Brian Fitzpatrick
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therealfitz.com
Brian Fitzpatrick
@therealfitz.com
5.1K followers 600 following 2.4K posts
Chasing Wonder, Engineer, Author, ORD Camp Instigator, Feminist. Previously: Founder & CTO of Tock, Xoogler, Ex-Apple. He/Him.

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wonder.voyage
debuggingteams.com
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therealfitz.com
Once again I have had to learn that whenever I think the battery life of my Mac laptop is dwindling, I need to open up Activity Monitor only to discover that *multiple* programs are burning through CPU just for funsies.

And one of them is Slack. Always Slack.
October 17, 2025 at 7:54 PM
therealfitz.com
You should read this essay. This quote. This quote.
People only complain about the turkey being dry when the company is terrible. There is never enough gravy to make regret feel like anything but your soul leaving your body.
October 9, 2025 at 7:36 PM
therealfitz.com
This was just the best.
kvox.bsky.social Karen Wickre @kvox.bsky.social · Sep 24
What a relief! Finally caught up with the one and only @therealfitz.com after too long.
Brian Fitzpatrick + Karen Wickre smiling at a taqueria lunch.
September 25, 2025 at 4:20 AM
therealfitz.com
Today's moment of ai zen
September 17, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Reposted by Brian Fitzpatrick
therealfitz.com
End of an era. The Storage Media Boneyard is headed off to storage for a while.

What's the oldest piece of media in here that you have used?

(detailed photos here: photos.app.goo.gl/oPwSvGqyJhKu...)
Half of my collection "The Storage Media Boneyard" A History of Analog and Digital Storage Media This is a sampling of the thousands of types of media that humans have used to store information over the past several hundred years. From punch cards that stored a few dozen bytes to flash drives that store tens of billions of bytes, storage media have gotten smaller, lighter, cheaper, and faster to read and to write. The majority of this collection consists of paper, tape, spinning disks, solid state (cartridge), and film storage media, but you can find a few more unusual media types, such as wax cylinders, recording wire, and ferrite core memory. Today, the entire contents of this exhibit could fit onto a single hard drive that you could buy at the average computer store. Formerly part of the Google Chicago museum The other half of my collection "The Storage Media Boneyard" A History of Analog and Digital Storage Media This is a sampling of the thousands of types of media that humans have used to store information over the past several hundred years. From punch cards that stored a few dozen bytes to flash drives that store tens of billions of bytes, storage media have gotten smaller, lighter, cheaper, and faster to read and to write. The majority of this collection consists of paper, tape, spinning disks, solid state (cartridge), and film storage media, but you can find a few more unusual media types, such as wax cylinders, recording wire, and ferrite core memory. Today, the entire contents of this exhibit could fit onto a single hard drive that you could buy at the average computer store. Formerly part of the Google Chicago museum The empty case that housed The Storage Media Boneyard for over a dozen years. I've packed it up and will be storing it until I find a new home for it.
September 9, 2025 at 1:20 AM
therealfitz.com
End of an era. The Storage Media Boneyard is headed off to storage for a while.

What's the oldest piece of media in here that you have used?

(detailed photos here: photos.app.goo.gl/oPwSvGqyJhKu...)
Half of my collection "The Storage Media Boneyard" A History of Analog and Digital Storage Media This is a sampling of the thousands of types of media that humans have used to store information over the past several hundred years. From punch cards that stored a few dozen bytes to flash drives that store tens of billions of bytes, storage media have gotten smaller, lighter, cheaper, and faster to read and to write. The majority of this collection consists of paper, tape, spinning disks, solid state (cartridge), and film storage media, but you can find a few more unusual media types, such as wax cylinders, recording wire, and ferrite core memory. Today, the entire contents of this exhibit could fit onto a single hard drive that you could buy at the average computer store. Formerly part of the Google Chicago museum The other half of my collection "The Storage Media Boneyard" A History of Analog and Digital Storage Media This is a sampling of the thousands of types of media that humans have used to store information over the past several hundred years. From punch cards that stored a few dozen bytes to flash drives that store tens of billions of bytes, storage media have gotten smaller, lighter, cheaper, and faster to read and to write. The majority of this collection consists of paper, tape, spinning disks, solid state (cartridge), and film storage media, but you can find a few more unusual media types, such as wax cylinders, recording wire, and ferrite core memory. Today, the entire contents of this exhibit could fit onto a single hard drive that you could buy at the average computer store. Formerly part of the Google Chicago museum The empty case that housed The Storage Media Boneyard for over a dozen years. I've packed it up and will be storing it until I find a new home for it.
September 9, 2025 at 1:20 AM
therealfitz.com
Not on my list of things to do today: open up an email and start sobbing. This is just beautiful.

