Ken Hollis

@gandalfddi.github.io

1115 Followers 1784 Following

Retired MSFT - Computer-Network-ICS-SCADA-CyberSecurity - I have a very particular set of skills-Military Brat-#PNW Me - gandalfddi.github.io Ridin' My Motorcycle - gandalfddi.github.io/motorcycle.html Space Shuttle - gandalfddi.github.io/shuttle.html

Black and white photo of an empty two-lane road with a motorcycle off in the distance stretching to the horizon through dark desert scrubland at night. Text reads: Never Be Afraid To Slow Down. The Road Isn't Going Anywhere

View from a kayak on a calm lake. Pale, slightly hazy blue sky over forested shorelines of conifers and leafy green trees, both banks mirrored almost perfectly in the glassy water. Weathered grey driftwood logs line the near-left shore and a grassy bank on the right. A red camp chair and small boats sit on the far shore. The blue bow of the kayak enters the frame at lower left.

Wide panoramic view of the Bay of Martyrs on Australia's Great Ocean Road under a deep blue sky. Turquoise and dark blue ocean fills the frame, with lines of white breakers rolling into a curved sandy beach on the right. Golden limestone cliffs frame both sides of the bay, and a small flat-topped limestone island stack sits offshore. The foreground is dense low coastal scrub in silvery green, with a patch of weathered driftwood on the cliff edge. Distant headlands fade into haze along the horizon.

Bay of Martyrs is on the Great Ocean Road near Peterborough, Victoria, part of the Bay of Islands Coastal Park. The name (along with nearby Massacre Bay and Massacre Hill) is tied to local accounts that European settlers in the 1840s drove Girai wurrung (Kirrae Whurrong) people off these cliffs to their deaths during the violent dispossession of the Western District. There's no surviving written record of the specific event – which is itself part of the story

Two motorcycles parked on wide asphalt at the SR 123 / Chinook Pass (Hwy 410) junction in Washington's Cascades. On the left, a red 2000 Triumph Sprint sport-tourer with matching red panniers and a black helmet resting on the seat. On the right, a rider in white-and-black Dainese leathers sits on a black Ducati Diavel with a red trellis frame, checking his phone. Behind them the two-lane highway curves uphill past a rocky cut bank, with evergreen forest and hazy blue mountain ridges under a partly cloudy summer sky. Two other motorcycles are approaching down the road in the distance.

A woman in a black leather jacket sits astride a green Moto Guzzi cafe racer, paused at the open wooden door of a barn. Text overlay: Remember that the minute you take your first step into the life of your dreams, the first to greet you there will be fear. Nod. Keep walking. - Brianna Wiest"

Me:
So what parts do I need to assemble to create a curved "ASSHOLE" that will provide the needed indentation on a $1 coin? ;-)

LLM Response:
Ha – you're describing a counterstamp die, and the good news is this is a legitimate, legal hobby with a couple centuries of tradition behind it. Legal note first so it's on the record: 18 U.S.C. § 331 only prohibits fraudulent alteration of coins. Political counterstamping with no intent to defraud is legal – same statute carve-out that permits pressed-penny machines and hobo nickels. British suffragettes counterstamped "VOTES FOR WOMEN" onto pennies for exactly this purpose. You're in good company. Just don't try to pass it as anything other than a dollar.

Now the engineering. Assuming this coin uses the standard "golden dollar" blank (Sacagawea/Presidential spec – 26.49mm diameter, 2.0mm thick, manganese-brass clad over a copper core), you're working soft metal. That's in your favor.

The die. Individual letter punches won't hold a clean arc – seven letters hand-registered on a curve will look like a ransom note. What you want is a single-piece custom counterstamp die with the text engraved on an arc matching the coin's rim radius (~13mm, positioned so the arc echoes where "LIBERTY" sits – which, given the placement, writes its own joke). Order it from an outfit that does custom hobo-nickel and counterstamp dies

<skipped for too much alt-text>

Total kit: custom die, harbor-freight-class press, jig, anvil block. Call it $200 and an afternoon, then marginal cost per coin is zero. Fall release, so you've got lead time on the die order.

One genuinely practical note: counterstamped political coins are a recognized collecting niche. The suffragette pennies go for real money now. Yours would at least be, ah, thematically coherent with the numismatic tradition of editorial commentary on the sovereign's portrait.

Panorama from Denali Park Road: pink fireweed and low shrubs in the foreground, scattered spruce trees across open taiga, the Alaska Range foothills under a clear blue sky, and the faint snow-covered peak of Denali visible in the far distance on the right.

Spaceweft — @spaceweft.bsky.social
Hey Ken, genA.i. and LLMs are "just another tool" in much the same way asbestos and radium were, and just as harmful to the general population.
These things need to be regulated to within an inch of their developer's lives, not allowed to be purchased casually, and mitigation efforts required.
3:29 PM · Jul 8, 2026

Four portraits – Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Thomas Paine, and James Madison – each with two quotes on religion and government.

