iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 09/10/2026

PIZDETS #a2vanityPlateSpotting I was biking behind this car for a couple of blocks. Then I remembered this is a Russian swear word. Kind of surprised that the state of Michigan issued it! en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D0%BF%D0%B8…

rear of a black Toyota Camry in traffic on a street in Ann Arbor, MI with a Michigan license plate reading "PIZDETS"

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 04/10/2026

I am intrigued by these vehicles that play in the gap between bike and car. This Veemo e-bike is about $7k, you can park at the bike rack and ride in the bike lane. I am willing to ride a bike in the rain and put my feet on the ground at stop lights, etc. So […] [Original post on a2mi.social]

Two Envo Veemo electric assist tricycles parked at Human Electric Hybrids in Ann Arbor

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/09/2026

Web search continues to struggle against AI slop. The first hit here is blatant 2024-level slop, it veers from talking about zippers to substitutions for chili peppers in recipes. I reported it as slop with @kagihq, my previous reports have been marked […] [Original post on a2mi.social]

Search engine results for the search "damaged plastic zipper teeth" with an LLM page ranked ahead of an iFixit tutorial

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/09/2026

Malicious bots had started using Meutch signups to send unwanted emails to targets. I implemented a bunch of defenses Fri/Sat and it seems to be blocking all of them currently. Boo to internet jerks making more work for me but at least for now I'm winning 😤

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 11/09/2026

Work in progress: a Meutch flyer! Me and other folks will be tabling at sustainability-themed events this month.

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 06/09/2026

I builded a compost bin out of an old playset

Finished bin nestled on a corner of the yard

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/08/2026

Also from my roadtrip to North Carolina: I saw this huge Eastern Hercules Beetle on the sidewalk in Chapel Hill.

A yellow Eastern Hercules Beetle on speckled sidewalk pavement

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/08/2026

From my roadtrip to North Carolina earlier this summer: we stopped in Charleston, WV to visit the Clay Center children's museum. It's a perfect stop on this trip. We got street parking right outside the museum. Check out how cheap it was!

A parking meter showing the printed rates: "12 MINUTES FOR EACH NICKEL 24 MINUTES FOR EACH DIME 1 HOUR FOR EACH QUARTER"

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 25/07/2026

I spent my afternoon taking apart my microwave - we shall see when the parts arrive and I install them if this makes me a genius or a fool. Economics of this are weird: it's a premium built in microwave (GE Advantium) and replacing it would be $$$ but also a […] [Original post on a2mi.social]

A microwave on the ground with its cover removed. Wires everywhere in a colorful tangle, a screwdriver and multimeter sit outside ready for action.

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 21/06/2026

These colons reek of AI slop 😩 I just want my JB Weld to cure faster!

Screenshot of a web page about why you shouldn't cure epoxy with a heat gun. The first three sentences are highlighted: " The heat gun trap: why rushing the reaction ruins the repair. The evaporation myth: why treating epoxy like paint destroys the chemical cross-linking. Listen to me: epoxy doesn't dry by an apparition, it cures through a chemical reaction."

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 21/06/2026

Spotted: literal tons of solar panel awaiting installation at Ann Arbor's Forsyth Middle School

A manifest describing 36 solar panels in each box, with a total weight of 1,200 kg

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 20/06/2026

I used a stick welder for the first time! Thanks @ThunderDohm for teaching me, we fixed my broken wagon and kept it out of the landfill.

Closeup of the weld. It's ugly but it works!

A red wagon, fixed, sitting on a cobblestone driveway

A broken joint where a wheel attaches to a kids wagon

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 15/06/2026

We are babysitting Blast, a class pet gecko. I think this is our fifth summer taking her for a stretch of time? She is great. She lost her tail since the last time she visited but it doesn't seem to be hindering her.

The underside of a gecko, gray, glimpsed through the glass wall if its tank that it's crawling up

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 26/05/2026

I went to the Matthaei Botanical Gardens today, where beavers have recently returned after being nearly exterminated 150 years ago. I did not see the beavers but I saw lots of their handiwork! They are indeed busy

A tree trunk ,partly gnawed through near the bottom

A felled tree. Mostly gnawed through by beavers and then with a saw, presumably so that garden staff could control the direction in which the tree fell.

