I got the FluoroSpec lead testing kit, which is pretty fun to use.
First hit is a radiator air vent that I removed recently. Looks like it had lead paint. I should check the other radiator vents and paint.
(The way this works is you shine the UV flashlight on the surface to get a baseline, spray/paint the surface with the liquid, then check for green (new) fluorescence.)
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
mastodon
4.3.6+glitch
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast.
I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
0
Followers
0
Following
Joined November 15, 2022
pronouns:
he/they
website:
location:
Somerville, MA, USA
languages:
📖 en, es; ✍️ en, ~es
Posts
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
@timmc@better.boston
·
5d ago
2
0
0
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
@timmc@better.boston
·
Apr 17, 2026
More idle curiosity: Anyone know what kind of fish this is? Herring?
There were three of these fish, dead on the walkways on the Charles River locks. Maybe 20-25 cm long. Two were close to each other, and the third was about 3 meters farther along.
(Also, how the heck did they get there? I can think of several stories but none of them seem obviously correct.)
There were three of these fish, dead on the walkways on the Charles River locks. Maybe 20-25 cm long. Two were close to each other, and the third was about 3 meters farther along.
(Also, how the heck did they get there? I can think of several stories but none of them seem obviously correct.)
1
0
0
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
@timmc@better.boston
·
Apr 17, 2026
What's with these vehicle barriers deployed in #Boston at the intersection of Mass Ave and Commonwealth Ave?
0
0
1
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
@timmc@better.boston
·
Mar 29, 2026
@slembcke @0xabad1dea This is from the "missing GH status page": https://mrshu.github.io/github-statuses/
4
0
1
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
@timmc@better.boston
·
Mar 29, 2026
@gkrnours @0xabad1dea Ooh ooh, I can answer this!
Given that 100% is hard to reach and 0% is not, we can use a simpler version of the logit function and take log₁₀(1÷(1−.89)) = ~0.96 which means it's still a tad below 1 "nine".
(The full logit function is log₁₀(x÷(1−x)) and is useful when both 0% and 100% are hard/impossible to reach.)
Given that 100% is hard to reach and 0% is not, we can use a simpler version of the logit function and take log₁₀(1÷(1−.89)) = ~0.96 which means it's still a tad below 1 "nine".
(The full logit function is log₁₀(x÷(1−x)) and is useful when both 0% and 100% are hard/impossible to reach.)
0
0
0
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
@timmc@better.boston
·
Feb 28, 2026
1
0
0
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
@timmc@better.boston
·
Feb 28, 2026
@knizer I wonder if there have yet been any films in which a character watches Inception.
0
0
0
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
@timmc@better.boston
·
Feb 25, 2026
1
1
0
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
@timmc@better.boston
·
Feb 24, 2026
1
1
0
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
@timmc@better.boston
·
Feb 24, 2026
@m750 The snow brick technique works pretty well on those conical piles on the roadway next to driveways. You can get a lot more snow on them this way. The bricks fuse together and get stronger over time, which is neat.
1
0
0
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
@timmc@better.boston
·
Feb 24, 2026
@m750 The snow bricks don't photograph well, but this nighttime shot turned out OK.
This is one of the places I helped shovel out today. The top of the bricks here is at head height or higher, but I was able to toss more snow behind them!
Fresh or dry snow doesn't work as well for this but the lower layers of today's snow worked... okay.
This is one of the places I helped shovel out today. The top of the bricks here is at head height or higher, but I was able to toss more snow behind them!
Fresh or dry snow doesn't work as well for this but the lower layers of today's snow worked... okay.
4
1
0
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
@timmc@better.boston
·
Feb 24, 2026
1
2
0
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
@timmc@better.boston
·
Feb 23, 2026
6
2
0
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
@timmc@better.boston
·
Feb 04, 2026
@Nonya_Bidniss @atzanteol It's not. Some people just get their undies in a twist over it for some reason.
0
0
0
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
@timmc@better.boston
·
Dec 13, 2025
@flargh@mastodon.social That was the only time my intestines have felt sore.
0
0
0
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
Tim McCormack
@timmc@better.boston
Gardener, software developer, and nature enthusiast. I use hashtags instead of CWs for uspol.
better.boston
@timmc@better.boston
·
Dec 04, 2025
@CTD You forgot to push down the charging lever.
1
2
0