Michael W Lucas :flan_on_fire:

Kvetching, not complaining.

Writes books. Pet rats. Martial arts. Punch Nazis & terfs. If it wasn't on Industrial Records it's not industrial music, it's just sparkling noise. He/him. Bangpath old. Detroit, MI, US. Gelato!

Public Key

npub1je7x7wacp8f6u7gns9gra3cdpkn20mrnvmurklqydeedpgr536vqq0c34g

NIP-05 Address

[email protected]

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsfvlr08wuqn5aw0yfcz5p7cuxsmf48a3ekd7pm0szxuuks5p6gaxqpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerfw36x7tnsw43q70vf3w

Publishing to

relay.ditto.pub

Author Public Key

npub1je7x7wacp8f6u7gns9gra3cdpkn20mrnvmurklqydeedpgr536vqq0c34g

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Last Notes

2026-08-23 19:46:24 GMT

Pet #startrek theory:
CBS' new boss declared that Trek was too woke, so they canceled the Academy show and gutted the last two seasons of SNW.

2026-08-23 17:00:21 GMT

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@nprofile…09dw Carney sucks soooo much less than anyone over here.

2026-08-23 16:36:15 GMT

So many US citizens don't understand the nature of US power.
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/the-us-canada-trainwreck-and-the-limits-of-american-power

2026-08-18 03:01:21 GMT

Oh. Right. I should shill a thing. It's my stupid job.
Uh... Christmas is coming? You have been warned? Https://mwl.io/ks
There! Nailed it!

2026-08-09 21:20:56 GMT

(runs into street screaming) "Soylent Green is human flesh!"
"What, like Amazon and Google?"
"No! It's real human flesh!"
"Oh, you mean like Exxon and Ford?"
"No! Literally!"
"Ah! Like Kraft! Gotcha. But what you gonna do? It is what it is."

2026-08-02 18:10:31 GMT

As a newly divorced writer, I have the freedom to I stop for ice cream whenever I want. This tiny town has more oddball art galleries than I've seen anywhere. Quirky coffee shops galore. The indie creamery makes their own ice cream from scratch and even offers gelato for dogs. I stroll down the marina street, enjoying my cone, window shopping at yet another quirky gift shop, when a tiny logo catches my eye.
This is a Hallmark Village.
If they take me alive I will be assigned a golden retriever, a fleece jacket, and a coffee shop before the sun goes down.
My glasses have turned darker in the sun. That'll help hide the dread in my eyes.
I straighten my Front Line Assembly hoodie. Protective camouflage, declaring "You don't want this one."
If I can make it back to the car, I'll be fine.
Keep licking the cone. Walk steady.
The guy sweeping the sidewalk in front of the used bookstore gives me a smile. "Good morning!" Giving a cheery greeting will invite conversation. A cold shoulder will invite attention. I settle for a noncommittal nod and a "Hi."
I'm almost past when the bookseller says, "Hey, what's that on your shirt?"
My heart plunges like a brick.
The hoodie has slipped open, exposing the T-shirt from the Capybara Cafe petting zoo. That's not just sweet, it's saccharine.
I pretend I don't hear. Keep moving. Don't let my feet speed up. If I panic, they'll be on me.
Behind me someone mutters, "We have a Grump."
The car is only a block away.
I can make it.
But between us, the coffee shop door opens.
Four men come out. One says, "I don't know where we're going to find another marina volunteer."
My stomach knots.
They've sent the Cinnamon Rolls after me.
#microfic
https://cdn.hosted.spacebear.ee/sb-53d788bcd8441bb97cfb7a64f2552521/media_attachments/files/117/027/246/406/657/415/original/c3b33461a448f214.jpg

2026-07-25 00:55:17 GMT

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@nprofile…vrnn :flan_XD: yeah, SSH certs are the bomb.

2026-07-24 20:54:48 GMT

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@nprofile…vrnn thank you. glad my repeated banging my head against the wall helps!

