Nostr notes by Matt Blaze

This was an opportunistic capture from a hotel balcony, made with ...

2026-03-07T19:27:52Z

In reply to nevent1q…6uf8
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This was an opportunistic capture from a hotel balcony, made with a small camera and 90mm lens. I made several exposures, waiting for good light, which came out briefly for this one.

The wrong gear is definitely better than nothing, but still not as good as the right gear. This is a perfectly acceptable image, but I can't look at it without wishing I had used a view camera, a higher resolution sensor, and a slightly longer lens. But if I had insisted on that, I'd have no image at all.

One of the occasionally heartbreaking aspects of studying ...

2026-02-18T21:05:25Z

One of the occasionally heartbreaking aspects of studying surveillance tech is being swept into long email chains (often with dozens or more prominent recipients) from people convinced they’re being personally targeted and persecuted by giant conspiracies of some sort. It’s clear they’re deeply hurting and need help, but it’s of a kind I’m unqualified to provide.

It’s generally kindest not to engage, but it always saddens me.

Got three of those recently. Something’s going around.

You might think I’m a naive idiot with my comments on US ...

2026-02-03T18:36:25Z

You might think I’m a naive idiot with my comments on US elections, but I am going to continue to hold on to my idealistic view that knowing things is useful, and that sharing information about how these systems actually work has value, especially when they’re being threatened and tested.

Side note: A mile or two behind this shop is the (now ...

2026-02-02T19:31:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…nlt6
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Side note: A mile or two behind this shop is the (now inaccessible) abandoned ghost town of Drawbridge, CA, which has been slowly sinking into the bay. But that's another story for another day.

great take on a great subject

2026-01-27T04:35:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…xx03
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great take on a great subject

It's worth noting that Bovino is not part of ICE, but ...

2026-01-27T01:20:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…xllf
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It's worth noting that Bovino is *not* part of ICE, but rather the Border Patrol, which is a branch of CBP, a different agency within DHS. Even with him no longer detailed to them, ICE is still there in Minneapolis.

Bondi's extortionary demand for the Minnesota voter rolls is ...

2026-01-27T00:27:24Z

Bondi's extortionary demand for the Minnesota voter rolls is curious. Minnesota's voter rolls, like those of most states, are essentially public, including name, address, phone number (if given), and elections voted in. The only information redacted (by law) is DoB, SSN (etc) and which party's primary elections they chose to vote in.

One can only speculate on why DoJ would want the redacted information.

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/201.091

Remember that the violence and brutality of ICE is outrageous, ...

2026-01-26T20:13:32Z

Remember that the violence and brutality of ICE is outrageous, but it's not the only problem with the administration's immigration enforcement surge. It started out being about the "worst of the worst" (violent criminals), then quickly morphed to include anyone found with a status violation. But now they're CREATING status violations by mass revoking visas (especially of asylum seekers).

Many of the people being targeted and detained followed all the rules and committed no crimes or violations.

Battersea Power Station, London, UK, 2024. All the pixels, newly ...

2026-01-26T19:40:51Z

Battersea Power Station, London, UK, 2024.

All the pixels, newly renovated, at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattblaze/54079042655

#photography

House of the Temple, Washington, DC, 2023. All the pixels, each ...

2026-01-25T19:33:34Z

House of the Temple, Washington, DC, 2023.

All the pixels, each of which has passed a series of spooky tests, at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattblaze/53288608886

#photography

A non-trivial minority of Americans believe that protest is ...

2026-01-25T01:30:55Z

A non-trivial minority of Americans believe that protest is always illegitimate, and that police use of force against protestors is inherently justified. This is a failure of civics education, but it's been clearly with us throughout at least my lifetime. No matter how "perfect" the victim may be, those whose positions have metastasized this way will never be convinced.

That does not mean that protest is futile, only that we should expect that some people won't be reached by it.

A nurse who cared for veterans.

2026-01-24T22:19:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…3xug
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A nurse who cared for veterans.

Despite everything that happened at Davos, I still haven't ...

2026-01-24T02:02:25Z

Despite everything that happened at Davos, I still haven't forgotten about the Epstein files.

