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9mac2.bsky.social
Mike Liu
@9mac2.bsky.social
400 followers 510 following 730 posts
Profile: Asian American male, looking over darkened glasses at the camera

Banner: waterfowl in shadow on a pond

50s/M/SF Bay Area (he/his)
oversharer, brother, ex-husband, photographer, dad, engineer (no particular order)

linktr.ee/9mac2
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9mac2.bsky.social
Rivertown // Antioch, Calif.

In these trying times, may I offer you a personal Sutro?

(IKEA Ekrar, customized with paint)
My apartment kitchen which I do woefully little cooking in, showing the dark laundry closet alcove where the possums are coming in from and a rice cooker and toaster oven on the counter. This is the clearest spot I have so I took a picture of a customized coatrack, which started out white and I added red stripes, making it look a little like Sutro Tower.
September 19, 2025 at 11:57 PM
9mac2.bsky.social
"Steelworker" (Clifford Wight, 1934) // Coit Tower // Telegraph Hill // San Francisco, Calif.

This is the first union job I've had so I needed to share this mural today; it was linked to its neighbor with a banner that read "Workers of the World Unite" until it was painted over by censorious jerks
Clifford Wight painted several murals in Coit Tower; this one, measuring approximately 4 feet by 10, shows a full-length portrait of a steelworker, who is wearing heavy gloves, bib overalls, and a light tan sweater over a collared shirt. On a leather belt slung at a jaunty angle across his waist, there are two large open-ended wrenches. His right hand is grasping a hose or cable, while the left is holding a rivet gun. Under a steel hard hat, the expression is somewhat grim, with deep lines etched connecting nose to chin.
August 30, 2025 at 1:40 AM
9mac2.bsky.social
I'm reminded of this today because the latest chapter (47) of Ichi the Witch is out and giving the same emotional damage catchphrase as from One Piece;

The first and last three chapters are free to read:
www.viz.com/shonenjump/c...
Panels from chapter 618 of the manga One Piece. In this chapter, one of the main villains from this arc (Fish-Man Island), Vander Decken, is being rejected by Shirahoshi, a mermaid princess. The actual dialogue reads: Vander Decken: "Answer me, Shirahoshi! All you have to do to escape death is say yes! BA HO HO HO!! MARRY ME!!" Crowd: "After trying to kill her for all these years, he's still trying to propose to her?!" Shirahoshi: " ... You're just not my type!" Crowd (shocked): "!!! That's the problem?!" Panel from chapter 47 of the manga Ichi the Witch. This concerns the protagonist, Ichi, rejecting the proposal of Spica, a fellow witch. The actual dialogue is limited to Ichi and reads "I'm sorry. You're not my type." as he bows deeply to Spica. The reaction panel shows Spica's sister Kumugi struggling to hold a straight face as this means her plea to stay on Ichi's team has been accepted.
August 24, 2025 at 4:14 PM
9mac2.bsky.social
A few months after the divorce I struggled with what to do during the echoingly quiet evenings and knowing that I'd have Netflix for a while, decided that watching One Piece would mean that at least I'd have a reliable default choice for a while.
August 24, 2025 at 3:57 PM
9mac2.bsky.social
Downtown // Antioch, Calif.

We are out here in RIVERTOWN doing RIVERTOWN things.
The illuminated Rivertown sign straddles Second, just west of E in downtown Antioch. The sunset colors here are gorgeous and I've pumped them a bit but only to enjoy the same emotions I've been feeling.
August 23, 2025 at 1:15 PM
9mac2.bsky.social
Coyote Point Park // San Mateo, Calif.

Immaculate vibes, cool grey water and sky.
A fisherman stands on the southern edge of the marina at Coyote Point Marina, looking towards the mid-rise offices in Foster City and the low hill of Seal Point in the distance. The ground is covered with sage and other scrub plants; the white patches are crushed shells.
July 19, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Reposted by Mike Liu
shengokai.blacksky.app
Every 4th of July, I take the time to read "What, to the Slave, is the Fourth of July." Let us begin:

"I say it with a sad sense of the disparity between us. I am not included within the pale of this glorious anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us."
(1852) Frederick Douglass, "What, To The Slave, Is The Fourth Of July"
Explore the speech "What, To The Slave, Is The Fourth Of July" delivered by Frederick Douglass in 1852, including full text and historical context.
www.blackpast.org
July 4, 2025 at 6:40 PM
9mac2.bsky.social
Old Street // Tamsui