2026-07-24 20:32:48 GMT

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@nprofile…vrnn no, no, that's basically the process? :flan_tired:

2026-07-24 19:28:35 GMT

"Yes, you could replace all the disks simultaneously, if you’d like to shatter your day with a glorious festival of I/O contention." #openzfsmastery
Wrote about log and cache devices today, and expanding pools by replacing disks with larger disks.
The book is underway! I'd appreciate your help keeping the lights on as I finish it. https://mwl.io/sponsor

2026-07-23 14:36:27 GMT

also: whoever bought me the nice trackball?
Thank you. It's a huge help on this wide desk.

2026-07-21 20:46:02 GMT

"Lucas has run high-volume netflow collectors, where data is written all day every day for as long as the doomed disks endure. He considered adjusting metadata redundancy when the disk couldn’t keep up. If it helped, he copied new data off to more fortunate storage every hour and started budgeting for faster storage."
#openzfsmastery datasets chapter done at last! On to scrubs, repairs, and pool changes.
Want your name in the book? Sponsors get that! https://mwl.io/sponsor

2026-07-20 17:59:07 GMT

Windows has an option where if you hit CTRL, your mouse gets highlighted with a shrinking circle. It's invaluable on multiple-monitor systems.
Does MacOS have anything similar?

2026-07-15 13:58:27 GMT

NAT is not a firewall. Here's a tool to prove it.
https://sa.my/slipstream/
(h/t @nprofile…sy2p )

2026-07-11 17:39:23 GMT

Every men's room should be stocked with tampons and pads at all times.
After all, tampons and pads are very useful for treating gunshot wounds. Gunshot wounds are very manly. Let people be manly.

2026-07-08 16:34:53 GMT

Trying running my office on wireless. Things connect, but seemed laggy compared to the dmarc. Speedtest.net is not a great way to test connectivity, but performing two consecutive tests against the same server is a reasonable test.
Mac Studio wifi: 18mbs down, 16 up. Good enough to work, but I'm paying for 300mbs.
Mac Studio ethernet to Mikrotik wifi bridge: 210mbs down, 200 up.
Sigh. Apparently I'm back on my Redundant Array of Inexpensive Crap kick. #sysadmin

2026-07-06 20:40:02 GMT

If the Netherlands are on my bug-out list, maybe I *should* consider FOSDEM?
Fly into Brussels. Hop the bus for Amsterdam. Poke around for a week, see what I think. Have stroopwaffle for my 60thh birthday. Hit the con, go home.
But 8,000 people? :flan_yikes: That promises to be utterly overwhelming.

2026-07-05 13:36:07 GMT

Researching countries to reliably emigrate to, where I can work as a writer and I can provide an way station for friends who must leave the US in a hurry. (I know, I know, "the midterms will fix everything," but I want to prepare.)
Many countries that are advertised as expat-friendly require resources I lack.
I keep winding up with the same list: Netherlands and Thailand.
I have friends in the Netherlands, but housing is challenging and Dutch is notoriously difficult to learn. I could probably manage it financially, but am concerned about those who would follow me.
Thailand is cheap and they welcome anyone but the weather... holy crap, the weather.
"Just leave the US." Ha!

2026-07-05 12:06:02 GMT

Cage cleaning day, and we are BETRAYED #petRats #rats
https://cdn.hosted.spacebear.ee/sb-53d788bcd8441bb97cfb7a64f2552521/media_attachments/files/116/867/276/858/312/519/original/cdbc1f79adb3c135.jpg

2026-07-01 18:28:15 GMT

Now that I have native IPv6 at home, thinking it's time for a new netflow book. I no longer run a backbone, though, so I don't have a great big WAN. Pondering focus/titles:
Netflow for the Home (lol, no)
Netflow for Sysadmins?
Lab Netflow?
It seems nfsen/nfdump is the best toolkit out there that supports IPv6, but the reporting tools are nowhere near as good as flow-tools. This book is gonna need a bunch of sed, awk, and sort.

2026-07-01 14:03:40 GMT

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@nprofile…k04d once you're on pkgbase, freebsd-update should never be used again.
If it is used, the only possible effects would be harmful. (Unless they add a check that exits if pkgbase is detected, maybe?)

