iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 20/05/2026

Quote with a fictional band that isn't Spinal Tap

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 16/05/2026

Post a meme made by you. (Remember the alt text!)

The Doctor Who fan meme text “you never forget your first Doctor” over Star Trek’s Dr. McCoy.

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 11/05/2026

Spotted two of these in Seattle during the last No Kings protest. Thanks for linking to the back story!

The Elon Musk creep state poster on a concrete pylon as protesters march by.

The Bill Gates creep state poster on a concrete pylon.

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 27/04/2026

Personal laptop sticker update. “You Are Beautiful“ I got from a friend at @norwescon.org; "Trekkies Against Fascism” I ordered along with a matching t-shirt from @reforest-kelley.bsky.social at willburrowsart.com #StarTrek #Norwescon #NWC48 #SeaGoth #Apple #SeattleWorldcon2025

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 22/04/2026

Obscuring the author, because hopefully this was just careless thoughtlessness, but…if you're going to snark about AI tech bros, maybe don't use what sure looks like AI generated alt text that results in a post that completely loses the punchline if you rely on alt text.

A Bluesky post with text that says, "It will never cease to amuse me how the tech bros here are constantly putting the rest of us on snide little anti AI lists, clearly hoping we're all going to be weeping into our coffees, and the response is invariably", with an animated gif of figure skater Alysa Liu laughing in joy after skating triumphantly in the Olympics.

The alt text for the gif is just, "a woman in a gold dress is skating in front of a crowd".

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 07/04/2026

Norwescon 48 First Contact Galactic Gala: Recorded live at Norwescon 48, it's my Thursday night dance!… michaelhans.com/eclecticism/...

Me behind my laptop and DJ gear, and in front of a projection screen showing graphics and Norwescon and DJ Wüdi logos, lit all in greens and blues, gesturing and singing along with the song being played.

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 27/02/2026

And then there's jerks like me… ;) (Totally team Trek and in agreement with the poll results, though.)

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 04/02/2026

The #StarTrek #StarfleetAcademy speech debate trophy is making my inner 12-year-old snicker. Image snipped from a screen cap by @gaghyogi49.bsky.social.

Holographic image of the Starfleet Academy speech debate trophy looking amusingly phallic, with the text "WINNER" overlaid atop it. A crop of a screenshot from the show.

George Takei smiling, with the text "Oh My".

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 02/02/2026

Ugh. Adding alt text because I just realized that the original post I quote-boosted didn't have any, and I don't want to have to delete and redo the entire thread.

Meme showing five modern Star Trek ship designs with floating, detached nacelles. Under text that says "32nd century starship designers", Edna Mode from The Incredibles frowns at her sketch pad and declares, "No pylons!"

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 02/02/2026

It was one of the things that really drew me into Trek when I was a kid (as evidenced by the various blueprints and technical manuals still on my bookshelves). There was a believable, logical solidity to the designs. Yes, they looked cool, but they also made sense.

A portion of my bookshelf, with blueprints for the Enterprise-D and Excelsior, the TNG Technical Manual, and Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise pulled out to be more visible.

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 22/01/2026

There's an actual poster for my Thursday night dance at @norwescon.org this year! Tell me what you want to hear now (www.norwescon.org/con/events/d...) and come get your groove on at #nwc48 this April! Background art by our Artist Guest of Honor @gdbee.bsky.social!

Flyer with the text, "First Contact Galactic Gala with DJ Wüdi - Norwescon 48 Thursday Night Dance - 9:00 PM - Grand 3" over art by Artist Guest of Honor Geneva Bowers of a Black woman in a spacesuit with her helmet under her arm drifting in space in front of a group of bright orange and yellow space jellyfish.

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 21/01/2026

Question for #StarTrek art aficionados (@portalrealm.bsky.social, @starfleetdesign.bsky.social, probably others): is there a good archive/source/resource/pointer for finding old Trek book cover art? Clean would be great, but not critical. Attached is a current favorite as an example.

