Mike Bruin
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mikebruin.bsky.social
Mike Bruin
@mikebruin.bsky.social
520 followers 760 following 250 posts
Husband, creative guy, liberal, dog dad, work-in-progress… 🐸 💙 🏳️‍🌈 🐻 ☕ 💻 🛠️ (he / him)

Bellingham, WA 🌲🦥🌲

Opinions are mine. Content will be nerdy tech; dog-related; love of high desert landscapes, & more...
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mikebruin.bsky.social
Driving on I-5 today is why I enjoy taking Amtrak for this trip (when I can) 🚞
February 8, 2026 at 12:47 AM
mikebruin.bsky.social
If you heard William Shatner saying, "KHAAAN!," in your head, you understood my project name correctly 🖖 #ClaudeCode #refactoring #agenticmemory #nerd
A screenshot from a session with Claude Code where my design approach was valadated, some background research was given to me (to read later), and Claude didn't mention what a big nerd I am (naming a refactoring effort "Project Genesis" from "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan".
February 4, 2026 at 9:13 PM
mikebruin.bsky.social
My husband is a technology singularity- specifically cables, power adapters, and USB chargers 🔌 ⚡️

There’s an accretion disk - his desk, backpack, and workshop, where the item exists for a very short time - then it’s gone… ☠️

#non-tech #husbands #youhavethreephonechargers
February 1, 2026 at 6:20 PM
mikebruin.bsky.social
Brad says he's going to sit in the back waving a large foam finger that says "#1"...

My session, "Replacing Big-Tech Services: An Imperfect, Messy, and Ongoing Journey" was accepted 😀 I'll be speaking at LinuxFest Northwest 2026 this spring! 📣

#lfnw2026 #digitalsovereignty #linux #opensource
The image has a colorful, stylized, abstract background of muted colors. The text says (from top to bottom): I'm speaking at LinuxFest Northwest 2026 Replacing Big-Tech Services: An Imperfect, Messy, and Ongoing Journey Apr/24 - Apr/26/2026 -- Bellingham, Washington, United States At the bottom is a photo of me and my (real world) name, Mike Tarrant.
January 30, 2026 at 4:56 PM
mikebruin.bsky.social
YOU ARE IN A MAZE OF TWISTY LITTLE JSON FILES, ALL ALIKE. 🧌 🤯 🙀 #opencode #claudecode #offline #ollama
January 26, 2026 at 11:48 PM
mikebruin.bsky.social
✅ 'sartre' #Fedora43 #server set up on 10+ yr old HP EliteDesk 800 G3 (i5-6500T; < 35watts)
✅ #Forgejo git server set up on sartre
✅ #Paperless-ngx server set up on sartre
✅ QNAP NAS (finally) set up correctly
😃 Backup scripts/workflows running, tested, & documented
🤖 #ClaudeCode my #homelab buddy
The screenshot is a conversation between me and Claude Code: Claude Code: Try the SFTP copy again. Mike: it worked. damn, that is seriously cool. Claude Code: Nice! Bookmark it (Ctrl+D) and you've got drag-and-drop document ingestion from any machine.
January 25, 2026 at 5:43 AM
mikebruin.bsky.social
If you’re not having fun with #SSID, #computer, and #systemnames at home, why not? 🤔
The screenshot shows a notification that the computer “chonky” has joined our network “FortressVader”. (I think we’re due for an SSID rename. Maybe a network hardware update too!)
January 17, 2026 at 9:46 PM
mikebruin.bsky.social
I get by with a little #help from my #agentic friends 🤓
#opencode #claudecode #claudeproplan #TILT #ThingsILearnedToday
The image is the "Kombucha girl" or "reconsider woman" meme. The top image is of a woman with a scrunched up face looking like she just tasted something bad, and to the right are the words, "Unsuccessfully troubleshooting opencode to get it to work offline" and a frowning emoji image. Below it is an image of the woman with a "not bad" or "reconsidering" look on her face, and to the right of her is the text, "successfully using Claude Code to troubleshoot opencode so it will work offline" and a kissing face and small heart.
January 17, 2026 at 6:23 PM
mikebruin.bsky.social
Shortly after that I'll likely end up being a hyper-efficiently resourced and manufactured box of paperclips 📎🖇️ #agentictimelines #claudecode #nickbostrum #WontSomebodyPleaseThinkoftheChildren?
samuel.fm Samuel @samuel.fm · 29d
it’s over. for a brief, very beautiful moment, I will be incredibly productive, and then I will be obsolete
January 16, 2026 at 11:53 PM
mikebruin.bsky.social
Scooter pup and I were in the Woods Coffee drive-thru chatting with the baristas about having an adopted reactive dog. One said, “Sounds like a fulltime job.” When they heard that it was my last day before #retirement, & Scooter was the next job, they gave me a free coffee. Thanks #Bellingham Woods!
A Woods Coffee gift card is in the middle of the photo. A paper coffee cup with a winter holiday pattern of green and red stars on a cream/parchment colored background sits on the top right corner of the card. The gift card says, “Prone To Wander” and has a colorful, blocky outdoors design with a pine tree, clouds, setting (or rising?) sun, mountains, and a river running through the middle of the graphic.
January 9, 2026 at 5:50 PM
mikebruin.bsky.social
One of my 2026 tech resolutions is to use #git more, so I have more reasons to learn more about git, so I'll become more comfortable using and applying git, so I'll use git more...
#docsascode #distributedversioncontrol #opensource #forgejo
January 9, 2026 at 12:49 PM
mikebruin.bsky.social
Maybe I embrace a previously unknown furry identity in 2026? Listen to more Duran Duran? Get called out for how I consume snack foods?

