bgrier
@b-grier.bsky.social
Mastodonian just lookin' at the blue sky.
https://universeodon.com/@bgrier
... and just to see what's what, I'm auto-feeding my Mastodon content into bsky. It's an experiment. We'll see what happens.
The blog: https://bradgrier.com
https://universeodon.com/@bgrier
... and just to see what's what, I'm auto-feeding my Mastodon content into bsky. It's an experiment. We'll see what happens.
The blog: https://bradgrier.com
Ha! It's great that WeeklyBeats is still kicking around and have launched this year's iteration. I dabbled with music production a bit 10 years ago or so, had fun, but then, life. It happens.
Now, I have a bit more time on my hands, so maybe wi... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115851592726212806
Now, I have a bit more time on my hands, so maybe wi... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115851592726212806
January 7, 2026 at 3:09 AM
Ha! It's great that WeeklyBeats is still kicking around and have launched this year's iteration. I dabbled with music production a bit 10 years ago or so, had fun, but then, life. It happens.
Now, I have a bit more time on my hands, so maybe wi... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115851592726212806
Now, I have a bit more time on my hands, so maybe wi... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115851592726212806
Discovered a great overview of another reason I'm not a fan of the new macos look... inconsistent iconography. From Apple. They literally wrote the book on design language, but I guess it's not their thing now?
Reading:
https://tonsky.me/blog/t... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115842958408751295
Reading:
https://tonsky.me/blog/t... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115842958408751295
January 5, 2026 at 2:32 PM
Discovered a great overview of another reason I'm not a fan of the new macos look... inconsistent iconography. From Apple. They literally wrote the book on design language, but I guess it's not their thing now?
Reading:
https://tonsky.me/blog/t... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115842958408751295
Reading:
https://tonsky.me/blog/t... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115842958408751295
Cold brew
Simple recipe, which is good because it's only day 2 of this year and it looks like I'll need a lot of this to get through it.
For the record:
- 1 litre of water
- 1 cup of coarse-ground coffee
- 1 day of brewing on the countertop.
#... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115826166151027064
Simple recipe, which is good because it's only day 2 of this year and it looks like I'll need a lot of this to get through it.
For the record:
- 1 litre of water
- 1 cup of coarse-ground coffee
- 1 day of brewing on the countertop.
#... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115826166151027064
January 2, 2026 at 3:20 PM
Cold brew
Simple recipe, which is good because it's only day 2 of this year and it looks like I'll need a lot of this to get through it.
For the record:
- 1 litre of water
- 1 cup of coarse-ground coffee
- 1 day of brewing on the countertop.
#... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115826166151027064
Simple recipe, which is good because it's only day 2 of this year and it looks like I'll need a lot of this to get through it.
For the record:
- 1 litre of water
- 1 cup of coarse-ground coffee
- 1 day of brewing on the countertop.
#... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115826166151027064
Much Wow!
Was reminded today that back in 2013, on this day, I started mining Doge coin.
It was an experiment to learn about blockchain and I ran it on an older Macbook Pro. It was a thing I let run in a closet for about six months. Then I shut... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115803625769491922
Was reminded today that back in 2013, on this day, I started mining Doge coin.
It was an experiment to learn about blockchain and I ran it on an older Macbook Pro. It was a thing I let run in a closet for about six months. Then I shut... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115803625769491922
December 29, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Much Wow!
Was reminded today that back in 2013, on this day, I started mining Doge coin.
It was an experiment to learn about blockchain and I ran it on an older Macbook Pro. It was a thing I let run in a closet for about six months. Then I shut... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115803625769491922
Was reminded today that back in 2013, on this day, I started mining Doge coin.
It was an experiment to learn about blockchain and I ran it on an older Macbook Pro. It was a thing I let run in a closet for about six months. Then I shut... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115803625769491922
Reading:
This makes sense, except, it seems in Alberta where the gov't knows best... /s
"The gift that keeps on giving: How solar panels on farms can help increase crop yields"
https://theconversation.com/the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving-how-sola... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115798913644839269
This makes sense, except, it seems in Alberta where the gov't knows best... /s
"The gift that keeps on giving: How solar panels on farms can help increase crop yields"
https://theconversation.com/the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving-how-sola... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115798913644839269
December 28, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Reading:
This makes sense, except, it seems in Alberta where the gov't knows best... /s
"The gift that keeps on giving: How solar panels on farms can help increase crop yields"
https://theconversation.com/the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving-how-sola... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115798913644839269
This makes sense, except, it seems in Alberta where the gov't knows best... /s
"The gift that keeps on giving: How solar panels on farms can help increase crop yields"
https://theconversation.com/the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving-how-sola... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115798913644839269
It's that time of year again...