About 20 years ago, I was at a conference at which a very ...

2026-01-23T19:55:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…vqq0
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About 20 years ago, I was at a conference at which a very prominent "free software" advocate who you've definitely heard of was in attendance. Someone, in the hallway, was talking how he liked his new noise-canceling headphones. The free software guy overheard this and started haranguing everyone about how headphones are proprietary and restrict freedom. Someone who had no idea who he was figured he was having some kind of breakdown and called hotel security.

This is an image that works best at the highest resolution. The ...

2026-01-23T19:39:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…q3q8
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This is an image that works best at the highest resolution. The Rodenstock 138mm lens has extraordinary edge-to-edge sharpness and a general lack of distortion that makes it especially well suited to wide stitched panoramas like this one.

The effect is sort like Where's Waldo; the whole is shown mainly to invite you into the details.

Captured with the Rodenstock 138mm/6.5 HR Digaron-SW lens (@ ...

2026-01-23T19:39:21Z

In reply to nevent1q…ru7g
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Captured with the Rodenstock 138mm/6.5 HR Digaron-SW lens (@ f/7.1), Phase One IQ4-150 back (@ ISO 50, 1/125 sec), Cambo WRS 1250 camera. Stitched panorama of two images, shifted left and right +/- about 18mm.

This view reminded me of Malvina Reynolds's famous 1962 song, Little Boxes (though she was inspired by nearby Daly City). If you look closely, the houses don't quite "all look just the same", but somehow, viewed on the hillside, there's more uniformity than there is up close.

Little Boxes, University Mound, San Francisco, CA, 2024. Little ...

2026-01-23T19:39:02Z

Little Boxes, University Mound, San Francisco, CA, 2024.

Little pixels, on a hillside, at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattblaze/54062971395

Captured with a Rodenstock 50mm/4.0 HR Digaron lens (@ f/5.0) and ...

2026-01-22T18:09:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…x7zn
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Captured with a Rodenstock 50mm/4.0 HR Digaron lens (@ f/5.0) and the Phase One IQ4-150 back, shifted vertically by 12mm.

This is a straightforward, somewhat abstract, composition, emphasizing scale and lines. It converges out of sight below the foreground pier, suggesting an infinite roadway.

I shot this several times, day and night, and the nighttime image, in which the steelwork under the bridge is closer in brightness to the sky, was much more interesting. The cloudy night helps, too.

Manhattan Bridge, NYC, 2023. All the pixels, none of which can ...

2026-01-22T18:08:36Z

Manhattan Bridge, NYC, 2023.

All the pixels, none of which can afford to live there any more, at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattblaze/52841667763

#photography

AF1 diverted back to Andrews en route to Davos after an ...

2026-01-21T04:32:43Z

AF1 diverted back to Andrews en route to Davos after an electrical problem with cabin lights was identified after takeoff. Plan is to swap aircraft and give POTUS a $13 meal voucher valid for use in the terminal.

Maybe I’m out of touch with what “everyday Americans” care ...

2026-01-20T16:47:14Z

Maybe I’m out of touch with what “everyday Americans” care about, but I’ve literally never heard anyone say they wanted the US to take over Greenland. Or anything else about Greenland, come to think of it.

This is objectively 25A territory. He doesn’t know that the ...

2026-01-19T21:55:38Z

This is objectively 25A territory. He doesn’t know that the Norwegian government doesn’t select the Nobel Peace Prize winner or that Norway and Denmark are different countries.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/19/world/europe/trump-norway-greenland-nobel.html

I remember not long ago we were all debating where the line is ...

2026-01-17T03:53:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…udv6
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I remember not long ago we were all debating where the line is where we can say we're having a constitutional crisis, and then one day it was already so obvious that we were in the midst of one that no one even bothers mentioning it anymore.

"Bowl for Health", Treasure Island, San Francisco, CA, ...

2026-01-16T16:55:41Z

"Bowl for Health", Treasure Island, San Francisco, CA, 2007.

