Steve Downey
@sdowney.org
It's my fault "throw 💩;" is no longer valid C++. In penance, I worked to make optional<T&> happen.
Parody of a real software engineer and grown up.
Software engineer at Bloomberg LP
Views are my own
he/him
@[email protected]
Parody of a real software engineer and grown up.
Software engineer at Bloomberg LP
Views are my own
he/him
@[email protected]
Reposted by Steve Downey
A little bird told me there's a Part 2 to this storyline
Wondermark #1371; The Avian Informant (Part 2 of 2)
↩ Start from Part 1
Wondermark #1371; The Avian Informant (Part 2 of 2)
↩ Start from Part 1
![Apronni speaks further with the little bird, who is perched on his sill.
APRONNI: You’re really THE bird! The little bird who tells people things! WOW! I hear about you all the time! This is incredible!
BIRD (setting a straw hat jauntily upon his little bird head): Yeah, well, I got fifty thousand more tidbits to tell people before 9PM, so…
APRONNI: Is it — JUST you? ALWAYS? There isn’t a little bird corps? You’re THE little bird?
BIRD: I used to have a lizard and a raccoon helping me out too, but it muddled the brand.
[CUT AWAY TO: A new man, Cuthbert, addresses his coworker]
CUTHBERT: ’Morning, Jerbert! A weird raccoon told me your daughter’s about to graduate from kindergarten!
JERBERT: You are never to talk TO or OF my family EVER AGAIN
[BACK TO SCENE]
APRONNI: Sure, I can see that.
APRONNI: But WHY do you go around telling people things? What’s your angle?
BIRD: Right now I’m just building up a dedicated user base. I’ll probably pivot to a freemium model later](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:kihgsldesfdvdp7fi65m3m45/bafkreiei3yxkrq2uif26cp6l2yrnmuagbrb3opj2bxkaogxrlnmxlcalye@jpeg)
November 10, 2025 at 11:33 PM
A little bird told me there's a Part 2 to this storyline
Wondermark #1371; The Avian Informant (Part 2 of 2)
↩ Start from Part 1
Wondermark #1371; The Avian Informant (Part 2 of 2)
↩ Start from Part 1
Reposted by Steve Downey
pre-writing a devastating obituary for your enemy is god-tier hating of a kind you don’t often see anymore. renaissance haterism. beautiful stuff.
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers
James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.
www.statnews.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:55 AM
pre-writing a devastating obituary for your enemy is god-tier hating of a kind you don’t often see anymore. renaissance haterism. beautiful stuff.
If you are not sure if you have an ADHD or Autism spectrum disorder after reading through the DSM and the background research, and explain that all to the neuropsychologist, it turns out the only other checkbox is if all of the things that are "just normal" are affecting everyday activities.
November 8, 2025 at 5:28 AM
If you are not sure if you have an ADHD or Autism spectrum disorder after reading through the DSM and the background research, and explain that all to the neuropsychologist, it turns out the only other checkbox is if all of the things that are "just normal" are affecting everyday activities.
I set out to gamify my work with tools like test driven development and tight feed back loops, and play GitHub instead of Halo.
And have awesome TDD support systems and emacs integrations and gmake to drive the cmake that I almost don't hate, and soon I'll be ready to think about starting work.
And have awesome TDD support systems and emacs integrations and gmake to drive the cmake that I almost don't hate, and soon I'll be ready to think about starting work.
This is not a joke, neurotypical people get dopamine from task completion. Advice for them is all like "split up your to-do list to include some tasks that are more rewarding!"
Bitch please, there is no such thing as an intrinsically rewarding task in this brain
Bitch please, there is no such thing as an intrinsically rewarding task in this brain
November 8, 2025 at 5:11 AM
I set out to gamify my work with tools like test driven development and tight feed back loops, and play GitHub instead of Halo.
And have awesome TDD support systems and emacs integrations and gmake to drive the cmake that I almost don't hate, and soon I'll be ready to think about starting work.
And have awesome TDD support systems and emacs integrations and gmake to drive the cmake that I almost don't hate, and soon I'll be ready to think about starting work.
Bell curve meme:
Frankenstein is the monster
Nooooo, Frankenstein made the monster!!!!
Frankenstein is the monster.
Frankenstein is the monster
Nooooo, Frankenstein made the monster!!!!
Frankenstein is the monster.