Between the festivities and the downtime, I'm tackling my annual #DigitalDeclutter . This year, I'm adding a new step: wiping my AI chat history. More details over at the blog post:
https://bradgrier.com/2025/12... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115787978208884664
Between the festivities and the downtime, I'm tackling my annual #DigitalDeclutter . This year, I'm adding a new step: wiping my AI chat history. More details over at the blog post:
https://bradgrier.com/2025/12... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115787978208884664
December 26, 2025 at 9:32 PM
It's that time of year again...
Between the festivities and the downtime, I'm tackling my annual #DigitalDeclutter . This year, I'm adding a new step: wiping my AI chat history. More details over at the blog post:
https://bradgrier.com/2025/12... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115787978208884664
Between the festivities and the downtime, I'm tackling my annual #DigitalDeclutter . This year, I'm adding a new step: wiping my AI chat history. More details over at the blog post:
https://bradgrier.com/2025/12... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115787978208884664
Reading: The AI privacy settings you need to change right now - The Washington Post
"Why should you care if an AI company has a file on you?
You might not want ads following you around based on your more intimate conversations.
When AI compani... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115769361653194250
"Why should you care if an AI company has a file on you?
You might not want ads following you around based on your more intimate conversations.
When AI compani... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115769361653194250
December 23, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Reading: The AI privacy settings you need to change right now - The Washington Post
"Why should you care if an AI company has a file on you?
You might not want ads following you around based on your more intimate conversations.
When AI compani... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115769361653194250
"Why should you care if an AI company has a file on you?
You might not want ads following you around based on your more intimate conversations.
When AI compani... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115769361653194250
'tis the season -- a good deep dive into a seasonal classic.
Reading:
"The Nutcracker" on Record - Part 1 | Tracking Angle
https://trackingangle.com/features/the-nutcracker-on-record-part-1
#Music #ClassicalMusic #Christmas #Nutcracker #Viny... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115724082245084014
Reading:
"The Nutcracker" on Record - Part 1 | Tracking Angle
https://trackingangle.com/features/the-nutcracker-on-record-part-1
#Music #ClassicalMusic #Christmas #Nutcracker #Viny... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115724082245084014
"The Nutcracker" on Record - Part 1
A Seasonal Tour through Tchaikovsky’s Magical Score - on vinyl and CD/SACD/streaming
trackingangle.com
December 15, 2025 at 2:45 PM
'tis the season -- a good deep dive into a seasonal classic.
Reading:
"The Nutcracker" on Record - Part 1 | Tracking Angle
https://trackingangle.com/features/the-nutcracker-on-record-part-1
#Music #ClassicalMusic #Christmas #Nutcracker #Viny... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115724082245084014
Reading:
"The Nutcracker" on Record - Part 1 | Tracking Angle
https://trackingangle.com/features/the-nutcracker-on-record-part-1
#Music #ClassicalMusic #Christmas #Nutcracker #Viny... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115724082245084014
Reading: Radiation from space that led to more than 6,000 Airbus aircraft needing emergency computer updates could become a growing problem as ever more microchips run our lives.
Bit flips: How cosmic rays grounded a fleet of aircraft
https://... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115685418059583132
Bit flips: How cosmic rays grounded a fleet of aircraft
https://... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115685418059583132
December 8, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Reading: Radiation from space that led to more than 6,000 Airbus aircraft needing emergency computer updates could become a growing problem as ever more microchips run our lives.
