Details of how I got the high-sensitivity scale working: #electronics

Read: "Unexploded Remnants" (Elaine Gallagher). The last living human stumbles on a superweapon containing an uploaded sapient mind, and must run a race across the galaxy trying to "defuse" it/him before power-hungry enemies catch up. #AmReading #books

I'm fresh out of op-amps, but since the binary on-off nature of my photodetector doesn't permit proportional control, I technically don't need one. I hooked up the simplest feedback circuit I could (using the phototransistor to toggle between a few mV and ground) and it worked out! #electronics

It WORKED - for a few minutes. I had the needle oscillating around an equilibrium point and generating a PWM voltage as the phototransistor clicked on and off. I could drop a little carpet fuzz on it and see the avg voltage change. Then the op-amp mysteriously died :(

Tentacle monster is done. Time to paint some chicken men. #miniaturespainting #nerdlings #archvillaingames

In this developer diary I revisit the Episodic Memory system and figure out how to observe its results so I can actually debug the thing ... #ArtificialInteligence #AI #NLP #SymbolicAI #chatbots

Boosty portrait for Amphispiza ✨ #art #furry #furryart #commsopen

Mirror's Edge. It was supposed to be a thrilling free-flowing parkour adventure; it turned into a desperate slog as I tried each sequence over and over and over until I somehow got it. Very much a Skill Issue for me, but with so many other games in my To Play I couldn't invest the time to master it.

They are coming

Recent work on Acuitas includes the slightly awkward debut of what I call the "self-teaching activity." The gist is that I want Acuitas to look for his own new reading material. Read about it here: writerofminds.blogspot.com/2026/02/acui... #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #chatbot #symbolicAI #NLP

I haven't had the spare energy to chatter on social media much lately, but I've still got lots of projects moving ahead. Here's the mount and circuit prototype for the high-precision scale.

Roses are red, violets are blue, UNNIIC is empty without you? #HappyValentinesDay

The new cat's propensity for climbing on all my shelves and messing with stuff is finally forcing me to declutter, lol

Want to try PCTG on the cheap? Here's your chance, but you need to act now. slantpod.com/so/42Pn8j9Ew...

I am reprinting a lampshade that I designed almost 8 years ago. This time I printed both pieces in PETG with a 0.8mm nozzle. The first time, the clear was printed in PLA and at 0.4mm. The green PETG was still wet despite drying it, so I will need to reprint it.

I wish filing your taxes early would make all the tax preparer ads go away - the way voting early stops some political robocalls.

this is a gyrobifastigium appreciation post, look at this funky little dude!

This month's Acuitas diary features expanded work on conjunction group parsing, including a bit of nitty-gritty on text parser data structures and design choices. #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #SymbolicAI #NLP #chabots

Read: "The Infinite and the Divine" (Robert Rath). My friends are making me read 40K books again, and I'm gonna be hard on this one. No disrespect to the author's skill, he did a good job writing this *thing.* But it's definitely not my thing. #AmReading #books

Not long until the Lunar New Year festivities begin. 2026 is The Year of the Horse and this year I thought I'd combine a quilling style with my signature strings. The design prints without supports and can be printed on a single colour printer.😊 stls and 3mf: makerworld.com/en/models/22...

Ripping off an awesome peanut butter vegan ramen i had in Waikiki

Exciting news - my short story "Roots' Remembrance" is on contract to appear in a future issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact! I'm not clear on the date yet but looks like it could be this year's May/June issue.

⟡A couple of pet portraits⟡

These two are going to have a problem #startrek

New long-form book review: "Autonomous" by Annalee Newitz. On the whole I don't recommend this one, but it's fun to consider how well its perspective on AI holds up. writerofminds.blogspot.com/2026/01/book... #AI #books #amReading

Read: "Wool" (Hugh Howey). This was a re-read, and it felt just as good this time as it did many years ago. Howey builds a superb thriller out of the bizarre social dynamics of a society confined to an underground bunker.

Had some of the last of my hot chocolate that I was saving, so I'm all set for a wild night. Happy new year, all!

