November 19
today things
I started a substack to goofily share whatever I’ve learned $today - so far this tends to include lots of animal facts, thoughts on books I’ve been reading, advice on falling asleep, meanderings through etymology and talmud and literature and deep corners of the internet, really anything with interesting details to dive into!, more animal facts, and so on
I started a substack to goofily share whatever I’ve learned $today - so far this tends to include lots of animal facts, thoughts on books I’ve been reading, advice on falling asleep, meanderings through etymology and talmud and literature and deep corners of the internet, really anything with interesting details to dive into!, more animal facts, and so on
November 17
AI Or Not: Poetry Edition
I saw a piece of research being reported about a study showing that survey participants were worse than chance at telling whether a piece of poetry was human- or ChatGPT-made, so I downloaded the paper's supplementary material and turned it into an online quiz. It picks 10 poems at random out of their list, usually about 5 are AI and 5 aren't.
I saw a piece of research being reported about a study showing that survey participants were worse than chance at telling whether a piece of poetry was human- or ChatGPT-made, so I downloaded the paper's supplementary material and turned it into an online quiz. It picks 10 poems at random out of their list, usually about 5 are AI and 5 aren't.
November 13
Memento Movi - A Cinematic Progress Bar for Life
Memento Movi is a little toy app I made. The user enters date of birth and life expectancy, and chooses from a list of movies. The site then shows a frame from that movie that represents your place in your lifespan. So, for instance, a twenty-year-old who selects Star Wars will likely get a frame from Tattooine, but a sixty-year-old who selects Jaws will be on the boat.
Memento Movi is a little toy app I made. The user enters date of birth and life expectancy, and chooses from a list of movies. The site then shows a frame from that movie that represents your place in your lifespan. So, for instance, a twenty-year-old who selects Star Wars will likely get a frame from Tattooine, but a sixty-year-old who selects Jaws will be on the boat.
November 10
My parents' role in the Manhattan Project
"Honeymoon in Oak Ridge" is a documentary that tells the story of my parents, two young newlyweds who unknowingly contributed to building the world's first atomic weapon. [more inside]
"Honeymoon in Oak Ridge" is a documentary that tells the story of my parents, two young newlyweds who unknowingly contributed to building the world's first atomic weapon. [more inside]
Quest Heroes
Quest Heroes is a sort of cute and cuddly (and hand drawn and fairly rough) card game version of 80s role playing board game classic Hero Quest which I made for my niece and nephew the other week (who both love Hero Quest a lot for some reason)
Quest Heroes is a sort of cute and cuddly (and hand drawn and fairly rough) card game version of 80s role playing board game classic Hero Quest which I made for my niece and nephew the other week (who both love Hero Quest a lot for some reason)
ICS-in-CSS
International Code of Signals Flags in the Browser – is an HTML/CSS implementation for the flags of The International Code of Signals (ICS), a system of signals and codes designed to communicate important safety and navigational messages when speaking is difficult, for use by vessels to communicate important messages regarding safety of navigation and related matters. [more inside]
International Code of Signals Flags in the Browser – is an HTML/CSS implementation for the flags of The International Code of Signals (ICS), a system of signals and codes designed to communicate important safety and navigational messages when speaking is difficult, for use by vessels to communicate important messages regarding safety of navigation and related matters. [more inside]
November 8
The Lenker
I started a Substack to promote some liberal, progressive friendly views online. [more inside]
I started a Substack to promote some liberal, progressive friendly views online. [more inside]
November 1
We made hastags for the open web and called it Octothorpes.
Octothorpes is an open protocol that lets you put hashtags and backlinks on your own website to connect with other independent sites across Rings. We're launching a public beta today. [more inside]
Octothorpes is an open protocol that lets you put hashtags and backlinks on your own website to connect with other independent sites across Rings. We're launching a public beta today. [more inside]
October 31
Well heck, it’s another Helloween cartoon!
By Satan’s forelock, it’s Jabo’s Annual Halloween Cartoon 2024. Not much to be scared about this year, amirite? So this year I’ve just drawn up my favorite cartoon scalawags mixed in with a liberal dose of tales about THE END OF THE WORLD! Nuthin’ special and no worries about HOW WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE. Enjoy!
