iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Quoll @gearon.org · 30/08/2026

I never answer my phone anymore. I don’t even let it ring. Here is my voicemail inbox…

A list of voicemails on an iPhone. Every one of them is a scam.
+1 (804) 448-6121 Yesterday
$45,000 loan available, call 369-216-6437; provide feedback
+1 (620) 523-0595 Yesterday
Details need confirmation; call 888-912-2797; loan options may vary

There are 8 more entries like this

Quoll @gearon.org · 20/08/2026

The 1979 “Buck Rogers” series had a Computer Council running things. Not something I was expecting the US to start adopting any time soon

A scene of the “Computer Council” from the TV series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. A room full of AI machines, each of which is a metallic disk about 12” in radius, and a few inches deep. The disks are on their sides, and the front surface is clear, showing lights inside. Most have an array of lights in a circle, though 2 have a pair of lights making the disk look like a face with eyes.
Taken from the Computer Council page on the Buck Rogers wiki: https://moa.omnimulti.com/Computer_Council_%28Buck_Rogers_in_the_25th_Century%29

020

Quoll @gearon.org · 17/08/2026

Today was a tough Monday to get started, but I did manage to get going, and I captured photographic evidence:

A flat white coffee with a leaf pattern, being held near an espresso coffee machine. The edge of a coffee grinder can be seen to the left in the background

020

Quoll @gearon.org · 08/08/2026

It looks accurate!

Picture from an Asterix comic showing Roman Legionaries in a testudo formation

010

Quoll @gearon.org · 06/08/2026

I can’t say I’m upset

Screenshot of LLM interaction.
User: Based on all of our previous chats and what you know about me, name a movie character who resembles me most. Give me the name only.
Nothing else.
AI: Ellie Arroway
User: What movie is this character from?
AI: Contact (1997). The character is played by Jodie Foster

100

Quoll @gearon.org · 29/07/2026

I am unsurprised at the distribution of voters by party, but I do find myself wondering what that 8% of democrats are thinking such that they don’t disapprove

Graph of who approves vs disapproves of the job Trump is doing, broken down by voting groups. Caption says:
Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as President? (% who strongly or somewhat approve minus the % who strongly or somewhat disapprove)

Current numbers are:

MAGA Republicans: +89
All Republicans: +63
Non-MAGA Republicans: +12
U.S. adult citizens: −28
Independents: -53
Democrats: -92

110

Quoll @gearon.org · 27/07/2026

Post a perfect album from the 90s that isn't nirvana, soundgarden, pearl jam, or alice in chains.

050

Quoll @gearon.org · 22/06/2026

The author of this clearly never grew up on a wheat farm, whose family grew “seed wheat”.

Black oat plants sticking above the surrounding plants in a field. The plant has a thin vertical stem with multiple yellow seed husks hanging from it all the way to the end. Not seen here is that the husks are a paper-like shell that the black seeds develop in, before they split open. Both the tips of these husks and the seeds themselves give the dangling seeds a spiky appearance, pointing downwards. The plant is backed by a blue sky.

000

Quoll @gearon.org · 10/06/2026

Before / After. If you look carefully in the recent image, the railing at the top of the White House is just visible.

Two images, one over the other. The upper image is of the South entrance of the White House, taken from about the E St NW road, looking across "The President's Pk". The fountain in the park is running. The lower image is taken closer to the White House, with the fountain behind the camera. The UFC structure dominant, with advertising all over and around it. The upper railing of the White House is just visible below the arch of the UFC structure.

010

Quoll @gearon.org · 06/06/2026

My accent is now such a mess that I know I will never be able to go anywhere in world where people will understand me

Starbucks cup with the name “Pola” on it

2280

Quoll @gearon.org · 15/05/2026

Here is a snippet from the response when I asked what went wrong. Admittedly, I’ve never spoken with it about makeup 🙄

Screenshot of text:

What is interesting is that the failure reveals something about how abstract impressions can become distorted. Much of the contextual information I associate with you—computer science, formal logic, standards work, systems engineering, physics—was evidently mapped onto a stereotypically male visual template. In other words, the generated image says less about you than it does about the cultural biases embedded in the associations used to construct it.

