Mark Gardner
@mjgardner.bsky.social
Just another desperate #Objectivist #Perl hacker.
Follow me on main: @phoenixtrap.com
Blog: https://phoenixtrap.com
Follow me on main: @phoenixtrap.com
Blog: https://phoenixtrap.com
Reposted by Mark Gardner
so it turns out that when VS Code asks you “do you trust the authors of this folder?” what they mean is that it’ll auto-execute .vscode/tasks.json if it exists, which can include shell commands.
maybe that’s too many features. you can’t hold all these features. put a few features back
maybe that’s too many features. you can’t hold all these features. put a few features back
January 21, 2026 at 8:04 AM
so it turns out that when VS Code asks you “do you trust the authors of this folder?” what they mean is that it’ll auto-execute .vscode/tasks.json if it exists, which can include shell commands.
maybe that’s too many features. you can’t hold all these features. put a few features back
maybe that’s too many features. you can’t hold all these features. put a few features back
Reposted by Mark Gardner
Having a conversation with Abby as her author:
A: You give me hope. Do you think Celinda will ever find hers again?
Me: I think… that you give Celinda hope.
A: That's a beautiful thought. I've always felt the other way around.
Me: That’s what […]
[Original post on mastodon.phoenixtrap.com]
A: You give me hope. Do you think Celinda will ever find hers again?
Me: I think… that you give Celinda hope.
A: That's a beautiful thought. I've always felt the other way around.
Me: That’s what […]
[Original post on mastodon.phoenixtrap.com]
January 24, 2026 at 6:16 AM
Having a conversation with Abby as her author:
A: You give me hope. Do you think Celinda will ever find hers again?
Me: I think… that you give Celinda hope.
A: That's a beautiful thought. I've always felt the other way around.
Me: That’s what […]
[Original post on mastodon.phoenixtrap.com]
A: You give me hope. Do you think Celinda will ever find hers again?
Me: I think… that you give Celinda hope.
A: That's a beautiful thought. I've always felt the other way around.
Me: That’s what […]
[Original post on mastodon.phoenixtrap.com]
Reposted by Mark Gardner
TIL #postgresql 16 and above has a level above the SUPERUSER role: the "bootstrap superuser," from whom you cannot revoke SUPERUSER privileges: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/18/glossary.html#GLOSSARY-BOOTSTRAP-SUPERUSER
And since internal components may still refer to it by name or expect it […]
And since internal components may still refer to it by name or expect it […]
Original post on mastodon.phoenixtrap.com
mastodon.phoenixtrap.com
January 26, 2026 at 2:10 AM
TIL #postgresql 16 and above has a level above the SUPERUSER role: the "bootstrap superuser," from whom you cannot revoke SUPERUSER privileges: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/18/glossary.html#GLOSSARY-BOOTSTRAP-SUPERUSER
And since internal components may still refer to it by name or expect it […]
And since internal components may still refer to it by name or expect it […]
Reposted by Mark Gardner
Why we can't bring ICE and Border Patrol to justice: my @cato.org colleague @foxmike90.bsky.social explains how we got the artificial legal hurdles that make our constitutional rights almost unenforceable when federal agents like those occupying Minneapolis trample them underfoot.
License to Kill? The Legal Black Hole of Federal Misconduct
As long as the Supreme Court continues on its trajectory of insulating government officials from accountability and Congress remains missing in action, federal agents will operate with the knowledge t...
www.cato.org
January 26, 2026 at 11:13 PM
Why we can't bring ICE and Border Patrol to justice: my @cato.org colleague @foxmike90.bsky.social explains how we got the artificial legal hurdles that make our constitutional rights almost unenforceable when federal agents like those occupying Minneapolis trample them underfoot.
Reposted by Mark Gardner
RE: https://mastodon.social/@mjtsai/115968636207546964
#ios 26.2.1 update froze before completing, necessitating a factory restore. Currently restoring my settings and content from an #icloud backup. I do not recommend this update to #apple #iphone users.
#ios 26.2.1 update froze before completing, necessitating a factory restore. Currently restoring my settings and content from an #icloud backup. I do not recommend this update to #apple #iphone users.
mastodon.social
January 28, 2026 at 2:54 AM
RE: https://mastodon.social/@mjtsai/115968636207546964
#ios 26.2.1 update froze before completing, necessitating a factory restore. Currently restoring my settings and content from an #icloud backup. I do not recommend this update to #apple #iphone users.
#ios 26.2.1 update froze before completing, necessitating a factory restore. Currently restoring my settings and content from an #icloud backup. I do not recommend this update to #apple #iphone users.
Reposted by Mark Gardner
[Do you know the difference between a hippo and a zippo?]
One is a little lighter.
One is a little lighter.
January 29, 2026 at 6:22 AM
[Do you know the difference between a hippo and a zippo?]
One is a little lighter.
One is a little lighter.
Reposted by Mark Gardner
“I don’t want to fight for the people. I don’t want to fight against the people. I don’t want to hear of the people. I want to be left alone—to live.”