Bit flips: How cosmic rays grounded a fleet of aircraft
https://... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115685418059583132
Bit flips: How cosmic rays grounded a fleet of aircraft
https://... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115685418059583132
Part of my role is looking at new tools and processes to help clients do their thing. Recently had some fun on a personal project (Planespotting application) and used a development approach we're calling 'Agentic Sprint'. Back in the day we used... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115642115300597086
December 1, 2025 at 3:11 AM
Part of my role is looking at new tools and processes to help clients do their thing. Recently had some fun on a personal project (Planespotting application) and used a development approach we're calling 'Agentic Sprint'. Back in the day we used... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115642115300597086
Took Google’s new agentic coder, Antigravity, for a spin. It looks like a Cursor clone, but the real deal is its deep tie-in to the Google Cloud.
I was kinda impressed by the difference between its workflow and Google’s other AI cat, Jules.... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115583329121234259
I was kinda impressed by the difference between its workflow and Google’s other AI cat, Jules.... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115583329121234259
November 20, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Took Google’s new agentic coder, Antigravity, for a spin. It looks like a Cursor clone, but the real deal is its deep tie-in to the Google Cloud.
I was kinda impressed by the difference between its workflow and Google’s other AI cat, Jules.... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115583329121234259
I was kinda impressed by the difference between its workflow and Google’s other AI cat, Jules.... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115583329121234259
Fun to be getting back to a project I've not touched in 5 months. Yes, it's a text-based interactive adventure / RPG based on the Classic #Traveller ruleset.
Big goal is it'll support user-designed story-modules and have a module editor etc... ... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115574928514079025
Big goal is it'll support user-designed story-modules and have a module editor etc... ... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115574928514079025
November 19, 2025 at 6:38 AM
Fun to be getting back to a project I've not touched in 5 months. Yes, it's a text-based interactive adventure / RPG based on the Classic #Traveller ruleset.
Big goal is it'll support user-designed story-modules and have a module editor etc... ... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115574928514079025
Big goal is it'll support user-designed story-modules and have a module editor etc... ... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115574928514079025
Reading:Unmasking Archive.today
True, it is a site that lets you grab a snapshot of almost any site, but the thing that's got folk knickers in a knot is the paywall bypassing it does. Very well. So a friend tells me...
https://mjtsai.com/blog/... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115555769021636830
True, it is a site that lets you grab a snapshot of almost any site, but the thing that's got folk knickers in a knot is the paywall bypassing it does. Very well. So a friend tells me...
https://mjtsai.com/blog/... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115555769021636830
November 15, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Reading:Unmasking Archive.today
True, it is a site that lets you grab a snapshot of almost any site, but the thing that's got folk knickers in a knot is the paywall bypassing it does. Very well. So a friend tells me...
https://mjtsai.com/blog/... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115555769021636830
True, it is a site that lets you grab a snapshot of almost any site, but the thing that's got folk knickers in a knot is the paywall bypassing it does. Very well. So a friend tells me...
https://mjtsai.com/blog/... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115555769021636830
Quite enjoying watching The Orville. Dismissed it when it was in first run - wasn't in the mood for it - and am I glad I waited.
Time has shown it's a very good SF series that's an obvious homage to all the Trek. But. What I didn't really expec... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115517486712108839
Time has shown it's a very good SF series that's an obvious homage to all the Trek. But. What I didn't really expec... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115517486712108839
November 9, 2025 at 3:03 AM
Quite enjoying watching The Orville. Dismissed it when it was in first run - wasn't in the mood for it - and am I glad I waited.
Time has shown it's a very good SF series that's an obvious homage to all the Trek. But. What I didn't really expec... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115517486712108839
Time has shown it's a very good SF series that's an obvious homage to all the Trek. But. What I didn't really expec... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115517486712108839
Heh, a thing I heard about today, a comms. tech project stalled. Again. Reasons were:
- Our IT department is cool, but there isn't room on the roadmap for the next 18 months.
- Recommended agency missed the mark on our budget, compliance, and m... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115505223951482765
- Our IT department is cool, but there isn't room on the roadmap for the next 18 months.
- Recommended agency missed the mark on our budget, compliance, and m... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115505223951482765
November 6, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Heh, a thing I heard about today, a comms. tech project stalled. Again. Reasons were:
- Our IT department is cool, but there isn't room on the roadmap for the next 18 months.
- Recommended agency missed the mark on our budget, compliance, and m... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115505223951482765
- Our IT department is cool, but there isn't room on the roadmap for the next 18 months.
