Category: All Things Geek

Geeks are looking to the future by their very nature

Emerald City Comicon 2026

Carl Setzer1 Comment

I went to Emerald City Comicon on Friday, March 6. I’ve been meaning to go for decades. There’s always something, some reason, some conflict. I finally felt compelled to go. It helped that I’d talked with several other folks, so had accountability partners, including my wife. I’m so glad I did. It was an awesome experience. Below are just a few thoughts on finally going.

Man, the cosplay! I love the passion of cosplayers. The artistry was so impressive. Understanding SO many references mad me feel that I was amongst “my people”. Recognizing so many characters and knowing their key lines made me able to validate others. Understanding the references just made it that much more wonderful for me. Valuing the same things is just so lovely.

Another thing I adored: the inclusivity. The boldly open affirmation of the LGBTQIA+ community delighted me, as did the way they embrace neurodiversity. Things like quiet rooms made the space safe.

The immensity, the scale of it all. My goodness, there was so much going on. So much space in use. So many people. It was perfect. All the vendors, and all the cool stuff was great, too. Floors of stuff.

I opted not to photograph much. Mostly just a few things that caught my eye. Nothing to share. It felt rather like a rather invasive thing to do. I’m probably overthinking that, but I REALLY wanted to be respectful. Maybe next year I’ll be more deliberate about photography.

My wife loves it as much as I did. She’s insisting that we go the full week next year. I’ll see if I can break away that long in 2027. And, who knows, maybe I’ll need to expand out to other cons.

Did any of you go? Or have you gone to a different Comicon? What did you think? What was your favorite part.

Oh, Spreadsheets!

Carl Setzer
statistics survey sheet

It pains me to see someone fill in data in a spreadsheet, then use a calculator to compute everything. It adds discomfort when the math errors are what first catch your eye. I hope I didn’t upset the originator by adding my =sum functions.

Anyway, I hope your Friday is fantastic and your weekend is wonderful.

Ah, the Oatmeal!

Carl Setzer

I’ve long been a fan of the Oatmeal. Sometimes crass, sometimes disturbing, sometimes thought-provoking, and always funny.

This one speaks to me and my overactive mind. Perhaps a bit too well. I guess it’s good to be seen. I guess.

Things Haiku, july 5, 2025

Carl Setzer 





with night descending
flowers proceed to slumber
a racoon prowling












			


    



			
				


 	

					
Music via YouTube
		
				

			 Carl Setzer3 Comments		

			


	

					

				
			

		

I like to listen to Trip Hop while I’m working. Today this one popped into my feed:













What first caught my attention was that this DJ was streaming from her kitchen, which is pretty cool. Oh, and I’m very jealous of this kitchen! But then I noticed this:










A stuffed llama! I thought “That’s so cool”. And, sure, that marks me as one type of nerd. But it gets better! I then think “LLama”…Large Language Ama”. Hmmm….now if I ever build an AI platform, I’m going to call it “LL Llama”. Sounds like a stutter. 





Ok, I’ve flung enough dad jokes your way. Do you like to listen to a certain type of music while you’re working? What sort? 


			


    



			
				


 	

					
Ways of Making Tea
		
				

			 Carl Setzer		

			


	

		

I love tea, and I have a particular fondness for English (or Irish, or Welsh) breakfast teas. Once (ages ago) I was lectured by a British chap about the proper way to make tea (and how I was NOT doing so). Therefore, this xkcd was perfect. 










I’ve been a fan of this comic for ages. I’m sure I shared from them before, but thought I’d highlight a few of my favorites. And, if you haven’t, encourage you to follow them.





Here are my two favorite comics (and this is a solid tie): 










and this one…










So, I hope you enjoyed and consider giving them a follow. 


			


    



			
				


 	

					
Cory Doctrow: You should be using an RSS reader
		
				

			 Carl Setzer		

			


	

					

				man standing inside library while reading book
			

		

I just got to reading Cory’s post from yesterday, Pluralistic: You should be using an RSS reader (16 Oct 2024). I appreciate being reminded of the existence of these tools. I used several over the years, culminating with Google Reader (RIP). After Google killed this app, RSS readers just fell by the wayside.  





This article prompted me to Google RSS readers. The first article was the Verge’s “Top 5 RSS Readers“. And the first on that list is Feedly. Well, I remember Feedly, as I set up an account ages ago…and then forgot about it. But I was able to log in and off I went. I have some curating to do, but it’s not really that bad. And I see several sites that I’d stopped tracking in all the mess of email updates. So, that’s a win. 





I intend on unsubscribing to gobs of email blog updates, cleaning up my inbox quite a bit. Also, I need to use the “feeds” feature, where I can segment my different feeds. 





Do you use an RSS reader? Have a favorite one? Let me know!


			


    



			
				


 	

					
Geekiness
		
				

			 Carl Setzer		

			


	

		

I think it’s a high level of geekiness to know the difference between Linus from Peanuts, Linus Pauling, and Linus Torvalds. But that’s just me, I guess. 







			


    



			
				


 	

					
A desktop setup to consider
		
				

			 Carl Setzer		

			


	

		
			

				
			

		



I enjoy looking at desk setups. This one, though, really stands out to me. Now, I’ve been wanting an adjustable standing desk for a number of years, which is a key part of this layout. But the wood desktop and matching bookshelves? *chef’s kiss* I think this desk may be the same one. MAY be….I guess. 





And then there are the three monitors. THREE! My son has three and the notion is growing on me. 





I plan to upgrade my computer early next year. I may need to think about my office furniture, too. 


			


    



			
				


 	

					
How lost am I without my phone?
		
				

			 Carl Setzer4 Comments		

			


	

					

				antique broken cell phone communication
			

		

Oh, how lost would I be without my cell phone? Tis a question posed by Rory on his blog “A Guy Called Bloke” (hat tip to to Fandango, whose post is what I’m, ultimately, replying to).  





Ok, I am not “lost” without my phone. There have been a handful of times in the past few months where I have, deliberately, left my phone at  home. Ok, not exactly “deliberately”. I left home, realized my phone was on my desk and opted to not go back for it. For a quick run to a coffee shop, or grabbing dinner out somewhere, it’s fine. But, for me, most everything is on there. My shopping list is there. It’s a backup payment method. My camera is there. My notes. Maps/directions. My calendar. My Kindle app holds many of my books. And then, of course, is my ability to connect. Good luck trying to find a payphone anymore! My cell phone has taken the place of so very much of my old accoutrement, for which I’m grateful. 





In the end, I value having my phone with me. It’s a deliberate choice in many ways, and one I’m quite ok with. The only thing I’d say to someone who doesn’t feel the need to always have their phone with them: good luck finding a payphone if you need it.