Low Velocity — Updates

Bryan Robb — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 22:38:14 -0700

Bryan Robb — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 17:46:39 -0700

Trump Wanted Canada as the 51st State. He Ended Up Pushing It Toward the European Union.

The invitation by the E.U. for Canada to become an “associate member” is a sign of Mr. Trump’s brand of diplomacy, which often involves threatening America’s closest friends.

nytimes.com

Bryan Robb — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 11:13:50 -0700

Went on a double date with friends in Northwest last night and had a wonderful time. We don’t do this nearly enough.

A couple doing a side hug at a restaurant table with other people at tables behind them and art on the wall.

Bryan Robb — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 12:08:48 -0700

How are other busy parents managing work and family calendars? Between meetings, school, sports, and medical appointments, keeping personal events on the work calendar and vice versa, feels like a full-time job. Any good tools for mirroring iCloud and Outlook?

Bryan Robb — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 23:17:20 -0700

Are Grandparents the New "iPad Kids"?

Your parents may seem phone-absorbed like your teens, but their motivations and needs are different. You can address their digital habits without becoming the technology police.

psychologytoday.com

Bryan Robb — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 17:28:07 -0700

Apple is releasing its first foldable phone in 2026, so I can reasonably expect genre filters to arrive in the Apple TV app sometime in the mid-2030s.

Bryan Robb — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 18:17:45 -0700

At 2nd grade soccer practice and always think it’s funny how kids’ goals are tiny while grownups’ are the size of the broad side of a barn.

Bryan Robb — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 20:57:35 -0700

CBO’s latest 2026 projection expects deaths to begin exceeding births in 2030. From that point onward, all net U.S. population growth is projected to come from immigration. Without immigration, the U.S. would begin shrinking.

The Demographic Outlook: 2026 to 2056

At a Glance The size of the U.S. population and its composition by age and sex have significant implications for the economy and the federal budget. For example, the number of people at the prime work...

cbo.gov

Bryan Robb — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 20:35:12 -0700

Speechless

Live Updates: Trump Floats $5,000 Checks to Americans if Republicans Win Midterms

The president offered a “dividend” to every adult citizen if Republicans keep control of Congress. But his sagging approval ratings could endanger his party’s chances in November.

nytimes.com

Bryan Robb — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 19:33:17 -0700

About ready to cancel my Duolingo sub because they change their icon to this garbage if you haven’t practiced by 9 a.m. or something.

Bryan Robb — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 11:31:32 -0700

Found this framed Wizard of Oz print at a thrift store. It felt like a fitting metaphor, so naturally, it’s now hanging in my office at work.

Bryan Robb — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 22:44:32 -0700

What’s ADHD like? I go downstairs to let the dog out and grab a snack. Nothing sounds good, so I make a batch of homemade caramel for dipping apple slices. An hour later, I’m back in bed, still smelling like butter, when the dog barks to be let back in.

Bryan Robb — Sun, 06 Sep 2026 19:16:57 -0700

Interviewed for a job Friday that I think I’m a great fit for, but I can’t stop replaying the silly mistakes I made. It’s rough when you have highly relevant experience, but nerves get in the way of communicating it as well as you know you could.

Bryan Robb — Sat, 05 Sep 2026 14:29:26 -0700

Unexpected $700 vet visit, yay

Bryan Robb — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 20:12:53 -0700

One underappreciated value of AI is broader access to knowledge that used to require money, expertise, or hours of research. Understanding your rights, navigating government programs, challenging institutions, advocacy work, or figuring out what options you have in complex bureaucracies. It’s a BFD.

Bryan Robb — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 11:11:07 -0700

This is a depressing graphic.

Bryan Robb — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 08:58:26 -0700

Opening IG or YT Shorts is almost always a mistake. I’ll go in to look something up and get sucked into the feed instead.

The psychology of these apps is intense. Increasingly convinced it’s best to just not open them at all. Honestly considering deleting Instagram altogether.

Bryan Robb — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 19:17:59 -0700

Halfway through a 48-hour fast after a long break and sort of surprised by how much of a non-event it’s been. Feels good to reset. 🍕☕️

Bryan Robb — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 17:05:39 -0700

I’ve been getting back into learning Italian lately. Picking some things up again, but I’ve very obviously lost some prior gains. Wish I would’ve kept at it!

Bryan Robb — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 23:15:41 -0700

Fruit of the sea = absolutely not!