By Satan’s forelock, it’s Jabo’s Annual Halloween Cartoon 2024. Not much to be scared about this year, amirite? So this year I’ve just drawn up my favorite cartoon scalawags mixed in with a liberal dose of tales about THE END OF THE WORLD! Nuthin’ special and no worries about HOW WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE. Enjoy!
October 25
How to make your research group more inclusive for autistic trainees
A 6-page guide for research-group leaders in academia, providing concrete suggestions to make labs more welcoming and accessible to autistic students and postdocs. Written by a late-diagnosed autistic academic. [more inside]
A 6-page guide for research-group leaders in academia, providing concrete suggestions to make labs more welcoming and accessible to autistic students and postdocs. Written by a late-diagnosed autistic academic. [more inside]
October 24
Return of the Jedi Storyboard Site
I've done my best to collect and catalogue all of the storyboards from the production of 1983's Richard Marquand hit Return of the Jedi, driven by wanting to see what unfinished or cut scenes could be revealed. [more inside]
I've done my best to collect and catalogue all of the storyboards from the production of 1983's Richard Marquand hit Return of the Jedi, driven by wanting to see what unfinished or cut scenes could be revealed. [more inside]
Shakespearean Sonnet Machine
The Shakespearean Sonnet Machine is a slighty pointless little randomiser app that spits out endless variations of Shakespeare's 154 sonnets. (Well, not quite endless, but there should be 562,448,656 different ones in there if you're patient enough to keep reloading.)
The Shakespearean Sonnet Machine is a slighty pointless little randomiser app that spits out endless variations of Shakespeare's 154 sonnets. (Well, not quite endless, but there should be 562,448,656 different ones in there if you're patient enough to keep reloading.)
(A) Stand-up to Protect Our Vote
A fundraising drive for the Election Protection Hotline. (Not a US resident or US citizen? Hate all the major parties? No problem! You can donate!) Then, on Oct. 26th, watch 8 minutes of nerd jokes about open source software and how programming skews your brain, and none about politics.
A fundraising drive for the Election Protection Hotline. (Not a US resident or US citizen? Hate all the major parties? No problem! You can donate!) Then, on Oct. 26th, watch 8 minutes of nerd jokes about open source software and how programming skews your brain, and none about politics.
October 18
100,000 Balloons - How the political convention balloon drops happen
For the past almost 40 years, Treb Heining has engineered the balloon drops at every Republican National Convention and most Democratic National Conventions. I photographed how he and his team inflated and then dropped 100,000 balloons on the final night of the RNC this year in Milwaukee. [more inside]
For the past almost 40 years, Treb Heining has engineered the balloon drops at every Republican National Convention and most Democratic National Conventions. I photographed how he and his team inflated and then dropped 100,000 balloons on the final night of the RNC this year in Milwaukee. [more inside]
October 15
Problems With Polls - The Polls Are Broken
The polls in the headlines are alarming ... but polls have been way off in the past few years. This website documents some of the huge discrepancies between polling predictions and the actual results; notes some reasons for those errors; and suggests some other indicators that may offer a better sense of how the candidates are doing. The site's main message: don't panic - take action instead. [more inside]
The polls in the headlines are alarming ... but polls have been way off in the past few years. This website documents some of the huge discrepancies between polling predictions and the actual results; notes some reasons for those errors; and suggests some other indicators that may offer a better sense of how the candidates are doing. The site's main message: don't panic - take action instead. [more inside]
October 14
spaceships on strike
North Continent Ribbon is a collection of linked short stories including an assassin with a crystal sword, a judge whose best friend is a book, and spaceships on strike. I wrote about the way the worldbuilding intertwines with eighteenth-century crime records for Mary Robinette Kowal's column My Favorite Bit, and the first story, Closer Than Your Kidneys, is available for free at Frivolous Comma. [more inside]
North Continent Ribbon is a collection of linked short stories including an assassin with a crystal sword, a judge whose best friend is a book, and spaceships on strike. I wrote about the way the worldbuilding intertwines with eighteenth-century crime records for Mary Robinette Kowal's column My Favorite Bit, and the first story, Closer Than Your Kidneys, is available for free at Frivolous Comma. [more inside]
October 12
My third book is loosed on the world
Stark Raving Mab, the third book in my urban fantasy trilogy Gravity's Daughter is out as of yesterday. If you're intrigued by any of the following: action-heavy urban fantasy, less-traditional faeries, gravity-defying antics on public transit, Canadian settings or in-over-their-heads characters who will not give up sarcasm 'til you pry it from their cold, dead hands, then give the books a look or request them from your local library. [more inside]
Stark Raving Mab, the third book in my urban fantasy trilogy Gravity's Daughter is out as of yesterday. If you're intrigued by any of the following: action-heavy urban fantasy, less-traditional faeries, gravity-defying antics on public transit, Canadian settings or in-over-their-heads characters who will not give up sarcasm 'til you pry it from their cold, dead hands, then give the books a look or request them from your local library. [more inside]
October 7
My newsletter, The Eighth Sea, forever free of charge.
