Sign in

Kelson

@kvibber.com
46 followers 53 following 172 posts

Techie, software developer, hobbyist photographer, sci-fi/fantasy and comics fan in the Los Angeles area. He/him. More often at @notes.kvibber.com or my website kvibber.com

PostsRepliesMedia
Kelson @kvibber.com · 04/10/2026
New tech tip on my website! Enable Gemini (and other Small Internet) Links in WordPress You can write a Gemini link in a WordPress post, but WP won't accept one anywhere it validates URLs. Here's how to add a filter to allow more protocols.
kvibber.com
Enable Gemini (and other Small Internet) Links in WordPress
You can write a Gemini link in a WordPress post, but WP won't accept one anywhere it validates URLs. Here's how to add a filter to allow more protocols.
000
Reposted by Kelson
Sarah Andersen @sarahseeandersen.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
The image is of a four panel comic.
In panel one, we see a man sitting at a restaurant table. He is sweating. He says "Y-you have beautiful eyes".
The second panel zooms in on the man's face. He says, "I'm sorry. I'm just so nervous."
In panel three we see that a biblically accurate angel is sitting on the other side of the table.
In panel four we zoom in on the angel's face, who says "BE NOT AFRAID".
131172743053
Reposted by Kelson
The Ken In Yellow @kenlowery.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
I see you're using this app the way you wanted to. Have you considered using it in a different way to validate our internal metrics? 🔘 Yes ⚫️ Ask again in 4 minutes
0495
Reposted by Kelson
David Revoy @davidrevoy.com · 23/09/2026
The Degraded Search Engine Bonus speedpaint: www.peppercarrot.com/en/miniFanta... #webcomic #krita #miniFantasyTheater
Panel 1. Cepper, the gothic sorceress, walks toward a large steampunk machine in the center of the library written "Gooblin" on it, colored letters. The machine resembles a rusty block, with a threadmill on one side, a seat and a typewriter-style keyboard.  
> Cepper: "A good old 'search engine', this is what I need for my research!"  Panel 2. Close up, Cepper types on the typewriter keyboard, looking at the screen.  
> Cepper: "R.I.N.G. O.F. F.I.R.E  S.P.E.L.L.S.  *enter*"  
> Cepper: "...And voilà."  Panel 3. The machine spits out dozens of scrolls and books. Cepper reads them.  
> Cepper: "Wait... Why are these results so bad?..."  
> Books 1: "(Ad) Ten Fire Spells That Will Change Your Life (You Won't Believe the 7th!)"  
> Books 2: "(Sponsored) 15 Spicy Onion Ring Recipes"  
> Books 3: "(For you) Top 5 Best Engagement Rings"  
> Books 4: "(ad) How to Start a Campfire: A Comprehensive Guide"  
> Books 5: "Is Your Fire Spell Not Working? (Try This One Simple Trick!)"  
> Books 6: "(Sponsored) Cheap Fire-Resistant Panties! (50% Off Today Only!)"Panel 4. A librarian approaches, their AI Parrot perched on their shoulder, pointing it. Cepper looks defeated, her eyes blasé.
> Librarian: "Yeah, they tuned it this way so everyone just uses their Avian Intelligence for searching now..."
> Cepper: "...How unsurprising."
517132
Reposted by Kelson
Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Writing BASIC Adventure Programs for the TRS-80 (Frank DaCosta, 1982) (Source.)
The cover for a book, "Writing BASIC Adventure Programs for the TRS-80", by Frank DaCosta.  The call text reads, "Create exciting computer games while you learn valuable new programming techniques!"  A dragon curls around a TRS-80, taking a swipe at a knight who is standing on the keyboard, his sword raised to take a swing at the fearsome beastie perched on the monitor and disk drives.
213735
Reposted by Kelson
David Revoy @davidrevoy.com · 02/09/2026
Resonance Bonus speedpaint: www.peppercarrot.com/en/miniFanta... #webcomic #krita #miniFantasyTheater
Panel 1. Cepper, the gothic sorceress, stands on her high chair, in her painting workshop, with an empty canvas in front of her on the easel. Her expression is blank, staring in the void. On his perch nearby, her Avian Intelligence (AI) Parrot speaks out loud a notification.  