All the pixels, no special shoes required, at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattblaze/2123765265

#photography

81 Fulham Road ("Michelin House"), London, UK, 2024. All ...

2026-01-14T19:23:01Z

81 Fulham Road ("Michelin House"), London, UK, 2024.

All the pixels, each with a terrifying mascot, at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattblaze/54196628571

#photography

I find I use my $10 USB tester at least twice as often as my ...

2026-01-14T04:16:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…ztrt
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I find I use my $10 USB tester at least twice as often as my fancy multimeter. I recommend getting one with both A and C connectors (some are one or the other) and that shows current as well as voltage (most do).

(I'm assuming you're aware that open circuit voltage ...

2026-01-14T04:09:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…kjtm
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(I'm assuming you're aware that open circuit voltage testing is only useful for USB-A; USB-C has to negotiate).

A USB voltage tester is an extremely handy thing to have in the ...

2026-01-14T04:07:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…8q84
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A USB voltage tester is an extremely handy thing to have in the toolbox.

Kudos to the UPenn faculty and administration for pushing back. ...

2026-01-13T23:09:42Z

Kudos to the UPenn faculty and administration for pushing back. Also, seriously? Demanding that universities complile and hand over to the government lists of Jews on the payroll, to “protect“ Jews? No historical precedent for anything like THAT being used for nefarious purposes, no way…

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/13/upenn-trump-jews-list

In case it somehow wasn't already obvious how completely ...

2026-01-13T20:50:33Z

In case it somehow wasn't already obvious how completely repellent the administration's legal harassment of Becca Good (Renee Good's widow) is, *six* senior career prosecutors in the local US Attorney's office resigned today because they wanted no part of it.

SIX.

Aside from the war crime of attacking survivors of a shipwreck, ...

2026-01-13T01:31:00Z

Aside from the war crime of attacking survivors of a shipwreck, we must now add the war crime of perfidy.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/us/politics/us-boat-attacks-law.html?unlocked_article_code=1.EFA.7xgP.qIPINOLUNg8W [gift link]

Perfidy is a considered serious crime in war because, among other things, using civilian cover for offensive missions casts suspicion on all civilians in the theatre, putting non-combatants at risk.

Gramercy Park, NYC, 2020. All the pixels, which you can only look ...

2026-01-09T20:04:58Z

Gramercy Park, NYC, 2020.

All the pixels, which you can only look at from outside the gate, at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattblaze/49594943761

#photography

Vacant Store, BZ Corner, WA, 2011 All the pixels, open for ...

2026-01-08T20:53:37Z

Vacant Store, BZ Corner, WA, 2011

All the pixels, open for business, at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattblaze/6110374799

#photography

I know exactly what it means, and I chose my words quite ...

2026-01-08T13:14:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…jv8p
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I know exactly what it means, and I chose my words quite deliberately.

I just saw the video of the ICE shooting in Minneapolis. I ...

2026-01-08T01:54:46Z

I just saw the video of the ICE shooting in Minneapolis. I won't link to it; it's a snuff film.

I have no words, just terrified outrage.

Sandstone, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada, 2025. All the pixels, each ...

2026-01-07T19:29:42Z

Sandstone, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada, 2025.

All the pixels, each made of sand, at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattblaze/54702804473

#photography

"Pennsylvania Avenue Subway" Tunnel, Former Reading ...

2026-01-05T16:36:01Z

"Pennsylvania Avenue Subway" Tunnel, Former Reading Railroad City Branch, Philadelphia, 2004.

#photography

Waldorf-Astoria Hotel (and Neighbors), NYC, 2017. All the pixels, ...

2026-01-04T19:16:56Z

Waldorf-Astoria Hotel (and Neighbors), NYC, 2017.

All the pixels, each with an 11am checkout time, at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattblaze/32609074081

#photography

Captured with the Rodenstock 70mm/5.6 HR-Digiron-W (@ f/6.3) ...

2026-01-02T14:39:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…7c6h
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Captured with the Rodenstock 70mm/5.6 HR-Digiron-W (@ f/6.3) lens. Phase One IQ4-150 back (@ ISO 50), Cambo WRS-5005 Camera (shifted vertically -22mm, pushing the limits of the lens). 16x9 crop.

