Rob Fahrni

Snow has started falling. It’s supposed to go all night. Guess we’ll see. 🥶

We’re getting prepared for a deep freeze here in Charlottesville. We’ll see if the projected 10in of snow falls on Monday or if, as often happens, it completely changes and we get rain instead of snow. 😂

It is supposed to get pretty darned frigid.

Happy New Year y’all! 🥳

Here’s hoping 2025 is really boring for all of us!

I don’t believe in making resolutions for the new year. If something needs doing, just do it.

I’m just starting to feel better after a few days fighting off a stomach bug. There’s an alarming trend with my health. When someone in my family gets sick I seem to be the only other member of the family to get sick.

Friday afternoon I started feeling uncomfortable. By Friday evening my granddaughter and I were both pretty darned sick. She was worse off than me. She stopped vomiting around 11PM and fell asleep. Poor baby was wiped out.

I puked my first and only time at 2AM (my issue has been the other end!) Last time I checked the time it was 2:45AM. I fell to sleep sometime after that.

She woke up Saturday feeling much better. I, on the other hand, slept most of the day and stayed in bed as much as my gut would allow.

The dogs woke me up Sunday morning. I was still off. I felt detached from my body. When I’d touch things they didn’t feel real. No fever, but it’s often how I feel with a fever. I managed to eat dinner. My first meal since the slice of pizza I had Friday evening before symptoms really kicked in.

Here we are, Monday morning. My gut is still gurgling and feels fragile. I did have coffee. I was hoping it wasn’t a mistake and so far, so good. No vomiting since Friday but still having issues out the other end. I’ve managed to keep down water and Gatorade just fine. Today I’m hoping some additional solids will help get me over the hump.

All of this to say I’m thinking about my mortality more than ever before. My body is breaking down and I’ve not helped myself by becoming morbidly obese — according to the doctor based on my weight. I get tired easily and my body flat out hurts most of the time. I sit on my butt way too much. I’ve become that lazy man I said I’d never become and it’s going to kill me. And still, after all that, I lack the motivation to do anything about it.

What’s wrong with me?

To be totally honest I can’t die anytime soon. I’ve predicted my own demise at 80 years old if things don’t change. I have a wife, kids, and grandkids who still depend on me. Couple that with being an idiot when it comes to financial planning and I’ve setup the perfect American nightmare scenario. Aging husband, retired wife, two kids who struggle in our economy. We are one medical disaster away from all of us living on the streets. That’s the most American thing I can think of.

One of my biggest issues is having a positive attitude about things working out. I’ve always felt like we’ll be ok and find our way through. To date, we’ve managed to just that.

I’d imagine this is a fairly average tale as folks age and realize they are indeed mortal and they did a horrible job of financial planning. Also, I believe, very American. 😂

Kim, my amazing wife, is right. I need to make big changes. I used to be active and loved going to the gym. I need to exercise more. I also need to stop abusing my body with crummy food. I love fast food. There, I admitted it. I love to eat. It’s a terrible attribute. Why couldn’t I be “addicted” to math the way I am to food? Genetics has something to do with it, I’m sure. I developed a strange attitude after almost dying at the age of 17. My attitude was: If I want it, I’m getting it. A second piece of pie? Yes, please. Yep, another brilliant strategy.

If anyone knows of a study that’s been conducted on people’s relationship with food please point me to it. I obviously have a bad one. It’s like being a crack addict or alcoholic. It’s like staying in that abusive relationship because you’re in love. I’m sorry if that comparison offends anyone. I have no other way to make my point. I have a real problem.

I know, I know, what a strange thing to share.

This is just me with a quiet morning to myself, coming off being sick, with a slightly addled brain (still feeling detached) from the ordeal. 🤪

A very Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! 🎅🏼

I feel like I’m being watched. 🤣

Ms. Gracie living her best life. 🤣

We caught Red One at our local Regal on Friday afternoon and all of us really enjoyed it. 🎅🏼

We prefer Alamo Drafthouse but their last showing was on Wednesday evening. Regal worked.

It was a great way to spend my birthday. I got my free birthday Starbucks and pizza that evening. ☕️

Just a really great day. I’m a pretty simple person. I love little things with family.

It’s also a family tradition to pick a place for dinner. I chose to wait for breakfast with everyone yesterday morning. I chose Cracker Barrel. Simple, tasty, food. 🥞

My daughter took me out for coffee this morning. Mmmmmmm, Grit.

Well, I finally made it to DFW. I’m at a local Quality Inn. Flight leaves at 5AM tomorrow so I have a 3AM wake up call and a 3:40 Uber. Ugh. 😆

Heading to Denny’s across the street. I’m hungry.

