scifidad
@scifidad.com
Father, futurist, sci-fan, technologist, board- and video-gamer. Makes robots, mechanical keyboards, and retro computing devices. Falling through spacetime at the speed of causality like all the rest.
Pinned
scifidad
@scifidad.com
· 8d
In defense of my recent "its" vs "it's" foe pah, Im feeling little under the whether at the moment, taking the day of work for my elemental health. But should be back on my game hopfully soon!!?!!!?!!
Our son has chickenpox, and today (day 4 of symptoms) is the first day he has been really uncomfortable. Poor kid. Fully vaccinated, for the record, and can only assume there will be more cases at school. "Better now than at Christmas" is cold comfort, turns out.
November 14, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Our son has chickenpox, and today (day 4 of symptoms) is the first day he has been really uncomfortable. Poor kid. Fully vaccinated, for the record, and can only assume there will be more cases at school. "Better now than at Christmas" is cold comfort, turns out.
Is it still considered "doom scrolling" if it's all retro games, Babylon 5 art, Fursonas & OCs, and absolute bangers from @markhamillofficial.bsky.social ?
November 14, 2025 at 6:52 AM
Is it still considered "doom scrolling" if it's all retro games, Babylon 5 art, Fursonas & OCs, and absolute bangers from @markhamillofficial.bsky.social ?
Took the day off work today, "chucked a sickie" as they 'round these parts, and did basically nothing. Worth it. I've been working pretty hard (for a technologist) and it's nice to take a moment to de-stress and unwind a little. Genuinely trying to live mindfully.
Plans for the weekend?
Plans for the weekend?
November 14, 2025 at 6:40 AM
Took the day off work today, "chucked a sickie" as they 'round these parts, and did basically nothing. Worth it. I've been working pretty hard (for a technologist) and it's nice to take a moment to de-stress and unwind a little. Genuinely trying to live mindfully.
Plans for the weekend?
Plans for the weekend?
In defense of my recent "its" vs "it's" foe pah, Im feeling little under the whether at the moment, taking the day of work for my elemental health. But should be back on my game hopfully soon!!?!!!?!!
November 13, 2025 at 11:07 PM
In defense of my recent "its" vs "it's" foe pah, Im feeling little under the whether at the moment, taking the day of work for my elemental health. But should be back on my game hopfully soon!!?!!!?!!
Think I know why this laptop is running hot: Trying MX Linux, which can select GPU on boot ... then carelessly selected the USB drive as installation target. Left it running while I reimaged and noticed that even with the iGPU its getting toasty.
Need a can of air and some antihistamines.
Need a can of air and some antihistamines.
November 13, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Think I know why this laptop is running hot: Trying MX Linux, which can select GPU on boot ... then carelessly selected the USB drive as installation target. Left it running while I reimaged and noticed that even with the iGPU its getting toasty.
Need a can of air and some antihistamines.
Need a can of air and some antihistamines.
Jackson Lamb may be my favourite of Gary Oldman's characters: brilliant and cynical, positively grotty, downright despicable at times. Brilliantly played.
November 12, 2025 at 11:39 AM
Jackson Lamb may be my favourite of Gary Oldman's characters: brilliant and cynical, positively grotty, downright despicable at times. Brilliantly played.
I often accuse my wife of being "extra" when it comes to gifts, but when she bought a cryptex for our friends' son I was 100% on board. Do I recognise similar neurospicy traits? Would I have loved this as a teen? Did I keep a diary in a cipher I made up for the purpose (& could I still read it)? Yep
November 8, 2025 at 11:21 PM
I often accuse my wife of being "extra" when it comes to gifts, but when she bought a cryptex for our friends' son I was 100% on board. Do I recognise similar neurospicy traits? Would I have loved this as a teen? Did I keep a diary in a cipher I made up for the purpose (& could I still read it)? Yep
Drinking yuzu sake and trying to install Debian on my 2018 Intel MBP, but struggling to either get the discrete GPU to run without crashing OR to use the integrated GPU. So far I've added the t2 kernel and extracted firmware from a recovery image, so it is time to install xfce4 and see what happens.
November 8, 2025 at 6:29 AM
Drinking yuzu sake and trying to install Debian on my 2018 Intel MBP, but struggling to either get the discrete GPU to run without crashing OR to use the integrated GPU. So far I've added the t2 kernel and extracted firmware from a recovery image, so it is time to install xfce4 and see what happens.
Never got far in #OuterWorlds, but turns out I just needed to play #OuterWorlds2 on Cloud Gaming ... and let my wife have a turn. Way more commitment than me (she finished Cuphead after all) but I can have a little dabble from time to time. Good fun, even if I have no idea what planet we're even on!
November 6, 2025 at 7:45 AM
Never got far in #OuterWorlds, but turns out I just needed to play #OuterWorlds2 on Cloud Gaming ... and let my wife have a turn. Way more commitment than me (she finished Cuphead after all) but I can have a little dabble from time to time. Good fun, even if I have no idea what planet we're even on!
We bundled our son off to an overnight school art excursion this morning, so partner and I may go out for dinner tonight—or stay home for a "carpet picnic", which is probably more our speed—but I think I want to take things real easy today. Amazing weather too, so I'm working outside.
November 5, 2025 at 11:31 PM
We bundled our son off to an overnight school art excursion this morning, so partner and I may go out for dinner tonight—or stay home for a "carpet picnic", which is probably more our speed—but I think I want to take things real easy today. Amazing weather too, so I'm working outside.
