Blogography

Caturday 471

2026-10-19T03:55:08Z

Jenny visits me twice every night. The first time is around 2:00am. Most times I pet her for a few minutes, then off she goes. I think she just wants to make sure I’m still there or something. Other times she’ll flop down and be petted for quite a while.

The second time she visits is always 4:00-4:30am. That’s when I usually wake up to start in on work, and she knows if she’s there she will get petted while I read emails.

But Jenny, being a cat, has no idea what a weekend is.

Which means she wakes me up around 2am. Wakes me up at 4:00am. Then, once I’ve fallen back asleep, she’ll wake me again around 6:30am before her breakfast at 7:00am.

It’s just how she’s wired.

Fast forward to last night. I was getting maximum 4 or 5 hours of sleep all week, needed desperately to get some rest when I couldn’t fall asleep, and ended up taking some sleeping pills around midnight. Once they kicked in, I crashed. Hard.

So hard that Jenny apparently couldn’t wake me up at 2:00am this morning! I’m certain she tried, but I was in deep, deep sleep and didn’t respond to her crying…

But don’t worry, I was out of deep sleep for her 4:00am visit, as you can see.

And don’t worry for me, because after I fed the cats and checked my personal email and social media for the week, I went back to sleep until 10:30am! I got a whopping 8 hours sleep, which almost never happens!

Because I have cats.

To wrap up this fine Caturday, I’m ending with this sweet rescue story…

Who the fuck would abandon a poor little kitten in the middle of a desert? Methinks that Gobi has used up a couple of their 9 lives!

The Price of Staying Fresh and Dry

2026-10-19T03:08:34Z

As somebody who sweats more than what you’d think is humanly possible. Especially when it’s unbelievably hot or muggy outside, there are few antiperspirants that really work for me without going for a prescription. My current one of choice is the Old Spice “Soft Solid.

As the name implies, it’s not a liquid that you roll on… and it’s not a solid that you brush on. It’s in-between. You screw up the product through a top that has a bunch of holes in it. A really good idea which works well.

What doesn’t work well? The fucking knob you use to twist up the product. It is not a solid piece of plastic. It’s a knob with three small tabs that connect to the screw mechanism. Tabs that break incredibly easily. If you drop it on the floor? Knob breaks off. If you turn too hard? Knob breaks off. If you don’t press in the right way while turning? Knob breaks off. It’s incredibly frustrating given how a tube of the stuff is around $9.50. Your only option is to throw the tube away when the knob breaks off… or glue a piece of plastic into the screw so you can turn it.

Last month I was at the store and couldn’t find the soft solid. I was mortified it had been discontinued, but then found out that they had stopped making the tube red, but changed it to white. The first thing I did was turn it over to see if they had fixed the stupid-ass knob. They had not…

And, sure enough, the fucker breaks as easily as ever. If you look closely at the photo, you can see that one of the three flimsy tabs that connect the knob to the screw has already broken off (the red one on the left broke off completely).

Now, one could infer that this is a money-saving or environment-saving deal. But it really can’t be. The amount of plastic involved is fucking miniscule. I mean, just look at the knob on this tube which is 1/3 the price…

Which is to say that the only reason Old Spice pulls this bullshit is in the hopes that the knob breaks off so that people have to toss it and buy more product sooner than they otherwise would have if the knob wasn’t a piece of shit.

Guess I’m looking for another deodorant. Try to have some understanding if I walk up to say “hi” and am sweating through my shirt.

Davy Come Lately

2026-10-19T03:07:30Z

I had to run home to meet somebody this afternoon.

And then had to rush back to work afterwards because I had a Zoom call I needed to be on. Usually this wouldn’t be an issue because it only takes me 4 minutes to make the drive.

But this is me we’re talking about, and so…

=sigh=

I don’t know why I can’t catch a break lately.

Probably because this is me we’re talking about.