- Recommended agency missed the mark on our budget, compliance, and m... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115505223951482765
Another conversation turns into a post... I detect a trend here....
The pragmatist’s guide to avoiding digital serfdom
It’s not your imagination. The tools we used to love are getting worse. They call it “platform evolution.” We call i... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115499355168588201
The pragmatist’s guide to avoiding digital serfdom
It’s not your imagination. The tools we used to love are getting worse. They call it “platform evolution.” We call i... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115499355168588201
November 5, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Another conversation turns into a post... I detect a trend here....
The pragmatist’s guide to avoiding digital serfdom
It’s not your imagination. The tools we used to love are getting worse. They call it “platform evolution.” We call i... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115499355168588201
The pragmatist’s guide to avoiding digital serfdom
It’s not your imagination. The tools we used to love are getting worse. They call it “platform evolution.” We call i... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115499355168588201
Ah yes, tonight's the night for the annual playing of The War of the Worlds (1938 radio drama)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_(1938_radio_drama)
#RadioPlay #MercuryTheater #WarOfTheWorlds #Aliens #Halloween #RadioDrama ht... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115471344413262264
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_(1938_radio_drama)
#RadioPlay #MercuryTheater #WarOfTheWorlds #Aliens #Halloween #RadioDrama ht... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115471344413262264
October 31, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Ah yes, tonight's the night for the annual playing of The War of the Worlds (1938 radio drama)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_(1938_radio_drama)
#RadioPlay #MercuryTheater #WarOfTheWorlds #Aliens #Halloween #RadioDrama ht... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115471344413262264
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_(1938_radio_drama)
#RadioPlay #MercuryTheater #WarOfTheWorlds #Aliens #Halloween #RadioDrama ht... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115471344413262264
Ok, now this is cool.
25 years, one website: ISS in Real Time captures quarter-century on space station - Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/10/25-years-one-website-iss-in-real-time-captures-quarter-century-on-space-station/
#Spa... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115463385207564451
25 years, one website: ISS in Real Time captures quarter-century on space station - Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/10/25-years-one-website-iss-in-real-time-captures-quarter-century-on-space-station/
#Spa... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115463385207564451
25 years, one website: ISS in Real Time captures quarter-century on space station
From the makers of the Apollo in Real Time websites comes a new experience with 500 times more data.
arstechnica.com
October 30, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Ok, now this is cool.
25 years, one website: ISS in Real Time captures quarter-century on space station - Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/10/25-years-one-website-iss-in-real-time-captures-quarter-century-on-space-station/
#Spa... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115463385207564451
25 years, one website: ISS in Real Time captures quarter-century on space station - Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/10/25-years-one-website-iss-in-real-time-captures-quarter-century-on-space-station/
#Spa... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115463385207564451
Well, that didn't work. The blog has crashed so I'm rebuilding it. Yay. Actually no, not yay. There were a few valuable comments there especially about using a privacy-focused DNS provider alongside a personal Pi-hole device. They're cool, and I... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115447444342925207
October 27, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Well, that didn't work. The blog has crashed so I'm rebuilding it. Yay. Actually no, not yay. There were a few valuable comments there especially about using a privacy-focused DNS provider alongside a personal Pi-hole device. They're cool, and I... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115447444342925207
I love it when the internet works.
I'm moving my household storage to a new NAS, and wanted to download our icloud photo libraries. Thinking I'm not the only person who has ever wanted to do this, a quick search resulted in this great little py... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115435065821647242
I'm moving my household storage to a new NAS, and wanted to download our icloud photo libraries. Thinking I'm not the only person who has ever wanted to do this, a quick search resulted in this great little py... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115435065821647242
October 25, 2025 at 1:49 PM
I love it when the internet works.
I'm moving my household storage to a new NAS, and wanted to download our icloud photo libraries. Thinking I'm not the only person who has ever wanted to do this, a quick search resulted in this great little py... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115435065821647242
I'm moving my household storage to a new NAS, and wanted to download our icloud photo libraries. Thinking I'm not the only person who has ever wanted to do this, a quick search resulted in this great little py... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115435065821647242
The other day I got into a conversation with a family member about the Amazon DNS outage, and how DNS works. And that progressed the conversation into data sovereignty in Canada. Who controls your internet’s “phone book” matters—for your... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115430641534920468
October 24, 2025 at 6:53 PM
The other day I got into a conversation with a family member about the Amazon DNS outage, and how DNS works. And that progressed the conversation into data sovereignty in Canada. Who controls your internet’s “phone book” matters—for your... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115430641534920468
ChatGPT's Atlas: The Browser That's Anti-Web - Anil Dash
Ouch!
