skoo.bz

Thu, 22 Feb 2024 17:20:30 -0600

AirPods Pro come in handy when you’re trying to hear the TV while running the dishwasher.

Thu, 22 Feb 2024 14:20:30 -0600

Micro.blog’s simplified pricing really does simplify things for me. I have a second blog on the service, which is now included in my premium plan, saving me $5 a month and giving premium features to that blog as well. Best part is the subscription change was made for me.

Sun, 18 Feb 2024 10:13:56 -0600

So, I turned off iCloud Private Relay and my internet speed increased by 5x.

Sat, 17 Feb 2024 21:37:21 -0600

I’m way past over watching bench players in the dunk contest.

Sat, 17 Feb 2024 19:20:50 -0600

This NBA All-Star Saturday Night court is trippy. 🏀

Red Clay Chronicles: Raw Power

Sat, 17 Feb 2024 12:15:26 -0600

I’m watching the Marty & McGee show on SEC Network this morning, where they’re set up at the Daytona International Speedway in preparation for tomorrow’s Daytona 500. All during the broadcast, the United States Air Force’s Thunderbirds demonstration squad is practicing overhead. Upon every pass, you hear the roar of the engines, all while Marty Smith ducks for cover and Ryan McGee giggles with joy.

Hearing the roar of jet engines will always bring back memories of growing up in Pensacola, Florida. Pensacola is the home of the US Navy’s Blue Angels flight demonstration squad. The Blues are as much a part of the fabric of that city as humidity and gulf shrimp. Every Fourth of July weekend, the Blues will put on one of a few official shows of their nationwide tour along Pensacola Beach.

Every Tuesday morning, the Blue Angels run practices at their base on the Pensacola Naval Air Station. You can go on base and watch the practice for free, if you’re ever in the area, in which a trip inside the Naval Air Museum next door is worth a stop. For a few extra bucks, you can go to the top of the Pensacola Lighthouse across the street to watch the Blues buzz the tower a few times. Just bring extra underwear.

During my last trip down there, I took in one of these practices with my family and took one of my favorite photos ever. They were doing the thing they do when they come over the top of you, and I aimed straight above me and caught them perfectly in the frame. Right place, right time. The photo is below. I really should frame this someday.

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 19:07:06 -0600

Of course Caitlin Clark breaks the NCAA women’s basketball scoring record with a three from damn near 35 feet out.

Congrats, Caitlin! 🏀

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 18:18:26 -0600

I’m giving my Lock Screen a try with no widgets since I have widgets just a swipe away.

Safe for Work

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 09:58:52 -0600

I’ve been doing a lot of earlier morning shifts, typically starting at 6 AM, as of late. This is because I’ve been doing truck unloads in our receiving area. Due to being short-handed lately, there’s been a couple of mornings where I was asked to work at 5:30 instead. Usually, the first lead in picks the music for the unloading process. Here’s the thing with me: a lot of my music cusses just about as much as I do. I could throw my personal Apple Music station on. But, I have no clue what it’ll play next. One minute it’s a wholesome Luther Vandross track and the next minute it’s “Back That Ass Up”.

So, we’ve worked these trucks in silence until one of my bosses gets sick of just the sound of the cylinders of the unloading track spinning and throws something on of their own. This has led me to trying to create my own playlists for work. This is hard. OK, with most alt-rock, it’s not that bad. Only a small handful of the songs on the alternative side of my playlist have that little “E” next to them for “explicit”. With Black music, this is much more difficult. Hip-Hop has always been a genre that’s pushed for authenticity, so, artist talk how they talk all the time. It’s honestly part of what’s made it the biggest genre of the last 20+ years. It also makes it really challenging to make a playlist that won’t offend the older folks I work with or maybe the random customer that walk near our back room.

