irrational method

#unions #maps #bicycling #birds #woodworking #AmateurRadio, #WallaWallaWA & #PNW, judaism, neurodiversity, parenting, trying to be a 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ally

professionally: water, infrastructure, engineering models (software), risk & uncertainty

personal account. employers views != my own, boosts != endorsements, etc.

follow requests welcome.

(alt text: avatar is a man with a kid on his shoulders, back to camera, on a hike; header is two rows of concrete blocks in a dry trapezoidal flood channel)

pronouns: he/him
infrequently updated blog: https://www.indiahotelxray.org
life history in NANP Area Codes: 509 ↖️ 303 ⬅️ 202 ↙️ 609

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npub1jlk2ufqxd462v9wj92hpef4g2dcwl9l5leffkqqdd5frjek8aw2qafmvun

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[email protected]

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nprofile1qqsf0m9wysrx6a9xzhfz4tsu5659xu80jl60u55mqqxk6y3evmr7h9qprpmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0d4hhxarj9ecxjmntzw66wu

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relay.momostr.pink

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npub1jlk2ufqxd462v9wj92hpef4g2dcwl9l5leffkqqdd5frjek8aw2qafmvun

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Published at

2026-05-23T19:38:16Z

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Last Notes

2026-03-28 19:39:07 GMT

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I'm a bit disappointed that "flush capacity (golf balls)" isn't a search option here.

2026-03-28 19:10:23 GMT

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Help me choose (2/n)

2026-03-28 19:08:42 GMT

Too many choices, help me choose (1/n - because only 4 at a time)

2026-03-15 19:03:42 GMT

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Oh, I didn't realize it was a mandatory requirement?! Yuck. It's not even the driving monitoring but also all the telemetry that is already in place that was bothering me.

2026-03-15 18:53:08 GMT

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Yes, all the privacy concerns with newer vehicles are one of the biggest thing stopping me from getting an EV right now. We're still considering buying one this year, but likely buying used or waiting to see how the Slate Truck rollout goes.

2026-02-24 03:02:37 GMT

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I might have some news for you about the demographics of the US Air Force...

2026-01-26 20:24:28 GMT

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Yeah, given my few times going to estate sales or just cleaning up my parents' house, I suspect there's a fair bit of seriously dangerous stuff in rusting cans spread through garages throughout the country. Between old pesticides, solvents, and even explosives. 😬 Let alone lots of hobbies that need some nasty stuff.
Not surprised that enough of it becomes a situation where the local fire department needs to be involved. (Just imagine some folks just throw it in the dumpster?!)

2026-01-20 01:32:19 GMT

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In the last couple of days using it, I'm quite impressed. I haven't been very happy with any home music streaming since my AirPort Express died and I stopped using iTunes around 2015.
Everyone I've heard mention it before seemed happy but framed it as "really just for old Squeezebox devices".

2026-01-20 00:28:39 GMT

big weekend home technology wins:
- #lyrion music server up and running and streaming to several devices simultaneously, with a #beets based import process to fix up mp3 metadata
- #paperless-ngx to digitize a bunch of paperwork
- #homebox to save warranty, manuals, other information for home inventory
- #bookstack to document configurations and future things to do with it
Here's to a good start to a year of cancelling big tech dependencies!

2026-01-17 02:34:18 GMT

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I should very much have clarified that I'm critiquing the substantial expansion of the idea beyond official recognition within the military, but that'd ruin my otherwise pithy joke.
There's some really cringy ones being used by law enforcement and other bad actors in the US.

2026-01-17 00:14:28 GMT

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Also going to note that none of those appear to have skulls, fire, and magic eight balls.

2026-01-17 00:12:56 GMT

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wow that's a big pile - I have quite a bit less than that
(not lumping you in here of course! 😅)

2026-01-16 23:56:59 GMT

challenge coins are just knock-off pogs for the toxic masculinity crowd.

2026-01-12 21:21:30 GMT

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Oh yeah, I voted for the one I use, not the revelation from this post that I choose to ignore.

2025-12-31 22:28:25 GMT

Well I had planned to introduce my kid to my old Lego motors, and eventually #Mindstorms kit, but discovered my #LEGO wires (1990s era) were all losing their insulation.
So, having looked a bit online, I found a few pages detailing how to repair these and just gave it a try. I'll have to write up a bit more on a blog post with thoughts, but I'm so glad I got a couple of these functioning again.
#righttorepair #toys #parenting #electronics
https://social-coop-media.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/media_attachments/files/115/816/521/664/161/532/original/67689e9ec4ed83a6.jpg

2025-12-20 03:11:10 GMT

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sending hugs
(having also recently lost a wonderfully sweet cat)

2025-12-13 21:04:42 GMT

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Oh - I've had the the notion to build a minimal but functional computer out of logic chips. (way more soldering than would be enjoyable!)
I'm not sure what the limits for this would be, possibly using ALUs and not discrete gates. But no chips that constitute a full processor on their own.

