Portentious
@portentious.bsky.social
Tech, people and standards
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Portentious
@portentious.bsky.social
· Jul 24
Hi friends, you may know me from my previous incantations as owning my own business, maps, GIS, tech, strategy, IT, green stuff and renewable energy. Glad to see familiar folk here! :)
Reposted by Portentious
This why all the energy justice nerds were freaking out
Next is "El Apagón" (the blackout) which I could write a whole thread about on its own
The song and its video (a mini documentary) are about a lot of things, including the problems with Puerto Rico's electrical grid, which have gotten worse since Hurricane Maria
The song and its video (a mini documentary) are about a lot of things, including the problems with Puerto Rico's electrical grid, which have gotten worse since Hurricane Maria
February 9, 2026 at 4:32 AM
This why all the energy justice nerds were freaking out
Fantastic breakdown of the work of BadBunny at the Super Bowl, if you don’t know who he is (like me).
Disturbingly detailed analysis of my first rewatch incoming
February 9, 2026 at 4:58 AM
Fantastic breakdown of the work of BadBunny at the Super Bowl, if you don’t know who he is (like me).
Reposted by Portentious
The Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony in Milan *two days ago* featured Mariah Carey
The Champions League final in Germany last year opened with Linkin Park
February 9, 2026 at 4:34 AM
The Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony in Milan *two days ago* featured Mariah Carey
Reposted by Portentious
One demonstrator said they attended the phallic protest, at which people pelted federal agents' vehicles with sex toys, "because "ICE likes to bend over for Daddy Trump."
'Operation Dildo Blitz' Anti-ICE Protest in Minneapolis Ends With 50+ Arrests
Protesters in Minneapolis threw sex toys at federal agents to protest ICE crackdown on immigrants. Arrests were made as demonstrators shouted insults. What drives people to such extreme actions in the fight for immigrant rights? #Immigration #Protest #ICECrackdown
www.commondreams.org
February 9, 2026 at 3:33 AM
One demonstrator said they attended the phallic protest, at which people pelted federal agents' vehicles with sex toys, "because "ICE likes to bend over for Daddy Trump."
Reposted by Portentious
I'm hardly the first person to note this, but it's enormously instructive that our President and his followers saw the message "THE ONLY THING MORE POWERFUL THAN HATE IS LOVE" and understood it, correctly, as an attack on them
February 9, 2026 at 2:11 AM
I'm hardly the first person to note this, but it's enormously instructive that our President and his followers saw the message "THE ONLY THING MORE POWERFUL THAN HATE IS LOVE" and understood it, correctly, as an attack on them
Reposted by Portentious
They are saying at the Super Bowl what the olympic athletes are saying in Italy.
February 9, 2026 at 3:24 AM
They are saying at the Super Bowl what the olympic athletes are saying in Italy.
Reposted by Portentious
R.I.P Jon Kudelka @kudelka.bsky.social
“If I did a sequel it would probably involve a scientist swearing a great deal”
allouryesterdays.info/2025/04/28/i... @allouryesterdays.bsky.social
“If I did a sequel it would probably involve a scientist swearing a great deal”
allouryesterdays.info/2025/04/28/i... @allouryesterdays.bsky.social
February 9, 2026 at 3:26 AM
R.I.P Jon Kudelka @kudelka.bsky.social
“If I did a sequel it would probably involve a scientist swearing a great deal”
allouryesterdays.info/2025/04/28/i... @allouryesterdays.bsky.social
“If I did a sequel it would probably involve a scientist swearing a great deal”
allouryesterdays.info/2025/04/28/i... @allouryesterdays.bsky.social
Reposted by Portentious
You can also read my written testimony here for New Zealand Parliament Education and Workforce Committee Inquiry into the harm young New Zealanders encounter online, and the roles that Government, business, and society should play in addressing those harms www3.parliament.nz/resource/en-...
Radware Page
Loader page.
www3.parliament.nz
February 8, 2026 at 12:12 PM
You can also read my written testimony here for New Zealand Parliament Education and Workforce Committee Inquiry into the harm young New Zealanders encounter online, and the roles that Government, business, and society should play in addressing those harms www3.parliament.nz/resource/en-...
Reposted by Portentious
"(...) In short, the proposed age restriction raises significant risks itself to internet users and fails to address the core problems posed by social media companies’ harmful business practices. (...)"
Thank you @emma-briant.co.uk.
#surveillancecapitalism
#agerestriction
#MediaLiteracy
Thank you @emma-briant.co.uk.