R&B in the same timeframe has picked up a lot of influence from Hip-Hop as well, so, the same problem exists. I love Jhene Aiko, but, I could never play “Pussy Fairy” at work. Combine this with the general feeling I have that R&B has gotten more laid back, most new tracks don’t make the cut for this playlist because I need to keep people awake at 6AM. I just struggle with this a little because it limits what I can add further and makes my playlist feel a bit dated. I mean, I do like some new music.

But, I have dug in. I initially started with one playlist that I was throwing everything into. But, I’ve recently started a couple of genre-specific playlists for alternative & R&B. This is mostly because Apple Music’s song suggestions algorithm at the bottom of every playlist tends to lean hard in one direction or another. So, while I might be thinking of adding one genre to balance things out, it continuously leans towards another genre. Due to the complications I’ve mentioned above, I currently have an alt-rock playlist with 50 more songs than my R&B playlist. I never expected this to be this hard.

I’m reminded of the song “Cars” by Gary Numan with the line “here in my car, I feel safest of all”. And I can play “Back That Ass Up” anytime I want to.

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 15:59:29 -0600

Maybe the NFL is powerful enough to finally get some firearm legislation on the freaking table.

Sat, 10 Feb 2024 06:33:41 -0600

I’m thinking about a pre-dawn walk. But, I’m also hoping for no run-ins with any possums.

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 16:57:45 -0600

I’ve recently discovered Ethan Chlebowski’s YouTube channel, which is full of cooking tips, ways to replicate fast food meals in a more sensible way, among other things. I feel like YouTube has been reading my mind in wanting to cook at home more.

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 16:27:59 -0600

Here’s a quick observation I just made: I can do my morning/afternoon check of Facebook and Instagram in about the time it takes me to brew coffee with my AeroPress. That’s about two minutes and 30 seconds. I’ve tagged my closest friends as favorites, which both sites made accessible in a couple of clicks. There’s not usually too much to look at, a half dozen posts max. I’m quickly in and out and I have coffee at the end.

Thu, 08 Feb 2024 18:07:04 -0600

Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev has successful surgery | Tampa Bay Lightning

I saw the play Sergachev was injured on last night. I knew his ankle went the wrong way. I’m thankful I didn’t pick up on what happened to the rest of his leg.

Thu, 08 Feb 2024 16:51:10 -0600

We have a phrase at work that says “we don’t chase metrics, we chase processes”. That’s to say, if you do things correctly, the metrics will fall in line. Everything becomes streamlined for both the workers and the customers, and by a result, profits come. This is how I look at the difference between Apple in the Jobs Era and in the Cook Era. It’s obvious to me Cook wants to profit off everything. But, in the Jobs era, the experience of the product mattered over everything, which led to profits.

Thu, 08 Feb 2024 15:57:26 -0600

The Orlando Magic did nothing at the trade deadline. I’m totally ok with that.

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 19:34:25 -0600

I’m thinking I’ll just leave my BlueSky invite codes on my omg.lol page just to see who gets confused about where to enter them.

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 17:49:08 -0600

Something tells me US Cellular Field will never host a Winter Classic.

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 18:23:53 -0600

Minimalizing things a little bit. 📱

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 09:39:29 -0600

I’m planning on making gumbo today. So, of course the day I’ll have to spend an hour making a roux is the day I have a back spasm. It’s carnival season. I have to grind through it.

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 07:59:10 -0600

I’m for truth, no matter who tells it. I’m for justice, no matter who it is for or against. I’m a human being first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole."
– Malcolm X

Pretty much my politics in a nutshell.

Sun, 04 Feb 2024 17:51:23 -0600

2024 Grammys: Killer Mike Wins Best Rap Album, Song, and Performance | Pitchfork

I am incredibly happy about this.

Sun, 04 Feb 2024 17:39:02 -0600

I just discovered Florida has a Bellview and a Belleview. I went to middle school in the former.

Sun, 04 Feb 2024 16:13:00 -0600

I really love the Pro Bowl Games! 🏈

Sat, 03 Feb 2024 06:32:08 -0600

My new obsession is custom ballparks in MLB the Show. ⚾️