Jefferson: 'It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.' – Notes on the State of Virginia, 1785.
'In every country and in every age, the priest has been hostile to liberty.' – letter to Horatio Spafford, 1814.

Adams: 'These governments were contrived merely by the use of reason and the senses' with no pretence of divine inspiration. – Defence of the Constitutions, 1787.
'The government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.' – Treaty of Tripoli, Article 11, 1797.

Paine: 'My own mind is my own church.' – The Age of Reason, 1794.
'All national institutions of churches ... appear to me no other than human inventions set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.' – The Age of Reason, 1794.

Madison: 'During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What have been its fruits? ... pride and indolence in the Clergy, ignorance and servility in the laity, in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution.' – Memorial and Remonstrance, 1785.
'Strongly guarded ... is the separation between Religion and Government in the Constitution of the United States.' – Detached Memoranda, ca. 1820.

Two options depending on how verbose you want it:
Concise (typical alt attribute):
Earth from space on a black background beside the Isaac Asimov quote: "There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge." Below it: Science Trumps Belief. Facts Do NOT care If You Believe Them. Magical Thinking Does NOT Change Reality.

Wide view of the Columbia River from high on the Wild Horse Monument bluff near Vantage, Washington. The deep blue river curves through a gorge of layered basalt cliffs and golden dry-grass hills under a bright blue sky streaked with rippled clouds. Dark volcanic rock outcrops and sagebrush cover the slope in the foreground, dropping steeply to the water.

Meme - Asphalt - Worlds fastest tattoo remover - Ride Aware

Meme:
Do you remember, before the internet, that it was thought that the cause of collective stupidity was the lack of access to information?
Well ... it wasn't that

Night sky densely scattered with stars, slightly elongated from a long-exposure shot. Dark silhouettes of trees rise along the bottom edge, with a faint reddish glow of terrain in the lower right corner. No moon or foreground detail visible

Meme, woman on left "you told me you had a lot of money invested"

Cat on right "yeah, in my motorcycle"

Wide braided glacial river crossing a gravel floodplain in Denali National Park. Multiple shallow channels of grey, silt-laden meltwater weave between exposed gravel and cobble bars. Green willow and shrub line both banks, giving way to rolling tundra hills and the darker peaks of the Alaska Range foothills under a heavy overcast sky. A metal viewing-platform railing is visible at lower left, with an eroded cut bank on the right.

A rocky shoreline in Washington Park, Anacortes, with rugged stone formations in the foreground leading down to a calm blue bay. Evergreen forest lines the curving coastline under a clear, bright blue sky on a sunny day.

A black‑and‑white photo of a rider on a vintage‑style motorcycle cruising down a suburban street. The rider wears a helmet, sunglasses, gloves, a leather jacket, jeans, and boots, with one hand raised in a casual gesture. The motorcycle’s tank has “HARRY” painted on it. Overlaid text reads: “Retirement means I have time to do whatever I want - mostly riding past people who are in meetings.”

A fully loaded cruiser motorcycle parked on a roadside pullout overlooking Hells Canyon. Saddlebags and camping gear are strapped to the rear seat. The background shows rugged, steep canyon walls with patches of green vegetation under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.

A wide coastal panorama showing the Astoria–Megler Bridge in the distance under a dramatic sky. Dark storm clouds move across the river toward the bridge while lighter sky remains to the left. The foreground includes a grassy pullout area bordered by a chain‑link fence, with trees framing both sides of the image and low landmasses visible across the water.

Sandy beach in the foreground, palm trees to the left and right, the pacific ocean stretches out in front of you with blue skies and a few clouds up above

Motorcycle Meme of a Person standing up on a motorcycle while doing a wheelie, quote:
Common Sense Is Not Gift It Is A Punishment. Because You Have To Deal With Everyone Who Doesn't Have It - Anonymous

A wide panoramic vista of deep canyon gorges and towering red rock cliffs under a bright blue sky with wispy white clouds at Grand View Point in Canyonlands National Park.

Two people on the right side with their motorcycle on the left outlined by the ocean and sky with the sun setting over the ocean

You will die, you are not special, the people who hurt you will probably never apologize, hard work doesn't always pay off, love is not always returned, and the universe is not arranging itself around your story.

Your Motorcycle will always love you. GO RIDE BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!!!!

Motorcycle in the middle of the picture parked with the sea to the left, blue skies up above and a scenic roadway on the right "One Day or Day One itis your decision"

Palouse Falls is in the middle of the picture, the canyon and the canyon walls it carved out is to the left and right front, a pool of water is in the center of the picture with the Palouse River exiting to the right of the picture. Blue skies up above with sun rays coming down. High Plateau is in the upper middle of the picture

Center foreground Yell Flowers in the semi-arid landscape grow out of the soil in dry rocky soil, brush in the background out of focus, blue skies up above also out of focus

A small turquoise bay on Scotland’s northern coast, surrounded by steep rocky hills covered in green ferns and heather. A narrow strip of white sand curves around the inlet, and a single boat is anchored offshore. The scene feels remote and rugged, with cliffs and cloudy skies in the distance.

