtesy of coach Abi Diaz who shot the meet with my camera. We ended up with ~850 RAW images I then had to cull through and process. Yet another monster task!
---
In addition to all that, I had OTHER responsibilities in the closing weeks of the season.
COACHING:
Our team fought and scraped our way to earn a TOP TEN berth to the State Meet! We also had 11 individual event qualifiers, the most of any school in the state. I strategize and optimize our routines for our rulebook and I'm the technician in the gym who refines the most subtle / difficult aspects of our key skills. Unfortunately I couldn't be with our team during the meet since I was so busy running the scoring.
https://i.nostr.build/M5wna.jpg
JUDGING:
I judged 2 of the 4 Sectionals meets (head high bar judge!) which determine who qualifies to State. Plus a ton of dual meets throughout the season, Varsity invites, and culminating Varsity Conference meets. I'm usually voted by the coaches to be one of the top 12 judges in the state and therefore asked to judge the State Meet, but obviously had to decline this year in order to focus on my other duties.
---
ONGOING:
I'm on our Rules Committee which is just starting to gear up to review and revise our rules for next season. And volunteered to remain on the Steering Committee to do it all again in 2025.

2024-05-09 15:32:24

- reply

More upper shoulders / traps stretch than anything. You want full extension through there at the bottom.
But you have to maintain an incredibly tight core and the various shapes you need your back to hit are super important. So you'd never let your spine fully stretch open. That would just cause floppiness that would screw up the timing of the swings and make them less efficient.
In fact, at times I've had a problem where if I just hang and I fully relax my core / back muscles, just the weight of my bottom half feels like it can pull one of my vertebrae in my lower back too far open and I get some shooting nerve pain. So I always keep a tight tension there when hanging.
Maybe light swinging with ankle weights could create more spine stretch. But because of the above, that'd be a huge NO for my back.

2024-05-09 13:37:54

- reply

Believe me, my medicine cabinet is WELL stocked with ibuprofen!
I love the handful of things I can still do better than the teenagers. Whenever we challenge each other, I remind them: "If you really want to beat me, you have to do better than this THIRTY YEARS from now when you're my age!"

2024-05-09 02:16:02

Laid-out backflip!
My favorite tumbling skill. Fun, beautiful, quite technical. It's really hard to train the specific phases of it into my high school gymnasts. Running out of time before our State Meet this Saturday!
https://v.nostr.build/4oxyA.mp4

2024-05-09 02:07:53

GIANTS!
I try to make sure I can still do giants at least once each year but I think I missed last year. Feels amazing to be light and fit and strong.
https://v.nostr.build/2RKyJ.mp4
#gymnastics #giants #highbar

2024-04-21 14:43:18

- reply

Not in the nip-06 approach, no. A one-way hash is involved, so there's no way to work backwards.

2024-04-16 14:35:07

GM
https://i.nostr.build/Q7e5q.jpg

2024-04-14 20:59:26

- reply

The SeedQR formats are seeing some pretty good adoption across the bitcoin ecosystem (e.g. Sparrow can directly read them and turn them into a hot wallet, if need be). Plus the format is well documented; the "Standard" SeedQR could even be decoded by hand if you just scan it with a cell phone that'll read out the digit stream. The "Compact" format is a little harder for humans to work with.
The actual English words would bump the QRs up to the next size or two since words take up more data space than digits. If you export a test seed as Compact SeedQR, Standard SeedQR, and if you just paste the full mnemonic into a generic QR encoder, you'll see what I mean when you compare the three QRs.
And with SeedQRs size matters since the point is to mark them by hand. A Compact SeedQR for a 12-word mnemonic is just 21x21. Takes like 5 minutes to with a Sharpie. But a 24-word Standard SeedQR is 29x29. Huge difference. That takes more like 20+ minutes to transcribe. Not fun.

