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Contrafagotto32

@bobrichardson.com
114 followers 89 following 384 posts

I'm Bob. This is my semi-SFW feed of bad jokes, geeky observations, random weirdness, and politics. Center-to-further-left. Pretty darned gay. He/Him. 📍Portland, Oregon, United States

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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 25/08/2026
There are bollards if approaching southbound, but none if a motor vehicle is driving eastbound in the protected bike lane. My memory is fuzzy, but I seem to recall that bollard-free access is maintained so emergency vehicles can use the viaduct, which is more seismically sound than Grand/MLK/12th.
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 13/08/2026
Photo of Centennial Mills I took in 2018.
Black and white photo of an abandoned old industrial building, about 6 stories tall, with a large water tower structure on top.
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 07/08/2026
Is this supposed to mean something, @oregonbottledrop.bsky.social ? 😂 @kevlin.bsky.social
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 25/06/2026
Literally back-to-back in my feed. @joemygod.bsky.social @atrupar.com
Screen grab of two Bluesky posts, first post quotes JD Vance bragging that his grandmother "had loaded revolvers all over the house", second post has a breaking ABC news story about a grandmother killing her family and self in New York.
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 19/06/2026
(Not mine, found on Reddit)
A composite image of the character "Cousin Eddie" from the movie "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation", emptying an RV's blackwater tank waste hose into the Washington DC National Mall, reflecting pool, which is filled with green algae. Eddie is holding up a beer can in triumph, smoking a cigar, and smiling toward the camera. The Washington Monument stands tall in the background, but the beer can hides its reflection in the green stagnant water.
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 18/06/2026
Frame from the film Logan's Run, showing a post-apocalyptic Washington DC, with the film's two protagonists wading through the former DC reflecting pool, surrounded by tall wild grasses/marshland, working their way toward the still-standing Washington Monument.
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 18/06/2026
Frame from the film Logan's Run, showing a post-apocalyptic Washington DC, with the film's two protagonists wading through the former DC reflecting pool, surrounded by tall wild grasses/marshland, working their way toward the still-standing Washington Monument.
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 16/06/2026
Somehow, it's still off this morning, even after batches had a chance to settle overnight. I suspect the problem is the results sorting - swap the top two rows and the math works. Perhaps they are sorting on date but with no granularity with respect to time-of-day?
A redacted screen shot of an online banking list of transactions. The running balance column does not work mathematically with respect to the transaction amounts. For example, a debit card transaction for $45.05 increases (not decreases) the balance from $110.15 to $475.09, while the next debit card transaction for $7.00 reduces the running balance from $475.09 to $103.15. If you swap the order of those two transactions, but not the running balance, the math would make sense.
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 16/06/2026
Thank you, Beneficial State Bank, for this completely accurate and not-at-all confusing running balance calculation. I'm glad that in 2026 we don't have to worry about this stuff. @kevlin.bsky.social
A partially redacted portion of a screen shot of an online banking account transactions listing. The running balance column does not accurately reflect the transaction amounts, for example, a debit card transaction that reduces the balance from $575.09 to $475.09, and a $50 transfer-in from a linked account that raises the balance from $520.13 to $525.09.
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 15/06/2026
Phew! For a second there, I thought someone stole my stash of magical, musical packing material.
Photograph of a small "street organ" (a portable hand-cranked pipe organ used by traditional "Organ Grinder" street performers.) Looking down at the top. The lid is open, revealing a few organ pipes and the player mechanism inside, which is made of a long continuous loop of paper, with holes in it for the notes, similar to a player piano roll, or vintage computer punch cards.
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 07/05/2026
Loved the video (former Prius owner), but when I saw the YouTube thumbnail, I immediately thought of this image. (Probably because it's early May and my feed was recently inundated.)
A frame from the opening shot of the first Star Wars movie, where a star destroyer fills the upper right 2/3rds of the frame, bearing a resemblance to the YouTube thumbnail for a Technology Connections video about hybrid vehicle technology, which depicts the underside of a hybrid Toyota minivan, which coincidentally has a similar layout and coloration.
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 10/04/2026
Loved seeing you again, Milwaukee, but we need to talk.
Photo of a small package of Lunchables ham/cracker snack, a bottled water, and a receipt for $10.78, arranged on an airport waiting area seat.
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 20/02/2026
A few years ago, when I returned to the dentist's office to have a temporary crown removed, I wore this. Took them a minute, but I assure you it was hilarious.
A selfie if a man wearing a home-made crown on his head made from paper. He is holding an electric toothbrush in his hand.
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 13/01/2026
Very happy to give you the 700th like on that one.
Screen shot of Technology Connections' post about being political on BlueSky and promising to "get back to silly things once enough of my neighbors wake up and smell the fascism." The "Like" counter beneath the post is at exactly 700.
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 12/12/2025
I'm stunned at just how similar the shape of the exterior and the topography of the lot is to my parent's house. (Not their original house that I was raised in, but where they spent 34 years after we moved there in the 1980s). The interiors are very different however. (Location: Oak Grove, Oregon)
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 22/11/2025
Did someone say Organ Grinder's monkey? www.pipedreamsfilm.com (This isn't a bot response - I've been working 23 months on this project and every time I see "Organ Grinder" in a comment I get a bit opportunistic! Plus you're right about the uniform.)
Logo from the Organ Grinder pizza restaurants in Portland and Denver. The logo was recently reconstituted for the documentary project Pipe Dreams and Pizza Crusts. (C) 1973, 2025, used under license. https://www.PipeDreamsFilm.com/
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 21/11/2025
OK, poor analogy but I was instantly reminded of this.
"What does a banana cost - ten dollars?" meme from Arrested Development TV series but with the text changed to "What does fixing the Pinto cost? Eleven dollars?"
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 20/11/2025
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 19/11/2025
The late, great Will Martin would like to have a word. 😜
Interior photograph of the former Organ Grinder Restaurant in Portland, Oregon, designed by architect Will Martin. This photo shows the main auditorium area with a large Wurlitzer pipe organ console, and a tall two-story space. Behind the console are glass windows which allow a view into the organ chambers, full of metal and wood organ pipes. Above the windows are black vertical shutters, known as swell shades, which control the volume of the organ. The photo is taken looking down from the Mezzanine (the mezzanine itself is not visible in the photo), which provided additional seating. Vertical columns and horizontal beams are accented with rows of incandescent light bulbs. The walls are clad cedar planks at a 45 degree angle. The overall color scheme is reds and natural wood tones, with the ceiling being painted reddish-orange, and a multicolor, primarily red carpet. Round and rectangular tables have a maple butcher-block pattern, with red napkin holders.

