Rob Ballou
@robballou.com
Finn the cattle dog's human, mountain biker, backpacker, and software engineer.
Brands: you should buy our stuff! It’s only mostly tariffed!
November 22, 2025 at 1:48 AM
Brands: you should buy our stuff! It’s only mostly tariffed!
Sad when there is just enough capsaicin in freaking Anaheim peppers to accidentally make your eyes burn when you forget about it
November 22, 2025 at 1:15 AM
Sad when there is just enough capsaicin in freaking Anaheim peppers to accidentally make your eyes burn when you forget about it
Reposted by Rob Ballou
With ICE and border patrol goons spreading out across the country, I put together a resource guide for buying, printing, and distributing whistles, based on my own experience. Now is the time to whistle up, hope this helps. dansinker.com/posts/202…
November 21, 2025 at 9:35 PM
With ICE and border patrol goons spreading out across the country, I put together a resource guide for buying, printing, and distributing whistles, based on my own experience. Now is the time to whistle up, hope this helps. dansinker.com/posts/202…
Watched MI Final Reckoning tonight and I hope some writers can take home the problem with each story being about the end of the world. Eventually, the end of the world becomes hackneyed. Many great parts, but overall we’re supposed to be moved by all the films we watched, not the one we are watching
November 21, 2025 at 4:10 AM
Watched MI Final Reckoning tonight and I hope some writers can take home the problem with each story being about the end of the world. Eventually, the end of the world becomes hackneyed. Many great parts, but overall we’re supposed to be moved by all the films we watched, not the one we are watching
I hope every restaurant that Johnson eats at is like “I don’t know anything about that item you ordered” for the rest of his life
November 21, 2025 at 3:56 AM
I hope every restaurant that Johnson eats at is like “I don’t know anything about that item you ordered” for the rest of his life
In another timeline we could all be so content as this
November 21, 2025 at 3:26 AM
In another timeline we could all be so content as this
He can’t spell seditious
November 21, 2025 at 2:09 AM
He can’t spell seditious
It’s 18:30 and I really just wanna sleep
November 20, 2025 at 1:33 AM
It’s 18:30 and I really just wanna sleep
Me: im having a rough day. I shouldn’t play that game that has become more stressful
Me: just a couple quick rounds.
Me: yeah, I might never play that again. I should have listened to myself
Me: just a couple quick rounds.
Me: yeah, I might never play that again. I should have listened to myself
November 19, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Me: im having a rough day. I shouldn’t play that game that has become more stressful
Me: just a couple quick rounds.
Me: yeah, I might never play that again. I should have listened to myself
Me: just a couple quick rounds.
Me: yeah, I might never play that again. I should have listened to myself
Every six months, I have to explain the same bug to a new team lead who will de-prioritize it so I have to explain it again in six months. This bug is years old.
November 19, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Every six months, I have to explain the same bug to a new team lead who will de-prioritize it so I have to explain it again in six months. This bug is years old.
Whole internet: we can tell when things are written by AI and don't like it.
Companies: we have moved all copy review processes to AI instead of hiring a copy writer.
Companies: we have moved all copy review processes to AI instead of hiring a copy writer.
November 19, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Whole internet: we can tell when things are written by AI and don't like it.
Companies: we have moved all copy review processes to AI instead of hiring a copy writer.
Companies: we have moved all copy review processes to AI instead of hiring a copy writer.
A weird wake up call this morning: I was walking with Finn on the sidewalk and saw a car slowly drifting towards us. But instead of staying on the road the slowly went up on the sidewalk. I was able to see it happening and so was able to get us out of the way. We’re fine
November 19, 2025 at 1:50 PM
A weird wake up call this morning: I was walking with Finn on the sidewalk and saw a car slowly drifting towards us. But instead of staying on the road the slowly went up on the sidewalk. I was able to see it happening and so was able to get us out of the way. We’re fine
Cloudfront is down. Github is down. The combination Cloudfront/Github is down.
November 18, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Cloudfront is down. Github is down. The combination Cloudfront/Github is down.
