Posted around 10 Nov 2025 from the The moon was following me department · Link to this post

• I decided to look at alternative ways to log on to my computer, and I spent a few minutes installing Ly, and then wrote down what I did
• When Google decided to start removing XSLT support from chrome, they talked about how you could use a browser extension to do the same thing, and then some google engineer whipped up an extension to show how it could be done. I installed it and used it on the XML and XSLT files that formerly powered this site, and it kinda works, but the results were extremely messy. I get that this is probably by design, but it still is incredibly annoying
• I updated the inventory pages that I let get out of date while I was doing the org conversion

Posted around 29 Oct 2025 from the When the road disappears department · Link to this post

• The WHATWG is making real steps to finally remove XML and XSLT from the web spec. I wrote a little bit about that and my decision to finally migrate this site away from XML and XSLT and to Org Mode.
• The site does look a little different now. That's because I did a lot of hammering on the CSS to try and force it into an Org-shaped hole. In some cases I was successful, and in others, not so much.
• It took me a couple of weeks, but most of the content should be converted now, and it should actually be easier for me to update, which is nice. I still have some work to do. I'm looking forward to Org being abandoned and deprecated in five more years, making me switch again.
• All of the XML pages are still there because Cool URIs don't change and I don't really feel like setting up redirects

Posted around 18 Aug 2025 from the Got a brand new shipment of electrical equipment department · Link to this post

• About a month after I published the last update, Debian released a new major version, which came with a new(er) version of icecast, and that fixed a bug I saw when I tried to enable SSL. So I decided to update the howdid.
• Updating the howdid made me realize that I didn't really have a good way to note when I updated something, so I spent a little while learning all about XSL if statements, so that was fun. Now the appropriate pages will have a note saying if I made a page and then never looked at it again, or if I updated something.

Posted around 3 Jul 2025 from the I kick the rocks beneath me department · Link to this post

• It's been a rough 12 months around here for the Usual Reasons and also some other reasons that I won't bother going into, but I was able to get this update done, and more will be coming as I get back up to speed.
• In January I found anonradio and it reminded me that a long time ago I toyed around with the idea of running my own internet radio station. I never got any further than just having the idea for a long time, but I decided to change that and spent a few days playing around with icecast. I now have something that is mostly working and I started writing down what I did, but petered out due to the state of… well… everything, but I finally was able to finish it today. Maybe you'll find it useful, too?
• The icecast station is currently just playing the audio of a selection of my YouTube videos with a few things that I recorded specifically for the station. I'm still getting to grips with what I want to put up there, but it's a start

Posted around 27 Feb 2025 from the I'm using up the time left to think department · Link to this post

• A month later and I finally realized that I forgot to include a link in the last update to the actual article. Whoops. That's fixed now.
• I found a book on machine learning at a thrift store for $2. I'm not sure if that situation speaks more toward the subject matter or the area where I bought the thing, but Ibought it and added it to the list anyway. I probably won't read it any time soon (if at all), but it was too tempting to pass up.
• Instead of working on content for the Internet radio station I've been futzing with, I've been researching audio equipment upgrades to make it sound more… good. I should probably set an actual date to make an announcement of this thing so someone might accidentally listen to it.
• I started a small offshoot series called How to Internet that is going to contain some semi-tutorials and some opinions about how someone might want to use the Internet in a way that isn't just scrolling through a bottomless trough of garbage until your phone's battery dies.

Posted around 2 Jan 2025 from the I just need one sandwich department · Link to this post

• I wrote the obligatory 'why I left one billionaire's social media website and why replacing with a different billionaire's site isn't going to happen' post. I debated whether I should write it at all, but I was getting tired of repeating the same answers every time someone asked me why I wasn't on facebook or how bluesky is 'like omg, so much better, you guys!' (spoiler - it isn't).
• I added a few tech books to my physical inventory, but I haven't actually updated the inventory on this site yet. I'll be doing that… soonish. I'd love to blame the long, cold, winter nights for my lack of motivation lately, but I've just been mentally exhausted since November.

Posted around 2 Jan 2025 from the disregard the expense department · Link to this post

• I set up an Owncast server two years ago and then never used it. I realized that that kind of streaming just wasn't for me and I took the server down last week.
• In its stead I set up an icecast server. I still haven't quite decided what I want to put on there (which is why there are no links to it yet). Setting up an icecast server is something that I've wanted to do ever since I found out about it a million years ago, but I just never got around to doing it until now.