Taka
@astrobassball.bsky.social
Data person, astrophysicist, bassist, New Englander, New Yorker. He/him.
Reposted by Taka
Trying to measure coding productivity is, and always will be, a fool's errand.
Why? Because I can go for a walk then take a shower and have an idea, then write a single line of code that fixes everything I was working on.
Immense productivity, but by most metrics I didn't do anything at all.
Why? Because I can go for a walk then take a shower and have an idea, then write a single line of code that fixes everything I was working on.
Immense productivity, but by most metrics I didn't do anything at all.
November 16, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Trying to measure coding productivity is, and always will be, a fool's errand.
Why? Because I can go for a walk then take a shower and have an idea, then write a single line of code that fixes everything I was working on.
Immense productivity, but by most metrics I didn't do anything at all.
Why? Because I can go for a walk then take a shower and have an idea, then write a single line of code that fixes everything I was working on.
Immense productivity, but by most metrics I didn't do anything at all.
Reposted by Taka
San Diego ICE arrests expand to green card appointments www.daylightsandiego.org/san-diego-ic...
San Diego ICE arrests expand to green card appointments
Though other cities have reported arrests of immigrants in the final stages of obtaining their green cards, this week marks the first time that San Diego attorneys have seen clients detained at U.S. C...
www.daylightsandiego.org
November 16, 2025 at 5:20 PM
San Diego ICE arrests expand to green card appointments www.daylightsandiego.org/san-diego-ic...
Reposted by Taka
Latino U.S. citizens/ permanent residents racially profiled by immigration agents in Chicago.
Even after they told the agents they were in the country legally, officers zip-tied their hands & detained them, in some cases even transporting them to Broadview.
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/15/l...
Even after they told the agents they were in the country legally, officers zip-tied their hands & detained them, in some cases even transporting them to Broadview.
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/15/l...
Latino US citizens racially profiled by federal immigration agents in Chicago: ‘I felt like a piece of trash’
The Tribune spoke to U.S. citizens and green card holders who have either been questioned or detained during Trump’s Operation Midway Blitz.
www.chicagotribune.com
November 15, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Latino U.S. citizens/ permanent residents racially profiled by immigration agents in Chicago.
Even after they told the agents they were in the country legally, officers zip-tied their hands & detained them, in some cases even transporting them to Broadview.
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/15/l...
Even after they told the agents they were in the country legally, officers zip-tied their hands & detained them, in some cases even transporting them to Broadview.
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/15/l...
Reposted by Taka
“I’m a Grok guy” tells you absolutely everything you need to know about a dude.
JD Vance: "I'm a Grok guy. I think it's the best. It's also the least woke."
November 14, 2025 at 12:05 PM
“I’m a Grok guy” tells you absolutely everything you need to know about a dude.
Reposted by Taka
A day care teacher was released from federal immigration custody just hours after a federal judge ruled her arrest last week “unlawful."
Day care teacher released from federal immigration custody after judge rules arrest 'unlawful'
chicago.suntimes.com
November 13, 2025 at 6:20 PM
A day care teacher was released from federal immigration custody just hours after a federal judge ruled her arrest last week “unlawful."
Reposted by Taka
What’s only starting to become clear is that AI startups are sinkholes for losses, writes James Mackintosh.
Big Tech’s Soaring Profits Have an Ugly Underside: OpenAI’s Losses
What’s only starting to become clear is that AI startups are also sinkholes for losses.
on.wsj.com
November 13, 2025 at 1:33 PM
What’s only starting to become clear is that AI startups are sinkholes for losses, writes James Mackintosh.
Reposted by Taka
U.S. Roman Catholic bishops took aim at Trump immigration policies in a rare "special message" today, saying: "We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people."
U.S. Catholic bishops call for end to "dehumanizing rhetoric" on immigrants
Although it doesn't mention Trump by name, the bishops' "special message" marks a rare public reproach of his immigration policies.
www.axios.com
November 13, 2025 at 2:29 AM
U.S. Roman Catholic bishops took aim at Trump immigration policies in a rare "special message" today, saying: "We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people."
Reposted by Taka
For the first time ever, astronomers have unveiled the shape of a supernova explosion just a day after detection, as the blast was breaking through the star’s surface.
Achieved by our VLT, this feat will help us understand how massive stars die: https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2520/
🔭 🧪 ☄️
Achieved by our VLT, this feat will help us understand how massive stars die: https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2520/
🔭 🧪 ☄️
November 12, 2025 at 7:02 PM
For the first time ever, astronomers have unveiled the shape of a supernova explosion just a day after detection, as the blast was breaking through the star’s surface.