Doing code reviews these days:
- Huh, that's a weird way to write that. I haven't seen this person do that before. But it works, so ok.
- Hm. That doesn't relate to how we do user IDs, that's weird.
- Some other things... oh, this is all vibe coded
- Huh, that's a weird way to write that. I haven't seen this person do that before. But it works, so ok.
- Hm. That doesn't relate to how we do user IDs, that's weird.
- Some other things... oh, this is all vibe coded
November 18, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Doing code reviews these days:
- Huh, that's a weird way to write that. I haven't seen this person do that before. But it works, so ok.
- Hm. That doesn't relate to how we do user IDs, that's weird.
- Some other things... oh, this is all vibe coded
- Huh, that's a weird way to write that. I haven't seen this person do that before. But it works, so ok.
- Hm. That doesn't relate to how we do user IDs, that's weird.
- Some other things... oh, this is all vibe coded
The economy must sit in the corner and quietly think about what it has done.
* WHITE HOUSE ECONOMIC ADVISER HASSETT: THERE COULD BE A LITTLE BIT OF ALMOST QUIET TIME IN THE LABOR MARKET
@reuters.com #QuietTime
@reuters.com #QuietTime
November 17, 2025 at 3:23 PM
The economy must sit in the corner and quietly think about what it has done.
We got to go hiking today. We are both feeling a little old and slow.
November 15, 2025 at 7:51 PM
We got to go hiking today. We are both feeling a little old and slow.
I know video games aren’t always about strategic thought, but vaguely concerned about some folks in ARC 😆 I got killed on the exfil and I guess knocked out at the last second but got the train going. So, maybe the person got some XP, but my loot just went into the ether because he couldn’t claim it
November 14, 2025 at 2:57 AM
I know video games aren’t always about strategic thought, but vaguely concerned about some folks in ARC 😆 I got killed on the exfil and I guess knocked out at the last second but got the train going. So, maybe the person got some XP, but my loot just went into the ether because he couldn’t claim it
I was distracted while getting dinner together and poured a bit of OJ on my food instead of a cup 🤪
November 14, 2025 at 12:09 AM
I was distracted while getting dinner together and poured a bit of OJ on my food instead of a cup 🤪
Tech lead (who can do code reviews): how long will this take?
Me: today if I get code reviews.
Hours later: no code reviews
Me: today if I get code reviews.
Hours later: no code reviews
November 13, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Tech lead (who can do code reviews): how long will this take?
Me: today if I get code reviews.
Hours later: no code reviews
Me: today if I get code reviews.
Hours later: no code reviews
So one thing I've been thinking lately is sort of what I'm calling AI resilience. The idea is basically I think there is a (not great) concept of adding AI to all this software and that relies on a connection to an AI companies API (in most cases).
November 13, 2025 at 3:37 PM
So one thing I've been thinking lately is sort of what I'm calling AI resilience. The idea is basically I think there is a (not great) concept of adding AI to all this software and that relies on a connection to an AI companies API (in most cases).
Oh good lord, Windows 11 is just anti-patterns all over the place.
November 12, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Oh good lord, Windows 11 is just anti-patterns all over the place.
Dude was told no, so now he is out to get everyone who "hurt" him.
Hegseth: "No more social justice. No more political correctness. No more toxic ideological garbage that infected the department. No more identity months. No more DEI offices. No more dudes in dresses. No more climate change worship. No more division. No more gender delusions."
November 12, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Dude was told no, so now he is out to get everyone who "hurt" him.
Returning from an ARC raid like: did I do what I set out to? No. Did I at least get something cool? Not really. Did I at least survive? Yes.
November 11, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Returning from an ARC raid like: did I do what I set out to? No. Did I at least get something cool? Not really. Did I at least survive? Yes.
So running has been more of a thing I turn to with my neck/shoulder acting up again. That is, until I roll my ankle less than a mile into a run. Hoping it’s not too angry 😩
November 11, 2025 at 9:54 PM
So running has been more of a thing I turn to with my neck/shoulder acting up again. That is, until I roll my ankle less than a mile into a run. Hoping it’s not too angry 😩