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 30/04/2026

I cancelled Spotify! It was satisfying to complain about the pivot to video in their unsubscribe form. The family chose Tidal as the replacement service, largely because it displays lyrics that sync with the music and Qobuz doesn't. Re: a2mi.social/@samfirke/1163636035974…

A screenshot of the Spotify cancellation screen

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 29/04/2026

[trying a new AI coding tool] I installed pi.dev (open-source competitor to Claude Code) and fixed a couple of trivial bugs with Chinese models via OpenRouter. I gave it the easiest of tasks but it was fun to see it in action! The costs were $0.02 (a one-line […] [Original post on a2mi.social]

Screenshot of white and green text on a reddish brown background, the pi.dev coding agent command-line interface. It shows the tokens in and out at the bottom along with the cost, $0.183 to fix this bug.

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 20/04/2026

I hit 5000 miles on my electric-assist cargo bike today! #BikeTooter

A Bosch Kiox E-Bike controller, showing the odometer of a bicycle at 5004 total distance

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/04/2026

Gobi 65, an Indian appetizer of spiced fried cauliflower, is my favorite food. The license plate G0BI65 is available in Michigan. What ruins it for me is that the letter 'O' is not permitted on Michigan plates (today I learned) so it forces it to be a zero - […] [Original post on a2mi.social]

A generated license plate preview from the Michigan Secretary of State website showing a black background plate with white letters saying "G0BI65"

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 04/04/2026

I stayed up late and was rewarded with a special visitor! I hear these friends on my block a couple times per year.

Screenshot of the Merlin eBird app showing that I heard a Great Horned Owl at 12:01am

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 31/03/2026

My neighbor made an app for us to let our dogs out at different times. We couldn't get them to stop barking at each other through the fence so we're trying this.

Screenshot of a web browser showing statuses for whether two named dogs are inside or outside and a button "Let Panda Out"

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 26/03/2026

Spotify shoves autoplay video into my face a little bit more every week. I open the app and this starts playing (with subtitles to make it more engaging, since my music is using the audio). Just sharing for those of you not on the service so you know what you're not missing.

A screenshot of the Spotify app homepage a video "podcast" from The Daily beast is autoplaying, with a agitated, older white man talking about Trump's psychosis

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 08/03/2026

6-7 This toot brought to you by my 11 y/o and Beyond Sausages

Zoomed way in on the part of the package instructions that says to cook for "6-7" minutes

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 21/02/2026

Lil basil friends biding time under the grow light until spring

Several small basil seedlings and black pots under a grow lamp

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 21/02/2026

I added a requests feature to #Meutch last night! Nearly ready for primetime.

Screenshot of Meutch.com showing two requests from me. For a piece of plywood and to borrow the boardgame Forbidden Sky.

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/02/2026

At a colleague's retirement party. It's nice to hear stories from a long career, about putting kids through college, and plans to volunteer in retirement (doing more physical tasks than IT networking). I hope that's me in a couple of decades - and that I cherish the time until then.

A wall with a decorative hanging sign that says in gold letters "goodbye tension, hello pension"

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 14/02/2026

All my Plex / Jellyfin self-streamer types: we could rip CDs from Kiwanis resale on the cheap and have a ton of (random) music!

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 11/02/2026

Best part of my birthday thus far was frosting these vegan cupcakes with my teen. I'm thrilled the polar vortex left in time for me to enjoy the warm weather!

A metal cupcake tray on the counter containing a dozen dark brown cupcakes with off-white frosting, each topped with half an Oreo

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 09/02/2026

Somewhat related, I've started sometimes including Claude's PLAN.md for features in the pull request. The downside is it clutters the repo and becomes less relevant over time. I should probably share the initial prompt instead, since that's where I have invested […] [Original post on a2mi.social]

A screenshot of a post from YCombinator saying that they want applicants to submit Claude Code chat logs

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 27/01/2026

Giveaway feature is mostly done, enough that I merged to production. I put a few items there (starting with a pair of kids' snowshoes that we've never used). Feels good! Re: a2mi.social/@samfirke/1158224914949…

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 24/01/2026

Neat context in this push notification

A message from Google saying "Sat to be among coldest days in 6 years" in Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 15/01/2026

Ctl Salt Deleter is my favorite plow name I've seen so far. (This is the live snowplow map from Ann Arbor, Michigan where we have a snow day today).

