iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 30/09/2026

If we continue the analogy, we also see that while Pluto used to be the odd one out among the planets of the solar system (too tiny; lacking features the other planets shared), now it's grouped together with celestial bodies with whom it has more in common. There's not just “Pluto, who used to […]

fosstodon.org

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 30/09/2026

We used to teach that Pluto was a planet. Over time, we learned more about it and realized its “planet” classification didn't really make sense. Astronomers reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet. Lay people had two common responses to this change: “Okay; there are eight planets now,” and, “I […]

fosstodon.org

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 03/09/2026

@cks I was amused a little while back when a coworker told me he'd had a problem, searched the Internet for it, and found the solution in a comment I'd left on someone else's blog a couple years prior.

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Reposted by Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian:

Rob Carlson @vees.jawns.club.ap.brid.gy · 30/07/2026

If someone at Anthropic posted a torrent of the raw images/OCR of every book they scanned before feeding them into models, it would be a bigger contribution to distributed human knowledge than anything the model will ever bring.

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 15/07/2026

@vees I technically hit 20 years in April. But I haven't used that account in a few years, because reddit won't let you change your username. When I needed a new username, I had to make a whole new account to get it. 😕

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 28/04/2026

More Miles for Maryland hiking yesterday! 21.3 miles hitting every trail in Greenbrier State Park over the course of ten hours with about 3200 feet cumulative elevation gain. The elevation definitely took its toll on me; I was seriously dragging for the last […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 30/03/2026

Did a bit more Miles for Maryland hiking today, in Patapsco Valley State Park. Goal: 250 miles in 2026 YTD target: 63 miles Actual distance: 41 miles I'm hoping to get caught up over the summer.

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Reposted by Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian:

Tom Chadwin @tomchadwin.en.osm.town.ap.brid.gy · 03/03/2026

RE: en.osm.town/@openstreetmap/11616533… This is an immaculately written response. It has calm, quiet authority, and seeks to respond not in the terms of the other interested party, but in a scope of worldwide community openness and empowerment. It does so with complete respect […]

en.osm.town

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 28/02/2026

This is fascinating. A story told in increasingly archaic English, starting with 2000s vernacular and progressing back through the English used in the 1000s, in 100-year jumps. There's also a discussion of how the language has changed over time, plus a summary of the story for anyone who […]

fosstodon.org

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 03/02/2026

This is pretty sad. www.thebanner.com/culture/food-drin… I spent a lot of time at the Brewer's Art in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It sucks that they suddenly closed after so long, and it's extra bad that they pushed […]

fosstodon.org

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Reposted by Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian:

nycki @nycki.bark.lgbt.ap.brid.gy · 27/01/2026

I'm #colorblind and I use xkcd.com/color/rgb frequently. Randall 'xkcd' Monroe did a survey of over 100,000 readers where he showed them random rgb colors and said "what would you call this?" and afterwards he did his best to sort the results into the most popular color names and the […]

bark.lgbt

Original post on bark.lgbt

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 25/01/2026

@vees For what it's worth, that data is still available from county servers at publicshare.baltimorecountymd.gov . Some of it hasn't been updated since 2013, too.

publicshare.baltimorecountymd.gov

publicshare.baltimorecountymd.gov - /

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 20/01/2026

@vees I have used this adapter for several years with my 2012 MBP: www.amazon.com/dp/B09F66YFTT That particular one is no longer available, but it looks like one of those generic designs that's available from half a dozen random Chinese companies. It's … fine. It hasn't burned my house […]

fosstodon.org

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 10/01/2026

We were watching _Flow_, a short film about a cat navigating a post-apocalyptic world, and our cat got very interested in the cat making cat sounds on the TV.

