Nicolas Ward
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ultranurd.net
Nicolas Ward
@ultranurd.net
120 followers 140 following 250 posts
Cloud securitician and AWS principal engineer. Married to Andrle. I like Star Trek, books, games, Lego, and politics that reduces harm. Opinions are my own. Ⓥ

Much more active over on Mastodon https://tacobelllabs.net/@ultranurd
Posts Replies Media Videos
ultranurd.net
10 Years Vegan https://blog.ultranurd.net/2025/11/17/10-years-vegan/
Screenshot of a Liquid Glass push notification over a nebula background. The icon is a white cow silhouette facing left in a black squircle. The text reads "Congratulations Happy veganniversary. Thank you for being vegan. Have a great day!" A well baked scone with blueberries embedded in it sits on a maple effect wood grain desktop.
November 17, 2025 at 11:59 PM
ultranurd.net
Mac Tonight https://blog.ultranurd.net/2025/11/16/mac-tonight/
A round white bowl on a brown placement. The left 3/4 or so is yellow sauced elbow macaroni with specks of red in it. The right is a bunch of browned tofu crumbles. A baking sheet of crumbled tofu bacon bits on burnt white parchment paper. A pile of finely diced reddish sun-dried tomato. A bloom of cashew cream in a large Dutch oven of broth roiling on a stovetop.
November 17, 2025 at 6:55 AM
ultranurd.net
Steamed https://blog.ultranurd.net/2025/11/16/steamed/
A set of black devices sits on a beige backdrop. In the upper left is a VR headset with two controllers; in the upper right is a cube shaped mini PC with a few USB ports; in the lower left is a large handheld console with controllers built around a screen; and in the lower right is a bulky game controller with joysticks and trackpads. Close up screen shot of the Steam interface showing "Games" selected in a drop down menu and an Apple logo selected in blue on dark grey. Next to it are clock icons for recently played and a play icon for ready to play. Below that is an expanded list that reads "All (112/249)"
November 16, 2025 at 8:31 PM
ultranurd.net
Tri-Co Hackathon https://blog.ultranurd.net/2025/11/15/tri-co-hackathon/
An old summertime picture of a courtyard with a large tree and some benches and a long two story academic building in the background. The photographer is standing under some kind of breezeway.
November 16, 2025 at 7:27 AM
ultranurd.net
Media — October 2025 https://blog.ultranurd.net/2025/11/09/media-october-2025/
A red themed vinyl slipcover sits on a teal couch with a clear and red flecked LP sticking out of it. The cover features Taylor dressed in a a jeweled headdress and feathers like a classic Vegas showgirl.
November 9, 2025 at 10:52 PM
ultranurd.net
Candle Semiotics https://blog.ultranurd.net/2025/11/09/candle-semiotics/
A two by six grid of miniature safety warning symbols in black on white in an abstract line art style First row: - Caution triangle with exclamation point - Crossed out candle with European style exit sign of figure leaving room - Crossed out candle lighting a newspaper and a curtain on fire - Crossed out candle with a child's face and the outline of a cat - Crossed out candle next to a candle in a tray - Two candles with a double ended arrow between them labeled 7 cm Second row: - A crossed out candle below an open window with wind lines coming in. The candle's flame is angled in the wind - A crossed out candle to the left of a radiator with heat and a sun symbol above it - A scissor icon with a dotted line passing through a candle wick and a double ended arrow for height that is labeled 1 cm - A person blowing out a candle with their breath crossed out next to a candle being snuffed by a conical candle snuff - A match near a lit candle with falling powder crossed out - An previously burnt candle with an inset area where the wick is showing a knife icon and a dotted line trimming the wax edges and labeled 1 cm
November 9, 2025 at 4:27 PM
ultranurd.net
Voting in Seattle https://blog.ultranurd.net/2025/11/04/voting-in-seattle/
A smiling white man in glasses in a black tee (featuring classic iMacs and an I Voted sticker) and black hoodie drops two red and white ballot envelopes in a blue and white ballot box with Vote logo in front of a brick building. The sky is grey and the building behind has large metal letters RE (the end of Store) on a sign.