Bryan Robb — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 22:39:01 -0700

Lunar Eclipse 2026

Bryan Robb — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 20:44:56 -0700

“I don’t like any of the houses in this whole area”

*moves the max listing price slider several hundred thousand to the right*

“Ohh”

Bryan Robb — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 19:51:45 -0700

“Because walking among olives, I begin to believe that peace is not naïve. These trees have outlasted wars, crusades, colonies, and dictatorships. They have stood while men bled beneath them, and yet they still fruit. They bear despite everything. They bear because that is what they do.”

Growing Olives in the Pacific Northwest: History, Survival, Struggle, and the Long Bet.

Every olive carries history in its roots — Athens crowned with Athena’s gift, Noah reading the branch as landfall, empires rising and falling while the trees still bore fruit. To plant one here is to ...

pendragonorchardandvine.com

Bryan Robb — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 12:57:38 -0700

Jane Fonda Slams Paramount for Calling Mark Ruffalo’s Comments ‘Antisemitic’: ‘A Smear to Delegitimize Criticism of the Merger’

Jane Fonda slammed Paramount for calling Mark Ruffalo's recent comments 'antisemitic.'

variety.com

Bryan Robb — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 20:23:16 -0700

Why the hell does the @nytimes.com keep calling El-Sayed a “left-wing insurgent”? Insurgent?

Can Democrats Win Back the Senate? Why Their Chances Are Improving.

Republicans still have some clear advantages on the map, but President Trump’s unpopularity has opened the door for an outcome that once seemed far-fetched.

nytimes.com

Bryan Robb — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 09:14:37 -0700

Seeing people pay thousands for a new cedar fence and then never sealing it is wild.

Bryan Robb — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 16:10:27 -0700

A Kafkaesque nightmare

Supreme Court backs Trump’s order to curb mail ballots | CNN Politics

The Supreme Court on Monday said that President Donald Trump could begin carrying out parts of an executive order intended to restrict mail voting, but additional legal challenges could hinder impleme...

cnn.com

Bryan Robb — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 10:50:06 -0700

Sometimes I get a strong urge to shave the beard and sport a mustache but I always immediately regret it when I do. #bigroundfaceproblems

Bryan Robb — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 10:39:28 -0700

Bluesky needs a private profile notes feature ASAP. Too often I unfollow someone, stumble across their profile later, get tricked by a cool bio, and hit follow again. Then I remember exactly why I unfollowed them for bad behavior in the first place. Rinse and repeat. lol

Bryan Robb — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 20:23:46 -0700

We need an AT Proto ride-hailing app run by a nonprofit.

Bryan Robb — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 14:48:26 -0700

Went to the Italian Festival today at St. Philip Neri in Portland and connected with some good folks.

Bryan Robb — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 20:37:15 -0700

I like what Pika.page has done with their revived Pika Pulse. They also recently started allowing more custom code on blogs. I’ve been mostly happy with my setup on Ghost, but I do really like this product and keep trying to think of ways I could use their service.

pika.pika.page/posts/the-pi...

The Pika Pulse (Is Back) - Building Pika Out Loud

It’s time: The Pika Pulse is live again! The Pika Pulse is our take on helping you discover personal bloggers that are writing on Pika. It now includes a new Following feed and other experimental idea...

pika.pika.page

Bryan Robb — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:47:32 -0700

Opinion | Scott Galloway: America Abandoned Its ‘Unremarkable’ Young Men

And what society can do to help a struggling generation.

nytimes.com

Bryan Robb — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:02:54 -0700

Maybe just me, but the NYTimes app for iOS seems improved lately. Still prefer reading the digital print edition through my library, but the app is usable at this point.

Bryan Robb — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 13:25:46 -0700

When you moved thousands of miles away from one of your favorite shops but can’t bring yourself to unsubscribe from their marketing campaigns despite having been gone for over a decade. Miss you @elderlyinstruments.bsky.social.

Bryan Robb — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 08:18:05 -0700

Elementary school supply drop-off day is wild in the richest place in the history of the world

Bryan Robb — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 21:51:01 -0700

This. All day.

Bryan Robb — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 21:43:48 -0700

Hmm

TTArtisan's Ultra-Affordable Full-Frame 85mm f/1.8 Lens Costs Just $99

Ultra-affordable portrait prime lens.

petapixel.com

Bryan Robb — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 19:55:04 -0700

Someone once said, “For every beautiful woman, there’s a man tired of her shit.”

I feel that way about places. It’s easy to romanticize somewhere from afar; living there is another thing entirely.