> Parrot: "Breaking news: *Penguin Academy* authorizes grimoire contributions made with Avian Intelligence."  
> Parrot: "Third major magic school this week after the *Pointy Hat* and *Daemon*."  
> Cepper: "..."Panel 2. The Parrot leans forward, studying Cepper's face. She hasn't moved.  
> Parrot: "I thought that would make you furious."  
> Cepper: "No. It's been like this every day for weeks now, so much so that I've lost my ability to feel outraged..."
> Cepper (smaller): "And all motivation..."Panel 3. General shot in the workshop, Parrot process while Cepper slowly pick one brush from a pot aside of the canvas.  
> Parrot: "So what are you going to do?"  
> Cepper: "Paint what I actually feel."  Panel 4. Close up of Cepper applying a brush stroke on the canvas. Her voice is quiet, her eyes still blasé, but trying to focus on the canvas. She made a first step.
> Cepper: "If this resonates with someone... that will be well enough."  
> Cepper: "Enough to not feel alone in this."
621856
Kelson @kvibber.com · 02/09/2026
I've written up a pair of reviews with more details, one of the hardware, and another focusing on the /e/OS software. kvibber.com/reviews/prod... kvibber.com/reviews/soft... #Fairphone #eOS #Android #deGoogling
kvibber.com
A Month With the Fairphone 4 - Review
★★★½☆ Clunkier than most phones, but you can buy spare parts and repair it yourself. Decent hardware, if a tad slow by today's standards (it shipped in 2021). Runs Android, LineageOS or /e/OS.
000
Kelson @kvibber.com · 02/09/2026
I like the repairability, but it's a bit clunky (not to mention an older model). Fortunately my bank apps work with microG, and once I signed into Google (I know, I know) I can use apps I've paid for. But it doesn't handle system-level in-app purchases (yet?).
100
Kelson @kvibber.com · 02/09/2026
I've been using the #Fairphone4 for the past month, since my old phone started expanding. (You don't want your phone to expand! 😱) It's running /e/OS (a deGoogled Android fork built on LineageOS), since Murena's the Fairphone's only US reseller.
100
Kelson @kvibber.com · 02/09/2026
#Blaugust2026 Wrap-Up I wrote 20 posts (of a goal of 31), including reviews of two books, a game, my dying phone and its replacement. I also finished some older drafts and revived my dormant Les Mis blog with a Star Trek post (really). journal.kvibber.com/2026/08/blau... #blaugust
journal.kvibber.com
Blaugust, or What the Heck: I'll Do Two Overlapping Blogging Challenges | K-Squared Ramblings
I know, I'm already doing 100 Days To Offload. But I can't esist the wordplay in the name Blaugust.
010
Kelson @kvibber.com · 21/08/2026
New book review on my website! The Confidence Game, Maria Konnikova ★★★★☆ kvibber.com/reviews/book... An interesting read on how con artists operate, and the psychological traits they manipulate in the rest of us. Roughly structured around different phases of a con, and il…
kvibber.com
The Confidence Game (Maria Konnikova)
An interesting read on how con artists operate, and the psychological traits they manipulate in the rest of us. Roughly structured around different phases of a con, and illustrated with real cases, some...
021
Reposted by Kelson
The Onion @theonion.com · 19/08/2026
Historians Reveal Terra-Cotta Army Result Of Perfectionist Sculptor Screwing Up Soldier Statue Thousands Of Times theonion.com/historians-reveal-terr…
Historians Reveal Terra-Cotta Army Result Of Perfectionist Sculptor Screwing Up Soldier Statue Thousands Of Times
122241288
Kelson @kvibber.com · 13/08/2026
Book review: To Each This World, Julie Czerneda ★★★★★ Standalone hard sci-fi in which we negotiate the future of humanity with aliens who think *very* differently from us. Multiple alien biologies, space colonies, polymorphic artificial lifeforms, and more. kvibber.com/reviews/book...
kvibber.com
To Each This World - Review
Standalone hard sci-fi featuring multiple alien biologies, space colonies, polymorphic artificial lifeforms with a sense of humor, quantum-entangled tech-mediated telepathy and disposable avatar bodie...
