Rob Lion
@rnlion.bsky.social
Mechanical engineer building particle accelerators, formerly quantum computers. Technology and infrastructure history; reverse engineering. Cats. He/him.
Also @rnlion@Twitter and @[email protected]
Also @rnlion@Twitter and @[email protected]
Reposted by Rob Lion
KIRO 7 ran an article and two TV pieces on the theft of a box truck full of arcade PCBs, artwork, and machines from my workplace yesterday. If anyone in the Seattle area sees someone offloading a ton of CPS2/NAOMI/Neo Geo PCBs, stuff of that nature, please reach out.
www.kiro7.com/news/local/g...
www.kiro7.com/news/local/g...
GAME OVER: $25k+ of tech stolen from Kent arcade
Tens of thousands of dollars worth of vintage video game equipment was stolen from a Kent arcade this week.
www.kiro7.com
November 15, 2025 at 2:32 AM
KIRO 7 ran an article and two TV pieces on the theft of a box truck full of arcade PCBs, artwork, and machines from my workplace yesterday. If anyone in the Seattle area sees someone offloading a ton of CPS2/NAOMI/Neo Geo PCBs, stuff of that nature, please reach out.
www.kiro7.com/news/local/g...
www.kiro7.com/news/local/g...
Reposted by Rob Lion
thrilled to report that if Pope Leo is ever canonized as a saint, his jerseys will indeed become second-degree relics, and I unironically hope I live to see this
Omg wait @clairewillett.bsky.social are all of the Pope’s jerseys relics now????
He's the sports jersey pope now. 1000 years from now historians will be going through the Vatican archives trying to figure out who the Charlotte Hornets were.
November 16, 2025 at 5:17 AM
thrilled to report that if Pope Leo is ever canonized as a saint, his jerseys will indeed become second-degree relics, and I unironically hope I live to see this
Reposted by Rob Lion
man we gotta bring back traffic cops; apparently many people are incapable of good behavior without the threat of punishment. whatever harms you think are caused by traffic stops are far outweighed by the proliferation of dangerous and antisocial behavior among the pilots of multi-ton deathmachines.
November 16, 2025 at 12:40 AM
man we gotta bring back traffic cops; apparently many people are incapable of good behavior without the threat of punishment. whatever harms you think are caused by traffic stops are far outweighed by the proliferation of dangerous and antisocial behavior among the pilots of multi-ton deathmachines.
Reposted by Rob Lion
Ethics aside it has always been politically stupid for Newsom to try and reposition himself as a moderate, thereby alienating the progressive wing (maybe even on purpose), because he’s running as Gavin Newsom, Supercommie whether he likes it or not
November 15, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Ethics aside it has always been politically stupid for Newsom to try and reposition himself as a moderate, thereby alienating the progressive wing (maybe even on purpose), because he’s running as Gavin Newsom, Supercommie whether he likes it or not
Reposted by Rob Lion
Organizers told me that at least 7 faith leaders were among those arrested on Friday.
In a statement posted on X, DHS referred to demonstrators as "imbeciles" who need to "get a job."
One pastor told me "this is our job," adding, "to advocate for the oppressed. religionnews.com/2025/11/15/a...
In a statement posted on X, DHS referred to demonstrators as "imbeciles" who need to "get a job."
One pastor told me "this is our job," adding, "to advocate for the oppressed. religionnews.com/2025/11/15/a...
At least seven faith leaders arrested at Broadview ICE facility protest
(RNS) — 'I've got bruises all over my body,' the Rev. Michael Woolf, who was thrown to the ground and arrested by police, told RNS.
religionnews.com
November 15, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Organizers told me that at least 7 faith leaders were among those arrested on Friday.
In a statement posted on X, DHS referred to demonstrators as "imbeciles" who need to "get a job."
One pastor told me "this is our job," adding, "to advocate for the oppressed. religionnews.com/2025/11/15/a...
In a statement posted on X, DHS referred to demonstrators as "imbeciles" who need to "get a job."
One pastor told me "this is our job," adding, "to advocate for the oppressed. religionnews.com/2025/11/15/a...