This fire escape stairwell, retrofitted onto the back of Georgetown's Healy Hall, reminded me a bit of a Piet Mondrian painting. Hard afternoon shadows added to the abstract view.

Fire Escape, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 2025. All the ...

2026-01-02T14:38:44Z

Fire Escape, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 2025.

All the pixels, none of which can be used to escape from fire, at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattblaze/544811078

#photography

If they wanted a vehicle designed for outdoor use they should ...

2025-12-31T21:48:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…jhg8
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If they wanted a vehicle designed for outdoor use they should have bought one.

all good. I appreciate your apology. For reasons I don’t really ...

2025-12-30T00:07:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…0sn2
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all good. I appreciate your apology.

For reasons I don’t really understand, I’m frequently lambasted and dog piled here for imaginary offenses like failing to include enough hashtags, failing to use content warnings on discussions of common and innocuous topics, or posting black and white photos (really).

I’m kind of fed up with this bullshit, as perhaps you can imagine.

No, I asked you how my failure to use more hashtags harms you.

2025-12-29T22:47:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…dzez
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No, I asked you how my failure to use more hashtags harms you.

How are you affected? Be specific, please.

2025-12-29T22:42:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…5xvd
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How are you affected? Be specific, please.

There's a well-preserved site in Marin County with a museum. ...

2025-12-29T22:38:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…qwxr
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There's a well-preserved site in Marin County with a museum. You can ride in the launch elevator with the missile (which they assure me is unarmed, but I still wouldn't piss them off).

Oh, was I not clear? I'm sure your local homeowners ...

2025-12-29T22:34:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…hzdt
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Oh, was I not clear? I'm sure your local homeowners association would value your services more than I do.

#Fuck #Off

2025-12-29T22:30:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…z7af
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#Fuck #Off

"May contain words with which you disagree"

2025-12-29T22:03:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…stqf
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"May contain words with which you disagree"

Nostr event nevent1qqsgwetkejz09zy3j08ged2s8fe4x3kglj262u42y4x6xkve0h787hqzyz2raryw44h7amx3u0l39vd6kc5wf3s2hyhl3wfg4zknhqnlcl3c6c4k2lv

2025-12-29T21:58:30Z

Going to need to get my block button refurbished soon.

I know you think I'm ruining this place for you. Let me offer ...

2025-12-29T21:38:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…qaa8
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I know you think I'm ruining this place for you. Let me offer some solutions that work better than telling me how, or about what topics, I should post (which works very poorly):

- Don't follow me
- Mute me
- Block me

These also work if you replace "me" with any other accounts you find irritating or uninteresting.

More yelling from the homeowners association #The #hashtag #mob ...

2025-12-29T21:35:37Z

More yelling from the homeowners association

#The #hashtag #mob #can #go #fuck #right #off.

I was recently reminded of this. A couple decades ago, I wrote a ...

2025-12-29T01:41:43Z

I was recently reminded of this.

A couple decades ago, I wrote a short paper that described how the basic approaches of cryptography and computer security lead to an efficient and practical privilege escalation attack against master-keyed mechanical lock, which I published in IEEE Security and Privacy (a nerdy computing technical journal).

https://www.mattblaze.org/papers/mk.pdf

TL;dr: Master-keyed locks have fundamental, exploitable weaknesses.

But I wasn't ready for what happened next.

1/

My policy of declining when creepy billionaires offer me rides on ...

2025-12-23T23:46:13Z

My policy of declining when creepy billionaires offer me rides on their private jets to visit their secluded Caribbean underage sex islands is starting to pay off.

2AM, Adams-Morgan, Washington, DC, 2023. All the pixels, open 24 ...

2025-12-23T15:25:16Z

2AM, Adams-Morgan, Washington, DC, 2023.

All the pixels, open 24 hours, at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattblaze/52991590112

#photography

445 Tenth Avenue, NYC, 2024 All the pixels, neatly arranged in a ...

2025-12-20T18:00:18Z

445 Tenth Avenue, NYC, 2024

All the pixels, neatly arranged in a grid, at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattblaze/53997928594

#photography

Anyway, I'm shaken by this, as are many of my academic ...