Left Behind

2026-10-16T01:52:46Z

Before he was burned alive for resisting Spanish colonization, a priest asked Chief Hatuey if he would accept Jesus and go to heaven. After thinking a little, Hatuey asked if Spaniards went to heaven. The priest answered yes. The chief then said without hesitation that he did not want to go there but to hell so as not to be where they were and where he would not see such cruel people.

I thought of that today when I saw this…

I am in total agreement with Chief Hatuey. I don’t want to be anywhere near these faux “Christians” who use their faith like a weapon and are so needlessly cruel and vicious towards people they don’t like.

There is nothing “Christ-like” about them.

Fuck all of them.

Not My Muse

2026-10-14T02:18:02Z

I’ve made my feelings about AI quite clear. When it comes to AI “art”… it’s theft. When it comes to AI “writing”… it’s theft. AI has mined the hard work of countless creatives in order to make a Frankenstein monster that’s delivered to you based on what you want it to provide.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

AI needs vast resources to operate, centered around the data centers which power them. And the more you look into it, the worse it gets.

AI many, many times does not provide accurate information. Which means a lot of people relying on AI for information are being lied to. And this is how misinformation starts, which is destroying us.

It goes on and on.

There are, however, many uses for which AI can be a benefit. One of my favorite has been AI analysis for weather patterns to provide more advanced warning to people in the path of weather-related danger. Or analyzing patient scans to provide better care. Stuf like that.

But, no, I don’t endorse AI when it comes the mass-adoption models we’re getting.

This morning I took a look at Facebook’s Muse AI agent to see if it was worth destroying the planet to install more data centers.

But first thing’s first. I asked my fuzzy Muse avatar to add some bear ears. And this is what I got…

Adorable.

And then I got to work. Asking Muse to help me with finding information, shop for the best prices, and helping me build a travel itinerary.

The results were better that what I’ve seen from other AI models, but there were always problems. Information wasn’t entirely accurate. Travel itineraries were basic. And shopping usually ignored a bunch of places where I would have checked if I were charged with finding the best price…

I tried five times to have Muse find the best price on an item. It only did so three of the five, and I was able to find better with minimal effort twice. And so… would I trust Muse to hunt down the best price for me as a shopping agent? No, not really. I’d be too worried that it would give up before searching all the places I would check. The only way this would be useful to me would be if Muse checked a lot more places, including those that I didn’t know to check and finds lower pricing than I could find. And what about finding the best shipping inclusive price? Without that, it’s all pretty useless. Maybe it finds an item $10 cheaper at one place… but the shipping cost makes its total price $5 more? That just means I’m paying more. Which is certainly not worth stripping the planet of resources.

And so… cute as Muse is, I’m going to be ignoring it. Like I’m ignoring most AI tools that are being unleashed because they aren’t worth the trouble.

Maybe if I asked Muse to turn into a cat?

I Love Bef

2026-10-12T04:49:51Z

Finding vegetarian and vegan substitutes for foods I like is so much easier than when I first stopped eating meat decades ago. There’s just so many options out there. But I’m not always loving those options. Cheese, for example, is always tough. I’ve bought so many fake cheeses that I can’t even count them. My favorite vegan alternative so far is from Chao, but it’s still nowhere near being as tasty as real cheese. But I keep looking.

Fake vegan meats I like are far easier to find.

My latest obsession is Ground Bef (textured soy protein)…

I love it most on nachos…

It’s also great on taco pizza and taco burgers because it picks up seasoning so well. I’ve tried making Sloppy Joes out of it, however, and was not a fan. Any time I put it in a sauce (like a red sauce for pasta) it gets kinda rubbery, I think. I did like it in Chili though.

My next recipe from my childhood I’d like to try is Spanish Rice. Rice, tomato sauce, bef, peppers, and spices. If I can keep it from going rubbery, that will sure bring back memories.

I think.

I haven’t had the stuff in probably 40 years.

Bullet Sunday 970

2026-10-12T03:33:00Z

Today was a sad day because I had to turn the heat on in my home because my cats were always curled up like they were freezing, but I’m putting on a happy face… because an all new Bullet Sunday starts…now…

• Incredible! Michel Gagné spent 14 years animating a feature film. Here’s the trailer…

Looks amazing. Those fourteen years don’t seem wasted, that’s for sure.