I'm losing my mind over how many reviewers are like "GDT's Frankenstein makes you wonder who the real monster is." THAT'S THE STORY! That's the story Shelley wrote!
November 8, 2025 at 4:46 AM
Bell curve meme:
Frankenstein is the monster
Nooooo, Frankenstein made the monster!!!!
Frankenstein is the monster.
Frankenstein is the monster
Nooooo, Frankenstein made the monster!!!!
Frankenstein is the monster.
Reposted by Steve Downey
If you never watched old Italian horror movies, you have no idea just how hard the soundtracks went.
This is a movie about a writer being stalked by a killer. I want you to imagine what the theme is gonna sound like. Got an idea in your head? Imagine it before pressing play.
This is a movie about a writer being stalked by a killer. I want you to imagine what the theme is gonna sound like. Got an idea in your head? Imagine it before pressing play.
Tenebrae
YouTube video by Claudio Simonetti - Topic
www.youtube.com
November 8, 2025 at 1:55 AM
If you never watched old Italian horror movies, you have no idea just how hard the soundtracks went.
This is a movie about a writer being stalked by a killer. I want you to imagine what the theme is gonna sound like. Got an idea in your head? Imagine it before pressing play.
This is a movie about a writer being stalked by a killer. I want you to imagine what the theme is gonna sound like. Got an idea in your head? Imagine it before pressing play.
Reposted by Steve Downey
"She was an equal player."
November 7, 2025 at 9:26 PM
"She was an equal player."
Reposted by Steve Downey
November 7, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Reposted by Steve Downey
Discworld QOTD, from The Fifth Elephant
"‘I don’t know how to do officering.’
‘No one knows how to do officering, Fred. That’s why they’re officers. If they knew anything, they’d be sergeants.’"
"‘I don’t know how to do officering.’
‘No one knows how to do officering, Fred. That’s why they’re officers. If they knew anything, they’d be sergeants.’"
Discworld QOTD, from Carpe Jugulum
“Am I dyin’?’
YES.
‘Will I die?’
YES.
Granny Weatherwax thought this over. ‘But from your point of view, everyone is dying and everyone will die, right?’
YES.
‘So you aren’t actually bein’ a lot of help, strictly speakin’.’”
“Am I dyin’?’
YES.
‘Will I die?’
YES.
Granny Weatherwax thought this over. ‘But from your point of view, everyone is dying and everyone will die, right?’
YES.
‘So you aren’t actually bein’ a lot of help, strictly speakin’.’”
Discworld QOTD, from Witches Abroad
"‘Will she live happily ever after?’ he said.
NOT FOREVER. BUT PERHAPS FOR LONG ENOUGH."
"‘Will she live happily ever after?’ he said.
NOT FOREVER. BUT PERHAPS FOR LONG ENOUGH."
November 7, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Discworld QOTD, from The Fifth Elephant
"‘I don’t know how to do officering.’
‘No one knows how to do officering, Fred. That’s why they’re officers. If they knew anything, they’d be sergeants.’"
"‘I don’t know how to do officering.’
‘No one knows how to do officering, Fred. That’s why they’re officers. If they knew anything, they’d be sergeants.’"
Reposted by Steve Downey
A bunch of folks at Oxide uncovered a tricky deadlock associated with async Rust (yes, another!), so--of [email protected] and I got the crew together to discuss. If you're writing async Rust, you'll want to know how to avoid and diagnose "Futurelock"
Oxide and Friends 11/3/2025 -- Futurelock
YouTube video by Oxide Computer Company
www.youtube.com
November 6, 2025 at 3:20 PM
A bunch of folks at Oxide uncovered a tricky deadlock associated with async Rust (yes, another!), so--of [email protected] and I got the crew together to discuss. If you're writing async Rust, you'll want to know how to avoid and diagnose "Futurelock"
Reposted by Steve Downey
the thing in medieval confessional manuals about being careful not to accidentally introduce your parishioners to ways of sinning they had never yet considered. like that.
good morning specifically to the FBI agent who introduced Mamdani’s dad to Marx
November 5, 2025 at 5:38 PM
the thing in medieval confessional manuals about being careful not to accidentally introduce your parishioners to ways of sinning they had never yet considered. like that.
Reposted by Steve Downey
Don't cross a picket line.
BREAKING: After months of stonewalling by Starbucks, unionized baristas just voted 92% to authorize a ULP strike unless Starbucks finalizes fair contracts & stops union busting.
