Reticulum
07 May 2026: Reticulum does one thing and does it well: it connects anything to anything. It's a hardware agnostic network stack bridging various networks like LoRa (very low bandwidth), Wi-Fi, Ethernet, TCP/IP networks (does not use IP addresses) and many more. Reticulum does not care what physical hardware carries the bits (radio, wire, fiber, serial cable).
It's an amazing network stack built on a foundation of encryption with various ways to communicate securely: one-to-one, a general transmission to everyone nearby, and messages to many recipients at once.
YouTuber, Data Slayer, does a good job of demonstrating and testing the Reticulum network in his post called The Internet, Reinvented. It's a lot to take in but it's because there are so many different technologies that Reticulum is handling in the backend.
Not too long ago I wrote that the BBS infrastructure was "the first grassroots built, user-maintained, national digital communications network" and that "I'd go so far as to call it the most powerful people-driven communications technology yet created." It saddened me that it might've ended there. That the magic was over.
I have been deep-diving since, looking for hope in a solid modern alternative. That's when I found Reticulum. I'm now convinced that the same kind of resilient, decentralized, grassroots, standalone network can exist again (if not in this form, than in another).
Kick the tires a bit (browse nomadnet (LXMF protocol), a subset of Reticulum) with the online Ren Browser (git). On the upper left-hand corner there's a drop-down that lists sites that are online - example screenshots: a chat, a sample of a download site.
Nomadnet: [
Github] [
Reddit] [
Micron Markup Editor] [
Why Micron?]
Offline Knowledge: [
Project N.O.M.A.D.] [
Doomsday Cyberdeck]
Render Micron: [
Sideband] [
rBrowser] [
RetScape] [
JS parser]
More: [
Awesome Reticulum] [
md2txt] [
RetiBBS] [
Related Repos]
6G: Pervasive Surveillance
05 May 2026: Updated AI Said... with an article on 6G's new Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC) feature. It's a portable radar system enabling a cataclysmic end to the little privacy we have left.
This new form of surveillance threatens to arrive in a few years - after the mandatory online ID verification takes hold and our one-party government moves the country toward fascism.
... and the kids will lead the way
04 May 2026: These Scientology speedruns are insane! 😂 They have spread everywhere and in every form.
NF, Short Stories, BBSes, Blogging Script
01 May 2026: Another minor update to nf at the Free Apps page. Finally fixed a line that was bothering me for a long time - clarity in as few words as possible. The line now reads as:
-r --render HTML as <pre> with clickable links
Perfect! It's the little things:-)
On the short stories page, I decided to put the better stories on top (8 stories, unranked). The section below (5 stories) may be deleted if I can't improve the stories.
Spent some time fixing 'Shadowking'. It lands in the upper section now. I just wanted to write a DOS story and put it out into the ether.
Related to 'Shadowking', I can verify from personal experience that wardialing for local BBSes did work (*67, eventually you would turn up a BBS or connection) but BBS lists were still a million times better back during the peak period.
The lists were constantly updated, finding their way to BBSes everywhere throughout the nation. Forums were the core feature that tied everyone together, software and pics were bait. The beauty was that it was a niche, underground environment created and maintained by regular people. The first grassroots built, user-maintained, national digital communications network.
(General overview) Many BBSes - each entirely independent - linked together (for forum updates, etc) in a massive ad-hoc, volunteer‑run network relying on nothing but basic infrastructure (telephone lines). I'd go so far as to call it the most powerful people-driven communications technology yet created.
I even ran a one-line BBS for friends, with ANSI and RIP support. It felt more empowering because everything was done in-house. There was no dependence on ISPs, remote servers, domain registration, DNS or remote policies - a stack of interdependent technologies. When you were ready, plug your DOS machine into the existing infrastructure (a telephone line) and you were serving a mostly local community (long-distance calls were $$$).
Doing a little more work on the blog generator. Fixed an anchor link issue in the RSS's XML file, testing the configuration options, making generous use of comments in the core script. The help file is tricky:
It's a simple script and process. So much of it is self-explanatory - so I have to make sure I don't overwrite when creating the help file - causing confusion where there should be none.
China: People First
30 Apr 2026: It is unlawful to fire someone in China to replace them with AI. It is that simple and yet... for a propagandized mind the idea is radical.
Fingerverse & Comics
26 Apr 2026: The latest fingerverse update adds many homepages and RSS links. I just can't say enough about RSS... it truly is that one thing that easily connects sites better than any other tech I can think of.
Read Bump in the Night (the first story in DC's House of Horror (2017)). Some say that the story was an inspiration for Brightburn. It was pretty basic story-telling, like a vignette.