#surveillancecapitalism
#agerestriction
#MediaLiteracy
You can also read my written testimony here for New Zealand Parliament Education and Workforce Committee Inquiry into the harm young New Zealanders encounter online, and the roles that Government, business, and society should play in addressing those harms www3.parliament.nz/resource/en-...
Radware Page
Loader page.
www3.parliament.nz
February 8, 2026 at 11:39 PM
"(...) In short, the proposed age restriction raises significant risks itself to internet users and fails to address the core problems posed by social media companies’ harmful business practices. (...)"
Thank you @emma-briant.co.uk.
#surveillancecapitalism
#agerestriction
#MediaLiteracy
Thank you @emma-briant.co.uk.
#surveillancecapitalism
#agerestriction
#MediaLiteracy
Reposted by Portentious
Andre Ventura of Chega (change) running on anti-immigratiom slogans like "this isn't Bangladesh" and "Portugal is ours" has lost the Portugal presidential election in a landslide.
He was second on 23% to 31% in the first round but losing about 30-70 in the run-off to socialist António José Seguro
He was second on 23% to 31% in the first round but losing about 30-70 in the run-off to socialist António José Seguro
February 8, 2026 at 9:22 PM
Andre Ventura of Chega (change) running on anti-immigratiom slogans like "this isn't Bangladesh" and "Portugal is ours" has lost the Portugal presidential election in a landslide.
He was second on 23% to 31% in the first round but losing about 30-70 in the run-off to socialist António José Seguro
He was second on 23% to 31% in the first round but losing about 30-70 in the run-off to socialist António José Seguro
Reposted by Portentious
UKIP's proposed new logo.
Fucking HELL.
Fucking HELL.
January 13, 2026 at 10:26 AM
UKIP's proposed new logo.
Fucking HELL.
Fucking HELL.
Reposted by Portentious
Wait, has he even done a U-turn on this own resignation?
February 9, 2026 at 12:26 AM
Wait, has he even done a U-turn on this own resignation?
Reposted by Portentious
It's women holding Minneapolis together. Raising rent-relief funds, delivering groceries, giving folks rides, driving neighbors & colleagues to work, protesting, patrolling, contacting state reps in the hopes that they will listen—the list goes on and on. www.glamour.com/story/the-wo...
The Women Holding Minneapolis Together
In Minnesota, a community is coming together to push back against ICE and support their neighbors. It should surprise no one that much of this work is being led by women. Glamour reports from the fron...
www.glamour.com
February 8, 2026 at 10:46 PM
It's women holding Minneapolis together. Raising rent-relief funds, delivering groceries, giving folks rides, driving neighbors & colleagues to work, protesting, patrolling, contacting state reps in the hopes that they will listen—the list goes on and on. www.glamour.com/story/the-wo...
Reposted by Portentious
This is the ur-grift: it’s not the get-rich-quick scheme that makes you rich, it’s teaching other people how to sell it to someone else.
To be very clear, that lady in the NYT article is not making any money with her hundreds of AI slop books.
She makes money by *convincing people* she makes money that way and getting them to pay her to teach them how to do it.
It's an evolved MLM, and the NYT is helping market it.
She makes money by *convincing people* she makes money that way and getting them to pay her to teach them how to do it.
It's an evolved MLM, and the NYT is helping market it.
February 8, 2026 at 10:15 PM
This is the ur-grift: it’s not the get-rich-quick scheme that makes you rich, it’s teaching other people how to sell it to someone else.
Reposted by Portentious
The French once again taking no bullshit.
February 8, 2026 at 9:40 PM
The French once again taking no bullshit.
Reposted by Portentious
Be gentle with people & ruthless with systems.
Be gentle with each other so we can be dangerous together 💛
February 8, 2026 at 7:27 PM
Be gentle with people & ruthless with systems.
Reposted by Portentious
Germans donated €200,000 in one week to support Ukraine.
This Ukrainian woman, Nataliia, called on people to make donations to purchase gas stoves, heaters, and sleeping bags.
📹 DW
This Ukrainian woman, Nataliia, called on people to make donations to purchase gas stoves, heaters, and sleeping bags.
📹 DW
February 8, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Germans donated €200,000 in one week to support Ukraine.
This Ukrainian woman, Nataliia, called on people to make donations to purchase gas stoves, heaters, and sleeping bags.
📹 DW
This Ukrainian woman, Nataliia, called on people to make donations to purchase gas stoves, heaters, and sleeping bags.
📹 DW
Reposted by Portentious
What an interesting thread. France went all in on nuclear power plants, which are now being displaced by cheaper wind and solar. Ramping nuke plants up/down and turning them on/off puts unexpected wear and tear on pumps, valves, pipes, etc., raising maintenance costs and shortening equipment lives.
