@Okanogen@mastodon.social cover
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

Okanogen

@[email protected]

If you offend easily, you don't want to follow me
No, not THAT Dr. Mastodonocologist
Me, #geologist, #sysadmin, #sailor, #CubanAmerican, old, drunk, also stabby.
@Okanogen
Avatar is a ship's wheelhouse. Background picture is a BioBase bathymetric survey of part of Lake Minnetoka.
#BioBase #Captain #Sailing #Hydrology #Hydrography #Bathymetry #Geology #Hydrogeology
#Boating #MarineElectronics #Ceph #OpenStack #Proxmox
Pronouns: asshole/pops

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. View on remote instance

@georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random

He is keeping poorer families out of these professions. It’s modern day red-lining.

Screenshot of a tweet from Pop Crave on X.com. The tweet says that the Trump administration has excluded nursing, physical therapy, and public health from being classified as “professional” degrees under new student-loan rules. These programs will now be considered “graduate,” with loan limits capped at $20,500 instead of $50,000. Below the text are two images: a portrait of Donald Trump and the seal of the U.S. Department of Education.
ALT
Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@georgetakei
We can just fill all those positions with H1B visas.

@Alice@beige.party avatar Alice , to random

Serious question! Our apartment complex's pool is heated, but it's still pretty cold when you get out of the pool. I was contemplating buying bathrobes with the hope that we'd use the pool more, but Kev says that might make us look like swingers. Is that true?

Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@Alice
Only if you wear a Borat swimsuit underneath.

@georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random

Hey I saw a great name for that space.

image/jpeg

Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@georgetakei
I love that, because then we get to tear down somering⁸ he attached his name to.

@w7voa@journa.host avatar w7voa , to random

CNBC - President Trump threatens China with a cooking oil embargo over soybean snub. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/14/trump-china-soybean-cooking-oil.html

Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@w7voa
That will show them who's who wot wot.

@mcc@mastodon.social avatar mcc , to random

So the good thing about Linux distros switching to Wayland long before Wayland is remotely ready is that contact with real-world users will make the "pain points" visible so they can be fixed. But the bad thing is. I do not actually believe the "pain points" will be fixed. Ever

Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@mcc
Needs more Yutani.
Or maybe more Jennings?

@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar Okanogen , to random
@georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random

Utilities, groceries, health care premiums all going sky high, and he’s blabbering on like he’s Louis XIV in Versailles.

The post from @realDonaldTrump claims that 24 Karat Gold was used in the Oval Office and Cabinet Room of the White House, impressing foreign leaders and others with its quality and beauty. It describes this as the "Best Oval Office ever" in terms of success and appearance, signed by "President DJT."
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Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@georgetakei
I would melt that stuff down and sell it on day one.

@stux@mstdn.social avatar stux , to random

Fuck and fuck the regime

Can't go a day without having said that

Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@stux
are not conservatives, they are racist, bigotted fascists.

@indivisibleteam@mastodon.social avatar indivisibleteam , to random

No wannabe king can match the power we wield when millions of us take action together.

(below an image of the Star Wars cast on Endor) “Disney says ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ will return to ABC on Tuesday”
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Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@indivisibleteam
Call the local advertisers on Sinclair and Nexstar local broadcasts and tell them you are boycotting until that policy is reversed.
Hits them where it hurts.

@TheBreadmonkey@beige.party avatar TheBreadmonkey , to random

New most absolutely batshit levels of Fedi spam just dropped

Page 2 (all text contained in first image alttext)

Page 2 (all text contained in first image alttext)
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Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@TheBreadmonkey
I AM BEN!
NO! I AM BEN!
I AM BEN!
I! I AM ALSO BEN!
WE ALL ARE BEN!

@indivisibleteam@mastodon.social avatar indivisibleteam , to random

Are you frustrated with your elected officials? The good news is we’re heading into a primary season where we get to determine the leaders of the Democratic Party.

video/mp4

Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@indivisibleteam
Or, and hear me out for just one sec, we need better ORGANIZERS who don't kneecap Democrats for the $$$, clout, and their own ambition.