Thank you Dan.
dansinker.com dan sinker @dansinker.com · Sep 5
With the Trump Administration about to roll its ugly occupation into Chicago, I wanted to write a little lyrical love letter to the city. dansinker.com/posts/202…
September 5, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Reposted by Brian Fitzpatrick
shing.bsky.social
We made our goal, with about two weeks left to go! Please continue to support us, because that means I can hire more fabricator labor which means I will personally have time to build very small and indulgent pieces of furniture.

www.kickstarter.com/projects/shi...
The Last Fifteen Minutes
A marionette opera and short film about having dinner together before a giant kaiju steps on you.
www.kickstarter.com
August 30, 2025 at 9:12 PM
therealfitz.com
September 3, 2025 at 11:51 PM
Reposted by Brian Fitzpatrick
maryrobinettekowal.com
Holy crap! My story "Marginalia" just won the Eugie Foster award at Dragoncon
The Eugie Foster award, a wood plaque with a brass filigree of a face and wings.
August 31, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Reposted by Brian Fitzpatrick
robertloerzel.bsky.social
Get a look inside the Uptown Theatre in this great new video by Eddie Arruza. It features me and Andy Pierce talking about our book, plus owner Jerry Mickelson, building caretaker David Syfczak, and Ald. Angela Clay. youtu.be/t3oG3SeFWMI
Chicago's Uptown Theater at 100
YouTube video by EddieArruza
youtu.be
August 18, 2025 at 2:09 AM
therealfitz.com
I just sent an email to hundreds of people referring to a date being on the 14rd of the month.

How's your day going?
August 13, 2025 at 7:50 PM
therealfitz.com
Looking for recommendations for a custom sticker place to get 100-200 stickers made that is run by good people, any recommendations?
August 4, 2025 at 6:04 PM
therealfitz.com
Attn @edna.bsky.social
marshalljulius.bsky.social Marshall Julius 🚀 @marshalljulius.bsky.social · Jul 28
Welcome to Jurassic Pork 🦕🥟🦖
#Delicious #Dinosaur #Dumplings
August 2, 2025 at 11:09 PM
therealfitz.com
12 years ago today Google killed Reader.

I took a photo to remember how I felt.

Still haven't forgotten.
Fitz wearing his Google Reader t-shirt
July 1, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Reposted by Brian Fitzpatrick
karthik.io
Can’t ever unsee poorly designed conference badges thanks to @therealfitz.com

badge.reviews
Badge Reviews
badge.reviews
June 30, 2025 at 8:07 AM
therealfitz.com
Not only is my old friend and colleague @robinanil.bsky.social doing some really cool stuff around mental health services but he's also hiring for a principal engineer.

www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
A lot has been happening at Emora Health that has kept me busy, so I haven't posted in over a month. | Robin Anil
A lot has been happening at Emora Health that has kept me busy, so I haven't posted in over a month. Here is why 🚀 - We doubled all metrics, including Clients and ARR, in about 3 months. - We lau...
www.linkedin.com
June 26, 2025 at 6:40 PM
therealfitz.com
I stepped on Dale Chihuly's foot 20. years ago.
bolt451.bsky.social R.L. Stine Cold Steve Austin @bolt451.bsky.social · Jun 13
Right folks. Feeling rather down at the moment so bringing back an oldie

Please Quote this with your most minor celebrity interaction
June 13, 2025 at 7:25 PM
therealfitz.com
Years ago @johntolva.bsky.social and @dansinker.com bought Zach and I these massive 5 foot tall trophie. John's wife and kids went to pick them up and the kids were just *flabbergasted* that you could just *make up something* and buy a trophy for it.
Fitz and Zach holding MASSIVE 5 foot tall trophies
June 4, 2025 at 10:48 PM
therealfitz.com
If you're wondering what to listen to today, give yourself the gift of Kruder & Dorfmeister. This album is still one of my all-time favorites.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVLw...
The K&D Sessions TM - Kruder & Dorfmeister
YouTube video by iMUSIC HARMONY
www.youtube.com
June 4, 2025 at 6:45 PM
therealfitz.com
Every so often this banger surfaces and I every. single. time. I read it all the way to the end.

Incredible storytelling.
seamas.bsky.social The Author, Séamas O'Reilly @seamas.bsky.social · May 3
For those who don't know this story, which I first shared six years ago today....

This one time I got my days wrong at work and ended up alone in a room with my boss and the President of Ireland while I was on ketamine.

🧵
May 30, 2025 at 8:25 PM
therealfitz.com
Non-zero chance the new pope likes Malort.
May 8, 2025 at 6:24 PM
therealfitz.com
First Papal Decree just dropped: "233 South Wacker Drive shall be referred to as Sears Tower. and ONLY Sears Tower."
May 8, 2025 at 6:15 PM
therealfitz.com
"Hey, Portillo's? Can I get a couple two tree hotdogs sent over to Rome ASAP?"
May 8, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Reposted by Brian Fitzpatrick
tef.bsky.social
you know who else came from chicago and was on "a mission from god"
May 8, 2025 at 5:29 PM