In which I write about Islam, spirituality, my Hajj pilgrimage in the summer of 2024, living as a USian in southern Spain, and change both voluntary and unwilled. [more inside]
In which I write about Islam, spirituality, my Hajj pilgrimage in the summer of 2024, living as a USian in southern Spain, and change both voluntary and unwilled. [more inside]
October 4
October 1
The Redemption of Andy Capp
Reg Smythe’s Andy Capp was the greatest British newspaper strip of the 20th Century, but few people realise how much of his own troubled childhood Smythe poured into Andy and Flo’s lives. Andy was essentially a portrait of Smythe’s wastrel father, Flo a version of his formidable mother, and their neighbourhood a portrait of the pre-war Hartlepool where Smythe grew up. My new book traces Smythe’s own biography, explores its parallels in Andy’s world, and tackles the strip’s early wife-beating jokes. There’s also a look at how the balance of power has shifted between Andy and Flo down the years and my own analysis of just what made Smythe such an accomplished and stylish cartoonist. [more inside]
Reg Smythe’s Andy Capp was the greatest British newspaper strip of the 20th Century, but few people realise how much of his own troubled childhood Smythe poured into Andy and Flo’s lives. Andy was essentially a portrait of Smythe’s wastrel father, Flo a version of his formidable mother, and their neighbourhood a portrait of the pre-war Hartlepool where Smythe grew up. My new book traces Smythe’s own biography, explores its parallels in Andy’s world, and tackles the strip’s early wife-beating jokes. There’s also a look at how the balance of power has shifted between Andy and Flo down the years and my own analysis of just what made Smythe such an accomplished and stylish cartoonist. [more inside]
September 26
Radio Static
Radio Static is a small and ultimately pointless internet radio that plays nothing but various forms of static and occasionally some industrial noises that also kind of sound like static (can also be downloaded here for offline play).
Radio Static is a small and ultimately pointless internet radio that plays nothing but various forms of static and occasionally some industrial noises that also kind of sound like static (can also be downloaded here for offline play).
September 24
Celebrate Disco Fanzine (Star Trek Discovery zine)
A Free 42-page PDF you can read on your phone, tablet, or laptop and enjoy! [more inside]
A Free 42-page PDF you can read on your phone, tablet, or laptop and enjoy! [more inside]
September 20
Downticket Democrats
Downticket Democrats highlights candidates for the House of Representatives and state legislatures in competitive districts, making it easy to donate for maximum impact. [more inside]
Downticket Democrats highlights candidates for the House of Representatives and state legislatures in competitive districts, making it easy to donate for maximum impact. [more inside]
A support group for people who are creating graphic memoirs
I'm starting a (remote/Zoom) free support group for people who are involved in creating graphic memoirs. [more inside]
I'm starting a (remote/Zoom) free support group for people who are involved in creating graphic memoirs. [more inside]
September 17
My new thriller, Floor 24, is now available.