If forced, our baristas will strike in dozens of cities on November 13 – the company's busiest sales day of the year.
If forced, our baristas will strike in dozens of cities on November 13 – the company's busiest sales day of the year.
Starbucks unionized workers say they'll strike on Nov. 13 if coffee giant doesn't finalize contract
Union members say they are ready to strike on the chain's Red Cup Day if Starbucks doesn't finalize a contract with their union by then.
www.cbsnews.com
November 5, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Don't cross a picket line.
Reposted by Steve Downey
Important to note that had Sliwa dropped out, Cuomo… still would have lost
Mamdani cracks 1M votes, the first NYC mayor to do so since John Lindsay in 1969
November 5, 2025 at 3:38 AM
Important to note that had Sliwa dropped out, Cuomo… still would have lost
Reposted by Steve Downey
Anyway, we need some joy, so here's the Egyptian foreign minister being given a Lego Pyramid by the Danish foreign minister.
November 3, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Anyway, we need some joy, so here's the Egyptian foreign minister being given a Lego Pyramid by the Danish foreign minister.
Reposted by Steve Downey
Dick Van Dyke has OUTLIVED Dick Cheney
November 4, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Dick Van Dyke has OUTLIVED Dick Cheney
Reposted by Steve Downey
OMG, all the people who don't already have this book should immediately buy it
UK folks, THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR is a monthly Kindle deal for November: just 99p! Often this sort of deal leads to price-matching at other online retailers, too. Happy reading!
November 3, 2025 at 11:37 PM
OMG, all the people who don't already have this book should immediately buy it
"Louvre" not "louvre".
Since a cap has been enough for me to lock myself out, this is obviously very secure.
"Louvre1793" would have been better, of course.
Since a cap has been enough for me to lock myself out, this is obviously very secure.
"Louvre1793" would have been better, of course.
November 3, 2025 at 10:10 PM
"Louvre" not "louvre".
Since a cap has been enough for me to lock myself out, this is obviously very secure.
"Louvre1793" would have been better, of course.
Since a cap has been enough for me to lock myself out, this is obviously very secure.
"Louvre1793" would have been better, of course.
Reposted by Steve Downey
"You can't justify a bridge by the number of people swimming across a river."
Urbanist Brent Toderian
Urbanist Brent Toderian
November 3, 2025 at 6:33 AM
"You can't justify a bridge by the number of people swimming across a river."
Urbanist Brent Toderian
Urbanist Brent Toderian
We shouldn't add this feature because no one uses it today is not quite as compelling an argument as some think.
November 3, 2025 at 4:33 AM
We shouldn't add this feature because no one uses it today is not quite as compelling an argument as some think.
Reposted by Steve Downey
This doesn't apply. If customers aren't paying with SNAP (which obv they can't right now), then they aren't offering discounts to SNAP-paying customers, they are offering discounts to SNAP-eligible customers.
Fuck this regime.
Fuck this regime.
November 2, 2025 at 8:39 PM
This doesn't apply. If customers aren't paying with SNAP (which obv they can't right now), then they aren't offering discounts to SNAP-paying customers, they are offering discounts to SNAP-eligible customers.
Fuck this regime.
Fuck this regime.
Reposted by Steve Downey
Vacations are cool. But have you ever stayed home in your pajamas and not spoken to anyone for a week?
November 2, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Vacations are cool. But have you ever stayed home in your pajamas and not spoken to anyone for a week?
Reposted by Steve Downey
only a tech guy could miss the point this much
November 1, 2025 at 2:25 PM
only a tech guy could miss the point this much
It is worthwhile, as an adult, relearning consciously some basics you are doing less well than you could be that are probably actually hurting you.
Writing and keyboarding are both important and doing them poorly is an RSI risk.
Writing and keyboarding are both important and doing them poorly is an RSI risk.
Also finally wrote up the “Are you sure you wanna dabble in fountain pens? Let’s talk the physicality of writing first“ thing that’s been knocking around in my head since I realized that people who break mechanical pencil lead with pressure need some special thought.
Captcha Check
czedwards.dreamwidth.org
November 1, 2025 at 12:29 PM
It is worthwhile, as an adult, relearning consciously some basics you are doing less well than you could be that are probably actually hurting you.
Writing and keyboarding are both important and doing them poorly is an RSI risk.
Writing and keyboarding are both important and doing them poorly is an RSI risk.