A couple of years ago I did a deep search for 'Superman as Evil' and turned up lots of suggestions (heroes as evil, anti-heroes and other stories of a similar mindset). It was during a time I was reading everything having to do with Secret Wars and rereading Civil War. Eventually I came up with a recommended reading list which I posted on my finger account. This is the original text post:
Comic Reading List ◂
.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| So I left the comfort of comics & characters I'm familiar with in the DC |
| and Marvel worlds. Everything following Irredeemable (below) were from |
| online recommendations that told stories similar-ish to Irredeemable. |
| |
| End result... some of the best reading I've ever done. I've taken a |
| hiatus from reading comics: this is my current recommendation list. If |
| you love Irredeemable, I think you'll like everything that follows it |
| on this list. |
| |
| Many online recommends did not make this list. This is 'a best of...' |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'
_____________________________________ ____________________________________
| \ / |
| * Secret Wars (I, II) | * No Hero (2008, Warren Ellis) |
| * Deadpool's Secret Secret Wars | |
| | * Sidekick (2013, Straczynski) |
| * Civil War + Tie-ins | |
| | * Black Summer (2007, Warren Ellis) |
| * Irredeemable (BOOM! Studios) | |
| | * Halcyon (2010, Marc Guggenheim) |
| * Absolution (2009, Christos Gage) | (ends in cliffhangar) |
| * Absolution - Happy Kitty (2013) | |
| * Absolution - Rubicon (2013) | * Leaving Megalopolis (2014/Simone) |
| | * Surviving Megalopolis (Part II) |
|_____________________________________/ \____________________________________|
Static Blog, other updates
24 Apr 2026: When updating the current help page of the static blog generator, I was getting increasingly bothered by the amount of tweaks the in-house blog script would require of users, so I added a configuration section at the top of ./blog.py. Added some niceties like "base url", "post per page", "rss items", etc... It's slowly starting to turn into something more polished and ready for public distribution.
As I make these and other changes to the script, I'll need to continue to test.
Small update to nf (netfinger) in the Free Apps page (improved the help page (nf -h), screenshot). Also need to finish what I started in the fingerverse page. I'm currently linking to home pages of user accounts that run their own public facing finger servers.
The fingerverse file itself has gotten so large (so many links too) that I had to remove it (temporarily? I hope) from it's original home on happynetbox.com. Also cleaned a bunch of other accounts I had on there because I was feeling a bit too stretched out - including spartanware which I need to update. The spartan page is smaller and sees fewer updates, so I should be reuploading to happynetbox soon.
The Static Blog Generator
22 Apr 2026: The static blog generator is working very well. The core script, blog.py, is so quick to rebuild the three main blog files (index.html, index-2, rss.xml). I intend to post to my Free Apps page in a week or two. Here are a few notes and a deeper dive into the RSS creator turned static blog generator.
Words to live by
17 Apr 2026: I watched the 2025 sci-fi comedy Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die last night and it was more fun than I expected. Great cast and funnier than I thought it would be. It's tech-relevant with its title making the best kind of 'battle cry' to meet each day. One reviewer said it best: "Hilarious, insightful, necessary".
Xavier Cugat's Maria Elena
15 & 17 Apr 2026: Years ago, I was introduced to the song Maria Elena as performed by Xavier Cugat and immediately fell in love with it. I just spent some time listening to all the covers of the song I could find. The Cugat version is the only version I like. There is a timeless quality about it.
Here are my favorites from the 1961 Viva Cugat! Album:
Headphones: Bone Conduction
13 Apr 2026: I've been reading about bone conduction headphones since way back in the DAK Industries days of the late-80s & early-90s. I received my first pair today. (They were $23.41 when I ordered them a few days ago. I see it listed now for $34.99, $27.99 coupon price).
I prefer headphones that aren't too much of an obstruction. The bone conduction BT headphones are replacing my Koss KSC75 portable on-ear clip headphones (nice full sound) and the Philips shs3200bk/37 flexible earhooks (tinny sound but was my workhorse when jogging). When I'm at home, I use Bluedio's wireless wearable speakers all the time (love them).
The new bone conduction BT headphones sound great indoors but the reason I bought them was to use outdoors when jogging. Can't wait to test them!
(update, 14apr: Great sound, loud, I can hear my surroundings, silent to anyone else, lightweight, easy to slip on/off. Importantly, in the summer... my ears can "breathe" a little better, allowing excess heat to escape.)
PS: I linked to Amazon several times above. None of the links on this site are affiliate, referral links or monetized in any way - they are all clean, direct links. I do not perform any tracking or data collection anywhere on this site. (added a site-wide privacy policy page today to reflect this)
MX Linux says no to Government Surveillance
03-05 Apr 2026: The MX Linux team has made it clear they have no intention of implementing Age Verification measures. They've cited concerns over privacy, practicality and the core philosophy of open-source software.
Several years ago, I was a regular user of MX Linux. This kind of thinking is exactly what drew me into the Linux ecosystem long ago. These attacks on our own personal freedoms will continue - supported by both the hateful anti-American right and the two-faced, fascist-leaning establishment democrats.
All we can do is wait and see how things develop. Some are saying that age verification isn't intrusive. IDK. Read the room (democracy has collapsed (see post), current zio-fascist nation, the US is a rogue terror state by every definition, trillions of tax dollars for a warring police state, it's a one-party system).