2026-07-01 13:59:40 GMT

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@nprofile…3hl3 good for her!
lots of tricks to get them comfy with you!
The biggest tricks are bribery and consent, which are very difficult for humans.

2026-07-01 13:37:42 GMT

#FreeBSD #pkgbase wish list:
make freebsd-update its own package, so it can be easily removed.

2026-07-01 13:31:11 GMT

Fermi ran up and stretched out for pets. Of course I obliged. I'm not a monster. Well, not *that* kind of monster.
His brothers had to investigate, but finally decided it was fine and they could proceed with their escapades. #petRats #rats
https://cdn.hosted.spacebear.ee/sb-53d788bcd8441bb97cfb7a64f2552521/media_attachments/files/116/844/963/569/205/504/original/c3a2d46db3b8ac71.mp4

2026-06-29 20:11:58 GMT

I blocked the "let's share articles expressing software licensing in sexualized terms" dude.
Seriously, if you have to make misogynistic, misanthropic, and wildly disrespectful alt-right comparisons to recruit people, you're recruiting bad people and poisoning your team.

2026-06-28 18:37:53 GMT

In the unlikely event you care, I have a new FAQ at the end of https://mwl.io/faq#books

2026-06-28 18:07:30 GMT

Me: "Okay Lucas, it's getting hot. That means drink more water. Maybe tea, or add a slice of lemon, but no drinking calories. No soda or milkshakes. Whatever you do, no frozen cokes! Yes, you love them, but those things are death and you know it."
The view every time I leave my apartment:
https://cdn.hosted.spacebear.ee/sb-53d788bcd8441bb97cfb7a64f2552521/media_attachments/files/116/829/063/509/287/082/original/8dceeef2c5fa95d7.jpg

2026-06-28 15:28:31 GMT

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@nprofile…08vq @nprofile…x7ye
The question is, what's important: the software, or the people?
People are more important.
Imagine the cost in human suffering if Microsoft had written their own TCP/IP stack. Harm reduction is legitimate.
Different goals.

2026-06-28 15:21:10 GMT

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@nprofile…08vq @nprofile…x7ye
The purpose of the BSD license is to improve the minimum quality of software for core functions.
If you can't write a better TCP/IP stack than that in a BSD, don't. Just use ours. Or a better filesystem than UFS, or any number of other things.
People benefit, and people are the priority.

2026-06-28 15:00:44 GMT

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@nprofile…x7ye The author of this piece does not understand the point or purpose of MIT/BSD licensing.

2026-06-27 16:49:06 GMT

Looks like Comcast routed only the first /64 of my /56 to me. :flan_rage:
Getting their helpdesk to accept a call, let alone explain IPv6 to them, is a freaking nightmare.

2026-06-26 13:08:46 GMT

If Ukraine beats Russia, and Russia beats us, the transitive property means Ukraine beat us. That's just logical.

2026-06-25 18:07:36 GMT

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Got into the #openzfsmastery manuscript and found I had to fact-check a Debian detail.
Which means getting my crashbox online.
My office has no cabling. Connection options are a wifi bridge or ethernet-over-power.
If I use ether-over-power, I must either daisy-chain powerstrips or buy a powerstrip with many plugs and a ten-foot cord. My experience with EoP has been unpleasant, but that might have been because the old house was wired in 1949 by a clearly PTSD-addled pipefitter.
I have on hand a couple of Mikrotiks with wifi. In theory, a bridge should be easy. In practice, I'll probably burn the rest of the day on this. :flan_despair:

2026-06-22 17:23:24 GMT

hey #montaguePortal fans: a new Aidan Redding story?
https://www.tiltedwindmillpress.com/product/without-hinges-with-consent/

2026-06-21 18:55:35 GMT

lingering Defenestrated Edition signed books packed and ready to ship tomorrow at 9AM!
Whew. I hate leaving things incomplete, even when the reason is a solid "had to pack up and move NOW."

