iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 15/10/2026

Best part of an LAFC–Austin FC game is that, no matter which team wins, I can act like I was rooting for them the whole time

BMO Stadium in Los Angeles; LAFC vs. Austin FC

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 25/09/2026

I feel like something is missing here, but I can't quite put my finger on it

A message from Jira Cloud in Microsoft Teams:

Feedback Survey

Thank you for using the Jira Cloud for Microsoft Teams app.
Could you help us by taking a short survey?

[Take Survey] [Postpone]

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 31/08/2026

Blog comment spam is getting clever! I can see how this one flew under the radar.

The neutral tone you kept throughout this entire read is highly commendable. It allows the facts to speak for themselves while keeping the reader interested from beginning to end. anal sex porn cialis pills

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 12/08/2026

OK, let's see what the Nextdoor folks are talking about tod—

A line in an email client.

From: Your Southeast Pasadena neighbors
Time: Yesterday
Subject: TAXES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 05/08/2026

Is this a “normal” thing to post on Nextdoor? Sure; I’ve read far stranger. Is this a “normal” thing to post on Nextdoor in response to someone else’s lament that a beloved local restaurant is closing? A harder question to answer.

A Nextdoor comment: “Somehow people will survive like they did in 1930 during the depression.” It has three positive reactions from other users.

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 01/08/2026

You’re right. You’re absolutely right. I feel silly for bringing it up. I’ll just accept _the mother of all coincidences_ and we can restart this whole news cycle. You can proceed with your plan to _further_ monetize the World Cup and let’s please never speak of my faux pas again

On Tuesday, a source close to Thrive Capital told CBS News that criticism of the firm's involvement was unjustified.

"I think the first assumption is that Trump was involved in FFE in any capacity, which is just not accurate," the source told CBS News. "Josh himself does not have any links with the administration, he does not have any political roles, he has not donated to them, he is not involved in any capacity. If you look at his donation record, all of the causes he has donated to are Democrat ... it's kind of unfair to assume a lot about somebody just because of what their brother does."

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 30/07/2026

Shit, one of my fellow travelers must’ve left sensitive documents on a bus or something. (I’m kidding; anyone who can type these words and believe them would not be caught dead on a bus)

One Nextdoor commenter asks:
“So what was the point of this SB79, if not to force the creation of
"affordable housing?"”

Another replies:
“1) The dismantling of single family residential neighborhoods because the renter class tends to be younger and vote blue 2) developers have many politicians in their pockets 3) creating more traffic and congestion to make driving unbearable 4) LA Metro has billions of $ and one has to believe that they are funneling money to politicians”

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 30/07/2026

I have an involuntary reaction to text formatted with seemingly RANDOM capitalization like this. I know it's because Nextdoor (like most sites) doesn't offer richer formatting options than this — but my brain is trained to believe that this is simply how NIMBYs type.

Excerpt from a Nextdoor comment (note the sudden bouts of CAPITALIZATION):

“While local ordinances are allowed to override those SB79 percentages, local ordinances allow developers to bypass building ANY affordable units if they pay an in-lieu fee, which goes into a fund to build affordable housing IN THE FUTURE. In other words, nothing affordable would be built in the present, and the only building types that could be built are 100% affordable units. Many years could pass before a city would see such a development.”

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 02/07/2026

Nextdoor emails me regularly with summaries of recent discussions. That’s fine. I’m a weirdo who likes to know what my neighbors are irrationally paranoid about. But “here’s a prompt from our robot that we think you might like to answer” is among the more sociopathic emails Nextdoor sends.

An email from Nextdoor: “What's a Fourth of July tradition from your childhood that you still think… [See more]” posted by a user named “Ask Pasadena.” (This is an automated user that posts anodyne questions on Nextdoor; Nextdoor thinks this is worth emailing me about.)

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 02/07/2026

We have prevailed through adversity. Time to celebrate the only way I know how

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 12/06/2026

Seems like someone on Nextdoor has cracked the secret to going viral

Post from Nextdoor marked as “Trending Post”: “I hate Pasadena ! I would never take anyone there.”

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 18/02/2026

Why did I get this email. Why did anyone get this email. Can you please just send me things related to my money or lack thereof

An email from E*TRADE:

Geopolitical perspectives with Admiral William McRaven
An exclusive event presented by
Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
February 19 | 12:15 p.m. ET

Join us for an exclusive virtual event featuring distinguished four-star U.S. Navy Admiral, William McRaven and Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Chief Economic Strategist and Global Head of Thematic and Macro Investing, Ellen Zentner.