2025-12-20T02:30:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…87ua
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Anyway, I'm shaken by this, as are many of my academic friends and colleagues. Not just for the horrible violence and senseless death on our campuses, but also because we all know someone who Claudio Neves Valente reminds us of.

Some people thrive on the challenges of climbing up the academic ...

2025-12-20T02:19:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…sstq
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Some people thrive on the challenges of climbing up the academic ladder, from college to grad school to faculty. But for many, perhaps most, there's a point at which they find themselves struggling, often for the first time in their lives, to keep up (I certainly did). And especially for a younger person with limited experience and perspective, that can be incredibly disorienting, calling into question their very sense of identity.

Our system for training scholars can be quietly brutal.

I never met Valente, and he was in a different STEM field from my ...

2025-12-20T02:01:28Z

In reply to nevent1q…yjmp
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I never met Valente, and he was in a different STEM field from my own. But the descriptions of him are all too familiar: a brilliant, promising scholar, becoming increasingly withdrawn and de-socialized as he struggled to adapt to the challenges and rigors of professional training and competition.

We don't yet know much about what was going on with Claudio ...

2025-12-20T01:54:33Z

We don't yet know much about what was going on with Claudio Neves Valente, the Brown and MIT gunman, and we may well never. But this tragic case reminds me how the pressures of academic life, often starting in grad school, can sometimes push people past a breaking point.

We don't always do a great job of taking care of our colleagues, or of recognizing when they need our help and understanding.

The $1776 "warrior dividend" that Trump announced ...

2025-12-19T00:27:29Z

The $1776 "warrior dividend" that Trump announced yesterday is actually just a renaming of an existing, already authorized military housing allowance.

Shocked.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/18/trump-warrior-dividend-troops-congress-00697375

The thing to remember when Marjorie Taylor Greene says the ...

2025-12-15T20:31:39Z

The thing to remember when Marjorie Taylor Greene says the occasional sensible or decent thing these days is that she's demonstrating that she's been capable of being sensible and decent all along, but was deliberately choosing not to be.

Oof. Providence police have released the person arrested Sunday ...

2025-12-15T05:37:57Z

Oof. Providence police have released the person arrested Sunday morning for the Brown shooting, saying he is no longer considered of interest. So the shooter is still at large.

Just to be clear: should I have the terrible misfortune to be ...

2025-12-14T16:37:29Z

Just to be clear: should I have the terrible misfortune to be killed in a mass shooting, please feel free to politicize the hell out of it. And go ahead and do so immediately. No time will be “too soon”.

What fresh hell is this. Went to bed with news of the Brown mass ...

2025-12-14T14:11:28Z

What fresh hell is this. Went to bed with news of the Brown mass shooting still breaking, and woke up to news of the horror at Bondi Beach.

Utterly wild story about a nuclear generator lost atop a ...

2025-12-14T03:41:57Z

Utterly wild story about a nuclear generator lost atop a Himalayan mountain by the CIA 60 years ago. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/12/13/world/asia/cia-nuclear-device-himalayas-nanda-devi.html?unlocked_article_code=1.8k8.jOUn.daSfdUlyfo3e [Gift Link]

You are only truly rich if you know deep down that you can always ...

2025-12-13T22:09:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…exn7
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You are only truly rich if you know deep down that you can always count on your friends to help you pull off one last big job.

Nostr event nevent1qqs9qz9cdyv7twt80phgsajhk952pfds2g4t2vlkg0tmul8rdesg3mszyz2raryw44h7amx3u0l39vd6kc5wf3s2hyhl3wfg4zknhqnlcl3c6fuehps

2025-12-13T20:14:16Z

https://theonion.com/study-finds-80-of-americans-lack-social-connections-to-pull-off-heist/

@npub1ucv…5a8g you no doubt saw this story (or other reporting ...