So many questions 🐺
The post from Merriam-Webster‬ ‪@merriam-webster.com‬ says, "Take a screenshot of this GIF, and whichever new word you land on is YOUR word for 2026. Let's. Go." My word ended up being "wolfish."
January 2, 2026 at 3:33 PM
mikebruin.bsky.social
2026 is a good year to update the #72hourkit. You'll be preparing for #earthquakes, #poweroutages, and #windstorms, and bad #winterweather.

🔦 🤕 🥫 🎒 www.ready.gov/kit
cascadiadaily.com Cascadia Daily News @cascadiadaily.com · Jan 2
Plenty of attention is given to the big 9.0 magnitude likely to impact the Pacific NW in coming years. But other faults in NW Washington could produce their own damaging earthquakes, writes geologist Cliff Knitter, who lays out some likely local shaking scenarios in a CDN guest commentary.
Geologist: Damaging Cascadia earthquakes are coming; here's a NW WA shaking primer | Cascadia Daily News
Whatcom, Skagit residents should prepare now to survive and recover from a catastrophe
www.cascadiadaily.com
January 2, 2026 at 2:13 AM
mikebruin.bsky.social
My father worked for one of the big-three automakers in the early 1960's. He was told that he didn't move fast enough between meetings, so he threw his tie over his shoulder to make it look like he was hurrying.

Over the years I've been inspired by him (in my own way).

#work #smartass #rumination
A screenshot of my work calendar from September 12th, 2016 showing meetings scheduled throughout the day. The titles of all the meetings are partly (or totally) pixelated. The title of the meeting on 12 Monday at 1:00pm isn't pixelated and can be read. It says, "Rumination" and the meeting block is bright red.
December 29, 2025 at 6:59 PM
mikebruin.bsky.social
An astrological #birthday reading from a book at #HathaiTrust, OGILVIE'S ASTROLOGICAL BIRTHDAY BOOK (more details in the Alt Text) ♑ 📖 🎂 🎁 🎉

babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=lo...
DECEMBER 27. If born on this day, you are one of those whom it is often hard to understand, but, once understood, you will rightly be valued at your just estimate. You often feel that you are not appreciated, that the world does not see your real worth, etc. There may be some truth in all this, at the same time, you must remember that our natural vanity makes all of us think more of ourselves than we deserve. Try and look at yourself from an outsider's point-of-view. Remember Shakespeare's adage, "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players." Are you playing a strong; a worthy or a romantic part? Should you see your own character on the stage, would you admire it? Think this over, it is well worth considering. You have a good many fine qualities, but they need expression. You have a good mind, a good memory, and a grasp of facts, which should make you a good scientist. Famous Person Born This Day KEPLER, the great astronomer From: OGILVIE'S ASTROLOGICAL BIRTHDAY BOOK IS YOUR BIRTHDAY TO-DAY? A CHARACTER READING FOR EVERY DAY IN THE YEAR COMPILED FROM OBSERVATIONS OF THE EFFECT UPON CHARACTER-MAKING, OF THE AS- PECT OF THE HEAVENLY BODIES AT THE MOMENT OF BIRTH BY LEO BERNART
December 27, 2025 at 7:10 PM
mikebruin.bsky.social
Brad and I are celebrating our #fifthanniversary today. It's been a challenging year. I couldn't have done it without him! ❤️ 5️⃣ 💍
#husbands #mostlynormal? #marriage
Screenshot of a text conversation between Brad and me. The first speech bubble from Brad asks, "Time to toss this?" It's followed by a photo of Brad holding a mug that states, "My next husband will be normal" Brad has a questioning look on his face. The last speech bubble is a reply from me, "I think the jury is still out on that..."
December 24, 2025 at 3:34 PM
mikebruin.bsky.social
"Wintry Mix" is also what I call my holiday playlist 🎶
#latedecember #PNW #music #holidaylounge
Part of a weather app screenshot from my phone. At the top it's titled: Precipitation Totals with two sections. The first section is for the LAST 24 HOURS showing Wintry Mix .15" and Rain .05". The next section has the subtotal for NEXT 24 HOURS and shows Wintry Mix .6". Basically a forecast for some cold, sloppy late-December Pacific Northwest weather.
December 22, 2025 at 1:26 PM
mikebruin.bsky.social
I've gathered branches, twigs, and sprigs to deck the halls and garnish the peppermint juleps ❄️🎅🎁⛄🎄
#holidayprep #wintersolstice #damnitscold
Illustration title, "Bringing Home Christmas -- Page 173." A vintage black and white engraving depicting a smiling older man in Victorian-era clothing leading a horse-drawn cart. The cart is loaded with a Christmas tree and evergreen branches. The man waves a branch as if to say, "Happy Holidays!" as he passes by.
December 21, 2025 at 8:17 PM
mikebruin.bsky.social
Just brainstorming here -- #ACTUP #furries, #unicorns, #Nyancats, and #Linux penguins on toaster pastries popping out of #flyingtoasters that are flying random #Pride flags? 🖥️🔻🐺🦄🐈🐧🏳️‍🌈
thornsshittakezone.bsky.social Thorn's Shit Take Zone @thornsshittakezone.bsky.social · Dec 18
Queer Linux Weirdo Supremacy
jtp.bsky.social jenny tightpants @jtp.bsky.social · Dec 16
i do kinda hope that whatever becomes of the tech industry, it does away with the whole hyperscaling venture capitalism deal and chills out to make more niche weird tech that people buy cuz it's creative or novel rather than more advanced than last year's model or whatever
December 18, 2025 at 8:53 PM
mikebruin.bsky.social
❌ #Goodreads profile deleted
✅ #StoryGraph account created
📚 I'll be slowly adding my books over time

app.thestorygraph.com/profile/mike...

#bigtech #bigdata #surveillancecapitalism #digitalsovereignty #reading #books
A screenshot of an anonymous quotation on goodreads.com that says: “A reminder that Goodreads is owned by Amazon, and everything you do here supports Big Data and corporate surveillance. You should be concerned, especially if you read books about liberation. A friend recommended StoryGraph, a Black-owned independent alternative. Download your data and GTFO.” ― Anonymous
December 17, 2025 at 2:20 PM
mikebruin.bsky.social
There was a break in the #wind and #rain, so Scooter and I took a short walk. We barked at the clouds, then Scooter kept a wary eye on a blown over trash can that was making big noises in the wind. #Bellingham #WA #atmosphericriver
Mike on the left of the photo, wearing a green fleece jacket edged in orange, glasses, and ball cap; is sitting next to Scooter, a mostly black Shepard-Lab mix dog on the right of the photo. Scoots is wearing a red and black buffalo plaid collar and thunder shirt and he's tethered by an orange leash. Mike is smiling and Scooter is hyper-vigilant, scanning for the neighbor dog (his nemesis) or that scary trashcan that was making lots of noise as the wind pushed it down the street.
December 16, 2025 at 1:45 AM
mikebruin.bsky.social
I've decorated my laptop for the holidays 🎁☃️🎄🎅🏾❄️

#fedora43 #gnome49

Extensions: #dashtodock #medialabelandcontrols #mementomori #notimeforcaution #runcat #vitals #weeksstartonmondayagain

Applications (in dock): #vivaldi #librewolf #sleek #files #terminal #joplin #obsidian #calculator #localsend
A floral pattern on a black background. There are red and cream flowers with gold accents, olive-green leaves, and small berries in a folk art style. It made me think of poinsettias and red berries that would be in floral displays in December.
December 14, 2025 at 10:53 PM
mikebruin.bsky.social
We’ve reached the stage where my 🚙 smells like 🐕‍🦺🐾
December 13, 2025 at 9:36 PM
mikebruin.bsky.social
Everyone should have healthcare
December 12, 2025 at 5:55 AM
mikebruin.bsky.social
One year on #Bluesky as of today 🎉

(Some of) what's given me dopamine:
1️⃣ Interesting people and diverse perspectives 🦄💡
2️⃣ #digitalsovereignty 💽 💾
3️⃣ #linux and #selfhosting 🐧🧑‍🔧

Thanks for a great year! ❤️
December 11, 2025 at 5:28 AM