November 4, 2025 at 6:18 PM
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November 1st… https://blog.ultranurd.net/2025/11/01/november-1st/
The He Is Risen billboard meme that usually features Shrek but he's been replaced with Mariah Carey from her Christmas album. Her head and Santa dress shoulder are just visible over the brick building. An S has been prepended so it reads "She is Risen"
November 1, 2025 at 11:06 PM
ultranurd.net
There Will Come Ghost Rains https://blog.ultranurd.net/2025/10/31/there-will-come-ghost-rains/
A kid in a classic white sheet ghost costume with black eye holes and a pink beanie hat on top. They are holding a purple small Trader Joe's bag and standing in front of a big decorated house with a fog machine running. It is dusk. The same ghost at the same host but much later and the kid is drooping with moisture with the pink hat askew. A group of kids trick or treating on the porch of a classic colonial style mansion. A misty view of the Seattle skyline from Kerry Park, with a railing in the foreground and the top of the Space Needle cut off in cloud.
November 1, 2025 at 6:50 AM
ultranurd.net
Veggie BOOrger https://blog.ultranurd.net/2025/10/31/veggie-boorger/
Three burger patties sit on buns on a large white plate. They have melted cheez squares with cutouts to look like jack o' lanterns. The top one is more triangular eyed with fangs; the bottom left is villainous with a zig-zag mouth, and the right is goofy with squared teeth and rounded eyes with pupils.
November 1, 2025 at 12:57 AM
ultranurd.net
Carving Pumpkins https://blog.ultranurd.net/2025/10/30/carving-pumpkins/
Two Jack o lanterns on a white dining table in a dimly lit room, a smaller pumpkin in front of the them. Both are lit from inside. The one on the left has triangle eyes and vampire teeth; the one on the right has X eyes and laughing, kinda like Marshmello's style. A close up of the same two jack o lanterns, their positions reversed, sitting outside on a blue metal folding table, in front of a wood wall and white window sill.
October 31, 2025 at 5:29 AM
ultranurd.net
Arroz Verde https://blog.ultranurd.net/2025/10/19/arroz-verde/
A large Dutch oven on a stove top full of brown rice and sliced onions Looking down into a food processor bowl at a mix of parsley leaves and garlic cloves A frothy green broth in a food processor A Dutch oven full of steaming green rice
October 26, 2025 at 9:09 PM
ultranurd.net
Nickerdoodles https://blog.ultranurd.net/2025/10/26/nickerdoodles/
A stainless steel stand mixer bowl full of a complete sugar cookie dough. A 3x5 grid of unbaked cookies on parchment paper on a baking sheet. Each ball is topped with cinnamon sugar. Full baked cinnamon topped cookies rest on a black metal mesh cooling rack against a kitchen backsplash. A photo of a page from a small spiral bound typewritten cookbook sitting on some other cookbooks, including a classic Better Homes and Gardens red and white gingham one. The page shown includes the original version of the recipe, and pencil notes halving the recipe. Below the text is a small outline doodle of a plate of cookies. The text reads: SNICKERDOODLES half 1 cup shortening 1½ cups sugar 2 eggs Mix well, then add: 2 3/4 cups flour 2 tsp cream of tartar 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp soda 1 tsp vanilla or lemon extract Chill dough. Roll in ballssize of a walnut. Roll balls in mixture of 2 tsps sugar and 2 tsps cinnamon. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until light brown, but still soft. These cookies puff up at first, then flatten out with a wrinkled top. Bake 400 deg. for 8 to 10 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen 2 inch cookies. Doty Obeslo
October 26, 2025 at 6:28 PM
ultranurd.net
I Want Some Taquitos https://blog.ultranurd.net/2025/10/18/i-want-some-taquitos/
A close up of sizzling seasoned vegan meat replacer, which is reddish-brown with spices Eight light corn tortillas wrapped in tubes on a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Six of them are arranged in a row with two more squeezed on the side. Six taquitos on a pink oblong serving platter. Their edges are browned and the filling is starting to burst out. A rolled out rectangle of pizza dough with red sauce and two colors of vegan cheez shreds sprinkled on it.
October 19, 2025 at 5:29 AM
ultranurd.net
Fork-Way Stop https://blog.ultranurd.net/2025/10/14/fork-way-stop/
A small green and black forklift waits in a line of cars. To the right of the intersection is a red stop sign with an ALL WAY sign below it. The busy neighborhood street ahead is full of cars driving both directions and parked. There is also a school bus.
October 14, 2025 at 3:54 PM
ultranurd.net
Forbidden Fruit https://blog.ultranurd.net/2025/10/13/forbidden-fruit/
The Shield of the Trinity with "Apple TV+", "TV App", and "Apple TV 4K" in the corners connected by "is not..." and each connected to the middle "Apple TV" with "is...".