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 09/02/2026

Ways to prove your age to Discord: 1. Submit sensitive credentials 2. Let it photograph your face 3. Show it how many hours you’ve spent playing video games about Hanseatic League trade routes

However, some users may not have to go through either form of age verification. Discord is also rolling out an age inference model that analyzes metadata like the types of games a user plays, their activity on Discord, and behavioral signals like signs of working hours or the amount of time they spend on Discord.

“If we have a high confidence that they are an adult, they will not have to go through the other age verification flows,” Badalich says.

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 28/01/2026

Cool, thanks for the insult. I will seriously consider using your product now that you’ve insulted me

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 19/01/2026

This rant was prompted by an article in the L.A. Times — if we can’t rely on professionals to know these rules, then the world is in serious trouble

Excerpt from an L.A. Times article:

‘Before it closed, Malatesta started a mall fan account on Instagram and threw it a funeral, singing “Unchained Melody” beneath the giant Westminster Mall sign that for decades welcomed customers and window shoppers alike.

‘“I love you Westminster Mall,” she yelled as the song concluded. “I’ll never forget you.”‘

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 23/11/2025

I don’t live in Arcadia. Also, that’s not Arcadia, you silly advertisement. That is San Francisco

An ad: “Arcadia: Lookup anyone’s home value instantly by address.” The associated image is an aerial view of San Francisco (nowhere near Arcadia).

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 18/11/2025

It’s OK, though, because I got this tidbit

The actor revealed he was approached for the role of suave action-hero James Bond following Sean Connery's departure from the franchise. Connery, who died in 2020, originated the Ian Fleming-penned character on screen in 1962's "Dr. No."

"They said, "Would you like to be Bond?' And I said, "Have you heard my British accent?" Van Dyke recalled, adding that he was skeptical that viewers would have "accepted" the change in genre from him.

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 14/11/2025

I could give you context to this NextDoor comment, but I think we both know it won’t make much of a difference

A person on NextDoor, in a comment to a post: “BLOCKED FOR RIDIOCY AND TREASON”

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 12/11/2025

Man, if UCLA wriggles out of its contract with the Rose Bowl, then words cease to mean anything anymore. (Their lease runs to the mid-2040s)

UCLA reaffirmed its long-term commitment to the Rose Bowl as part of a 2014 lease amendment, waiving its right to terminate the agreement before its completion. In return, the city of Pasadena has issued nearly $200 million in bonds to pay for stadium improvements that would benefit UCLA. The bond structure was designed so that stadium revenues would service the debt instead of taxpayer dollars.

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 07/11/2025

Oh, OK. So first you need Democrats to relinquish all their leverage… and _then_ you’ll be more open to giving them what they want? I’ve read scam emails that make more persuasive pitches than this

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., called the Democratic offer a "nonstarter."

"The Obamacare extension is the negotiation. That's what we're going to negotiate once the government opens up. ... We need to vote to open the government — and there is a proposal out there to do that — and then we can have this whole conversation about health care," he said.

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 28/10/2025

*gently massages temples, to no avail*

From a job listing, quoted verbatim:

""""MUST BE A US CITIZEN OR GREEN CARD HOLDER"""

"""MUST SPEAK PERFECT AND CLEAR ENGLISH NO ACCEPTIONS"""

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 29/09/2025

Willful idiocy from someone who, if she thought about it for a moment, would realize that _everyone_ has the right to critique someone’s views; it rises to an “obligation” for Emma and Daniel because they get calls from journalists whenever Rowling opens her mouth

“However, Emma and Dan in particular have both made it clear over the last few years that they think our former professional association gives them a particular right — nay, obligation — to critique me and my views in public,” Rowling continued. “Years after they finished acting in ‘Potter,’ they continue to assume the role of de facto spokespeople for the world I created.”

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 23/09/2025

Much like how I dread the em-dash being used as evidence of AI-generated text (that’s just how I type!)… I quite like this lettering style and regret that, when I see it, my brain now instantly goes “oh, someone generated this image with AI”

A screenshot of part of a (presumably) AI-generated image with Jesus Christ (?) and a speech bubble above him that says: “Sweet Jesus, that’s not analysis.” The lettering style is all-caps sans-serif and is reminiscent of a pre-Helvetica font like Akzidenz Grotesk. I, Andrew Dupont, find this pleasing.