This year I accomplished a lot, and it was exhausting. Join me as I appreciate what I was able to do and reassess my time management: #AI #robotics #writingcommunity

Last Acuitas diary blog of the year! Featuring a miscellany of little quirks I worked out, refactoring, and unfinished business. #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #SymbolicAI #NLP #chatbots

Looking for a fun holiday project? How about try making yourself a cuckoo clock? I did, and it was a totally fun learning experience! Commercial licence available even!

The December release from Battle Yak Miniatures is available now: the Dogu'Shan Conquerors! See everything the release offers here: patreon.com/posts/144882... #3dprinting #miniatures #fantasy #eldritch #horror #scifi #tabletopgaming #dnd #warhammer #wargaming #TTRPG #foodog #doggo

This month, I worked out how to tell Acuitas the simplest detective story I could think of. #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #chatbots #NLP #SymbolicAI

Big long painting. Thinking I'll keep this for myself because it's got all the local animals that represent parts of myself... I still mess with it as it hangs on my wall and I stare at it every day. Has an iPhone, takes horrible pictures. Amazing. #painting #acrylic #traditionalart #animal #art

Caturday seems like a good time to introduce Gwydion, my gift from the Cat Distribution System. I took him in on Wednesday and have confirmed with the neighbors that he's a stray who gets fed at several houses. I've been rather distracted by seeing to his needs since.

Christmas presents complete! This is a seven-letter build of Cees' Cryptex (www.printables.com/model/28937-...). Tougher than I expected (a little elephant foot will throw off the letter wheel/encoder tolerances), but amazing once I got it right. #3dPrinting

I finally review the other Steve Grand book, "Creation," which is about how he made his video game Creatures. Unlike Lucy, this project got finished, so it's more resolved and less speculative. The book still ends up in very philosophical territory. #books #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #ArtificialLife

I took apart an old tachometer and got the needle movement I wanted for the high-precision scale. It's a delicate little device.

Wild Bees USA/CAN 3D Printing Fundraiser Wild Bees USA/CAN is fundraising to support 3D Printing right in Ukraine. 100% of all donations go directly to the owner of the print farm. Donate here: wildbees.us?page_id=2771

I love it when people make my designs, I love it so much. This looks like a beautiful print too. #3dPrinting www.thingiverse.com/make:1243487

Finished early, a little Christmas gift for my adopted brother, as a tribute to one of his old cars. (He is not on this site and won't see it.) Model is "Foldable Pontiac Firebird Trans AM 1982" by GOODesign on Fab365, printed and painted by me. #3dPrinting

Carrot harvest round 2! I got a full five pounds this time. They couldn't get long because the bed wasn't very deep, so some of them decided to get *wide* ahahaha #gardening 🌱

In Acuitas news, I dust off episodic memory and try to unify it with the more recently developed narrative architectures. These open new possibilities for methods of summarizing, characterizing significance, and selectively forgetting memories. #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #NLP #chatbots #SymbolicAI

I've given someone else the "fluid bladders as actuators" bug. :)

WildBees USA/CAN 3D Printing Support Fundraiser WildBees USA/Can is fundraising to support 3D Printing right in Ukraine. 100% of all donations go directly to the print farm. Each contribution goes toward materials, maintenance, and expanding capacity. Donate Below! wildbees.us?page_id=2771

Potato harvest round 2 (from the tires)! Got another 4.8 pounds to add to the late-summer harvest from the other beds, which pushes my total for this year over 11 lb. Some nice big ones in there too. #gardening 🌱

First time I've printed silk PLA, and it was, uh, a learning experience. The lowest recommended temp is 190, but I have to print it at 175-180 to control the strings. Makes me wonder if my hotend temperature is off.

I took a stab at comet Lemmon, currently in the neighborhood, though I don't have the equipment (and especially skill!) to do it justice. I've been lucky enough to work with some of the best astronomers in the world, and I'm continuously humbled by what they can achieve with a handful of photons.✨

Read: "Lord Jim" (Joseph Conrad). This is the first Conrad novel I've read. It's an extended character sketch of a young sailor who loses his sense of honor through a personal failure, then simply can't get over it - the event rules the rest of his life.