And wherever you’re dreaming of going, someone there is dreaming of being where you are.

Bryan Robb — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 09:09:23 -0700

Hold me closer, tiny dormer

Bryan Robb — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 17:59:12 -0700

As an English speaker, it’s hard for me to connect the Italian word ‘morbido’ to ‘soft’.

Bryan Robb — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 09:19:45 -0700

📚 Read the first Harry Potter book with my son, who is seven. He read most of it himself. Very proud of him.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, Book 1) • Notes by Bryan • Popfeed

Read the first Harry Potter book with my son, who is seven. He read most of it himself. Very proud of him.

popfeed.social

Bryan Robb — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 19:45:02 -0700

“Dad, can you solve a 3x3 Rubik’s Cube?”

“Nope.”

“Well, 2x2’s are super easy. And 1x1’s you don’t have to solve.”

Roasted by a 7-year-old.

Bryan Robb — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 13:13:56 -0700

One legitimately great use of AI is travel planning. I’ve dealt with pretty severe executive dysfunction my entire life, and getting first-draft itineraries down or even prioritizing dates based on other life details has been kind of incredible. It’s genuinely been life-changing for me.

Bryan Robb — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 09:09:44 -0700

I don’t know who else needs to hear this, but having a public input session for a new roadway design when it’s already at 30% construction drawings is not OK.

Bryan Robb — Sun, 16 Aug 2026 19:19:32 -0700

But it is the DSA’s official platform.

Greg Pak

No actual DSA candidate is running on abolishing the Senate. He’s carrying water for Republicans here.

Aaron Rupar

WELKER: Do democratic socialists belong in the Dem Party?

JEFFRIES: What I can say is I do not support defunding the police, I do not support open borders, I do not support abolishing the Senate. We're focused on actually solving the problems hard-working American taxpayer want us to solve ...

Bryan Robb — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 18:13:52 -0700

@ghost.org any chance we could get that ActivityPub migration out feature sometime soon?

Bryan Robb — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 14:21:00 -0700

Go to Hawaii, they said. It will be fun, they said.

Bryan Robb — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 23:17:13 -0700

FX line used to be the GOAT.

OPB

A pair of goats have gone viral after briefly boarding a bus in Portland on Tuesday and then promptly leaving. Please share your best puns in the comments.

Bleat week: 2 goats board a Portland bus, destination unknown

TriMet officials and bus riders were surprised by a pair of goats that briefly boarded a Portland bus Tuesday.

opb.org

Bryan Robb — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 20:17:58 -0700

Opinion | I Was Dick Cheney’s Cardiologist. I Have Questions About Trump’s Health.

The president has not been looking well. Americans should get answers to these seven questions.

nytimes.com

Bryan Robb — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 17:50:08 -0700

I keep coming back to this and wondering how many stars could be in this one photo.

Bryan

No such luck seeing the Perseids, but I did manage a few decent shots of the night sky from our balcony.

The Milky Way Galaxy.

Bryan Robb — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 17:47:50 -0700

Just another day in Lihue

Bryan Robb — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 05:04:24 -0700

No such luck seeing the Perseids, but I did manage a few decent shots of the night sky from our balcony.

The Milky Way Galaxy.

Bryan Robb — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 23:45:06 -0700

Trying to catch the Perseids meteor shower from Kauai tonight, if I can stay up late enough.

Hawaiʻi Skies: Perseid meteor shower

HPR's Kevin Allen speaks with Roy Gal from the Institute for Astronomy about the meteor showers and solar eclipse filling the sky this month.

hawaiipublicradio.org

Bryan Robb — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 23:41:19 -0700

Before I’m 50, I hope.

Copenhagen Travel Guide: What to See, Visit and Do

From picturesque canals to cozy coffee shops, here's all you need to plan your visit to the Danish capital.

nytimes.com

Bryan Robb — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 18:53:17 -0700

With Trump Secretly Evacuated, Imperiled Air Force One Became a Flying Decoy

In response to a threat against the jet last month, the president was clandestinely removed in a catering container. But the plane was sent into the skies anyway with government employees and reporter...

nytimes.com

Bryan Robb — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 12:59:08 -0700

I came across this picture of my grandmother today while looking through old photos. She was Italian on both sides and grew up in Detroit, and I always thought she looked a little like Madonna. We lost her to cancer seven years ago. She would’ve turned 94 on July 4 this year.

Bryan Robb — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 22:51:29 -0700

Aisle seats only for this big papa with puffy feet and tight hip flexors. #4, without question.