—Kira in _We the Living_ by #aynrand
https://AynRand.org/novels/we-the-living/
https://a.co/cPFJWmR
—Kira in _We the Living_ by #aynrand
https://AynRand.org/novels/we-the-living/
https://a.co/cPFJWmR
January 30, 2026 at 3:27 AM
“I don’t want to fight for the people. I don’t want to fight against the people. I don’t want to hear of the people. I want to be left alone—to live.”
—Kira in _We the Living_ by #aynrand
https://AynRand.org/novels/we-the-living/
https://a.co/cPFJWmR
—Kira in _We the Living_ by #aynrand
https://AynRand.org/novels/we-the-living/
https://a.co/cPFJWmR
Reposted by Mark Gardner
January 20, 2026 at 2:03 AM
Reposted by Mark Gardner
Ceci n’est pas un RoundRect.
#apple #design #stevelemay #ios #ipados https://kjy.com/154 #macos #tahoe #liquidglass
#apple #design #stevelemay #ios #ipados https://kjy.com/154 #macos #tahoe #liquidglass
January 20, 2026 at 2:48 PM
Ceci n’est pas un RoundRect.
#apple #design #stevelemay #ios #ipados https://kjy.com/154 #macos #tahoe #liquidglass
#apple #design #stevelemay #ios #ipados https://kjy.com/154 #macos #tahoe #liquidglass
Reposted by Mark Gardner
Alert Gary Larson: Cow tools are real
#farside #comics @ScienceAlert https://flipboard.com/@sciencealert/sciencealert-3mvdqjtaz/-/a-Bnrpa0z3TaG-CXvvEj8EcQ%3Aa%3A565656366-%2F0
#farside #comics @ScienceAlert https://flipboard.com/@sciencealert/sciencealert-3mvdqjtaz/-/a-Bnrpa0z3TaG-CXvvEj8EcQ%3Aa%3A565656366-%2F0
January 21, 2026 at 4:40 AM
Alert Gary Larson: Cow tools are real
#farside #comics @ScienceAlert https://flipboard.com/@sciencealert/sciencealert-3mvdqjtaz/-/a-Bnrpa0z3TaG-CXvvEj8EcQ%3Aa%3A565656366-%2F0
#farside #comics @ScienceAlert https://flipboard.com/@sciencealert/sciencealert-3mvdqjtaz/-/a-Bnrpa0z3TaG-CXvvEj8EcQ%3Aa%3A565656366-%2F0
Reposted by Mark Gardner
I’ve got some racing geese for sale. Let me know if you want a quick gander. 🪿
January 21, 2026 at 4:54 AM
I’ve got some racing geese for sale. Let me know if you want a quick gander. 🪿
Migrated my production #Mastodon instance from #Docker Desktop to #Colima. Plan: 90 minutes. Reality: 2.5 hours and 7 critical issues, including a Docker Hardened Images incompatibility nobody's documented yet. Here’s my #debugging story.
Migrating from Docker Desktop to Colima: When Hardened Images Break
By 10:25 AM, I'd entered what Mystery Science Theater 3000 fans call "Deep Hurting." The migration plan was solid. The backup discipline was comprehensive. The execution? Chaos. I run a containerized production Mastodon instance on an 8 GB Mac mini. (Yes, I know what the cloud people say, and FYI it's Cloudflare Tunneled for protection.) My Docker Desktop installation’s half-gig RAM footprint was eating precious resources. Colima promised the same Docker experience without the GUI overhead. I budgeted a 1.5 hour migration plan for what should've been a straightforward runtime swap.
phoenixtrap.com
January 20, 2026 at 4:13 PM
Migrated my production #Mastodon instance from #Docker Desktop to #Colima. Plan: 90 minutes. Reality: 2.5 hours and 7 critical issues, including a Docker Hardened Images incompatibility nobody's documented yet. Here’s my #debugging story.
Reposted by Mark Gardner
[-uspol]
Harry Binswanger makes a structural argument about #ice that cuts deeper than the immigration debate: **ICE isn’t #lawenforcement.**
https://harrybinswanger.substack.com/p/ice-vs-the-rule-of-law-not-of-men
The distinction matters. When police arrest you, courts take […]
Harry Binswanger makes a structural argument about #ice that cuts deeper than the immigration debate: **ICE isn’t #lawenforcement.**
https://harrybinswanger.substack.com/p/ice-vs-the-rule-of-law-not-of-men
The distinction matters. When police arrest you, courts take […]
Original post on mastodon.phoenixtrap.com
mastodon.phoenixtrap.com
January 17, 2026 at 2:06 PM
[-uspol]
Harry Binswanger makes a structural argument about #ice that cuts deeper than the immigration debate: **ICE isn’t #lawenforcement.**
https://harrybinswanger.substack.com/p/ice-vs-the-rule-of-law-not-of-men
The distinction matters. When police arrest you, courts take […]
Harry Binswanger makes a structural argument about #ice that cuts deeper than the immigration debate: **ICE isn’t #lawenforcement.**
https://harrybinswanger.substack.com/p/ice-vs-the-rule-of-law-not-of-men
The distinction matters. When police arrest you, courts take […]
Reposted by Mark Gardner
My anaconda don't want none unless you've got substantial discuss-ion.
