iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

For example, I just finished teaching a class with this workbook. You can see the tabs at the bottom for each table.

An E-R diagram for F1 race result data, but it's all in an Excel workbook

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

The use of "rebuilt" might imply more than the developer intended

Professional, open-source video editing, REBUILT from scratch in Rust. (Emphasis added)

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

This is definitely going in my lesson on terrible charts HT: @emilydawn.bsky.social

A line chart showing different LLM lines from companies, but the y-axis is just the name and release number of the model.

Caption: Open AIs internal benchmarks show GOT 6.1 Sol crushing Opus 5.5, with anthropic struggling to keep up.

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

When the National Hockey League rebranded, one of the reasons they cited was wanting the N-H-L to be seen as going up instead of down.

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

This came on the radio as I pulled into the office this morning. That's a sign from the universe that I should listen to @pixiesofficial.bsky.social while working today.

A photo of a satellite radio screen in a car showing the song "U Mass," by the Pixies, playing on Sirius XMU. In the background, we are looking out the front windshield of the car and can see the UMass library.

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

A few years ago, my daughter's assignment was to make a celebrity out of a 2-liter (she chose Dolly Parton, ofc). She got one of those "record a greeting" cards and removed the inner tech so that, whenever you lifted a flap on Dolly's back, it played Coat of Many Colors.

A doll-like, handmade creation of Dolly Parton holding a guitar, made from a 2-liter bottle. The bottle is surrounded by a patchwork of fabric to represent Dolly's "Coat of Many Colors."

Backside of the 2-Liter. One of the flaps on the Coat of Many Colors, normally held in place with a magnet, is being lifted to reveal small electronics. Lifting triggers a switch that plays the chorus of Coat of Many Colors.

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Yet somehow she was still 50x more gorgeous on the inside. HT: @mrtylercrook.bsky.social

A Twitter interaction where someone posted a photo of Dolly Parton looking fetching in black and red lingerie. Someone else replied to the photo with, "Well then what the hell did Jolene look like????"

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

"Swear on Dolly" www.facebook.com/watch/?v=687... #DerryGirls

Screengrab from Derry Girls of a portrait of Dolly Parton hanging on the wall. After Erin claims she's not lying, her mother forces her to swear by it. The CC read "Swear on Dolly."

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

After re-reading my post, I feel obligated to post this...

Homer Simpson: Oh, people can come up with statistics to prove anything, Kent. Forfty percent of people know that.

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

I get it, GitHub. I find more problems than I fix.

GitHub contribution chart showing 51% of work has been on Issues and 49% on Commits

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

@planetmoney.bsky.social Catching up on my Planet Money podcasts today. The episode on "We bought a junk bond" (see screen) had just started when I passed this truck. #fate

Picture of a dashboard showing the planet money podcast about buying a junk bond. Through the windshield, we can see the truck in the we can see the truck in the next lane is a 1-800-got-junk truck.

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Passing three separate tour groups on the way to the bathroom. Not pictured: An earlier tour group of about 15 people who brought with them two (2) videographers.

Three tour groups underneath the dome in the lobby of building 7

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

I'm working from MIT this week. This thread is for sights/experiences that I don't see at UMass, starting with... A tech gadget vending machine.

Vending machine with various cables, lapel mics, and other tech gadgets

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Noah Taylor has always been a great actor.

Noah Taylor in Almost Famous. And definitely not the CFL player in the clip.

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

Did he build out the long-term ramifications, like the famous Herschel Walker trade tree?

Tree diagram showing the long-term impact of the Dallas Cowboys trading away Herschel Walker. Short version: It was a great move.

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

This was definitely not *scheduled* maintenance.

Landing page for Canvas LMS stating that "Canvas is currently undergoing scheduled maintenance. Check back soon."

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

The kicking news is exciting, but let's give it up for the printers and perfect Pantone matching. The photo is giving off Garden State wallpaper vibes.

Screenshot from Garden State. Zach Braff is wearing a shirt with the same pattern as the wallpaper behind him, such that it looks like his head is just sticking out the wall.