Compliance is usually a first step toward more draconian demands (see the NY proposed bill, Utah vs VPNs). In the meantime... loving MX Linux and those other distros in the Linux/BSD ecosphere for the pushback on this! 💙
| Region |
Name |
Date |
Requirement |
| California |
Digital Age Assurance Act (AB 1043) |
01jan2027 |
OS must collect age at account setup and provide an "age signal" to apps |
| Colorado |
Age Attestation on Computing Devices (SB26-051) |
01jan2028 |
OS providers must verify user age at device setup |
| Michigan |
Senate Bill 284
Michigan House Bill 4429 |
N/A |
Introduced by both Democrats and Republicans |
| New York |
Proposed State Bill |
N/A |
OS account setup (likely requiring ID or similar proof) |
| Illinois |
Senate Bill 3977 |
N/A |
details being debated |
|
| Setback |
Systemd has merged age verification measures into userdb |
| Solution |
Distros running without systemd |
Current distros/BSDs that are resisting government surveillance. See BryanLunduke / DoesItAgeVerify for a more complete list.
Summer Glau: A Sci‑fi/Fantasy Icon
30 Mar 2026: I just finished rewatching Firefly. One of the great sci-fi TV series of all-time. It was nice to see Summer Glau again among the unforgettable cast. She has always played such great geek-culture characters. She was even one of the few bright spots in the (awful) series 'The Cape'.
I watched everything below except for 'Arrow'. I just couldn't get into the series.
Death by Clawd
27 Mar 2026: This is hysterical... deathbyclawd.com.
Death Report for 640kb.neocities.org ◂
"You can't kill what was already dead in 1995 — and somehow that's its superpower."
Cause of Death: You cannot kill what charges $0, runs on static HTML, and is powered by pure unhinged passion for DOS browsers and UFOs
Time until Death: Heat death of the universe
Eulogy: "We came here today to bury 640kb Portal, but we found it impossible — because you cannot kill a static Neocities page maintained by someone who still uses the Finger protocol unironically. This isn't a SaaS company; this is a digital folk art installation with more soul than the entire Y Combinator W26 batch combined. It will outlive us all, hosted for free, needing nothing, wanting nothing, simply *being*."
Last Words: "Last words? I don't even have a CEO. I don't have employees. I don't have revenue. I'm a guy with a Neocities account and a copy of DEBUG.EXE. Come at me, Claude."
What Claude Would Say: I've analyzed the situation thoroughly, and I have to be honest — I simply cannot compete with a website that simultaneously advocates for Free Palestine, documents UFO sightings, and maintains an archive of DOS-era web browsers. This person has achieved something I never will: zero burn rate, zero churn, and absolutely unassailable creative vision. I tip my metaphorical hat. - Claude
Your Replacement File
SKILL.md - 640kb Portal Replacement
Purpose
Replace a Neocities page about DOS browsers, UFOs, and ASCII art.
Instructions
- Display content in monospaced font
- Reference Finger protocol like it's still relevant
- Include at least 3 conspiracy theories
- Render ANSI art in a terminal emulator
- Support Spartan Protocol (look it up, I dare you)
- Maintain the aesthetic of a 1997 GeoCities page
Problem
This isn't a SaaS. This is a digital museum.
Claude cannot replace vibes.
Claude cannot replace the mass of a human soul that decided Spartan Protocol needed a homepage.
Status: SKILL CANCELLED
The .md file has been defeated.
You win this round, 640kb.
Note
640kb ought to be enough for anybody.
It was certainly enough to defeat us.
Afroman Will Bring It To Ya
23 Mar 2026: For the last 4-5 days, everywhere it's been about Afroman and his victory over the police state. We needed this win. Here's a playlist:
Boxxy: When the Internet had a Queen
20 Mar 2026: While driving, the famous 'Boxxy: You See' remix by danielson742 played from a folder in my bluetooth-connected phone. I had not heard this song in ages. Nostalgia hit very nicely. It was good to see so many positive comments in the linked video too.
Info: [r/IAmA] - [Catie Wayne reacts video] - [2009 article] - [2024 - know your meme].
The Mystic Seer
13 Mar 2026: Minor update. On my AI Said... page, I auto-expanded the header (<details open>) so that the header image displays when accessing the page.
Lots of times when I use AI, I think about the 1960 Twilight Zone episode Nick of Time starring William Shatner. Even at this early stage of AI, the episode already feels relevant.
The Smallville Torch
11 Mar 2026: I'm rewatching Smallville when I came across an image of the High School's newspaper.
I turned to AI and a few minutes later, I had one version from grok (meh) and another version from deepseek (so much nicer; 99.9% AI: fixed minor alignment, font issues only). The results are not bad at all for the seconds it took to type a prompt and upload the image. (details)
Venezuela 11 - Israel 3
08 Mar 2026: Venezuela crushes Israel in this years 2026 World Baseball Classic: 11-3.
Israel releases a statement that the loss was due to the following reasons:
- their pampers had not arrived in time and many players wet themselves
- they were expecting to play against women and children
- the win was promised 3,000 years ago but Venezuela played in an anti-semitic way
- they were not allowed to use an iron dome to keep Venezuela's homeruns inside the park
- the US was unable to play for them