2026-06-21 17:06:01 GMT

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@nprofile…t7ks they're repaving it now, and digging up the sidewalks simultaneously. It's a whole new level of the Inferno. :flan_XD: :flan_piteous:

2026-06-21 14:52:03 GMT

New blog post: Saucer Separation and Amazon Wishlist
https://mwl.io/archives/24854
I dislike having a wishlist with the Bezosbeast, but I am where I am. :flan_shrug:

2026-06-21 00:23:08 GMT

Me: "Visiting a friend four miles away, and traffic is stupid. I'm gonna ride my bike! I will swoop around all the stupidity and be there about as quick as driving could get me there! Nothing can stop me!"
Reality:
https://cdn.hosted.spacebear.ee/sb-53d788bcd8441bb97cfb7a64f2552521/media_attachments/files/116/785/237/987/011/201/original/d4ee692e773b814b.jpg
https://cdn.hosted.spacebear.ee/sb-53d788bcd8441bb97cfb7a64f2552521/media_attachments/files/116/785/238/166/088/004/original/7d994e98c1fbf165.jpg

2026-06-16 22:25:12 GMT

One of those nights I wouldn't bother to feed myself, but the guys are accustomed to tidbits of my dinner and I can't bear to disappoint them.
So I guess I'm cooking something, dammit.

2026-06-14 01:02:59 GMT

minimum viable orange chicken: white rice, chicken nuggets, bottled orange sauce

2026-06-13 22:41:34 GMT

The plus about my life blowing up: I can join Monsterdon tomorrow night! That'll be nice.
(checks hashtag, sees what's lined up)
Oh. My. Dog. I haven't seen this in forty years. For reasons.
Oh well, at least it's not Laserblast.

2026-06-13 20:58:14 GMT

While reassembling my desk, what if I was to... bear with me here... make the power distribution slightly sane and stop daisy-chaining extension cords? #sysadmin

2026-06-13 20:30:06 GMT

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@nprofile…gent as the author of the world's best-selling systemd porn, I agree.

2026-06-13 20:22:18 GMT

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@nprofile…gent so say all of us, sir.

2026-06-13 11:49:51 GMT

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@nprofile…detv cats can't have garlic? Wow, didn't know that.

2026-06-12 16:08:24 GMT

Baked a pack of bacon for dinner BLTs on these hot days.
The guys live about ten feet from the kitchen now. I turned around to see... this.
Yes they got tidbits, I'm not a monster. #petRats #rats
https://cdn.hosted.spacebear.ee/sb-53d788bcd8441bb97cfb7a64f2552521/media_attachments/files/116/737/998/075/998/387/original/8cb0b7fb6cb8f77b.jpg

2026-06-12 12:24:58 GMT

New blog post: Saucer Separation
https://mwl.io/archives/24839
Possibly of interest to @nprofile…gs2m

2026-06-11 11:19:20 GMT

I can't attend #bsdcan this year. Sad to miss my first year in decades, and my first as con chair alumni.
Con chair @nprofile…ape8 is doing a fine job, though. Everything is fine. Remember, Pat: EVERYTHING IS FINE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7sE0agEVNg

2026-06-10 16:11:56 GMT

Our current methods of time travel are kind of crap, what with their fixed speed of one second per second.
But you can escape 2026 by taking a step sideways. The Escape From 2026 Bundle, with 14 great books about time travel and alternate histories.
When the bundle ends, my "Tiny Time Wars" disappears forever.
https://storybundle.com/timetravel
https://cdn.hosted.spacebear.ee/sb-53d788bcd8441bb97cfb7a64f2552521/media_attachments/files/116/726/684/612/823/528/original/eae24afd305cd4e0.png

2026-06-08 15:55:42 GMT

New apartment doesn't have bed, usable kitchen, unpacked bathroom, desk, or table. I can't find my underwear.
But I now have working Internet! :flan_thumbs:

2026-06-06 00:48:31 GMT

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@nprofile…6g65 yeah, if I thought anyone was going to take me seriously, I'd put more thought into the list. :flan_shrug:

2026-06-06 00:44:56 GMT

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@nprofile…6g65 you are correct.
it's still what I believe we should do.

