iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 9h

As if rekt seals and saying no to terrorism wasn't enough for a Monday, my office phone decided to just bite the dust. *yeets it* At least they were quick to bring me a replacement...

Photo of a hand carrying a proprietary Alcatel desk phone.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 14h

Yes, dear US-based manufacturer, I will surely not do any of this stockpiling, terrorizing, cruise-missile, and oil-drilling stuff. You're the bigger experts at all of those things anyway...

Screenshot of a rather ridiculous text about all the things I'm not supposed to use a piece of equipment for that I intend to buy from a US supplier.

Missiles: Will not be imported or exported to be used in the design, development, production, stockpiling, or use of missiles, rocket systems or unmanned air vehicles of any range or payload. “Rocket systems” include, but are not limited to, ballistic missile systems, space launch vehicles, and sounding rockets. “Unmanned air vehicles” include, but are not limited to, cruise missile systems, target drones and reconnaissance drones.

Maritime Nuclear Propulsion Projects: Products will not be imported or re-exported to be used in the design, development, production, construction, support or maintenance of a maritime nuclear propulsion project; including any machinery, devices, components or equipment specifically developed or designed for use in such plants or facilities.

Oil Exploration and Production Projects:
Products will not be used in their entity or parts, for projects pertaining deep water oil exploration and production, Arctic oil exploration and production, or shale oil projects in Russia. In addition, we certify, that the above-mentioned goods will not be transferred to any natural or legal person, entity or body in Crimea and Sevastopol or used in Crimea or Sevastopol.

Terrorism: Product will not be imported or exported for use by or for persons who commit, threaten to commit, or support “terrorism”. The term “terrorism” means an activity that:
1. involves a violent act or an act dangerous to human life, property or infrastructure; and
2. appears to be intended:
a. to intimidate or coerce a civilian population
b. to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or
c. to affect to conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, kidnapping, or hostage-taking.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 17h

Person from another group notes me on Sunday due to vacuum issues with a jointly used device. I remote in, give advice, tell them what to do. I explicitly told them to check the seals and O-rings. They say they did. Turn up this morning, bright and early, and the issue is staring me in the face.

Photo of a part of a machine with an elastic O-ring sitting in a groove, but this ring is very obviously cracked and probably not great at sealing. Which every person with working eyes, or just one working eye, would immediately notice.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Today was also a good day to let the autumn sun shine on your mane, or to sit on the balcony and enjoy the cool air before it gets too cold for comfort.

Photo of a striped hyena plush from Creep Cat Toy Company lounging on a bed with the sun shining on it.

POV photo of someone sitting outside on a balcony, reading a dissertation about a historic niche topic, next to a surprisingly large Capsicum plant.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Finally home on Friday... What to do? Yes, of course, take a peek into the lab with the webcam! Just need to make extra sure that the gauge is where I left it, and that the ball bladder didn't burst...

Webcam view of a nighttime laboratory, illuminated by a strong LED that's normally intended to be used on UHV windows. We can see a gauge that sits at a comfortable underpressure, and an orange bladder that's not in tatters, hiding behind a radiation warning sign. All is well.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Smart me thought to himself, "Better test this while it's not in use." And indeed, it fails to get past the boot screen. In January, the same thing happened to the iPS below it, having to be returned to the manufacturer for a reflash. Seems almost like a systemic issue...

Photo of the front of a bunch of racked units, with the top one stuck on the boot screen while the one below it started up fine. Back in January, it was the other way around. I originally just wanted to see whether these things would talk to the new lab computer without issues, but I guess one of them isn't willing to talk at all right now.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

After a lot of procrastination, I finally replaced the nearly 20-year-old OptiPlex that once replaced an even older Win XP box that in turn replaced a DOS machine that was still present when I started here. Now we can record spectra as before, but with Windows 11. Bleh.

Photo of a lab computer (a Lenovo desktop PC) existing in a laboratory environment. I also splurged on a 20€ monitor arm so that the monitor isn't being pushed around the desk all the time when someone needs to see it while twiddling knobs on nearby racks.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Exactly 922 days after I was first told about its existence, after all that detective work, paperwork, and permit-getting, driving it here, and obtaining a reference sample, we were finally able to record a spectrum with this 1977 radiation source that is pretty much unobtainable these days.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Almost October, and it's 26°C outside. Time for some active lazing, I think.

Photo of someone lying on a sun lounge on a balcony while wearing pizza socks.

Photo of a person in his at-home comfy outfit, wearing headphones and covering his eyes with a snapback while lying in a sun lounge.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Pressure dildo replaced. Good, that's that done. How about weekend?

Photo of a red top and green top gas cylinder in a safety cabinet, connected to pressure regulators. I'm kinda proud of myself for 1. having this safety cabinet installed instead of the bottles just chilling around in the corner and 2. for always keeping an eye on the pressure even if I don't use the glovebox. The repeated cycle of it failing because nobody noticed the bottle running out has now been replaced by me quietly replacing the bottle when it gets too low, which also nobody notices. But at least I don't have all the extra work associated with flushing a borked glovebox.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Time for the decadely tradition of paying the government to give me a new ID card that said government requires me to have. Brilliant! Also passport. But at least I can now update it with my PhD and the new photo of my shaved head.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

I bought something dumb, and I admittedly like it... Now I can finally use up all those pods I kept nabbing from the Radisson because I could never resist free things, even if I couldn't really use them. (I didn't want to remain coffeeless whenever I'm at mom's place or in Budapest.)

