Orbital Owl @Zuph@octodon.social

It's been over a year since I've been here! Things have changed a lot! Here's a new #introduction

I'm Brad, 33, he/him (mostly), in the US midwest, working on space science hardware (as far as I can get from the military-industrial complex)

I'm into:
#electronics, #embedded, #cooking, #hiking, #tabletop, #knitting, #sewing, #rats, #anarchism

I'm getting into:
#rust, #MushroomGrowing, #clarinet, #ukulele

I want to:
- Live in community with friends
- Fully Automated Luxury Gay Space Communism

It turns out that custom printed webbing is highly affordable.

New rattie boys come home Friday! I hope they get along with Tycho!

This is a work subtoot.

Electrical Engineers: 3
Software Engineers: 3
Projects Behind Schedule: 6
Interns blood related to the owners: 6

Someone help me budget this my company is dying

Old test equipment is so great. This thing sold for $20,000 in 1995, and I got it for a little over $100 shipped. Still works fine, aside from some dings and scratches.

Performance is better than anything I could buy new for less than $1000, aside from memory depth and sheer weight.

And it was designed to last. Deals with post-Y2K dates like nobody's business.

I got a new old oscilloscope for very cheap!

Now to get some expensive probes for it...

Might fuck around later and make tech that violates FCC rules if used improperly idk

Techies stop making cop shit challenge 2020

Like I guess for now I'll just keep mindlessly clocking my 40 and do what I can in my off time 🤷

I've always had a difficult time squaring my vocation with doing good in the world, but now I think I've crossed the line where I can no longer really buy into that.

Technocracy isn't improving the world, especially wrt the biggest problems, and most of the aerospace industry is actively making the world worse (even if my little corner isn't).

But I've spent my whole life training on this electrical engineering and code stuff. Where to go from here? Especially where to go without starving.

Didn't take my meds until 4 today, so now it's ~~~brain zap time~~~

On a related note, all the local coffee shops have shown their whole asses during this police violence crisis. Let's see, we've got the coffee shop that banned BLM signage, the coffee shop that shared KKK photos on Instagram, the shop that is explicitly run by Christian dominionists, and the coffee shop that is run by a white dude that also runs an Africa Safari and Hunting travel agency...

A friend and I have been trying to figure out how we can roast and sell coffee from her garage. Turns out, state regulations changed earlier this year to disallow any and all shipping for home food producers. So, welp.

On the one hand, the laws can go fuck themselves. On the other hand, the law has a history of directedly fucking over people like us. 😟

One thing that heartens me a little is the number of local leftists I've discovered as a result of everything going on.

Went to a range in town today for the first time in a very long time. Felt good to get some shooting in. My cross-eye dominance has definitely gotten worse, so I'll have to be working on that.

First time at this range, and I'm sure it's fashy, but they all are. A lot of Black folks there, and the range folks correctly gendered my trans friend even after seeing her ID.

I feel like I'm living in upside down world. This week, one coworker is travelling out of state (!) to go to a wedding (!), and this weekend, another coworker with diabetes (!) who volunteers as a first responder (!) travelled out of state (!) to visit his elderly parents (!), and yet another who has an immunocompromised (!) son with a history of lung issues (!) travelled out of state (!) to visit a doctor friend (!)

giving i3 a go this morning

Yesterday, I discovered that Copernicus had a pituitary tumor. (Not uncommon in rats) He was rapidly declining, and could already barely eat or drink. I had to make the decision that he didn't deserve a few more days/weeks of suffering.

Now Tycho's the only one left, and I've got to make the decision about whether or not I want to find a couple more compatible fuzzbutts, or just be extra attentive to him for however long he has left ☹️

The brain weather is bad today, wow

I know I must be losing it when I start thinking, "I know, I'll write my own package manager!"