@stopthatgirl7@famichiki.jp avatar stopthatgirl7 , to random

Well, he got his wish.

Headline that reads: “Trump Ally Charlie Kirk Suggests Children Should Watch Public Executions”
ALT
Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@stopthatgirl7
Whoa.
That's dark.

@stux@mstdn.social avatar stux , to random

For decades I wanted to be an American and live in the US, it was my dream

After dictator Orange that dream is now fully gone

Even if he's gone after 4 years, the trust is not there anymore

The US system is broken or maybe designed this way and allows for demons like Trump to get into power

I'll pass, no thank you ✋

I'm happy to be a European @EUCommission

Soo Americans.. Come to the euro side! We have coffee! ☕

Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@stux @aguVV @EUCommission
Lol.
That is what we thought.

Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@stux @EUCommission
What has happened in the US can and will happen in Europe if you don't heed the warning signs and fight it.
We are your future. This is all about maintaining White Supremacy. Your anti-immigrant xenophobia is no different than ours and is what feeds it.

@nixCraft@mastodon.social avatar nixCraft , to random

Intel laid off several employees who were key maintainers of Linux kernel drivers. As a result, many drivers, including those for CPU temperature and the Slim Bootloader, are now "Orphaned" and lack anyone to maintain them https://www.phoronix.com/news/Intel-More-Orphans-Maintainers

Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@nixCraft
Why couldn't we have DEC Alpha RISC chips....

@lowqualityfacts@mstdn.social avatar lowqualityfacts , to random

Today's Low Quality Ad is for this Capybara Shirt. The real American dream is to find out that you've literally been dreaming and to awake as a capybara who accidentally dozed off while eating a bowl of delicious ramen.
https://collabs.shop/x1vv5s

A grey tshirt with a picture of a capybara eating noodles.
ALT
Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@lowqualityfacts
I hope you get a cut. I bought that.

@aeva@mastodon.gamedev.place avatar aeva , to random

ok linux question for you smart linux people. I want to add a battery indicator to my synthesizer program thingy which is a full screen program. I want to do the following:

  1. not pull in any new library dependencies

  2. determine whether the system is on battery or AC power

  3. if it is on battery, determine the battery level as a simple percentage

  4. have this work on more than one linux

Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@aeva
Don't know where the code is but i3 window manager has that in the bottom status bar.

@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar Okanogen , to random

The coalition is fragile with many fissures. Oir job is to put a spudbar in those cracks and lean into it.
The are Trump's "Biden Afghanistan withdrawall"; the event that permanently damages his coalition.
Keep prying.

@lowqualityfacts@mstdn.social avatar lowqualityfacts , to random

Tonight's Low Quality Ad is for Danew Pro Creatine Gummies, on sale for 60% off. Creatine is one of the few muscle building supplements that actually work. Believe it or not, the steroid-ridden fitness influencer you follow didn't get jacked by drinking salmon blood.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJ5HXHZS?ref=t_ac_view_request_product_image&campaignId=amzn1.campaign.31M0RPAICVVWE&linkCode=tr1&tag=connorstone06-20&linkId=amzn1.campaign.31M0RPAICVVWE_1752712687611

A jar of pineapple flavored Danew Pro Creatine Monohydrate.
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Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@lowqualityfacts
Drinking salmon blood gives you silver pee. Kind of like asparagus and green pee.

@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar Okanogen , to random

"Slow boat to Gravy Town!" Was the hilarious line quiped in the credits of "Gumpy Old Men".

@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar Okanogen , to random

Watched for the first time in decades on the 4th. My wife saw it for the first time.
And so I am two days old since learning the film production company "Bad Hat Harry" is named after a throwaway line in that movie.