In the rush, as we hurry worry scurry
The old street shopping districts in Taiwan are delightful assaults on the senses: a panoply of sights accompanied by cheap snacks and chilly air con having you oscillating between steamed and chilled, a chance to practice deciding between different choices nearly identical but why not both, you finally shrug.
July 5, 2025 at 3:25 AM
9mac2.bsky.social
Sanzhi // New Taipei City // Taiwan

I spend so much time looking for foreign buildings I forget how much we have in common.
This is an abandoned building – full-on, trash piled up throughout the bottom floor, some windows intact – just off the main highway. Somewhere, this made economic sense. This is a gas station, perhaps? Or maybe a service station? The long carport gives some indication, while the building looks like perhaps you could put a small store and maybe a residence on top. There were so many angles. Stairs to the landmark pedestrian bridge in Sanzhi. I'm pretty sure that no one actually uses the bridge; you end up climbing an astonishing number of steps to cross at a dizzying height. Instead, most do as I do and wait for a break in the traffic, then dash over. This is the pedestrian bridge; it's lovely and colorful and serves as a great reminder to call for a stop in the bus.
July 5, 2025 at 3:09 AM
9mac2.bsky.social
Sanzhi // New Taipei City // Taiwan

Part of being in Taiwan is trying to get a walk in before it was too hot but even at 6 am, it is certainly a feast for the senses and pores, open with no cooling breeze of relief.
Pickles Hotdog beach side stand, shuttered. As the name implies you may exhange money (undoubtedly a modest amount, as is the usual for Taiwan) for a hot dog and probably pickles. This combination is punctuated by a sign depicting a pair of potato-looking smiling foods giving each other a hug. The blue metal letters spell out "Zhilan" on the water's edge, looking north across the strait towards mainland China. This is a mural on the wall of a coffee shop in Sanzhi village, showing anthropomorphized female and male owls in oddly provocative poses. I may be in love.
July 5, 2025 at 2:45 AM
9mac2.bsky.social
Sanzhi // New Taipei City // Taiwan

I could spend a whole day talking to you about the stay cats of Taiwan who seemingly adopted me during this last trip.
A small brown tabby car lying on a tile floor covered by a checkered fabric mat. The car is looking towards the bottom of frame, sprawled out in a comfortable heap. Two cats lying on a table and chair; the table cat is an orange tabby eyeing me nervously, while the chair cat is a brown tabby with its back to me. Two cats lying on a tile porch; the same brown tabby is on the top level next to a stainless steel handrail, while a tortoise-shell is grooming its tail a couple of steps below. A great that looks at me alertly, frames by the brick walls of a grassy alley stretching into the distance, marked by an orange traffic cone.
July 5, 2025 at 2:20 AM
9mac2.bsky.social
Contra Costa County Fair // Antioch, Calif.

I knew the fair was in town so I walked over last night.
Riders on the Magic Dragon rollercoaster at the Contra Costa County Fair in Antioch, California. The lead car has an Asian dragon-shaped head and the track follows two loops; the ride is approximately five minutes long, going around the complete circuit twice, and the riders look mostly delighted. Marquee for the Magic Dragon, lit up in red and white lights which spell out the name of the ride. There is a crowd thrown into shadow, waiting to ride, but the throngs were not thick and wait times were short. The overall shape is reminiscent of a paifang archway, with pagodas as pillars and a typical peaked roof bridge in between.
May 17, 2025 at 5:19 PM
9mac2.bsky.social
ECR // San Mateo, Calif.

I have been absent recently as New Work Monday has given way to Weary Commute Wednesdays and then Find a New Place Fridays.
Night view towards the south along El Camino Real, near the intersection with 12th/Hobart in San Mateo, California. In the very early morning, around 4:30, I am waiting for the bus to start a new job that Monday on a route which will take me three hours to complete, connecting with BART in Millbrae and Walnut Creek. I am standing in traffic, and my shadow is cast into relief, with no traffic apparent, as customary for this hour.
May 17, 2025 at 3:56 PM
9mac2.bsky.social
Bay Trail (near Ryder Park) // San Mateo, Calif.

When we were all working from home this is how my day would start: "commute" by walking a loop down to the Bay shore and seeing what was new.
San Francisco Bay shoreline at low tide; a single bird is standing on the mud looking for breakfast, well after sunrise but the break in the clouds behind throws sharp relief over the image.
March 31, 2025 at 3:57 AM
9mac2.bsky.social
Hayward Park // San Mateo, Calif.

