Yes, this is a hands-on nerd situation. I'm always glad to be tech for friends and family. My finest moment was retrieving a bitlocker key for my favorite retired geologist. Henry is 103 now and keeping him online is a point of pride for me.
Aspiring shitposter. Avid practitioner of "shadow IT". Don't deserve the awesome people my kids grew up to be.
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Yes, this is a hands-on nerd situation. I'm always glad to be tech for friends and family. My finest moment was retrieving a bitlocker key for my favorite retired geologist. Henry is 103 now and keeping him online is a point of pride for me.
Have to agree, the downtime and frustration is it's own cost. Your data is safe and that's the main thing.
Have you been here? This looks like the HP version of making USB install media: support.hp.com/us-en/docume...
I make a bootable USB flash drive & install from scratch. I'm looking for verified info on applying the build in key, but not finding anything 100% believable.
On Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc., key is hard coded into the computer BIOS. Wish I could tell you how to access it. Somewhere that is authorized HP service should know. The sticker with the license was straightforward, but subject to shenanigans by people like me.
Full reinstall of Windows would likely be successful. If you have a tech or nerdy friend who can retrieve the license key & nuking your existing data is acceptable, you can avoid replacing it. The activation key is coded into the hardware, unsure if/how to invoke it. Rescuing your data is different
Is your data backed up elsewhere? There are 2 kinds of reset - a "hard" reset (in the olden days that was taking the battery out) & a factory reset (returns computer to how you bought it). If you haven't already, this won't do any harm: youtube.com/shorts/mUNct...
Slept in my Clash t-shirt, woke up lost in the supermarket.
Me knowing about this could be dangerous.
How dare he!
Wasn't Sturgis 2020 Kristi Noem's MAGA celebrity breakthrough? www.nytimes.com/2020/11/06/u...
Mention of the Rapture always reminds me of this:
“Ok, so I can’t make jewelry, but I’m great at disarming an alarm system and smashing glass cases”
Think there was more than 1 stitch. Just one came loose. Extraction with some bone graft stuff added. Haven't tasted blood in a day, so I'm optimistic. Will get some yogurt & stop trying to eat real food cut up for now. Thanks!!
Question for the medical folks... How soon should dissolving stitches in your mouth dissolve? Is 3 days problematic? Anything I should or should not do? Eastern Box Turtle picture because why not?
Well, remember last year I was twitchy about the folks that bought unbuildable 10 acres across my driveway?
My favorite evergreen Molly Ivins quote: "I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag."
Grew up on Chicago media & culture. Came to Southern Indiana at 18. Some culture shock. Both Indiana & Kentucky have towns named Versailles. Indiana further has a DuBois county. Doo-boys.
You have a knack for drawing those who need blocking out into the open for us.
the year is 2026. America’s population now only consists entirely of heterosexual white conservative men with AI chatbot girlfriends. the bloated, putrefied corpse of Donald Trump remains seated in the White House, gathering swarms of flies and maggots, both of which help to sustain Stephen Miller
Hi, immunologist here: (a scientist who studies immune & inflammatory processes) RFK Jr is talking absolute bullshit when he says he can “see in kids faces that they have inflammation” That’s NOT how immunology works. He is an anti-science profiteer. Start calling him such.
Not bad for a mildly drugged state. Feel like wfh is wise until I get a handle on how much shit I need to be on day 1 post having my tooth yanked out. Whole thing still weirds me out. Wordle 1,532 4/6 ⬜⬜🟩🟨⬜ 🟨🟩🟩⬜⬜ ⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
We uncouth folk skeet the vulgar stuff so Professors Emeriti can spit-take in dignity.
Had a positively medieval afternoon. Cracked a tooth in half last night. Dentist got me in today-very gnarly looking. So it was extracted & did not leave without a fight. Jaw having aftershocks. Pain meds are ready to pick up, numbness wearing off fast. Implants have a long timeline. Damnit.
Same old, same old... Hear me out - a car seat based gimbel for secure transportation of baked goods? New recipe from the internet. It's fine, structurally sound, does no harm. Lemon-blueberry coffeecake. Need a showstopper recipe for the cake part.
My WFH rig is my pretentious, blinky light desktop. 2 monitors, more than adequate for my needs. If you turn a monitor 90° to edit stuff, extra wide monitors aren't helpful.
This might be the most important and personal thing @noelcaslercomedy.bsky.social has written about the current regime. Please take the time to read and remind others about what is at stake.
Last work setup, I went w/laptop & 34" curved, USB-C dock. All Dell. Aspect ratio/resolution can be real wonky, especially with older software. I'm remoted into multiple servers/workstations all day & the old rdcman is useless. Less clutter, power draw. Pros and cons. Choose w/your heart.
