Gruntled old man
@boulderguy.bsky.social
Recovering academic? Computer-science / Engineering with a "tall and thin" academic interest and a "short-and-wide" physique. All the normal things - mountain biking, skiing, hiking, baking & cooking, cats and travel. Dutiful parent and ally.
Reposted by Gruntled old man
The Washington Post—for which I wrote editorials for nearly a decade—has closed its Kyiv bureau.
@lawfaremedia.org has not—and we will not.
We now employ more people in Kyiv than the Washington Post.
Let me tell you about what we have done in Ukraine over the past year and why we are not leaving
@lawfaremedia.org has not—and we will not.
We now employ more people in Kyiv than the Washington Post.
Let me tell you about what we have done in Ukraine over the past year and why we are not leaving
February 6, 2026 at 6:55 PM
The Washington Post—for which I wrote editorials for nearly a decade—has closed its Kyiv bureau.
@lawfaremedia.org has not—and we will not.
We now employ more people in Kyiv than the Washington Post.
Let me tell you about what we have done in Ukraine over the past year and why we are not leaving
@lawfaremedia.org has not—and we will not.
We now employ more people in Kyiv than the Washington Post.
Let me tell you about what we have done in Ukraine over the past year and why we are not leaving
They go low, we go high.
"Elders, however, argued Nunuku's Law should not be broken. Despite knowing Māori were not pacifist, Moriori ultimately decided to stay pacifist against the invaders, describing Nunuku's Law as "a moral imperative"...The Māori ritually killed around 10% of the population."
"Elders, however, argued Nunuku's Law should not be broken. Despite knowing Māori were not pacifist, Moriori ultimately decided to stay pacifist against the invaders, describing Nunuku's Law as "a moral imperative"...The Māori ritually killed around 10% of the population."
Moriori genocide - Wikipedia
share.google
February 8, 2026 at 5:41 AM
They go low, we go high.
"Elders, however, argued Nunuku's Law should not be broken. Despite knowing Māori were not pacifist, Moriori ultimately decided to stay pacifist against the invaders, describing Nunuku's Law as "a moral imperative"...The Māori ritually killed around 10% of the population."
"Elders, however, argued Nunuku's Law should not be broken. Despite knowing Māori were not pacifist, Moriori ultimately decided to stay pacifist against the invaders, describing Nunuku's Law as "a moral imperative"...The Māori ritually killed around 10% of the population."
This is clear evidence that ICE is irretrievably broken
Something I found particularly galling: Judge Blackwell gives a long speech about the government's incredibly intransigence and malicious compliance with his orders, saying "I have to put conditions on release because you're all so nasty to detainees."
Le's response? I get it, I'm not white. BUT
Le's response? I get it, I'm not white. BUT
February 4, 2026 at 10:59 PM
This is clear evidence that ICE is irretrievably broken
Reposted by Gruntled old man
If people want to help, lots of orgs are doing this. But the one responsible for this particular distribution is apparently found here: giving.servantkeeper.com/stjohnsepisc...
Servant Keeper Online Giving
giving.servantkeeper.com
February 4, 2026 at 5:45 PM
If people want to help, lots of orgs are doing this. But the one responsible for this particular distribution is apparently found here: giving.servantkeeper.com/stjohnsepisc...
"If you had told me in 2016 “my company will build rockets and send them to Mars in order to generate free cash flow to subsidize a capital-intensive money-losing website that will use machine learning algorithms to answer people’s questions,” I would have been like: No no no, the other way."
Musk’s Moonshot Merger
SpaceX/xAI, OpenAI’s blue skies, SaaSpocalypse, CBOE binaries and Indonesian floats.
www.bloomberg.com
February 3, 2026 at 9:46 PM
"If you had told me in 2016 “my company will build rockets and send them to Mars in order to generate free cash flow to subsidize a capital-intensive money-losing website that will use machine learning algorithms to answer people’s questions,” I would have been like: No no no, the other way."
Reposted by Gruntled old man
In an interview with NPR, Melinda French Gates confirmed that she ended her marriage with Bill Gates because of allegations contained in the Epstein files.
February 3, 2026 at 5:38 PM
In an interview with NPR, Melinda French Gates confirmed that she ended her marriage with Bill Gates because of allegations contained in the Epstein files.
How come we never get to have nice things but they do?