2024-04-14 20:53:27

Black dog @npub1kum…z2v7 vs the first 80°F sunny day of the year.
Girl stubbornly preferring to bake in the sun instead of finding some shade.
https://i.nostr.build/kZ35z.jpg
#dog #dogsofnostr #dogstr

2024-04-12 15:09:46

- reply

I think the image entropy option is VASTLY superior to other methods (TONS of entropy, very simple, no proprietary RNG hardware, trivially easy & fast for the user, no opportunity for user to screw something up) but with one caveat: you can't take the input data and verify the results in any other tool.
For example, you can enter your dice rolls into a SeedSigner, Coldcard, and iancoleman.io (with the right settings) and get the exact same result.
But, by design, there's no way to export the image entropy data that's used to create the seed (we didn't want to create the temptation to save the image to a file and use that jpg as a backup; bad idea).
So if you can't verify individual results, it becomes very important to at least verify that the release img is authentic and, to whatever extent possible, review the code itself or talk with someone you trust who can review the code.
Also note that we actually incorporate a lot more than just the pixels of a single image into the entropy used to create the seed. It's really bonkers overkill.
https://i.nostr.build/lLMln.png

2024-04-12 14:58:42

- reply

That's right. It was a kind of personal hackathon project for my talk at Nostrica. Meant mostly as a starting point to urge devs to think more about delegated signing.
It was pretty cool how easy it was to build that all out so quickly!

2024-04-03 15:59:26

Really great convo with @npub126p…a7vm here.
I've been hesitant to go for the full "get on zero" thing. But this convo got me reconsidering a bit.
https://fountain.fm/episode/6EQf6yQBgaaB3DToRd2h
I earn some fiat and pay my bills each month. Let's say I have $X in fiat left over. When I have strong, dependable fiat income, I always move that fiat into bitcoin.
But what if I know I'm going to be running a $X+ deficit in fiat bills next month? Or that most of my income now is in bitcoin and I'm going to have to sell some next month regardless? Always felt kind of pointless to scale in only to almost immediately scale back out.
In a bull market, sure, 1 month of gains could easily be worth it. In a crab or bear market, the calculation gets rougher.
But now I'm realizing that I already do FIFO accounting anyway. So if I think about the amounts going in and out as FIFO stacks, then I think I can make it make sense.
I can treat the $X going into bitcoin as a longer-term hodl; those are the last sats I'll be spending from that stack. Longer-term hodls always make sense.
And a month later when I need to spend about $X back out, those are actually the OLDEST sats I have in that stack, aged like a fine wine.
Now maybe FIFO isn't the best tax strategy (to each their own), but I do think it helps to better conceptualize how a "get on zero" approach can make sense in the face of constant, impending spends.
Thoughts?

2024-03-22 18:12:17

- reply

Ya, I know.
See below, but also I like the idea of investing some time to build up my pistol skills.
https://primal.net/e/note1yyflwlcqkg2uwe6e57h883lf70me5he0sqgd9knxedzf58xyte0q0ru26k

2024-03-22 17:59:11

- reply

"Very" heavy? Maybe once you get into the all-metal frames, but for the polymer guns I can't say that I remember any significant difference that affected my shooting (though since I'm still a beginner, it's not like I have great precision in the first place).
I shot a S&W M&P M2.0 full size (4.5"? 5"?), CZ P-10 C, and Walther PDP Compact 4" during my first day of testing.
I had the best accuracy with the full size M&P, but I assumed that had more to do with the barrel length (all three were iron sights, no red dots).

2024-03-22 17:45:49

- reply

CCW is not a consideration for me. I explicitly said:
"Why full size? I'm not in a carry state. Main use case is home defense and just overall pistol training / skill building."

