iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 14h

Somebody installed one piece of the Jumbotron 90 degrees off from how it’s supposed to be.

A photo of the head and shoulders of a man in a suit holding a microphone. It’s a little pixelated and garish because it’s a photo of a Jumbotron at a hockey game. The man’s right eye is rotated 90 degrees from how eyes normally are.

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 14h

Utah #Mammoth still working on building up that hometown crowd on a Saturday night. The first game of this home-and-away series with the #Oilers was pretty good, so I’m psyched, anyway. #NHL

A photo of about half of the lower bowl of the Delta Center, the arena where the Utah Mammoth hockey team play. About half the seats are empty.

001 1

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 18h

Nice day to visit Salt Lake City

The snow-dusted Wasatch Range, to the southeast of Salt Lake City, on a beautiful clear day. Faint quarter moon dead center near the top of the frame. In the foreground, some midrise (7-10 story) buildings in a hodgepodge of styles.

011 1

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 10/10/2026

New end table at our house. I won all the stuffies from the claw machine at Village Lanes (RIP).

A transparent acrylic cube, perhaps 18” on a side, completely filled with colorful plush stuffed toys. It is on a thin wooden base with legs that are squiggly.

242 4

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 10/10/2026

"Oh but Ross," you say, "that's what 'Duplicate' is for." YOU WOULD THINK SO, WOULDN'T YOU

A screenshot of the results of selecting "Duplicate" from the Apple Pages file menu. You are able to modify the filename, yes, but the options to select the location are greyed out.

011 1

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 10/10/2026

The entire rest of the known universe, for the past 40 years: "You use 'save as' when you want to save your current file under a new name or in a new location, thereby creating a copy of the file rather than overwriting the original." Apple:

A screenshot of the Apple Pages file menu, which contains the following options: New, Open, Open Recent, Close, Save, Duplicate, Rename, Move To, Revert To, Share, Export To, Publish to Apple Books.

211 2

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 03/10/2026

Score, sure, whatever. The real news is that shot differential. #Canes #Caps #NHL

At 2:52 left in the first period, the Capitals are leading the Hurricanes 3-0 — but more importantly, the Caps have 15 shots on goal vs the Canes’ 10.

001 1

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 02/10/2026

Someone did a David Copperfield on half of downtown #Durham

The downtown Durham skyline but there is a thick fog so that the taller buildings just three blocks away are totally obscured.

111 1

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 26/09/2026

Why is #Apple so bad at designing its own operating system? This is its own maps app in Tahoe 26.6.2. There is some "feature" of its UI that . . . blurs stuff near the tops of window elements? Even when they're non-scrollable?

A screenshot of a portion of the Apple Maps UI. There is a searchbar that says "Apple Maps" and then directly below that, there is a list that has the label "Places," with "Pinned" and "Saved Places" below that. The word "Places" is so blurred out that it is barely legible.

000 0

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 24/09/2026

TIL about evidenza.ai, and I have many questions, none of which I actually want to know the answers to.

A portion of the evidenza.ai website. It says “AI Market Research for Impossible Audiences. Survey AI copies of your customers to get instant answers from any audience. Even the hardest-to-reach B2B buyers.”

011 1

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 19/09/2026

I'm not really trying to clown on #HackSmith, because they have been pretty amazing about documenting the struggle of having a mega-popular Kickstarter. But I guess the two process optimization guys they've hired haven't gotten around to their outbound shipping yet.

A screenshot of a portion of the FedEx website. In addition to some boilerplate about getting updates, there's one line of actual shipment status. It reads "Sunday, 9/13/26 5:00 PM -> Shipment information sent to FedEx

002 2

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 14/09/2026

Comment posted 7 hours ago, on this video of the Mo-Dettes covering "Paint it Black" in 1980. youtu.be/jbJ9Yy9KoJs "Stop copying someone else's music then maybe you may get somewhere your just making jagger and Richards and Co richer."

001 1

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 05/09/2026

Software engineering in the 21st Century, in a nutshell.

Screenshot of a yellow alert bar at the top of www.newark.com. It reads: "Important Information:
Due to recent system enhancements, processing times may be longer than normal. We appreciate your understanding and continued partnership."

012 2

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 23/08/2026

Our condo building has a new insurance provider & as the fuckin HOA President I got nominated to do their on-boarding self-inspection. I am now FILLED with confidence in their competence.