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Wow, GMail's spam filters are good. It correctly flagged a Google email about their AI tools as spam.

Screenshot showing email from @google.com in the spam section of a GMail inbox.

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

I like that Google Search (@developers.google.com) gives options for Men's and Women's cricket when the search term is ambiguous. I wish that would happen for "NCAA basketball", too. (results are surprising since women's college bball is more popular relative to the men's side than the WPL to IPL)

A Google Search for "IPL season dates 2026" shows options for "Women's cricket" and "Men's cricket".

A Google Search for "ncaa basketball standings" defaults to "NCAA Men's basketball" with no women's option.

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

"Warmer weather is on the way" Tomorrow's high is 19°

A weather report showing that it is 2°, but feels like -7°, with a high of 11° and a low of -14°.

The AI weather report says, "Clear and cold tonight, but warmer weather is on the way."

The weather insight headline says that tomorrow's temperature will be 8° higher.

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 11/01/2026

Yeah @mattbrown.bsky.social - more fencing content! (No lie - This is the sweatshirt I'm wearing right now)

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

The #StrangerThings Effect. Despite the spike, Netflix fared a lot better than it has for previous high profile moments of demand.

DownDetector report for Netflix, showing a giant Spike at the moment season 5 of Stranger Things was released (Wednesday at 5pm PST)

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

But that's a number stored as text! The call won't go through!

Hotel sign that reads,
Dial "911" for emergency
Dial "0" for front desk

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

Do I respond with... - no? (lower case) - 2? - No? (upper case) Respondents are inconsistent enough on their own. Don't introduce MORE variability. (said as someone who spends much of his life cleaning inconsistent survey data)

Text message with the following (all sic):

Was your question, request or concern resolved by the Delta representative?

Please reply "yes" or "no".
1) Yes
2) No

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 08/11/2025

@sickoscommittee.org Amherst beats Williams with 14 points: No TDs or safeties.

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

Presenting right now at #NODES2025!! (really, watching former student Will Steadman present) neo4j.com/nodes-2025/a...

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 25/10/2025

Outside my office last night, the UMass Performing Arts Center did a sing-along, cOZplay [sic] screening of #Wicked, complete with hot air balloon rides. You can't really tell from the photo, but the building was lit up in pink & green.

Hot air balloon outside of Bromery Center for the Arts at UMass Amherst.

Poster for Wicked, an "immersive sign-along film screening and cOZplay event."

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 12/09/2025

It's hard times down at the old box factory

Screen capture of the Box Factory from The Simpsons episode where the kids tour the facility.

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

"Best value" University textbook companies continue to show the value of companies like Better World Books and Amazon.

RENT BOOK
Due back 12/19/2025
$21.56

BUY NEW
$26.68

RENT DIGITAL - Best Value
$32.34

MARKETPLACE OPTIONS
Sarting at $11.08

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

Ah, I see. Also, I was reading "Merge Queries" when you wrote "Merge Columns;" sorry for my confusion.

The "Combine" section of the Home Ribbon in Power Query, which shows Merge Queries, Append Queries, and Combine Files. But this is all irrelevant since the OP was talking about something else entirely and I just didn't read closely enough.

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 14/08/2025

For Gary Larson, hell is being a West Ham United supporter. #WHUFC

Single cell comic showing people sitting in hell. One of them is blowing bubbles through a bubble wand, another is playing the accordion, another is hitting a ball with a paddle, and another doesn't have anything.

The caption is the bubble guy talking to the guy without anything:
"Oh, they'll find something for you real soon.... Me? I'm forever blowing bubbles."

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

Oh, and if you're not using Styles yet -- especially for headings -- make the switch!! I was late to the Styles game, and I regret all that time wasted on formatting individual parts of text. This site is old and "ugly," but the content is beautiful: www.addbalance.com/usersguide/s...

