@paul@montereybay.social
@paul@montereybay.social avatar

paul

@paul@montereybay.social

(he/him) Santa Cruz local since 2001 | montereybay.social admin | Sr Technical Program Manager @ AWS Nonprofits

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kel, to random
@kel@mastodon.online avatar

This is an incredible read, please make yourself a nice cup of your favourite beverage, make yourself comfy and have a good read of Aria's story.

If you care - please boost far and wide!

#VCVRack #Synth

https://aria.dog/barks/why-i-will-never-create-modules-for-vcv-rack-anymore/#quitting

paul,
@paul@montereybay.social avatar

@kel Aria is most definitely on Mastodon at @woof. She’s expressed doubts about Mastodon, though. Personally, I would love to have her stay because I really appreciate her point of view and have learned a fair bit from her about .

malcircuit, to random
@malcircuit@thingy.social avatar

What's a good enby-friendly replacement to "mom", "mama", "dad", etc?

paul,
@paul@montereybay.social avatar

@malcircuit Our family uses “bapi”, which the very young kids have no problems pronouncing. It does have some connotation with “father” in Bengali, though.

douglasvb, to Toyota
@douglasvb@mastodon.social avatar

I caught the start of a nest in my engine bay. They were using the insulation from the underside of the plastic engine cover and stuffing it between the intake runners and the top of the engine.

What are people using as rodent deterrents these days?

The start of a rats nest
The start of a rats nest

paul,
@paul@montereybay.social avatar

@douglasvb We started hanging Fresh Cab botanical rodent repellent sachets in the engine compartments of our cars a few years ago after some nibblers got to our firewall insulation. Seems to keep them away, though we have to change them every month or two.

garygouldsberry, to random
@garygouldsberry@twit.social avatar

New sign appeared on the closed off section of #WestCliffDrive #SantaCruz . I know bicycle and pedestrian, but what is an abutter?

paul,
@paul@montereybay.social avatar

@garygouldsberry Abutter is what you spread on atoast, of course! 😁

paul, to random
@paul@montereybay.social avatar

Work brought me to Chicago for the first time in about 30+ years. I always appreciate transit that connects the airport with the business district. Being a fan of the Blues Brothers, I had to check out Daley Plaza (“That where they got the Picasso”) and City Hall (“Hut! Hut!”). Ray’s Music Exchange is for lease, if anyone wants to get in on my idea for a live music venue slash BB movie tour company…

Chicago City Hall as seen from Daley aplaza. There are two medium, wide trees with light green foliage in the foreground. The building is about ten stories tall and made of stone, with columns across ten front and vertical windows. There are no SWAT officers rappelling down the columns, sadly.

napalousa, to random
@napalousa@pagan.plus avatar

Coastal US people do you use any special words for a sea fog that rolls inland during the summer? I grew up calling it haar but not sure if people in America call it that. A hermitforhire grew up in a landlocked state and can’t help me with this.

paul,
@paul@montereybay.social avatar

@napalousa In Santa Cruz, CA, we call it the marine layer or “June gloom”. 😁

kaflurbaleen, to random
@kaflurbaleen@mastodon.social avatar

is the subaru mechanic at the dealership bad or is our car just dumb (and in need of increasingly expensive repairs)

paul,
@paul@montereybay.social avatar

@kaflurbaleen Our 2010 Outback was solid, until it was destroyed by a rogue wave on West Cliff. The 2021 Ascent has had some expensive non-drivetrain issues, thankfully covered under warranty. Both were serviced at the dealer. Need a recommendation for another repair shop for a second opinion?

paul,
@paul@montereybay.social avatar

@kaflurbaleen We loved that Outback… 😁 Here’s the video of the incident that Heather shot from inside the car: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CnC11p3J0qq/

We have had good experiences with Mick’s Automotive, for future reference.

paul, to random
@paul@montereybay.social avatar

One year ago today we brought home this majestic beast. She was underweight and had terrible GI issues, and for a while we didn’t think she would make it. Today, she’s healthy, loving, and energetic. And flatulent. But nobody’s perfect, right? :cowdog:

A medium sized red bulldog sprawled on her back on a couch. She appears to be smiling, and her rear feet are wedged up against a person’s thigh.

paul, to random
@paul@montereybay.social avatar

If someone asked you to write a song based on the word “between”, what would it sound like? A tough question, but fortunately my friends and I came up with 40 answers to choose from last week during the 26th Two Hour Album Challenge. You can listen to the results for free on Bandcamp, and ponder your own liminality.

https://2hac.bandcamp.com/album/between-2hac-volume-26

paul, to random
@paul@montereybay.social avatar

Ran the Diablo Trails Challenge Half Marathon this morning. Ironically, the race course doesn’t summit Mount Diablo. Who knew? Anyhow, I finished in 2:45, good for 4th of 7 in my age group and 38th of 111 overall. Very happy with my time given the 2,400’ of climb.

Time to rest up for the Surfer’s Path Half Marathon on 4/14. That one is basically a Wharf to Wharf round trip. 😁 It’s mostly flat and all pavement, which hopefully will mean an PR for the distance. 🤞

deirdres, to random
@deirdres@aus.social avatar

Introducing the kid to another classic

paul,
@paul@montereybay.social avatar

@deirdres Filmed locally! (Santa Cruz, CA)

paul,
@paul@montereybay.social avatar

@deirdres Hah, that’s a good question! My wife went to UCSC in the late 80s/early 90s, and she remembers the guy dressed as a monk who briefly appears in the opening montage. I intend to visit the trestle where they filmed the “Michael just let go” scene.

seb, to random
@seb@sfba.social avatar

We are thinking hard about the non-profit we want to start to fund services. (After OCF’s shutdown announcement this has become our number one priority.)