2026-06-06 00:38:00 GMT

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for the record: I feel I've been robbed of the word "conservative."
I save for the future. I take care of my own people, pay my taxes, and engage in local politics. I contribute to charitable causes to support folks less fortunate. I want efficient government. I want society to reward hard work while caring for those who can't work. Working forty hours should cover your rent, feeding 2.1 kids, and a couple weeks camping by the lake with your feet up. Your religion shouldn't be my problem or my business. Getting your appendix removed shouldn't destroy your life.
Solidly conservative.

2026-06-05 22:57:44 GMT

Proof I hate the movers.
https://cdn.hosted.spacebear.ee/sb-53d788bcd8441bb97cfb7a64f2552521/media_attachments/files/116/699/971/016/920/883/original/edca36179acd4be9.jpg

2026-06-05 17:54:16 GMT

"Hello Comcast, I need a static IPv6 block."
"Static IP, no problem."
Paperwork lists single IPv4. Nice, but unnecessary.
"Hello Comcast Business Support, I need a static IPv6 block."
"Uh... let me escalate."
Escalate.
Escalate.
Escalate.
Clue achieved, nice chat with knowledgeable person. Can't issue a /56 without a /32 for stupid reasons, though. Okay, fine.

2026-06-03 13:15:16 GMT

Quercy loves hard work. He could watch it all day. #petRats #rats
https://cdn.hosted.spacebear.ee/sb-53d788bcd8441bb97cfb7a64f2552521/media_attachments/files/116/686/356/681/659/845/original/7f34de12cc4ae4c8.jpg

2026-06-02 13:54:55 GMT

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@nprofile…mluu that's the thing with algorithmic index funds; there is no choice.
spaceX has changed the rules to benefit them, so I'm out.

2026-06-02 12:55:23 GMT

AI companies are on the edge of IPO.
Pondering emptying our index fund into savings.

2026-05-31 08:57:29 GMT

I never had insomnia until I got married. It's gotten worse every year.
Maybe it'll eventually go away?

2026-05-31 01:09:34 GMT

I must admit, I find "Two Men and a Truck Moving Company" refreshing. I hired them today to move me to my new apartment. The service description on the contract reads "Two men, one truck."
No AI. No app. Just call them and you get exactly what it says on the label.

2026-05-30 15:10:18 GMT

Folks, I'm not interested in ripping on my wife.
We are separating with mutual compassion.
Getting angry only makes things worse. There's no reason or purpose for it.

2026-05-30 13:19:28 GMT

Two identical boxes, one labeled ETHERNET OVER POWER and the other POWER OVER ETHERNET.
Can I pack them inside each other?

2026-05-30 12:25:32 GMT

If you have fifteen minutes, the Tiny Angry Witch is good for a laugh.
https://www.tinyangrywitch.com/
Stop motion shorts by the Tiny Angry Company. Incredible attention to detail, all done by hand!

2026-05-27 14:16:25 GMT

I'm locked in here with ME.

2026-05-25 12:15:51 GMT

it's the glorious 25th of May, and the lilac is in bloom.

2026-05-24 21:47:58 GMT

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@nprofile…22g8 I recommend Ubik, yes. It's a trip, but you're warned.

2026-05-24 21:33:17 GMT

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@nprofile…22g8 Time out of Joint is a decent place to start!
Martian Time-Slip, Clans of the Alphane Moon, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, Dr. Bloodmoney.
A Scanner Darkly will break your heart.

2026-05-20 20:56:59 GMT

I have said many times that I have over three feet of Dick.
Turns out it's only thirty-four inches.
I apologize to all the people I have disappointed.
https://cdn.hosted.spacebear.ee/sb-53d788bcd8441bb97cfb7a64f2552521/media_attachments/files/116/608/899/038/420/726/original/45aab8230558a37e.jpg

2026-05-19 14:51:40 GMT

She Who Must Be Obeyed took a bunch of photos of me, trying to get one that's right for a passport.
Losing weight has made shifted my look from "possible psychopath" to "several felonies, goat abuser, probably a Trump fan."
Best if i skip the passport and never leave the house again.