2025-12-13 18:34:47 GMT

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oh no... This has been on things I want to build but don't have the skills to design from scratch.

2025-12-12 16:08:51 GMT

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I have thankfully never seen one up close enough to tell for sure, but it seems like a moose is at least as large as 4* elk in body mass, so this seems a bit less surprising. But yes, when I've seen them in RMNP, it was always in a bog chewing on some willows.
*okay, realistically twice an elk. But they're huge.

2025-12-03 15:29:31 GMT

Over the weekend we had a very birdy day in the yard - a flock of warblers, a group of flickers, a ruby-crowned kinglet, and the usual winter juncos. In the group of warblers was an orange crowned warbler, which is a first for our yard!
We've been slowly adding native plants and other good bird habitat features to the yard, so it's really wonderful to see it paying off.
#birds #gardening #backyardbirding #badBirdPhotos #thePhotosNotTheBirds
https://social-coop-media.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/media_attachments/files/115/656/319/740/754/337/original/f27aca82377a4a80.jpg
https://social-coop-media.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/media_attachments/files/115/656/320/752/456/057/original/9d928625d327cc63.jpg

2025-11-16 23:51:20 GMT

Kind of surprised at the number of political solicitations I get via text for races that are nowhere near where I live and for candidates I would never support.
Also surprising how often "go fuck yourself" gets a response of "you have been unsubscribed".

2025-08-10 00:16:22 GMT

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I was just hoping to generate a little buzz!

2025-08-09 23:20:38 GMT

Sure my #nanoVNA didn't come with the required 18650 battery to make it portable, but now I can patent the hand-cranked human powered vector network analyzer.
#AmateurRadio
https://social-coop-media.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/media_attachments/files/115/001/354/445/837/650/original/d4ede747189bb4b8.jpg

2025-07-29 12:50:24 GMT

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North Cascades Highway is quite cool, enjoy the drive!
The Rainy Lake Hike makes for a nice spot to get out and stretch your legs.

2025-07-17 14:53:41 GMT

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Considering moving to Oregon just to get the puffin plate.
(No not really, but it crossed my mind when I first saw the announcement)

2025-07-08 18:36:06 GMT

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Was this inspired by my post last night about the Rice Museum? Because that description is perfect.

2025-07-08 03:51:59 GMT

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Oh, and a bit more from the museum's website about the crab fossils - they are a temporary exhibit:
They're all from one person who finds round rocks and then removes the surrounding material to show the fossil - and he does this as a hobby! (I find people's hobbies so fascinating!) And some of his fossils are on display at the Smithsonian!
https://ricenorthwestmuseum.org/fossilcrabprep/

2025-07-08 03:35:38 GMT

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Anyhow, if you are in the Portland area and have a vehicle to get up to Hillsborough, you should check it out... Regardless of your interest in rocks.
We went to Los Angeles earlier in the month on a long weekend trip, and for my kid made a stop at the Natural History Museum there, for their large collection. The Rice Museum just as large, and even more engaging.
https://ricenorthwestmuseum.org/

2025-07-08 03:33:08 GMT

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So the museum was the house of the Rice family whose collection was the original start of the museum.
(Not all theirs though, some of the collection , like the petrified wood, crab fossils above, were donated by other collectors.)
They built their house in the 1950s with the intent of displaying their collection, and it's a beautiful bit of mid-century architecture. After they moved out in the 1990s, the museum was opened to the public.
For example - their basement bar:
https://social-coop-media.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/media_attachments/files/114/815/500/998/521/199/original/8bd475e3b974154e.jpg

2025-07-08 03:30:10 GMT

I want to highlight a really cool #museum just outside #Portland, #Oregon: the Rice Museum of #Rocks and #Minerals! A real hidden #gem! (Pun intended)
We visited last week as part of a trip to take my kid to a two night sleep away camp at OMSI. He's been into #geology for a few years, and this place blew away all of our expectations.
https://social-coop-media.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/media_attachments/files/114/815/454/978/716/728/original/e64c2af5ade54977.jpg
https://social-coop-media.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/media_attachments/files/114/815/454/914/543/558/original/66e3ae50731341c5.jpg
https://social-coop-media.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/media_attachments/files/114/815/454/972/332/354/original/49f921752e6db0c3.jpg
https://social-coop-media.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/media_attachments/files/114/815/455/651/285/938/original/abfc36c49add92c5.jpg

2025-06-06 00:32:03 GMT

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nice! Homemade tomato soup is so much better than store bought, and not terribly hard?

2025-05-13 15:39:17 GMT

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(Ah, SNOTEL is briefly mentioned towards the end of the article. I'm not sure what the status of the conversion to other transmission methods is, but 10-15 years ago it was still meteor-scatter based.)