Labour veteran Peter Mandelson has QUIT the House of Lords after facing a fresh wave of fury over his links to Jeffrey Epstein.
Peter Mandelson resigns from Lords over Epstein documents fury
www.mirror.co.uk
February 3, 2026 at 5:24 PM
How come we never get to have nice things but they do?
Kudos to @npr.org morning edition for straight up saying that Article I clearly states that elections "shall be prescribed in each State" without having to qualify it by "some experts say...". Huge turning point.
Congress.gov | Library of Congress
U.S. Congress legislation, Congressional Record debates, Members of Congress, legislative process educational resources presented by the Library of Congress
Congress.gov
February 3, 2026 at 3:46 PM
Kudos to @npr.org morning edition for straight up saying that Article I clearly states that elections "shall be prescribed in each State" without having to qualify it by "some experts say...". Huge turning point.
Guess which state the author is from (hint: it's not Colorado).
@paolobacigalupi.bsky.social book will non-fiction in short order.
@paolobacigalupi.bsky.social book will non-fiction in short order.
February 3, 2026 at 5:05 AM
Guess which state the author is from (hint: it's not Colorado).
@paolobacigalupi.bsky.social book will non-fiction in short order.
@paolobacigalupi.bsky.social book will non-fiction in short order.
Reposted by Gruntled old man
Every day Mamdani comes out and is like "hey guys, I turned off the orphan-crushing machine. Literally just had to flip a switch. Took less than 5 minutes."
After decades of dem leadership pissing and moaning and fundraising about how complex an issue it is and how difficult the process is etc
After decades of dem leadership pissing and moaning and fundraising about how complex an issue it is and how difficult the process is etc
February 3, 2026 at 3:58 AM
Every day Mamdani comes out and is like "hey guys, I turned off the orphan-crushing machine. Literally just had to flip a switch. Took less than 5 minutes."
After decades of dem leadership pissing and moaning and fundraising about how complex an issue it is and how difficult the process is etc
After decades of dem leadership pissing and moaning and fundraising about how complex an issue it is and how difficult the process is etc
I'm old enough to remember when all the experts were dissing cursive for the obviously better carolingian miniscule (block letters).
February 3, 2026 at 4:31 AM
I'm old enough to remember when all the experts were dissing cursive for the obviously better carolingian miniscule (block letters).
Reposted by Gruntled old man
Many factors are at play, but looking at the major line items tells much of the story.
Employee compensation was stable at approximately 64% of gross value added before declining after the 2000s recession. Now sitting at 55%.
Corporations picked up 9 points in employee cost.
Employee compensation was stable at approximately 64% of gross value added before declining after the 2000s recession. Now sitting at 55%.
Corporations picked up 9 points in employee cost.
January 8, 2026 at 2:20 PM
Many factors are at play, but looking at the major line items tells much of the story.
Employee compensation was stable at approximately 64% of gross value added before declining after the 2000s recession. Now sitting at 55%.
Corporations picked up 9 points in employee cost.
Employee compensation was stable at approximately 64% of gross value added before declining after the 2000s recession. Now sitting at 55%.
Corporations picked up 9 points in employee cost.
Reposted by Gruntled old man
Chomsky correctly labelled the founders of classical liberalism, Adam Smith and others, as "libetarian socialists" who had keen critique of the holders of economic and political power, and the predations of colonial empires chomsky.info/warfare02/
February 3, 2026 at 1:49 AM
Chomsky correctly labelled the founders of classical liberalism, Adam Smith and others, as "libetarian socialists" who had keen critique of the holders of economic and political power, and the predations of colonial empires chomsky.info/warfare02/
Reposted by Gruntled old man
Even if you don't have time to read all 83 pages of Judge Reyes's opinion barring the Trump administration from rescinding Temporary Protected Status for 350,000+ Haitians, please at least check out the four-page introduction.
