rhempel

rhempel@mstdn.ca has moved to rhempel@cosocial.ca

Public Key

npub1hpsmjkw8qtqs2un394jf28mu8yjqc9tzn6j7ajay70du2tzxw79sdzs3jm

NIP-05 Address

Profile Code

nprofile1qqstscdet8rs9sg9wfcj6ey4ra7rjfqvz43faf0wewj08k7993r80zcpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dsqmg8cs

Publishing to

saltivka.org

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1hpsmjkw8qtqs2un394jf28mu8yjqc9tzn6j7ajay70du2tzxw79sdzs3jm

Show more details

Last Notes

2026-03-14 13:26:50 UTC

- reply

I just got back from Costa Rica where I finally got some serious use out of my new (to me) 100-400 Lumix/Leica lens on my M4/3 camera.
Full frame goodness of two kinds of toucans, honeycreepers, tanagers, etc.
Unfortunately now I need to get a nice spotting scope and set our backyard up for attracting birds more intentionally to our backyard :-)

2025-11-19 02:06:09 UTC

- reply

Maybe I'm being a bit flip, but I guess developers can make foot guns in Rust too?

2025-11-16 03:02:36 UTC

- reply

I'm sorry but if there is a billion dollars to spend on something as stupid as this, then there is a billion dollars for affordable housing. And maybe some transit to go with it.

2025-09-26 18:47:50 UTC

- reply

They caved because revenues were affected and they feared that more than threats from Trump.
If he wasn't such a TACO the story would end differently.
Still, I'm happy for the good outcome :-)

2025-08-30 06:02:18 UTC

- reply

Dogs are lovely partners - we almost lost our beloved poodle to a flipped stomach a month ago. We got lucky and there was an emergency vet open 2 hours away at 2 in the morning on a long weekend.
He survived and three days later was still a bit shaky but back to his cuddly and silly self.
You are really coming along with your photography, and I am sure your family loves how well you look after them.

2025-08-21 18:48:24 UTC

- reply

It was ... and still is a scam - because physics.
Whether it was designed to delay the implementation of rail or high speed rail, or useful transit and biking infrastructure on purpose is debatable. It requires a level of seriousness on the part of billionaires. More likely the delay is explained by the cluelessness of many civic officials.
Either way, I seriously doubt we will ever see a hyperloop - and don't get me started on space elevators.

2025-08-17 23:18:51 UTC

- reply

Are you looking at me? Well, are you? Do you feel lucky? Do you?

2025-08-16 18:17:02 UTC

- reply

Do you follow Danny Sapko at all?

2025-07-28 14:27:27 UTC

- reply

The skill level to hit those bell notes accurately on a fretless bass is crazy.

2025-07-07 17:56:19 UTC

- reply

No - they were probably just being normal people and thinking the flood won't affect US.
It's exactly the quote attributed to Mike Tyson - everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.
Unfortunately, rolling the dice on a 1% annual probability works great for insurance, not so much for the humans and animals that get caught in the flood.
ALL of those FEMA maps will need some redrawing. If they can gerrymander voting districts they can redraw flood maps

2025-06-01 00:03:56 UTC

- reply

The creative differences were valid, and they parted ways. By today's standards the show is more than a little stereotypical.
In the lens of the New York urban experience in the mid/late 70s and after VietNam, it was eye opening for white Americans.
Yes, there are middle class and wealthy black families - but it feels like so many families are struggling again today.
TIL that Janet Jackson appeared on Good Times in seasons 5/6 :-)

2025-05-24 19:53:15 UTC

- reply

WOW! Once in a lifetime shot? Or lots of practice and patience :-)

2025-04-13 17:33:18 UTC

- reply

... just another bland and forgettable piece of urban fabric that you have magically transformed into something that highlights the beauty and contrast of complimentary colours in everyday things - it's just lovely!

2025-03-17 22:22:19 UTC

- reply

Ultra rich, maybe. Even as a wealthy individual, you can't just show up and say I want to live here. And you can't just buy a house or even rent an apartment in most European countries without a residency permit and/or work permit.
It's not as crazy as going to Mars, but it's probably going to be better for everyone if plan A is to try and fix the mess here before bailing out.

2025-03-17 16:44:07 UTC

- reply

As nice as this sounds, you can't just "move out of the country" just because you are American.
On the other hand, it would be ironic and a bit on the nose to have Americans applying for political asylum in other countries.

2025-03-16 14:49:26 UTC

- reply

I really do understand - one of the reasons we left Europe two years ago was to be closer to grandchildren.
We were also away from our (grown) children, although the youngest was still in university.
One of the ways we think about being parents is that we try to encourage decency and resilience. So the end goal is for our kids to thrive without (and in spite of) us, if that makes any sense. :-)
So if your daughter is thriving there, that's awesome.

2025-03-15 14:08:49 UTC

- reply

I moved to Denmark in 2016 and back to Canada in 2023 and I'm working in the US for now.
I sure miss living in a functioning country but ... grandkids are in Canada so here we are.

2025-03-06 01:14:32 UTC

- reply

Remember how much trouble Martha Stewart got into for selling a stock under questionable circumstances and avoided a loss of a little over 45,000 dollars?
45,000 dollars - that was a nice car in 2004.
And she actually did time for that - 5 months.
The numbers we are talking about today are so big they are almost unimaginable.

2025-01-24 19:58:13 UTC

- reply

Yeah no. Sure your data is on the moon - oh, your data center(s) burned down? How much is that data worth to you?
Go to the website - all the AI generated images and pie in the sky copy makes this look like either an elaborate joke, a scam, or a doomed business.
They do know that a day on the moon is 29.5 earth days, right? With 14.75 days of darkness for their solar powered data center? right?

2025-01-22 17:49:02 UTC

- reply

I love how your photographs convey a sense of motion and sometimes emotion in birds :-)

2025-01-21 02:08:32 UTC

- reply

These were really common where we lived in Denmark - I think it was the high humidity and along deletions of time right at the freezing mark ...

2025-01-17 14:35:54 UTC

- reply

Would you be willing to share the original image and a brief description of your edits?
I really love what you have done with the ice here
In my photography I tend to stick with available light and no edits, and my framing is pretty good, but it's time to learn how to put a bit more punch into my images :-)

2024-12-20 17:55:08 UTC

- reply

... Or they could just raise taxes to make up the shortfall ...

2024-10-03 03:47:27 UTC

- reply

It took me a minute to figure out what was going on - great eye and framing. Lovely and unexpected perspective of a landmark that has been photographed millions of times!

2024-09-14 17:35:32 UTC

- reply

This 20+ year old article is what I think you are talking about.
Outsourcing operational tasks - can be OK
Outsourcing your competitive advantage - Never OK
https://forio.com/about/blog/pitfalls-of-outsourcing-programmers/

2024-09-14 14:10:27 UTC

- reply

The documentary "Ordinary Men: The Forgotten Holocaust" helped me to understand a little bit more about how ordinary people could participate in the Holocaust.
Note: This is an extremely disturbing film but I think it has something to say about the extreme right in America today. The Holocaust happened slowly at first, then all at once.
It is NOT an apology or excuse for what happened during the Holocaust.
https://www.netflix.com/title/81672035?preventIntent=true