Tom Beck 🇺🇸
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thbeck1.bsky.social
Tom Beck 🇺🇸
@thbeck1.bsky.social
Former IT professional, casual photographer, traveler. Keeper of fish. Advocate for local beer & wine. Amateur radio operator KI6KWY.

Now residing in beautiful Northern Arizona.

Banner photo is in Helena Montana.
The GS and Zodiac killers hit too close to home; I'll pass.

(The Zodiac killer was active when I was in high school in Vallejo. GS killer was a couple years before I moved to Sacramento, but still... must have a little bit of PTSD)
November 13, 2025 at 2:24 AM
I am shocked that Epstein used a GMAIL account - everything you send or receive is scanned, fed to their algorithms and used to tailor content that is presented to you.

I had one (1) conversation with a friend about age discrimination. The next day I was displayed ads from employment attorneys.
November 12, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Sadly, the only thing most people know about the Edmund Fitzgerald is ths song. Mariners of the Great Lakes have a long and heroic history.
November 12, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Welcome to DOW-Con (nee DOD-Con), the world's largest and most lethal cosplay team!
November 12, 2025 at 4:07 PM
"The World is a Theme Park" or a video game.

I swear, half the people on the road learned to drive by playing GTA.
November 8, 2025 at 6:06 PM
One of my fondest memories is seeing a Chrysler turbine car curbside in the departure lane at IAD. The future had truly arrived! (This was ~1964).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysle...
Chrysler Turbine Car - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
November 7, 2025 at 4:15 PM
One more essential component...
November 6, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Capricorn One - Wikipedia share.google/7jEpS1MyCLDY...

Sources matter! You need to watch real documentaries like "Capricorn One" to learn the truth!
Capricorn One - Wikipedia
share.google
October 31, 2025 at 10:03 PM
It's a relatively easy hike - I first did it at age four. Probably the most impressive thermal features that I've seen. But care is the watchword.
October 26, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Thanks for the pic - just what I needed today. Enjoy your trekking!
October 22, 2025 at 11:53 PM
Take your time and recover properly. Your health is the most important thing - we're patient, and we're not going anywhere.
October 22, 2025 at 11:49 PM
I really like that some airports are adding these terraces; besides planespoting, just being outside is a mental benefit (even with the noise and jet fuel aroma).

A few airports had these in the past, but they were mostly a refuge for smokers, often with no view.
October 21, 2025 at 10:33 PM
I was in a hillside, underground garage in Daly City when the quake began. Initially I thought something was horribly wrong with the car before I realized it was a quake. Drove home on I-280 (before they closed it) to find our apartment in Mountain View undamaged, though no power for 3 days.
October 17, 2025 at 4:14 PM
I have a bottle of talc powder that is now ~50 years old. It's in my toolbox, and I use it to lubricate bicycle inner tubes (unlubriated tubes can bind on the tire, rub, and eventually result in a leak). A great material for this use, but I'd never consider it for use on my body.
October 16, 2025 at 4:22 PM
I've noticed that many places start at 20%. Ridiculous.
October 13, 2025 at 8:46 PM
- Moving often (Dad was in the Navy)
- Eisenhower sending helicopters to Vietnam (first real geographical awareness)
- Kennedy election (dawning of what politics are)
- the Cuban Missile Crisis (living in Falls Church VA; first existential awareness)
- Kennedy assassination (cold reality)
October 12, 2025 at 2:10 PM
My folks took me camping. I chased a bear. After that, I was literally kept on a leash.
October 7, 2025 at 2:33 AM
The countryside is definitely on my agenda for the next trip; will be visiting the railway museum in Luzna, as well as exploring - beautiful country!
October 6, 2025 at 8:23 PM
I just got back from Prague yesterday. While the place evokes many spy films, I found the people universally friendly, kind, and often humorous. The Czech Republic is definitely on my list to revisit.
October 6, 2025 at 2:53 PM
I had to read Joyce in high school. It made no sense, so I gave up after a few pages.

I did listen to my teacher's summary, and based on that made up a fictional analysis for my final essay. Received an A+.

That destroyed my faith in the academic system 😉
October 2, 2025 at 4:36 AM