iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 05/10/2026

[Joking about cognitohazards while referencing the cognitohazard] .

Galaxy brain meme. Brain 1: " Roko's Basilisk is stupid." Brain 2: "Roko's basilisk is a cognitohazard because a machine god will torture a clone of you forever if you know about it." Brain 3: " Roko's basilisk is a cognitohazard because some people who think too hard about the idea experience real physiological anxiety symptoms."

Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 24/09/2026

"Kodansha, stop! It's over! You've already explored every aspect of human biology via a parable of people in a city! There are no more stories to tell!" Kodansha:

Cover for the manga "Cells At Work! Cat," which explores the biology happening inside a cat as an allegory of people in a city.

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 22/09/2026

I imagine this will prove useful to people from time to time. ;)

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 19/09/2026

Pursuant to previous post, I feel like this takes on a whole new meaning in the era of being able to point an AI code generator at a description of a system and have it flush out the system underneath the description. ... But I don't really know what […] [Original post on mastodon.fixermark.com]

"You wouldn't re-implement an API" in the font of the "You wouldn't steal a car" anti-piracy ad campaign.

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 17/09/2026

Zoom is easily the best example of how you can have a sufficiently killer app that you do not have to get the ux story right. Here's a widget that lets you draw on a shared screen. If you mouse over it, little arrows pop up to let you toss it around […] [Original post on mastodon.fixermark.com]

An image showing the video and audio buttons in zoom. To the right of that is a vast blank space of toolbar. Above them, overlapping the presented content, is a pencil icon you can use to draw on the presented content. Not shown is that when you mouse over that pencil, temporary indicators pop up to let you throw the pencil button across the screen to the other corner to get it out of the way of something in the presentation.

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 11/09/2026

TIL the #pittsburgh city-county building has its own straight-up #scp artifact.

A portrait of (maybe) William Pitt the Younger...

... And the explanatory placard that says nobody's quite sure where it came from, it just showed up, it has no provenance, and they used to think it was William Pitt the Elder but, no, it's is son, unless...

... Good. I'm glad we're all watched over by a mystery painting trying its hardest to look convincingly like a human face but unable to get the details right.

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 08/09/2026

So, #BigWalk is every bit as brilliant as I hoped it would be. My only criticism to date is that there is no effect from shining laser pointers directly into a character's eyes, and that's maybe not even something the developer wants to encourage anyway, even in jest. 10/10 game of the year.

Two bird-things shining laser pointers into the giant eyes of a third bird-thing. The third bird-thing is not reacting at all.

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

Fun fact: my wife had to deal with something quite similar to this as Facilities at a FAANG corp.

Onion Article: "Why are we having a meeting with HR?" Circled in the image: "Desk beehive bothering people"

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 05/07/2026

Me: "You know what? I'm bored, it's a 3-day weekend, I'm tired of pretending I care about celebrating America, anthrocon is the biggest thing going on in the city right now, I'm going to buy a day pass and check the thing out." Anthrocon website […] [Original post on mastodon.fixermark.com]

An anthropomorphic cute brown rabbit wearing a little blue polka dot neckerchief, pointing to themselves and looking shocked.

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 04/07/2026

What's the energy I'm feeling on the 250th of the US? It's 90s wisdom. #July4th #250th #XMen

Bishop, looking at Forge who is silhouetted by a bright light through a door. Forge says to Bishop "You can try again. And again if you have to."

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 13/06/2026

This world is capable of great beauty. Don't ever let anything cause you to forget that. www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHT_UvgjQFs

Comment on a soundtrack on YouTube. "@theodor3gabriel: Wanna say thanks to my homie Bach for writing Toccata and Fugue in D Minor and making it possible for Bloody Tears to exist."

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 05/05/2026

We do these things not because we should but because we can.

Console output for "dps-bot," a script that generates "Take XdY Z damage" messages when run.

A sampling:
- Take 6d4 constant damage
- Take 3d100 crab damage
- Take 2d6 subcontractor damage
- Take 8d100 class damage
- Take 3d20 fail damage
- Take 8d8 laproscope damage
- Take 8d8 seashore damage
- Take 1d4 pitching damage

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 01/05/2026

I like when I accidentally leave future-me a little gift of knowledge. (It is apparently coming out May 5 now).

Google calendar appointment: "Another book in the Murderbot diaries should be out", May 1

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 26/04/2026

[uspol, assassination attempt] There is nothing I could say about the attack on the Correspondents' Dinner that our President hasn't already said.

Quotes from the press briefing after the shooting. President Trump: "was in one way very beautiful, a very beautiful thing to see a man..."

President Trump: "wanted to stay tonight. I will tell you, I I fought like hell to stay,"

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 25/04/2026

Always glad to see high school has... changed very little.

Cardboard sign on a flat wooden table that says "NO EATING DURING LUNCH: you may not eat or have food at these tables"

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 20/04/2026

[Super Mario Galaxy movie spoilers] Credit to whoever at Illuminations is a big enough sci-fi nerd to be familiar with The Expanse / Honor Harrington and recognize where the cockpit and decks belong on a good combat torch ship. ;)

Comparison between a Star Destroyer and Rosalina's Comet Observatory, indicating that the right-angle gravity-to-thrust deck alignment in a Star Destroyer is "dumb, wasteful, weak," but the aligned thrust / gravity vectors on the Comet Observatory are "smart, efficient, deadly."