In blacks and greens, the Enterprise flies overhead as three figures (likely Kirk, Spock, and McCoy) stand on a rocky planet surface near a low dome with small lit windows. The figures are probably beaming in; one is nearly transparent, one is translucent, and one is fully solid.

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 14/01/2026

Not at 100%, but far enough along to be back at work. Figured I'd encourage people to be a little cautious for the next few days, though.

A paper sign taped to an office doorway that says, “Welcome! I'm recovering from a cold (tested and confirmed to not be flu or covid, but the current cold virus in circulation is a particularly nasty one). I believe I'm not contagious, but I will be masking when anyone is in my office, and recommend you mask if you enter my office. I have disposable masks available on my desk if you need one. Thanks for understanding!”

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 15/12/2025

We stopped by to gawk at the Green River flooding around Kent’s Meeker Street bridge, Riverbend golf course, and Old Fishing Hole park. #Kent #WA #GreenRiver #flood

A green painted steel bridge over a river well over its normal banks; an “8’ Head Clearance” can be seen under the bridge just a couple feet above the water level.

A pedestrian bridge over a river with a sign that reads “Logjam Ahead, Proceed With Caution” hanging under the bridge and partially submerged in the flowing water.

A golf course green partially covered with flood water.

Flood water flowing over a road, barely identifiable by a yellow stripe just visible under the water, from a park into a river.

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 13/12/2025

At last week's #Norwescon planning meeting, I was handed this mint-condition #StarTrek #TMP promotional newsletter from 1979. It's in incredibly good shape; it looks like it could have been printed yesterday!

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 03/12/2025

Today is the UN's recognized International Day of Persons with Disabilities! www.un.org/en/observanc... #accessibility

Illustration with the text 'some disabilities look like this' above a row of people with visible assistive devices, then the text 'others look like this' above a row of people without visible assistive devices, ending with the text, 'not all disabilities are visible'.

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 02/12/2025

I gave it prime placement when I took this photo last Christmas, when I completed my TOS lit collection: michaelhans.com/eclecticism/...

Me sitting at the top of a staircase, looking kind of goofy, wearing a '50s bowling shirt style Star Trek command gold shirt and giving the Vulcan salute. Seven and one quarter steps are filled with Star Trek TOS books. Mission to Horatius, Trek's first book, sits on my feet.

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 28/11/2025

Nice quiet day for us. Slept in, then spent the day alternating reading & munching. Wore my PNW turkey day themed t-shirt. FaceTimed w/mom in the afternoon, watched a few 30 Rock episodes this evening. Hope all of you had good Thanksgivings/turkey days/Thursdays (pick one or more as appropriate)!

Me, a bald white guy with short greying red beard, wearing a shirt with a print of Bigfoot running along with a cooked turkey tucked under one arm.

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 26/11/2025

Happy pseudo-Friday (if that's what it is for you; otherwise, happy Wednesday)!

Me, a bald white guy with greying red short beard, standing in front of a window and wearing a brown short-sleeve button-up shirt with red and yellow stripes down one side and a turkey’s cartoon eyes and beak on the other.

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 25/11/2025

Post your warning label. One of these days I want to turn this one into a shirt.

Warning label with a black exclamation point in a yellow triangle; underneath is the text, “Do not insert your fingers into any gaps or holes; it may cause injuries.”

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 19/11/2025

Congratulations to Highline's exempt professional staff for reaching a huge milestone towards unionizing with our first card signings tonight! #union #UnionStrong

Wide angle shot of the top of an AFT representation authorization card.

My completed union card being dropped into a collection box.

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 17/11/2025

As seen at Safeway while shopping. Pretty sure it actually says "Sassy Cat", but we both saw "Sassy Gay".

A pink box with cute cat-shaped and -decorated Bluetooth earbuds and carry case. The font used for the product title is very rounded.

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 15/11/2025

I keep getting this ad for a photographer's bag on my Facebook feed, and every single time, there's a brief moment when I think it's the cover for the CD single of #Ministry's "Jesus Built My Hotrod". 🤣

Facebook ad for a photographer’s bag. The bag is red and black, shown at a slight angle, isolated against a beige background, with the text “ALL-NEW ROGUE 6L” in all caps at the top.

