Phil Lam

Does anyone else think of version control systems like save points in a video game? Cuz that's how it is in my head.

This is a lovely article about hotplates that won't kill you. I've had more than a few that go zappy zappy if you touch them wrong, but I'll also say they're an indispensable rework tool. A good read if you're in need of one.

https://hackaday.com/2025/12/10/cheap-10x10cm-hotplate-punches-above-its-weight/

Love this little tidbit from a random search for widgets today. I will definitely be bringing a trio of these to my next Business Meeting.

Looking up some info on combustibility of building materials and came across this delightful slop diagram of things to consider when choosing what to make a house out of:

Every time someone designs a #PCB and puts the whole #schematic on one sheet, the Universe ritually sacrifices the cutest #unicorn.

You've been warned, you heathens. Top-level schematic symbols show the logical relationships between your clusterf*ck of parts!

A good rule of thumb is that the thumb was the source of the blood.

-- me, right after reaching into a pick and place machine and discovering lots of blood

I am endlessly amused by the optimism baked into courier tracking systems.

Your package is scheduled for delivery to TORONTO CA by 10:00AM TODAY (it's 9:51AM).

Current package location: HONG KONG

Every once in a while I'm minding my own business on a quiet evening, arms-deep in some CAD program, and out pops a fundamental truth about the Universe.

Today's "discovery?" Accidental Archimedean spiral, reincarnated as a compliant mechanism.

Here's hoping it works, because I'm accumulating quite a pile of crap trying ideas that aren't working.

I love how in movies scientists and engineers are always making notes by video log. Like, so cool.

I'm pretty sure if I did that, someone might posthumously open my archives one day and find hundreds of hours of selfie videos of me cursing and swearing.

Like a more colourful version of my commit logs.

Opsec offers such wonderful opportunities to enjoy absurdity. Today's example:

Someone named TWSfSopc TWSfSopcV9IVWCWX')) OR 851=(SELECT 851 FROM PG_SLEEP(15))-- tried to order $108,235,350,671.54 CAD of stuff off the #ploopy store.

The haul? 31 maintenance kits and 1139439415 spare parts. I don't know why that part tickles the most, but it's *very funny* to me!

If you're in the US and have been waiting to buy a #ploopy product, our store is once again open to US customers!

The extra good news is that our "weird" habit of making things in-house means our products are tariff-free under CUSMA.

All the details can be found here: https://blog.ploopy.co/were-resuming-us-shipping-338

So it turns out you might be able to use a gene drive to eradicate mosquitoes, except that the people in charge of this research community are proceeding *very* cautiously, lest they change the world too much.

I'd like to propose that the people in charge of gene drives get switched with the people in charge of the fossil fuel industry.

That way I could continue to go camping, and I could do it without getting all itchy.

Today I learned that the proper opposite of 'fail-safe' is 'FAIL-FUCKED' and I can't stop laughing.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/B6x0aJBTjIY