@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar Okanogen , to random

is BOOOOOORRRRIIINNNNNGGGGG

@indivisibleteam@mastodon.social avatar indivisibleteam , to random

Use our social toolkit to spread the word about the specifics of Trump’s Tax Scam. People overwhelmingly oppose the GOP’s dangerous reconciliation bill when they find out what’s in it, but a lot of Americans still aren’t aware of the details. We need to change that ASAP: https://app.sosha.ai/toolkit/trump-tax-scam-medicaid-gop-5714

Jon Favreau on Twitter: “Shocking how bad this bill is: - 17 million would lose health care - 30% higher electricity costs - Millions of manufacturing and construction jobs destroyed - Biggest ever cut in food assistance for families, kids, veterans - $4 trillion in deficits - $1 trillion in tax cuts for millionaires & billionaires People should be on the phones, in the streets, and telling everyone who'll listen”
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Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@indivisibleteam
Jon Favreau is a complete bag of dicks who did his best to smear Hillary Clinton with misogyny in 2008. Many of his attacks were retreaded in 2016 very effectively both in the primaries and general election, with the result that we all know.
Fuck him.
Fuck his tears.
This is the present he helped bring to life.

@tclark@mstdn.social avatar tclark , to random

Everyone in the US who voted for Donald, everyone in the US who stayed home, everyone who said "they're both the same", everyone who spent months being useful idiots for the fascist party's enthusiasm suppression agitprop by amplifying attacks and attacking Biden and then Harris -- you own this. You are responsible.

There was no higher priority in 2024 than preventing the election of a man who never wanted to govern and only wanted to rule. I fucking warned you, and so many of you blew me off.

Screen shot of BlueSky post: El Norte Recuerda @elnorterecuerda.bsky.s... The entire Latino population in the U.S. is 65 million. She means all of us. [quoted post inset begins] Laura Loomer @LauraLoomer Alligator lives matter. The good news is, alligators are guaranteed at least 65 million meals if we get started now.
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Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@tclark
I had some fuckhead tell me "Oh, because being against genocide is bad somehow.", because I criticized for spreading the "Genocide Joe" bullshit. All of those pictures have been scrubbed from the internet, but they exist.
How is that working out for them now?
Yeah.
We fucking told them.

@evacide@hachyderm.io avatar evacide , to random

Every once in a while, someone tells me that an abusive partner left them alone because they were afraid of what I would do if they didn't, and I feel like I have done something right.

Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@evacide
That isn't as easy as it looks. Abusive people are usually really stupid or messed on drugs, and so generally believe they are invincible. Also, abused people often don't want their abuser hurt.
But thing is, nobody is going to fuck you harder than the law, and there are a lot of ways to set that up anonamously. Abusers often have other issues, alcohol, drugs, probation, exes who are tracking them down, etc.
I'm glad you look out for your friends!

@w7voa@journa.host avatar w7voa , to random

"If this insane spending bill passes, the America Party will be formed the next day." - Elon Musk

Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar
@arstechnica@mastodon.social avatar arstechnica , to random

Trump’s EPA to “reconsider” ban on cancer-causing asbestos
Trump has supported use of asbestos and blamed the mob for its bad reputation.
https://arstechnica.com/health/2025/06/trumps-epa-to-reconsider-ban-on-cancer-causing-asbestos/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@arstechnica
Oh yeah. I would love to see a company manufacturing with asbestos trying to get commercial insurance or funding of any kind.
Lolololololololol!
Ok.
Sure.
Lolololololololololol

@arstechnica@mastodon.social avatar arstechnica , to random

Trump fires commissioner of preeminent nuclear safety institution
Commissioner fired as Trump pivots US policy to accept more nuclear risks.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/06/trump-fires-commissioner-of-preeminent-nuclear-safety-institution/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@arstechnica
Good plan. Yeah.

@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar Okanogen , to random

No wonder Terminator Genisys bombed. Jai Courtney (Kyle Reese) has the charisma of a pickled egg. Who cast this guy?