2025-12-12T20:46:29Z

AI6YR Ben (npub1ucv…5a8g) you no doubt saw this story (or other reporting on it) about the hiker rescued via a satellite device after being trapped in quicksand(!).

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/11/us/hiker-quicksand-rescue-utah.html?unlocked_article_code=1.8E8.dFsJ.OBHxaMYjmxDS

I'm happy Kilmar Abrego Garcia has been released from custody ...

2025-12-12T02:09:12Z

I'm happy Kilmar Abrego Garcia has been released from custody and will be getting his day in court, but that still leaves hundreds of other people we deported to extra-judicial incarceration in El Salvador for whom there is no clear path to either a trial or release. The plan seems to be that they eventually just die in prison.

The ground insulator is a few feet tall. Short enough to let you ...

2025-12-11T18:14:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…rcxd
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The ground insulator is a few feet tall. Short enough to let you get yourself into trouble, but big enough to not zap most creatures.

Note, important safety tip: you can get closer to this tower ...

2025-12-11T18:05:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…6jkf
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Note, important safety tip: you can get closer to this tower without clearly trespassing or jumping fences than most other 50KW broadcast antennas I've encountered. I measured a field strength of over 80V/m a bit outside the tower fence, which is an incredibly strong signal (though still within OSHA limits at the frequency involved).

Resist any temptation to jump the fence and climb the (energized) tower. You'd be electrocuted as soon as you touched it.

The antenna field is in the final approach and takeoff flightpath ...

2025-12-11T18:04:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…l6vn
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The antenna field is in the final approach and takeoff flightpath for SFO airport's runways 28L/R (and 10L/R), and so the site has special markings to warn pilots of a collision hazard. In addition to the usual tower lights and red/white paint, 3-dimensional "HAZ" warnings were installed around the field. These are easily visible in areal photos; see, e.g., https://earth.google.com/web/@37.5471204,-122.23429544,0.73120256a,577.14725587d,35y,0.01179999h,0t,0r/data=CgRCAggBQgIIAEoNCP___________wEQAA

This distinctive stacked dual antenna arrangement is used to ...

2025-12-11T18:04:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…u5qk
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This distinctive stacked dual antenna arrangement is used to lower the radiation angle of the antenna, concentrating transmitted power to the "ground wave" and reducing energy that would otherwise be sent upward into the sky.

The smaller (300 foot) freestanding mast in the background left is not in current use. It can be used as an emergency spare antenna for KNBR during maintenance of the taller main antenna.

The taller tower (550 feet) at right is the main KNBR antenna, ...

2025-12-11T18:04:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…0mfw
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The taller tower (550 feet) at right is the main KNBR antenna, built in 1949. It employs an unusual "pseudo-Franklin" design; it's actually an array of two antennas stacked atop one another. The 400 foot lower section is insulated from the ground. The upper 150 foot section is insulated from the lower section. The large (50 foot) diameter "capacitance hat" at the top (reminiscent of the Parachute Jump at Coney Island) electrically lengthens the top section, saving 250 feet of additional height.

Mediumwave (AM) broadcast radio uses lower frequencies than other ...

2025-12-11T18:04:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…nx3p
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Mediumwave (AM) broadcast radio uses lower frequencies than other modern broadcasting and so requires much larger antennas (generally getting larger and larger as the frequency gets lower on the dial). This often entails highly customized antenna designs engineered for the particular site and station frequencies. For most radio stations (FM, TV, etc), the towers are there simply to get the relatively small antennas up high, but for AM stations like KNBR, the towers generally ARE the antennas.

KNBR is a 50KW "Class A" (formerly "clear ...

2025-12-11T18:03:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…57xg
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KNBR is a 50KW "Class A" (formerly "clear channel") mediumwave (AM) rado station broadcasting on 680 KHz, serving the San Francisco Bay area (and, at night, most of the west coast of the US). Opened in 1922, It was originally known as KPO, (later KNBC, and still later KNBR), and soon became the flagship station for the National Broadcasting Company (NBC)'s new western radio network. It is currently owned by Cumulus Media and now broadcasts a sports format. It sits next to the former KGEI site.