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 07/08/2025

In all seriousness, I appreciate that Peacock talks to me like I'm an adult instead of vainly trying to soften the blow. Other services might've tried to bury the lede by calling this a "Rate Adjustment" or "Plan Right-Sizing" or similar nonsense.

Email from Peacock:

Subject: Upcoming Price Increase

Thank you for being a Peacock subscriber. We want to let you know about an upcoming price increase to your subscription.

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 06/08/2025

What the fuck is this? What the fuck are we wasting our limited time on earth talking about? Do I avoid daily reckonings with my masculinity simply by not having the energy to care about dumb shit like this?

From an _Esquire_ article, emphasis mine:

“The humble straw was invented— get this—about 5,000 years ago in ancient Sumer (modern-day Iraq), and they were made from gold and lapis lazuli. Think about that the next time your paper straw is disintegrating into your McDonald's Coke. The modern version was patented in 1888, and plastic ones entered our drinks in the mid-20th century. _Since then, men have been told to avoid them._“

The same _Esquire_ article, continued:

‘_Esquire_ has been on the front lines of this fight. In March 2001, among the “Rules” we frequently published, we said, “Rule No. 317: No straws.” In our Man's Guide to Drinking, we issued an even more severe edict: “No self-respecting man consumes his libation with a straw” Why? We never explain. But the assumption, I think, is that drinking from a straw is something a woman does, not a man. And I followed Esquire’s advice—it was an affectation that eventually became part of my personality. At a bar, I'd receive a drink with a straw and in dramatic fashion remove the item, slap it on the bar, and declare that “men don’t use straws.” ‘

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 15/07/2025

If I were an Emmy voter I think I’d just stare at this list for 20 minutes and go “can we make it a six-way tie?”

Emmy nominees for outstanding guest actress in a drama series:
• Jane Alexander, "Severance"
• Gwendoline Christie, "Severance"
• Kaitlyn Dever, "The Last of Us"
• Cherry Jones, "The Handmaid's Tale"
• Catherine O'Hara, "The Last of Us"
• Merritt Wever, "Severance"

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 10/06/2025

This is a very strange way of saying “not enough people are paying for our magic-wand icons; hence we are bundling them so we can claim more revenue from delivering features users did not ask for.”

An email from Google:

“We believe Al is foundational to the future of work and its transformative power should be accessible to every business and every employee, at an affordable price. That's why today we've decided to include the best of Google Al in Workspace Business and Enterprise plans, bringing the latest generative Al
capabilities to our business customers without the need to purchase any add-ons.”

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 25/04/2025

Maybe it’s just because every player worth watching for either the Pelicans or the Saints spent a lot of the season in street clothes, but I hear GMs say things like this and I think they’re delusional. This kid is gonna get hurt

The Jags consider it a two-for-one, with Hunter being this year's best
receiver and cornerback prospect. “In our mind, we got two second
overall picks this year,” said executive vice president of football
operations Tony Boselli.

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 19/04/2025

This feels part Faustian and part, like, incredibly lazy. AIs aren’t sentient and can’t write code without supervision… unless they’re offering to do chores I hate, in which case THANK GOD and here are all the repo secrets and see if you can fix the CI config while you’re at it

Advertisement of which I am skeptical:

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 04/04/2025

Do not trust anyone who argues that birthright citizenship is not the plain reading of the 14th Amendment. As Evan Bernick explains, this isn’t a game. reason.com/volokh/2025/...

Excerpt from the article:

“I think I could beat the Dred Scott challenge, if I wanted to do so. I could come up with an elegant theory that explained why, on a consent-based account of citizenship, Dred Scott was wrongly decided and the Citizenship Clause nullified it. I think I could do more. I think I could convince you that it was consistent with some legitimate strand of originalism. Perhaps I could even convince you of a theory along these lines that would exclude the children of unlawful entrants from citizenship.

“I'm not going to try, and I don't think that anyone should. That's because, as Robert Cover put it, ’Legal interpretation takes place in a field of pain and death.’ It's not a soccer field or a football field, it's not the Lands Between in Elden Ring. Play games with the Reconstruction Constitution, and people will suffer, bleed, die.”