010
Reposted by Kelson
Gail Simone @gailsimone.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
🎶🎶 Why are there so many Songs about Mothra? And why she has friends in a clam She’s Queen of monsters That live on an island Shoots webs from her Diaphragm So some will say and Some call them titans I know they’re wrong Can’t you see? 1/
23700177
Kelson @kvibber.com · 09/08/2026
New on my website: When #LesMiserables showed up (as an eBook on a PADD, of course) on Deep Space Nine, and Sisko had to figure out how be Inspector Javert to his opponent's self-image as Jean Valjean. kvibber.com/les-mis/othe... #StarTrek #DS9 #Blaugust
kvibber.com
Starfleet vs. Jean Valjean?
Les Misérables shows up in an episode of Deep Space Nine, fitting into the Maquis/Cardassian/Starfleet conflict.
000
Kelson @kvibber.com · 06/08/2026
I'm reminded of the time someone insisted one of my photos had to be 'shopped, and cited as evidence...JPEG compression artifacts.
000
Reposted by Kelson
David Revoy @davidrevoy.com · 05/08/2026
New blog-post: "When online commenters 'detect' my art as AI" → www.davidrevoy.com/article1164/...
Screenshots of comments from various platforms:

- but is WAY to similar to Al 
- Is this Al or just made to look that way?
- was the ai style in purpose too? 3
- Your art looks like low quality Al 
- Trying to figure out if this is ai
- Dang, it's crazy seeing the source art style to so00o many of those Al slop comics, kinda surreal.
- I have a feeling the faces feel off
- this isn't the transcript, this is just the exact same script you gave to the Al - this art looks hella ai generated
- Nice comic. What prompt? 
- Shitty Al art
- AI? LMAO .
- You must be John Art because it seems that it stole from you the most
- Is it me or the proportions looks like Ai art?
186824
Reposted by Kelson
David Revoy @davidrevoy.com · 05/08/2026
Authenticity Problem Bonus timelapse: www.peppercarrot.com/en/miniFanta... #webcomic #krita #miniFantasyTheater
Panel 1. The gothic sorceress, Cepper, finishes a painting in front of her easel, palette in hand. She looks happy. Nearby, on a pedestal, her Avian Intelligence (AI) Cyber Parrot watches her.  
> AI Parrot: "Shall I assist with finishing that piece?"  
> Cepper: "Absolutely not! I love the process, and my art will stay **handmade**."Panel 2. later at the exhibition, Cepper stands beside her painting, shock written across her face. In the foreground, silhouettes of anthropomorphic creatures and humans reacting to her work.  
> Narrator: "Later, at the exhibition."  
> Audience: "Did you purposely make it look like Avian Intelligence created it?"  
> Audience: "It totally looks AI-generated!"Panel 3. Cepper facepalms as she overhears the audience attempting to justify their observations.  
> Audience: "Yeah...the yellow tint is a dead giveaway."  
> Audience: "...and this style, I mean, common!"  
> Audience (smaller): "And the fingers!"  Panel 4. Later, in dim lighting, Cepper sits cross-legged on the floor after the exhibition. The crowd disperses in the background. She stares vacantly, chin resting on her fist, processing what just happened. Beside her, the AI Parrot look at her art.  
> Parrot: "Did I ever tell you how much I learned my skills from your art?"  
> Parrot: "The hundreds I made a minute ago are really in the same vein."  
> Parrot (in small): "Love your yellows!"  
> Cepper: "Shut up."
17943318
Kelson @kvibber.com · 29/07/2026
New book review on my website! Always Coming Home, Ursula K. Le Guin ★★★★★ kvibber.com/reviews/book... Not a novel, not quite a short story/poetry collection, but a fascinating, thorough exploration of an imagined post-apocalyptic rural utopia in a far-future Napa Valley.