Thanks to everyone who attracts the mean, unoriginal trolls. So handy fo refficient blocking.
They sound nice... Sure I can be self righteous, but I try to save violent profanity for faulty tech that makes my professional life miserable.
Dumb luck. Wordle 1,527 3/6 🟩🟩🟨⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Scored 2nd row tix for R.E.M. at the IU Auditorium 11/5/1985. 10,000 Maniacs opened. So good. They were back in 1986, recording Life's Rich Pageant at John Mellencamp's Belmont Mall Studio. www.ipm.org/nightlights/...
Just treated myself to recreating the experience of 27 yo Kathy, in 1983, dropping the needle on R.E.M.'s debut, Murmur. Still holds up as lyrical, lovely & the treat I didn't know I needed. I need to go to bed. Days of work on the MP3 library incoming. Inside of my moral kiosk...
"I think I need a specialist in the field"
My adult kids likely aren't quite sure why they know this.
Lord help y'all if I figure out how to securely post straight from the NAS to social media.
Oh dear. Accessing my mp3 library from 20+ years straight from the NAS. Going to pend the next few weeks consolidating & ripping CDs to fill in. Idiosyncratic selections from 50+ years. Afraid I shall become insufferable. Like this (Turn it up LOUD!)
Indexing music on my new NAS (MUCH more about that later). Ran across this - forgot how much I love this song. The video version was from a live performance - mixed very differently than the album version, vocals much more flat and upfront. I like this one better.
Oooohh... I hadn't seen that. Man spread so much hate and intolerance.
Americans had their sense of invincibility shaken in a way that hadn't happened in 60 years. It was used in dark ways.
I was creeped out by a US entity with the word "Homeland" in its name. A bit too blood & soil for my taste.
If you haven't seen the list of @blueteamcon.com speakers yet, you gotta check this out. Even if you're not attending just look at this list. I couldn't be more proud of this list of amazing talent we'll have presenting this year. blueteamcon.com/speakers-blu...
From a writer group post someone sent me: "...the attitude now is so exclusive and unwelcoming for those of us who are either pro-AI or use AI" GOOD JOB, EVERYONE, KEEP MAKING THEM FEEL UNWELCOMED, YOUR SHAME IS WORKING. 🥰
Do you have burning questions about drone technology - such as "can I shoot a drone if it's bothering me"? I answer at least some of those questions in my new FAQ on drones, which I'll be uploading periodically: little-flying-robots.ghost.io/i-answer-som...
Most worried about my elderly cat & large, unruly dogs. If not for them, I would have bugged out to a motel. NGL, I was leaving semi-hysterical voice mails with the power company. Because my neighbors don't manage their "post mature" pine trees, we were last 2 houses in the county to regain power.
Giving up my wood stove for several very good reasons, but I still feel vulnerable. This summer was my ultimate nightmare - no power for 4.5 days at the end of June in southern Indiana. Do. Not. Recommend.
Formative tech job in mid-90s was building clone PCs in a basement listening to industrial music. Unisex bathroom with stack of Computer Shoppers on the floor had signage indicating it was "Holodeck 3". Humor had to be explained to me.
Unbelievable footage from NOAA’s Hurricane Hunters inside the eye of Hurricane Erin. Simply incredible.
Can't not think of this:
Remember my Mom making snide comments about "fancy" people that sent their kids to preschool, among other things. My Dad was the "I'll give you something to cry about" parent. Always wondered if they were raised that way, or whether it was US current culture.
When I was a kid in Catholic school, you didn't think *big* family until 7 or 8. My kids in Catholic school - 3 kids was unusual. All those observant parishioners... yeah, no.
This cream cheese frosting recipe is amazing & not too sweet. Not decorative icing thickness, though. Here's the cake I put it on. You'll need a fairly dense, structured cake to stand up to the compote.
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preorder for Tay's new album opened at midnight! www.youtube.com/shorts/a-P5_...
And, baby, that's show business for you ❤️🔥 open.spotify.com/playlist/65u...
1994. Building AM486 clones in a basement listening to industrial music. Flat out kinkiest mf we knew was an OS/2 head. His tower was on the service bench, next to Fr. Dan's laptop. Suggested a LapLink cable could blow both their minds. Of course the service dudes scanned for & harvested porn.
HOLY SHIT THEY ARE SOFT-LAUNCHING MARRIAGE OH MY GOD
That's fierce. The one benefit Indiana University offers retirees is an insurance plan that costs a couple hundred a month, but provides roughly the same coverage as when you worked. (Minus the HSA). You have to take it the day you retire. I already do Cost Plus for some pharmacy stuff.