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 25/03/2025

I like how the TxTag fiasco from years back (and probably ongoing) is so notorious that text spammers are now using it for phishing. Just got this text and I had no trouble believing it until I saw the URL. (Redacted for safety.)

A text message: “Your toll payment for TxTag Lane must be settled by March 25, 2025. To avoid fines and the suspension of your driving privileges, kindly pay by the due date.”

A link to a fake TxTag site is given.

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 20/03/2025

If they were licensing my old-ass book on Prototype the way they ought to, I’d be due a mere handful of pennies. But I’ll pursue those pennies with the zeal of the newspaper delivery kid in _Better Off Dead_

Search engine results for LibGen, a large set of pirated books that Meta used to train their AIs instead of paying money like decent human beings. My book, _Practical Prototype and script.aculous_, is in the collection twice.

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 16/02/2025

I am astonished that I — a person with an irrational fear of approaching those I admire but have not yet met — share a species with people who think it’s cool to do their shitty Christopher Walken impression in front of his goddamn face.

From _The Independent_’s interview with Christopher Walken:

Everyone thinks they can do the Christopher Walken voice. That New York lilt. That round, honeyed purr, like a cat with plans. Try it yourself. Go on. Speak from the back of your throat. Elongate those vowels. What you shouldn’t do, though, is try it in front of him.

“People come up to me in the street and they impersonate me to my face,” Walken says. “You know, they speak the way I speak.” The actor, 81 and spry, looks knowingly down the lens of his Zoom camera. “And I’m never sure what they’re doing at first. I think, ‘Why is he talking that way?’ But then I realise.” He lets out an ambivalent whine. This sounds a little cruel, I tell him, while fully aware that I was speaking pure Walkenese to a colleague mere minutes before our interview. “Oh, it happens all the time,” he sighs.

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 14/01/2025

4. The site described above is disheartening for obvious reasons, but also strangely heartening? Even in the midst of an otherwise destroyed city block, there is often inexplicably one house that managed to survive the fires.

Screenshot from a map of properties in Altadena with icons indicating whether each was destroyed by the wildfires or is intact. One black icon (intact) is shown amidst a sea of red (destroyed) icons.

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 06/01/2025

Instead of just assuming that code moved quickly on the IE team back in the day, I like to imagine that a code reviewer demanded a defense of the casing convention of `XMLHttpRequest` and _received one that satisfied them_.

An annotation of the JavaScript code

new XMLHttpRequest()

in which the “XML” is described as “patrician; dignified; trendy” while the “Http” is described as “plebeian; quotidian; stodgy.” It attempts to answer the unanswerable question of why “XML” is in all-caps but “Http” has only its initial “H” capitalized.

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 18/11/2024

Biggest difference between Austin Nextdoor and Pasadena Nextdoor (as I experience it) is that some folks in Pasadena treat it much more like their own blog. This post _eventually_ demonstrates its relevance to the community — dengue fever might be afoot! — but, man, did this person bury the lead.

A digest of a Nextdoor post: “Hello neighbors. On October 11th, I noticed a rash on my upper thighs...” The rest is hidden behind a “See more” link that I was reluctant to click.

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 29/09/2024

Listen: Marty McFly has come unstuck in time.

Gamble House in Pasadena; a DeLorean is parked in the driveway in its full time-machine accoutrements.

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 31/07/2024

I regret to inform all of you that your “hello world” tutorials would fail acceptance criteria, since they fail to include the comma that signifies direct address

$(an excerpt from the 1978 book _The C Programming Language_) 1.1 Getting Started The only way to learn a new programming language is by writing programs in it. The first program to write is the same for all languages: Print the words hello, world This is a big hurdle; to leap over it you have to be able to create the program text somewhere, compile it successfully, load it, run it, and find out where your output went. With these mechanical details mastered, everything else is comparatively easy. In C, the program to print “‘hello, world"is #include <stdio.h> main() { printf("hello, world\n"); }$

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Andrew Dupont @andrewdupont.net · 12/12/2023

Who was it that first had the idea to introduce literal backticks in _rendered_ Markdown-style content? I don't want to hurt them. I just want to _have a tense discussion_ about it

A snippet of text in which CODE elements are rendered with leading and trailing backticks

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