Reposted by Rob Lion
Genuinely insane remote included with my LED matrix panel
November 15, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Genuinely insane remote included with my LED matrix panel
Reposted by Rob Lion
A lot of education discourse is at root an inability to decide whether the purpose of our education system is to 1) teach material and measure learning 2) reward students who work hard 3) separate the smart kids (destined for smart guy jobs) from the dumb kids (destined to serve the smart guys)
November 15, 2025 at 5:52 PM
A lot of education discourse is at root an inability to decide whether the purpose of our education system is to 1) teach material and measure learning 2) reward students who work hard 3) separate the smart kids (destined for smart guy jobs) from the dumb kids (destined to serve the smart guys)
Reposted by Rob Lion
If you need me, tap me on the shoulder. I’ll be happily working all day listening to this on a loop.
November 13, 2025 at 1:49 PM
If you need me, tap me on the shoulder. I’ll be happily working all day listening to this on a loop.
Reposted by Rob Lion
the entire internet was structured like a whalefall ecosystem around zero interest rate policy funny money for so long and now they have to hunt shrimp to get the money they expect to get for basic services
November 15, 2025 at 8:59 PM
the entire internet was structured like a whalefall ecosystem around zero interest rate policy funny money for so long and now they have to hunt shrimp to get the money they expect to get for basic services
Reposted by Rob Lion
you know, i keep building infrastructure like i have some sort of a curse on me. and i keep hoping that someone, somewhere, would do this already so i don't have to
November 15, 2025 at 8:50 PM
you know, i keep building infrastructure like i have some sort of a curse on me. and i keep hoping that someone, somewhere, would do this already so i don't have to
Reposted by Rob Lion
Reposted by Rob Lion
I absolutely cannot speak for Apple, but, for us, the transition to online+digital tore out the people and practices that would have internalized and taught that material. Rapidly followed by move fast and break things, when it was very hard to hold on to rules without being heard as a curmudgeon.
July 22, 2025 at 9:11 PM
I absolutely cannot speak for Apple, but, for us, the transition to online+digital tore out the people and practices that would have internalized and taught that material. Rapidly followed by move fast and break things, when it was very hard to hold on to rules without being heard as a curmudgeon.
Reposted by Rob Lion
A few years ago they moved their technical documentation team to the spaceship, to an office that had NO bookshelves. They posted on Slack that their entire library was basically up for grabs.
I got an autographed copy of Ted Nelson’s Possiplex out of it, among other treasures.
I got an autographed copy of Ted Nelson’s Possiplex out of it, among other treasures.
July 22, 2025 at 8:37 PM
A few years ago they moved their technical documentation team to the spaceship, to an office that had NO bookshelves. They posted on Slack that their entire library was basically up for grabs.
I got an autographed copy of Ted Nelson’s Possiplex out of it, among other treasures.
I got an autographed copy of Ted Nelson’s Possiplex out of it, among other treasures.
Reposted by Rob Lion
apple literally wrote one of the best books on interface design (the HIG) and they clearly don’t even look at it any more
it was full of original research, done by apple, which they clearly don’t do any more
it was full of original research, done by apple, which they clearly don’t do any more
July 22, 2025 at 5:42 PM
apple literally wrote one of the best books on interface design (the HIG) and they clearly don’t even look at it any more
it was full of original research, done by apple, which they clearly don’t do any more
it was full of original research, done by apple, which they clearly don’t do any more
Reposted by Rob Lion
seems like in design, too, there’s no grounding any more, or sense of what came before and why — everything’s superficial, take it as it comes, even at, say, apple
apple who’s trying to retread “transparent material” for the THIRD TIME and failing at basic UI conventions and losing functionality
apple who’s trying to retread “transparent material” for the THIRD TIME and failing at basic UI conventions and losing functionality
July 22, 2025 at 5:40 PM
seems like in design, too, there’s no grounding any more, or sense of what came before and why — everything’s superficial, take it as it comes, even at, say, apple
apple who’s trying to retread “transparent material” for the THIRD TIME and failing at basic UI conventions and losing functionality
apple who’s trying to retread “transparent material” for the THIRD TIME and failing at basic UI conventions and losing functionality
Reposted by Rob Lion
@mle.bsky.social tasked me with attempting to produce some 'wild clay' after I asked for more details on how it was done.