The body of an email from Honeycomb Insurance. It reads: "Thank you for choosing Honeycomb Insurance!

Your policy documents are being prepared as we speak, in the meantime we ask that you complete a self property inspection by taking a few photos of the property using our inspector app (no download required).

This process takes most customers 10 minutes or less, and gives us the information we need to finalize the on-boarding process.

This inspection is required and must be completed by 09/09/2026. Failure to complete the inspection will result in a notice of cancellation.

To begin the inspection please click the "Get Started" button below. "

Then below the body of the email, there are two rectangular buttons. One is bright orange and is labeled "Get Started" (the other is orange-and-white and says "Learn More")

A screenshot of a page open in my web browser on my laptop. The URL bar says "https://drone.honeycombinsurance.com/welcome"

The screen itself is mostly dark, with a white square near the top center. In that square is a red circle with a ! in it, and the words "Please turn your phone vertically"

011 1

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 11/08/2026

I thought that tonight's Game Changer was definitely one of those "more fun to play than to watch" episodes, but shout out to Sam & the crew for this perfect Easter egg:

A screenshot of one of the credits from this week's episode of Game Changer. It reads "voice over artist: Alex Horne"

000 0

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 07/08/2026

I txt with far fewer people than your average gen-X person, or so I’m led to believe. But if you *do* get txts from me, you are extra blessed.

A screenshot of an outbound iMessage text message bubble. The message reads: “Generally speaking, the interconnected web of Wikipedia articles about the flags voted worst in the 2004 survey of vexillologists is a treasure trove of lowkey municipal drama.”

101 1

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 02/08/2026

#SynthDIY work-in-progress. This is a 16-step sequencer with dual outputs (it’ll be triple in the final design). Each step has a “rest” switch. The special sauce here is that you can turn a knob (or, once I build the next part, send in a trigger) and offset the […] [Original post on dood.net]

033 3

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 21/07/2026

Fuck literally every single person working in this administration. “Gonzales was a private with the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command in Ansbach, Germany. She graduated last year from Hebron High School in Carrollton, near Dallas, school officials said.” […] [Original post on dood.net]

An official US Army portrait of Private Isabella Gonzales, of Carrollton, TX. She is a young woman with light brown skin and wide-set eyes, looking directly into the camera with a slight smile on her face. She is wearing camo fatigues. Behind her is an American flag. She died this week in Jordan.

013 3

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 08/07/2026

FEW ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE RATINGS I have literally installed and maintained one of the boxes that injects the special inaudible codes into radio broadcasts, so I know how it works. It’s kinda neat. I guess they have YouTube instrumented as well? If not […] [Original post on dood.net]

A portion of a trifold brochure sent to me by the Nielsen Corporation, along with a US$10 bill.

It reads:

also rely on this research to make decisions about the products and services they provide.

You were specifically chosen.
That's why you're so important.

Few are invited to participate in the ratings. Choosing to take part is your chance to have your listening and viewing choices included in the audience reports provided to radio and
TV stations, cable and satellite providers, and other businesses.

You'll represent your community by providing information about your radio and TV usage.

So participating is very important!

Participating in the ratings costs absolutely nothing.

We'll never ask you to buy anything or pay to be part of the ratings. We also won't give your name or contact information to any company that would try to sell you something. In fact, we provide cash rewards for people that participate in this important research.

Your personal meter makes it easy.

Being in the ratings is simple.We will give a personal meter to you and each member of your household age 6 or older. All you do is wear your meter as you go about your day. The meter identifies the media you encounter by looking for special broadcast codes and soundwave patterns to match against a library of media content. This method collects media choices without saving or sending any actual audio.

The meter is small and lightweight, the size of a fitness watch.
It comes with three ways to wear: a clip, a wristband, and a lanyard.

001 1

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 23/06/2026

Muah ha ha ha yes, the plan is working. Every middle American cop is in DC guarding the green pool, leaving the country defenseless against the Socialists On The March. RE: flipboard.com/@newyorktimes/politic…

NYT headline: With Win in Washington, Socialists Have Momentum in Urban America

010 1

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 20/06/2026

I bought a lifetime subscription to Tapestry specifically to make it harder for me to interact with shit like this on Reddit. Just the couple of extra taps it would take to respond is enough to stop me.

A post from r/bullcity on Reddit. Subject: Balloon Man Mike. Body of post: “Stop allowing him at the playground. His balloons pop and scare the kids and it’s just unfair to parents who can’t afford $5 for a mediocre balloon animal. Move him elsewhere.

