The author stands in front of a light rail car parked on a spur beside a park. His head pops out of a foamcore and duct-tape costume in the shape of the train behind him. The costume version of the train features sparking eyes and a smile.

Yes, I did stay up way too late finishing my costume for the retirement party for Portland’s original 100-series light rail trains. Was it worth it? Absolutely. What a fun event and a fun crowd. @trimet.org

Never been, but if I were going, the Design Museum would be high on my list, specifically the Danish Modern exhibit designmuseum.dk/en/

A rusty, laser-cut silhouette of a horse’s neck and head bordered by a horseshoe hangs for sale on a clapboard wall. Reins lead from the horse, but in silhouette they look like massive fangs.

This is a saber-toothed horse, and nobody can convince me otherwise.

A parody warning label on a water bottle, mimicking the warning text on a similar looking propane bottle: SPLISH/SPLASH HAZARD: EXTREMELY HYDRATING LIQUID. KEEP AWAY FROM ELECTRONICS, IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS, AND CATS. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO IGNITE—CONTENT IS NON-FLAMMABLE. IF SPILLED, SURFACES MAY BECOME SLIPPERY. DO NOT EXPOSE TO TEMPERATURES BELOW 32°F (0°C) OR ABOVE 212°F (100°C). MAY TURN INTO ICE OR STEAM. STORE IN A COOL, REFRIGERATED PLACE. WARNING: CONTAINS WATER AT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE; MAY SPLASH IF MISHANDLED. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THESE WARNINGS AND INSTRUCTIONS MAY RESULT IN FREQUENT RESTROOM VISITS OR A CHANGE OF CLOTHES. BEFORE USE  1. Check bottle and cap seals. Never use with damaged, cracked, or missing lids. Discard container if foreign particles are present. 2. Twist cap counterclockwise to open. 3. Do not apply excessive force. 4. Hold bottle upright while opening. Tilting may cause minor spillage. 5. Keep bottle away from powered electronics or documents. 6. Check for leaks. Apply towel if necessary. Leaking water may dampen surroundings and personal pride. 7. Inspect contents visually; should appear clear. 8. Read and follow hydration instructions carefully. DURING USE  1. Use upright to prevent face splash or shirt staining. 2. Never drop or throw container. 3. If coughing occurs, discontinue use temporarily and resume at a responsible pace.  4. Avoid excessive consumption; may lead to increased bathroom frequency. 5. Do not inhale contents. Water is not for breathing. AFTER USE 1. Replace cap securely to prevent leakage. 2. Hand-tighten only. Over-tightening may damage threads.  3. Say “Ahhhhh, that’s refreshing.”

A parody warning label on a water bottle, mimicking the warning text on a similar looking propane bottle: HANDLING & STORAGE Keep out of reach of children and overly curious pets. Store away from heat, sparks, or flame, unless you’re trying to extinguish them. Avoid contact with mogwai. Store in a low-temperature location, preferably a fridge or mountain stream. Do not freeze unless making ice. Do not refill with questionable liquids. Federal hydration guidelines recommend frequent refills with potable water only. Do not fold, spindle, or mutilate. To discard, donate and be sure to get a tax receipt.

Did I also do the warning labels on the back? Of course I did.

In the background, a blue Bernzomatic propane cylinder. In the foreground, a blue HydroFlask water bottle of approximately the same size and shape, with a parody label reading “AquaOmatic” and warning labels describing the lack of danger.

New custom sticker for my HydroFlask! Do you think I’ll be able to get through airport security with it?

“2026 Denver Marathon put it in a pretty font and 2026 should be smaller”

The librarian turf wars are getting out of hand. Glad you’re alright.

kids these days don't know how to impress Jodie Foster

Put together a little wireless 120V system to demo my nightlight at craft shows.

Smitten with the mainframe badges at the Computer History Museum when I went to #VCFWest this year, I had to make my own sticker replicas. Now I’m the only person in this coffee shop working on a UNIVAC.

Photo of an Embraer E175 painted in 1980s-vintage orange and red stripes. Taken from the jetway looking back along the fuselage.

Sunset from over Morro Bay, California with the colors of the sky echoing the orange and red stripes painted on the winglet of the retro-livery E175. The wing of the plane fills half the frame, the winglet intersecting the horizon.

