iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 9h

I love it when a massive SUV shines its LED headlights directly into the restaurant, blinding the patrons inside.

SUV with headlights on shines through window

Bright light shining onto booths. A woman covers her eyes in the background

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

"I like some of the Joseph Gordon Levitt movies, but what f*ck does he know about human-centric digital governance?"

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

You know, the empiricists kind of had a point, as much as it pains a younger version of myself to say...

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

The US 10 year Treasury yield started this morning at 4.96% and ended at 5.1% This is biggest daily jump since 2023 and all signs seem to be pointing to inflation being stubborn and Fed rate hikes sooner rather than later

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Reposted by Amber J. Hu (they/them)

Chase 'Hutch' Hutchinson 📽️ @eclectichutch.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

NEW: The Grand Illusion Cinema lives! The single-screen movie house that'd been in Seattle’s University District for more than 50 years before closing in January 2025 is coming home. It will be now taking over at the Varsity Theatre 📽️ My story @seattletimes.com: www.seattletimes.com/entertainmen...

A photo taken outside the shuttered Varsity Theatre on September 22, 2026 with the marquee reading COMING SOON GRAND ILLUSION.

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

I was debating whether to share this or not, but here goes: When my father and I were driving to my new job in Colorado, we briefly stayed overnight in Utah. About an hour after arriving at the hotel, an armed sheriff deputy knocked on the door to our hotel room and asked us invasive questions.

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

We _should_ be uncomfortable with unsheltered homelessness because it is a failing on the part of our government. Luckily, there are ways to fix this long-term by building more STEP (shelter, temporary, emergency, and permanent supportive housing)

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Reposted by Amber J. Hu (they/them)

Claire @baseball-broad.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Anyone can go to iceout.org to see reported ICE activity in their area. Here’s the Washington State I-5 corridor today, 9/21. This is ONE DAY’S activity. If you are not doing anything about it, I would like to ask you why not?

A map of western Washington state from ICE OUT DOT ORG. Much of the I-5 corridor is highlighted blue, and there are dozens of red, yellow, and green pins on the map indicating reported ICE activity.

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I like to imagine that Steve Ballmer was sweating the NBA controversy, so he called up his friend Governor Bob Ferguson to put out a presser today about the early education facilities he donated a bunch of money to fund

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

One way streets are almost never clearly and visibly marked on maps apps unless you zoom in super close, and even then it's hard to find the little arrow. These developers do not bike in cities and it shows.

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

This is what I'm saying. Look Brad Smith, focus on fixing Microsoft: XBOX is unprofitable, SaaSpocalypse is coming, and OpenAI is losing its forst-movers advantage. Stop worrying about taxes that literally don't affect you!

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Need coins for coin-op laundry in new place. No bank account yet. Walk into groceey store. Buy $30 worth of stuff, politely ask for just $2 in quarters. Get refused. Go outside, negotiate with a homeless man in broken Spanish. get quarters.

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Still not convinced the company will ever deliver a single kW of fusion-powered electricity, but hey! I'm glad to have them occuoying office space as long as they got that sweet sweet VC money

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

I am in camp #2 and it is shocking to me that coherent language output and general reasoning are not fundamentally linked! Does this mean that intelligent life could have evolved without language as we know it?

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Denver NIMBYs created an astroturf website called Denver YIMBY* where the asterisk is just "we're actually NIMBYs we just hate being called elitist" One of the main posts is just "stop calling us NIMBYs" lmao

Denver YIMBY*

Open space, native plants, historic neighborhoods

Yes, in my backyard!

Stop calling us NIMBYs!
May 23, 2020

Updated: Nov 13, 2023
Typical of evil-doers, developers have resorted to name-calling and have latched on to the phrase NIMBY (not in my back yard) to label residents of neighborhoods as racist and elitist

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

My dad and I were and continue to be pro-vaccination, but we also experienced surprising side effects that could have led to permanent hearing loss if not treated quickly. But even as educated, male-presenting people we were still dismissed. I'm not surprised many end up in spaces like MAHA

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

For years now, I've lived a "car-light" lifestyle: I mostly use transit, bike, or walk. Sometimes I need a car to get to a remote trailhead. I want to adopt a similar "meat-light" diet: most of my protein can be met through beans, dairy, and tofu. Eat chicken regularly, but beef only occassionally