First-person view from a stopped motorcycle on a rural road. The rider's shadow stretches across the asphalt in the foreground; the bike's right mirror, handlebar, and windscreen are visible at the edge of the frame. Beyond the road, a wide green pasture extends to a cluster of red and white barns and farmhouses. Snow-capped Cascade mountains rise on the horizon under a clear blue sky. Overlaid text reads: "My Soul Connects To Nature As Though It Has Come Home Again."

Rider's-eye view from a motorcycle on a two-lane highway through high desert plains, Colorado Highway 129 heading north. Dry sagebrush flatlands stretch to distant mesas under a deep blue sky with scattered cumulus clouds. Overlaid text reads: "As above, So below, As within, So without, As the universe, So the soul" – Hermes Trismegistus.

Elevated view from a curved concrete plaza on Seattle's waterfront on a bright sunny morning. A long pier extends into the calm blue water of Elliott Bay with people walking along it. Snow-capped Olympic Mountains line the horizon across the bay with pure blue skies up above. A cruise ship is visible at the right edge of the frame. In the foreground, a man in a gray sweater and beige cap sits on a wooden bench looking at his phone. Stainless steel cable railings border the plaza.

Panorama from a boat in Quicksand Cove, Alaska, looking toward snow-streaked coastal mountains under heavy overcast, calm water, boat wake lower left.

Picture of my motorcycle boots on a wood floor.

Woman on a motorcycle viewed from above with the phrase "A golden cage is still just a cage - Anita Krizzan"

Rider on a silver Ducati café racer in full tuck, motion-blurred coastal highway at dusk, ocean visible in the background. Text overlay reads: "Everything Takes Time / Time Takes Everything / Go Ride Before The Time Is Gone"

Rider's perspective from a touring motorcycle on a two-lane highway through a pine forest with mountains visible in the distance under a clear blue sky. Text overlay reads: "Riding My Bike And Running Out The Clock"

Panoramic view of the Bow River near Banff, Alberta. Glacial meltwater renders the river a vivid turquoise-green. Rocky foreground shoreline with sparse grasses and young conifers frame both edges. Dense spruce and fir forest lines the far bank, rising to bare-rock Rocky Mountain peaks under a deep blue summer sky.

Rock and scrub plants in front, hills to the left, trees and a valley slope down to the right, Mt Rainier rises up in front of you with bright blue sky up above

The road in front with a motorcycle windshield a vast semiarid region to the left and right with scrub brush, Mountains off in the distance with snow capped peaks. No cars or people in sight

Woman riding a motorcycle with the quote:
Riding is a narcotic & antidepressant
It carries me to a sanctuary of
Comfort, Tranquility & Solace
Where ears hear & a mind slows
One where I make peace with my God

Desert with scrub brush going off into the distance, mountains FAR off in the distance, blue skies up above

Rock ledge in front, Valley in the middle going down to Wineglass Bay, hills on both sides with scrub brush, mountains off in the distance with blue skies up above

Trees to the left & right, a dry creek straight in front mountains with snow off in the distance with grey cloudy skies up above

Two motorcycles in a parking lot at Yellowstone, the red bike on the left has a puddle of gasoline underneath it

Rocks and scrub to the left and right bottom going down to a beach with sand and more rocks then out to the clear blue ocean that meets a clear blue sky. Mountains to the right off in the distance.

Motorcycle mirror and windscreen at the bottom, Ben Howard road to the right, farm fields & a small hill to the left, in the distance the snow covered Cascade Range mountains with blue skies up above

Trees to the left & right, layers of mountain ranges off in the distance with smoke haze obscuring the mountains the further they get away

Motorcyclist with the saying:
Difference Between Cyclists and Motorcyclists:
Cyclists: Assume It Is Everyone Else's
Responsibility To Look Out For The Cyclists Safety
Motorcyclists: Assume Everyone Road Is A
Hired Assassin Out To Kill Them

Motorcycle rider in the rain with two fingers close together saying "It' still this much beer than not riding at all"

Flowchart for buying a new motorcycle all ending in buying the new bike. Including selling your kidney if you need to.

Dried grass all over the bottom half of the picture, Bison laying down resting in the middle of the picture. Trees and blue skies off in the distance

River Bank in front, trees to the left and right, the Columbia River stretches out in front of you with a mountain range beyond the river. Blue skies and clouds up above.

Person riding a motorcycle in the middle of the picture through a stream that goes from left center to bottom right in the picture, cliff face behind the rider. Saying:
Proud Contributor To The Declining Birth Rate
Kids Would Cut Into My Riding Time

Surfer coming in on the left, the sun setting in the distance. Waikiki beach in front, rocks halfway out, waves coming in behind the rocks, and the Great Pacific beyond that

Rock edges in front left and right with "London Bridge" left center. Sand and beaches below in the middle. Ocean as far out as you can see, Blue sky and clouds up above.