Jacqueline Antonovich

#5 final answer.
It will be so calm and chill, I get the window seat, and mama bear probably has really good snacks that she would share.

A meme showing six sets of three airplane seats under the caption, "On an 8-hour flight which seat are you picking?" Each row has one empty middle seat between two fictional characters. Option 1: Bert and Ernie. Option 2: Steve from Blue's Clues and Winnie the Pooh. Option 3: Frog and Toad. Option 4: Brother Bear and Sister Bear from The Berenstain Bears. Option 5: Mama Bear and Small Bear from The Berenstain Bears. Option 6: Amelia Bedilia and the Cat in the Hat. The image invites viewers to choose which pair of characters they would sit between on a long flight.

Bryan Robb — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 13:19:56 -0700

Hello, Kauai.

Bryan Robb — Sun, 09 Aug 2026 12:52:17 -0700

📚 I’ve wanted to tackle this one for a bit.

Postwar • Notes by Bryan • Popfeed

I’ve wanted to tackle this one for a bit.

popfeed.social

Bryan Robb — Sun, 09 Aug 2026 12:50:37 -0700

📚 Why Buddhism is True (2017) ★★★★½

via @popfeed.social

A review of Why Buddhism is True (2017)

Review on Popfeed

popfeed.social

Bryan Robb — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 20:55:15 -0700

Amtrak trains between Portland and Seattle sidelined indefinitely as Centennial Mills heads toward demolition

The tracks for the passenger trains between Washington’s and Oregon’s largest cities are right next to the fire-ravaged building, which officials say is unstable.

oregonlive.com

Bryan Robb — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 07:20:39 -0700

@offprint.app @atmosphere.community

I’m getting spammed to high hell. 44 messages overnight.

Bryan Robb — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 07:49:25 -0700

Good times

Bryan Robb — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 22:06:48 -0700

185th Produce. We like this place.

Bryan Robb — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 12:39:47 -0700

I am just so tired of everything Google.

Bryan Robb — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 23:41:36 -0700

Ok, this f’d me up

Bryan Robb — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 11:59:35 -0700

Swung through the McD’s drive through to grab some fries to share with my son. $4.55 is wild for a large fry.

Bryan Robb — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 08:47:52 -0700

🎥 Disclosure Day (2026) ★½

via @popfeed.social

A review of Disclosure Day (2026)

Review on Popfeed

popfeed.social

Bryan Robb — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 17:05:07 -0700

Finally left Verizon for Tello, an MVNO on the T-Mobile network. Monthly savings should be about $100/mo for three lines (2 with unlimited data).

Was just so tired of Verizon’s 📈 high rates and unnecessarily complicated pricing models. We’ll see if this works out long-term. 📱🤞

Bryan Robb — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 22:00:19 -0700

Walking around the neighborhood this afternoon. The weather here has been really nice lately.

Bryan Robb — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 15:59:12 -0700

A few months back, I had a large window installed on a blank wall in our dining room. After 10 years of darkness, I’m still amazed at the light in this little space that changes throughout the days and seasons.

Bryan Robb — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 22:42:40 -0700

Someone told me the other day that I should be more careful wearing red hats. And…perhaps they’re right. But I can’t deny this aggression feels a bit like the Michael Bolton situation in Office Space…

Michael Bolton's Disgusted Reaction

Bryan Robb — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 12:11:14 -0700

There’s so much to love about life in the NW, but my heart aches this time every year for Michigan’s lake cottage culture. The closest analogs in OR and WA might be North Tenmile Lake/Dunes (minus the ATV crowds), or Puget Sound, but with a fraction of the cost and 10x the availability.

Bryan Robb — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:12:22 -0700

Anyone out there in Bluesky world drive a Kia EV9 and have lived with it for a while? I’d love to hear your honest thoughts. What do you like, what do you dislike, and would you buy it again?

Bryan Robb — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 19:38:58 -0700

I cannot wait until this nightmare Is over.

Trump administration urges Supreme Court to allow order targeting mail-in voting before midterms

The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to allow for now an executive order targeting mail-in voting.

apnews.com

Bryan Robb — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 18:46:39 -0700

🎥 Obsession (2026) ½
No idea how this is rated so highly. Worst movie I’ve seen in a while.

View full review on @popfeed.social

A review of Obsession (2026)

No idea how this is rated so highly. Worst movie I’ve seen in a while.

popfeed.social

Bryan Robb — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 00:01:51 -0700

I could play around with thetruesize.com for days.

