Aerogel, The Coolest Of Matter

person holding laboratory flask

Ok, I have to be honest, I’ve never heard of aerogel until today. YouTube, in all its glory, recommended this video to me. And, well, I’m enthralled.

I’m sure YouTube offered me this since I’m a fan of both Neil deGrasse Tyson and Adam Savage. I feel gratitude for this video, so offer thanks to the great algorithm!

Anyway, aerogel is simply beautiful it’s appearance, and amazing in it’s properties. I really want to explore this further…in my spare time…*ahem*

Anyway, are you familiar with aerogel? With any applications?

Unexpected Dad Jokes

One of my favorite online comics, Lunarbaboon, featured this dad joke today:

Click on the image to be taken to the post

In the comments, Derek S. left this gem of a dad joke:

I went to see my new doctor today, and I have to admit, I was a little shocked. He was from Madrid, and he had sleeve tattoos and tattoos on both hands. My surprise must have been obvious because he said “it’s okay, you’re not the first. No one expects the Spanish inked physician.”

It hints at this classic Monty Python sketch, which I’ve added below for the edification of those unfamiliar with Monty Python.

Haiku, Reply Haiku

I read this haiku over on Charlotte Digregorio’s blog.

out of the blue
the window washer
brightens my day
by Tom Painting (USA)
Modern Haiku, Vol. 37.2, Summer 2006

This reminded me of an experience I had back in the 90s. I worked on various projects at a variety of firms. In one of them, I was at a law firm in the Columbia Center, a 73 story building in downtown Seattle. We were located on the 60th some odd floor, and one of my colleagues was startled by the window washer appearing outside her window. The ensuing shriek garnered all of our attention, and amusement…including that of the washer.

sixtieth floor
an amused window washer
my startled colleague

Last on the Card – November 2023

Fandango posted his response to Bushboy’s blogging prompt “Last on the Card“. The basics of the prompt: post the last photo on your phone or camera’s SD card that was shot in November.

I opted to hop on my phone and see what’s there. So, I was at an event last night, a Book/Movie Discussion for Killers of the Flower Moon. We had a table there with a few resources to learn more about the Native American experience, both in the US as well as local tribes. I took a photo of two books I did not have.

Book covers: "Living Nations, Living Words" and "How To Talk With An Indian".

These are books I hope to attain. The one on the right was written by a local author, Jay Bowen, who was at the event. I spent quite some time talking with him last night, so I have a valued connection.

Walking at night: a haiku

Tonight’s haiku
walking through the cold
feeling the grace of the night
soon the rains return

It was a good night for a walk. Brisk air was mitigated by my jacket. My main challenge: being near invisible to the passing cars. But most of my walk was far off the main roads. Thus, my key sensation was tranquility.

You Can’t Have It All

One of my digital friends, Bernie, wrote this blog post featuring Maria Popova, a writer I admire greatly. In the article, Popova writes about the grief feels upon the passing of her beloved friend Emily Levine. She explores how poetry impacted that journey, and how it can help us all manage the finitude of our lives. I love her line “[N]ow that Emily has returned her stardust to the universe…” as a descriptor of death. Makes me think of Carl Sagan’s line that we’re all made of “star stuff”. There’s infinity within our finite nature. So very Zen, I guess.

Anyway, I highly recommend Maria’s post, and all of her work.

“You Can’t Have It All”, the Marginalian

A Haiku For The Day

gazing to the west
petals dancing in the breeze
as the sunlight fades

It’s been a hot minute since I last posted a haiku, so here’s one for you today. This photo is from my walk along the Edmonds Waterfront. It was a lovely day; started sunny and slowly clouds drifted in. It stayed dry, fortunately for me.

I adore writing haiku, though I’ve been trying to write about my explorations into tech. More professional, I guess. I’ve been told to focus on your brand with your social media. But, what is my brand? I mean, I’ve written tons of haiku, and they’re some of my most popular content. But, they don’t bring in the money, do they? Maybe I need to work to monetize them. Oooohhh…I can be an influencer?

Anyway, I’m still trying to figure out what I want to do with myself next. I’ve been focused on IT, web design, and other technology “things” for the past few years. With that, though, I’ve received constant feedback that I should look at Project Management. Instructors, supervisors, family…constant stuff. And by the same people who then ping me to fix their printers.

I guess I’m still trying to “find my way”. Maybe my way is to take pictures and write haiku? Not gonna get rich at that, but it’s fun. Who knows?

Let me know what you think! Anyway, talk to you soon.

LastPass Clients, Watch Out For This Phishing Scheme

monochrome photo of two people having a video call

I, along with many, many others, was affected by several of LastPass’s data breaches. So, earlier this year, I shifted over to another product.

So, when I saw this in my email the other day, my suspicions were raised.

Besides no longer being a LastPass customer, the sender’s email was a huge red-flag.

Ah, there’s a link! I always recommend people do in these circumstances is hover over links in email. In the lower left-hand corner, you can see the actual link. *Note, this is not a a LastPass site.

I’m quite confident that these hackers got my information from the dark web, but found that I’ve changed all my passwords, as well as shifted away from LastPass. It’s a rather convincing email phishing for information.

So, I wanted to share this for a few reasons. Mainly, for my fellow LastPass breachees, watch for these sorts of scams. Hackers can use information in multiple ways, not just with accessing your sites with stolen credentials. Also, there are some good tools to use in any suspicious email. My main advice: never click on a link unless you’re 100% certain it’s valid. Reach out to the send via phone/text if you’re in doubt.

Anyway, be wary my friends. If you’ve ever been part of a data breach (is there anyone who hasn’t?), expect that the information collected will be used against you.

Wishing You A Happy Halloween!

Years ago, I grew weary of all the tropes around Halloween. I mean, come on! How many times can you listen to Monster Mash? Well, as someone who values creativity and innovation, my tolerance is low for repetition. So, I created my own playlist.

Moving beyond the clichés Halloween.

So, I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think, and if there’s anything I should add.