000 0

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 21/05/2026

One of my neighbors ordered a mirror.

A photo of a large rectangular cardboard box standing on one end, leaning against a wall. All the printing on the box is sideways from the viewer’s perspective.

A close-up of the warning signage printed on the box from the other picture. It has been rotated 90 degrees and enlarged so we can read it. It says:

WARNING! READ!
› Item is mirror!!!
› FRAGILE! Handle gently
PLEASE!!!
› Properly placed: Standing on the longest side!
› No violent delivering & delivery!!!

010 1

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 16/05/2026

[Very friendly curious snakey boi ]

A close-up of the head of a juvenile black rat snake — you can see its white jawline, and its pretty eyes. Its neck does a tight S-curve back, to our left, and then back to the right. Its scales are black and shiny. The ground below it is tan and gravelly.

051 5

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 27/04/2026

Wikipedia says that it’s difficult to get a snake plant to go into bloom outside of its natural habitat, but we didn’t do anything at all . . .

A roughly 10-inch-high snake plant in a small white pot sitting on a white table. In the background there is wallpaper with a pattern that looks like blue lollipops.

The snake plant consists of several thick green leaves with yellow-green edges, shaped like spear points, growing straight up from the earth in the pot.

Nestled between the leaves there is a thin stalk with a couple of dozen greenish-white offshoots — they are flowers, not quite open yet. Several clear drops of liquid can be seen at the points where the flowers meet the stalk.

230 3

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 04/04/2026

One hike. Two miles. Some dog owners have apparently convinced themselves that this is somehow acceptable. This is not acceptable; it’s fuckin disgusting.

A photo of the base of a tree, some underbrush, the back of a wooden sign, and an unpaved parking area. There are four bags of dog shit visible just within the ~8-foot width of the frame.

A sandy rocky clearing in the woods along a trail. There is one of those green bags of dog shit on the ground next to the trail.

A section of forest floor carpeted with pine needles and dead leaves. There is one of those green bags of dog shit on the ground in the foreground.

A photo looking into a forest, past many tree trunks. The ground is covered with pine needles and dead leaves, but in the background, new leaves in a bright green are emerging from the tree branches. In the foreground, at the base of a large pine, there is a black bag of dog shit.

000 0

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 29/03/2026

Chicago Underground Duo. Great set, although between the dim green lighting and Rob Mazurek’s trademark shades, it is perhaps not surprising that he seemed to be at war with his sampler intermittently throughout the set. #BigEars

An entirely green-tinted photo (it was the actual color onstage, not a filter). Foreground left there is a dude in a denim jacket and sunglasses playing a trumpet. Upstage and to the right, a drumkit and a man playing it.

020 2

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 29/03/2026

The rule that is consistently proved Every Single Time: If Cecile McLorin Salvant is playing near you, you go. #BigEars

A moodily-lit stage with a pianist, bassist, drummer, and a divine bald Black woman named Cecile McLorin Salvant, who is quite literally the greatest living jazz singer. Also, her style is impeccable. She’s wearing a crepey flowy black tunic kimono thing over a VIVID scarlet underlayer. And Vibram V-Soul five-toe sandals.

020 2

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 28/03/2026

#BigEars is, generally speaking, the most well-run festival I have ever attended. Which is why the unventilated former Greyhound station, apparently with side rooms that are off limits due to major sketch and mold, is such an odd anomaly.

A wide-angle photo looking into a high-ceilinged space, with a lighting truss in the middle of it. The walls and ceiling feature multicolored splotches from a projection system. There are a lot of people’s backs visible — they are all facing an unseen stage. To the left of the frame, in the extreme foreground, there is a white wall heavily lit with blue light. It has a vertical red “Fire Extinguisher” sticker on it. Immediately below the sticker is the metal hook where the fire extinguisher would have been.

010 1

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 27/03/2026

If you were considering living in or near the forthcoming Raleigh City Gateway project, time to reconsider.

Screenshot of a Triangle Business Journal article about a Raleigh developer’s plans to build one of those parking/charging facilities for Waymo cars in the new southern gateway development.

010 1

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 17/03/2026

I’m intentionally not tagging this person and you should feel free to *also* not tag this person, but: this is the most American Liberal take imaginable. Print it out and hang it on the wall. Make a Wikipedia article about it.