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 08/04/2026

One of my favorite moments of artistic creation is this scene right here. This is the inception of the character "Jennifer," who would go on to have a whole plot arc of her own. She's the one going off frame on the left. Tawny Newsome (voice actor […] [Original post on mastodon.fixermark.com]

A humorously-distorted "tween-frame" of a sleep-deprived Beckett Mariner shoving a blue-skinned woman with antennae out of her way as the woman reacts with shock at the unexpected shove to the back. Mariner's mouth is pursed mid-O in the phrase "MOVE Jennifer!"

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 08/04/2026

"I feel like my 'NO SHORTAGE OF GAS' sign is raising questions that are answered by my sign."

Gas station with a 'NO SHORTAGE OF GAS' sign in front of the station.

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 05/04/2026

"Gentlemen, we've done it. We, the most learned scholars of behavioral psychology and addiction Pennsylvania can provide. By eliminating manufacture, distribution, pre-printing, colored ink, card stock, and scratch points, we have created... The pre-scratched lotto scratch-off."

A printout receipt paper ticket of a Pennsylvania "scratch off" instant win game. You can basically print this out then immediately walk over to the counter and try to redeem it; no need to even read the paper.

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 04/04/2026

[Super Mario Galaxy movie spoiler / reference talk] Of all the references I did not expect, a reference to the original movie was the most unexpected: The Super Scope being a baby-ification gun is probably a sly side-reference to the original movie […] [Original post on mastodon.fixermark.com]

Dennis Hopper as Bowser in the original Mario Bros live-action movie. he is clutching a Super Scope to his shoulder and is flanked by two de-evolved Koopa soldiers.

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 25/03/2026

Universal Yums, I'm _begging_ you. Hire _one_ more sensitivity editor.

Ad email from Universal Yums, the snack delivery company.

"Pounce on Poland before it's gone!"
"One last bite of Poland. We snacked from Warsaw to Krakow to Torun, but now, sadly, we must bid Poland do widzenia. Get your Poland box before it's gone!"

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 23/03/2026

It's always fascinating to go overseas and see the ads that come up when geolocation clocks I'm somewhere else. UK hits different, yo.

"Treatment is available for panic disorder. Search NHS Talking Therapies."

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 17/03/2026

The Devil went down to Georgia He was lookin' for a soul to steal He was in a bind 'cause he was way behind And he was willin' to make a deal. When he came across this young boy sittin' at a chessboard hustlin' old men And the devil took a seat across […] [Original post on mastodon.fixermark.com]

The Devil (represented as a man in a red wrap wearing a cap with a long red feather) contemplates a chessboard across the table from a human deep in thought. An angel looks on from the side, their eyes cast down and head inclined slightly towards the human.

The human can mate in six moves.

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 17/03/2026

Me when Adele Goldberg's face shows up on the rotating kiosk of "Women in Computing" at the office.

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 11/03/2026

[PG-rated sex joke] Remember: sex should only continue if both partners give not only consent, not only enthusiastic consent, but

The final arming switch of the nuclear arsenal on an F-16 fighter jet. Switch is labeled "NUCLEAR CONSENT", with positions "ARM/REL", "OFF", and "REL ONLY". The switch panel also has a SUIT PRESSURE toggle switch with the option "OFF."

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 17/02/2026

@pluralistic I love when paths of desire end up on the walls instead of the ground.

Plaque, in English lettering and Braille.

HELEN KELLER
AND HER LIFELONG COMPANION
ANNE SULLIVAN MACY
ARE INTERRED IN THE
COLUMBARIUM BENEATH THIS CHAPEL

The Braille is lighter than the surrounding metal, discolored by repeated contact with skin oils.

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 16/02/2026

Yesterday, I posted a link to a story about how the Pentagon may be blocking Carnegie Mellon University from tuition reimbursement because it is "biased against the U.S. military." My only contribution to the story was to cackle. That was […] [Original post on mastodon.fixermark.com]

Leela, from Futurama, glowering at a cackling Bender.

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 15/02/2026

Hoped this was about properly storing lithium, was disappointed.

"The Atomic Habits Workbook," James Clear

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 14/02/2026

Catching this new band at Mr Smalls this week.

Sign in a Starbucks that says "The Matcha Edit"

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 03/02/2026

Suddenly realized where they got the framing for the Tony Stark in-the-suit helmet shots in Iron Man. If you're gonna steal... ... steal from the greats.

Dave Bowman in 2001: A Space Odyssey, looking out of his helmet. The surrounding environment is reflected in the glass of the helmet so we see it indirectly; the shot is focused on his face and his reaction to the environment.

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 23/01/2026

Mark: "Oh that's interesting. They have placeholders." Wife: "... what?" Mark: "They have these little placeholder shoes to fill up room in the rack so it doesn't look empty when someone buys something. Wife: "... Those aren't placeholders. Those […] [Original post on mastodon.fixermark.com]

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 06/01/2026

Jesus, Reddit. That's specific. And so near my anniversary too!

Ad copy for an upcoming movie. The headline reads "THEY WILL KILL YOU IN THEATERS MARCH 27."

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 19/12/2025

Construction accident today. Nobody hurt, thank God.

A collapsed construction scaffold at a building. Circled, labeled "The day you're having."

Also circled: A propane tank directly next to the collapse. Labeled "The day you don't even realize you didn't just have."

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Mark T. Tomczak @mark.mastodon.fixermark.com.ap.brid.gy · 17/12/2025

When your Technophile tries to upload their consciousness to the NHP they built. #Lancer #LancerRPG

A picture of the Eye of Ra, with the caption "My Child... That is not very First Contact Accords of you."

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