Blake Hall
@blakeshall.bsky.social
Rubyist in Lexington that wants more housing and safer streets. Lover of tinkering and video games.
Cover photo by @ryanhermens.bsky.social
Cover photo by @ryanhermens.bsky.social
Reposted by Blake Hall
Data is sparse, but I'd bet school crossing guards are much more likely to die at work than police officers. They're at least as deserving of hazard pay.
Crossing guards face life-threatening dangers on the job
An investigation by The Associated Press and Cox Media Group Television Stations found that school crossing guards face dangerous conditions, with many injured or killed on the job.
apnews.com
October 31, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Data is sparse, but I'd bet school crossing guards are much more likely to die at work than police officers. They're at least as deserving of hazard pay.
I love that Cory Doctorow listens to @nogodsnomayors.com
October 24, 2025 at 1:45 PM
I love that Cory Doctorow listens to @nogodsnomayors.com
Reposted by Blake Hall
Chris Woodall, a former city planner, has announced he will run in the now vacant 10th Council District.
Lexington councilman announces he won’t seek re-election in 2026
Chris Woodall, a former city planner, has announced he will run in the now vacant 10th Council District.
bit.ly
October 10, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Chris Woodall, a former city planner, has announced he will run in the now vacant 10th Council District.
Reposted by Blake Hall
show this to anyone else you know who also assumed DHH was just a normal conservative dude rather than a raging white supremacist lunatic
DHH Is Way Worse Than I Thought | jakelazaroff.com
DHH's politics are not normal. Maybe they used to be, I don't know, but as of right now the dude is_way outside of what most people would consider moral or acceptable.
jakelazaroff.com
October 2, 2025 at 12:57 PM
show this to anyone else you know who also assumed DHH was just a normal conservative dude rather than a raging white supremacist lunatic
NIMBYs out here fighting against new housing right next to a major university with arguments about “the aesthetics of driving” 🙄
September 26, 2025 at 3:53 PM
NIMBYs out here fighting against new housing right next to a major university with arguments about “the aesthetics of driving” 🙄
Reposted by Blake Hall
After listening to about a dozen first-hand accounts, I’ve published what I know about the RubyGems takeover.
Shopify, pulling strings at Ruby Central, forces Bundler and RubyGems takeover
Ruby Central recently took over a collection of open source projects from their maintainers without their consent.
joel.drapper.me
September 23, 2025 at 3:08 PM
After listening to about a dozen first-hand accounts, I’ve published what I know about the RubyGems takeover.
Reposted by Blake Hall
One of the biggest things we want readers to take away from “Life After Cars” is that learning to *see* cars is step one on the path to realizing a better world.
I was walking down a street in New York and I thought how lovely it was, with the trees and the light. Tried to take a photo and this came out. It’s incredible how blind we become to the ugliness of cars. They really do mess things up. Yet somehow we manage to filter them out.
September 23, 2025 at 5:37 AM
One of the biggest things we want readers to take away from “Life After Cars” is that learning to *see* cars is step one on the path to realizing a better world.
Reposted by Blake Hall
Is this satire? Do parents really wait for two hours in their car just to pick up their kids?
I’d tell her to get a life but maybe I should just recommend that she gets a cargobike instead.
I’d tell her to get a life but maybe I should just recommend that she gets a cargobike instead.
September 23, 2025 at 5:43 AM
Is this satire? Do parents really wait for two hours in their car just to pick up their kids?
I’d tell her to get a life but maybe I should just recommend that she gets a cargobike instead.
I’d tell her to get a life but maybe I should just recommend that she gets a cargobike instead.
Ha! Years after losing whatsmydistrict.org, I was able to snag whatsmydistrict.com. Perfect timing as I'm doing a full re-write. Also aiming to host it somewhere that isn't github...
whatsmydistrict.com
September 23, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Ha! Years after losing whatsmydistrict.org, I was able to snag whatsmydistrict.com. Perfect timing as I'm doing a full re-write. Also aiming to host it somewhere that isn't github...