Next birthday, I'll have to start taking minimum distribution from my IRA. At that point, starting to collect SS too, probably. As a singleton under Trump, I'm scared to retire.
Hmmmmm.... Trump hasn't obliterated my retirement accounts (yet). Probably better that kids don't stumble on this.
My daughter would strongly disagree. "You're old & if anything happens to you, I'll be stuck with your crazy dogs."
That's a *perfect* distillation of working breeds and why we love them. There's a litter of Mal/Goldens near Philadelphia. Described as an oops moment in a professional working household. Both parents imported, working lines. I can't have another one. I can't have another one. I can't have...
I love how you can see the thought processes on their adorable faces.
I think so? Modern military pilots seem to be a pretty squeaky clean group. Honestly, the ego they need to perform transfers well to politics.
Is this why I could never tolerate Jackie Gleason (The Honeymooners), Lucille Ball (I Love Lucy), & Carroll O'Connor in All In The Family? Yes, I'm a late boomer.
Another reason I think he's playing long game. 2032 will actuarially have a LOT fewer homophobes than '28.
The road to authoritarianism is littered with people telling you you’re overreacting.
He's incredibly disciplined and strategic. This is hella long, but I was there and remain so impressed. Also - the Ohio that produced JD Vance & defeated Sherrod Brown isn't a good bet.
Agree, but think he's another cycle on. Expect him to run for Gov or Sen in Michigan. He's waiting until it doesn't look carpetbagger-ish. Knows he's not electable statewide in Indiana, which is our shame. When Pete runs, he'll have all his stars pre-aligned.
I think Rahm has a purpose, but it's as a foul mouthed, bomb throwing foil. Not a serious candidate. We need all hands, to be honest.
I 💙JB too, but I see some areas MAGA can make shit up about him.
Kinzinger. Unsure what I think about him. He does have the bona fides that exactly target the demo that couldn't vote for the black lady that laughed. And like the other 2, he understands it's a brawl & is ok with that.
about the genius of Edge & Eno and the deep meaning of Bono's vocalizations. Paraphrasing, of course. I remember thinking "Yeah, that's about right".
In the 90's I hung around in a rabid U2 Usenet group (look it up, kids) The firestorm over Passengers!! I'm a Brian Eno fan since Roxy Music and Phil Manzanera so I was OK with it. Someone posted that U2 could release an album of random squeaks, rumbles & shrieks & the group would wax poetic
Fir a particular demographic that's like a rapier. Of course I've stolen it.
Ooohhhh... want! I can see myself stepping backwards off it, though. Think @lizzybobcat.bsky.social has this one. She says it was a smart buy.
I like both, but I'm a grownup and accept other people's opinions. I do own a Skids album.
Same! And I find his completely correct opinion of Led Zeppelin relatable and charming. In a curmudgeonly way.
I live vicariously through raptor pics too. Still miss my crazy boy Dario every day. Still have my 2 girls, but there's 80% less fur shed now.
I missed this!! Sounds like you had retinal detachment? Yikes! Will commence sending healing thoughts your way.
7 stiches!!! Way to bury the lede! Glad you're semi-OK. Did you get a stern talking to by both medical and spousal professionals?
Buy or borrow a proper punchdown tool, or hire the job done. Sloppy termination degrades network speed & causes weird problems. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
In 2025, you shouldn't have anything less than Cat6. I don't crimp my own anymore, and neither should you. Double female couplers- don't use those fucking things. Buy the right length.
Good advice. Mostly relatable, though running one's own DNS is a lot. #1 peeve - replace your old, shitty, nicked up cables! Don't re-use 'em, goes for HDMI & DP (yes, I know) too. 100 meter max, NO SHARP BENDS !!
Don't judge me.
Unsure if I'll use the provided OS or an open source alternative. Suggestions welcome.
Sometimes a girl NEEDS a TerraMaster F4 SSD NAS. 10% coupon means I should have it, yes? Haven't selected RAID levels or bought drives yet. Think Backblaze for cloud backup. Yes, this is my idea of fun.
I LOVE PBS! 💙 (pass it on)
No idea who that guy is. Imagine that beard doesn't play well with chin straps & sweat.
Coach Cig will talk shit and take names.
Yikes! Also - that's awesome! In the olden days I made a friend in a meeting full of non-techs with a joke referencing the OSI model. Back when I spent time creating these:
I’m embarrassed that I never thought of this. Hope it helps someone!
Ahem. As a far too online boomer, I'm more of a Party Animals fan.
This week, @sarahmackattack.bsky.social shares her innovative methods for connecting people with science in a more local, personal way. The Squid Facts Hotline! Skype a Scientist! Street Art! I really loved this conversation as a counterpoint to the mass communication perspective I usually have.