Floor 24, a Hitchcockian thriller, is available from Oliver-Heber Books. [more inside]
Floor 24, a Hitchcockian thriller, is available from Oliver-Heber Books. [more inside]
September 9
Running for Carrboro Town Council
I've been canvassing and making phone calls for Democratic campaigns since 2004, and I've been a precinct secretary. I've also been on the board of two different local nonprofit organizations, the Triangle Linux Users Group (TriLUG), and the Carrboro Bicycle Coalition. Running for elected office is a big step, and I'm new at this, but I think I have a clear picture of both the logistics and the financial reality of what it will take to run and then do the work of a Town Council member. [more inside]
I've been canvassing and making phone calls for Democratic campaigns since 2004, and I've been a precinct secretary. I've also been on the board of two different local nonprofit organizations, the Triangle Linux Users Group (TriLUG), and the Carrboro Bicycle Coalition. Running for elected office is a big step, and I'm new at this, but I think I have a clear picture of both the logistics and the financial reality of what it will take to run and then do the work of a Town Council member. [more inside]
September 2
Fifteen years ago I made a Flash game called Starcom...
Six years ago I released my first PC game called "Starcom: Nexus" (previously). For the past four years I've been working on a follow-up title called "Starcom: Unknown Space". Today it graduates from Early Access on Steam. [more inside]
Six years ago I released my first PC game called "Starcom: Nexus" (previously). For the past four years I've been working on a follow-up title called "Starcom: Unknown Space". Today it graduates from Early Access on Steam. [more inside]
August 26
A Castle Built From Random Rooms
A Castle Built From Random Rooms is a Fighting Fantasy-style text adventure (which should be playable in any browser) set in a castle built from random rooms. Can you find your way through the labyrinth and escape... with your LIFE! (and also some treasure). [more inside]
A Castle Built From Random Rooms is a Fighting Fantasy-style text adventure (which should be playable in any browser) set in a castle built from random rooms. Can you find your way through the labyrinth and escape... with your LIFE! (and also some treasure). [more inside]
August 19
Diptychs From America
A short project featuing diptychs from a month long trip starting in Las Vegas, to Seattle, then down to Los Angeles. [more inside]
A short project featuing diptychs from a month long trip starting in Las Vegas, to Seattle, then down to Los Angeles. [more inside]
August 17
Corwin Bolt and the Wingnuts at Bridge City Sessions
Live in studio recordings of original junkyard jazz, jangly jive, and ragtime residue. Featuring four brand-new tunes: "Hold on Tight" (a screwloose comedy heist), "Minneola" (a loving tribute to any city or town that happens to be named Min[n]eola), "Paradeiolia" (the tendency to perceive a specific, often meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern), and "Mrs Johnson" (a western klezmer veterinary odyssey). Recorded spring 2024 at Bridge City Sessions. [more inside]
Live in studio recordings of original junkyard jazz, jangly jive, and ragtime residue. Featuring four brand-new tunes: "Hold on Tight" (a screwloose comedy heist), "Minneola" (a loving tribute to any city or town that happens to be named Min[n]eola), "Paradeiolia" (the tendency to perceive a specific, often meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern), and "Mrs Johnson" (a western klezmer veterinary odyssey). Recorded spring 2024 at Bridge City Sessions. [more inside]
August 14
My photos from Sidmouth Folk Festival 2024.
I spent all last week at the excellent Sidmouth Folk Festival in the English county of Devon. I didn't manage to attend all of the 624 events on offer there, but I did manage to see three gigs a day and photograph many of the performers involved. You can find 88 of my better pictures in this Bluesky thread. [more inside]
I spent all last week at the excellent Sidmouth Folk Festival in the English county of Devon. I didn't manage to attend all of the 624 events on offer there, but I did manage to see three gigs a day and photograph many of the performers involved. You can find 88 of my better pictures in this Bluesky thread. [more inside]
August 9
Bob and Ray in Westchester Furioso!
From 1973 to 1976, comedians Bob Elliott (1923–2016) and Ray Goulding (1922–1990) hosted the drivetime hours on New York's WOR. A major feature of the show was a spoof of soap operas called “Mary Backstayge, Noble Wife.” Collected here are the surviving recordings of this feature, organized into something resembling chronology. It's almost 20 hours long so you don't have to listen to anything else today!
From 1973 to 1976, comedians Bob Elliott (1923–2016) and Ray Goulding (1922–1990) hosted the drivetime hours on New York's WOR. A major feature of the show was a spoof of soap operas called “Mary Backstayge, Noble Wife.” Collected here are the surviving recordings of this feature, organized into something resembling chronology. It's almost 20 hours long so you don't have to listen to anything else today!
