The Real Barrowma Official Actual

It is mind-boggling to me how awful ESPN's web video player is. Like, unusably bad. It's nuts how bad it is. If you see a highlight called on on ESPN.com, do yourself a favor and look it up on YouTube.

The Real Barrowma Official Actual reposted

Bob Lord

@boblord.bsky.social

Replying to @boblord.bsky.social

Near misses reveal where the system is fragile. Tracking them can improve software safety before attackers find the same weaknesses. Organizations that embody a secure-by-design philosophy treat near misses as learning opportunities, not lucky escapes.

I had Claude pick my March Madness bracket earlier this year. I came in somewhere in the middle of the pack on ESPN, and it was a perfect way to remove any joy or interest from the exercise.

Ed Zitron@edzitron.com

I technically do this but I don’t use AI, I just let it auto draft. I’ve been in the finale playoffs three out of the last four years and one or two finals.

Seen near Lake Tahoe in 2015.

Your Local Epidemiologist@ylepidemiologist.bsky.social

8/ We have antibiotics that successfully stop plague in its tracks when it’s diagnosed and treated promptly. If this is confirmed to be pneumonic plague, while it can spread between people, it's not highly contagious. On average, one to three people are infected per case and antibiotics still work.

Somehow we ended up with "Alexa Plus" on our Alexa devices. The only noticable change was that they changed the voice. The new voice was so fucking annoying, and the only way to revert to the old voice was to turn off Alex Plus.

Whoever the fucking brainiacs at Amazon who decided to make this oice the default should be fired. I've rarely seen such a good damned awful product decision.

Curious to see @rexparker.bsky.social's take on the Wednesday puzz... I did it downs-only and it played like a Monday for me.

15 Sept

Did the Tuesday downs-only, which required a great leap of faith on my final answers given the letter sequence of 64 Across.

29 Aug

Warmth

southpaw@nycsouthpaw.bsky.social

Mid Gun

This was a fascinating thread with Google AI: share.google/aimode/GuOmN...

It made a true factual claim, but then wouldn't show me the source for that claim, called it a fabrication, said it must exist in spoken recollections, etc. Very peculiar...

If AI is conscious, is a morally wrong to take the piss: share.google/aimode/XlAZY...

This was a fascinating thread with Google AI: share.google/aimode/GuOmN...

So why did it back off it's claim?

*it's Fucking autocorrect. They can recall an obscure fact about a 37 year old PE concert but don't know when to use an apostrophe and when not to.

This was a fascinating thread with Google AI: share.google/aimode/GuOmN...

My recollection is that PE came on stage around 1am. But that was 37 years ago and I may be wrong. I also recall leaving the show around 2:30am, looking for a cab in an unfamiliar part of Montreal. Eventually we found one.

Anyway, it was interesting to see Gemini try to disavow the factual statement... Is there something in its system prompt that tries to avoid making wealky sourced claims for fear of being sued?

This was a fascinating thread with Google AI: share.google/aimode/GuOmN...

So why did it back off it's claim?

Eventually it coughed up a single FB post (in French) that refers to Flav missing the show. That post also notes that the show started late. Also true.

This was a fascinating thread with Google AI: share.google/aimode/GuOmN...

But it wasn't a fabrication.

This was a fascinating thread with Google AI: share.google/aimode/GuOmN...

It said something that I know to be factual: Flavor Flav missed the 1989 PE show in Montreal. But then when I asked for the documentation that it based that claim on, it suddenly decided it was a fabrication.

20 Aug

Lode Runner

This post is unavailable.

19 Aug

It's been noted before by others, but WTF is it no standard practice to keep airplane window shades down? Cross country flight on a 777-300 today, and every shade is down. Mind boggling.

17 Aug

37 years after I saw PE in a high school auditorium in Montreal, I saw them again in San Francisco yesterday. Still bringing the noise! @flavorflav.bsky.social

The Real Barrowma Official Actual@barrowma.bsky.social

1989, the number, another summer...

3 Aug

Monday downs-only: 10:03.

27 July

Post a perfect album from the 90s

Julian Sanchez@normative.bsky.social

Post a perfect album from the 90s

26 July

The one true Derek. @rexparker.bsky.social

21 July

The modern equivalent of the elevator "Door Close" button that does nothing are the "Keep Me Signed In" and "Remember This Device" checkboxes.

11 July

I take my hot dogs with ketchup only. I feel no shame. A Costco $1.50 dog is pretty great, but about 25 years ago I had one of those Toronto street dogs (yellow bun, the dog slashed and thrown on the flame for a couple of minutes) that was transformative. I've been chasing that high ever since.

An Anarchist Who Tried Her Best@nataliereed84.bsky.social

quote post with thy preferred hot dog toppings so that thou may be judged by thy peers

20 June

Advertise your BlueSky account with a Simpsons GIF

Kevin M. Kruse@kevinmkruse.bsky.social

Advertise your BlueSky account with a Simpsons GIF

When given the choice at SFO, never land on 28R. Often a few minutes delay to get across 28L, tonight we've been stranded for ~30 minutes after a Lufthansa 380 missed it's turn and is now blocking our gate.

*its Fucking autocorrect.

So much for German efficiency...

Finally moved him, hopefully we'll be at our gate soon...

9 June

A Pox on Fools at Three Lives & Company in the West Village. @tomlevenson.bsky.social

9 June

Electric scene at the watch party at Bryant Park. Back-to-back 3s plus KAT FTs put the Knicks up 7 at the half.

20 May

It took me 29 minutes (exactly) but I managed to complete the Wednesday NYT crossword downs-only. Pretty pleased with myself.

16 May

Saw this little guy checking out my tomatoes. Thought it was a weird ladybug, but apparently it's a tortoise beetle.

11 May

We saw the neighborhood peacock in Rockridge (Oakland) today!

10 May

My neighbor started a cotton candy business. So tasty! I've got a bit of a sweet tooth -- this is going to be dangerous! But it's all natural, so it's good for me, right? briansgourmet.com

10 May

This makes me happy: www.nytimes.com/athletic/726...

23 Apr

I can't pinch-zoom on the bsky mobile web site anymore and this makes it near unusable given the number of images with very small text that need to be zoomed. @bsky.app

24 Apr

Seems to be fixed now. Was this a bug or a feature they rolled back?

21 Apr

Soft-close toilet seats/lids should be legally mandated.

17 Apr

Insane and tragic story in the NYTimes: www.nytimes.com/2026/04/14/u... But also, minor irony that the story about a fatal surgical error required 3 separate corrections. And for some reason was written by a journalist who covers Canada, despite the story taking place in Florida.

8 Apr

Most entertaining Warriors (healthy players only): 1. Steph 2. GP2 3. Gui 4. Pat 5. LJ Cryer