Mastodon Feed: Posts

Boosted by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
bengerman@hachyderm.io ("Ben Berry") wrote:

Someone misinterpreted a request to "help me get this python running" https://mstdn.social/@Illuminatus/114319231522348355

Boosted by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
TomWellborn@universeodon.com ("TomWellborn3") wrote:

Someone tried to burn down Gov. Josh Shapiro’s home while his family slept; this is what stochastic terrorism looks like. MAGA’s war on democracy has turned domestic terror into a political strategy. No arrests; just fire, fear, and silence from the fascist right.
https://www.rawstory.com/josh-shapiro-arson/

pzmyers@freethought.online ("pzmyers 🕷") wrote:

Now upgraded to a luxury apartment!

https://www.patreon.com/posts/blue-has-moved-126576259

pzmyers@freethought.online ("pzmyers 🕷") wrote:

Relocated my tarantula from this confining box to a spacious 29 gallon tank.

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2025/04/13/blue-has-outgrown-her-home/

Boosted by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
kenshirriff@oldbytes.space ("Ken Shirriff") wrote:

When we powered on the Commodore PET computer, the screen filled with random gibberish characters instead of the boot message, so we knew there was a problem. This behavior was mostly reassuring since it showed that the power supply, clock, video circuitry, and monitor all worked.

Boosted by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
wdlindsy@toad.social ("William Lindsey :toad:") wrote:

Noting that the well-regarded University of Michigan consumer-sentiment index released yesterday shows consumer confidence falling for the fourth straight month, dropping 11% from March, Heather Cox Richardson writes,

"This level of consumer sentiment is the second lowest since the index began in 1952."

#Musk #Trump #DOGE #economy #recession #tariffs #StockMarket #consumers #ConsumerConfidence
/1

https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/april-12-2025

jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:

Today in History: Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the United States, born Shadwell Plantation in the Colony of Virginia, 3rd of 10 children

Boosted by adam@social.lol ("Adam Newbold"):
tomgauld.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy ("Tom Gauld ") wrote:

My cartoon for this week's @newscientist.com

mattblaze@federate.social ("Matt Blaze") wrote:

One of the challenges of very long lenses is that they tempt you to compose images of subjects that are very far away. But the farther away something is, the more the atmosphere can distort the image. The effects of heat distortion, pollution, humidity, and weather are amplified across longer distances, no matter how sharp the lens is or how high resolution the sensor.

mattblaze@federate.social ("Matt Blaze") wrote:

Very long lenses like the 400mm, with their narrow field of view, are essential for some compositions (such as this one), but I find I only rarely actually use them. In fact, the longest lens I have for my main medium format camera system is 180mm (which yields the 35mm equivalent view of about a 120mm), and I hardly ever use even that for the most of the photography I do.

For wildlife photographers, on the other hand, 400mm is practically a wide angle.

mattblaze@federate.social ("Matt Blaze") wrote:

This was captured with a DSLR and a 400mm lens, which contributed to the compressed perspective. The conductor boarding the leftmost train is essential to the composition, I think.

Ewing, NJ ("West Trenton") is the last stop on SEPTA's commuter trains from Philadelphia on the former Reading Railroad's line to northern NJ. CSX freight trains still use the tracks north of the station, beyond the end of the overhead electrified wiring used for passenger service.

mattblaze@federate.social ("Matt Blaze") wrote:

Commuter Trains, Ewing (West Trenton), NJ, 2010.

All the pixels, with plenty of seats at rush hour, at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattblaze/4377309058

#photography

pzmyers@freethought.online ("pzmyers 🕷") wrote:

Ha ha. Minnesota Republicans are fighting amongst themselves.

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2025/04/13/civil-war-in-the-minnesota-republicans/

Boosted by adam@social.lol ("Adam Newbold"):
justincox@social.lol ("Justin Cox") wrote:

I can’t manage to take a picture of it because of the airplane window, but there is a beautiful full moon staring at me. It’s so bright and feels reachable at 32,000 ft in the sky. This is one of the many rewards this week will bring.

Boosted by adam@social.lol ("Adam Newbold"):
andyn@social.lol ("Andy") wrote:

I just had a Capybara experience at a local zoo. They have to be the cutest, most chill animals I’ve ever seen. Adorable.