Photo courtesy of the Organ Grinder Documentary Project, used under license from the photo's owner. For more information about the project, visit PipeDreamsFilm.comInterior photograph of the former Organ Grinder Restaurant in Portland, Oregon, designed by architect Will Martin. This photo shows the rear seating area, underneath the mezzanine, arranged in long rows of communal, rectangular tables. Vertical columns and horizontal beams are accented with rows of incandescent light bulbs. The walls are clad cedar planks at a 45 degree angle. The overall color scheme is reds and natural wood tones, with the ceiling being painted reddish-orange, and a multicolor, primarily red carpet. The tables have a maple butcher-block pattern, with red napkin holders.

Photo courtesy of the Organ Grinder Documentary Project, used under license from the photo's owner. For more information about the project, visit PipeDreamsFilm.comInterior photograph of the former Organ Grinder Restaurant in Portland, Oregon, designed by architect Will Martin. This photo shows the rear seating area, underneath the mezzanine, looking back from the main auditorium area. The tables are arranged in long rows of communal seating. Vertical columns and horizontal beams are accented with rows of incandescent light bulbs. The walls are clad cedar planks at a 45 degree angle. A staircase at the left of the photo leads up to the mezzanine. An array of lighting/effects equipment is attached to the mezzanine pony wall, beneath the railing. The overall color scheme is reds and natural wood tones, with the ceiling being painted reddish-orange, and a multicolor, primarily red carpet. The tables have a maple butcher-block pattern, with red napkin holders.

Photo courtesy of the Organ Grinder Documentary Project, used under license from the photo's owner. For more information about the project, visit PipeDreamsFilm.com
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 13/11/2025
They did have a striper but I was disappointed that there was no sole dancer.
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 01/11/2025
I nominate Vrbo for a @kevlin.bsky.social. (And for clarity, this is after several attempts to engage with the chatbot to ask about an issue with my booking, which it tells me I don't even have.)
A screen shot of a part of a conversation with Vrbo's customer service AI chatbot. The user asks "Agent". The AI replies "Sure, I'll connect you to an agent right away. Please hold on for a moment.", immediately followed by "You don't have any upcoming bookings that I can help you with. Do you want to see a different booking?" The user replies "Agent", and the AI replies "I'm sorry, but I am an AI assistant and cannot connect you to a live agent. How can I assist you today?"
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 30/10/2025
Ever encounter this one before, @deviantollam.bsky.social ?
A close-up of an interior wall with a light switch. Above the light switch is a device, about the same size, with a slot for inserting a key card (the size of a credit card). The slot is labeled "Insert Card for Power".
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 09/10/2025
"Unclad Ethel Prompts Suit" - a headline for the ages. (Article text in image alt text.)
Article From The Columbian Newspaper, Vancouver, Washington, December 27, 1977:

