iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ben Cotton (he/him) @funnelfiasco.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 06/04/2026

I'm thrilled to announce that I am the @merriamwebster Word of the Day today.

Screenshot of the Merriam-Webster Word of the Day email for April 6, 2026 showing that "cotton" is the Word of the Day.

Ben Cotton (he/him) @funnelfiasco.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 27/12/2025

Yesterday my wife and I went to the bookstore and we bought negative books! (We brought some in to sell and didn't buy any for once).

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Ben Cotton (he/him) @funnelfiasco.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 25/11/2025

Give the gift of knowledge this year. You can save 50% off of my book ("Program Management for Open Source Projects") or most other titles at @pragprog when you use offer code save50 through December 1. pragprog.com/titles/bcosp/program-m…

Save 50% at pragprog.com with code save50
Applies to all ebooks except The Pragmatic Programmer
Offer ends December 1

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Ben Cotton (he/him) @funnelfiasco.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 23/11/2025

Everyone is forgetting he's Chicago Pope. Clearly the correct caption is 🎶Staring blindly into space Getting up to splash my face Wanting just to stay awake Wondering how much I can take Should I try to do some more? 25 or six to four🎶

Pope Leo speaking (singing, perhaps?) into a microphone surrounded by various clergy

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Ben Cotton (he/him) @funnelfiasco.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 31/10/2025

Instead of saying "my condolences", what if we said "Mickey Dolenz"?

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Ben Cotton (he/him) @funnelfiasco.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 08/10/2025

If you've ever wanted to buy a copy of my book but at 60% of the list price, then I have good news for you: my book is one of today's PragPicks titles. Order directly from @pragprog and you can save 40% with coupon code "PragPicks"

The cover of "Program Management for Open Source Projects" with text 40% off today at pragprog.com with coupon code PragPicks at checkout.

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Ben Cotton (he/him) @funnelfiasco.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 25/06/2025

I had the beginning of an idea for a talk last night. I've not gotten much beyond the title (in the image) and the general concept of "companies are using your code whether you want them to or not. here's how to navigate the reality of being in MegaCorp's supply […] [Original post on hachyderm.io]

Two panel meme. In the top panel, a dimly-lit pirate looks into the camera saying "you'd better start believing in supply chains". In the bottom panel, the pirate is a decaying corpse saying "you're in one."

(This is a scene from "The Pirates of the Caribbean")

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Ben Cotton (he/him) @funnelfiasco.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 02/04/2025

Want one of the plushies declared the best plushie in the south hall of #KubeCon? Stop by booth S482 and follow Kusari on LinkedIn!

A close up of a stuffed avocado toy with a winking face.

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Ben Cotton (he/him) @funnelfiasco.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 19/03/2025

Severe thunderstorm warning for #Tippecanoe County until 745 pm. Includes #LafayetteIN, #WestLafayette, and #Purdue campus. Rotation has settled down but there's still a possibility of tornadoes to go with wind and hail. #INwx

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Ben Cotton (he/him) @funnelfiasco.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 19/03/2025

Tornado warning upstream of #Tippecanoe County. Area of rotation will pass through in the next 20-40 minutes. Looks likely to pass west of #Purdue campus and #WestLafayette city. #INwx

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Ben Cotton (he/him) @funnelfiasco.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 11/03/2025

Feels good to have my weather station back in service! Now I just need some free time to finish the #weewx skin changes that I'm working on.

A graph of the 24 hour signal quality from a weather station. It is at zero until about 7pm and then rises to near 100% through the latest time stamp at 8am

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Ben Cotton (he/him) @funnelfiasco.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 04/03/2025

DOGE has gone too far in its war against weather.

A weather station with a badly cracked housing.

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Ben Cotton (he/him) @funnelfiasco.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 18/02/2025

Diet Pepsi: famously un-processed (from the local newspaper's article about the passing of Indiana's oldest resident)

Ransopher, who lived through significant historical events like World War I and the moon landing, attributed her longevity to wholesome values and a diet free of processed foods.

An active community member involved in various organizations, Ransopher was known for her sharp memory, storytelling abilities and love for Diet Pepsi.

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Ben Cotton (he/him) @funnelfiasco.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 17/02/2025

Weather station update: checked the battery and it showed about 2.6V. So I put in one that read 3.3V. Signal quality immediately returned to 100% but plummeted a few minutes later. I suspect there's a short or something? Guess I'll see what the folks at Davis Instruments have to say.

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Ben Cotton (he/him) @funnelfiasco.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 15/02/2025

Well replacing the battery got my weather station back to life, but the signal has gone to hell suddenly. The siting hasn't changed in almost 3 years, so I'm not sure why it's unhappy now. When it's daylight, I'll go check to make sure the battery is not loose, etc.

Graph of a signal status showing near 100% until early morning when it drops to zero, rising to 100% again when the sun is up, and then falling again in the evening. After about 6pm, the signal varies wildly centered about on 40%

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