2024-03-21 15:11:11

Found #poetry, bitcoin edition.
A 3-5-3 haiku of sorts (if you move the "not" up a line).
And then the intriguing, abrupt, mysterious ending: "0, 1".
Sorrowful in its way yet balanced by a Zen acknowledgement of our limitations.
https://i.nostr.build/Gee7G.jpg

2024-03-21 01:52:22

Woot! Didn't know I could still do a (nearly) vertical "V" on floor!
https://v.nostr.build/7GGv9.mp4
It's easy to lose balance and fall backwards out of a V on floor. It's a bit easier on parallel bars since your grip on the rails gives you a stronger base. Didn't expect I could still do it on floor. Thank you, triceps!
Interesting thing about a "V": If you can rotate your hips up enough (getting your legs to about vertical), then it gets WAY easier on the abs since your legs aren't adding torque out in front of you.
#gymnastics #strength

2024-03-20 16:32:28

- reply

Can't recall if I replied to your earlier 19x recommendation. I don't really get the rationale for the 19x.
My thought process, played out via the Walther PDP options:
* Full size PDP has a 4.5" barrel.
* Compact PDP has a 4" barrel.
* BUT there's a factory combo of Compact grip w/5" barrel (any of the PDP frames will work with any longer barrel).
That Compact + 5" barrel combo is intriguing to me. I want to see if the longer barrel's length and weight have any noticeable positive effect on recoil vs the 4".
(Why the Compact? I'm limited to 15rd mags so sourcing legal mags is MUCH easier and I don't have giant hands that need a longer grip)
I am not looking for a CCW. Strictly home defense and just overall skill building. So more weight / longer barrel is no problem for me and may be actually preferred.
So the 19x seems like it's designed in the opposite direction of what I'm looking for.

2024-03-19 19:23:19

- reply

Spoiler alert: The PDP Compact 4" was the surprise winner so far after the first range day!
I need to start paying much more attention to the trigger. That was a big part of what made it stand out. Plus its really unexpected recoil handling.

2024-03-19 19:21:24

- reply

👀🤣

2024-03-19 18:27:42

- reply

Up until recently my thought process was: Buy what's legal, but if I choose to upgrade it with less legal but not insane additions (e.g. 19rd Glock mag instead of 10rd legal limit), so be it. If it's for home defense, I don't want to be impaired if the shit ever hits the fan.
But NOW: a friend took a class on local gun laws and said that even a totally straightforward, legal home defense shooting could cost you $100k in attorney fees just to ensure nothing goes sideways in the courts.
Now imagine if I used an illegal weapon (or an illegal component). Holy complications.
I'd be comfortable possessing a larger capacity mag to use at the range (legal as far as I understand), but, crazy as it seems, would try my best to only reach for the legal parts if someone breaks in.

2024-03-19 18:12:24

- reply

Ah, I see. No Ruger pistols came up during my endless googling and YouTubing for recommendations.
I mounted the Glock magwell into the PC Carbine so, if anything, something in the Glock ecosystem would make a lot of sense. Except for hating the grip on the Glocks I've shot.

2024-03-19 18:10:27

- reply

(btw - I'm pretty public about where I live, but trying to practice a little more vagueness in case I ever do move and commit to better opsec! Best practices, even when it's just LARPing...)

2024-03-19 18:08:09

- reply

I don't want to have to build two rifle cabinets for different parts of my house!
Also I think it's time I got over my fear of pistols. Proficiency with a pistol seems like a fun and obv useful skill to develop.

2024-03-19 17:55:25

Getting closer to deciding on a 9mm pistol. Got to try a few out at the range yesterday but thought I'd write up the selection process thus far as a long-form nostr note.
Notes from the range will go in a Part Two.
https://habla.news/u/[email protected]/1710863124171
https://i.nostr.build/2RRaP.png

2024-03-18 13:21:58

- reply

I think my local range has a p320 for me to try out.

2024-03-18 12:51:11

- reply

🙋. @npub17ty…3mgl is here, too!

2024-03-14 16:23:46

- reply

Oh hell, now I understand why the ranges near me only have the compact versions available: my local gun laws limit pistol magazine capacity to 15 rounds.
So the only version of these that I'd be able to legally purchase is the compact.
Ug.