@404mediaco@mastodon.social avatar 404mediaco , to random

Waymo Pauses Service in Downtown LA Neighborhood Where They're Getting Lit on Fire

🔗 https://www.404media.co/waymo-pauses-service-in-downtown-la-neighborhood-where-theyre-getting-lit-on-fire/

Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@404mediaco
Valid.

@lowqualityfacts@mstdn.social avatar lowqualityfacts , to random

I wonder what the punishment is.

Fun is illegal in South Dakota.
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Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@lowqualityfacts
The punishment is a one way bus ticket to North Dakota.

@w7voa@journa.host avatar w7voa , to random

The picture of President Trump on a giant banner "is reminiscent of portraits of leaders hanging from public buildings, often seen in dictatorships, monarchies, and in descriptions in George Orwell’s 1984 of 'Big Brother.’” - The Independent (UK) https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-banner-portrait-department-agriculture-b2751192.html

Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@w7voa
The next time I get ecoli I will remember this.

@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar Okanogen , to random

Let's talk about "", , and , which I don't put in quotes.
First, I am not anti-science, I am anti-JUNKscience and MARKETING, and there is a difference.
Why can I discuss a field I'm not in with some knowledge? I spent over 30 years in geophysics, signal processing, and in geologic and hydro and hydrogeologic modelling. People doing this kind of work are the progenitors of the current science. 1/

Okanogen OP ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

First, there is no such thing as "". It's not artificial and it isn't intelligentce. As a pursuit, it is quite real, and what it produces is not intelligence, but detailed models based on huge amounts of related archived data. The important word here is "model". So every time you see output from or , put in your mind that it is a MODEL of a paragraph on a topic, a MODEL of a picture of a sparrow on a pear, a MODEL of code. 2/

Okanogen OP ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

Which brings us to an important concept, "All models are wrong, some are useful." This is a decades old aphorism, but what does it mean? The gist is another aphorism "The map is not the territory".
A model is a snapshot, based on current information, current assumptions/algorithms, and current allocation of processing resources. "Reality" which is what the models try to represent, is constantly and unpredictably changing. Our data on reality also changes, which changes the modelling 3/

Okanogen OP ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

Large dataset modelling has come a long way since I 1st walked into the /EROS facility in Souix Falls, SD way back in the early 80's. Mouth open, eyes wide. Big tape drive computers whirring and clicking. The operators describing how they process signal returns into forest models, carbon densities, urban densities, surface temperatures, etc.. I was just a student, but fascinated by what they were able to do. Slight historical digression. 4/

Okanogen OP ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

Back to topic.
Modelling has changed and improved a lot. Mostly due to more powerful computers allowing more brute force analysis. The math tools really haven't changed that much. Early commercial modelling included programs like decades ago and used , ( peocess regression) of geostatistical data. Most current geospatial modelling uses this technique, often enhanced with (read the book by that name). So now the table is mostly set. 5/

Okanogen OP ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

The problems historically are

  1. Data heterogenity - this is why people often preprocess data with Baysian analysis to determine the reliability (a technical term) and confidence or credibility intervals for the model. An example is you have a string of 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5. What is the credibility interval if you guess the next number is 5. Pretty high, right? Now your string is 2, 87, 36, 11, 7, 43, 24, 9, 75. What is the credibility for your guess for next in string? This can be quantified 6/
Okanogen OP ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

Data hetrogeneity is why bad data can really screw a model. Especially when it doesn't have a lot of homogenous data for that specific model. That paragraph, code snippet, or face. Bad data can overwhelm "good" data, skewing the model. This is often the problem with output & can't be overcome with more processing or algorithms, it is a math problem. The real issue is how it is marketed. They KNOW this is an issue & could easily provide you the user with confidence values. They don't 7/

Okanogen OP ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

Historical problems
2. Edge cases, boundary conditions, data gaps - the further you get from existing data, the less reliable the model output. Every model has a limit. What you include or exclude from the model assumptions and data set affects the outcome. A face is never deep purple? An ocean wave is never higher than 100ft? 200ft? A certain noun is never preceded by a certain adjective? All can be true, until they aren't. 8/