000
Kelson @kvibber.com · 27/07/2026
#AI uses em-dashes because blogs do. Think about it: #WordPress powers a huge chunk of the web, so it's highly represented in #LLMs' training data. And WordPress has auto-converted ASCII punctuation to real typography since 2003. journal.kvibber.com/2026/07/em-dash…
journal.kvibber.com
AI Uses Em-Dashes Because Bloggers Do | K-Squared Ramblings
WordPress powers a huge chunk of the web, so it's highly represented in LLMs' training data. WordPress also auto-converts ASCII punctuation to real typography, and it has since 2003. Think about it...
000
Kelson @kvibber.com · 17/07/2026
I caught TF2 in a second-run theater for $1.75 and felt like I'd overpaid. I posted at the time that "I don’t know how you can possibly take a movie about giant robots and explosions and make it dull enough that I checked my watch at least five times during the film."
020
Kelson @kvibber.com · 16/07/2026
3 years on, I still use my #PineTab2 on a regular basis. It's not fast or powerful, but it's a #tablet that runs standard #Linux (and its desktop/command-line apps), with a detachable real keyboard and trackpad, good for writing and coding. kvibber.com/reviews/prod... #review
kvibber.com
PineTab2 - Review
The PineTab2 is not a *great* computer. But it's a hyper-mobile Linux tablet that can run desktop and command-line apps natively, with a touchscreen and an optional physical keyboard, for a budget pri...
001
Kelson @kvibber.com · 01/07/2026
You can't stick it to big tech by putting rules in place that only big tech can navigate easily.
010
Kelson @kvibber.com · 01/07/2026
Plus, y'know, those 5 big companies will weather the ID checks and mandatory tracking just fine if it comes to that. It's the rest of us - small companies, indie devs, personal websites, those of us just trying to talk to other people online - who'll be stuck dealing with that minefield.
110
Kelson @kvibber.com · 01/07/2026
On preserving internet freedom in the face of legal pushes for age-gating and other forms of surveillance. We're all tired, in part because it feels like there are only 5 big sites, so why protect them? Because the Internet is more than them. It's all of us. dustycloud.org/blog/what-ha...
dustycloud.org
What happened to the fight for the Internet? -- Dustycloud Brainstorms
110
Kelson @kvibber.com · 18/06/2026
5-Star book review: #Tehanu, #UrsulaKLeGuin A character-driven look at the lives of ordinary people in a world of magic, especially the women and children (and not a few men) caught underfoot when wizards, heroes and villains fight. And (of course) dragons. kvibber.com/reviews/book... #Earthsea
kvibber.com
Tehanu - Review
A character-driven look at the lives of ordinary people in a world of magic, especially the women and children (and not a few men) caught underfoot when wizards, heroes and villains fight. And (of cou...
000
Kelson @kvibber.com · 13/06/2026
For a brief time in the summer after the Vine took off, the location actually changed the sign to read: "FREE SHAVOCADO" ASK INSIDE journal.kvibber.com/2016/06/free...
journal.kvibber.com
Free Shavocado! | K-Squared Ramblings
This sign used to say FRESH AVOCADO. But for several years, it's said something more like FRE SH AVOCA DO. Now it's been "fixed."
000
Kelson @kvibber.com · 13/06/2026
10 years ago, a local Del Taco's mis-spaced sign offering FRE SH A VOCA DO gained immortality as "Free sha-VA-ca-doo" on Vine (remember those?). Someone at the restaurant appears to be nostalgic for the meme, because it's back on the sign today. journal.kvibber.com/2026/06/free... #FreeShavocado
A square red DEL TACO sign stands on a post above two narrower signs, one with movable lettering and the other indicating that the 'DRIVE THRU' is open late. The custom sign between them reads 'FRE SH A VOCA DO'. Behind the sign it's a mottled sky, some white, some blue. A skinny tree tied to two support poles, with mostly empty branches (but a few leaves finally starting to bud), stands next to it. Cars can be seen on the road behind the signpost, and some low buildings across the way.The other side of the sign. It's seen from a bit further away, so I used digital zoom and the image is a bit blurrier. The DEL TACO and drive-through (sorry, drive thru) signs look the same. At first it looks like the tree is missing, but it's just mostly hidden behind the signs. From this side the sky is a dull gray, and the sign reads 'FRE SH A GUACA MOLE' instead.
