Dennis Hurlbut
@atlas-axe.bsky.social
Chicagoland born, Bay Area raised (Go Bears!), Arizona survivor, loving the Pacific NW. Former archaeologist, now IT.
Postmarked in Northern VA, not NYC.
December 23, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Postmarked in Northern VA, not NYC.
Do you have a GoFundMe for this?
December 7, 2025 at 4:55 AM
Do you have a GoFundMe for this?
That whole battle scene is just perfect. Saw it not too long ago on the big screen, my first time since I saw it on release. Screen time for it is short, but it involves you so fully that “hours seem like days”.
December 2, 2025 at 2:18 PM
That whole battle scene is just perfect. Saw it not too long ago on the big screen, my first time since I saw it on release. Screen time for it is short, but it involves you so fully that “hours seem like days”.
Fun note: when we were in grad school, my wife became good friends with the lead nurse at the surgery. She is the wife of the surgeon, and for retirement went back to school for bioarchaeology.
November 29, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Fun note: when we were in grad school, my wife became good friends with the lead nurse at the surgery. She is the wife of the surgeon, and for retirement went back to school for bioarchaeology.
Donald Crabtree was the major figure that advanced our knowledge of stone tool making and analysis. In 1978, he had heart surgery performed with a set of stone tools he made. It healed extremely well because the tools were sharper than steel. 2/2
November 29, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Donald Crabtree was the major figure that advanced our knowledge of stone tool making and analysis. In 1978, he had heart surgery performed with a set of stone tools he made. It healed extremely well because the tools were sharper than steel. 2/2
When I was doing archaeology a lifetime ago, my focus was stone tools (lithics). Tools to do this are relatively easy to create from stone. Stone can be made into very fine instruments, and obsidian has surgical uses. 1/2
November 29, 2025 at 6:18 PM
When I was doing archaeology a lifetime ago, my focus was stone tools (lithics). Tools to do this are relatively easy to create from stone. Stone can be made into very fine instruments, and obsidian has surgical uses. 1/2
French for “out of action.” Incapable of fighting, for whatever reason. You don’t kill people who are defenseless.
November 29, 2025 at 4:56 PM
French for “out of action.” Incapable of fighting, for whatever reason. You don’t kill people who are defenseless.
Huckleberry Finn for the journey to freedom (on many levels)
November 26, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Huckleberry Finn for the journey to freedom (on many levels)
The St. Paul cop seems to agree with her after some basic questions and states it would be illegal and they cannot trespass.
November 26, 2025 at 1:04 AM
The St. Paul cop seems to agree with her after some basic questions and states it would be illegal and they cannot trespass.
I would also not blame Comey. When he re-opened the investigation, my reaction was “Anthony Weiner?! How did ANYONE let him near State Dept. information?!” Completely unforced error to have that mook anywhere near you or your campaign.
November 20, 2025 at 7:56 PM
I would also not blame Comey. When he re-opened the investigation, my reaction was “Anthony Weiner?! How did ANYONE let him near State Dept. information?!” Completely unforced error to have that mook anywhere near you or your campaign.
He is posting on Bluesky…
November 19, 2025 at 3:49 PM
He is posting on Bluesky…
As my wife and approach our 35th next month, I can say: You’re doing all the right things, Frank. All the right things!
November 18, 2025 at 2:01 AM
As my wife and approach our 35th next month, I can say: You’re doing all the right things, Frank. All the right things!
They did the same to McGovern.
November 17, 2025 at 2:19 AM
They did the same to McGovern.
I'd have to look into how Signal/Telegraph manages texts, but likely they are never put into a permanent storage location that is backed up. They don't want the data.
Designing a system to lose data you want (as opposed to not really store it in the first place) is against basic best practices. 5/5
Designing a system to lose data you want (as opposed to not really store it in the first place) is against basic best practices. 5/5
November 16, 2025 at 11:28 PM
I'd have to look into how Signal/Telegraph manages texts, but likely they are never put into a permanent storage location that is backed up. They don't want the data.
