Starting to really wonder why I continue to follow the guy in the YouTubes. He hasn't made a video worth watching for a while and now he's throwing his political views all over everything. Sorry uncle, I don't care what you think about political things. I followed you cuz you did cool stuff. I don't ask a scaffolder how to make an omelette

Digital Equipment Corp engineering banner hung by Ken Olson, CEO, in 1990s (before they acquired by Compaq, who was acquired by ..)

Moved into my new workshop back in December, and finally got around to hanging this back up in my new office. It was a random gift in the mail from back in the day when I used to wear AvE shirts when I was on Tested’s YouTube videos.

I realize that a big part of the value AvE brings to his videos is that contrarian mindset. Not revering brands or believing specs but actually getting shit apart and measuring it for real. I like the rough and unpolished approach to some things (like the anti-unboxing), and the care that goes into what matters. I also like how he covers the failures and dead ends - especially with CNC machining - you don't just finish your model and press "go" like you were printing a Word document.

But FFS - his whining about nanny state and comparing mask wearing and distancing to security theatre is full-on conspiracy theorist idiocy. Calling Trudeau's mask a jock strap is not speaking truth to power, it's spreading a harmful lie. Being a contrarian for its own sake doesn't mean you know something that the rest of the world doesn't - sometimes it means you're just being a fucking asshole.

AvE, I genuinely thought you were better than this.