October 14, 2025 at 12:57 AM
ultranurd.net
Pinball Wizard https://blog.ultranurd.net/2025/10/13/pinball-wizard/
Nick, a smiling white man with a beard in a blue shirt and black hoodie, stands next to Andrle, a smiling white woman in a black shirt and olive jacket, in a dark arcade with a Beatles pinball machine behind them. A man and a boy stand at pinball machines in a dark room with bluish walls. Their backs are to the camera. The man is playing a modern Tron table featuring Legacy art and the boy is playing a Pulp Fiction vintage table. A partial side view of a bearded white man with glasses playing a Tron pinball table. To his left are Iron Man and Mandalorian tables. His phone is propped at the base of the table recording his play. The video screen reads "Light Cycle Multiball" A boy stands playing a Beatles table. He has a red white and blue award ribbon around his neck.
October 13, 2025 at 7:54 AM
ultranurd.net
Maximum Occupancy https://blog.ultranurd.net/2025/10/08/maximum-occupancy/
A vintage black telephone with no keypad is mounted on a red brown brick wall. Above it an unrelated sign in white on black Helvetica reads "Maximum Occupancy 49". To the left is an intersecting wall covered in green paper. Below it is a stainless steel light switch plate.
October 9, 2025 at 5:29 AM
ultranurd.net
The Spice Must Flow https://blog.ultranurd.net/2025/10/05/the-spice-must-flow/
A white compostable coffee cup marked "PSL O" sits on a white table behind a plate with two donuts on it, both orangish, on a white table. One is a larger yeast raised glazed donut with drizzle and the other is a smaller glazed cake donut. Behind everything is a pink platter with mini disco balls on it and a purplish sequin jacket hung over a chair.
October 5, 2025 at 7:51 PM
ultranurd.net
The Plate of a Charcuterie https://blog.ultranurd.net/2025/10/02/the-plate-of-a-charcuterie/
An overhead view of pink serving plates and a cutting board covered with various cheezes, fruits, nuts, and more. There are three orange fizzy drinks with blood orange slices hooked on the edge of the flutes. One of the plates has decorative disco balls on it and there is a white bowl full of friendship bracelets and teal and orange themed bracelets. The same scene from an angle, this time with a child's arm teaching in to grab something off the cutting board. Their wrist has several Taylor Swift friendship bracelets. Nick, a white man with a salt and pepper beard and glasses, and Andrle, a white woman with glasses, smile as they clink orange fizz glasses. Behind them is a snake plant and a white bookshelf with a few black Star Trek books on it.
October 3, 2025 at 4:02 AM
ultranurd.net
One Day More https://blog.ultranurd.net/2025/10/01/one-day-more/
White on black text from Majora's Mask meme that reads "Dawn of The Final Day 24 Hours Remain" but Taylor Swift in a bejeweled headdress is peeking in from the right.
October 2, 2025 at 4:51 AM
ultranurd.net
Good Gravy https://blog.ultranurd.net/2025/09/28/good-gravy/
A stainless steel saucepan viewed from above containing a brown gravy with flecks of rosemary in it A cast iron pan full of 30 plant-based meatballs, browning and nearly fully cooked. A white platter with a big pile of mashed potatoes covered in gravy and about 10 of the plant-based meatballs.
September 29, 2025 at 2:25 AM
ultranurd.net
Unloaded Potatoes https://blog.ultranurd.net/2025/09/21/unloaded-potatoes/
A pile of yellow-brown roasted potatoes, red-brown baked tofu bites, green broccoli, and yellow-orange cheez sauce fills a large white bowl on a white table.
September 22, 2025 at 6:07 AM
ultranurd.net
Media — August 2025 https://blog.ultranurd.net/2025/09/21/media-august-2025/
Game screen shot of a dialog box showing an abstract partially folded world map that reads You achieved: Continental Drifter Unlock an airport on every continent. With a green OK button.
September 21, 2025 at 7:43 PM
ultranurd.net
All Good Things… https://blog.ultranurd.net/2025/09/20/all-good-things/
A small black and tan Yorkshire terrier sleeps between legs on a couch because the man's lap is full of a silver MacBook Pro. The dog's face is resting on a dogeared paperback of the "All Good Things..." TNG episode novelization. His ears are raised so he knows a photo is being taken. The man's pajama pants are a green Mandalorian flannel pattern.
September 20, 2025 at 6:56 PM