It's a tour de force:
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
It's a tour de force:
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
!["On December 2, 1783, then-Commander-in-Chief George Washington penned: “America is open to receive not only the Opulent & respected Stranger, but the oppressed & persecuted of all Nations & Religions.”1
More than two centuries later, Congress reaffirmed President Washington’s vision by establishing the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program. See 8 U.S.C. § 1254a (TPS statute). It provides humanitarian relief to foreign nationals in the United States who come from disaster-stricken countries. It also brings in substantial revenue, with TPS holders generating $5.2 billion in taxes annually. See Part VI.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem has a different take. [screenshot of tweet].](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:nwnlnixtjh3qhkwpz2uy5uwv/bafkreicrroq5taft777rmau2ffjlsphbcatlxnwwigf2yekoke533yycim@jpeg)
![has terminated every TPS country designation to have reached her desk—twelve countries up,
twelve countries down. See Section IV.A.2. Her conclusion that Haiti (a majority nonwhite
country) faces merely “concerning” conditions cannot be squared with the “perfect storm of
suffering” and “staggering” “humanitarian toll” described in page-after-page of the Certified
Administrative Record (CAR). See Section IV.A.3.a. She ignored Congress’s requirement that
she “review the conditions” in Haiti only “after” consulting “with appropriate agencies.” 8
U.S.C. § 1254a(b)(3)(A); see Section IV.A.1. Indeed, she did not consult other agencies at all.
See id. Her “national interest” analysis focuses on Haitians outside the United States or here
illegally, ignoring that Haitian TPS holders already live here, and legally so. See Section
IV.A.3.b. And though she states that the analysis must include “economic considerations,” she
ignores altogether the billions Haitian TPS holders contribute to the economy. See id.
The Government’s primary response is that the TPS statute gives the Secretary
unbounded discretion to make whatever determination she wants, any way she wants. And, yes,
the statute does grant her some discretion. But not unbounded discretion. To the contrary,
Congress passed the TPS statute to standardize the then ad hoc temporary protection system—to
replace executive whim with statutory predictability. See Section I.A.
As to irreparable harm, the Government contends that, at most, the harms to Haitian TPS
holders are speculative. But the Department of State (State) warns [screenshot]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:nwnlnixtjh3qhkwpz2uy5uwv/bafkreid3cmawech25ummuj2tjvgxsrvufma2kmrijlfpglalwddd3qkikq@jpeg)
February 3, 2026 at 1:06 AM
Even if you don't have time to read all 83 pages of Judge Reyes's opinion barring the Trump administration from rescinding Temporary Protected Status for 350,000+ Haitians, please at least check out the four-page introduction.
It's a tour de force:
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
It's a tour de force:
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Reposted by Gruntled old man
“The FCC won’t grant the authorization required to operate within the U.S. to any newly introduced model of drone if it’s manufactured outside the U.S. Existing models on the market that have already received FCC authorization can still operate in the U.S.”
The U.S. Government Just Followed Through on Its Ban of DJI Drones—and It’s So Much Worse Than We Thought
By the time you read this, the widespread embargo on every foreign-made consumer drone will be in effect. That’s essentially all of them.
www.popularmechanics.com
February 1, 2026 at 6:17 PM
“The FCC won’t grant the authorization required to operate within the U.S. to any newly introduced model of drone if it’s manufactured outside the U.S. Existing models on the market that have already received FCC authorization can still operate in the U.S.”
Reposted by Gruntled old man
This Day in Labor History: February 2, 1848. The United States and Mexico signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, ending the war the U.S. launched against Mexico to steal land and extend slavery. Let's talk about how this also led to the widespread theft of the land grants from New Mexicans!!!
February 2, 2026 at 1:49 PM
This Day in Labor History: February 2, 1848. The United States and Mexico signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, ending the war the U.S. launched against Mexico to steal land and extend slavery. Let's talk about how this also led to the widespread theft of the land grants from New Mexicans!!!
Reposted by Gruntled old man
This case isn't saying that Google devices have an intentional secret recording mode. It's about Google devices being too sensitive in detecting the "Ok Google" activation phrase and triggering the normal voice assistant feature.
www.googleassistantprivacylitigation.com/docs/4th%20A...
www.googleassistantprivacylitigation.com/docs/4th%20A...
February 2, 2026 at 1:04 AM
This case isn't saying that Google devices have an intentional secret recording mode. It's about Google devices being too sensitive in detecting the "Ok Google" activation phrase and triggering the normal voice assistant feature.
www.googleassistantprivacylitigation.com/docs/4th%20A...
www.googleassistantprivacylitigation.com/docs/4th%20A...
