Probstisms

Tim Probst
Tim Probst
@Tim@www.timprobst.com

Early adopting super geek, musician, father, resident tech guru.

1,073 posts
6 followers
  • This seems like an incredibly important data point for every leader around the globe to consider when interacting with Iran. This is especially true for those leaders that wrongfully feel they have the right to start unprovoked wars.

    Iran’s Attack on Distant U.S.-U.K. Base Demonstrates Growing Range

  • War Games is one of my favorite movies from the 80’s, and this is incredibly funny!

    When I first watched War Games (1983) I thought "wow, so weird, not only they had terrible password management, but their test 'AI' system was directly linked to the prod".

    Ha-ha. :blobcat_thisisfine:

    March 20, 2026, 9:41 pm 508 boosts 946 favorites

  • Nikki McCann Ramirez wrote an excellent article in Rolling Stone about how we Americans, through our elected government, could be spending our collective budget on positive changes for citizens and humanity instead of bombing and killing Iranians.

    Surely, we all can agree that the following list of alternatives would have wide support:

    • Health Care
    • Child Care
    • Medical Debt
    • Foreign Aid
    • Food Assistance
    • Public Programming
    • Preschool Development
    • Aid for the Disabled

    These are all things that help real people and can have lasting, positive impacts on our collective lives on this planet. We are well overdue on changing the way we think as Americans about how best to have impact, and it all starts by actually caring about each other and electing the right leaders.

    THINGS THE MONEY FOR TRUMP’S IRAN WAR COULD HAVE PAID FOR THAT AREN’T … WAR

  • This ruling is a massive win for the citizens of the United States and for the over 360 million people worldwide that rely on Voice of America for information especially in countries where real, factual information is not otherwise accessible.

    Judge orders restoration of Voice of America | AP News

  • The Smashing Pumpkins

    My college-aged son and many of his friends have discovered The Smashing Pumpkins. They’re going through their Smashing Pumpkins phase much like I and many of my friends went through a Led Zeppelin phase at some point in middle or high school. You know the “phase.” It’s the journey of discovering a band from before we were born and thinking, at least for a brief time, that it may be the greatest band of all time.

    I have to admit, I have been thoroughly enjoying this moment. The Smashing Pumpkins is one of my favorite bands, and I distinctly remember listening to their albums non-stop in my college dorm and apartments in the ’90s. There was something about their music that spoke to me and my friends at the time. Perhaps my son and his friends are experiencing the same thing now. Perhaps it is the age or the environment that makes college the best time to get into the Pumpkins, or maybe it is just really good music.

    My son asked about my favorite albums and songs, and of course I mentioned Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. But then I pulled out a wild card – Mary Star of the Sea.

    You might be thinking – Tim, that’s not a Pumpkins album, and you would be correct. It’s an album that came out in 2003 by a band named Zwan after the Pumpkins broke up the first time. Zwan included Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin and was basically just another version of The Smashing Pumpkins with a few other musicians. If you are lucky enough to have the CD (or ripped it back in the 2000’s like I did), you have my third favorite Smashing Pumpkins album in your library. Hopefully, Mary Star of the Sea and other Zwan content will be released on digital platforms soon. I suspect all of the 20-somethings discovering The Smashing Pumpkins would immediately take to Zwan at the same time.

    Rock on!

  • Paying $4/gallon for gas yesterday was super fun.

  • I’ve been spending some quality time integrating Aha! and Jira this week. I’ve been integrating systems for most of my professional career, and I have to say that Aha! has created an absolutely incredible user experience for something that is usually very technical and very difficult. It’s like a master class in how system integration should work.

    Now I have to figure out how to do this for financial technology systems.

  • Portillo’s is delicious wherever it might be. There’s no reason Portillo’s should slow down their expansion plans. Here’s the key – go to where the Chicagoans go.

    Start with expanding to college campuses. Tons of kids from Chicago go to Big Ten universities. Put a Portillo’s in every Big Ten city from coast to coast. An Italian beef after a night at the bars would have been delicious!

    A lot of those Chicago kids go back to Chicago for work, but a lot of them end up in cities like Denver, San Diego, Indianapolis, Kansas City, etc.

    Again, follow the Chicagoans. Land and expand!

    Portillo’s slowing national expansion plans amid weaker sales – Chicago Sun-Times

  • Jesse Jackson

    Growing up in Chicago during the 1970’s, 1980’s, and 1990’s, it was impossible to not know Reverend Jesse Jackson and his work. He was a massive figure in Chicago and nationally thanks to his work with Dr. King, Operation Breadbasket, and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. He spoke with rhythm, passion, and joy. It was hard to not pay attention to him.

    The world has rightfully offered its thanks and memorials to Rev. Jackson since his passing like the following from Sesame Street (one of my all-time favorites).

    Thankfully, we have a record of other great examples of the Country Preacher telling it like it is like the introduction to Walk Tall on Cannonball Adderley Quintet’s Country Preacher – Live at Operation Breadbasket.

    As Rev. Jackson would often remind us, we all are somebody, and we should all walk tall. He certainly did.

    Rev. Jesse Jackson, civil rights leader and Chicago icon, dead at 84

  • As a father, I feel like I can say this with a certain level of authority at this point in my life:

    The President of the United States is experiencing what some might call a temper tantrum.

    Trump says he will raise US global tariff rate from 10% to 15%