The Secure Scuttlebutt

06/29/2026, 05:34:02 PM

I had a really good paddling experience this weekend. I booked a room just for myself up in the mountains for two nights. Saturday I did a long, lazy paddle in service of training for the 90-miler coming up.

One for @IBob, I ran into a volunteer crew doing work on the canoe carries and signs. They were super friendly, chatting about my boat, the trail, the race stickers I had, although one encouraged me to help carrying 2x10's, and I had to politely decline, as my arms were mush. They did a great job! I saw it all on the way back.

image:wood walkway on a canoe carry with recently replaced pressure treated lumber

On Sunday, I noticed there was a river cleanup event nearby and changed my plans to attend that. We paddled about 2.5mi down Saranac River and picked up trash.

image:a canoe overloaded with tires and bags of mostly glass

image:bed of a truck satisfyingly full of traffic cones, tires, a bowling ball, etc.

I had only paddled this river once before. The weather was perfect, and I spent most of my time just wading and swimming around one section concerningly named "glass island." Lots of beer cans, wine bottles, beer bottles, and bits of ceramics apparently collect there. I am most proud of finding a pocket electronic dictionary (non-working). Pulling tires out of the muck was way more work than I would have guessed. One we only managed after taking several turns each trying and then someone in another boat bringing a shovel they found.

I am a bit torn on humanity with the selfish people who caused this trash to end up in such a beautiful river in the first place vs. the community that organizes so enthusiastically to clean it up. Not only were the people giving their time and risking tetanus great, but there was a quite large list of local businesses who gave food and supplies to the effort. I would do this again in a heartbeat.

06/20/2026, 02:17:09 PM

"Did you see that ludicrous display last night?"

I found myself at the Scotland vs. Morocco World Cup game, and my knowledge of statue hats came in quite handy to understand what was going on around me.

image:Note the fan wearing a traffic cone hat at the bottom right. They courteously collapsed it when to game started to not impede viewing.

image:Of course I don't understand this sport at all.

I didn't really understand the game at all, but the fans were all a lot of fun and very polite.

#noscotlandnoparty

06/12/2026, 10:19:32 PM

Midnight Murder Club left early access and saw its full release yesterday.

image:Midnight Murder Club: Available Now on PS5 and Steam

06/12/2026, 01:18:03 PM

Our other exciting news this week is that we're part of a proposal to build at 1 Monument Square in Troy, NY: https://cbs6albany.com/news/local/troy-mayor-pitches-new-plan-for-long-vacant-one-monument-square-site.

Information about the history of the site is a bit bleak: https://www.timesunion.com/projects/2025/troy-1-monument-square/.

image:screenshot of an article about many prior attempts to build at 1 monument square

I'm personally super excited. The lot has been an eyesore since I first visited Troy, the proposal looks pretty good, and if anyone can make this happen, we can.

06/09/2026, 03:39:21 PM

Happy to share that we worked on Star Fox for Switch 2 at Velan Studios: https://bsky.app/profile/velanstudios.bsky.social/post/3mnuig2crp225.