Reposted by Blake Hall
Having met with both sides on the current RubyCentral/RubyGems situation, here's my take:
- RubyCentral have managed this exceptionally poorly in many ways including removing literally the most active member of the RubyGems organisation by mistake who has declined to return
- RubyCentral have managed this exceptionally poorly in many ways including removing literally the most active member of the RubyGems organisation by mistake who has declined to return
September 19, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Having met with both sides on the current RubyCentral/RubyGems situation, here's my take:
- RubyCentral have managed this exceptionally poorly in many ways including removing literally the most active member of the RubyGems organisation by mistake who has declined to return
- RubyCentral have managed this exceptionally poorly in many ways including removing literally the most active member of the RubyGems organisation by mistake who has declined to return
My neighborhood is very walkable and because of that walkability our little corner grocery/convenience store has been able to survive. And now there is also an adorable children’s bookstore inside it as well!
September 19, 2025 at 4:21 PM
My neighborhood is very walkable and because of that walkability our little corner grocery/convenience store has been able to survive. And now there is also an adorable children’s bookstore inside it as well!
Just migrated my Mastodon account from a server with an absent admin to a more established server. Overall pretty simple and easy. Nice to take advantage of one of the big selling points of the Fediverse. I'm more active over there so give me a follow hachyderm.io/@blakeshall
Blake Hall (@blakeshall@hachyderm.io)
2 Posts, 161 Following, 75 Followers · Urbanist and Rubyist that wants more homes and safer streets in Lexington, KY. Interested in self hosting, walkability, cargo bikes, and video games.
hachyderm.io
September 18, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Just migrated my Mastodon account from a server with an absent admin to a more established server. Overall pretty simple and easy. Nice to take advantage of one of the big selling points of the Fediverse. I'm more active over there so give me a follow hachyderm.io/@blakeshall
Reposted by Blake Hall
I know Charlie Kirk valued debate and free speech because he blocked me for fact-checking his lies on Twitter and then put me on his organization's Professor Watchlist for writing a book he didn't like.
September 11, 2025 at 5:38 PM
I know Charlie Kirk valued debate and free speech because he blocked me for fact-checking his lies on Twitter and then put me on his organization's Professor Watchlist for writing a book he didn't like.
Reposted by Blake Hall
KET announces staff reductions following loss of federal funding https://www.wkyt.com/2025/09/04/ket-announces-staff-reductions-following-loss-federal-funding/
September 4, 2025 at 6:00 PM
KET announces staff reductions following loss of federal funding https://www.wkyt.com/2025/09/04/ket-announces-staff-reductions-following-loss-federal-funding/
Reposted by Blake Hall
Call it Anti-Industrial Policy: we need is a suite of policies to nudge Americans to own and operate more little public-facing businesses. Speciality shops. Six-seater bars. Esoteric services. Restaurants serving two or three dishes. It would lower overall productivity and increase quality of life.
September 3, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Call it Anti-Industrial Policy: we need is a suite of policies to nudge Americans to own and operate more little public-facing businesses. Speciality shops. Six-seater bars. Esoteric services. Restaurants serving two or three dishes. It would lower overall productivity and increase quality of life.
Reposted by Blake Hall
Dear America, we had a mass school shooting in 1996. It was awful, we feel your pain.
So we banned most of the guns. Then we toughened up vetting & licensing for the remaining guns.
Since then no school shooting (so far).
Anyone telling you it’s impossible has a vested financial interest.
So we banned most of the guns. Then we toughened up vetting & licensing for the remaining guns.
Since then no school shooting (so far).
Anyone telling you it’s impossible has a vested financial interest.
August 28, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Dear America, we had a mass school shooting in 1996. It was awful, we feel your pain.
So we banned most of the guns. Then we toughened up vetting & licensing for the remaining guns.
Since then no school shooting (so far).