Rodenstock 50mm/4.0 HR Digaron-W lens (@ f/6.3), Phase One ...

2025-12-11T18:03:21Z

In reply to nevent1q…tx0f
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Rodenstock 50mm/4.0 HR Digaron-W lens (@ f/6.3), Phase One IQ4-150 digital back, Cambo 1250 camera (vertically shifted -23mm).

This simple photo pushed the 50mm lens to the limits of its image circle with the large shift required to keep the tall antenna mast fully in the frame while maintaining its geometry. Hard vignetting of the upper corners was visible in the full sensor image, but fortunately the composition benefited from a narrower aspect ratio that cropped out the dark corners.

KNBR (AM 680) Antennas, Redwood City, CA, 2024. All the pixels, ...

2025-12-11T18:03:04Z

KNBR (AM 680) Antennas, Redwood City, CA, 2024.

All the pixels, none of the hazards to aviation, at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattblaze/54131419266

#photography

Apparently a training mission, since we're still here.

2025-12-10T04:00:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…s2rf
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Apparently a training mission, since we're still here.

I saw (via ADSB) one of those do the antenna unfurling spiral ...

2025-12-10T03:59:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…lhmm
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I saw (via ADSB) one of those do the antenna unfurling spiral maneuver off the DelMarVa peninsula last week.

Just got a letter from a place I haven’t worked at for eight ...

2025-12-10T00:01:43Z

Just got a letter from a place I haven’t worked at for eight years (UPenn) telling me that my personal data was leaked by a company I’ve never done business with (Oracle), and so they’re giving me two years of credit monitoring with another company (Equifax) to make up for it.

The future isn’t everything it was cracked up to be.

Throwball.

2025-12-06T21:29:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…9q2h
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Throwball.

I'm just imagining what the reaction would have been if Obama ...

2025-12-06T05:50:31Z

I'm just imagining what the reaction would have been if Obama had suggested renaming NFL football. They would have had to put him in witness protection.

Having imported shrimp for lunch maybe?

2025-12-04T20:11:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…qhpq
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Having imported shrimp for lunch maybe?

While we're all appreciating the late Tom Stoppard, I want to ...

2025-12-03T02:02:14Z

While we're all appreciating the late Tom Stoppard, I want to throw in a good word for his under-appreciated espionage drama Hapgood. I missed the original West End production (in 1988), but was mesmerized by the version he revised for Stockard Channing at Lincoln Center in 1994.

You can find many of the same physics and math themes in his later (and much more critically successful) Arcadia, but I think Hapgood deserves to be better known than it is.

It's December 2nd, which means that for the next 23 days, ...

2025-12-03T01:07:10Z

It's December 2nd, which means that for the next 23 days, there's a high probability that you will encounter the classic film A Christmas Story broadcast on TV or streaming services.

One of the plot points in the film concerns decrypting a radio message from Orphan Annie's Secret Society, which was based on a real radio program of the era.

A while back I wrote up a little post on the (basic, but still interesting) cryptography involved.

https://www.mattblaze.org/blog/badges

"We note that the vast majority of journalists were never ...

2025-12-03T00:49:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…fzzg
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"We note that the vast majority of journalists were never added to the secret chat group".

Presumably either the IG's report completely clears ...

2025-12-03T00:47:02Z

Presumably either the IG's report completely clears Hegseth's opsec, or the IG will be fired.

https://journa.host/@w7voa/115652854134515924

The new US Embassy to the UK, completed in 2017, is a roughly ...

2025-11-30T17:54:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…7m05
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The new US Embassy to the UK, completed in 2017, is a roughly cubically-shaped glass box covered on three sides with a semi-transparent textured Teflon "envelope" that aids in temperature regulation. Situated in a landscaped compound on the Thames between the Battersea Power Station and MI6's famous Vauxhall headquarters, it's one of the most distinctive recent structures in that part of London's South Bank.

Captured with the Rodenstock 70mm/5.6 HR Digaron-W lens (@ f/8) ...