• Tomb Raider! Footage from the reimagining of Tomb Raider is burning up the internet, and it looks more like a film than a game…

By way of comparison, here’s what I was playing with on my PlayStation 1 back in 1996…

And, keep in mind, that was cutting-edge back in the day. It was the best graphics yet seen at the time and I couldn’t believe how crazy-good it looked.

• DOOM! Every time they release a new trailer for Avengers: Doomsday they add just a little bit more of what’s going on. This latest trailer adds more than a little bit, and the film looks phenomenal…

December seems so far away.

• Scrabbled! Well this is more than a little mind-blowing…

There are people whose brains just work different. And sometimes those people make the rest of us look less than smart. And speaking of less than smart…

• The Stupid, It Burns! Pretty much…

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A post shared by The Bulwark (@bulwarkonline)

Nobody, including scientists, are saying that science gets it right every time. But there is a scientific method that, when followed, is an authentic method of understanding the world… and medicine. Those who deny it and buy into the misinformation bullshit without knowing what the fuck they’re talking about are literally responsible for harming society. We’ve got thousands dying from measles worldwide now. Measles!

• Stay Seated! I keep hearing these stories of airline passengers losing their shit because they asked somebody to swap seats with them and that person refused. It’s insane. People book the seats they want. Sometimes they pay extra money to book the seats they want. If there’s a seat you want, then book that fucking seat! I don’t care if you want to sit next to your husband or grandmother or child. I want the seat that I paid for! I have swapped seats when asked a couple times… but only to an equivalent seat. I have twice asked somebody to switch seats with me… but they were military personnel flying home, and I was asking to swap my First Class seat with their Economy seat because they had already been on a very long flight from their deployment and I wanted to thank them for their service by letting them have a seat they could rest on before they get home to people who were excited to see them and not letting them rest. But otherwise? STOP EXPECTING PEOPLE TO GIVE UP THEIR SEAT!!!

• Super! “Artificial” means that something is “not naturally occurring.” AI is not naturally occurring, and the only thing super about it is that real human intelligence made it possible. That’s about as accurate as it gets.

This is just an attempt by billionaires to rebrand their tech to try and spin it from a negatively-perceived technology to a positively-perceived technology. You can call me “the enemy” all you want, but it’s not going to change facts.

• Going Out on a High Note! I had never seen this before. It’s wonderful…

Fuck anybody who thinks that public programming like this deserves to be defunded. Every other fucking thing on television is built to sell things to kids… not educate them. We need more education.

And now I’ll go back to eating ramen because my cats like heat.

Caturday 470

2026-10-11T01:28:12Z

Jenny has escalated her pickiness when it comes to the food she eats. Many times now when I throw down some wet food for her to eat, she’s turning up her nose at it. Won’t eat it. I’ve long suspected that her sense of smell is deadened a bit, and it could very well be that her ability to smell food has declined even further with age.

And so… I am rolling the dice every time I put food in front of her. Sometimes I can make it palatable by putting some stinky fish flakes around it. Sometimes that doesn’t help. Sometimes I can add a few pieces of dehydrated fish in the mix and she eats it up. Other times it has no effect.

Thankfully, she’s still yumming up the dry food, but I want to be sure she’s well hydrated, so I continue to look for wet foods she’ll eat.

As for Jake?

Yeah. No problem with finding something for him to eat!

Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Might

2026-10-12T15:38:26Z

It was announced today that the Fort Hood terrorist who killed 13 people will be executed for his crimes. And that the execution will be live-streamed.

Now, I’ve tried to live a life of non-violence since I studied Buddhism in the late 80’s. I don’t consider myself a Buddhist, but I do find that integrating some Buddhist precepts and teachings in my life leads to my living a happier, more fulfilling existence. As an example, it’s a small joy to me to catch a spider and release it outside as opposed to killing the poor thing. There’s a power which comes from not taking a life that makes me feel better about my existence in a way few other things do. It’s why I’m a vegetarian.

