Andrew Watts
@awatts.bsky.social
Basically, “just zis guy, you know?”. For money I work as a programmer / data analyst at URMC. Degrees in Linguistics. For fun I play too much Zelda and fumble around on bass. Film lover. Urbanist / YIMBY. Kind to cats.
Pinned
Andrew Watts
@awatts.bsky.social
· Jan 3
So hey, if I don’t know you and my first interaction with you is a rude reply to one of my posts, you’re getting a “hide for everyone” and a block. Don’t be that person.
I saw something about Ghost's "Skeletá" being metal album of the year for some publication and decided to give it a listen. Man, the metal dudes who are already pissed that Ghost gets put in the metal category are probably having aneurysms. No chug, keyboards, acoustic guitar, slow melodic solos.
December 12, 2025 at 8:23 PM
I saw something about Ghost's "Skeletá" being metal album of the year for some publication and decided to give it a listen. Man, the metal dudes who are already pissed that Ghost gets put in the metal category are probably having aneurysms. No chug, keyboards, acoustic guitar, slow melodic solos.
I finally changed the factory strings on my Jaguar, a mere 5 years after purchase (because I broke the high E). Please clap.
Really noticed while doing string change that the fret ends are super sharp. Need to bring it and my SG to a guitar shop for setups. Neither has ever had one; the SG is 25!
Really noticed while doing string change that the fret ends are super sharp. Need to bring it and my SG to a guitar shop for setups. Neither has ever had one; the SG is 25!
December 9, 2025 at 1:10 AM
I finally changed the factory strings on my Jaguar, a mere 5 years after purchase (because I broke the high E). Please clap.
Really noticed while doing string change that the fret ends are super sharp. Need to bring it and my SG to a guitar shop for setups. Neither has ever had one; the SG is 25!
Really noticed while doing string change that the fret ends are super sharp. Need to bring it and my SG to a guitar shop for setups. Neither has ever had one; the SG is 25!
Reposted by Andrew Watts
First time in a few years that I’ve had to shovel December 2nd. Feeling slightly jealous of the several flat-capped white-beards with snow blowers I saw on my walk. Maybe if I buy a flat cap, a snow blower will appear in my shed.
Nice to actually have winter for a change, I suppose.
Nice to actually have winter for a change, I suppose.
December 2, 2025 at 6:10 PM
First time in a few years that I’ve had to shovel December 2nd. Feeling slightly jealous of the several flat-capped white-beards with snow blowers I saw on my walk. Maybe if I buy a flat cap, a snow blower will appear in my shed.
Nice to actually have winter for a change, I suppose.
Nice to actually have winter for a change, I suppose.
No cats are visible. I pick up the treats jar and shake it gently. I hear cartoon level frantic cat foot scrambling as my chonky treat loving boy thunders down the stairs from his nap, his sisters in tow.
November 25, 2025 at 4:57 PM
No cats are visible. I pick up the treats jar and shake it gently. I hear cartoon level frantic cat foot scrambling as my chonky treat loving boy thunders down the stairs from his nap, his sisters in tow.
Continuing my Opeth posting as I work through their catalog: very cool that "In Cauda Venenum" has the same album on two "discs" (I'm on Apple Music); once in English and then in Swedish. Extremely digging the mix of classical guitar, jazz, and metal (double bass pedal and playing w/ brushes).
November 25, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Continuing my Opeth posting as I work through their catalog: very cool that "In Cauda Venenum" has the same album on two "discs" (I'm on Apple Music); once in English and then in Swedish. Extremely digging the mix of classical guitar, jazz, and metal (double bass pedal and playing w/ brushes).
Reposted by Andrew Watts
Dang. I posted this last night and should have waited a day.
November 24, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Dang. I posted this last night and should have waited a day.
Reposted by Andrew Watts
Gmail users!!
They've turned on AI scraping by default now...Here's how to turn it off.
Pass it on!!
www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...
They've turned on AI scraping by default now...Here's how to turn it off.
Pass it on!!
www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...
Gmail can read your emails and attachments to train its AI, unless you opt out
A new Gmail update may allow Google to use your private messages and attachments for AI training. Here's how to turn it off.
www.malwarebytes.com
November 21, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Gmail users!!
They've turned on AI scraping by default now...Here's how to turn it off.
Pass it on!!
www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...
They've turned on AI scraping by default now...Here's how to turn it off.
Pass it on!!
www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...