August 7
August 1
Tulip Creative Computer
Tulip is a cheap (US$59, basically the cost for parts/assembly), simple and overall FUN portable computer for making things. music, animations, writing. It boots right into a Python prompt, no other OS. No AI, no ads, not even Wi-Fi unless you type in some stuff. Tulip comes with a really good synthesizer and a lot of music stuff (MIDI, CV, sequencer, sampler, drum machine, DX7, Juno-6). Purely open source, the point is to gather a community of like-minded people that love this sort of thing to make it even better.
Tulip is a cheap (US$59, basically the cost for parts/assembly), simple and overall FUN portable computer for making things. music, animations, writing. It boots right into a Python prompt, no other OS. No AI, no ads, not even Wi-Fi unless you type in some stuff. Tulip comes with a really good synthesizer and a lot of music stuff (MIDI, CV, sequencer, sampler, drum machine, DX7, Juno-6). Purely open source, the point is to gather a community of like-minded people that love this sort of thing to make it even better.
Little Riddle
My mom loves word games. Inspired by this comment on the game "Road Toad", I built a super simple browser app that provides a 'Little Riddle' to a two-word answer that always rhymes. If you are stuck, you can receive a hint or a letter. I built in 'making and sharing' so my mom can send me and the family riddles she likes. I hope someone on Mefi enjoys Little Riddle as much as my mom does. I am pretty happy with how it turned out. [more inside]
My mom loves word games. Inspired by this comment on the game "Road Toad", I built a super simple browser app that provides a 'Little Riddle' to a two-word answer that always rhymes. If you are stuck, you can receive a hint or a letter. I built in 'making and sharing' so my mom can send me and the family riddles she likes. I hope someone on Mefi enjoys Little Riddle as much as my mom does. I am pretty happy with how it turned out. [more inside]
July 29
Reading Project 2025 online
I started an open, online reading of Project 2025, that major conservative manifesto and playbook aimed at a second Trump administration. [more inside]
I started an open, online reading of Project 2025, that major conservative manifesto and playbook aimed at a second Trump administration. [more inside]
Over 100 local non-chain restaurants with a website
This is not a work of genius, but more just the result of straight effort, and sharing not to seek praise for any kind of brilliance, but just to show it can be done and maybe nudge people toward doing the same: a local resource (Kingston, Ontario in this case) to make and share a list of non-chain restaurants that you don't have to go to Facebook to learn about. [more inside]
This is not a work of genius, but more just the result of straight effort, and sharing not to seek praise for any kind of brilliance, but just to show it can be done and maybe nudge people toward doing the same: a local resource (Kingston, Ontario in this case) to make and share a list of non-chain restaurants that you don't have to go to Facebook to learn about. [more inside]
July 27
I made a comic about my cancer diagnosis and treatment
Over the years I’ve done a number of comics, mostly autobiographical, and most of them about weird medical things that have happened to me. These included a detached retina, a thyroid cancer scare, and a terrible fall I had. Unfortunately, last December I was diagnosed with stage IV prostate cancer. [more inside]
Over the years I’ve done a number of comics, mostly autobiographical, and most of them about weird medical things that have happened to me. These included a detached retina, a thyroid cancer scare, and a terrible fall I had. Unfortunately, last December I was diagnosed with stage IV prostate cancer. [more inside]
Hang a tiny bell / from a hungry, agile cat, / and alter all things.
I've launched a new blog called A Tiny Bell. It mixes both the "links to cool things" aspect of a traditional blog and the "personal essay" aspect of more modern blogs. I hope you like it enough to spread the word.
I've launched a new blog called A Tiny Bell. It mixes both the "links to cool things" aspect of a traditional blog and the "personal essay" aspect of more modern blogs. I hope you like it enough to spread the word.
July 24
How British Are Your Teeth?
I took UK government dental survey data and created a fun way to compare your own teeth with the average for your age by inputting number of teeth, fillings, etc. [more inside]
I took UK government dental survey data and created a fun way to compare your own teeth with the average for your age by inputting number of teeth, fillings, etc. [more inside]
July 16
Procreate Thicknthin Brush Set
In my spare time as an illustrator, I'm always on the hunt to bring more unique marks and variable lines into my work. I've made a set of 16 brushes made from traditional marks and textures that can give you richly expressive, fluid brushstrokes. Each is designed to be able to push pressure sensitivity as far as I can--and can give different effects with erasing, smudging, and playing with opacity.
