iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 21/07/2026

I just learned (after breaking my glasses this weekend) that there’s a shortage of the materials needed to make high-index lenses. What materials? Petrochemicals and their byproducts. Trumps idiotic war continues to screw over Americans.

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Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 19/07/2026

LOL at Fox turning up the music so it’s harder to hear the whole of MetLife stadium booing Trump!

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Reposted by Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON

Darwin Brandis @darwinbrandis.com · 19/07/2026

ChatGPT-assed halftime show.

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Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 05/07/2026

This year marks the 10th anniversary of one of my favorite projects of my career - a delightfully silly educational game my team built for NASA called Space Forensics. It's patterned after old adventure games and in between jokes and references it teaches players about the lifecycle of stars.

imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov

Imagine the Universe!

This site is intended for students age 14 and up, and for anyone interested in learning about our universe.

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Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 14/06/2026

A few minutes ago the plug of our off-brand Instapot let off a big spark and loud pop as I plugged it in. I inspected it and discovered a badly frayed cord at the base. A few minutes to re-wire it and bam, good as new! I wonder how many appliances get tossed when a 5 min fix was possible?

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Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 10/05/2026

We’re in Oklahoma City for USA Gymnastics Men’s Developmental Nationals and I’ve honestly the city is far more charming and pedestrian friendly than I was expecting. We’re near the Bricktown area and haven’t needed a car the whole time. Walking to a minor league game is pretty sweet!

View from the seats of a minor league baseball game between OKC Comets and SLC Bees.

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Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 01/05/2026

Last night my friends and I had the pleasure of learning about ocean life and playing the new @elizhargrave.bsky.social game about collecting seashells, Sanibel, after-hours at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. What an awesome night!

Research Zoologist Chris Meyer and Board game designer Elizabeth Hargrave being interviewed by Paleobiologist Stewart Edie at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Four people playing a board game under a massive model of a Blue Whale in the Ocean Hall of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 10/04/2026

"Fun" discovery this week - iPixel Color LED matrix signs, ($60+ devices commonly seen in ride share vehicles and the windows of local bodega-type businesses) can be programmed with the Web Bluetooth API using Chrome on a laptop or Android phone and they don't have ANY authentication.

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Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 14/03/2026

In high school my best friends and I would play Magic: The Gathering in the back of the bus on the way to school. Now 30+ years later I used a booster box as an excuse for us to hang out for the first time in years. We spent the evening drafting cards, re-learning the rules, playing, & laughing. 1/

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Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 07/03/2026

The video is incredible and the comments are both supportive and hilarious! A morning balm for this world weary geek’s mind…

youtu.be

There’s a Class 100 semiconductor cleanroom inside this backyard shed.

YouTube video by Dr.Semiconductor

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Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 22/02/2026

Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie. It’s an audacious Canadian indy comedy movie. Don’t learn more about it, just go see it. I haven’t laughed that hard in a theater in a long time!

Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 20/02/2026

This video on datacenter infrasound pollution from @bennjordan.bsky.social is great and anyone working to oppose new data centers should absolutely watch it. Also, Benn if you see this hit me up - I’ve built longitudinal study software I’d be happy to donate for longer term studies.

youtu.be

Datacenters Behaving Like Acoustic Weapons

YouTube video by Benn Jordan

Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 19/02/2026

This is made by friends of mine and it's really, really rad. If you liked any of the Advance Wars games you'll LOVE WarBits+!

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Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 09/02/2026

It looks like Github is returning errors and can't create new repos right now. So that's... fun.

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Reposted by Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON

Erik @spurious-emissions.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

In the United States, when you get an amateur radio license, your name, callsign, and mailing address, are made publicly available online, in the FCC's Universal Licensing System. I fail to see why amateur radio operators should be held to a more onerous level of transparency than federal agents.

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Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 05/02/2026

I LOVE that @hankgreen.bsky.social and @johngreensbluesky.bsky.social have transformed their awesome educational media company, Complexly, into a non-profit. Putting mission before profit means they are truly thinking in the long term. Kudos and mad respect!

Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 05/02/2026

Well that was a roller coaster of a day… My wife was spared in a pretty big round of layoffs at her job, and then I found out a good friend accepted a role with my employer. Things are rough out there, it’s good to notice and be grateful when fortune smiles on you!

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Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 02/02/2026

While walking our dog this morning I saw a family with their SUV stuck, high centered on the snowcrete still plaguing the DC area. They were doing the awkward and dangerous work of shoveling underneath the vehicle. I brought the dog home and came back with my digging bar and another shovel. 1/

Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 27/01/2026

Step 1 - Trump hires new loud, sycophantic, unqualified asshole Step 2 - Said asshole embarrasses Trump Step 3 - Trump fires asshole Step 4 - Repeat

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Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 20/01/2026

Now they want to build mini version of the Las Vegas sphere in National Harbor and our county is falling over itself to offer incentives now that we’re losing the Commanders. I’m so damn tired of these welfare queen billionaires. If your project is so great let it succeed on its own merits!

Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 17/01/2026

As someone who works in tech and identifies as a creative, I'm quite torn about generative AI. I find it fascinating and powerful but I'm horrified at how it's being marketed and utilized. I just took some time to write up my thoughts.

waxpraxis.org

The Ghost in the Shell Game - waxpraxis

Pseudo random numbers are not the same thing as creativity.