2025-05-13 15:32:49 GMT

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In the western US, the "SNOTEL" (snow telemetry) system of remote weather stations that take measurements of snowpack to inform water supply forecasts uses this method to return data for a number of sites, although I believe they are transitioning a number of sites to a satellite based system.
Also amateur radio operators still do this, for fun!
I have used the SNOTEL data professionally, and have bounced messages off of meteors for fun a few times.

2025-04-13 15:55:51 GMT

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Ouch, as someone raised in the state, I'm offended, but I gotta laugh... 😂

2025-04-13 13:36:48 GMT

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Ah yes.
It's mostly Standard ML but:
- the standard libraries are all named for Bruce Springsteen albums; default binary produced is called born2.run,
- the compiler messages are derived from quotes out of mob movies,
- the license prohibits use in the state of New York.

2025-03-26 20:01:52 GMT

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Wait. Is that a thing on other social networks? (It seems so from the recent NPR piece about ADHD content on TikTok, but oy, I am so glad I only have a presence here.

2025-02-14 03:14:00 GMT

With the federal RTO mandate, I'm back to a cubicle farm. I have a cranky neighbor - the latest issue is that my typing is too loud.
tbf, I have a mechanical keyboard with "blue" clicky switches, because my hands don't hurt at the end of the day with it.
Does anyone have recommendations for switches that have a similar feel but less noise? Are "brown" switches close enough and actually quieter? Or is there another type I should look at?

2025-01-13 23:05:53 GMT

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There's still a small bit lawn in the front that collects leaves from a magnolia-like tree. I often blow/rake a small pile for my kid to jump into.
But when that's gone, I'll have very little reason for the leaf blower.

2025-01-13 23:04:02 GMT

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Possibly a very different climate here (inland NW) with a giant oak tree that loses its leaves every fall, and many more in the neighborhood.
I'm slowly converting my lawn to native plants and veggie gardens. The leaves in the yard mostly end up in the planted areas. Wind usually takes care of the lawn, so the leaf blower comes out clean up the patio, gravel paths, and where it collects against the house.

2025-01-13 22:53:49 GMT

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From other parts of @npub1ucv…5a8g 's thread, it sounds like at the moment they' are concerns about air quality, toxins in dust (and possibly blowing around embers?!)
Outside of cataclysmic fire season though? Leaf litter is good for the ecosystem of your yard, but I don't know if there's any argument for raking vs electric, beyond less dust thrown into the air. (with the disclaimer that I use an electric blower to tidy up, but let the leaves mulch my beds over winter)

2025-01-07 20:31:38 GMT

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For every post I make with "meta" in it, I promise I will also post a recipe with feta.
Enjoy!
https://www.themediterraneandish.com/last-minute-mediterranean-feta-cheese-dip/

2025-01-07 20:30:01 GMT

Well... I really don't use/need that lurker instagram account I created when some twitter mutuals moved over there.

2024-12-13 18:06:02 GMT

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Well, I got tickets!

2024-12-10 18:22:35 GMT

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That sounds like a pretty good show.
I'll make a note in my calendar to try to snag tickets.

2024-12-10 18:10:30 GMT

Jason Isbell is coming to our new outdoor concert venue in town. Maybe the first act I am actually interested in seeing... Now I have to decide if I want to try to get tickets...

2024-12-04 16:40:41 GMT

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And given some of what I've seen about Telegram I would trust that app even less, let alone the folks who promote it.

2024-12-04 16:37:56 GMT

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I've used WhatsApp when traveling overseas as it was preferred by our group for messaging, vs text messaging (due to fees mostly)
But I would not use it or trust it otherwise.
I actually tried to create a lurker/pseudonym FB account last week, in order to get around their persistent request to log in while monitoring some local pages. After "following" six of them, it declared I was a spammer and stopped me from interacting with anything else.

2024-12-04 16:27:26 GMT

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*The one privacy concern about matrix is some vague kerfuffle I heard about, long before using it... I think they had contracts with some law enforcement agencies, that raised concerns in the user community?
I'm not clear what the issue was, and can't find it now -- this week some other chat thing called MATRIX got taken down by European police, and it seems to be totally unrelated but makes searching for that other issue a bit trickier.

2024-12-04 16:24:23 GMT

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Signal seems to be the most legitimate, but I'm mostly going off second- and third- hand experience. They recently moved to anonymous usernames, previously used your phone #, which was the one questionable thing about their platform. I don't use it much but I do have an account.
I use Matrix regularly for a project, but not specifically for its encryption. I hear mostly* good things about their security, but the user experience and getting started in particular is rougher.

2024-12-02 21:20:01 GMT

Brief #introduction:
Hey all, I'm Evan! I'm moving here from @npub1npt…az06 as this is a less-topic-focused instance.
My hobbies are #bike commuting, #birding, #woodworking, #AmateurRadio*, being on the board at my shul, and I'm parent to a young kid. I'll probably post/boost mostly on those topics.
work-wise, I'm a civil engineer turned software developer, following a lot of folks from an interest in infrastructure/society/water, other topics around those.
(*see @npub1ywp…602s for radio stuff)