Yes, it's a Nespresso, and I do know they're not good for anyone or anything. But as James Hoffmann said, within 30 seconds of thinking of an expresso, you have one in your hand. I figured that for the use case I bought it for (when I'm in Budapest or at mom's place) it won't bankrupt me, as I normally use a bean-eating machine at work or our ancient pad machine at home. I admittedly also like to use things with cartridge-based systems, it's somehow satisfying.

Photo of a resealable plastic bag containing many Nespresso pods and also sachets of sugar and stuff that one finds in hotel rooms. This bag has been living in the back of a cabinet for quite some time, and now it'll finally see some use!

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Monday morning, time to replenish the workplace coffee stocks. I don't just do workplace safety, radiation safety, "IT" and general maintenance around here; I'm also the person overseeing the Kaffeekasse. I like to refer to myself as Chief Motivational Officer.

Photo of the same bags squeezed into the original cardboard tray one normally sees at the supermarket, apart from the four that didn't fit.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Huh, a broken diff pump was not on my bingo card for today. There was too much oil in it, so the backing pump must have vomited some of its oil up the line somehow. Very uncouth. Also, this O-ring is definitely headed to the bin.

Photo of the innards and outards of a 1970s Alcatel oil diffusion pump.

Photo of the main upper seal of the diff pump, showing a plethora of large cracks.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Just sent off my referee report for a paper manuscript. Entirely hand-crafted, not sent through a slop machine. Bespoke, boutique, human work. I almost feel like an artisan in today's rat race for idiocy.

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Reposted by László 🔜 GLC

Bolt thunder @boltthunder.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Y'all in nyc please be careful. Fishtank is trying to bait y'all.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Now is the first time that I get to sit down for more than an hour since last Thursday, and my body is not happy about that. Nor is my ever so stressed mind. On the plus side, at least I got to see this beauty in operation.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Hello? Where is everyone? Isn't this the thing for animal people and fedi stuff?

Photo of a lone person being confused in front of the CCH.

Photo of the welcome sign at the CCH for the 77th annual meeting of the European federation of animal science.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

When you're overworked, stressed, and as a result, forgetful, and then something you must've surely placed on that table has somehow disappeared... I thought I was losing my mind (as I was asked to add a part to a paper that I was 100% sure I had already written). Turns out someone borrowed it...

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

My semi-predecessor keeps wanting to talk about AI and the danger of super duper AI taking over the world. He can't fathom, can't comprehend, that my main worries revolve around AI being controlled and weaponized by fringe right-wingers, dumbing people down and ensloppifying everything...

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Without saying your age, what is your favourite movie that came out when you were 20 years old.

static.klipy.com

Nick Frost Fuck Yeah

ALT: Nick Frost Fuck Yeah

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Our landlords asked us whether we'd have a problem with them installing a security cam overlooking the two parking spaces where our neighbors park, since it would also film us as we'd walk to the trashcans. The reason? Someone loosened the lug nuts on our neighbor's car. The fucking fuck.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

I like quiet, rainy Sundays with no plans whatsoever.

Photo of a cup of tea and a croissant on a plate in front of a PC keyboard.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

If I think about it, my job is pretty close to that of Dr. Gordon Freeman. Somewhat overqualified to be putting samples into spectrometers, dealing with radiation hazards, constantly fearing the consequences of people not taking lab safety seriously... Good thing I also have a crowbar in my office.

Screenshot of Half-Life, chapter "Unforeseen Consequences" with some computer terminals and the signature crowbar visible.

Photo of Real-Life, with me threatening a computer with a crowbar. It's an old photo that I already posted back in April 2025 but it's just so fitting, I couldn't resist.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

In other typical yeen news, I waited for my tank to get almost down to 1/4 before filling up today. Drove 1035 kilometers and needed 34,4 liters to brim the tank, which equals a quite respectable 3.3 l/100km. That's 71 mpg if you prefer weird units.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

As someone who was obsessed with bicycle lighting even as a small child, it always irks me that so many feel it necessary to ride racing bikes in everyday traffic with zero lights or reflectors. This morning, one came the other way in the dark. And I'm just like... Are you trying to remain unseen?

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Fun fact: This is a screenshot from an instructional YouTube video concerning radioactive source replacement, uploaded by the manufacturer of a scientific instrument.

Photo of a black screen with white text at the bottom, stating "Step 4: Slide the vibrator into body. Again, this should be easy."