Reposted by Gruntled old man
This whole thing is a misreading of the lawsuit. Nobody even claimed google was spying intentionally. It's just about GA triggering unintentionally, which would add the recording to your google account and you can see it. Nothing about secretly recording.
www.googleassistantprivacylitigation.com
www.googleassistantprivacylitigation.com
Google Assistant Privacy Class Action
www.googleassistantprivacylitigation.com
February 2, 2026 at 6:49 AM
This whole thing is a misreading of the lawsuit. Nobody even claimed google was spying intentionally. It's just about GA triggering unintentionally, which would add the recording to your google account and you can see it. Nothing about secretly recording.
www.googleassistantprivacylitigation.com
www.googleassistantprivacylitigation.com
Reposted by Gruntled old man
Great question from the former SIGAR:
February 1, 2026 at 10:52 PM
Great question from the former SIGAR:
It's the cosmic convergence
It's the pigeons coming home to roost
It's the pigeons coming home to roost
BREAKING: ICE has halted "all movement" at a Texas detention facility due to measles infections, DHS confirms.
ICE halts "all movement" at Texas detention facility due to measles infections
The measles cases at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center were detected Friday, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to CBS News.
cbsn.ws
February 2, 2026 at 1:30 AM
It's the cosmic convergence
It's the pigeons coming home to roost
It's the pigeons coming home to roost
Reposted by Gruntled old man
BREAKING: The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez.
Two CBP Agents Identified in Alex Pretti Shooting
The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raym...
www.propublica.org
February 1, 2026 at 9:10 PM
BREAKING: The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez.
Reposted by Gruntled old man
February 1, 2026 at 9:14 PM
Reposted by Gruntled old man
US tariffs on Chines solar panels caused
1)CN firms to relocate production to SE Asia;
2)Higher solar panel prices in US;
3)Decline in employment & wages in US solar manuf
On net: Tariffs caused US welfare losses.Jobs lost (installation) were greater than jobs gained (manuf)& climate was loser
1)CN firms to relocate production to SE Asia;
2)Higher solar panel prices in US;
3)Decline in employment & wages in US solar manuf
On net: Tariffs caused US welfare losses.Jobs lost (installation) were greater than jobs gained (manuf)& climate was loser
January 31, 2026 at 11:19 PM
US tariffs on Chines solar panels caused
1)CN firms to relocate production to SE Asia;
2)Higher solar panel prices in US;
3)Decline in employment & wages in US solar manuf
On net: Tariffs caused US welfare losses.Jobs lost (installation) were greater than jobs gained (manuf)& climate was loser
1)CN firms to relocate production to SE Asia;
2)Higher solar panel prices in US;
3)Decline in employment & wages in US solar manuf
On net: Tariffs caused US welfare losses.Jobs lost (installation) were greater than jobs gained (manuf)& climate was loser
Excellent and accessible article by @matthewstoller.bsky.social on why the economy "looks great"
"The ... (BLS) assumes the $2k a year you send banks by receiving too little on your deposits is tallied as “buying” free check and banking apps. That’s considered more consumer spending..."
"The ... (BLS) assumes the $2k a year you send banks by receiving too little on your deposits is tallied as “buying” free check and banking apps. That’s considered more consumer spending..."
The Boomcession: Why Americans Hate What Looks Like an Economic Boom
The models used by policymakers to understand wages, economic growth, and consumer spending are misleading. That's why corporate America is having a party, and everyone else is mad.
www.thebignewsletter.com
January 31, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Excellent and accessible article by @matthewstoller.bsky.social on why the economy "looks great"
"The ... (BLS) assumes the $2k a year you send banks by receiving too little on your deposits is tallied as “buying” free check and banking apps. That’s considered more consumer spending..."
"The ... (BLS) assumes the $2k a year you send banks by receiving too little on your deposits is tallied as “buying” free check and banking apps. That’s considered more consumer spending..."
Reposted by Gruntled old man
👀 Every Senate Democrat + Collins and Murkowski just voted for the Bernie Sanders amendment to repeal the $75 billion in additional ICE funding under Trump’s “big beautiful bill.” The measure failed 49-51.
January 30, 2026 at 11:05 PM
👀 Every Senate Democrat + Collins and Murkowski just voted for the Bernie Sanders amendment to repeal the $75 billion in additional ICE funding under Trump’s “big beautiful bill.” The measure failed 49-51.