Getting into Opeth and listening to Pale Communion. Looked it up on Wikipedia and saw that it mostly got good reviews, positively comparing it to stuff like early King Crimson. But there's a bad review from Pitchfork 🙄 by someone called Grayson 🙄.
November 18, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Getting into Opeth and listening to Pale Communion. Looked it up on Wikipedia and saw that it mostly got good reviews, positively comparing it to stuff like early King Crimson. But there's a bad review from Pitchfork 🙄 by someone called Grayson 🙄.
Reposted by Andrew Watts
Free trade, open borders, Mexi-Korean Halal trucks on every corner.
November 14, 2025 at 11:44 AM
Free trade, open borders, Mexi-Korean Halal trucks on every corner.
Reposted by Andrew Watts
My friend Imogen Sara Smith wrote several times about Tatsuya Nakadai's unique qualities, such as here in 2020 at Bright Lights Film Journal. brightlightsfilm.com/japanese-cin...
Japanese Cinema's Uncommon Man: Tatsuya Nakadai's Dissidents, Outcasts, and Shadow Warriors - Bright Lights Film Journal
"Like Hollywood's new postwar men, he offered a multifaceted, ambivalent masculinity far from monolithic wartime ideals."
brightlightsfilm.com
November 11, 2025 at 1:29 PM
My friend Imogen Sara Smith wrote several times about Tatsuya Nakadai's unique qualities, such as here in 2020 at Bright Lights Film Journal. brightlightsfilm.com/japanese-cin...
Reposted by Andrew Watts
An entire nation hinges on a generation quickly succumbing to old age.
November 10, 2025 at 5:32 AM
An entire nation hinges on a generation quickly succumbing to old age.
Reposted by Andrew Watts
Happy Circulatory System Walking Through the Kitchen Day! Don’t forget to smash your clocks!
November 10, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Happy Circulatory System Walking Through the Kitchen Day! Don’t forget to smash your clocks!
Reposted by Andrew Watts
The Democrats' big idea prior to the election was to create a "Moderate Party" ballot line to offset the "Conservative Party" ballot line all the NY Republicans are also listed on for elections. Looks like it worked great! Its Democratic founder lost by 8 points!
Moderate Party launches in Nassau County to reject extremism
The moderate party is a rejection of political extremism, co-founder Dave Kerpen said, seeking to better represent voters who reside in the middle.
www.longislandpress.com
November 5, 2025 at 1:45 PM
The Democrats' big idea prior to the election was to create a "Moderate Party" ballot line to offset the "Conservative Party" ballot line all the NY Republicans are also listed on for elections. Looks like it worked great! Its Democratic founder lost by 8 points!
What's fun about being 47 is that I have never seen or heard of this person before in my life until someone reposted this in my feed just now. It's *amazing* how disconnected I am from pop culture. Literally zero clue who this dude is.
November 4, 2025 at 3:44 PM
What's fun about being 47 is that I have never seen or heard of this person before in my life until someone reposted this in my feed just now. It's *amazing* how disconnected I am from pop culture. Literally zero clue who this dude is.
Reposted by Andrew Watts
Every $1 donation provides 4 or 5 meals from food banks. Even a donation of $5 right now can feed up to two dozen people. No, we shouldn’t have to do this. But we can.
Remember that while food banks welcome donations of food, they prefer $$$$$$$. They have deals with grocery stores and suppliers. You can only buy one dollar's worth of food for one dollar, but they can buy several dollars' worth. So don't, like, buy food to donate it, just give 'em the dough.
November 2, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Every $1 donation provides 4 or 5 meals from food banks. Even a donation of $5 right now can feed up to two dozen people. No, we shouldn’t have to do this. But we can.
New York always has fun ballot issues that (from anyone not pay close attention to Albany) are never mentioned until you vote. Like this year Issue 1 is to allow the state to tear down 1000 acres of Adirondack State Park to build an Olympic Sports Complex but they have to replant 2500 acres.
November 3, 2025 at 5:27 PM
New York always has fun ballot issues that (from anyone not pay close attention to Albany) are never mentioned until you vote. Like this year Issue 1 is to allow the state to tear down 1000 acres of Adirondack State Park to build an Olympic Sports Complex but they have to replant 2500 acres.
Reposted by Andrew Watts
Japan's "Mundane Halloween" costume contest is back!
Each year website DailyPortalZ holds a contest where people dress up as something super duper ordinary.
Here's a thread of some of my favorites from the 2025 contest!
