Jon Kuroda (黒田ジョン)
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jkuroda.bsky.social
Jon Kuroda (黒田ジョン)
@jkuroda.bsky.social
55 followers 49 following 69 posts
ResearchOps UCBerkeley EECS. Words here are mine, not necc my employer's. He/him/his.
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jkuroda.bsky.social
I don’t know about snowplowers, Homer Simpson notwithstanding, but I have met some whom I could only describe as 10x Zamboni drivers.

Perfect overlaps, speed and precision, would cover a rink in the most optimal way for the conditions, and do Zamboni art during a run if they had time. Top Zamboni.
Homer Simpson advertising his Mr Plow business in a TV ad wearing his Mr Plow (in red text) jacket (in blue with red trim) while singing “🎶 Call Mr Plow / That’s my name / That name again / is Mr Plow”
January 8, 2025 at 3:41 AM
jkuroda.bsky.social
“I'm a school teacher. I teach English Composition in this little town called Addley, Pennsylvania. The last eleven years, I've been at Thomas Alva Edison High School. I was coach of the baseball team in the spring time.”
Tom Hanks as Army CPT John Miller addressing his men in Saving Private Ryan.
December 29, 2024 at 11:21 PM
jkuroda.bsky.social
While diving deep down a media product placement rabbit hole, I came across this, and had to stifle a giggle while humming a song from my youth a long long time ago ...

www.powerswhiskey.com/en-us

#DroveMyChevyToTheLeveeButTheLeveeWasDry
Image from https://www.powerswhiskey.com/en-us Bottle of Powers Irish Rye in clear glass bottle, diamond label in white with green border "Powers Irish Whiskey Irish Rye" in three lines in black text against a capital P in green. Captioned "Bye, Bye, American Rye"
December 28, 2024 at 3:47 AM
jkuroda.bsky.social
Oooooh neat.
Emergency Alert The National Weather Service has issued a TSUNAMI WARNING. A series of powerful waves and strong currents may impact coasts near you. You are in danger. Get away from coastal waters. Move to high ground or inland now. Keep away from the coast until local officials say it is safe to return. Automated warning received on my phone just now.
December 5, 2024 at 6:53 PM
jkuroda.bsky.social
Hi. I’m just this guy, ya know?
Jason Schwartzman playing Gag Halfrunt from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy in heavy old man makeup with unruly overgrown hair mustache and beard taking of glasses saying “Well, look. Zaphod’s just this guy, you know”.
November 16, 2024 at 8:29 PM
jkuroda.bsky.social
Some honorable mentions
Tom Hanks sporting a very thick beard and bushy long-grown hair as Chuck Noland in Cast Away on the makeshift raft he built to escape the island on which he had been stranded consisting of branches tied together with makeshift rope, a tent made from the sides of a porta-potty(?). No mere passenger, he is captain and commander of this tiny vessel of his own construction. Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump painting the name Jenny on the shrimp boat he bought using the earnings from his endorsement of ping pong paddles. White/blue/red check shirt, close cropped haircut, olive drab pants. Tom Hanks on the deck of the boat in drydock from You've Got Mail tying up some line, wearing light brown deck shoes, olive green pants, maroon sweater, against an overcast background somewhere on the Manhattan waterfront. Tom Hanks as US Army 2d Ranger Battalion CPT John Miller in Saving Private Ryan. He's in the US Army and so not in command of any vessel, just a detachment of soldiers tasked with finding the eponymous Pvt Ryan, but he is a Captain.
November 15, 2024 at 12:32 AM
jkuroda.bsky.social
Times Tom Hanks has commanded a vessel.
Tom Hanks in "Greyhound" as USN CDR Ernest Krause, captain of the WWII USS Fletcher, callsign "Greyhound", on the bridge of the Fletcher wearing the dark midnight blue winter working uniform of the era's USN, peaked cap, and leather sheepskin coat of ambiguous uniform compliance. Close-up of Tom Hanks as USN Captain Jim Lovell, Commander of Apollo 13 mission, close cut haircut, a few days of stubble, in the Apollo 13 craft. Tom Hanks as US Air Captain Chesley Sullenberger in Sully, white-grey hair and mustache, blue striped white dress shirt under dark v-neck sweater, behind glass window of what looks like a hotel room or meeting room, reflection of overcast sky in a city in the glass. Tom Hanks as Maersk Alabama Captain Richard Phillips in "Captain Phillips", wearing white naval-style uniform with black shoulder boards and four gold stripes reflecting his rank and black metal-rimmed eyeglasses, on the daylight-lit bridge of the Alabama
November 15, 2024 at 12:08 AM
jkuroda.bsky.social
On final to SFO 28R on UAL648 (N19130) (20 mins early) w/ JBU1515 (N976JT) on parallel track ahead of us at our 10:00 for their approach to 28L (?) when both initiate go-arounds ~500ft just short of the runway.

Thought maybe <min separation and asked. Nope.

Runway Incursion by Drone.
Screenshot of OpenADSB from my phone at 1400 local showing JBU1515 initiating a climb to the left just before the runway instead of touching town. Screenshot of OpenADSB from my phone at 1400 local showing UAL648 initiating a climb up and away from the runway instead of touching town.
October 20, 2024 at 9:59 PM
jkuroda.bsky.social
I kvetch about aviation fuckups from time to time.

15 years ago today, though, was an aviation success.

US Air 1549. Bird strike just minutes after takeoff from LGA, dual-engine failure, barely 3000' of altitude, no runways within realistic reach – just the Hudson.

All 155 survive.
Daytime photo of US Air 1549 in the Hudson River with passengers and crew exiting the aircraft onto the wings and then survival rafts after dual-engine failure following bird strike minutes after takeoff from LGA.
January 16, 2024 at 4:50 AM
jkuroda.bsky.social
December 1, 2023 at 1:46 AM
jkuroda.bsky.social
Via multiple sources.
Death personified in robes playing death-themed Claw game trying to get high value toy by joystick controlled mini crane - “Henry Kissinger!!! / Fucking Finally!”
November 30, 2023 at 2:31 AM
jkuroda.bsky.social
Similar view against a clear blue sky as the house next door started to obscure my view, blocking the entire starboard side of the #3 aircraft.

The entire diamond formation is banked heavily to the right pulling a fairly tight turn to the right as they left my view
October 1, 2023 at 1:08 AM
jkuroda.bsky.social
A tail view of the same formation, but the image clipped off the starboard wing of the #3 “Right Wing” aircraft as I struggled to keep them in frame. But this had better lighting so one could make out the red, white, and blue Thunderbird livery.
October 1, 2023 at 1:07 AM
jkuroda.bsky.social
It’s been noisy so far this weekend with the Pacific Air Show going on, but I did manage one halfway decent shot of the Thunderbirds as they flew directly overhead the house.

I’ll post some b-roll down below in the comments.
Ventral view of four F-16Cs flying right to left, low and overhead in diamond formation by the Thunderbirds, backlit and seen as silhouettes against grey cloud layer at about 2000’.
October 1, 2023 at 1:07 AM
jkuroda.bsky.social
Uh, Hi.
Bruce Willis as Korben Dallas in "The Fifth Element", blondish short hair, 5 o'clock shadow, olive drab flight vest, bright safety orange t-shirt, surrounded by members of Ruby Rhod's entourage all inside brightly lit interior of space liner hallway with yellow-orange walls, as Ruby Rhod shoves their walking stick cum microphone in Korben's face during the walk and talk to Ruby's show. Korben says, non chalantly "Hi."
August 22, 2023 at 8:56 PM