If you know of online communities that run such a model successfully, please give us a hint!

If you have ideas about things to consider when planning non-profit memberships, governance, votings, etc. please tell!

We want to keep overhead low, so we can focus on our community and don’t get buried in bureaucracy. We want to continue focusing on the San Francisco Bay Area.

paul,
@paul@montereybay.social avatar

@seb Once the 503(c) designation is in place, check out TechSoup (https://www.techsoup.org/nonprofit-software). They offer steep discounts on software and cloud services. For example, you can get $1000 in AWS service credits for a $95 admin fee. Might be other offers that help with your hosting…

LostNetizen, to random
@LostNetizen@mastodon.social avatar

I have a new obsession: OpenStreetMap. It’s like the perfect open world game where you improve the real world by playing.
You can go outside and play “on the ground”, be the first one to add a new bikeway or fix the opening hours of your favorite bakery. Or you can map from the couch by analyzing aerial images. At https://www.hotosm.org they always need volunteers for some humanitarian mapping. It can be as easy as “spot all the buildings in this image.”

paul,
@paul@montereybay.social avatar

@LostNetizen @blaise +100 to HOTOSM. My employer sponsors mapathons for them and I’ve learned that the information they get from these sessions is critical to delivering aid in the event of disaster. Humanitarian mapping is easy, and you can make a difference by spending just an hour volunteering, any time you like.

BegoniaArizona, to random
@BegoniaArizona@montereybay.social avatar

Former Shangri-La Industries CFO accused of using Project Homekey money to pay for private jets, exotic cars and large parties, lawsuit says
https://kion546.com/top-stories/2024/04/01/former-shangri-la-industries-cfo-accused-of-using-project-homekey-money-to-pay-for-private-jets-exotic-cars-and-large-parties-lawsuit-says/

paul,
@paul@montereybay.social avatar

@BegoniaArizona My wife @Heather ran several shelters under the related Project Roomkey program, and had this comment: “There’s a SPECIAL hell for those people…”

historyofpunkrock, to punk
@historyofpunkrock@sfba.social avatar

47 years ago today
The Talking Heads performing at CBGB in New York City on March 31, 1977
L-R Jerry Harrison, Chris Frantz, David Byrne, Tina Weymouth

Ramones were also on the bill that night

Photo by Ebet Roberts

#punk #talkingheads #cbgb #history #punkrockhistory #otd

paul,
@paul@montereybay.social avatar

@historyofpunkrock Man, if time travel were possible, I’d be in the front row of that show (probably with several thousand others, I suppose).

paul, to random
@paul@montereybay.social avatar

The Universe was determined that we not go camping this weekend. Starting on Friday, we overcame the following obstacles:

  1. Sick rabbit, nursed back to health
  2. Found stray dog, 2 hrs looking for home, dropped at shelter
  3. Violent rainstorm, waited ‘til Sat to leave
  4. Exploding water bottle
  5. Given wrong address for the Hipcamp
  6. Exploding coffeemaker
  7. Hail at the campsite. Retreat into trailer

Currently awaiting the inevitable locusts or rain of frogs.

paul,
@paul@montereybay.social avatar

@jankhambrams Except for the sick bunny (who is completely recovered now), we were able to laugh everything off. Plus, we “camping” for us is a travel trailer, so we just holed up inside and played games. Highly recommend Paleo, if anyone is interested in cooperative strategy/adventure games. :)

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/300531/paleo

paul,
@paul@montereybay.social avatar

@minceyfresh Took me a day to get caught up on the news. Wow. https://newsie.social/@Bigsurkate/112198339882711361

researchbuzz, to tesla
@researchbuzz@researchbuzz.masto.host avatar

'Security researchers used a $169 Flipper Zero device and a Wi-Fi development board to obtain a driver's credentials, break into a Tesla Model 3 and drive away.'

https://www.livescience.com/technology/electric-vehicles/white-hat-hackers-carjacked-a-tesla-using-cheap-legal-hardware-exposing-major-security-flaws-in-the-vehicle

paul,
@paul@montereybay.social avatar

@researchbuzz @float13 Wow, when I interviewed at Tesla many years ago, they asked me how I would design a secure keyless entry and ignition system. I doubt that my (since forgotten) solution was more secure than what they deployed, to be honest.

paul, to random
@paul@montereybay.social avatar
paul, to random
@paul@montereybay.social avatar

The Forbidden Fruit of HTTP (organic)

paul, to random
@paul@montereybay.social avatar

Visited SFMOMA for the first time in years. Re-upped my membership, then we watched the entire 64-minute video installation “The Visitors” by Ragnar Kjartansson. Simply lovely and poignant. Also saw the Yayoi Kusama “Infinite Love” rooms and her pumpkin sculpture. I especially liked the watercolors and prints from Chiura Obata. Looking forward to the new “Art of Noise” installation coming in May! https://www.sfmoma.org/exhibitions/

Video of people standing in an art installation that consists of tentacle-like stalactites and stalagmites that are glowing in reds, greens, blues, and purples. The tentacles have polka dots. The walls, floor, and ceiling are mirrored, so the glowing objects are reflected into infinite series.

paul,
@paul@montereybay.social avatar

@Starorstone Thanks for the link! I sampled a little of the six hours of music and really liked what I heard. Might be a good soundtrack for a cross-country road trip.

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