151
Kelson @kvibber.com · 02/06/2026
I finally watched the first season of #Murderbot. It's a pitch-perfect adaptation, and Skarsgård is dead on as the socially-anxious security cyborg who just wants to be left alone to watch its shows. kvibber.com/reviews/tv/m... #TV #SciFi
010
Reposted by Kelson
The Ken In Yellow @kenlowery.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Yes yes YES. Get a library card, get Libby, go nuts
3328
Reposted by Kelson
Erin Reed @erininthemorning.com · 21/05/2026
Trans people are not “fighting for unpopular positions that society isn’t ready for.” Trans people are fighting to KEEP the rights we have enjoyed for decades. We have been able to legally change our gender markers since the 70s and before. Same with bathrooms, sports, youth, all for decades.
3982652668
Reposted by Kelson
Babybel Bandit @greblin.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
wouldn't it be funny if EVERYONE blocked this Attie AI account @ bsky.app/profile/atti... before they could do anything with it
5401525612574
Reposted by Kelson
Sam Adams @samadams.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
the party that wants to require ID to vote abruptly invalidating a thousand people’s IDs overnight seems like a pretty giant flashing red light
7127674694
Kelson @kvibber.com · 18/02/2026
The third book (and upcoming fourth) gets into the aftermath of the endgame, and also makes you really start to wonder about the nature of the Loop and time in the Nebula.
000
Kelson @kvibber.com · 18/02/2026
I've finished reading the novels based on the game. The first two are just different enough that they feel like you've unlocked another path through it. And yes, puzzling through Ancient inscriptions is woven throughout. hyperborea.org/reviews/book...
hyperborea.org
Heaven's Vault (Novels) - Review
Aliya and the robot sail the Nebula, seeking clues to its history and future. The first two novels tell a story similar to the game, just different enough to feel new. Ancient writing appears througho...
100
Reposted by Kelson
Iron Spike @ironspike.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
THIS. None of them actually give a shit about, say, women's sports, or comic books, or Star Wars. It's obvious cuz if they try to tackle the subjects in depth, they just embarrass themselves. They don't know basic shit! 5 WNBA players! Han Solo's homeworld! 3 2025 Eisner winners! Zip! Zero!
234977
Reposted by Kelson
Anil Dash @anildash.com · 18/02/2026
It is a vile scandal that 2 of the biggest AI companies in the world attack children by inciting them to self-harm, and by generating sexually exploitative imagery of kids for profit. I wanted to document this so that people in tech will stop saying they don't know: www.anildash.com/2026/02/18/t...
anildash.com
How did we end up threatening our kids’ lives with AI? - Anil Dash
A blog about making culture. Since 1999.
11558219
Kelson @kvibber.com · 10/02/2026
New short story review on my website: Solitude, Ursula K. Le Guin ★★★★★ hyperborea.org/reviews/book... The people of Eleven-Soro live alone except for a bare minimum of human interaction. But what is that bare minimum, and what does it mean for people who avoid all other contact?
hyperborea.org
Solitude - Review
The people of Eleven-Soro live alone except for a bare minimum of human interaction. But what is that bare minimum, and what does it mean for people who avoid all other contact?
010
Kelson @kvibber.com · 07/02/2026
I've been running HeliBoard on my phone for a couple of months now. It's a super-customizable, local-only alternative to GBoard that supports auto-correct/suggest and a ton of languages. Gestures currently require an add-on. hyperborea.org/reviews/apps... #Android #DeGoogling #HeliBoard
hyperborea.org
HeliBoard - Review
Versatile on-screen keyboard for Android with local-only autocorrect and suggestions for multiple languages. Extremely configurable. More private than GBoard, and works better for me than Fossify Keyb...