2026-05-18 14:57:52 GMT

When management makes unfair demands, what sentences and phrases are statistically likely to follow?
https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/crappy-boss-ai-marxist

2026-05-18 14:44:37 GMT

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@nprofile…4g6z @nprofile…r7np
That was @nprofile…htpe who posted it, but no single site has every song.
Which, by the way, I find artistically gratifying. Go dig up that music yourself!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FV1YVZV-Wb8

2026-05-18 14:13:29 GMT

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@nprofile…4g6z @nprofile…r7np wait, I posted the playlist somewhere???

2026-05-18 13:13:31 GMT

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@nprofile…r7np I am explicitly telling you to not watch the movie, but to read the book. If you watch the movie, I will be reminded that "some people can't be helped."

2026-05-18 12:58:48 GMT

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@nprofile…r7np it's a satirical retelling.

2026-05-17 18:54:27 GMT

I'm noodling over the final "git commit murder" book, and there's a tidbit that keeps whispering to me but I will absolutely not use.
In book 1 there's a tertiary character that's a blatant self-insert. He's setting, nothing more.
For book 3, part of me wants to have that character return and immediately get killed. We go on to solve the other twisty murders but that guy's murder? It remains unsolved. Nobody remarks on it again. He's dead, and that's fine with everyone.
Funny to me? Yes. Leaves the reader hanging? Also yes. Too meta, won't do it. (Mind you, Midsomer Murders does this crap all the time.)
There! I've spoiled it! Maybe this will expunge the idea?

2026-05-17 17:54:43 GMT

"I grew up seeing the Laserblast VHS box in the video rental store, and I could sense the Bad radiating from it. I never actually touched it. Then, decades later, MWL found a monkey's paw and wrote this as one of his wishes." -- Goodreads review
It's summer. You need a summer read. Like my latest novel. Because the 1980s *deserve* to be blown up. #ebook #scifi
https://mwl.io/static/books/laserblasted.html

2026-05-14 10:36:18 GMT

Do not buy a car from this rat. The seats will be gnawed and it will have a distinct odor of rodent. #petRats #rats
https://cdn.hosted.spacebear.ee/sb-53d788bcd8441bb97cfb7a64f2552521/media_attachments/files/116/572/485/232/159/433/original/d406953179e2f81e.jpg

2026-05-12 01:58:28 GMT

Anyone out there used Asendia for international shipping? I'd like to upload a CSV of destination addresses and get shipping labels for Kickstarter/sponsorship fulfillment.
It'd save my backers a whole bunch of money.

2026-05-11 12:38:21 GMT

Truffle and Fermi, ready to take on the week!
By "take on the week," they mean "nap."
Behind them, Quercy is already engaged in this vital labor. #petRats #rats
https://cdn.hosted.spacebear.ee/sb-53d788bcd8441bb97cfb7a64f2552521/media_attachments/files/116/555/978/112/425/357/original/6e544c0f5575e68b.jpg

2026-05-08 11:57:55 GMT

"It's in God's hands."
"Yes, and *we* are God's hands."
--
"It is what it is."
"Until it becomes what we make it."
--
"YOLO."
"Yes, so we better make it worthwhile."
--
Always answer thought-terminating cliches.

2026-05-06 16:23:08 GMT

Weird #FreeBSD #pkgbase thing. #sysadmin
I updated my hosts from 14->15 with freebsd-update, then ran pkgbaseify and switched to pkgbase. No problem.
My jails & bhyves update, no problem.
# freebsd-version
15.0-RELEASE-p8
The bare metal install?
# freebsd-version
15.0-RELEASE-p4
# pkg upgrade -r FreeBSD-base
Updating FreeBSD-base repository catalogue...
FreeBSD-base repository is up to date.
FreeBSD-base is up to date.
Checking for upgrades (1 candidates): 100%
Processing candidates (1 candidates): 100%
Checking integrity... done (0 conflicting)
Your packages are up to date.
So it finds packages, but there's nothing to update? #headdesk

2026-05-06 13:11:57 GMT

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@nprofile…gent I had planned to do some writing today but nooo, I'm following your example.