2024-03-14 14:19:52

- reply

I think in theory, but there are a bunch of unknowns:
* Can the PC's drive read the Dolby Vision data? If the gaming consoles' hardware can't read that data, stands to reason that other lasers will have the same limitation (I have no clue what the hardware issue is, though).
* Can the PC's drive read that third layer?
* Will the PC's playback software + hdmi hardware successfully complete the Dolby Vision hdmi handshake? hdmi sounds like a total nightmare communication tech.

2024-03-14 14:17:03

- reply

I'm eager to get my hands on all three at the range (though most ranges only rent out the compact variants) in the next couple of days.
Some people said that PDP has the sharpest recoil of the bunch while the CZ was the flattest. Your thoughts? And if there are differences, are they big enough to even matter?

2024-03-14 14:13:10

- reply

Ha, the friend who taught me to shoot just sent me info about these! But more as a curiosity, on his bucket list to shoot some day.
Price is more than I'm looking to spend and I'd rather stay solidly mainstream for my first pistol.

2024-03-14 14:10:45

- reply

I'm looking forward to giving it a try. My local gun ranges tend to only rent out the compact versions, but the M&P 2.0 is one of the few full size ones available.
Any feedback on the M&P from shooters with smaller hands?
The last Glock I shot (gen3 19) was just way too rectangular and bulky in the hand. I haven't seen if the gen 4 / gen 5 fit is better.

2024-03-13 20:02:17

- reply

I'll take a closer look.
First thought though is that if the more recent 17 (G4 / G5) really is adjustable enough, then I'd prefer the full size.

2024-03-13 19:16:47

- reply

For now, not the right option for me.
https://primal.net/e/note1yyflwlcqkg2uwe6e57h883lf70me5he0sqgd9knxedzf58xyte0q0ru26k

2024-03-13 19:14:03

- reply

Thanks for the feedback!
I'm very late to the shooting world and slowly building my skills and confidence. Not there yet with shotguns. Only recently decided I was ready to progress from my 9mm PC Carbine to a handgun.
https://primal.net/e/note1yyflwlcqkg2uwe6e57h883lf70me5he0sqgd9knxedzf58xyte0q0ru26k

2024-03-13 19:09:46

- reply

Yeah, I don't disagree. Hopefully my comfort level will get there eventually.
Also hoping at least some of my gymnastics training translates. I was terrified of all my high level skills and got super nervous for competitions. But I was an incredibly solid, consistent competitor regardless. Obv different kind of threat and stress reaction, but for many of the skills it was still a life-or-death matter. That mental discipline to power through it has served me well over the decades.
But no way of knowing if that will kick in when it really matters.

2024-03-13 17:34:58

- reply

I'm no expert, but maybe a concern for an adjacent apartment, not sure how realistic that is for standalone houses.
Also wouldn't hollow points further reduce likelihood of continuing through multiple walls?
And I've more heard the opposite: that 9mm doesn't have enough stopping power for self defense.

2024-03-13 17:29:09

- reply

I know, but my rationale:
https://primal.net/e/note1yyflwlcqkg2uwe6e57h883lf70me5he0sqgd9knxedzf58xyte0q0ru26k

2024-03-13 17:27:30

- reply

For pure looks, I kind of like the Walther PDP's blockiness-as-aesthetic severity.
https://i.nostr.build/KGWn3.png
---
The M&P looks most like my mental image of a handgun.
https://i.nostr.build/kZ2l6.webp
---
The photos don't do the CZ justice. It's lower-profile slide and the diagonal bevel cuts are understated but way sexy.
https://i.nostr.build/5GRoK.jpg
---
Regardless, obv performance will be the deciding factor.

2024-03-13 17:05:12

- reply

Ha, well, a DIYer with no 3d printer. I barely trust myself with the most reliable guns ever produced by mankind... no way I'd trust a 3d printed one yet.