Anyone telling you it’s impossible has a vested financial interest.
So we banned most of the guns. Then we toughened up vetting & licensing for the remaining guns.
Since then no school shooting (so far).
Anyone telling you it’s impossible has a vested financial interest.
Reposted by Blake Hall
One other point: Given what's happening with law enforcement, it seems like a good time to remove traffic violations as an excuse for cops to pull someone over.
There’s a widespread myth that Americans hate traffic cameras. It’s simply not true.
On the contrary, researchers have consistently found that Americans broadly support using automatic enforcement to curb crashes. And for good reason: It works.
Me, in Bloomberg 🧵
On the contrary, researchers have consistently found that Americans broadly support using automatic enforcement to curb crashes. And for good reason: It works.
Me, in Bloomberg 🧵
Automated Traffic Enforcement Is More Popular Than You Think
Cameras that ticket drivers who run red lights and speed are effective and widely popular with city residents. So why are they banned in so many places?
www.bloomberg.com
August 28, 2025 at 1:21 PM
One other point: Given what's happening with law enforcement, it seems like a good time to remove traffic violations as an excuse for cops to pull someone over.
AI companies give real zombo.com energy
ZOMBO
zombo.com
August 22, 2025 at 2:02 PM
AI companies give real zombo.com energy
Successfully upgraded the desktop to Debian 13. Only problem is that I've really taken to Omarchy and Hyprland + Arch on my laptop and I kinda want it on my desktop too...
August 20, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Successfully upgraded the desktop to Debian 13. Only problem is that I've really taken to Omarchy and Hyprland + Arch on my laptop and I kinda want it on my desktop too...
Reposted by Blake Hall
I love to show up every day for my job, which is standing around holding the front of my tactical vest and getting told to choke to death by thousands of passers-by while 11 of my coworkers handcuff a roofer on his way to work. Every night I drive 80 minutes home, thinking about nothing at all.
August 19, 2025 at 3:16 AM
I love to show up every day for my job, which is standing around holding the front of my tactical vest and getting told to choke to death by thousands of passers-by while 11 of my coworkers handcuff a roofer on his way to work. Every night I drive 80 minutes home, thinking about nothing at all.
Reposted by Blake Hall
Building housing at a density (four floors) necessary to attract services (corner stores) that enable residents to serve their daily needs without a car (15-minute neighborhoods) is essential for affordability.
August 18, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Building housing at a density (four floors) necessary to attract services (corner stores) that enable residents to serve their daily needs without a car (15-minute neighborhoods) is essential for affordability.
Reposted by Blake Hall
The NIMBY three step: “I participated in the public process and did not get my way” becomes “I was left out of the decision making process” and then turns into “I deserve the power to overturn the result of the public process and impose my will on the majority by lawsuit.”
August 18, 2025 at 11:43 PM
The NIMBY three step: “I participated in the public process and did not get my way” becomes “I was left out of the decision making process” and then turns into “I deserve the power to overturn the result of the public process and impose my will on the majority by lawsuit.”
Reposted by Blake Hall
They're trying to convince everyone that building a Dyson Sphere around the solar system is more realistic than increasing the capital gains tax
building a Dyson sphere around the sun is an incomprehensible undertaking. building one around the solar system is simply impossible in even the wildest sci fi projections of the future
every statement Altman and his fellow tech oligarchs make is just as preposterous
every statement Altman and his fellow tech oligarchs make is just as preposterous
The people dominating our political landscape, culture, and economy are just so stupid and full of shit it's almost impossible to describe
August 19, 2025 at 1:56 AM
They're trying to convince everyone that building a Dyson Sphere around the solar system is more realistic than increasing the capital gains tax
Reposted by Blake Hall
The fact that a children’s YouTuber has greater moral clarity than most of our leadership is such an indictment of where we are.
August 18, 2025 at 7:00 PM
The fact that a children’s YouTuber has greater moral clarity than most of our leadership is such an indictment of where we are.