Boosted by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
t54r4n1@mspsocial.net ("the most validated enby") wrote:

I will not give the bad take airtime. I will not publish a counter-take. I will see the bad take, and I will let it wash over me. In the end, the bad take will be gone, and I will remain.

Boosted by keul@fosstodon.org ("Luca Fabbri"):
janellecshane@wandering.shop ("Janelle Shane") wrote:

“Slopsquatting” in a nutshell:

1. LLM-generated code tries to run code from online software packages. Which is normal but
2. The packages don’t exist. Which would normally cause an error but
3. Nefarious people have made malware under the package names that LLMs make up most often. So
4. Now the LLM code points to malware.

https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/12/ai%5Fcode%5Fsuggestions%5Fsabotage%5Fsupply%5Fchain/

Boosted by kornel ("Kornel"):
sjvn wrote:

If only this was an exaggeration.

Attachments:

• video: bc0635f69070f155.mp4

Boosted by jwz:
simple_sabotage ("Simple Sabotage Field Manual") wrote:

Simple sabotage is often an act which the citizen performs according to his own initiative and inclination.

Boosted by jwz:
wildsown ("Wild Sown") wrote:

Self-Care Corvid bringing you the daily Public Service Announcement:

#meme #corvids #doomscrolling #selfcare #psa #takeabreak #crows #raven #corvid #memes #corvidae #drinkwater #SilentSunday #illustration #wildgreenmemes #wgmfef #restisresistance

Boosted by jwz:
Daojoan ("JA Westenberg") wrote:

We’re very worried about AI doing human things. We should be equally worried about humans doing AI things—optimizing hard, understanding nothing.

Boosted by jwz:
gregeganSF@mathstodon.xyz ("Greg Egan") wrote:

If we fail to detect an Earth-impacting asteroid in time, I guess we can just threaten it with a 1000% tariff if it dares to come too close.

Boosted by jwz:
cstross@wandering.shop ("Charlie Stross") wrote:

Footnote: the reason Trump is non-serious about business is because Trump doesn't understand how real businesses work. He thinks like a mobster, or a real estate salesman: all customer interactions are a prisoner's dilemma with no iteration (how many times a month do you buy an office block from the same salesman?!?) so *of course* "always defect" is a winning game-theoretical strategy.

But in the real world, most businesses are built on repeat trade. And Trump has never experienced this.

Boosted by jwz:
simple_sabotage ("Simple Sabotage Field Manual") wrote:

Approve other defective parts whose flaws are not visible to the naked eye.

Boosted by adam@social.lol ("Adam Newbold"):
jason@pnw.zone ("Jason Rehmus 📚") wrote:

PSA: I’ve seen some #DogsOfMastodon folks express disappointment that there’s a #caturday but no direct equivalent for pups and their fans. May I present:
- #Sundog
- #Mondog
- #Tuesdog
- #Wednesdog
- #Thursdog
- #Fridog
- #Saturdog

Boosted by jwz:
jef ("Jef Poskanzer") wrote:

At today's Berkeley #TeslaTakedown, via reddit:

Boosted by adam@social.lol ("Adam Newbold"):
springdiesel@spore.social ("Coach Spore Diesel") wrote:

Louder for the people in the back:

"If your pipeline only selects able bodied neurotypical cis white dudes with 110% energy and who aren’t burned out, your pipeline isn’t selecting for talent or for capability or for intelligence, it’s selecting for privilege."

xor@tech.intersects.art ("Parker Higgins") wrote:

10 years ago today I published a blog post about the pomological watercolor collection, which you may know from @pomological. it changed my life in some surprising ways! take a little trip with me down memory lane https://parkerhiggins.net/2025/04/10-years-of-pomological-watercolors/

Boosted by adam@social.lol ("Adam Newbold"):
jk ("josef") wrote:

in a just & true world, every youtube video you'd scroll down and the top comments would all be like "i was enjoying your video until what the fuck is this mobile game garbage. why are you telling me about a VPN"

Boosted by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
Alternatecelt@mastodon.scot ("Angela Miller") wrote:

Just Xavi, patiently waiting......
#caturday #blackcat #CatsOMastodon