Cover of a CD single. It has an automobile engine in orange and black, shown at a slight angle, isolated against a beige background, with the text “MINISTRY JESUS BUILT MY HOTROD” in all caps at the top.

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 12/11/2025

This is a really neat bit of Norwescon history, and the first time I'd seen one of these in person. I knew they were small, but I hadn't really realized how small until I got to scan this one in.

A green booklet next to a green plastic ruler showing that the booklet is about 3.5 inches wide by 4 inches tall. It has a cover with artwork of an elfin creature sitting by a stream under a bridge with 'Norwescon 1978' inscribed on the stones, smoking a pipe and writing on a parchment with a large feather quill.

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 25/10/2025

I'm not sure what this business is supposed to be selling with this ad, I'm just mystified by the AI-generated computer in the image they're using.

A Facebook ad from a company named DeltaHub. The image shows something very similar to a silver MacBook laptop with an external drive attached, but the laptop’s keyboard has keys with garbage characters, and the top lid of the laptop is half again as tall as it should be, so if the lid was closed, the laptop would have about a four-inch overbite. The top lid has a monitor on top, underneath that is a black stripe like a Mac TouchBar with speaker grills on either side, and underneath that is another black section with indeterminate text in the corners that could be a screen or just a black plastic section that also has speaker grills on either side.

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 25/10/2025

Okay, yeah, I know that Trump is selling us off piecemeal as fast as he can, but on Temu seems a bit extreme….

A Facebook ad from Temu, with art of a city skyline (Chicago, I think), with the text, “Temu United States Clearance Everything Must Go!”

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 18/10/2025

My "Do Good Recklessly" shirt was on the top of my stack this morning; I took it as a good omen and appropriate choice for the day.

Me, a white man with glasses, wearing a black cap, face mask, and jacket, with a black t-shirt that says “Do Good Recklessly”.

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 17/10/2025

Here’s a “hop” graphic created from scratch by an actual human artist: typo.social/@eWalthert/1...

Portland Frog motive based on Shepard Fairey Obama motive and the Al created HOP meme by Zachary
Hunter. Layout based on motive by Judah Hansen.
Inflatable frog in side view rendered in yellow and green. Background blue and red. The frog is wearing the blue cape, a bit longer than in the original picture. CC NC-ND 4.0

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 17/10/2025

And here’s one created from scratch by an actual human artist: typo.social/@eWalthert/1...

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 11/10/2025

FYI: The Shepard Fairey Obama “Hope”-style protest frog “Hop” image that’s going around right now is ChatGPT AI slop: bsky.app/profile/bonf...

The bottom of the “Hop” image, followed by a BlueSky post by user bonforage that says, “Please use generously! (with or without credit to me and ChatGPT. 🤷‍♂️)”, dated Oct. 10, 2025.

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 11/10/2025

There are so many reasons why I don’t understand why I got this ad in my Facebook feed.

A Facebook ad from Temu; the first visible featured item is a livestock insemination aid kit. This consists of an artificial insemination frame, a yellow plastic arm with a bottle holder on one end and a horseshoe-shaped bit on the other; an 80 milliliter plastic insemination bottle (color random); and an insemination tube. There is an image of a pig with the horseshoe part of the frame clamped around its waist, the plastic arm extending behind the pig, an inverted bottle at the end of the arm, and a tube leading from the bottle into the pig’s vagina. Also, as I wanted to make sure I was using the correct term, since I’m not exactly well-versed in porcine reproduction, I believe this is the first time I’ve ever searched for the term “pig vagina”.

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 09/09/2025

Added a lil' elephunk to my work desktop collection of hilariously anatomically improbable spooky skeleton creatures. #Halloween #SpookySeason

Three decorative “skeleton” creatures on my office desk. One is an elephant (complete with solid bone ears and trunk bones), one an octopus (with large skull and tentacle bones), and one a snail (with skull shell, solid antennae, and a bony ribcage-like structure for the foot that makes it look almost centipedal).