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 01/01/2026

Happy new year! The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is running a "Miles for Maryland" challenge this year! To celebrate Maryland's 250th anniversary (coinciding with the US's 250th, naturally), they're challenging people to hike 250 miles in Maryland state parks during the year […]

fosstodon.org

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 31/12/2025

That's on top of all the other things I've had to get for the charger install. I needed an extension cord because the outside outlet is too far away. It had to be a high-current cord, because the charger draws a lot of power. I had to replace the outside outlet with one that could be operated […]

fosstodon.org

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 31/12/2025

Grumble, grumble. I got a PHEV, so I needed a home EV charger. I found exactly one on Amazon that (1) works with my available power and (2) is ETL listed. But it has a smartphone app, connects to WiFi, and there's an OpenHAB binding with completely local control of the charger. So yay! But the […]

fosstodon.org

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 30/12/2025

Since the power line is now hanging just a few feet off the ground, BGE policy is that an employee has to watch it until it's fixed. So there has been a rotating set of BGE vehicles parked on the street in front of our house since last night.

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 30/12/2025

The wind yesterday knocked over a large tree in our backyard. No one was injured, but it destroyed our shed and some lawn furniture. I haven't had a chance to check the tools in the shed yet. It didn't take out our power, but it ripped the power line (and the […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 15/12/2025

@FritzAdalis @vees NetBox is pretty specific to rack-mounted equipment. Snipe-IT is a little more generic. snipeitapp.com I'll note that for both NetBox and Snipe-IT, locations and equipment are separate objects, and locations have most of the hierarchy. For NetBox, some types of […]

fosstodon.org

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 06/11/2025

@abracadada.bsky.social AntennaPod doesn't seem to have anything as sophisticated as BeyondPod's smart playlist. Based on online discussions, I'm probably going to try out Podcast Addict first.

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 06/11/2025

My old phone finally became unusable after four and a half years—a record lifespan for me—and I had to replace it. Now I'm discovering all the programs that have disappeared from the Android ecosystem in that time and need to be replaced with something new. I'm really going to miss my podcast […]

fosstodon.org

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Reposted by Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian:

Jon Lasser is Hanging in there @disappearinjon.wandering.shop.ap.brid.gy · 18/10/2025

I'm sad to write that Jon Lasser passed away on September 23, 2025 after six years living with cancer. I'm writing as his partner of 21 years, and wanted to make sure that I posted in the places he specified in his wishes. His colleagues are working on an anthology of his stories, and he still […]

wandering.shop

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 27/09/2025

www.clarionwest.org/2025/09/25/in-m… Jon was, at least to my newcomer's eyes, a central person in the Baltimore Linux/sysadmin community in the late 1990s and early 2000s. I have many memories of him hosting Old Bay Sage meetings. I think he was involved in organizing […]

fosstodon.org

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 21/07/2025

I got nerd sniped by an abandoned building I saw while I hiking. It turned out to be relevant to the local history of rail and power infrastructure, which are area of particular interest to me. So I found out everything I could in a couple of days about the building. Now you, too, can read […]

fosstodon.org

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 14/07/2025

Today's long hike: 17 miles along the C&O Canal near Great Falls, including side trips to the falls overlook and the (pretty strenuous) Billy Goat Trail.

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Reposted by Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian:

Erin Reed @erininthemorning.com · 16/06/2025

Big protests and marches don’t change things by themselves magically. But they do help show solidarity that may be able to eventually be tapped into if and when things escalate.

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 07/06/2025

I've been meaning to compile this for a while. I've collected the various resources I use when deciding on a color scheme for a project or data visualization. Picking good colors is hard, y'all! aperiodic.net/pip/archives/Geekery/…

aperiodic.net

Color Schemes for Data Visualization

A collection of resources I use for choosing color schemes for data visualizations.