Okanogen OP ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

Final historical problem
3. Overall data reliability and relevance - This is the primary and most important problem. Models must assume the data they use is both reliable and relevant. All the big players are scrambling to gather more data in order to solve the heterogeneous and boundary condition problems, but the primary problem is reliability and relevance. All of these data sets are gathered from our online society. How reliable is that? How relevant? 9/

Okanogen OP ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

Every "" or will put out and/or models. From facial recognition to societal predictions. This is predictable, because our society itself is racist and bigotted, it literally can't produce models which defy the data. This is why we can't rely on it for policy, for health care decisions, for law enforcement, benefit determinations, informing legislation, or any other use related to society. Fundamentally unusable. 10/

@Daojoan@mastodon.social avatar Daojoan , to random

The internet didn’t make us stupid. It made stupidity scalable.

Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@Daojoan
Stupid As A Service

@petersuber@fediscience.org avatar petersuber , to AcademicChatter group

Kudos to for standing up to the admin.

Friday, April 11, the Trump admin expanded its list of demands to Harvard. (Note that Harvard made it public on the Harvard website.)
https://www.harvard.edu/research-funding/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2025/04/Letter-Sent-to-Harvard-2025-04-11.pdf

Today, Harvard President Alan Garber issued a public letter to the university community, explaining the latest Trump demands and the university's 𝙣𝙤 answer. "The University will not negotiate over its independence or its constitutional rights."
https://www.harvard.edu/president/news/2025/the-promise-of-american-higher-education/

Also see Harvard's official answer to the Trump admin, through its lawyers. "The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights. Neither Harvard nor any other private university can allow itself to be taken over by the federal government. Accordingly, Harvard will not accept the government’s terms as an agreement in principle."
https://www.harvard.edu/research-funding/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2025/04/Harvard-Response-2025-04-14.pdf


academicchatter@a.gup.pe icon AcademicChatter group

Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@petersuber academicchatter@a.gup.pe icon AcademicChatter group
The response I would have written:
"Harvard University does not agree to this list of demands, not in whole, nor in part, not in principle, nor in any other manner.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Regards,"

Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@petersuber academicchatter@a.gup.pe icon AcademicChatter group
A may be better response would have been the same one General Anthony Clement McAuliffe delivered to the Nazis: "NUTS!".

@Daojoan@mastodon.social avatar Daojoan , to random

Wall Street is used to volatility. It prices risk. It lives and dies by the future tense. But even volatility has its rules. Today, the signal is the volatility.

This is the epistemic cost of erratic empire.

🧵

Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@Daojoan
If you have time, read this book. It's brisk and fascinating. It doesn't predict this disaster but describes the natural forces that led to it. What happens after is unknown, but it isn't going to go down the way anyone thinks.
https://novelinvestor.com/notes/ubiquity-why-catastrophes-happen-by-mark-buchanan/

@dangoodin@infosec.exchange avatar dangoodin , to random

A fair number of people lambasted me in recent months for urging they vote for Harris even if they condemned her stance on support to Israel. I told them I'd get no pleasure reminding them after the fact just how catastrophic a Trump victory would be. Still, they poo pooed me.

Funny how so many of those critics have now deleted their posts.

Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@mcc @dangoodin @PapyrusBrigade
That well-known conflicted centrist Ilhan Omar ran ads here endorsing Joe Biden AFTER the debate. Then quickly ran ads for Harris when he dropped out and campaigned with her.
Meanwhile, raging Leftist Angie Craig bravely dumped them both, shooting ads racing around on an ATV and bragging about reaching across the aisle. All three won here. Maybe if "Leftists" had the solidarity Ilhan Omar does, we all wouldn't be hanging separately now.

@lowqualityfacts@mstdn.social avatar lowqualityfacts , to random

Wow, that's really small.

The smallest thing ever photographed is a dime.
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Okanogen ,
@Okanogen@mastodon.social avatar

@lowqualityfacts
And that's why theoretical currency scientists predicted crypto.