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Does a nude statue in Portland's downtown Transit Mall injure Earthquake Ethel's reputation for modesty?

According to a $1 million suit filed Wednesday in Multnomah County District Court, the "humiliation of having been undressed in public is a wrong the redressing of which will not redress.

The tongue-in-cheek suit was filed by lawyer Henry A. Carey Jr. in behalf of his client "Earthquake Ethel." The original lady of that name was a dancer in the San Francisco area in the early 20th century. Stories say Ethel Hodgkiss acquired the name because the 1906 San Francisco earthquake occurred while she was performing her act. The name was carried on by a daughter and continued by a granddaughter who lives in San Francisco.

Carey's suit states that Ms. Ethel's success as a dancer has been in never allowing her "magnificent body" to be viewed completely in the nude. The plaintiff charges all her secrets have been bared by Portland's new downtown statue.

The famous dancer is better known in Portland as the name of a local restaurant and discotheque. Peter Wiley, a spokesman for the restaurant, said the living Ms. Ethel is aware of the spoof suit and is in full accord with the action.  

The suit offers to forgo the $1-million damage claim if the defendants publicly acknowledge that the sculpture is, in fact, patterned after Earthquake Ethel's "well-formed" body.
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 27/09/2025
I'm sorry, Da Vinci Resolve, but the driver IS loaded. I can see him right there. Please stop popping up these silly "critical exception" error messages and let me get back to work.
Screen shot of a video editor timeline. The preview area shows a clip of a forklift operator inside the cab of a forklift. An error message has popped up "Critical Exception - Driver Not Loaded Driver Not Loaded" (yes, twice).
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 21/08/2025
Been going through old newspapers for a research project. Things were really hopping in Denver in the early 80's!
Vintage newspaper from Denver area, early 1980s. Bottom half of Classified ad page consisting of many ads for escort services, with titles like "Swedish Blondes, Wonder Woman, Lovely Lynda's, Dial-a-Blonde, Chicken Ranch, Playthings Unlimited" and many more.
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 08/07/2025
Kind of reminds me of these low, low prices for color printing I encountered at a UPS Store in Denver last month. They very politely refused to honor them.
An LCD monitor functioning as an automated advertising and pricing sign in a UPS store. It is displaying a listing printing services, with all prices for various color copies/prints at $0.00.
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 28/03/2025
Has @kevlin.bsky.social been messing with my pro plan this morning? I can't wait to see what happens when this NaN hits my bank account overnight!
Screen shot of a "Manage my Plan" billing page that says the cost of the "pro plan" is "NaN undefined monthly" and that the subscription will renew today for a "total of Nan". (N a N means "Not a number" in several computer languages.)
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 26/01/2025
Score! I see these as an asset that can only appreciate in value. I'm going to be rich - just like the Dutch in 1636! Maybe I can sell a blockchain token. Should I buy more fridges? Hey, how long do eggs keep, anyway?
Photo of a large number of egg cartons stacked in multiple compartments of side-by-side glass refrigerators. A caption in bold text reads "My Retirement Plan". Credit for original photo (before modification): Matthew Burpee on Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/a-bunch-of-white-cups-stacked-on-top-of-each-other-fgckzdnKkds
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Contrafagotto32 @bobrichardson.com · 19/01/2025
A brief intro: I'm Bob, I live in Portland, OR. I'm a filmmaker/videographer and occasional app developer. I have a passion for pipe organs - pictured is my home setup (a virtual pipe organ). I'm a mediocre player, but when nobody's listening, I'm not too bad - kinda like singing in the shower. 1/
A man with a red Mohawk, wearing a black T-shirt with a yellow radiation symbol, sits on an organ bench in front of a 3-manual pipe organ console, which has been modified into a Hauptwerk (computer software that simulates an organ) instrument with touch screens depicting organ stops/draw-knobs.
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