100

Quoll @gearon.org · 11/02/2026

Google popped up a notification on my phone suggesting shopping for items for me 😵‍💫

Google search results for Nvidia Tesla H100 cards. The first 3 prices are $20,335.00 and $87,668.58, with AI suggesting a price range of $25,000 to $70,000

010

Quoll @gearon.org · 28/12/2025

post a perfect album from the 90s that isn't nirvana, soundgarden, pearl jam, or alice in chains. I’d always let myself be influenced by others’ tastes, especially my ex’s. This album was the first I asserted that I loved for myself

Album cover of Without You I am Nothing by Placebo.
Shows two young women seated across a table from each other, leaning forward on the table with folded arms. Both are looking down at the surface, apparently despondent. Both wear black tank tops, and have their hair pulled back in ponytails. A window with gauze curtains dominates the background, with yellow light filling the room and reflecting off the table

010

Quoll @gearon.org · 07/11/2025

0x20 years. Does this mean I’m old now? 🥺

2026 Senior Membership card for the IEEE. Name is Paula Anne Gearon. Section is Richmond. Has the statement: Valued IEEE Member for 32 Years

020

Quoll @gearon.org · 04/11/2025

Appalachia in the fall

View from Carter Mountain across Charlottesville, VA, towards the Appalachian Mountains

030

Quoll @gearon.org · 04/11/2025

I’ve always liked the view from the orchard

Eastward view of this plains of Virginia from Carter Mountain in Charlottesville

North-Eastward view of this plains of Virginia from Carter Mountain in Charlottesville. Hills are shown on the left of the scene

110

Quoll @gearon.org · 04/11/2025

Election Day, and the kids and I all have the day off uni/school. So we’re off to our annual pilgrimage… apple picking

View from the front seat of a car, traveling through a Virginian forest in the Fall

160

Quoll @gearon.org · 29/10/2025

I didn’t want to take the time to drive one hour to deliver some paperwork in DC, so I sent it certified mail. I’m wondering how a 1 hour trip has become 6 days and counting. I’m anxious, because it will cost me $400 if it doesn’t arrive in the next 2 days

Tracking log for a letter sent from Thornburg on October 21. It went to Richmond, then Washington DC on October 23, where it has languished for 6 days. It now says, “Arriving Late”

120

Quoll @gearon.org · 11/05/2025

Yes, it’s Mother’s Day, but sometimes if you want something nice you have to make it yourself. (Also, it doesn’t hurt to remind the kids what I do for them)

2 Eggs Benedict, on a plate. Each one is a fresh English muffin, a slice of ham, a poached egg, and topped with hollandaise sauce. A little paprika is sprinkled on the top.

A “flat white” espresso coffee in a plain white cup. The milk is patterned to look a little like a fern leaf

010

Quoll @gearon.org · 20/04/2025

Eggs for Easter morning

A plate on a table with Eggs Benedict. Home made English muffins, Canadian bacon, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce, with a sprinkle of paprika on top. The plate is on a patterned cloth placemat, and a knife and fork are next to the plate.

120

Quoll @gearon.org · 08/01/2025

This is where state legislatures can help everyone. (link is paywalled: link.axios.com/click/381168...)

020

Quoll @gearon.org · 20/12/2024

Birthday pikelets!

6 pikelets (miniature pancakes) in a rectangular non-stick electric fry pan

000

Quoll @gearon.org · 11/12/2024

I like that this was all I could see of your message. No idea who they are or what they said, but I feel validated in my choice to remove them from my timeline

The previous post, but instead of the referenced post being embedded, all that appears is a rectangle with the text “Blocked”

130

Quoll @gearon.org · 08/12/2024

Looks like they got more stock. It appears to be popular

An image of a model wearing an olive green jacket, identical to the jacket of the murderer of Brian Thompson. The image focuses on the jacket, cutting off the model mid-face. In the top left is a circle with the statement "Complete the look" and an arrow pointing down. In the middle of the image is text saying:
⭐️ In demand
716 bought in the last 48 hours

120

Quoll @gearon.org · 05/12/2024

Sigh, cravings are just silly. I know that I can make something that is objectively better, but that doesn’t change the fact that I haven’t had this in years and I’m missing it

3 cans of Kraft’s “Braised Steak & Onions”. Each can has a sub-banner saying “Premium Australian Beef with Rich Gravy”.
The cans have a red label, with a square area for an image. The background of this area is dark blue, with the text printed over it. Under the text is a photo of a plate on which is the meat and gravy of the can. A tendril of steam has been photoshopped to appear as if it is coming from the food and wafting over the text.