Designing a system to lose data you want (as opposed to not really store it in the first place) is against basic best practices. 5/5
Designing a system to lose data you want (as opposed to not really store it in the first place) is against basic best practices. 5/5
Lastly, as someone who is an IT professional, it's harder to destroy this sort of data than you might think. Professionally run systems have mutiple redundancies and backups. Even if data was deleted, it's likely some backup somewhere would have some of it, if not all. 4/5
November 16, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Lastly, as someone who is an IT professional, it's harder to destroy this sort of data than you might think. Professionally run systems have mutiple redundancies and backups. Even if data was deleted, it's likely some backup somewhere would have some of it, if not all. 4/5
I think you're probably thinking of Signal/Telegraph type communications. This is not part of the bureaucracy, but can be used in these kind of states for operational secrecy. They are also vulnerable to someone on the chat recording what is going on (like what Jeffrey Goldberg did). 3/x
November 16, 2025 at 11:15 PM
I think you're probably thinking of Signal/Telegraph type communications. This is not part of the bureaucracy, but can be used in these kind of states for operational secrecy. They are also vulnerable to someone on the chat recording what is going on (like what Jeffrey Goldberg did). 3/x
... if you're just some functionary or average citizen, participating in the bureaucracy shows you loyalty. You can use it to show you did x/y/z that the government wants you to do.
In either case, people and organizations don't want the record of their efforts deleted.2/x
In either case, people and organizations don't want the record of their efforts deleted.2/x
November 16, 2025 at 11:09 PM
... if you're just some functionary or average citizen, participating in the bureaucracy shows you loyalty. You can use it to show you did x/y/z that the government wants you to do.
In either case, people and organizations don't want the record of their efforts deleted.2/x
In either case, people and organizations don't want the record of their efforts deleted.2/x
I am not an expert, but I believe they would have. Bureaucracy is highly important in these sorts of regimes, and my general sense is that bureaucracy is a CYA machine for regime members. If you're under orders, you want a record of the order and also what you did to meet the order. OTOH, .. 1/x
November 16, 2025 at 11:05 PM
I am not an expert, but I believe they would have. Bureaucracy is highly important in these sorts of regimes, and my general sense is that bureaucracy is a CYA machine for regime members. If you're under orders, you want a record of the order and also what you did to meet the order. OTOH, .. 1/x
The father of my high school history teacher was a German Jew who escaped to the US in the 30s. My teacher brooked NO Holocaust denial. When someone asked “how do we know this happened?” this was his exact response. The Nazis told us themselves in excruciating detail.
November 16, 2025 at 3:33 AM
The father of my high school history teacher was a German Jew who escaped to the US in the 30s. My teacher brooked NO Holocaust denial. When someone asked “how do we know this happened?” this was his exact response. The Nazis told us themselves in excruciating detail.
The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
November 11, 2025 at 7:03 PM
The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
It is bad. There’s an easy solution: don’t buy that car or appliance, and if you do, never pay for the subscription. The best way to stop this crap is to remove the market for it.
There are plenty of good alternatives that don’t have subscriptions to basic functions
There are plenty of good alternatives that don’t have subscriptions to basic functions
November 11, 2025 at 4:15 PM
It is bad. There’s an easy solution: don’t buy that car or appliance, and if you do, never pay for the subscription. The best way to stop this crap is to remove the market for it.
There are plenty of good alternatives that don’t have subscriptions to basic functions
There are plenty of good alternatives that don’t have subscriptions to basic functions
I have long thought that this is what should replace shareholder value as the measure of business success. What you add in value for your customers is what makes a business worthwhile in the long term, not how much you can extract to put in investors’ pockets.
November 11, 2025 at 3:50 PM
I have long thought that this is what should replace shareholder value as the measure of business success. What you add in value for your customers is what makes a business worthwhile in the long term, not how much you can extract to put in investors’ pockets.
I like pumpkin with spices: bread, muffins, pie, etc. The number of items with ‘pumpkin spice’ in the name having actual pumpkin approaches 0, and the number of those same items tasting bad approaches infinity.
October 23, 2025 at 7:27 PM
I like pumpkin with spices: bread, muffins, pie, etc. The number of items with ‘pumpkin spice’ in the name having actual pumpkin approaches 0, and the number of those same items tasting bad approaches infinity.
That was my feeling also, uncritically accepting a media article.
October 23, 2025 at 4:26 PM
That was my feeling also, uncritically accepting a media article.
The poster ended by admitting they didn’t have a full understanding and would be more skeptical in future, fwiw.
Seemed like a strange approach to the discussion, assuming guilt.
Seemed like a strange approach to the discussion, assuming guilt.
October 23, 2025 at 4:20 PM
The poster ended by admitting they didn’t have a full understanding and would be more skeptical in future, fwiw.
Seemed like a strange approach to the discussion, assuming guilt.
Seemed like a strange approach to the discussion, assuming guilt.