So you can imagine my confusion here.

One one hand, I’m thinking “Fuck yeah! Light the asshole up! He’s a piece of shit terrorist, a murderer, and he deserves to be executed!” But on the other hand, I’m thinking “Doesn’t wishing a man dead, regardless of his crimes, make me just as bad as he is? Can’t there be a way to punish him in a way which doesn’t result in killing?”

Ultimately I would prefer to not kill under any circumstances, I think. But in this case? I just don’t know. I’m glad it’s not my decision to make.

Regardless of what side of the fence I reconcile with, I absolutely do not feel that an execution should be presented as public entertainment.

And let me tell you why.

First of all, I do not buy into the argument which says it makes the country look strong in the face of terrorism. What it does is make us look like a country of psychotic monsters who get a thrill from watching somebody be killed in real-time. Live-streaming an execution? Who does that? Terrorists… and, apparently, We The People of The United States of America. What a sick thing to be presenting to the world.

Second of all, I do not agree that publicly executing somebody will dissuade others from committing terrorist acts. Especially when we all know that this will just drive more people to commit terrorist acts. Because they’re terrorists. Nothing makes them happier than public displays of violence which advance their cause… even when it is them on the receiving end of that violence. It’s all part of their plan. They become martyrs for the cause, and the entire world can see it happen live. And the reaction will be the opposite of what’s intended. Dissuade terrorists? Hell no. You’re inspiring them. If you absolutely must lower yourselves to executing the asshole, then do it in private and let him slip into obscurity. Don’t give him the martyrdom notoriety he’s craving.

And lastly, I honestly do feel that this makes us no better than the person we’re executing. He used violence to make a public statement. Public execution is the same thing. It’s not going to solve anything.

Over and over again I see people on the Right justifying public execution with “Liberals cheered when Charlie Kirk was executed publicly… why is this execution any different?” And the answer is that people tuning in to watch Charlie Kirk were not expecting to see him murdered. Whereas people tuning into Hegseth’s snuff film will be watching somebody be killed as entertainment intentionally. And if I have to explain why that’s wrong, then nothing I can say will change your mind, so I hope you have fun watching a person being killed.

I, however, will not be tuning in to watch.

I prefer my violence as entertainment to be fake and come from Hollywood, because they know how to do it up right. An actual execution is likely boring as hell. And highly disturbing. And destroys your soul, whether you know it or not. But in a movie? Well, it’s not for everybody. But for me? That’s entertainment.

UPDATE 10/12/26: Oh look… co-signed by somebody who actually knows what they’re talking about…

This is so important that I’m typing out Lieutenant General Sean McFarland’s post for accessibility…

This is a terrible idea – Pete Hegseth is giving Hassan exactly what he wants. I have no problem with executing this man. In fact, when I was CG of Fort Hood, it was my responsibility to approve his death sentence. I also had the solemn duty of presenting Purple Heart medals to those he wounded and to the next of kin of those he killed. But it is fair to ask whether carrying out the sentence at Fort Hood and live streaming it is justice, vengeance, or a mere spectacle for the masses.
It also surrenders a piece of the moral high ground we have held up to now in our campaigns against Al Qaeda and ISIS by adopting their barbaric practice of video recording the executions of their prisoners. Once it is aired, it is bound to make it harder for our service members to be seen as “the good guys” in foreign lands.
How many insurgents were inspired to attack our troops by photos from Abu Ghraib prison? Worst of all, it will make Nidal Hassan an international martyr. Shooting a hole in the chest of a wheelchair bound paraplegic on live tv will not be a good look for America, no matter who we are shooting. By all means, deliver justice to this man. But do it humanely, with dispassionate professionalism, in seclusion at the US Disciplinary Barracks. This will deliver the necessary punitive and deterrent effects while upholding our reputation as a civilized nation to be admired and emulated. It will also deprive our enemies of a propaganda weapon to use against us.

What in the hell are we even doing any more?