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Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 13/01/2026

This video from @hankgreen.bsky.social REALLY resonated with me. I help run regional burns but I’ve been disinterested in Burning Man itself for many years and I think this speaks to why… it no longer feels authentic to me. youtu.be/EMWPs75q2_Q?...

youtu.be

Here's Why New Year's Eve is Bad Now

YouTube video by Hank Green

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Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 10/01/2026

Apple and Google both are absolute cowards for not banning the X apps. If you won’t enforce your terms of service when an app generates CSAM and deep fake porn on-demand your so-called “walled garden” was always just an extractive monopoly.

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Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 07/01/2026

I'm trying to start writing again. I'm mainly putting into text the broad sweeping thoughts about making things that I mull over in the shower or while walking the dog. I'm not sure if they'll be useful to anyone, but I forgot the simple joy of crafting my thoughts into words. waxpraxis.org/notes/

waxpraxis.org

Archive - waxpraxis

All notes in the archive

Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 25/12/2025

I desperately wish more people who are religious REALLY looked at this image and tried to square it with their political beliefs.

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Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 22/12/2025

I sit here, still bleary eyed, in the Bahamian airport, heading home. I am suddenly roused by the PA. The combination of the gate agent’s accent, speaker attenuation, and my barely awake state leads me to hearing her announce that she’s looking for some missing ghosts for the flight to Orlando… 👻🛫

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Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 12/12/2025

Oh no… I did a new thing, and it worked, and now I have IDEAS! 😂 I made my first antenna today, a simple vertical dipole for the 2m band. It’s literally a cheap broom handle, PVC, wire, and zip ties, but it works great!

A vertical dipole antenna for the 2m amateur radio band

A NanoVNA H4 device showing the analysis of an antenna over the 2m band. It’s very resonant and has a low SWR.

Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 11/12/2025

@toomanyzooz.bsky.social were such a class act at The Atlantis tonight! They played a super energetic set, including both new stuff and old favorites. I even spotted them in the crowd supporting the opening act, Clejan (who was also awesome too!)

The band Too Many Zooz playing at The Atlantis in Washington, D.C.

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Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 26/10/2025

Due to the chaotic way I “organize” my tools, my wife bought her own (purple!) measuring tape a few years ago. She’s lost it though and, wanting to differentiate it from her sewing tape while also being a book nerd, just asked me to help her find her purple “hard bound” measuring tape. 😍

Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 22/10/2025

We were prank gifted four pink flamingo lawn ornaments over the summer. Yesterday I decided to give them a 🎃seasonal upgrade🎃.

Skeleton figurines riding pink flamingo lawn ornaments

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Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 16/09/2025

While I don’t generally love traveling for work, I do love finding little local gems like The Meteor - a gorgeous art deco diner / wine bar / bicycle shop (?!) that serves a great breakfast and is currently playing an excellent trip-hop playlist as I wait for my avocado toast.

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Reposted by Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON

frankenstonk's monster @stonkers.bsky.social · 12/09/2025

Another piece I finished a while back, but I love it so much. It’s made from very precious mouth blown glasses that I am likely to never see again once I run out. They’re so rich and clear, with such perfect textures. The lead lines in this are the fold lines from the paper crane hanging above!

a square stained glass panel with very rich, vibrant jewel toned geometric pieces. It’s divided into four quadrants. The upper right and lower left have radiating lines in them, representing the crane’s head and tail sections. The upper left and lower right have larger dark purple triangles that form the crane’s wings

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Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 08/09/2025

I finally moved personal website off of Squarespace and onto @astro.build hosted on GitHub pages. As someone who tested my HTML in Mosaic early in my career (yes, my beard is gray, why do you ask?) I have to say that Astro was a joy to learn and the full site was completed over the weekend.

waxpraxis.org

waxpraxis

Stuff created by maker and coder Branden "Wax" Hall

Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 09/08/2025

I cannot properly express how cool it feels to own art created by @stonkers.bsky.social If you knit you should 100% grab one of these kits so you too can bask in this feeling!

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Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 31/05/2025

There are days, as a developer, that I feel like a skilled craftsman honing ideas into elegant code. Other days, like yesterday, it’s more accurate to say I was a digital persistence hunter, bashing at the keyboard until the win32 API finally keeled over in exhaustion.

Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 21/05/2025

@alsobrooks.senate.gov can you please share what drove you to vote for the crypto scam GENIUS act? It does nothing to address the kind of scams and conflicts of interest issues at the core of crypto. The bill is a give-away and only helps a scam ridden industry with little redeemable value!

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Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 23/04/2025

A few weeks ago I randomly won a prize in #PolyPalooza from @polymaker.bsky.social and all my filament arrived today! 🤩 Looking forward to putting this to some good use!

A stack of 7 boxes of 3D printer filament

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Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 23/04/2025

With *gestures broadly* everything, my attention span for reading has been dwindling so I’ve been making an effort to fix that with “Everything is Tuberculosis”. It’s fascinating and often sad, but it’s also honest and hopeful in a way my heart really needed. Thank you @johngreensbluesky.bsky.social

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Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 18/04/2025

The slow, painful process of replacing the old magnetic pad on my 3D printer was going ok and then I heard a funny popping noise... I couldn't tell what happened and nothing SEEMED broken, but a beat later one of the z-axis linear bearings split apart and spilled tiny bearings everywhere. UGH.

Branden “Wax” Hall / W3XON @waxpraxis.org · 13/04/2025

I FINALLY dialed in our old Ender 5 to be able to print damn-near perfectly across the full print bed with PETG. No blobs, no strings. I know a current generation printer can do this pretty easily, but I really want to stick with this thing until the wheels fall off.