000
Reposted by Kelson
Emperor J @emperorj.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
@theonion.com is so worth the subscription for this
Opinion page of the Onion Jan-Feb 2026 issue with a piece titled "Anyone Else Have Those Weird Dreams Where Sobbing Future Generations Beg You To Change Course?" by Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI
103832559
Reposted by Kelson
Satomi @satomi.fromreal.life · 04/02/2026
maintenance mode
Panel 1: Exec: "Ok guys ok ok we won't kill Adobe Animate." Crowd: "Phew" "thank fuck" "That's better" "I'm still switching to something else." "No yeah you really should"
Panel 2: Exec: "Unfortunately we will also stop adding new features to it." Crowd: "WOO!!!" "It's a dream come true!" "Yeah!" "Finally!" Exec: "... um. Why are they cheering"
2690332035
Reposted by Kelson
Nicole Foy @nicolefoy.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
our government used a Blackhawk helicopter in a major American city, detained children and zip-tied U.S. citizens all to target... squatters and the alleged Tren de Aragua presence? "It was a brutal lie against the American public." www.propublica.org/article/chic...
propublica.org
The Real Story Behind the Midnight Immigration Raid on a Chicago Apartment Building
The Trump administration has claimed the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua had taken over the building. But new documents make no mention of the gang and reveal federal agents had information about “ille...
3129141215
Reposted by Kelson
The Onion @theonion.com · 30/01/2026
Democrats Condemn ICE For Murdering Without Proper Warrants theonion.com/democrats-condemn-ice-…
Democrats Condemn ICE For Murdering Without Proper Warrants
5848271148
Reposted by Kelson
Jonathan W. Gray @elmcitytree.blacksky.app · 30/01/2026
These are all Black people. The regime is betting that you wont care Jamael & Trahern the way you care about Alex & Renée
875144117
Kelson @kvibber.com · 26/01/2026
Finished my second play-through of Heaven's Vault. An archaeologist sailing a habitable nebula, exploring ruins, interacting with townspeople, and translating ancient inscriptions. Your choices make enough difference that it's very replayable. 5★ hyperborea.org/reviews/game... #Games #HeavensVault
hyperborea.org
Heaven's Vault - Review
You play as an archaeologist, sailing among the moons of a habitable nebula linked by rivers, exploring ruins, interacting with townspeople, and translating ancient inscriptions. What starts as a…
100
Reposted by Kelson
A.R. Moxon @juliusgoat.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
The Republican position on guns is and always was that guns can only be used by lone wolves to murder schoolchildren or by Republicans to murder whoever they want.
7496141
Kelson @kvibber.com · 23/01/2026
Useful information for today (and tomorrow, and the day after that, and...) naomikritzer.com/2026/01/21/h...
naomikritzer.com
How To Help if You are Outside Minnesota
Last edited January 22, 2026 I’m going to assume that if you’re reading this, you more or less understand the situation in Minnesota and I don’t have to explain it to you! That sa…
000
Kelson @kvibber.com · 18/01/2026
New book review on my website! 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Jules Verne (F.P. Walter Translation) ★★★★☆ hyperborea.org/reviews/book... Even though marine science and geology have passed it by, it's still a gripping episodic adventure through a strange, hidden world of marvels.
hyperborea.org
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - Review
Even though marine science and geology have passed it by, it's still a gripping episodic adventure through a strange, hidden world of marvels.
010
Kelson @kvibber.com · 10/01/2026
I finally replaced my aging Boox Poke3 with the Go 7. I really liked the older tablet, and used it as my main eBook reader for years, but it was struggling with newer (and updated) apps. The new one's a dramatic improvement. Review: hyperborea.org/reviews/prod... #ereaders #boox
hyperborea.org
Onyx BOOX Go 7 Color (Gen II) - Review
After five years, I replaced the Poke3 with the Go 7 Color. It's a lot faster and more responsive, brings back physical page turning buttons, and adds (pastel) color. Like its predecessor it has a sha...
000
Kelson @kvibber.com · 25/12/2025
Critically, it makes Scrooge's conversion work as a matter of character, not just because the theme demanded it. You see just enough glimmers of humanity in his past that it's believable there might be some left in there somewhere.
000