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Our most important cryostat was having vibration issues, despite most of it being an anti-vibration scaffold. Turns out that ice formed in it as we vent it with helium gas from the recovery line, as always. Fewer and fewer people use helium, the line was just full of random gas. Interim solution:

Photo of a very inflated football bladder connected to the gas valve of a cryostat. The actual cryostat part vibrates due to the pulse tube cooler, so the sample (and all the rest) are located on a large scaffold, with air shocks, and a large amount of lead weights. There are also electric valves so that the software can automatically admit small amounts of gas, or pump it down fully, depending on what exactly the temperature controller is trying to achieve.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

I guess my spicy box finally arrived.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

After hearing about Duralex being in financial difficulties again, I asked myself: Why haven't I bought a set for myself yet? It's exactly the kind of thing I love most: Quality everyday kitchenware, nothing enshittified... Yes, I'm getting old. But I just like to appreciate nice and simple things.

Photo of a box of Duralex Le Picardie glasses sitting on a kitchen counter.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Getting everything ready to take delivery of a new radiation source today. They have been numbered sequentially since the late 70s. We finally arrive at the obviously amusing number.

Photo of a radioactive warning sign saying "Quelle #69 im Antrieb" (Source number 69 installed in the driving unit)

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Yes, I'm putting a 1960s interface into a brand new PC.

Photo of a PCIe-GPIB card installed in a tower PC. I would have just kept using the card in the old PC, but everyone has ditched PCI slots, so I had to get a new, overpriced interface card.

Photo of the rear of the PC, showing the GPIB connector. It amuses me how the old PC (a Dell OptiPlex) had its mainboard on the other side, so the expansion cards were the wrong way around, while this one now has them pointing the way they traditionally do. This somehow satisfies my OCD, and gets rid of an extra wire loop on the machine.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

"How come your device gets delivered first even though we ordered before you did?!" Well, I guess they like me more. 8D But they didn't actually order first; their funding was approved first, but I was faster in the resulting fight with our own administration to even reach the ordering phase.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

I really love this cloudy, slightly breezy, and cooler weather. Time to put on my cozy hoodie and do some sitting, reading, and coffee drinking in the company of our eclectic plant collection.

Photo of a folding chair next to a storage box on a balcony. A cup of coffee, books, and headphones are sitting on top of the box, which is surrounded by a collection of potted plants.

Photo of a cup of coffee being held by a person sitting in the chair from the previous photo.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Someone I don't think highly of sent me a bunch of samples. I halted our comprehensive characterization after some of our methods indicated, at times, 50% or more parasitic phase content. Now he sends me a paper manuscript. That XRD data doesn't look like what I had sent him... Oh boy.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

My semi-predecessor keeps refusing to get a new bike and instead puts band-aids on what can only be described as a broken frame.

$Closeup of a bicycle's chain stay, which has fractured near the rear axle, with the broken part being held together by a U-shaped rod held in place with two hose clamps.$

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Setting up the dumb new Win11 lab machines so central IT leaves me alone. I'm gonna make sure that we won't need any more dangly USB hubs.

Photo of a tower PC's rear I/O, revealing an additional 7-port USB PCIe card.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Some more balcony time with some admittedly heavy reading material. Picked this up from the free bookshelf at our local grocery store, and while I thought I knew quite a bit about the dramatic events around the Danziger Bucht in 1945, these detailed accounts paint a very grim picture indeed...

Photo of "Danziger Bucht 1945" by Egbert Kieser, next to a partly consumed cup of coffee, both sitting on a balcony storage box, with bits of plants visible around it. Reading these tragic accounts makes me glad to, by pure chance, have been born at a time and in a location without war.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

youtu.be/VGCAHYkbwFc?... This is one of the videos that makes me cry pretty much every time I see it. Mislabeled as 1989, it's actually the 1999 Omega concert at Népstadion in Budapest. My mother showed it to me when Kóbor János, the lead singer, passed away in 2021, shortly after Benkő László...

youtu.be

Omega Gyöngyhajú lány original live 1989 High Quality

YouTube video by Tomek Retroboy

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Ever since I ditched my hair, I seem much more prone to bashing my thick skull into things, like a cat without whiskers. I often hit my head on my car's door frame and knock it against the hanging cabinets in the kitchen. Today, I bashed it into the hood latch striker of Taki's car. Painful & oily.

Photo of a stubbly head with an oily, rectangular impact mark.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

*ponders* What game did I even play last time I did? *ponders* Oh. OH. Well! It's gonna be a wild night of drifts, drags, and being very angry at rubberband-AI. Better rice up my Skyline some more! So yeah, life would be pretty awesome, I'd say.

Screenshot from the car selection menu of NFS:U

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Reposted by László 🔜 GLC

Tofte @tofte.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Draw your sona wearing this

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

With my eyes out of harm's way and short exposures, let's hope the sensor will not be angry at me...

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Deleted my post. Thanks to the people who warned me. Do not use thermal blankets as makeshift filters; it's a bad idea.

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Does any tech-minded person here have access to the manual for a Philips CM 12 TEM, or can they tell me what magnetic stray fields it can deal with before becoming unusable? I can only find Erwin Sabio's alignment and setup guide so far...

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László 🔜 GLC @stripeyyena.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Pretty much this, sadly. I bought a pair of shoes of the same make & model that I used to have and love in my somewhat younger days. They used to last forever, now the inner soles are gone in less than a year, even though my weight is the same and I do less walking now than in those days.

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