FRIENDSHIP ended with HiAce kei fire truck. Now MAZDA T1500 blue kei trike is my best friend.
A vintage blue Mazda T1500 kei truck is sitting in front of a local auto repair shop by the train tracks in San Mateo. This area is zoned for light industrial use and the chunky truck fits right in with the vibe. Coming around to the front, we see there is one front wheel and an adorably beaky nose perched on top with a glorious rounded monopane windshield and two round sealed beam headlamps at the break line carried down the body through the doors. The name of the manufacturer, Mazda, is between the two headlamps. Another view of the front of the truck, showing how narrow the kei truck is (you could sit in the middle of the cabin and touch both doors simultaneously. Yes, even you.) and the rounded features that engenders serious cute aggression. The wing mirrors! The teeny hood scoop! The bulbous turn signals! You want to know how much room is in the cabin? Well, the right-hand drive steering wheel is nearly horizontal to make room for the driver's knees and the bench looks like it will hold two reasonably sized adults in (not exactly) adequate comfort for a work day. There is a wire shelf in front of the passenger and the roof is another wire panel, presumably for ventilation.
March 23, 2025 at 3:51 PM
9mac2.bsky.social
I also saw a grasshopper.
mbay.bsky.social えむべい @mbay.bsky.social · Mar 23
トルマリン
March 23, 2025 at 1:51 PM
9mac2.bsky.social
Phlomis russeliana // Central Park // San Mateo, Calif.

Yesterday my day started with errands; when I passed by this Turkish sage I had to share this arresting shape.
Turkish sage blossoms, which are carried about halfway up a stem crowned with leaves. The blossoms are yellow, shaped like half circles with the flat side facing down, and a like-colored skirt below, arrayed in a group of six radiating away from the stem. I don't know why I've never noticed this before.
March 23, 2025 at 1:36 PM
9mac2.bsky.social
Puff piece to counter bad press about tech: we can’t be bad, we’re Christians! Yet there’s nothing substantive about concrete beliefs or actions, just self-congratulatory relativism masquerading as virtue.
(1/3)

www.vanityfair.com/news/story/c...
Christianity Was “Borderline Illegal” in Silicon Valley. Now It’s the New Religion
Believers like Garry Tan are flipping the script in the venture capital world, making faith matter just as much as the ability to turn a fortune. Says one entrepreneur, “There are people that are leve...
www.vanityfair.com
March 22, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Reposted by Mike Liu
graytfox.bsky.social
Sutro Sunset

Going for a hike behind my house always boosts my mood and gets my mind off the bad shit the day threw at me. I stood listening to nothing but the wind rustling the grass and felt real peace
The southern side of San Francisco in the distance, Sutro Tower pokes above the horizon at sunset. A slight marine layer is forming in the left side of the photo. The verdant hills are awash in golden light and the sky is a light blue tinged with orange.
March 19, 2025 at 3:23 PM
9mac2.bsky.social
Three views // Grand Prairie, Tex.

I'm pretty sure that every time I've come to Texas, it's been to the Dallas area. When I try to walk around, I'm reminded the suburbs are violently opposed.
Sign which reads "Event Center" near sunset, with long shadows being cast on the parking lot in front of me. There are no sidewalks in this picture. Signs welcoming drivers to Grand Prairie, Texas, including a city limits sign. Although there is room, there are no sidewalks in this picture. Overpass for Texas Highway 360, facing north towards Dallas. This has three lanes in each direction with room in the center and sides for a complete breakdown. I'm on the sidewalk of the overpass, which was shut down, but there are no sidewalks in this picture.
March 21, 2025 at 5:41 PM
9mac2.bsky.social
Tru by Hilton // Grand Prairie, Tex.

Fit check, for my work assignment last week. This could be subtitled "take an ungoofy selfie challenge: impossible".
Me, wearing coveralls, a hard hat, and my camera harness to prepare for a work assignment. My eyes are in shadow because of the brim, so it's hard to see how thick my glasses are.
March 21, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Reposted by Mike Liu
kellybarnhill.bsky.social
Any Dem politician who refuses to stand for thr rights of our trans friends, neighbors, family members and fellow citizens loses my vote forever. Forever. Doesn't matter if it's for president, congress, state reps, city council, soil and water, library board or dog catcher.
March 7, 2025 at 2:00 PM
9mac2.bsky.social
Music Valley Drive // Nashville, Tenn.

Glowering skies and empty racetracks near the Grand Old Opry
Abandoned go-kart track lined with tires; the concrete roadway looks to be in good shape so I suspect the track closed down recently. There is a three-lane starting shelter in the background with a sign which reads "Valley Park Go Karts" along with several red maintenance sheds dotted along the track.
March 6, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Reposted by Mike Liu
sesameworkersunion.bsky.social
We expect @sesameworkshop.bsky.social to uphold our shared values of fairness, transparency, and respect by recognizing our union and collectively bargaining over our working conditions and the terms of yesterday's layoffs.
March 6, 2025 at 2:15 PM