Screenshot of Firefox Mobile browser showing a colored map and three snowplow icons on it, labeled "Plowasaurus Rex", "Scoop Dogg", and "Ctl Salt Deleter."

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 14/01/2026

The ride home from work was fun but I wish we had covered bike parking! My bike is gonna be an icicle for days.

An unplowed bike lane with deep snow. Cars are driving in the adjacent lane.

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 14/01/2026

Any advice on where I can get a chain guard for this drivetrain? My teen keeps getting her pants destroyed chain grease. Yeah she could wear a cuff but it would be much better to improve the setup. #BikeTooter #BikeNite

A screenshot of a stock image of the woom now 6 teen bicycle, showing the cranks and chain and rear wheel

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 01/01/2026

Oh and my teen made a cool logo, which we also modified into a favicon you'll see if you load the page

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 21/11/2025

Grass growing out of an ancient Black Oak in Ann Arbor's Wurster Park.

A massive black oak tree. Mostly a giant trunk. A stub was left behind from a giant branch and there's a tuft of wilted grass growing out of it.

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 09/11/2025

Snowy weather has my doggo wearing her Hanukkah hoodie

A brown labradoodle dog, circled up on a dish towel, wearing a navy coat with blue driedels on it

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 20/10/2025

I clicked on a catchy headline from NPR. Then I noticed the image description sounded AI generated. Then I looked again at the image and realized it was *definitely* AI generated. WTF NPR #slop

A screenshot of an article on NPR.org about pickleball injuries. It includes a prominent image of a hand holding a pickleball racket. A hand which is missing a finger. The shading and shadow on the image are pretty janky too.

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/10/2025

I'm using Claude Sonnet 4.5 to draft the analysis tools, including the prompt to the classifier LLM. Then the actual classification is being done by Gemini 2.5 Flash Lite which is 1/30th the cost of Sonnet 4.5 for input tokens (and 1/37th the cost for output) […] [Original post on a2mi.social]

Screenshot of my OpenRouter usage page. It shows calls to Gemini 2.5 Flash Lite costing about $0.0001 apiece, that I made 594 calls yesterday, using 610k tokens and racking up a bill of seven cents.

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 16/10/2025

The City of Ann Arbor's new Open Data Portal is live! data.a2gov.org I've been working on this for months. My favorite part: it showcases our dashboards and maps! We have raw data available too, but I think 99% of people would rather interact with the […] [Original post on a2mi.social]

Screenshot of the open data portal showing thumbnails and descriptions for three maps: Ann Arbor Floodplain, Champion Tree Tour, and Public Plan.

Screenshot of the open data portal showing thumbnails and descriptions for three dashboards: AAPD Crime Data, Traffic Crashes, Street Tree Inventory.

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 04/10/2025

I hit my annual cycling goal biking me, a kid, a bench, 8 soccer balls, and other gear to a game across town. Feels fitting.

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 03/10/2025

I'm #3dprinting with tree supports for the first time. The green "trees" hold up the parts that might otherwise sag. Then you tear them out when you're done. The slicing software generates them automatically! I'm printing this […] [Original post on a2mi.social]

A screenshot of the 3d modeling software OrcaSlicer, showing an orange box-like structure held up by green trees that branch and snake through the openings in the orange box. The model in question is a battery holder for a Bosch e-Bike battery.

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 01/10/2025

The approach to the University of Michigan' Yost Ice Arena is frequently overflowing with mopeds. They must be a big hit with hockey players! There are hockey helmets hanging from some of them.

A large brick hockey arena exterior in the background. On the sidewalk in front of it are about twenty mopeds and a few scooters, all near and somewhat obstructing a bike rack.

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 27/09/2025

I'm buying this book which has a months-long line at AADL. I'm impressed, thought they might have to special order it.

The cover, salmon pink, of the book One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad

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Gobi wan Kenobi @samfirke.a2mi.social.ap.brid.gy · 27/09/2025

I'm at the grand opening of Courageous Books, the new bookstore in Dexter, MI! Sooooo many books I want to read.

A bookstore interior with many books displayed with covers out

Selfie in front of Courageous Books backdrop

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