Eric Wilson
@digitalsimulacra.com
Programmer, dad, nerd, DIY hobbyist, lapsed runner.
Thinking of my dad on this Veterans Day 🇺🇸
November 12, 2025 at 1:56 AM
Thinking of my dad on this Veterans Day 🇺🇸
Dug the "Vote" sweatshirt out of the drawer where I had stuffed it, unwashed
Brushed away the dust and peeled the "I Voted" sticker
Pulled it over my head and did my best to smooth out the wrinkles
And headed to the polls to see if this old democracy still has some life left in her.
Brushed away the dust and peeled the "I Voted" sticker
Pulled it over my head and did my best to smooth out the wrinkles
And headed to the polls to see if this old democracy still has some life left in her.
November 4, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Dug the "Vote" sweatshirt out of the drawer where I had stuffed it, unwashed
Brushed away the dust and peeled the "I Voted" sticker
Pulled it over my head and did my best to smooth out the wrinkles
And headed to the polls to see if this old democracy still has some life left in her.
Brushed away the dust and peeled the "I Voted" sticker
Pulled it over my head and did my best to smooth out the wrinkles
And headed to the polls to see if this old democracy still has some life left in her.
"I have an idea. It's crazy, but it just might work."
November 3, 2025 at 12:45 PM
"I have an idea. It's crazy, but it just might work."
Pictured: John Fetterman believing that Republicans will extend the ACA subsidies
October 23, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Pictured: John Fetterman believing that Republicans will extend the ACA subsidies
lol it's 10x that now
October 18, 2025 at 3:21 PM
lol it's 10x that now
Back to the Future had some lessons on how to deal with bullies
September 25, 2025 at 3:18 AM
Back to the Future had some lessons on how to deal with bullies
Looked up my local Nexstar stations, and… it would have been quicker to list the stations that are *not* owned by Nexstar
September 22, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Looked up my local Nexstar stations, and… it would have been quicker to list the stations that are *not* owned by Nexstar
I'm beginning to suspect this isn't the official account 😅
August 20, 2025 at 12:32 AM
I'm beginning to suspect this isn't the official account 😅
Feels like it's time to watch Goldfinger again
July 28, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Feels like it's time to watch Goldfinger again
I'm basically a raccoon
June 29, 2025 at 10:38 PM
I'm basically a raccoon
From an NY Times newsletter that I don't remember subscribing to...
What do they think (10-)gigabit Ethernet cables are made of?
They could say "in other cases data is sent over radio waves, a 19th century technology" or "some data is sent using light, a technology used in ancient Egypt"
What do they think (10-)gigabit Ethernet cables are made of?
They could say "in other cases data is sent over radio waves, a 19th century technology" or "some data is sent using light, a technology used in ancient Egypt"
![Screenshot from a NY Times newsletter story about airports and air traffic control:
Glitchy systems
Air traffic controllers rely on two essential things: radar screens, which provide a visual representation of what’s going on in the air, and radio communications, which allow them to talk with pilots.
[begin highlight] In certain cases, copper wiring, first developed in the 19th century, is used to transmit data from one place to another. [end highlight] Some systems still rely on floppy disks and compact discs. Flight records are occasionally printed out on slips of paper rather than relayed electronically.
The result is a hodgepodge network of software, parts and wires. Sometimes it works seamlessly; other times a single clipped wire takes out a controller’s radar entirely, leaving pilots with no means to be seen by the people who are supposed to be keeping them out of harm’s way.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:57s53wtwtv4crkn2h5wgez5q/bafkreihipt3qpc7bx35qrokqii2gmx3f2o5y3z2ke2zxfzuoc2siugwr4y@jpeg)
May 12, 2025 at 11:59 AM
From an NY Times newsletter that I don't remember subscribing to...
What do they think (10-)gigabit Ethernet cables are made of?
They could say "in other cases data is sent over radio waves, a 19th century technology" or "some data is sent using light, a technology used in ancient Egypt"
What do they think (10-)gigabit Ethernet cables are made of?
They could say "in other cases data is sent over radio waves, a 19th century technology" or "some data is sent using light, a technology used in ancient Egypt"
I suppose circumstances dictate we eat deep dish pizza and drink Malort tonight
May 8, 2025 at 8:05 PM
I suppose circumstances dictate we eat deep dish pizza and drink Malort tonight
TIL if you want to post a GIF and have it animate, you should use the web client and choose the movie icon, not the photo icon
May 8, 2025 at 5:20 PM
TIL if you want to post a GIF and have it animate, you should use the web client and choose the movie icon, not the photo icon
Ivanova is always right.
May 8, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Ivanova is always right.
![Screenshot from explainxkcd.com
At the top is the current XKCD comic:
Transcript
[A standard globe of the Earth is shown. It stands on a typical stand which holds it by two arms at the poles, so it can turn around like the Earth does. The Earth is turned so it shows Australia at the bottom and most of Asia, including the entire India to the left. Only the very tip of Alaska can bee seen of the Americas. Above the globe there is a double arrow that goes to two small lines that align with the edges of the globe (indicating the diameter). The arrow has been split in the middle and two lines of text is written in the gab. Above this text there is another line of text.]
Remember:
4 inches minimum
[Beneath the globe there are two small drawings. The left shows the Earth and to the left of the Earth there is a double arrow ending at two lines that indicated the diameter of the Earth going from top to bottom. The distance of this is written in inches to the left. From the Earth an arrow points to another drawing, this time the typical depiction of a black hole, with the "hat" shape. A warning sign is shown a the top right of the black hole with an exclamation mark inside.]
7/10"
[Caption Below the Panel:] The Earth's Schwarzschild radius is about 0.35 inches, which is why safety regulations require desktop globes to be at least 4 inches in diameter.
Explanation
The Schwarzschild radius of a given object is the radius of the event horizon of a black hole with the mass of that object. The Schwarzschild radius of the earth is about 0.35 inches (0.889 cm), meaning if you could hypothetically compress the Earth into a ball that small it would collapse into a black hole (among other effects). This would be bad[citation needed].](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:57s53wtwtv4crkn2h5wgez5q/bafkreifys2hhzzskefu5fepfpkdirzbkc2oboscxdwmq34pgqpe3lbhl5e@jpeg)
Managed to get a run in today 😏
May 5, 2025 at 1:59 AM
Managed to get a run in today 😏
Took the dog for a lunch break walk around the neighborhood and she somehow found half a fish in the grass
April 29, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Took the dog for a lunch break walk around the neighborhood and she somehow found half a fish in the grass