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

A lot of us need to be humbly admit that concentrating computation in warehouses is sometimes more efficient than distributing it across many devices I'm seeing a lot of people who are generally YIMBYs adopt the "small is beautiful" rhetoric that gets used against us to block multifamily housing

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

BNSF: We are a private company operating legacy infrastructure, we couldn't possibly capitukate to government demands to allow frequent, reliable passenger rail! Also BNSF: Pretty please government make the bridges higher

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Vancouver democracy: We're not like you, we have a multi-party democracy! Seattle democracy: Good for you! So you got rid of first past the post, right? Vancouver democracy: *laughs nervously in Ken Sim re-election*

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

I like the idea of co-designing specifications and tests in forums where users are verified humans. If Github made code an artifact of social media and Hugging Face made did the same with models, we need a place to collaborate in public on design docs

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Reposted by Amber J. Hu (they/them)

Yazmín Sin Apellido @formableemu6011.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

I also have a version with a calendar (and clock faces), at the request of another person who had mentioned something similar. 🙂‍↕️

An alternative diagram of an upcoming planned Link light rail service suspension, featuring a calendar and clock faces to visually show the affected days and times.

The affected days are Tuesday, September 1st; Wednesday, September 2nd; Thursday, September 3rd; and Thursday , September 10th. The suspension affects the 2 Line, and begins approximately at 10:30 PM each of those days, until the end of service.

2 Line service will be suspended between South Bellevue and Overlake Village stations, and Link shuttle buses will provide replacement service during those times on affected days.

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

One day in the not too distant future, software engineers will be expected to output as much as AI agents but without employer sponsored subscriptions to AI tools. This will begin another race to the bottom wherein engineers try to find the cheapest models while maintaining higher output than ever

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Possible infrastructure for the Lake City Home Zone? 👀@transportation.seattle.gov

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Been saying this for years. Everyone on an ebike is getting more exercise than drivers sitting in traffic. Ebikes are public health, climate action, and affordable transportation all rolled into one.

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Reposted by Amber J. Hu (they/them)

Seattle Department of Transportation @transportation.seattle.gov · 25/08/2026

SDOT's 2026 Bike & Scooter Share Survey is NOW OPEN. Whether you ride every day, on occasion, or haven't tried yet, we want to hear from you! Complete the survey by September 27 for a chance to win one of five $100 gift cards. bit.ly/seattlescooter26-s

A person rides a Lime e-bike during the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup in Pioneer Square. I am sure someone is going to comment that they are biking on the wrong side of the street, but the street was closed to vehicles and open for people biking and walking at the time.

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

We need to move traffic enforcement out of the hands of police and into the purview of nonviolent civil servants. Step 1 is building a robust, secure speed camera network with a firewall between it and the cops. Secure third party servers, with access only granted to DOT officials.

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Shoutout to the SDOT staff who have been working for more than a year to make Lake City residenrial streets safer. Even when entitled drivers destroy public infrastructure to cut through "street closed" signs, they keep coming back to harden the infrastructure.

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Dropped off some family at the airport this morning and realized that I just spent more time driving on a highway (90 min in total) than any other time in the past six months. God I hate driving, and feel privileged that I live in an area where it's feasible to commute by ebike or bus

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Reposted by Amber J. Hu (they/them)

Colin @colin-fraser.net · 20/08/2026

I have evolved on this as the technology has changed. I didn't used to use it because it didn't work that well. Then it started to work better and then I started using it more.

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

I have some estranged family members who live in the orange area and it explains a lot...

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

As someone who whas ridden the 372 more than any other Metro route in the past year, it would be convenient for me if it stayed, but I'm also worried about upending service change plans that operators have been training for probably months already 😬

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Reposted by Amber J. Hu (they/them)

Fix the L8 @fixthel8.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Bus lanes on Denny are getting painted THIS WEEKEND! Join us and Mayor Wilson to celebrate with another Race the L8 on Tuesday, September 8th at 5 PM at Denny Park! Lets prove that she Fixed the L8 and that it's finally faster than walking!