Text from a Mastodon post: “Imagine there is a killer asteroid hurtling towards earth and we have just once chance to save ourselves.
That's pretty much the situation we find ourselves in here in America, and the March 28th "No Kings" protest might be our last chance to change the course of history.“

020 2

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 07/03/2026

I’m sure this is completely normal.

Reuters headline: BlackRock fund limits withdrawals as redemptions rattle private credit

021 2

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 20/02/2026

Congratulations, you are one of the greatest athletes who have ever lived. Now this surly man will hand you a stuffed toy.

A tightly cropped photo of a dour looking man with a heavy chin and a poochy brimmed cap. He’s wearing a poofy winter coat with a big collar. He’s holding a tray full of little stuffed mascots of the 2026 Winter Olympics — from here, they look like they’re about the size and quality of the stuffed toys in one of those arcade claw machines.

010 1

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 14/02/2026

NBC out here trying to prove that they are nowhere near finished getting worse at sports broadcasting. The game I'm trying to watch is in the box on the right-hand side of the screen, the one that's less than half the total area of the screen.

A photo of a television set. On the right-hand side, there is an inset box with a hockey game happening in it. It takes up approximately 30% of the total screen real estate. The rest of the screen is just a list of four other sports I could be watching -- it says TODAY in massive letters at the top, and then the list is Skeleton, Cross-Country Skiing, Skeleton (again), and Freestyle Skiing. All in very large type with a ton of dead space around the words. Meanwhile, I'm trying to watch a fuckin hockey game.

000 0

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 01/02/2026

How many hours of dicking around with various `dfu-util` commands and trying different USB cable/adapter combinations before this sentence was written? More than three, easily.

A photo of a StarTech.com USB-A to USB-C dongle, with “Must use this for DFU!” written on it in gold sharpie.

000 0

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 31/01/2026

I just spent a non-zero amount of time poking around on Olympics.com trying to figure out what frucking time zone these times are presented in. I still don't know. I'm forced to *assume* that they're doing some witchery to localize them to the TZ my machine is in […] [Original post on dood.net]

A section of the Olympics.com website schedule page. At the top it says "4 Feb, Wednesday" and then there's a blank section below that, and then "05:30 Alpine Skiing - Men's Downhill 1st Official Training," and then below that "13:05 Curling - Mixed Doubles Round Robin Session 1 - Sheet A"

etc.

The point of the screenshot is to illustrate that there's no timezone data provided.

100 1

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 26/01/2026

I stopped paying for the Triangle Business Journal, so I can’t view/share the article, but I can see the first few sentences, and they tell me that this Triangle startup has a founder and zero other employees, and the entire product is vibe coded. Because what […] [Original post on dood.net]

A screenshot of the top of an article on the Triangle Business Journal website. The whole frame is a photo of a white man standing in front of a stone wall, smiling at something out of frame.

Superimposed over the photo is the following text:

ONE FOUNDER, ZERO STAFF, ALL AI
RO-bot founder Dave Sonders demonstrates a new operational model in which Al agents drive product development and execution.

010 1

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 14/01/2026

There is a restaurant a couple of blocks from my house (in #DurhamNC) that specializes in New Mexico-style green or red chile burritos. Like, for example, this:

A big oval plate sits on a red plastic lunch tray lined with red-and-white checkered paper.

The plate is swimming in a deep reddish-brown sauce. 2/3 of the plate is taken up by an oblong shape — it’s a burrito, but that’s hard to discern — which is smothered in melted cheese and more of the red sauce.

Arranged around the edges of the plate are dollops of sour cream and guacamole, some pico de gallo, and some large dark beans.

101 1

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 10/01/2026

New sewing project queued up for tomorrow. #NHL #Sourdif #GoCaps

The photo is dominated by the number 34 in a deep red with a black outline. The number is cut out of some kind of stiff fabric and is sitting on top of some papers, clear plastic, and a cardboard box.

Above the number there is a strip of white fabric with the word SOURDIF across it in red letters with a black outline.

000 0

Ross Grady @rossgrady.dood.net.ap.brid.gy · 06/01/2026

Someone gave me a Goldbelly gift card so I just visited their website for the first time. The whole thing is ridiculous -- epitomized by this: www.goldbelly.com/restaurants/grays… -- if you've spent any time in NYC then IYKYK -- but the thing I'm […] [Original post on dood.net]