2024-03-13 17:03:32

- reply

Also my house is really small* so everything would pretty much be close range. My mental model is to just stay defensively crouched and hold off intruders until the police arrive. Basically just have to defend one doorway.
---
*(but having a basement creates that "I'm far from my rifle" problem)

2024-03-13 16:56:22

- reply

I'm not comfortable yet with shotguns. Every time I've pulled the trigger I've flinched. For me as a novice shooter, comfort and confidence are by far the most important aspects. If shit hits the fan, I can't be afraid of my weapon and the intruder.
Also I already have a modest rifle (my training wheels gun: 9mm PC Carbine) and part of my thinking for the pistol is to have it secured in a small, secure space in a different part of the house in case the rifle is out of reach. Much easier to set up a small gun safe than have two different long gun-sized secure storage locations.

2024-03-13 16:45:17

- reply

My local gun ranges mostly only have the compact versions available to rent. Better than nothing and should at least give me a feel for the grip (maybe minus the pinky or so) ya? Less sure that any recoil takeaways will really apply to their full size brothers.
I'll dig into Canik. I've heard them mentioned but basically know nothing.
Have heard that the first M&P M2.0 hinged trigger was meh and that the newer ones are better, but still better stock options out there.

2024-03-13 16:16:13

Any 9mm pistol aficionados here?
I'm trying to narrow down my options for a home defense pistol.
* CZ P10 F (optics ready) is my top candidate
* S&W M&P M2.0 full size (optics ready) in the mix
* Walther PDP fading but still on the list
https://i.nostr.build/8Gkx4.jpg
I haven't shot any of them yet, so it's all subject to change.
Anyone have any experience with any of the above?
Why no Glock? The chunky grip is a non-starter for me; just always feels a bit too big for me to secure a solid grip on. I'm not a super-experienced shooter so I need to feel confident that I can control it.
I'm prioritizing grip fit / ergonomics and recoil / muzzle flip control (thus the CZ and not so much the PDP, or so I'm told).
Why full size? I'm not in a carry state. Main use case is home defense and just overall pistol training / skill building.
#guns #gunstr

2024-03-13 16:06:29

- reply

A bit late getting back to you, but your question inspired this post!
https://primal.net/e/note1hx5e3hxnlygftrgdxkvr72wj8mylrgl397t3ugf09zue869tq2fs8gh3m5

2024-03-13 16:05:41

A/V nerd posts will continue until man cave audio/video quality improves!!
https://habla.news/u/[email protected]/1710337387400
https://i.nostr.build/3PG6X.png

2024-03-05 21:58:33

- reply

Found some spare change abandoned in Robinhood. Let's go!!!
https://i.nostr.build/2G88.jpg

2024-03-05 17:01:43

Review of "The Fifth Element" on 4k blu-ray!
Spent a little more time on this one to include some screenshots to help illustrate why this 4k transfer looks SO AWFUL!!
https://habla.news/u/[email protected]/1709306676403
https://i.nostr.build/9w8v.png
#videophile #audiophile #review #4k #uhd #bluray

2024-03-04 21:16:57

Boom! Number Stay Steady or Slightly Down!
Flipped my noon-6pm intermittent fasting eating window to more like 10am-3pm* and that finally got me back into a solid keto groove.
Short-term I want to see what ~11% body fat feels like, but 12% is probably a more realistic longer term goal.
Always end up incorporating some carb-cycling phases, too.
https://i.nostr.build/QkmJ.png
---
*(why shift the eating window? Supposedly most of the intermittent fasting benefits are when you eat earlier, fast later. 🤷‍♂️ If nothing else, sometimes keto just needs a change to get out of a rut)

