Keenan
@keenan1.bsky.social
Lover of birds, squirrels, and life. I'm a pacifist and realistic optimist.
Living in London, UK with roots in Toronto and Seattle.
Ever curious! Studied math, computer science, and cognitive science, and love learning and exploring.
Living in London, UK with roots in Toronto and Seattle.
Ever curious! Studied math, computer science, and cognitive science, and love learning and exploring.
Randomly looking at 10-year-old Word files, I just discovered that both of the two biggest financial decisions that I've made that I came closest to regretting were not actually worthy of regret at all. In each case, I would have lost far far more if I hadn't made the decision I did. Life is wild.
September 22, 2025 at 10:49 PM
Randomly looking at 10-year-old Word files, I just discovered that both of the two biggest financial decisions that I've made that I came closest to regretting were not actually worthy of regret at all. In each case, I would have lost far far more if I hadn't made the decision I did. Life is wild.
More people should embrace strategic kindness as social commentary.
September 16, 2025 at 11:18 AM
More people should embrace strategic kindness as social commentary.
On watching Heartstopper tonight: sometimes the best decision is the one that simply makes you feel good about life.
September 15, 2025 at 7:55 PM
On watching Heartstopper tonight: sometimes the best decision is the one that simply makes you feel good about life.
Ketchup chips in the UK are sadly unsatisfying after having the real ones in Canada for a week.
August 30, 2025 at 9:07 AM
Ketchup chips in the UK are sadly unsatisfying after having the real ones in Canada for a week.
The two robins I've been feeding daily have brought their baby over to my garden to feed as well. I went outside to enjoy the weather and just discovered that the chick was not scared of me at all. It was really weird to be able to get less than a metre away from it just to have it look right at me.
March 20, 2025 at 1:10 PM
The two robins I've been feeding daily have brought their baby over to my garden to feed as well. I went outside to enjoy the weather and just discovered that the chick was not scared of me at all. It was really weird to be able to get less than a metre away from it just to have it look right at me.
The neighbours had a baby a couple of months ago. I'd never heard anything from them before it arrived, and now I hear some sort of incessant crying, screaming, or squealing every day. I'm forced to listen to music to drown it out, though that's not necessarily a bad thing! I'm *never* having a kid.
March 16, 2025 at 10:15 AM
The neighbours had a baby a couple of months ago. I'd never heard anything from them before it arrived, and now I hear some sort of incessant crying, screaming, or squealing every day. I'm forced to listen to music to drown it out, though that's not necessarily a bad thing! I'm *never* having a kid.
Having a child in a stroller absolutely transfixed by my music and forcing their parents to stop and listen to me play never gets old. Seems to happen more when I'm fully improvising than when I'm reading sheet music.
March 14, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Having a child in a stroller absolutely transfixed by my music and forcing their parents to stop and listen to me play never gets old. Seems to happen more when I'm fully improvising than when I'm reading sheet music.
Along with many others, I've now seen three different types of tits (birds) in my garden: blue tits, great tits, and just now a long-tailed tit appeared -- they're quite striking. With robins and squirrels coming to my door, it's quite the menagerie. I almost feel like I have pets!
March 9, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Along with many others, I've now seen three different types of tits (birds) in my garden: blue tits, great tits, and just now a long-tailed tit appeared -- they're quite striking. With robins and squirrels coming to my door, it's quite the menagerie. I almost feel like I have pets!
Thinking about trying something different with my piano: memorising the chords for a song (with Roman numerals) and using that as a basis for improvised playing where I flow from improv to chorus to improv to verse perhaps, all without sheet music or chords in front of me. An exciting experiment!
March 7, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Thinking about trying something different with my piano: memorising the chords for a song (with Roman numerals) and using that as a basis for improvised playing where I flow from improv to chorus to improv to verse perhaps, all without sheet music or chords in front of me. An exciting experiment!
I've been shooing off the pigeons: they like to eat all of the birdseed, not leaving a single scrap for any of the robins, titmice, or any of the other birds that like to frequent my fine dining establishment. But now I've spotted a pigeon has built a nest! Sigh. I'll leave them be in the trees.
March 2, 2025 at 9:57 AM
I've been shooing off the pigeons: they like to eat all of the birdseed, not leaving a single scrap for any of the robins, titmice, or any of the other birds that like to frequent my fine dining establishment. But now I've spotted a pigeon has built a nest! Sigh. I'll leave them be in the trees.
Was told by my boss today that I have unofficially passed my work probation period 2 months early. Yay!
February 28, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Was told by my boss today that I have unofficially passed my work probation period 2 months early. Yay!
Playing the pipe organ during lunch is so invigorating. When I arrived and had my late lunch, the benches were empty. As I left, they were full. One person explicitly told me he loved my playing and how I could read a score. I saw a woman in a wheelchair and a young child both come to listen.
February 25, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Playing the pipe organ during lunch is so invigorating. When I arrived and had my late lunch, the benches were empty. As I left, they were full. One person explicitly told me he loved my playing and how I could read a score. I saw a woman in a wheelchair and a young child both come to listen.