2025-11-30T17:54:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…wrl5
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Captured with the Rodenstock 70mm/5.6 HR Digaron-W lens (@ f/8) lens, Phase One IQ4-150 digital back (@ ISO 50, 1/50 sec), Cambo WRS-5005 camera (Shifted vertically -19mm, horizontally -10mm). Cropped to a 4x5 aspect ratio.

The embassy's exterior "envelope" curtain forms an interesting abstract pattern that reminds me of the sound absorbing tiles that line recording studios and anechoic chambers. This photo shows the western-facing side.

US Embassy Building, Wandsworth, London, UK, 2025. All the ...

2025-11-30T17:54:18Z

US Embassy Building, Wandsworth, London, UK, 2025.

All the pixels, each unsure of which side of the road on which to drive, at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattblaze/54586230547

#photography

It's clear that our official embrace of torture after 9/11 ...

2025-11-29T02:12:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…0ye4
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It's clear that our official embrace of torture after 9/11 was a point of no return for our country.

The worst thing here is we almost certainly lack functioning ...

2025-11-29T01:54:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…vzx2
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The worst thing here is we almost certainly lack functioning mechanisms to hold anyone meaningfully to account for these crimes. These were not heat-of-battle excesses or unwise orders from mid-level officers. This was premeditated, national policy, crafted and approved by the Secretary of Defense and the President.

We are in a very dark place.

Commanders specifically ordered Navy SEALs to fire on and kill ...

2025-11-29T01:30:20Z

Commanders specifically ordered Navy SEALs to fire on and kill two survivors of (alleged) drug boat sinking in September. "The order was to kill everybody".

Analyzing this as an unlawful order or as homicide or as a war crime is, of course, necessary, but at the same time it seems morally inadequate. It's a revolting, shameful stain on our country.

https://wapo.st/49KbUJ1 [gift link]

Happy Thanksgiving, friends. Remember: check if the town dump is ...

2025-11-27T22:04:30Z

Happy Thanksgiving, friends. Remember: check if the town dump is open before you head over there with your VW microbus full of trash, or be prepared to write a song about it later.

FFS. For the first time, non-citizens will be charged a hefty ...

2025-11-26T00:20:02Z

FFS. For the first time, non-citizens will be charged a hefty surcharge to enter US national parks (an extra $100/person, and annual passes for noncitizens will cost $250 instead of $80).

Our national parks are absolute jewels, and a significant contributor to US tourism. Or were.

https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm#changes-in-2026

Tomorrow Trump is scheduled to pardon a turkey ahead of ...

2025-11-24T21:49:23Z

Tomorrow Trump is scheduled to pardon a turkey ahead of Thanksgiving, which is surprising, because as far as I know, no poultry of any kind were involved with the January 6 insurrection.

I have mixed feelings about Le Corbusier's architecture (to ...

2025-11-24T16:01:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…69kl
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I have mixed feelings about Le Corbusier's architecture (to say nothing of his urban planning philosophy - he clearly influenced Robert Moses), but I think the UN Secretariat building was one of his successes.

An aside: If you look at the full resolution version (downloadable on flickr), you can see the HF amateur radio antenna on the roof. Nerds are everywhere, even/especially at the UN. There's also a family taking a group picture on the street in front.

The UN Secretariat building was designed by an international team ...

2025-11-24T16:00:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…jdma
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The UN Secretariat building was designed by an international team of architects (most notably Le Corbusier and Oscar Niemeyer) and completed in 1950. It was the first important "International Style" modernist skyscraper in New York - exemplified here here by a simple, unadorned rectangle with reflective glass curtain walls on either side.

Glass box office buildings became almost cliche in mid-century NYC, but the UN remains unusual in being set apart in the skyline, uncrowded by neighbors.

Love them or hate them, mid-century rectangular glass curtain ...

2025-11-24T16:00:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…enn4
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Love them or hate them, mid-century rectangular glass curtain buildings like this are easy to dismiss as being "boring", but I think that misses something.

Reflections of the surroundings become part of the facade, which changes at different angles and throughout the day. I visited several times and made dozens of photos, all quite different, before I settled on this one, and there are infinitely many photos others could make, all unique. (Similar to the new World Trade Center in this regard).