Realising I don't use my PC enough to see utility value from an RTX 4070, I've swapped with my son's 2070. "I'm not giving it to you," I have to clarify (lest he turns around and sells it). But a good modern bonding experience.
CPU was still running hot, so upgraded from the stock cooler. Better!!
CPU was still running hot, so upgraded from the stock cooler. Better!!
October 28, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Realising I don't use my PC enough to see utility value from an RTX 4070, I've swapped with my son's 2070. "I'm not giving it to you," I have to clarify (lest he turns around and sells it). But a good modern bonding experience.
CPU was still running hot, so upgraded from the stock cooler. Better!!
CPU was still running hot, so upgraded from the stock cooler. Better!!
Respond with the same actor as a hero and a villain.
October 28, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Respond with the same actor as a hero and a villain.
An "innovation award" evening for work–we didn't win–meant drinking games every time the MC said "AI”, so I'm drunk on public transport for the first time in a long time. A fun night, actually, even for one as awkward as me.
October 28, 2025 at 11:13 AM
An "innovation award" evening for work–we didn't win–meant drinking games every time the MC said "AI”, so I'm drunk on public transport for the first time in a long time. A fun night, actually, even for one as awkward as me.
How was everyone's weekend?
Feels like a busy one for us: beach day yesterday and "prep the week" today. I feel like I've barely kept my head above water for the last few years (decades?), spending too much time and energy on work, but I might be turning a corner on that now?
1/5
Feels like a busy one for us: beach day yesterday and "prep the week" today. I feel like I've barely kept my head above water for the last few years (decades?), spending too much time and energy on work, but I might be turning a corner on that now?
1/5
October 26, 2025 at 8:44 AM
How was everyone's weekend?
Feels like a busy one for us: beach day yesterday and "prep the week" today. I feel like I've barely kept my head above water for the last few years (decades?), spending too much time and energy on work, but I might be turning a corner on that now?
1/5
Feels like a busy one for us: beach day yesterday and "prep the week" today. I feel like I've barely kept my head above water for the last few years (decades?), spending too much time and energy on work, but I might be turning a corner on that now?
1/5
My beautiful family knows me well: happy birthday, me! (Yes, I'm immediately on the waiting list for the Brick Boy kit from @nataliethenerd.com of course.)
October 14, 2025 at 3:16 AM
My beautiful family knows me well: happy birthday, me! (Yes, I'm immediately on the waiting list for the Brick Boy kit from @nataliethenerd.com of course.)
Heading back towards home, and back to work tomorrow. I didn't really get to disconnect as much as I'd like, as we have an internal beta release this week and some seem to think I'm needed for it (I'm really not). Glad we came somewhere remote and tried to stay offline, should do again soon.
October 6, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Heading back towards home, and back to work tomorrow. I didn't really get to disconnect as much as I'd like, as we have an internal beta release this week and some seem to think I'm needed for it (I'm really not). Glad we came somewhere remote and tried to stay offline, should do again soon.
We've spent the last couple of days in Wilyakali country, and last night watched sunset over a land that's had 50,000 years of human civilisation. It's been a good chance to relax, even if I can't put work down, and we've done all the touristy things, including eating and drinking way too much.
1/3
1/3
October 4, 2025 at 4:55 AM
We've spent the last couple of days in Wilyakali country, and last night watched sunset over a land that's had 50,000 years of human civilisation. It's been a good chance to relax, even if I can't put work down, and we've done all the touristy things, including eating and drinking way too much.
1/3
1/3
Finally started Foundation.
September 27, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Finally started Foundation.
Who's diving some Hells this weekend?
September 19, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Who's diving some Hells this weekend?
Hey Gilead, you know your leaders want civil war, right? So they can cancel elections?
It seems really obvious from the outside. Maybe it's clear to you as well, but thought I'd mention it just in case.
Hope you get better soon.
It seems really obvious from the outside. Maybe it's clear to you as well, but thought I'd mention it just in case.
Hope you get better soon.
September 18, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Hey Gilead, you know your leaders want civil war, right? So they can cancel elections?
It seems really obvious from the outside. Maybe it's clear to you as well, but thought I'd mention it just in case.
Hope you get better soon.
It seems really obvious from the outside. Maybe it's clear to you as well, but thought I'd mention it just in case.
Hope you get better soon.
I hate the fact that the emdash has been co-opted by generative language models—I use it all the time. Do I stop, modify my behaviour, or do I accept that some folks will think I'm a bot?
Leaning towards continuing.
Leaning towards continuing.
September 8, 2025 at 1:25 AM
I hate the fact that the emdash has been co-opted by generative language models—I use it all the time. Do I stop, modify my behaviour, or do I accept that some folks will think I'm a bot?
Leaning towards continuing.
Leaning towards continuing.
A friend has upgraded, and has an RTX 2070 for sale. I mentioned it to my son, 14, who was EXTREMELY keen to try it, with a plan to sell his RX 6600 if it works better for him.
"If it isn't good, I'll sell it," he ponders. "And if it is, I'll sell my current one. Either way I'm keeping the money!"
"If it isn't good, I'll sell it," he ponders. "And if it is, I'll sell my current one. Either way I'm keeping the money!"
September 3, 2025 at 8:10 AM
A friend has upgraded, and has an RTX 2070 for sale. I mentioned it to my son, 14, who was EXTREMELY keen to try it, with a plan to sell his RX 6600 if it works better for him.
"If it isn't good, I'll sell it," he ponders. "And if it is, I'll sell my current one. Either way I'm keeping the money!"
"If it isn't good, I'll sell it," he ponders. "And if it is, I'll sell my current one. Either way I'm keeping the money!"