In my spare time as an illustrator, I'm always on the hunt to bring more unique marks and variable lines into my work. I've made a set of 16 brushes made from traditional marks and textures that can give you richly expressive, fluid brushstrokes. Each is designed to be able to push pressure sensitivity as far as I can--and can give different effects with erasing, smudging, and playing with opacity.
July 13
The Daily Sutra
It's Michael Barbaro (from The Daily podcast) reading off names forever. [more inside]
It's Michael Barbaro (from The Daily podcast) reading off names forever. [more inside]
July 12
As old as Biden
Barely a Project - just a single post to my blog - this highlights some of the other folks who were born in 1942, the same year as Joe Biden, including Paul McCartney, Barbara Streisand, and Harrison Ford.
Barely a Project - just a single post to my blog - this highlights some of the other folks who were born in 1942, the same year as Joe Biden, including Paul McCartney, Barbara Streisand, and Harrison Ford.
July 1
catfishing - the Wikipedia category guessing game
Guess the Wikipedia article from the categories it’s in. Every day there are 10 articles to guess, from a pool of about 2,500 notable, diverse and interesting people, places and things. It's free and there are no ads. [more inside]
Guess the Wikipedia article from the categories it’s in. Every day there are 10 articles to guess, from a pool of about 2,500 notable, diverse and interesting people, places and things. It's free and there are no ads. [more inside]
June 28
What Democracy Looks Like In... ITALY! (podcast episode)
Feeling depressed after the US presidential debate? Take comfort from a country that survived not only the original fascist dictatorship, but an even sleazier corrupt billionaire president, Silvio Berlusconi! The What Democracy Looks Like In... Podcast visits Italy to talk corruption, the public good, and doing democracy at the local scale. [more inside]
Feeling depressed after the US presidential debate? Take comfort from a country that survived not only the original fascist dictatorship, but an even sleazier corrupt billionaire president, Silvio Berlusconi! The What Democracy Looks Like In... Podcast visits Italy to talk corruption, the public good, and doing democracy at the local scale. [more inside]
June 26
True Stories
Was a live series of conversations from June 6th to 8th– in person and online – which aimed to address an increasingly urgent issue: tackling misinformation, disinformation and fake news in an online environment. Now streaming on YouTube, links below. [more inside]
Was a live series of conversations from June 6th to 8th– in person and online – which aimed to address an increasingly urgent issue: tackling misinformation, disinformation and fake news in an online environment. Now streaming on YouTube, links below. [more inside]
June 20
StopOrMy.Mom
The internet’s no.1 “Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot” fansite, with a blog, GIFs, fanart, an imminent podcast, and more. Basically, I noticed the .mom TLD, couldn't resist buying the daft domain, then had to do something with it.
The internet’s no.1 “Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot” fansite, with a blog, GIFs, fanart, an imminent podcast, and more. Basically, I noticed the .mom TLD, couldn't resist buying the daft domain, then had to do something with it.
June 14
The Queer Medieval with Nicola Griffith - In Conversation with María Bullón-Fernández
Video of a talk at Seattle Town Hall, includes live musical performance. For Pride month, join celebrated historical fiction author Nicola Griffith for a conversation about queer representation in medieval history and fiction. The acclaimed author of Hild, Spear, and Menewood will explore how fiction can create belonging and challenge narratives about who belongs in history. In a conversation with Professor of English at Seattle University, María Bullón-Fernández, Griffith will tackle questions like: How are current ideas of queer identity similar or different to those in the Middle Ages, and those represented in historical fiction? How can fiction help us re-see the past, and thus re-envision our future? [more inside]
Video of a talk at Seattle Town Hall, includes live musical performance. For Pride month, join celebrated historical fiction author Nicola Griffith for a conversation about queer representation in medieval history and fiction. The acclaimed author of Hild, Spear, and Menewood will explore how fiction can create belonging and challenge narratives about who belongs in history. In a conversation with Professor of English at Seattle University, María Bullón-Fernández, Griffith will tackle questions like: How are current ideas of queer identity similar or different to those in the Middle Ages, and those represented in historical fiction? How can fiction help us re-see the past, and thus re-envision our future? [more inside]