Bryan Robb — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 12:54:50 -0700

Any time Subaru unveils a new model year design, I imagine the design meeting ends with: “eh… fuck it”

Bryan Robb — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 23:54:28 -0700

I’ve got some screenshots that might need to come out of retirement

Ron Filipkowski

Update from Ukraine.

Bryan Robb — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 15:47:27 -0700

Summer is increasingly my least favorite season.

Bryan Robb — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 13:45:35 -0700

After refusing a $287 repair bill, Portland renter beats his landlord in court, wins $32K verdict

A lawyer for the landlord warned that he would cause the renter "great harm" if he went to trial.

oregonlive.com

Bryan Robb — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 12:04:39 -0700

Worth a trip to the burbs or if you’re in the Tigard area. #pdx

El Jefe Grill

See our latest menu, find our hours, and order online directly from us. Locations in Tigard, OR

eljefegrillpdx.com

Bryan Robb — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 11:38:41 -0700

2 1/2 years of EV ownership and just had my first service visit, which was to clean the windshield inside the housing for the forward-facing cameras. Besides this, I’ve had to rotate tires and add windshield wiper fluid.

Bryan Robb — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 00:32:27 -0700

Pavement at Revolution Hall.

Bryan Robb — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 15:20:32 -0700

Psyching myself up for the show tonight.

Greenlander by Pavement on Apple Music

Song · 1992 · Duration 3:11

music.apple.com

Bryan Robb — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 19:51:33 -0700

After my wife won tickets to Kaleo a couple weeks back, I won tickets to see Deep Sea Diver and Nation of Language tonight at Grand Lodge. Nice night after a pretty intense week!

Bryan Robb — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 20:55:09 -0700

You might be an American if, upon realizing you overestimated your medical expenses for the year, you use your FSA to purchase that quality-of-life-improving-but-not-strictly-necessary medical device. In my case, it’s a travel CPAP.

Bryan Robb — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 19:04:40 -0700

Rare bipartisan W. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

House Votes for Permanent Daylight Saving Time

House Republicans and Democrats united in favor of a bill to eliminate semiannual clock-changing, but it faces an uncertain fate in the Senate.

nytimes.com

Bryan Robb — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 19:03:20 -0700

Rate bipartisan W. Even a broken clock is right two times a day.

House Votes for Permanent Daylight Saving Time

House Republicans and Democrats united in favor of a bill to eliminate semiannual clock-changing, but it faces an uncertain fate in the Senate.

nytimes.com

Bryan Robb — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 18:52:33 -0700

Bryan Robb — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 09:37:35 -0700

📚 This one hit home on several levels.

Hello Beautiful (Oprah's Book Club): A Novel • Notes by Bryan • Popfeed

This one hit home on several levels.

popfeed.social

Bryan Robb — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 13:17:05 -0700

80s/90s childhood birthday parties

Bryan Robb — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 09:55:08 -0700

Winco + Trader Joe’s gang 🙋‍♂️

Bryan Robb — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 02:22:49 -0700

Barcelona’s New Message: ‘Not One Tourist More’

As the commissioner for sustainable tourism, José Antonio Donaire’s job is to diminish the impact of the nearly 16 million annual visitors to the Catalan capital. Here’s what he’s planning.

nytimes.com

Bryan Robb — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 23:00:26 -0700

Checking out the HyperTexting app.

Much like NetNewsWire, being auto-subscribed to Molly White, Kottke, and Daring Fireball upon signup feels a bit like having U2 preloaded on my iPhone.

hypertexting.com

HyperTexting

HyperTexting is your timeline minus the ads, algorithms, and AI slop. It's like the "for you" feed, but it actually works... for YOU (not the platforms).

hypertexting.com

Bryan Robb — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 18:10:27 -0700

First time staking my tomatoes and I’m a convert. #gardening #pnw #veggies

Bryan Robb — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 14:38:32 -0700

Before I got married, I always wondered how places like Moberi (açaí bowls) and Jamba Juice stayed open. Now I know.

Bryan Robb — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 08:49:18 -0700

For you dark mfers

Why this creepy melody is in so many movies

YouTube video by Vox

youtube.com

Bryan Robb — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 16:00:59 -0700

Here’s my Duolingo profile – let’s be friends

invite.duolingo.com/profile-shar...

Learn a language for free

Learn languages by playing a game. It's 100% free, fun, and scientifically proven to work.

invite.duolingo.com