" The problems fall into three main categories:
Atlas substitutes its own AI-generated content for the web, but it looks like it's showing you the web
The user experience makes you... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115421077032085421
Ouch!
" The problems fall into three main categories:
Atlas substitutes its own AI-generated content for the web, but it looks like it's showing you the web
The user experience makes you... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115421077032085421
October 23, 2025 at 2:21 AM
ChatGPT's Atlas: The Browser That's Anti-Web - Anil Dash
Ouch!
" The problems fall into three main categories:
Atlas substitutes its own AI-generated content for the web, but it looks like it's showing you the web
The user experience makes you... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115421077032085421
Ouch!
" The problems fall into three main categories:
Atlas substitutes its own AI-generated content for the web, but it looks like it's showing you the web
The user experience makes you... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115421077032085421
🎵 Now Spinning: Nazareth – Razamanaz (1973)
1973 – Canada
Vinyl
LP, Album
Gatefold
A&M Records – SP-4396
Doing some catch-up on some records I picked up over the summer. The Nazareth album is in amazing shape and sounds awesome! I forg... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115419184661108902
1973 – Canada
Vinyl
LP, Album
Gatefold
A&M Records – SP-4396
Doing some catch-up on some records I picked up over the summer. The Nazareth album is in amazing shape and sounds awesome! I forg... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115419184661108902
October 22, 2025 at 6:22 PM
🎵 Now Spinning: Nazareth – Razamanaz (1973)
1973 – Canada
Vinyl
LP, Album
Gatefold
A&M Records – SP-4396
Doing some catch-up on some records I picked up over the summer. The Nazareth album is in amazing shape and sounds awesome! I forg... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115419184661108902
1973 – Canada
Vinyl
LP, Album
Gatefold
A&M Records – SP-4396
Doing some catch-up on some records I picked up over the summer. The Nazareth album is in amazing shape and sounds awesome! I forg... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115419184661108902
My winter project list is a little longer now -- picked up one of these at the local Costco. Can't wait!
Lego Nintendo Game Boy review: a brick masterpiece just shy of perfection | The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/games/787849/lego-nintendo-... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115417793168170355
Lego Nintendo Game Boy review: a brick masterpiece just shy of perfection | The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/games/787849/lego-nintendo-... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115417793168170355
Lego’s Nintendo Game Boy is a brick masterpiece just shy of perfection
Review: Lego Game Boy vs. real Game Boy.
www.theverge.com
October 22, 2025 at 12:29 PM
My winter project list is a little longer now -- picked up one of these at the local Costco. Can't wait!
Lego Nintendo Game Boy review: a brick masterpiece just shy of perfection | The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/games/787849/lego-nintendo-... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115417793168170355
Lego Nintendo Game Boy review: a brick masterpiece just shy of perfection | The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/games/787849/lego-nintendo-... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115417793168170355
TIL: Canada offers free DNS protection with the CIRA Canadian Shield.
Rather than let your ISP track or sell your browsing history, you can use one of these mobile apps or browser plugins that use CIRA’s DNS, including DNS over HTTPS.
You ca... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115412836205056087
Rather than let your ISP track or sell your browsing history, you can use one of these mobile apps or browser plugins that use CIRA’s DNS, including DNS over HTTPS.
You ca... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115412836205056087
October 21, 2025 at 3:25 PM
TIL: Canada offers free DNS protection with the CIRA Canadian Shield.
Rather than let your ISP track or sell your browsing history, you can use one of these mobile apps or browser plugins that use CIRA’s DNS, including DNS over HTTPS.
You ca... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115412836205056087
Rather than let your ISP track or sell your browsing history, you can use one of these mobile apps or browser plugins that use CIRA’s DNS, including DNS over HTTPS.
You ca... https://universeodon.com/@bgrier/115412836205056087