2024-03-03 20:01:23

- reply

Gymnast here!
#nevent1q…9lxm

2024-03-02 18:11:53

Okay, holy shit I've been doing life wrong all this time.
Results were AMAZING!! Best steak I've ever cooked. By far.
Props to @npub1t42…87qz and @npub1xap…cnde for scolding me / coaching me to do better.
https://i.nostr.build/Zrll.jpg
The better quality (thicker, fresher) steak plus the reverse-sear technique made for a killer upgrade combo (duh! But still... wow).
I had been buying prepackaged 1" steaks and freezing them. This time it was a ~1.5" thick ribeye directly from the meat counter (but tradeoff: those aren't grass fed).
Previous attempts were all on just cast iron or backyard grill. First time reverse-searing. 200° to an internal temp target of 120°.
Had not incorporated finishing with butter much before, first time using thyme. Garlic in there, too.
My steaks had been fairly dry (even when not overcooked), unpleasantly tough, and mostly weirdly flavorless. This one was incredibly juicy, tender, so much flavor!
The difference was like spending $6 at Denny's vs $80 at a steakhouse. NO JOKE.
I have one prepackaged 1" steak left in the freezer; will try reverse-searing it and see how much the cooking technique alone can improve upon my prior results. I expect disappointment, but worth running the experiment!
#nevent1q…fglg

2024-03-02 16:00:14

Once more unto the breach, dear friends!
But this time with a much better, fresher, thicker cut of meat -- AND -- a proper leave-in meat thermometer.
https://i.nostr.build/8YlW.jpg
#nevent1q…59vf

2024-03-01 15:37:11

- reply

Actually the one boy was the most hesitant, but the two girls had no hesitations!

2024-03-01 15:13:04

Flashback to summer 2022. Family doggos jumping in slo-mo!
@npub1kum…z2v7 and her two cousins.
https://v.nostr.build/2G09.mp4
#dogs #dogstr #pupstr

2024-02-29 21:46:48

- reply

Yeah, I was expecting cadaver gray.

2024-02-29 21:42:00

I'm good at a lot of things, but cooking steak is not one of them.
https://i.nostr.build/P9e5.jpg
Okay, could have turned out worse, but still overshot the target.
https://i.nostr.build/WmED.jpg

2024-02-28 19:36:18

- reply

I'm mostly kidding, of course, but I am a little surprised at how easily my attention has been drifting around.
Though that's also a function of timing. I'm in a bit of a mini-pause between major nerd deep dives right now. When I'm deep down a rabbit hole, the focus is still there and time flies.

2024-02-28 18:25:55

I fully confess that bitcoin's fiat price is really fun to watch.
But I'm less productive when it's really pumping (I'm too distracted).
And Bitcoin is designed to pump forever.
Therefore... will I ever accomplish anything ever again...?

2024-02-26 21:34:47

- reply

Interesting -- the btc price was $55,973 on @npub1kum…z2v7 's "gotcha day" (March 27, 2021).
So, yeah, bitcoin is just a stablecoin as far as she's concerned! 🤣

2024-02-26 21:05:39

Me: Bitcoin is pumping, Kuma!!
@npub1kum…z2v7: "I feel nothing"
https://i.nostr.build/28Aq.jpg

2024-02-26 17:33:09

TIL that "luminance" (aka brightness) for RGB #pixels isn't just a simple average.
Yes, (255, 255, 255) is max white, brightest possible (8-bit) value.
But colors are tricksy.
example:
Bitcoin orange is (255, 153, 0). If we naively calculate its brightness, we'd get: (255+153+0)/3 = 136
https://i.nostr.build/28oR.png
But notice that the naive calculation would give us the same brightness for (153, 0, 255):
https://i.nostr.build/0w6E.png
My eye easily says that the purple is darker overall than the orange.
So instead the calculation is:
https://i.nostr.build/6Q7v.png
Orange: 0.2125*255 + 0.7154*153 + 0.0721*0 = 163.6
Purple: 0.2125*153 + 0.7154*0 + 0.0721*255 = 50.9
Orange is CLEARLY brighter (aka higher luminance)!
#nerd #videophile #graphics

2024-02-25 17:28:45

- reply

100% draw downs, baby!!!