France has ended up in a strange position after using some €250bn of tax-payer money to build a fleet of nuclear power stations. Wind and solar power is merrily entering the French power market at prices nuclear production can't match, resulting in huge surpluses of power.
1/
1/
Électricité : un rapport confidentiel d’EDF anticipe une explosion des coûts et des risques
« Le Point » s’est procuré le rapport interne d’EDF sur les conséquences de la modulation de son parc nucléaire pour faire place aux renouvelables. Un document explosif, alors que le gouvernement s’ap...
www.lepoint.fr
February 8, 2026 at 7:33 PM
What an interesting thread. France went all in on nuclear power plants, which are now being displaced by cheaper wind and solar. Ramping nuke plants up/down and turning them on/off puts unexpected wear and tear on pumps, valves, pipes, etc., raising maintenance costs and shortening equipment lives.
Reposted by Portentious
A section of the East Coast Trail, #Newfoundland, where high onshore winds (common here) blew seaside waterfalls backward onto the land. When this happens in winter, we get this type of otherworldly ice covered landscape.
#hike #trail #backpacking #winter #ice
#hike #trail #backpacking #winter #ice
January 19, 2026 at 3:27 AM
A section of the East Coast Trail, #Newfoundland, where high onshore winds (common here) blew seaside waterfalls backward onto the land. When this happens in winter, we get this type of otherworldly ice covered landscape.
#hike #trail #backpacking #winter #ice
#hike #trail #backpacking #winter #ice
Reposted by Portentious
January 23, 2026 at 1:21 AM
Reposted by Portentious
We are now 85 second to midnight. This is the closest to midnight the world has ever been.
@thebulletin.org
@thebulletin.org
January 27, 2026 at 3:31 PM
We are now 85 second to midnight. This is the closest to midnight the world has ever been.
@thebulletin.org
@thebulletin.org
Reposted by Portentious
Why climate change isn't about averages, it's about deviation from centuries-long past trends -- Winter Olympics edition
February 8, 2026 at 5:42 PM
Why climate change isn't about averages, it's about deviation from centuries-long past trends -- Winter Olympics edition
Reposted by Portentious
If you still have them…NOW is the time to send Bezos the only message he understands—close your WaPo and Amazon accounts!!
As goes the Washington Post: US democracy takes another hit under Trump
@theguardian.com
JOHNSON’S RESPONSE MAY GO DOWN IN THE ANNALS OF AMERICAN MEDIA HISTORY:
“I WAS JUST LAID OFF BY THE WASHINGTON POST IN THE MIDDLE OF A WARZONE.”
“I HAVE NO WORDS.“
www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...
@theguardian.com
JOHNSON’S RESPONSE MAY GO DOWN IN THE ANNALS OF AMERICAN MEDIA HISTORY:
“I WAS JUST LAID OFF BY THE WASHINGTON POST IN THE MIDDLE OF A WARZONE.”
“I HAVE NO WORDS.“
www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...
February 8, 2026 at 2:30 PM
If you still have them…NOW is the time to send Bezos the only message he understands—close your WaPo and Amazon accounts!!
Reposted by Portentious
Renewables can deliver electricity & heat for many uses. The cost of power & heat storage is dropping rapidly, providing 24/7 energy solutions. As the cost of renewable power generation & thermal storage drops, heat to power conversion will become economical providing more options. 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋
Lots of good work out there on high-temperature heat pumps for decarbonizing industrial heat, but "make renewables cheap, use resistors to convert renewable power into high-temperature heat, store hot hot heat in box o' rocks til it's needed" is stupidly simple/robust and getting cheaper by the day.
Industrial heat is one of the hardest parts of the energy transition.
This sand battery is now delivering fossil-free heat for industry, storing renewable electricity as high-temperature heat and releasing it when needed. Simple idea, big impact.
This sand battery is now delivering fossil-free heat for industry, storing renewable electricity as high-temperature heat and releasing it when needed. Simple idea, big impact.
February 8, 2026 at 3:29 PM
Renewables can deliver electricity & heat for many uses. The cost of power & heat storage is dropping rapidly, providing 24/7 energy solutions. As the cost of renewable power generation & thermal storage drops, heat to power conversion will become economical providing more options. 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋
Jeff Bezos makes enough money to fully fund this literally every two minutes.
Former Washington Post journalists have launched a GoFundMe to help repatriate fired staff members who are effectively stranded in foreign countries.
One of the richest men in the world fired them from the paper and didn’t even pay to ensure they got home.
Abolish the billionaire class:
One of the richest men in the world fired them from the paper and didn’t even pay to ensure they got home.
Abolish the billionaire class:
February 8, 2026 at 1:10 PM