2026-05-04 13:36:16 GMT

On this May the 4th (be with you), I would like to offer my personal philosophy.
https://cdn.hosted.spacebear.ee/sb-53d788bcd8441bb97cfb7a64f2552521/media_attachments/files/116/516/569/442/699/280/original/0bfca09e18262eb8.jpg

2026-05-03 16:49:54 GMT

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@nprofile…d6ag do share your workaround, because many of us will need one!
Once I finish this tech book, I'm switching.

2026-05-01 18:22:07 GMT

Fermi needs pets. #petRats #rats
https://cdn.hosted.spacebear.ee/sb-53d788bcd8441bb97cfb7a64f2552521/media_attachments/files/116/500/705/328/717/599/original/6d09c6518ffffb3e.mp4

2026-05-01 16:39:38 GMT

why are all the robot vacuums round? Do other houses not have corners?

2026-05-01 16:02:47 GMT

Got a wedding invite link in an email, cool!
Clicked and went to look.
Tab confusion meant that I accidentally switched to the new Revolting Cocks release, You Goddamned Son Of A Bitch (live).
Which, given the folks getting married, is weirdly apropos...

2026-05-01 13:20:26 GMT

made instant pot pineapple pork last night. Worked surprisingly well!
The main failure was that I bought bone-in pork shoulder and spent far too long carving that thing up.

2026-05-01 01:19:45 GMT

Time to light the fires, sharpen the blades, and crank up the pan pipes.
Happy Walpurgisnacht, one and all!

2026-04-29 21:10:31 GMT

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@nprofile…rp8l @nprofile…92xw @nprofile…rfm3 baby Jesus is crap at feedback but knows satanic code when he smells it

2026-04-29 20:27:02 GMT

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@nprofile…92xw oh, there's no db. It's hard-coded Perl! but thanks to @nprofile…rfm3, the code won't make the Baby Jesus cry.

2026-04-29 20:14:20 GMT

missed updating my SNMP OID for last year's Christmas stories? Fix that, making 119 entries in the stupidest bibliography management tool known to humanity.

2026-04-29 15:34:49 GMT

Truffle and Quercy are spending the day the best way they know, cuddled up watching the world. #petRats #rats
https://cdn.hosted.spacebear.ee/sb-53d788bcd8441bb97cfb7a64f2552521/media_attachments/files/116/488/724/579/585/309/original/2fc68c23b594b326.jpg

2026-04-28 19:22:05 GMT

what do you mean "404 file not found" it's right freaking there! :flan_headdesk:
#sysadmin

2026-04-28 18:06:23 GMT

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@nprofile…krzu there is no escape from spite

2026-04-28 17:35:20 GMT

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Me: "While I'm reorganizing my web site, I should add a category for Spite Books. That would be fun!"
Also me: "You already have a page listing all your books, dumbass."
Me: "But--"
Also me: <hard look>
Me: (sigh) Fine. Fair point.

2026-04-28 17:08:11 GMT

Me: I could just add more HTTP redirects to redirect the redirects to the redirected--
Also me: You're an idiot. You know that, don't you? One redirect at most, you dumbass. #sysadmin

2026-04-27 17:28:55 GMT

It *appears* that me moving per-book links out of Wordpress into a separate page has made search engines completely deprioritize the actual pages for my books. :flan_heckk:
So I'm re-reorganizing.
Thankfully the pages are generated from a script, so I don't have to reproduce them all.
But it does mean I need to test various settings, like the og links. So I have to attempt to shill some books and see if web sites pick them up correctly.
First, does the page thumbnail appear or does the og promo image?
https://mwl.io/static/books/laserblasted.html
(as an aside: with Laserblasted, I finally figured out how to write jacket copy! This promo text works!)

2026-04-27 15:41:55 GMT

"Operations Help Desk, can I have your customer number?"

2026-04-27 13:43:01 GMT

one of these days I really must watch Babylon 5...
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cu605gL_HJc