Vibe Code Away the Hate

2026-10-11T00:13:42Z

Hey Google, what is “Vibe Coding?” — Vibe Coding is a software development approach where you use natural language prompts or voice commands to tell an AI what to build, and the AI writes, tests, and fixes the code for you.

I had a problem when Adobe went to their package subscription model instead of allowing me to purchase the programs I wanted to use and upgrade them when I wanted to. If all I use is Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Light Room, and Adobe InDesign, why does it cost more to subscribe to them alone rather than a price subscription to everything you make?

I also have a very big problem when Adobe started treating their subscribers like pirate criminals with their idiotic licensing restrictions. I fucking loathe having to log in and out of my apps because I have a laptop, desktop, work computer, and travel laptop.

And don’t get me started with Adobe shitting their unethical AI shit all over everything.

So when Affinity released apps which were inexpensive and could do many of the things I need to do with the Adobe apps, I was thrilled. Finally I could go back to the purchase model that I enjoyed, and I started using them at home while continuing to use Adobe for work. THEN the Affinity apps were made free and the only thing you have to pay for is if you want to use their AI tools. Which I do not. Nice!

And then ArtCraft used AI to “vibe code” Adobe app equivalents using the amazing Rust coding environment.

Hey Google, what is Rust? — Rust is a multi-paradigm, general-purpose programming language designed for performance, type safety, and concurrency. It is widely recognized for delivering the blazing speed and low-level hardware control of C and C++, but with a crucial advantage: it enforces strict memory safety at compile time without needing a conventional garbage collector. Rust is well-suited for AI infrastructure and production systems, though it is rarely used for early-stage exploratory model research.

Oh the irony of Adobe slapping AI on their apps which made it so that people without graphic talent could fake what graphic artists do… only to have somebody use AI to turn around and make apps that fake what Adobe does.

As you can imagine, ArtCraft has been slammed with people trying to make accounts, so you can’t activate a studio account just now, but you can still go to their site and download their individual apps, which do not require registration of any kind…

PhotoCraft: An image editor in the vein of Photoshop.
VectorCraft: A vector illustration app in the vein of Illustrator.
FilmCraft: A video editing app in the vein of Premiere.
LightCraft: A photo cataloging app in the vein of Lightroom.
PdfCraft: A PDF tool in the vein of Acrobat.
EffectCraft: A motion graphics tool in the vein of After Effects.
DesignCraft: A page layout app in the vein of InDesign.

The only thing really missing is a website development app in the vein of DreamWeaver, a 2D animation app in the vein of Animate, and a 3D package like Substance. I’m sure they’re coming.

I’ve been playing around with the apps and, yep, there it is. Vibe-coded alternatives to Adobe’s bullshit and greed. They are distinct from Adobe and definitely aren’t clones… but the way they operate is similar enough that I wasn’t immediately lost. I was able to pick them up fairly quickly. They are a bit raw in places to start, but it’s very easy to see where they are going. And the fact that they are open-source just means they’re going to get there quicker because, theoretically, every coder on earth can contribute. It’s pretty great.

Between Affinity Studio and now ArtCraft providing alternatives which will likely doom Adobe over something they fully brought upon themselves, I find myself thinking BWAH HA HA HA HAAAAAAA! in my head, because it’s just so deserved. Few companies have worked so hard to make people loathe them than Adobe has. If I had to guess, I’d think that eventually Affinity Studio and ArtCraft will merge. Their business model is the same… free with a paid side of AI, so it could follow the path of Adobe, who bought out a bunch of their competitors to fold them into their lineup.

I remember long ago when I thought the world of Adobe. I thrilled to every new release and was excited at the prospect of giving them my money because they unleashed my creativity anew in the computer age. They earned my patronage and devotion. Then things went terribly wrong. Now I spend more time cursing them than appreciating them, and it’s just sad. Maybe this latest salvo across their bow will force them to take a step back and return to who they used to be rather than the collection of customer-abusing decisions they became.

Because…

This is not about having to pay for the tools I use. I have never complained about that. I want to pay people for their hard work on my behalf.

No. This is entirely about not wanting to support companies that hate me.