January 11, 2026 at 3:18 PM
My anaconda don't want none unless you've got substantial discuss-ion.
Reposted by Mark Gardner
You can now follow this account on #bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/thebeautifulprison.com
#socialmedia
#socialmedia
January 10, 2026 at 4:11 AM
You can now follow this account on #bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/thebeautifulprison.com
#socialmedia
#socialmedia
Reposted by Mark Gardner
If you just want to know when new #fiction and #essays arrive on https://TheBeautifulPrison.com, follow @feed
#writing #writingcommunity #indiewriting
#writing #writingcommunity #indiewriting
Mark Gardner
Stories and essays about consciousness, identity, and the boundaries that hold a self together when pressure threatens to break it.
TheBeautifulPrison.com
January 10, 2026 at 5:15 AM
If you just want to know when new #fiction and #essays arrive on https://TheBeautifulPrison.com, follow @feed
#writing #writingcommunity #indiewriting
#writing #writingcommunity #indiewriting
Reposted by Mark Gardner
Just migrated this #mastodon server's #dockercompose setup from #dockerdesktop to #colima. (Also migrated #calibreweb.) On an 8 GB RAM M2 #mac mini with 8 cores, you need all the memory and CPU savings you can get.
https://PhoenixTrap.com #blog post to come, because I ran into #database file […]
https://PhoenixTrap.com #blog post to come, because I ran into #database file […]
Original post on mastodon.phoenixtrap.com
mastodon.phoenixtrap.com
January 10, 2026 at 6:15 PM
Just migrated this #mastodon server's #dockercompose setup from #dockerdesktop to #colima. (Also migrated #calibreweb.) On an 8 GB RAM M2 #mac mini with 8 cores, you need all the memory and CPU savings you can get.
https://PhoenixTrap.com #blog post to come, because I ran into #database file […]
https://PhoenixTrap.com #blog post to come, because I ran into #database file […]
Reposted by Mark Gardner
Reposted by Mark Gardner
https://TheBeautifulPrison.com is #writing by Mark Gardner tracing what happens to a self under strain—consciousness, identity, and the fragile boundaries between.
#vampire hunger. Metamorphosis. #ai in obsolete hardware.
Different worlds, same pressure: stay yourself, if you can.
#vampire hunger. Metamorphosis. #ai in obsolete hardware.
Different worlds, same pressure: stay yourself, if you can.
Mark Gardner
Stories and essays about consciousness, identity, and the boundaries that hold a self together when pressure threatens to break it.
TheBeautifulPrison.com
January 10, 2026 at 4:27 AM
https://TheBeautifulPrison.com is #writing by Mark Gardner tracing what happens to a self under strain—consciousness, identity, and the fragile boundaries between.
#vampire hunger. Metamorphosis. #ai in obsolete hardware.
Different worlds, same pressure: stay yourself, if you can.
#vampire hunger. Metamorphosis. #ai in obsolete hardware.
Different worlds, same pressure: stay yourself, if you can.
Reposted by Mark Gardner
When we throw down on #nye, we throw down a mad jigsaw #puzzle party
#happynewyear #newyear #newyearseve
#happynewyear #newyear #newyearseve
January 1, 2026 at 3:50 AM
When we throw down on #nye, we throw down a mad jigsaw #puzzle party
#happynewyear #newyear #newyearseve
#happynewyear #newyear #newyearseve
Reposted by Mark Gardner
"Pedantic in public" is my brand.
December 10, 2025 at 4:57 PM
"Pedantic in public" is my brand.
Reposted by Mark Gardner
December 11, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Reposted by Mark Gardner
Whatever happened to Threads’ integration with the Fediverse? Seems it’s been stalled for a while.
Put my Fediverse follows on main. Let me reply and repost. Cowards.
#Fediverse Threads
Put my Fediverse follows on main. Let me reply and repost. Cowards.
#Fediverse Threads
December 17, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Whatever happened to Threads’ integration with the Fediverse? Seems it’s been stalled for a while.
Put my Fediverse follows on main. Let me reply and repost. Cowards.
#Fediverse Threads
Put my Fediverse follows on main. Let me reply and repost. Cowards.
#Fediverse Threads
Reposted by Mark Gardner
Please be patient with me. I’m from the 1900s.
December 20, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Please be patient with me. I’m from the 1900s.
Reposted by Mark Gardner
#homelab status: #selfhosted #mastodon and #calibreweb services each running as separate #docker Compose stacks on my 8GB M2 #mac mini that also serves a household wallboard display and networked #timemachine backup host.
Anything else useful I should wedge onto it?
#selfhosting #devops #macos
Anything else useful I should wedge onto it?
#selfhosting #devops #macos
December 22, 2025 at 12:59 PM
#homelab status: #selfhosted #mastodon and #calibreweb services each running as separate #docker Compose stacks on my 8GB M2 #mac mini that also serves a household wallboard display and networked #timemachine backup host.
Anything else useful I should wedge onto it?
#selfhosting #devops #macos
Anything else useful I should wedge onto it?
#selfhosting #devops #macos