I got to fly in the Horizon Air throwback-jersey E175 yesterday, with a sunset to match the livery.

Thank you! That was the best selling board of the weekend. Lots of kids asking “what is it?” but even more older folks with “is that—OMG I need it!”

Thanks! I love being able to combine these two hobbies. And they’re functional—meant as serving boards!

Couldn’t make it to the march today because I had a booth at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo, but still got a protest sign in on my table.

Mockups of classic programs as if they were Nintendo Switch cartridges: Print Shop, ET, Bard’s Tale, MS Flight Simulator, Lotus 123, & VisiCalc. They rest scattered on a walnut NES cartridge.

Mockups of classic programs as if they were Nintendo Switch cartridges: Print Shop, ET, Bard’s Tale, MS Flight Simulator, Lotus 123, & VisiCalc. They’re inserted neatly into storage slots on a walnut NES cartridge.

Ported some classic programs to the Switch to help model the NES-cart-shaped game holder I made. Catch my booth at Portland Retro Gaming Expo in two weeks for this and other finely crafted retro-gaming goodies.

This’ll be my first time going. Are tickets limited, or can I wait until closer to the event (or even on site) when I figure out which day(s) I’ll be attending?

My favorite was during Covid when they’d send very earnest and heartfelt emails about how we can get through these trying times together.

I ordered a serial port adapter from you 13 years ago, but thanks I guess. Glad you’ve got my back.

“Moof!”

The motherboard of a vintage NeXTstation computer, showing the replacement of the hard drive with a BlueSCSI module using an SD card for storage.

Screen shot of a vintage black and white NeXT system, showing the NeXT logo in the corner.

Installed a BlueSCSI drive to bring my NeXTstation back to life for the first time in 18 years. Next step (pun intended): install the Y2K patch so I can set the date.

Black t-shirt with white text reading “Love & Trust & Friends & Hammers”

I know the meme is like 10+ years old but I had the idea the other night while listening and had to make this in honor of my favorite Hold Steady song.

#theholdsteady
#constructivesummer

A blue-gloved hand holds an old plumbing valve next to the newly installed one that replaced it. A small sign labeled “outdoor faucet shutoff” is on the wall above the valve.

Infrastructure weekend! Freezing weather had me shutting off the water to an outdoor hose bibb, only for the valve to start leaking. I replaced it with a fancy new quarter-turn valve.

Can I get some points for the laser-engraved sign, too? Other people in this house need to know how it all works.

Japan's Akatsuki spacecraft takes the clearest picture of Venus ever made

But if anyone needs a white elephant gag gift for next Christmas, I’ll let you know where to find it.

Cardboard box labeled “44lb half body sex doll for male, retail $368 now $80”

Some things SHOULD NOT be returnable. 🤮

(found at the local Amazon bins store)

That’s assumed. This is in addition.

Heck, I’ve done half of those in the last year.

A black mesh bag approximately 2 x 3 inches containing an assortment of a half-dozen USB adapters. USB-A to USB-C, micro-USB to USB-A, USB-C to Lightning, etc.

Emergency go-bag tip: keep an assortment of USB adapters in it. The motel you end up in might have chargers built into the bedside lamp, but you only grabbed your USB-C cable and they last updated in 2010. Or how about the micro-USB charging for your headlamp?

#emergencyprep #gobag

Turns out I’m in the top 25% of wildfire risk in the state, so if you all could not set the forest on fire, that’d be cool.

Oregon peeps, check your own wildfire risk here:

oregon-explorer.apps.geocortex.com/webviewer/?a...

N989AC Aero-Flite Aerial Firefighting Bombardier DHC-8-402Q AT Dash 8 N989AC Aero-Flite Aerial Firefighting Bombardier DHC-8-402Q AT Dash 8 photographed by Hongming Zheng

There’s a Dash 8 tanker? I thought someone was Photoshopping the first time I saw this.

Are there any planes that *haven’t* been converted yet?

www.planespotters.net/photo/167636...

Vintage copy of Computer Shopper magazine from 1991, featuring a 386 system on the cover, advertising articles about desktop publishing, how to turbo-charge your PC, Dell’s new notebooks, and a guide to 786 printers.

Time to find myself a new system. I’ve heard good things about the 386 processor.