2024-02-25 17:15:20

- reply

100%

2024-02-25 17:10:21

- reply

AH... YES, so we were talking about the same thing.
Yeah, just allowing for a deeper handstand pushup really elevates (pun intended!!!) the workout.

2024-02-25 17:07:20

- reply

I almost always avoid adding weights to my strength workouts. But a lot of our high school guys do have fun adding weight vests, ankle weights, etc.
I just think additional weight opens up the door to more injuries. Gymnasts have neverending ways of making workouts with just our own body weight harder, so I've just always preferred/prioritized going that route.

2024-02-25 17:05:03

- reply

I left those lying out and she was hungry enough last night to clean them up! I know, I don't keep the most sanitary house...
She doesn't seem to mind the broccoli if it's still frozen though.

2024-02-25 17:03:57

Last one for today.
If gymnasts could only do one strength workout, we'd usually opt for #dips. They're WAY harder than pushups and, at least for the high school kids I coach (who almost all start as TOTAL noobs as freshmen), it's the biggest strength gatekeeper (i.e. can't do good dips, can't do important skills X, Y, and Z).
https://v.nostr.build/JDnl.mp4
The rules in our gym:
* FULL DEPTH (it's a constant theme!). Have to go as low as you can until you're physically stuck.
* Muscle it down. Build strength in both directions.
* No arch in the push up.
* Keep toes slightly in front (key to avoiding that arch).
* Head neutral. Bury or lift your head and you change your back shape.
* Steady or explosive push up, but above all else keep body shape discipline.
* Full push back up to support, especially the last inch through your shoulders/traps. The finish position should be as tall as possible (note the final shrug up at the end of each of my reps).
* Generally elbows in for stability, reduce strain on the already-strained pecs.
* PERFECT FORM throughout. Constant discipline during strength leads to discipline while competing.
You'll see that I use my first dip as a stretch. I don't want to engage that max-stress push back up until I'm sure that my pecs are ready. I hold it down there, let gravity stretch me out, and usually even gently twist my torso a little bit each direction to accentuate the pec/shoulder stretch.
If you want to work dip strength at home, I bought an inexpensive old man walker (WITHOUT WHEELS!). I'm sure you can even find used ones for even cheaper. They're plenty strong and stable. Just have to keep your knees bent. And the foldable ones offer nice storage convenience.
https://i.nostr.build/zZM4.png
#strength

2024-02-25 16:26:14

While I'm definitely losing lots of gymnastics skills (or worried I'll break something if I attempt them), my baseline gymnastics strength is still decent.
https://v.nostr.build/r7Ma.mp4
I used to be able to do 3 sets of 10 of these stall bar v-ups pretty easily. Now I'm just happily surprised I was able to get to 10 total reps once (but had serious doubts on #9 and #10!!). Didn't do a second set; if I did, I'd probably crap out around 5.
For anyone who wants to work toward L-ups (legs to 90°) or V-ups (ankles to bar; what I'm doing here), find a set of stall bars like these; the back support they offer is a HUGE help. If I do these on just a normal freestanding pullup bar, it puts too much strain / torque on my lower back.
The back support also allows for the more dynamic back lift at the top (I'm not just folding in half at the waist, my hips are rolling upward against gravity so that my back is nearly horizontal). Gets the upper abs involved and changes the shoulder angle/lat pull action.
#abs #strength

2024-02-25 16:08:28

- reply

Oh, I misunderstood your term "deficit". That's counter-intuitive. Additional weight would be the opposite of a deficit, no?
I don't do any strength training with weights. Partially it's my bias due to my gymnastics background (our gymnastics-specific strength workouts with just our own body weight are already nearly impossible). Also I think the additional strain of weights just increases odds of injury.
For us, when a strength exercise gets too easy, we just add the next gymnastics modification to it to make it impossible again!
Push ups too easy? Do handstand pushups or work planche-push ups. Holding an L-sit too easy? Work a V-sit, then a Manna:
https://bodyweighttrainingarena.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/manna.png