After many attempts, I beat the easiest computer difficulty at 1-minute bullet chess! It is *so* easy to run out of time in this mode, especially when placing your pieces for a checkmate. Finishing a complete game in one minute -- I would have barely thought it possible a month ago.
February 22, 2025 at 10:38 AM
After many attempts, I beat the easiest computer difficulty at 1-minute bullet chess! It is *so* easy to run out of time in this mode, especially when placing your pieces for a checkmate. Finishing a complete game in one minute -- I would have barely thought it possible a month ago.
Reposted by Keenan
Mapquest lets you "Name Your Own Gulf" boingboing.net/2025/02/20/m...
Mapquest lets "Name Your Own Gulf"
While Apple Maps, Google Maps, and Bing have all caved and renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, Mapquest has held fast, along with the Associated Press…
boingboing.net
February 21, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Mapquest lets you "Name Your Own Gulf" boingboing.net/2025/02/20/m...
'Uniformity, Inequity, and Exclusion' is the new direction for many companies that I am distancing myself from. Acronyms like DEI hide truths and inhibit communication: it's easy to forget what companies mean when they fight against 'Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion'.
February 14, 2025 at 10:59 PM
'Uniformity, Inequity, and Exclusion' is the new direction for many companies that I am distancing myself from. Acronyms like DEI hide truths and inhibit communication: it's easy to forget what companies mean when they fight against 'Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion'.
My boss' boss just publicly congratulated me on the technical architecture design I did this week and said it has been noticed. 😊
February 14, 2025 at 4:31 PM
My boss' boss just publicly congratulated me on the technical architecture design I did this week and said it has been noticed. 😊
Boss told me today my first actual technical architecture work is awesome so far! Yay!
February 11, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Boss told me today my first actual technical architecture work is awesome so far! Yay!
I've started the process of removing all my investments out of the US. Grr. Argh.
February 11, 2025 at 8:34 AM
I've started the process of removing all my investments out of the US. Grr. Argh.
Currently looking into ways to increase my ability to keep calm under pressure while making fast decisions in real-time without becoming defensive and not 'tilt' when things don't go my way. I'm very weak in this skill and want to work on it. Multiplayer civ 6, blitz chess, even Tetris perhaps.
February 9, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Currently looking into ways to increase my ability to keep calm under pressure while making fast decisions in real-time without becoming defensive and not 'tilt' when things don't go my way. I'm very weak in this skill and want to work on it. Multiplayer civ 6, blitz chess, even Tetris perhaps.
Had to enable consistent 2FA on all my social media and logging out every time I'm done to help preserve my sanity. Knowing some of the nefarious ways that software can be used to subtly change the experience for only a subset of users does not help.
February 9, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Had to enable consistent 2FA on all my social media and logging out every time I'm done to help preserve my sanity. Knowing some of the nefarious ways that software can be used to subtly change the experience for only a subset of users does not help.
Back from another great trip: this time to Greece. Excellent trip overall, though for the first time since I moved to Europe, I want a break from travelling. I just want to focus on London for a bit. We'll see if I go to Barcelona in February, but I *did* just get back.
January 29, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Back from another great trip: this time to Greece. Excellent trip overall, though for the first time since I moved to Europe, I want a break from travelling. I just want to focus on London for a bit. We'll see if I go to Barcelona in February, but I *did* just get back.
Based on all the behaviour I'm seeing already, both first- and second-hand, things are going to get much worse on Facebook and Instagram. Since they can easily divide users into separate groups and alter their app behaviour for each group, completely opaquely, 'Outlook not so good.' Grab backups.
January 23, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Based on all the behaviour I'm seeing already, both first- and second-hand, things are going to get much worse on Facebook and Instagram. Since they can easily divide users into separate groups and alter their app behaviour for each group, completely opaquely, 'Outlook not so good.' Grab backups.
I find Spotify's Daily Mix 1 is way better than it used to be. I've been playing it from time to time over the past 8 years with mixed results, but for the last week I just let it play all 50 songs as part of my morning: each day, a new mix of songs I love and new ones I like sprinkled in. Finally!
January 5, 2025 at 8:38 AM
I find Spotify's Daily Mix 1 is way better than it used to be. I've been playing it from time to time over the past 8 years with mixed results, but for the last week I just let it play all 50 songs as part of my morning: each day, a new mix of songs I love and new ones I like sprinkled in. Finally!
I've now seen two beautiful new birds in the big tree in my backyard in 2 days! Also, the cat I saw one night has now come back at least two more times, making this loud moaning noise the last time until I opened my door and it fled.
January 3, 2025 at 12:49 PM
I've now seen two beautiful new birds in the big tree in my backyard in 2 days! Also, the cat I saw one night has now come back at least two more times, making this loud moaning noise the last time until I opened my door and it fled.
I should have expected this, but this store-bought guacamole tastes much better in the UK than all the stuff I've had in Canada. More real.
December 24, 2024 at 2:09 PM
I should have expected this, but this store-bought guacamole tastes much better in the UK than all the stuff I've had in Canada. More real.