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

It's true that the backlash to Wilson starting to pedestrianize the Market would have been greater than under Harrell, but because it's already been started, she should finish it!

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Reposted by Amber J. Hu (they/them)

Nick @nicksattele.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

No room for a headhouse for your station exit? Instead of buying land and demolishing buildings, just put it in the street and close it to cars.

The exit of stadium station, Stockholm. It’s in the middle of a street closed to cars

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Kirklanders, this looks like the most fun you can have at City Hall! Unless you're a civics nerd like me, in which case, using the secure ballot drop box is my favorite activity at City Hall 😜

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Reposted by Amber J. Hu (they/them)

Robert Cruickshank @robertcruickshank.com · 14/08/2026

When we voted on ST3 in 2016, we were told light rail would reach Ballard in 2035. Now that's the yet-again-delayed date for West Seattle (originally 2030). Earlier this month ST said Ballard is delayed to *2060*. We need to completely change how ST is governed.

seattletimes.com

Light rail arrival in West Seattle delayed again

The original target to open a new Sodo-to-West Seattle line was 2030, but inflation and previously overlooked challenges added time and costs.

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Looks like we're headed into a hand recount in the primary between @jessicaforsythe.bsky.social and moderate incumbent Amy Walen. Still too close to officially call, but given the late progressive shift, I'm feeling confident that Jessica will prevail and get top billing on November's ballot

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Reposted by Amber J. Hu (they/them)

Key 🗝 🦊✅ @keytryer.net · 12/08/2026

The idea that running everything local on your pc is more environmentally friendly than on some building far away is a nice intuition pump (After all, no one complains about the waste of video games in people's computers), but it's just not true that it's cleaner lol

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Reposted by Amber J. Hu (they/them)

Fietser @americanfietser.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Urbanist Philomena Cunk. In the suburbs, every house comes with a "lawn", which is a tiny patch of nature you own, but you’re not allowed to let it actually be nature.

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Riding the bus is awesome bc you get to sit next to an old man wearing a newsboy cap and an N95, carting a massive pink "juicy couture" branded wheeled suitcase

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Reposted by Amber J. Hu (they/them)

Derek of WayfindDesigns @dmholmer.wayfinddesigns.com · 06/08/2026

Take a look at the major changes coming to King County Metro routes (and ST) starting August. As always, individual route info can be found at kingcounty.gov./metro/servicechange. kingcountymetro.blog/2026/08/03/k...

A map of changes to KCM service on the east side of King County. For more details, go to kingcounty.gov/metro/servicechange.

A map of changes to KCM service on the north side of King County. For more details, go to kingcounty.gov/metro/servicechange.

A map of changes to KCM service on the south side of King County. For more details, go to kingcounty.gov/metro/servicechange.

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

As much as that one guy is trying to sabotage trade with Canada, the fact that the full Gordie Howe bridge has opened despite such a low point in relations points to the fact that most Canadians and Americans want more trade and more border crossings.

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

The new curbs on Denny and Boren are beautiful! Route 8 sailing free in the background. The sign was on, telling drivers to detour, I just snapped it when it was flashing

New concrete curbs at the intersection of Denny and Boren. Route 8 in the background

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Just redid the maps of the Seattle City Council districts to reflect 2022 redistricting! 🎉 Kind of surprising that we got through the 2023 elections without anybody updating the maps 😳 (In fairness, the boundaries didn't change that much) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle...

en.wikipedia.org

Seattle City Council - Wikipedia

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

So when the most critical piece of transit infrastructure for our region suddenly goes down, Sound Transit just gets to say "oopsie"? No live updates, no apology, no autopsy? If the board doesn't fix operations at ST soon, don't be surprised if board reform becomes a rallying cry at Union Station

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Unfortunately as someone who has lived in Michigan this is stressing me out, too. It's a shame that Mallory McMorrow couldn't make a reasonable center-left pitch that would win in a purple state

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Coolest Mormon guy of all time and it's not even close

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Amber J. Hu (they/them) @amberjhu.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Yup. The difficult part of building software is never writing code, it's maintenance, quality assurance, product support. Agentic AI can write code but it can't take responsibility for your product, so you better be ready to debug when, not if, something breaks

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