Achieved by our VLT, this feat will help us understand how massive stars die: https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2520/
🔭 🧪 ☄️
Achieved by our VLT, this feat will help us understand how massive stars die: https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2520/
🔭 🧪 ☄️
Reposted by Taka
WATCH — @repstevenhorsford.bsky.social : “My amendment would redirect that $40 BILLION from Argentina to fund the ACA subsidies for two years… a far better use of taxpayer dollars.”
Why do we have money for Argentina while our own people lose their health care? How does this make us great?
Why do we have money for Argentina while our own people lose their health care? How does this make us great?
November 12, 2025 at 5:17 AM
WATCH — @repstevenhorsford.bsky.social : “My amendment would redirect that $40 BILLION from Argentina to fund the ACA subsidies for two years… a far better use of taxpayer dollars.”
Why do we have money for Argentina while our own people lose their health care? How does this make us great?
Why do we have money for Argentina while our own people lose their health care? How does this make us great?
My hypothesis until it’s proved wrong:
younger Americans crave policies that bring economic equity and reduced corporate power; candidates who act with social kindness and moral backbone.
younger Americans crave policies that bring economic equity and reduced corporate power; candidates who act with social kindness and moral backbone.
“.. Mamdani demonstrated an extraordinary, if not magical, ability to change the character and composition of the electorate ..”
“.. The turnout rate of voters age 18 to 29 rose to 41.3 percent this year from 11.1 percent in .. 2021 ..”
@tomedsall.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/11/o...
“.. The turnout rate of voters age 18 to 29 rose to 41.3 percent this year from 11.1 percent in .. 2021 ..”
@tomedsall.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/11/o...
November 12, 2025 at 1:56 PM
My hypothesis until it’s proved wrong:
younger Americans crave policies that bring economic equity and reduced corporate power; candidates who act with social kindness and moral backbone.
younger Americans crave policies that bring economic equity and reduced corporate power; candidates who act with social kindness and moral backbone.
Reposted by Taka
NEWS: Senate Republicans are threatening to block the extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies—unless Democrats agree to tougher abortion restrictions.
Republicans demand tougher abortion restrictions to extend Obamacare funds
Democrats say that’s a nonstarter, arguing there are already limits on abortion access. The dispute could torpedo a deal, leading to higher health insurance premiums for millions.
www.nbcnews.com
November 11, 2025 at 11:18 PM
NEWS: Senate Republicans are threatening to block the extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies—unless Democrats agree to tougher abortion restrictions.
Reposted by Taka
📣 📣 📣 A reminder to consider applying for this postdoctoral position where you'll use math/stats/ML to reconstruct complex climate fields. Reach out with any questions. I will start reviewing applications next week! 🌊 🧪
📣 Job Alert! I am hiring a postdoc to work on the project "From sparse data to full spatio-temporal fields: surface ocean carbon and beyond". The goal is to use stats, ML, data, and models to improve our estimate of the ocean carbon sink.
Learn more and apply: www.rfcuny.org/careers/post...
Learn more and apply: www.rfcuny.org/careers/post...
November 11, 2025 at 2:54 PM
📣 📣 📣 A reminder to consider applying for this postdoctoral position where you'll use math/stats/ML to reconstruct complex climate fields. Reach out with any questions. I will start reviewing applications next week! 🌊 🧪
Reposted by Taka
Pre-ACA, I was a postdoc on an NSF fellowship at a university that didn't offer employment benefits to independent fellows. At that time, being a woman meant that my premiums were double that of my male counterparts. The extra cost came out of my grant's budget for benefits, equipment, and travel.
November 10, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Pre-ACA, I was a postdoc on an NSF fellowship at a university that didn't offer employment benefits to independent fellows. At that time, being a woman meant that my premiums were double that of my male counterparts. The extra cost came out of my grant's budget for benefits, equipment, and travel.
Reposted by Taka
Two Major League Baseball pitchers have been indicted on charges they took bribes to give bettors advance notice of the types of pitches they'd throw and intentionally tossed balls instead of strikes. n.pr/3LurfDk
MLB pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz charged with taking bribes to rig pitches
Two Major League Baseball pitchers have been indicted on charges they took bribes to give bettors advance notice of the types of pitches they'd throw and intentionally tossed balls instead of strikes.
n.pr
November 10, 2025 at 5:51 AM
Two Major League Baseball pitchers have been indicted on charges they took bribes to give bettors advance notice of the types of pitches they'd throw and intentionally tossed balls instead of strikes. n.pr/3LurfDk
Reposted by Taka
My family has been without half our income for 40 days. It has been.. very hard.