A screenshot of the Styles gallery in MS Word's Home ribbon

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

The best way create Level 4 or 5 headings in @apastyle.bsky.social is with the obscure "style separator" (Ctrl+Alt+Enter). This separates paragraph Styles without creating a line break. apastyle.apa.org/style-gramma...

A screenshot of fake text showing the style separator, which looks like a paragraph mark with a dotted box around it.

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

Team valuation between 21.3x - 42.6x!! (reposting for the alt text)

A snippet from the article.

Heading: Valuation explanation

Chelsea reported £11.5 million ($15.4 million) in revenue for the 2023-24 season. That number is not quite what it seems and includes significant intercompany transfers — what’s known as “group income” — from the men’s team. Strip that away, and actual revenue falls by at least half to £5.75 million ($7.7 million) or less. At a £245 million valuation, that implies a 42.6x value-to-revenue multiple. Even without adjustment, the deal sits at 21.3x. For comparison, Angel City FC, the NWSL’s most valuable team, last sold for close to seven times its revenue. If the same 42.6x were to be applied to Angel City’s $31 million in organic revenue, their value would be over $1.3 billion. Interestingly, Ohanian is also a member of the original investor group in Angel City.

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

Financial shenanigans in English women's football (soccer). www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/202...

A snippet from the article.

Header: Bottom line

To be clear, European women’s teams still hold long-term promise. <emphasis>The current valuations, though, are tethered to assets they don’t control, revenue that isn’t recurring and holding structures that obscure financial exposure.</emphasis> For investors looking to place capital in the space, these shouldn’t just be red flags; they should be bright, flashing warning signs.

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 28/07/2025

If you're a cigarette company, maybe don't lead with "Philip Morris International recognizes the importance of taking risks...". (I get what they're saying here, and business risks and product risks are completely different entities, but using that language is a questionable marketing decision.)

LinkedIn post from Philip Morris International.

Main photo with text: "Philip Morris International recognizes the importance of taking risks and learning from mistakes--two concepts that are at the heart of innovation."
Woman in photo is listed as Moira Gilchrist, Chief Communications Officer, PMI

Text of the post:
We're embracing change.
We're taking risks.
We're disrupting an industry we created and leaping into the heart of innovation.
So says our Chief Communication Officer, @Moira Gilchrist, who knows that innovation is not without its risks.

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 25/07/2025

The best license plate I have ever seen #ArrestedDevelopment

A Chevy Volt car with the license plate "STEVOLT!"

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 20/06/2025

Saw Stranger Things: The First Shadow in NYC last night. It was so good that my wife started looking for tickets to see it again during intermission. There are critiques that it's not a great "play" (however that's defined), but it's jaw-dropping entertainment and a fantastic viewing experience. 1/

A plush demogorgon (from the Stranger Things TV show) being held by a child's hand. In the background is the entrance to Stranger Things: The First Shadow, at the Marquis Theater in New York.

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

I've had Google Fi since it was invite-only Project Fi (2015). Yet, I still get ads to enroll in my GMail and on YouTube, both of which are Google products tied to my same email. Meanwhile, the administration thinks they can connect an individual's accounts on a Federal systems.

GMail inbox showing an ad from Google Fi Wireless

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 05/06/2025

Mi amore Mi amore Espresso macchiato, macchiato, macchiato Por favore Por favore (I don't even like these much, but the Tommy Cash song has been stuck in my head for weeks now, so I had to give in)

An espresso macchiato from AmCo (Amherst Coffee)

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

The UMass mounted police were hit hard by budget cuts, apparently

Picture of a UMass police pickup truck with a hobby horse attached to the back

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B. David Tyler @drbdt.bsky.social · 17/04/2025

"Harvard was the most erratic performer of the season, at times showing glimpses of power, but then falling off into raggedness of execution and general demoralization." (p17) Found why browsing the underutilized NCAA document archives: ncaa.soutronglobal.net/Public/Defau...

Magazine cover for Spalding's Official Foot Ball [sic] Guide for 1904, Edited by Walter Camp, published by American Sports Publishing Co.

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