#MundaneHalloween
Each year website DailyPortalZ holds a contest where people dress up as something super duper ordinary.
Here's a thread of some of my favorites from the 2025 contest!
#MundaneHalloween
November 2, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Japan's "Mundane Halloween" costume contest is back!
Each year website DailyPortalZ holds a contest where people dress up as something super duper ordinary.
Here's a thread of some of my favorites from the 2025 contest!
#MundaneHalloween
Each year website DailyPortalZ holds a contest where people dress up as something super duper ordinary.
Here's a thread of some of my favorites from the 2025 contest!
#MundaneHalloween
I had a genuine 13 year old boy in my house earlier, to go trick or treating with my daughter. He said, “6 7” maybe a dozen times the first 5 minutes he was in the house. I had no idea exactly how annoying it truly was until encountering it in the wild today.
November 1, 2025 at 12:48 AM
I had a genuine 13 year old boy in my house earlier, to go trick or treating with my daughter. He said, “6 7” maybe a dozen times the first 5 minutes he was in the house. I had no idea exactly how annoying it truly was until encountering it in the wild today.
Also, it’s funny how many adults online are like, “ZA is terrible. Lumiose City is too small and the textures aren’t good enough, blah, blah” but then my actual (almost) 14 year old basically will play it until you take the controller away every day.
October 22, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Also, it’s funny how many adults online are like, “ZA is terrible. Lumiose City is too small and the textures aren’t good enough, blah, blah” but then my actual (almost) 14 year old basically will play it until you take the controller away every day.
Once again I have perpetrated the worst parent Pokémon faux pas: I called a Pokémon “Bunneary” when it was clearly “Bunnelby”.
October 22, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Once again I have perpetrated the worst parent Pokémon faux pas: I called a Pokémon “Bunneary” when it was clearly “Bunnelby”.
Reposted by Andrew Watts
WHEN THERE’S TREASURE BEHIND THE WATERFALL: Oh wow. Yes, very clever! Waterfall treasure! No one’s ever done that before. Lazy jackass
WHEN THERE’S NO TREASURE BEHIND THE WATERFALL: Wow. Too stuck-up to put treasure there huh? Too much of a fucking ICONOCLAST for that? Piece of shit. FUCK you
WHEN THERE’S NO TREASURE BEHIND THE WATERFALL: Wow. Too stuck-up to put treasure there huh? Too much of a fucking ICONOCLAST for that? Piece of shit. FUCK you
October 15, 2025 at 1:04 AM
WHEN THERE’S TREASURE BEHIND THE WATERFALL: Oh wow. Yes, very clever! Waterfall treasure! No one’s ever done that before. Lazy jackass
WHEN THERE’S NO TREASURE BEHIND THE WATERFALL: Wow. Too stuck-up to put treasure there huh? Too much of a fucking ICONOCLAST for that? Piece of shit. FUCK you
WHEN THERE’S NO TREASURE BEHIND THE WATERFALL: Wow. Too stuck-up to put treasure there huh? Too much of a fucking ICONOCLAST for that? Piece of shit. FUCK you
My department has hired two other Andrews in the last couple years and I object. They’re in leadership positions so I have to hear “Andrew” repeatedly in staff meetings and be terrified for a second that someone expects something from me on the spot.
October 6, 2025 at 1:30 PM
My department has hired two other Andrews in the last couple years and I object. They’re in leadership positions so I have to hear “Andrew” repeatedly in staff meetings and be terrified for a second that someone expects something from me on the spot.
Reposted by Andrew Watts
You can blather all you want about right of way, but our infrastructure gives right of way to cars by default. They might be legally wrong when they kill me, but it doesn’t make me less dead.
September 25, 2025 at 4:33 PM
You can blather all you want about right of way, but our infrastructure gives right of way to cars by default. They might be legally wrong when they kill me, but it doesn’t make me less dead.
Reposted by Andrew Watts
Trump is rescinding road safety grants all over the country, in blue states and red ones.
The reason: those projects are "hostile" to cars.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
The reason: those projects are "hostile" to cars.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Trump Cancels Trail, Bike-Lane Grants Deemed ‘Hostile’ to Cars
The Trump administration canceled grants for street safety measures, pedestrian trails and bike lanes in communities around the country this month, each time offering a simple rationale for yanking ba...
www.bloomberg.com
September 22, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Trump is rescinding road safety grants all over the country, in blue states and red ones.
The reason: those projects are "hostile" to cars.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
The reason: those projects are "hostile" to cars.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...