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 20/04/2025

I definitely feel like I pushed myself to my limits today. I set out to hike all of the east side of Catoctin Mountain Park. I didn't finish. After about 17 miles, I was too worn out to try to do any more slope climbing. My tracking app estimates I had about […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 07/04/2025

For my long hike yesterday, I hiked Calvert Cliffs State Park. All of it. Every foot of every trail, including several that weren't on any map I had. It took me 10 hours and 24 miles. That works out to an overall average pace of about 25 minutes per mile. I […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 31/03/2025

To everyone whose first TDoV is ahead of them: Take whatever time you need. If you need someone to talk with, I'm willing to be such a person. I've been in a place that's probably not dissimilar to where you are now. (Also, a good therapist is a fantastic resource, if you're fortunate enough to […]

fosstodon.org

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 31/03/2025

To everyone who was trans and visible at this time last year: Thank you for walking a path that made it easier for me and people like me to follow. To everyone for whom this is their first TDoV being out: This probably feels like a very bad time to have come out, because it is. But I know that […]

fosstodon.org

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 31/03/2025

But I will continue to be myself, regardless. I will work to support others, especially others in worse situations than mine. I want everyone to have the space and support to live their lives as their true, authentic selves. 5/

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 31/03/2025

I see people all across this country working to bar trans people from public existence. I fear things will get worse before they get better, and we'll be a generation or more just to get back to the rights and freedoms we'd been clawing our way towards just a year ago. 4/

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 31/03/2025

In that same time, the world has become materially more hostile to trans people. I worry more about how people will react to me in public—even as I'm happier being myself in the same spaces. The number of places I don't feel I can risk going—some entire US states—has grown. I was fortunate […]

fosstodon.org

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 31/03/2025

In the year since, I've felt more at home with myself, more comfortable around others, and more willing to open myself up to the world. I've found more solid footing for my identity and my presentation. How I feel about myself and how I interact with the world. People have told me I seem more […]

fosstodon.org

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 31/03/2025

Every March 31 is a Trans Day of Visibility. This year's TDoV marks a year since I came out publicly, but of course my transition isn't defined by a single day. By last year's TDoV, I'd been out at work for months, out to friends for months before that, had a year+ working with a therapist […]

fosstodon.org

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 17/03/2025

The German government has issued a travel advisory for its trans citizens about travel to the US. Let me repeat that. Trans European citizens are being warned that travel to the US might not be advisable. What does that say about those of us already living here? […]

fosstodon.org

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 26/02/2025

The one thing I wish everyone to understand about trans people is: Trans people just want to live the truth of their own identities. aperiodic.net/pip/archives/General/… There's more—far more—of course, but I feel like that's really a core facet […]

fosstodon.org

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 19/02/2025

The food in the freezer seems to be okay. There doesn't seem to have been much thawing there. The food in the fridge is more questionable; I think we're going to toss most of it, out of caution, if nothing else. Including all of the leftovers from the Valentine's dinner I cooked on Saturday. 😢

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 19/02/2025

Our power's back! BGE got it fixed a little after 9:00 this morning. The furnace has been running continuously since then and the temperature's now up to 60°F, from a low of about 40°F. All told, the power was out for roughly two days and 18 hours. Most of the fallen tree is still there, but […]

fosstodon.org

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 18/02/2025

Documentation of the erasure of trans people and LGBTQ+ people more broadly across thousands of government pages. www.madycast.com/p/not-just-stonewa… They want to remove evidence of the existence of trans people, and they want to remove resources that help us keep […]

fosstodon.org

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 17/02/2025

BGE briefly updated our estimated time to restoration of power to be 11:00 pm tonight; they said they expected to have taken care of 80% of their customers by that time. They they later revised their estimate for us back to Wednesday, so I guess we're in the other 20%.

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 17/02/2025

Power is still out. I'm hoping it gets fixed overnight. It's affecting our entire row of houses, not just the ones on the end. I don't know of the tree took out the entire circuit or if there's something else affecting the circuit and the tree will keep us in […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

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Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian: @asciipip.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 16/02/2025

Thefh wind knocked down a tree in the neighbor's hard that took out our power. BGE's been notified, but who know how long it'll be until power's back. We should be fine n the meantime.

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Reposted by Pip! Gold :qubes: :debian:

Rob Carlson :ally: :BLM: @vees.epistolary.org.ap.brid.gy · 10/02/2025

How is anyone at NSA supposed to explain cryptography with two Bobs?

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