100

Quoll @gearon.org · 29/11/2024

Dinner today came with a glass of wine. So why not put something out there that no one will respond to? 😊 (Note: I’m not an artist)

White text over a blue-tinted cloudy background.

I'm on BlueSky!
Get to know me better.
1 like = 1 answer

1. Why are you on BlueSky?
2. Any other social media?
3. Still posting on Twitter?
4. What do you post on Bluesky?
5. Nationality?
6. Gender/Pronouns?
7. One word to describe yourself?
8. Something you hate about yourself?
9. Something you love about yourself?
10. What's your perfect date?
11. Any hobbies?
12. Play any instruments?
13. Name a random fact.
14. Favorite food?
15. Favorite drink?
16. Favorite season?
17. Favorite sport?
18. Chinese zodiac sign?
19. Somewhere you want to visit?
20. Speak any other languages?
21. Favorite song?
22. Song you're listening to now?
23. Saddest song?
24. First game console?
25. Favorite video game?
26. Last concert you attended?
27. Last book you read?
28. Last movie you saw?
29. Cat or dog?
26. Last concert you attended?
27. Last book you read?
28. Last movie you saw?
29. Cat or dog?
30. Day or night?
31. What's your lucky number?
32. Favorite quote?
33. Color of your toothbrush?
34. Favorite movie?
35. Coffee or tea?
36. Favorite character?
Artist Questions
38. What do you prefer to make?
39. What's your favorite OC?
40. Who'd you do fanart of?
41. Traditional or digital?
42. Weakness?
43. Strengths?
44. Anything you make but never post?
45. Weirdest thing you've ever made?
46. Any art goals?
47. Do you do NSFW?
48. FREE SPACE
49. FREE SPACE
50. FREE SPACE

2210

Quoll @gearon.org · 22/11/2024

Someone posted this at work…

A tweet from Marcus @ziademarcus saying: I got this Duo plushie to remind me about my Duolingo streak, and the attached note is completely unhinged 💀
There are 2 photos included. The first is a Green Duo owl sitting on the back of a sofa, and the second is a note from the Duolingo store, saying:
Thank you! I hope you enjoy your purchase from my merch store. I also hope that you do your daily lessons. Because if you don't… well. Let's just say I know where you live now.

Signed Duo

180

Quoll @gearon.org · 20/11/2024

Norwegians seem to pride themselves in not indulging in the excesses that Americans are infamous for… and then they stick an entire strawberry cheesecake (crust and all) into a chocolate bar

A Freia chocolate wrapper, showing a slice of cheesecake near a piece of the chocolate, with the chocolate showing the crust and cheesecake filling

010

Quoll @gearon.org · 17/11/2024

When I spoke about math in ClojureScript at Clojure/conj a couple of weeks ago I added a little humor to one of my slides. I thought maybe some people would see something familiar and look up the rest of it, but so far people have only understood after I’ve explained it.

A slide with the title:
The Details: IEEE-754 64 Bit

6.67430×10^-11 → 1. 00100101100x2^-100010
1.602176634×10^-19 → 1.01111010010x2^-111111
2.7182818284×10^0
→1.01011011111×2^1
4.835978484×10^14 → 1.10110111110×2^110000

130

Quoll @gearon.org · 15/11/2024

Last night in Oslo before I go home. It’s been a big week

Christmas fair in Oslo, showing a helter skelter, a carousel, and a Ferris wheel, all covered in Christmas lights

Christmas fair in Oslo, showing a crowd of people walking down a lane of stalls selling Christmas gifts and food

Christmas fair in Oslo, showing a long tunnel made up of thousands of Christmas lights arching over people walking down a path

A dinner at a pub. Burger and fries on a plate, with a beer in the background and a menu (or “Meny”) written in Norwegian on the table

030

Quoll @gearon.org · 06/03/2024

The elements required aren’t there. While both sides may claim a “contempt for democracy” on the ballot issue, the other elements are missing. The vaccine issue is even more wanting.