- fair -
This is all going down on mastadon, but I thought I'd share.
Instructions were as follows:
- fair -
This is all going down on mastadon, but I thought I'd share.
Instructions were as follows:
November 15, 2025 at 9:03 PM
@mle.bsky.social tasked me with attempting to produce some 'wild clay' after I asked for more details on how it was done.
- fair -
This is all going down on mastadon, but I thought I'd share.
Instructions were as follows:
- fair -
This is all going down on mastadon, but I thought I'd share.
Instructions were as follows:
Reposted by Rob Lion
but like my god, in peace or war, research and science is a huge force multiplier and it's just so telling that they didn't absorb the actual lessons of WW2, just how cool various people were
November 15, 2025 at 8:58 PM
but like my god, in peace or war, research and science is a huge force multiplier and it's just so telling that they didn't absorb the actual lessons of WW2, just how cool various people were
Reposted by Rob Lion
the Liberty Ships, where in the end the shipyards were churning out like one merchant ship every six hours, happened mostly because Kaiser had never built a ship before, but brought breakthroughs from other fields that hadn't yet made it to shipbuiling.
November 15, 2025 at 8:56 PM
the Liberty Ships, where in the end the shipyards were churning out like one merchant ship every six hours, happened mostly because Kaiser had never built a ship before, but brought breakthroughs from other fields that hadn't yet made it to shipbuiling.
Reposted by Rob Lion
republicans believe poor people deserve to suffer because they're lazy and weak, whereas the democrats have a much lengthier explanation
November 15, 2025 at 10:34 AM
republicans believe poor people deserve to suffer because they're lazy and weak, whereas the democrats have a much lengthier explanation
Reposted by Rob Lion
As we speedrun toward a future that leaves food safety to chance, re-live the national crisis that was the cranberryless Thanksgiving of 1959.
Cranberry scare of 1959 - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
November 15, 2025 at 6:29 PM
As we speedrun toward a future that leaves food safety to chance, re-live the national crisis that was the cranberryless Thanksgiving of 1959.
Reposted by Rob Lion
You may notice that this film has a papery texture. That is because it only exists on paper.
Before film copyright was settled, studios would deposit reels of paper with each frame printed on them for registration. The Library of Congress kept them and later transferred them back to film.
Before film copyright was settled, studios would deposit reels of paper with each frame printed on them for registration. The Library of Congress kept them and later transferred them back to film.
November 15, 2025 at 6:32 PM
You may notice that this film has a papery texture. That is because it only exists on paper.
Before film copyright was settled, studios would deposit reels of paper with each frame printed on them for registration. The Library of Congress kept them and later transferred them back to film.
Before film copyright was settled, studios would deposit reels of paper with each frame printed on them for registration. The Library of Congress kept them and later transferred them back to film.
Reposted by Rob Lion
to drop the kayfabe, the epstein emails are so horrifying and the participants so ghoulishly open and celebratory about raping children that i don’t know how to grapple with it
they’re not hiding it. they consider what they’re doing so easy, the young women so disposable. it’s a big joke to them.
they’re not hiding it. they consider what they’re doing so easy, the young women so disposable. it’s a big joke to them.
November 15, 2025 at 3:23 PM
to drop the kayfabe, the epstein emails are so horrifying and the participants so ghoulishly open and celebratory about raping children that i don’t know how to grapple with it
they’re not hiding it. they consider what they’re doing so easy, the young women so disposable. it’s a big joke to them.
they’re not hiding it. they consider what they’re doing so easy, the young women so disposable. it’s a big joke to them.
Reposted by Rob Lion
Code red
November 15, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Code red
Reposted by Rob Lion
Like, I just think we undervalue being an earnest nutjob on behalf of conversation, you know?
November 15, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Like, I just think we undervalue being an earnest nutjob on behalf of conversation, you know?
Reposted by Rob Lion
Just had a very amusing mental image of smart car technicals routing cybertrucks in an urban setting.
November 15, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Just had a very amusing mental image of smart car technicals routing cybertrucks in an urban setting.