tom brandt

@twbrandt.net

653 Followers 442 Following

PC(USA) elder, deacon. Retired software engineer. UMich grad. He/him. Jackal (IYKYK). Dearborn, MI. Technical Canadian. 🏳️‍🌈 “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” — Anne Lamott https://twbrandt.net/about/

Graph showing a 24.00% decline in value of SpaceX stock from its peak.

A can of Cheboygan Brewing Co. Dark Cherry Blonde Ale.

Air quality index of 438 at 7:06am in Dearborn, MI.

A graph showing a steep decline in the price of SpaceX stock

an old fashioned drink with a large ice cube in a glass.

A screenshot of Isaac Chotiner’s Bluesky account showing he has 28.5K followers and is following only 11.

A glass of beer on a green coaster on a wooden bar

Results of a quiz showing my closest political match is Zohran Mamdani

Graph showing a sharp decline in the share price of SpaceX in the space of one week.

Giant tire along eastbound I-94 in Allen Park, MI.

Michigan Avenue in Detroit. The bike lane is separated from the traffic lanes by parked cars.

Screenshot of the shipping notification for the book “A Pox on Fools”

Don Knotts as Barney Fife

A graph showing my cultural tastes are closest to those in the Episcopal church.

10 piece band on a stage in a bar. Band includes guitars, percussion, keyboards, and brass.

Scoreboard showing Michigan is leading Ohio State in the Charity Bowl $5,347 to $779.

Hilary Clinton: “And then... No wait, listen...
And then they told the Pope he doesn't understand the Bible before quoting a fake Bible passage from 'Pulp Fiction."

Barak Obama: "Girl, stop... I can't."

The sign outside Knights restaurant on Dexter. Half of it is missing.

Crowds of people lining the street for the No Kings rally in Wyandotte, MI.

Screenshot showing the major stock indexes are all down, tech and manufacturing stocks are down as well.

10-piece band on a stage

A black cat with yellow eyes sitting on the back of a sofa.

An email from Google:

Tom,
Lawmakers in state capitals across the country are back in session - and they're already proposing regulations that could make it harder and more expensive for you to reach customers online. You can stay up to date on potential regulatory changes and make your voice heard on these topics by signing up below.
Sign Up for Important Updates
(Google will let me know about legislative and regulatory issues, events and advocacy opportunities related to my business.)
America's small businesses should have a voice in these discussions, and staying informed is the first step. From weighing in on state data privacy laws to helping influence the future of artificial intelligence (Al), your perspective can make a difference.
Sign up to stay informed about proposed regulations that could impact your business and to hear about opportunities to weigh in on these proposals. You will receive an email roughly once a month about key moments for your state.
Sign Up for Important Updates
(Google will let me know about legislative and regulatory issues, events and advocacy opportunities related to my business.)
Thank you,
The Google Customer Solutions Team

Next 24 Hours
Rain this morning, continuing until this afternoon, possibly turning to a chance of light snow this evening. Wind gusts up to 36 mph overnight. Today will feel significantly cooler than yesterday.

Carrol O’Connor as Archie Bunker.

Gullfoss, a waterfall in Iceland.

Two lemon, one prune, one cherry, one blueberry, and one cream pączki

An 11-piece rock and roll band on a small stage

A Calvin and Hobbes strip showing Calvin’s parents in bed. Calvin’s mom is lying down, Calvin’s dad is sitting up.

Calvin’s mom says, “Are you still awake too?”

Calvin’s dad responds: “mm-hmmm. I was thinking.

It’s funny .. When I was a kid, I thought grown-ups never worried about anything. I trusted my parents to take care of everything, and it never occurred to me that they might not know how.

I figured that once you grew up, you automatically knew what to do in any given scenario.

I don’t think I’d have been in such a hurry to reach adulthood if I’d known the whole thing was going to be ad-libbed.”

A campaign sign from the 2024 presidential election reading “Trump low prices Kamala high prices”

“Ypsilanti mentioned” meme

A picture of the doors at the Detroit airport where someone drove a car through them and into the airport. It shows bollards completely uprooted from the pavement.

Screenshot of my bluesky feed with consecutive posts commenting on a football game.

A round sticker with the word “Elon” circled in red with a red slash through it.

My 2026 word of the year is “bougie”.

Map showing states I’d be willing, or not, to live in. Never states: Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa, Idaho, Ohio (obvs), W. Virginia. All those states have a certain kind of unappealing politics. States I’d absolutely live in: Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York.

Screenshot from the bluesky app saying a post clearly in English is in Portuguese.

Excerpt of a letter from Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson, May 9, 1753:

I am perfectly of your mind, that measures of great Temper are necessary with the Germans: and am not without Apprehensions, that thro' their indiscretion or Ours, or both, great disorders and inconveniences may one day arise among us; Those who come hither are generally of the most ignorant Stupid Sort of their own Nation, and as Ignorance is often attended with Credulity when Knavery would mislead it, and with Suspicion when Honesty would set it right; and as few of the English understand the German Language, and so cannot address them either from the Press or Pulpit, 'tis almost impossible to remove any prejudices they once entertain.

Photo of Carroll O’Connor

Screenshot from my bluesky wrapped page showing I chatted most with @bdimcheff.wtf

10 piece rock band on a stage

A screenshot showing my top artists from my Apple Music account, showing in order:
Stile Antico
Tedeschi Trucks Band
The Black Keys
Stephen Stills
Jennifer Bate

screenshot showing the flight path of a small plane circling Michigan stadium

Album cover of Marvin Gaye’s 1971 release What’s Going On

An open book with orange pages, signed by the author.

A screen shot of an app that tracks air traffic. It shows very many planes on the ground at the Detroit airport, only a few in the air.

Me sitting a couch between two other people who are mostly cropped out of. the frame. I’m wearing blue jeans and a blue, green, and white vertically striped shirt.

A number of images of the Blue Angels performing at an air show.

A raised crosswalk, where the crosswalk is level with the sidewalks it connects.

A drawing of the Boris and Natasha cartoon characters.

People at the No Kings rally in Wyandotte, MI

crowds of people lining the street at the No Kings rally in Wyandotte, MI

A mixed drink, red in color, on a napkin on a stainless steel bar.

A mixed drink on a black napkin

Screenshot of the Detroit Free Press mobile app with a large ad for hiring Customs and Border Patrol officers.

Pedestrians on the Brooklyn Bridge, looking towards Manhattan.