Jason Becker
2024-10-17

Another day, another HDCP issue.

2024-10-16

I have somehow trained Instagram to give me primarily ads for new albums or touring bands and it’s been… a surprisingly effective music discovery tool?

I’m going to end up buying a Kobo Sage aren’t I? And converting hundreds of Kindle books.

I confirmed today that I have some issues with my rotator cuff, which is what has kept me off the volleyball court almost entirely since May. I’ll need an MRI and to start physical therapy, and hopefully that’ll lead to a full recovery.

Somehow I just showed Elsa Johnny Cash’s - Hurt video for the first time and I feel like I have failed in some deep way.

Shrinking is continuing its streak of dumping straight joy into my soul.

I just learned about the Fender Meteora and… oh wow. I thought I’d be getting a Tele next for sure… but…

2024-10-15

I have some bullshit issue with HDCP or Dolby Vision almost every day at this point and it makes me want to scream. I have changed my HDMI cables multiple times. I have modern equipment. What the hell is wrong with this industry and standard? I can’t even diagnose TV, receiver, AppleTV, or cables?

2024-10-14

Waking up from a nightmare totally alone sucks.

Wordpress is officially in an old fashion flame war with no way out. It feels like 1999. Just like then, everyone is being a jerk who just can’t stop posting through it. Unlike then, everyone involved is incredibly rich and they have real reputations they’re putting on the line for nothing.

You know, it’s sad. I used to think that my dream next job would be to work on Tumblr. No longer.

Sunny on AppleTV is another winner.

2024-10-13

AppleTV is building a schedule to keep me watching. Slow Horses and Bad Monkey just finished, now Shrinking is back. Silo is following. Then Severance. Right now there’s no other service giving me something every month I want to see.

Trump and Vance are lying monsters that spread fear and violence in exchange for power that they want to to use to spread fear and violence.

Their lying about FEMA’s response is just another way they prey on the people they’re meant to support and represent.

2024-10-12

What’s a big, ridiculous sci-fi movie I probably haven’t seen that I should watch since I’m home alone tonight and just broke fast?

2024-10-11

I haven’t read anything about Tesla’s robotaxi, but I assume we all now know this is Amazon Go or whatever again— doesn’t actually work and needs an army in Asia driving you remotely.

When I see a post like this, I know I’m old, because I start thinking, “We used to be a society!”

Elsa went away for the weekend and it’s Yom Kippur. I’m going to be whining so much.

2024-10-10

I just had a thought that I need to work hard to eliminate from my brain.

You can make just one potato and half an onion’s worth of latkes on the regular instead of 8 pounds of potato just once a year.

The fact that I experience daily HDCP issues on AppleTV is infuriating. I spend a lot of time money instead of pirating for a significantly worse experience.

2024-10-09

Personal websites are not just about words. The presentation of information about ourselves is just as important as anything we write on our blogs or webpages. Our personal sites are fashion statements. They are a critical part of how we want to present in the world and represent a strong signifier of how we see ourselves and want to be seen.

The reason more developer-minded folks gravitate towards static site generators is obvious– their technical simplicity makes it easy for us to make our websites our own. But this simplicity is a simplicity in implementation and not a simplicity in use. Complex blogging engines and content management systems are not complex for complexity’s sake– they are trying to achieve simplicity in use for non-technical users who want to express themselves. The fact that the implementation of these systems is deeply complex to understand doesn’t matter if they provide their users with the ability to feel they can make precisely what they want.

It’s 2024, and we’re still discussing the merits and warts of WYSIWYG, no-code/low-code, and natural language systems. We are still oscillating around a mythical place that has all power and all of the simplicity and all of the accessibility.

Modern static site generators have learned a lot of lessons from the past. They serve as powerful systems that have changed the way it makes sense to build blogs. They have roared back to relevance, even as backend platforms for application/engine-like experiences. But we have not reached the stage where someone with no interest in the technical elements of the web can easily build a place that matches their potential for expression out into the world on the backs of basic HTML and CSS. I understand why, and I think that’s fine.

I’m very much feeling in need of t’shuva. I’m glad I took off Friday to prepare for Yom Kippur. The weather looks like it’s going to be perfect, and I think I need to go forest bathing and have a good think.

2024-10-08