We are willing to feel that pain so people can have health care next year, or to undo these illegal recissions.
We are not willing to have been put through this for NOTHING.
We are willing to feel that pain so people can have health care next year, or to undo these illegal recissions.
We are not willing to have been put through this for NOTHING.
November 10, 2025 at 1:36 AM
My family has been without half our income for 40 days. It has been.. very hard.
We are willing to feel that pain so people can have health care next year, or to undo these illegal recissions.
We are not willing to have been put through this for NOTHING.
We are willing to feel that pain so people can have health care next year, or to undo these illegal recissions.
We are not willing to have been put through this for NOTHING.
Reposted by Taka
Trump’s pardon attorney Ed Martin claims Trump is pardoning his Georgia co-defendants and other “alternate electors.”
Note: Trump’s Georgia co-defendants are charged under state law. The president can’t pardon people for state crimes.
Note: Trump’s Georgia co-defendants are charged under state law. The president can’t pardon people for state crimes.
November 10, 2025 at 4:44 AM
Trump’s pardon attorney Ed Martin claims Trump is pardoning his Georgia co-defendants and other “alternate electors.”
Note: Trump’s Georgia co-defendants are charged under state law. The president can’t pardon people for state crimes.
Note: Trump’s Georgia co-defendants are charged under state law. The president can’t pardon people for state crimes.
Reposted by Taka
Chuck Schumer Helps Pull Democrats Back From Brink Of Courage
November 10, 2025 at 5:02 AM
Chuck Schumer Helps Pull Democrats Back From Brink Of Courage
Reposted by Taka
Writing about Elon Musk’s pay package without leading with this is like profiling John Wayne Gacy’s booming party clown career.
One analytical model shows that, as of November 5th, the dismantling of U.S.A.I.D. has already caused the deaths of 600,000 people, two-thirds of them children. https://newyorkermag.visitlink.me/jUzNSc
The Shutdown of U.S.A.I.D. Has Already Killed Hundreds of Thousands
The short documentary “Rovina’s Choice” tells the story of what goes when aid goes.
newyorkermag.visitlink.me
November 7, 2025 at 2:44 AM
Writing about Elon Musk’s pay package without leading with this is like profiling John Wayne Gacy’s booming party clown career.
Reposted by Taka
A List of Things Said to Have Been Ruined by Women
🧵
🧵
November 6, 2025 at 8:43 PM
A List of Things Said to Have Been Ruined by Women
🧵
🧵
Reposted by Taka
Who else is out there making zines? I want to see more, especially in ebook format. Drop your links here if you have any.
November 6, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Who else is out there making zines? I want to see more, especially in ebook format. Drop your links here if you have any.
Reposted by Taka
at what cost… www.bu.edu/sph/news/art...
Tracking Anticipated Deaths from USAID Funding Cuts
Brooke Nichols has launched online tracking tools that capture estimated increases in mortality and disease spread for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other diseases as a result of the near-total...
www.bu.edu
November 6, 2025 at 5:05 PM
at what cost… www.bu.edu/sph/news/art...
Reposted by Taka
When a chatbot gets something wrong, it’s not because it made an error. It’s because on that roll of the dice, it happened to string together a group of words that, when read by a human, represents something false. But it was working entirely as designed. It was supposed to make a sentence & it did.
June 19, 2025 at 11:28 AM
When a chatbot gets something wrong, it’s not because it made an error. It’s because on that roll of the dice, it happened to string together a group of words that, when read by a human, represents something false. But it was working entirely as designed. It was supposed to make a sentence & it did.
Reposted by Taka
Beshear: Let me be clear. The president has both the funding and the authority to fund snap during a shutdown. In fact, every other president in every other shutdown has done so. People going hungry in this instance is a choice that this president has made.
November 5, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Beshear: Let me be clear. The president has both the funding and the authority to fund snap during a shutdown. In fact, every other president in every other shutdown has done so. People going hungry in this instance is a choice that this president has made.
Reposted by Taka
I think a lot of commentators didn't appreciate how many immigrant parents in NYC looked at Zohran and saw the possibilities for their children
For all of its fundamental flaws, to many, he is their American Dream
For all of its fundamental flaws, to many, he is their American Dream
November 5, 2025 at 6:57 PM
I think a lot of commentators didn't appreciate how many immigrant parents in NYC looked at Zohran and saw the possibilities for their children
For all of its fundamental flaws, to many, he is their American Dream
For all of its fundamental flaws, to many, he is their American Dream
I left academia and I still have to write academic letters of recommendation!?
November 5, 2025 at 11:24 PM
I left academia and I still have to write academic letters of recommendation!?