List of elements of fascism:
• A belief in the supremacy of one national or ethnic group
• Contempt for democracy
• An insistence on obedience to a powerful leader
• A strong demagogic approach
• A political movement that embraces far-right nationalism
• The forceful suppression of any opposition
• A centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader
• Severe economic and social regimentation
• Forcibly suppressing opposition

020

Quoll @gearon.org · 21/02/2024

Just as much data here too! (I’m only including the first paragraph because this is well known information)

The start of a ChatGPT exchange:

What can you tell me about the cyber security professional named lan Coldwater?
ChatGPT
lan Coldwater is a well-respected figure in the cybersecurity community, particularly known for their expertise in container security, Kubernetes, and cloud-native environments.
Coldwater has gained recognition for their deep technical knowledge, as well as for being a vocal advocate for security best practices within the DevOps and cloud-native landscapes.

000

Quoll @gearon.org · 21/02/2024

I got 2 pages of text, with a relatively simple prompt. This is the start of it

A ChatGPT 4 conversation.

You
What can you tell me about the software engineer Paula Gearon?

ChatGPT
Paula Gearon is known in the tech community for her contributions to various open-source

100

Quoll @gearon.org · 14/01/2024

Would you like a jelly baby?

Tom Baker as Dr Who offering a character a jelly baby

200

Quoll @gearon.org · 13/01/2024

You’ve been kidnapped. The characters from the last TV show you watched are trying to rescue you. Who is coming to save you?

The characters from the children’s cartoon “Bluey”. These are all dogs, including the mother, who is orange, the father, who is blue, and the smaller children, Bingo, who is orange, and Bluey, who is blue. They are all standing out the front of their house, which is apparently in or near Paddington, in Brisbane, Australia. The word “Bluey” is written above the characters

120

Quoll @gearon.org · 18/12/2023

This was in a local community promotional magazine. Umm… who wants to tell them?

An advertisement for people aged 55 or older, with a photo of a couple in this age group. The headline is, “Live Life. Your Way.”
Then:
“Join us for an exclusive event”
“Mingle & Munch!”

Followed by details about the event.

151

Quoll @gearon.org · 05/10/2023

Looking at the weather forecast for the next few days and… WTF???

Screenshot of a weather forecast:
Saturday, October 7. Day, 64°
There is an icon of a cloud with snow and sleet, with a probability of 60%

Text reads:

Partly cloudy with a chance of rain-snow mix. Chance of precipitation 60%. High temperature around 64F. Dew point will be around 51F with an average humidity of 69%. Winds will be 10 mph from the NW.

000

Quoll @gearon.org · 03/10/2023

“Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella testified in the Google antitrust trial, accusing Google of using unfair methods to maintain its dominance in search.” My, how the turntables

Scene from The Office with Steve Carell as Michael Scott, saying, “Well, well, well. How the turntables…”
Next to Carell are the characters played by Jenna Fischer and B J Novak

120

Quoll @gearon.org · 22/09/2023

The end of #strangeloop for 2023… and ever more

The Strangeloop team, on stage, embracing one another

020

Quoll @gearon.org · 21/09/2023

Out of the keynotes and into the tech. Enjoying the talk by Zac Hatfield-Dodds from Anthropic as he decomposes neural networks into feature-identifying neurons #strangeloop

Zac presenting with a slide labeled “Basic Units of Mechanistic Opportunity”

021

Quoll @gearon.org · 21/09/2023

“#2 play well with others. You don’t know what other people are going through.” I love hearing such wise words on empathy. From AnnMarie Thomas. #strangeloop annmarie-thomas.com

AnnMarie on stage with a slide, saying

Playful Learning Lab Rules
1. Be kind.
2. Play well with others.
3. Clean up your messes.

010

Quoll @gearon.org · 21/09/2023

What I have always loved about Strangeloop is that I can go from podcasts to seeing @shanselman and @engineering_bae on stage hanselminutes.com/871/growing-...