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 09/09/2025

Walgreens refused, but Safeway had no issues with a flu/Covid twofer. Boosted! And customized my bandaids with "FU RFK", just because.

Me with my t-shirt sleeve rolled up to show two bandaids on my left arm, both with clumsy marker writing; one says “F U”, the other, “R F K”.

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 05/09/2025

Just noticed this sticker on the side of a microwave at work. I'm tempted to turn it into a t-shirt.

Warning sticker with a yellow exclamation-mark-in-triangle icon and the text, “Do not insert your finger into any gaps or holes; it may cause injuries.”

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 02/09/2025

Signs of a misspent youth: Before reading the text, and only glancing at the picture, since there's nothing to provide scale, instead of seeing custom-printed bathroom tissue, I saw custom-printed LSD tabs. Which, yes, for some, could be a definite upgrade to the airport experience....

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 02/09/2025

An album of photos from today's #5051 #LaborDay rally and march in Seattle, plus a few more as we headed to and from the event. www.flickr.com/photos/djwud...

A staircase leading up to a set of doors in a stone wall, heavily graffiti with a cat and 'meow meow' over the doors and pro-trans slogans like 'let trans joy exist dammit' and 'let trans kids play safely' on the steps.

A woman sitting on a brick wall, smiling and holding a sign that says, 'Palantir is how Númenor fell'.

A hand holds up a sign that says, 'eat the rich'.

A woman in a crowd holds a sign that says, 'protest abuse of power while you can'.

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 01/09/2025

Probably a few hundred by the time we tapped out, after listening to some speakers and marching up to the Mexican consulate (which is just off Broadway…I had no idea) and on the way back to Seattle Central.

A long line of people, many carrying protest signs, walking down a city street.

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 01/09/2025

A small but enthusiastic turnout for today's #50501 #LaborDay rally/protest at Seattle Central. Currently listening to state AG Nick Brown speak. #SolidaritySeptember

A couple hundred people gathered at a city college plaza watching a tall Black man speaking to the crowd.

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 26/08/2025

(Ir)rationally annoyed that even after disabling #Copilot (which involves switching to "New Outlook" as that's the only way to de-select "Enable Copilot"), the Copilot button gets smaller, but still sits there, taking up menu bar space for absolutely no reason other than Microsoft being an ass.

The faded and smaller but still needlessly visible Copilot button at the far right of Outlook's menu bar.

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 20/08/2025

Image from @moira.mastodon.murkworks.net.ap.brid.gy. Best response comment I've seen: "Incredible. After a century of investment and iteration and development, we’ve finally managed to make a computer that can’t do math." #microsoft #excel #ai #copilot

Snippet from a story about Copilot in Excel that includes the highlighted line, "Microsoft also warns against using the AI function for numerical calculations...." Red text has been added saying, "this is in EXCEL".

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 13/08/2025

Waiting for my friends to show. Soon, after what, over three decades?, finally seeing nine inch nails! Dug out my vintage '90s alt.music.nin Reznor heater shirt for the occasion.

Me in front of Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, with crowds of goth folks in the background.

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 08/08/2025

Mild amusements: That when you zoom in enough on Apple Maps, image processing distortions make all the cars look like they've been abandoned after being in horrible accidents.

An overhead view of a parking lot, where image processing distortions make all the cars look slightly twisted and deformed.

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Michael Hanscom @michaelhans.com · 06/08/2025

Funny instance of automated story excerpts gone wrong. I'd probably stop reporting numbers at that point as well! (The actual number in the article is 2.6 million, but I think the system mistook the decimal for a full stop and cut off the sentence too early.)

An Apple News story excerpt that says: “Disney will stop reporting its streaming subscriber numbers. Disney announced that it will no longer report on subscriber numbers for its streaming services in its quarterly financial reports, following in the footsteps of Netflix. The decision comes after a quarter in which it reported 2.”

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