Checking out Hummingbird Trail in Simi Valley.

Hummingbird Trail - be3n above the 118

Continuing my exploration these hills, i found another trailhead.  This time in Simi Valley and despite a understated entrance, we found some exciting features.  Including this wash under the 118!  Respite from the sun and incredible acoustics.  There was a cave that none of the trails we found seemed to head towards.  We met another hiker who gave us an idea of how to find it.  Next time.

Hummingbird Trail - be3m under the 118 Hummingbird Trail - Wash Under the 118

Hummingbird Trail - Panorama

Maurice LaMarche & Cary Elwes Discuss The Princess Bride!

Maurice LaMarche and Cary Elwes at The Princess Bride screening
This was  and awesome surprise invite from a friend.  I have loved this film from my first viewing. i own it on VHS, DVD, and Laserdisc!   The Princess Bride screening at Ebell Theater with Q & A with Cary Elwes moderated by Maurice LaMarche.  Incredible stories told with the unbelievable voices of the film’s cast and crew performed by Cary.  Cary was promoting his book, As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride.  Download the audio from the Q & A here or play it bellow.

Maurice LaMarche and Cary Elwes hug

No Kings 3! This time downtown!

No Kings 3 - be3n Trump Blimp

My first No Kings protest downtown and it was exciting. Live performance, crazy characters, great signs and lots of camaraderie.  i gave out stickers and made friends as we idled and marched.  Unlike the first and second march, this time i traveled to downtown los angeles to participate in a much larger gathering.  i couldn’t get pictures of all the incredible costumes.  Everyone was so friendly and curious.  i lost count of how many times i bumped into or stepped on the foot of a fellow protestor.

No Kings 3 - March No Kings 3 - March No Kings 3 - Garbage Pail USA No Kings 3 - Character No Kings 3 - Liberty

No Kings 3 - Crowds No Kings 3 - Crowds No Kings 3 - Paid Agitator

No Kings 3 - dogs Continue reading “No Kings 3! This time downtown!”

Dual WAN fully engaged!

Starlink Obstruction Animation GIF of starlink dish spinning with a blue semi sphere over it labeled clear sky. ISP labeled list with two entries, Spectrum and Starlink. Both with green indicator beside them

This is was a long time coming.  i’ve had the equipment for years, but it was always needed elsewhere.  Finally home, it’s up and running.  smoother and more reliably than with any previous deployment. Just in time for me to accidentally unplug my Spectrum modem!

7 days of dual WAN activity24 hours of dual WAN activity

I was surprised and impressed by the integration with the Starlink that Unifi exhibited.  including obstruction info and firmware info on the Unifi dashboard.

Starlink WAN data including Obstructions and Firmware.

VCF 2026! give away all the things and maybe get a few more

VCF 2026 - DemoIt’s that time of year again, and the Vintage Computer Festival.  When i clean out my garage and marvel at all the incredible past computing and electronics that are kept working with love and proficient attention to maintenance.  not my first visit, or even my second.

VCF 2026 - Cart of Equipment VCF 2026 - Car of EquipmentThis year i brought three carloads, with xServes, xRAIDs, and fiber channel gear!  Time Capsules in original packaging.  iMacs and laptops from many generations and many operational statuses.

VCF 2026 - xServes & Fiber Channel VCF 2026 - Time Capsules in boxVCF 2026 - Dirty NES gamesThere was a demo of adult themed “dirty” original nintendo games. i never knew.  custom cases, or custom lights, here was an Amiga 500 made clear.  looking good.

VCF 2026 - Amiga 500 demo

Two of my dream systems were in the consignment room.  i was proud that i didn’t go home with a 20th Anniversary Mac nor a MacTV.  it was hard, but had to be done.

VCF 2026 - Mac TV on consignmentVCF 2026 - 20th Anniversary Mac on consignment

Preparing even more epic VCF deliveries this year!

VCF Equipment xRAIDs

The Vintage Computer Festival is getting tons of goodies from me.  This year i’ve got literally three carloads!  (thanks Eric & Harry)  Some is so good it’s destined for the consignment room.  Don’t worry i’ve got plenty for the free table.  i’ve got a box of unused 3.5″ 500GB PATA disks!  spares for the xRAID.  who needs 7TB of 2GB fiber SAN?  Form an orderly line please.

VCF Equipment xServes xRAIDs Towers

Going with the retro look with my new Hak5 Pineapple Pager!

hak5 pager LogoLaunched at Defcon 33 and eagerly awaited by wifi tinkerers and technologists.  i finally received mine. i’m still figuring out the functionality from potential.  As a handheld device, unlike the rest of the pineapple line, it is designed to be used from the device.  i was looking for an always monitoring device with audio and haptic alerts.  it’s handheld nature makes extracting logs a novel concept, but it is already providing insight into my wireless space.  hak5 Pager - Initializing War Games Screenhak5 pager Setup ReadyI love the default look with all it’s retro elements.  From war games to classic MacOS, out of the box it has more retro style than it’s 90s pager reveals.  it operates on 3 wifi bands! (2,5,6) and maybe bluetooth as well eventually.  This is just the beginning as the firmware gets more mature and additional content is added by the users.  this is with the stock hardware.  Hak5 is already selling USB modules for ethernet, GPS, and LoRa for even more functionality. i’ll update as i get more capable with the gadget.  currently it does eat it’s battery very enthusiastically. i don’t think i’ve gotten more than 2-3 hours of use on a charge. (but i don’t yet know what i am doing)

Hak5 Wifi Pineapple Pager Recon