I’ve neglected Stream for far too long and I don’t know when I’ll have the gumption to get back on it. Learning AppKit has been a slow and arduous process. I really hate when I suck at something. I know, I know, doing the work will make me better but I just don’t have the energy that 20 something me had to stay up all night learning and doing.

Once of these days I’ll get it finished. It may take years to get there but I’ll get there, I hope. 🤞🏼

Of course finishing off the 1.0 of Stream for Mac would allow me to work on Rooster, which is a new codebase and 100% SwiftUI. 😄

Today marks my fifth anniversary with WillowTree! 🥳

Mediate

‘Democrats Are Realizing Woke Is Broke!’ Morning Joe Crew Reads Entire Maureen Dowd Column Slamming Identity Politics

Woke? Come on! Why not talk about the Orange Dude’s misogyny, racism, and just outright hate? That’s what people in America voted for and want. It’s more about that than the Democratic Party being “woke.”

Yes, Democrats believe in equity, inclusion, and empathy for their fellow man. Why the hell shouldn’t we all want that?

Are you flat ass saying hate is the way? No thanks. I want nothing to do with that.

I’ll be here to help black and brown people, LQBTQ+ people, and Women.

Wanting everyone to be treated the same and have the same opportunities isn’t a weakness, it’s a strength. Hate is too easy.

Get outta here with that crap.

UPDATE:

If you have a Threads account, or can see this video, go watch. This guy, whoever he is, nails it

Dad and his boys; Rob, Jerry, and Doug.

John Gruber

Given the circumstances when I went to bed Tuesday night, it was no surprise I was welling up with tears come the morning. But I’d never have expected they’d be tears of joy, with a sense of hope — however diminished — and abiding love in my heart.

This is, without a doubt, the best piece John Gruber has ever written.

Please take the time to read it. John weaves a very personal tragic moment into the tragedy of the election. I cannot get over how great it is. John really is a masterful writer. Wow.

Thank you for sharing such a beautifully written, thoughtful, and personal piece right when we all needed it, John. ✪

Jason Herbert • Historians At The Movies

Folks, the Twitter that once was is no longer. It doesn’t fit us anymore. What was once an interesting place to find news, meet people, and share in the human experience is gone, dead, and buried. And Elon Musk is holding the shovel.

It has taken the “normals” a really long time to figure out what a lot of us realized the day Space Karen cut third party access to the Twitter API.

Now if we could convince Mr. Herbert to abandon Substack because of its Nazi problem we will have accomplished something.

A bunch of really great writers have abandoned Substack in favor of Ghost and Beehiiv, you can too Mr. Herbert. 💐

I’ve always loved contrails. I captured this one after my granddaughter pointed up and said “Look Papi, a jet trail.” Made me proud. 🥹

Still blooming.

Done and done! I’ve done my part and voted to keep the United States of America a democracy!

Mmmmmmm, Dragon’s Milk. 😋

Scripting News

Today is the 30th anniversary of this blog. Hola!

When I started my blog in February 2001 there were three folks who inspired me; Dave Winer, Ev Williams , and Jeffrey Zeldman.

All these years later Dave is still digging, tweaking what it means to publish for the web, making new software, and writing on his blog every day.

I’ve always enjoyed Dave’s writing and hope that maybe someday I’ll be as good at it as he is.

Happy Birthday, Scripting News and congratulations on 30 years of blogging, Dave. 🥳

It’s even worse than it appears.

Jennifer Palmer, Paul Monies, Heather Warlick • USA Today

Bids opened Monday for a contract to supply the state Department of Education with 55,000 Bibles. According to the bid documents, vendors must meet certain specifications: Bibles must be the King James Version; must contain the Old and New Testaments; must include copies of the Pledge of Allegiance, Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights; and must be bound in leather or leather-like material.

Oklahoma is on the front line of the war to make Christian Nationalism the norm in America. How they can manage this with a First Amendment clearly stating:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Granted, Republicans are so good at skipping the parts they don’t like, like the Second Amendments inclusion of the need for a well regulated militia being necessary as part of the right to own and carry weapons, maybe they just skipped the part about the separation of church and state?

Hopefully the Supreme Court will strike this abomination of a law down and let folks choose their own religion and how they learn about it.

The Religious Right — Christian Nationalists — have done so much harm to Christianity and the person in Jesus.

They love Trump and all of his hate. Can y’all see Jesus standing at the border to the United States of America with an M-16 turning people away? Maybe you can. I can’t. I picture someone welcoming the tired and sick with open arms, providing them water, food, and a place to stay.

The GOP view of Christianity is a brutal idol in the form of Donald J. Trump and his ilk.

Yeah, your vote really matters to the future of this country. Get out and vote. Let’s stop this evil man and his sycophants dead in their tracks and keep this country great.

Kim’s mini roses are extremely happy.

The leaves continue to change. 🍁

Before you know it all those trees will be gray sticks.

Priss and Flynn living the good life.