Val Trullinger

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It’s amazing how far walking to Mordor is.

You look serious, but I wouldn’t say you went wrong. You’re hard on yourself. :)

Yf tech billionaires reallye reade their Tolkien thei wolde understande that it was the obsessive searche by Sauron for selfish immortalitye, individual power, vain conquest, hoarded wealth, and exploitation of othirs that above all else broughte disaster to Middle Earthe.

It’s so great, isn’t it? I used a clip from that video a couple of years ago in a presentation describing some of my committee work.

I don’t know why I thought the game started at noon. I was so very wrong.

A view of a very long line of exasperated people in a grocery store, seen from behind.

Made the colossal mistake of going to the grocery store before the Super Bowl, not during the game.

It was like the day before Thanksgiving in there.

Having been both attractive and unattractive, it messes with your head when the same people treat you drastically differently.

Just treat everyone with respect and decency, regardless of whether or not you want to put your hands down their pants. It’s not difficult!

Make it one from Philippe’s, and I’m with you.

Ugh. What a jarring and unnerving thing to discover.

John Wilkes Booth is my 11th cousin, five times removed.

Only read 37 of them.

This song sounds like it was made for the Heavy Metal movie, but didn’t make the cut.

So your Sekrit Fortress is underway, now, right?

Oof.

Porterhouse, definitely.

Me, on my couch in my glittery robe, with bookcases behind.

Why yes, I AM going to spend the day on my couch in my glittery robe. Because what else is vacation for?

It also granted you the newspaper power to meet deadlines!

If I haven’t already recommended McGrane’s book, “The Un-TV and the 10 mph Car,” I think you’d enjoy it. Looking closely at one’s relationship with media is one of the chapters of the book.

a.co/d/1iSbhS4

New mesh network update: it’s up and running, and over the last two days, every device has been added to the IoT network… except for one holdout. My smart scale, which I named Ma’at.

I’m the only one who finds this funny.

Boxing Day tech support, as is traditional. About to set up a new mesh network, but haven’t finished my first cup of coffee. (Aka First Coffee™ )

Living dangerously over here.

My best guess when this happens is I angered some minor deity while dreaming.

Please don’t let them slip specific fonts into the latest ADA ruling. My job is hard enough. www.ada.gov/resources/we...

Do higher ed web managers in the UK also have the unofficial agenda item of comparing favorite antacids? Without fail, it comes up in my meetings with other university web folks. Someone takes their antacid during the meeting, and then the debate starts.

Oh man, haven’t played Talisman in forever. Good times!

It is *hilarious* when people try these with me. It’s like the opening scenes of Cyrano.

I was trying to explain how my job is going to a friend on Saturday night. This pretty much sums it up, right down to the self-funded conference.

It totally would be handy to be bowlegged! Or short and slender from lack of protein in childhood to fit into the small hammocks and climb the rigging. Or not whack your head on beams fifteen times an hour.

And those ceilings are LOW — I cracked my head on most of them.

I once spent a glorious foggy afternoon with that very ship all to myself at the San Diego Maritime Museum, taking reference photos. Exploring the ship and having that context improved the film for me. (Though maybe not for anyone watching with me who has to listen to me excitedly explain.)