@baltismore.bsky.social
“I just so desperately want him to get his comeuppance” applies to more and more people. Not sure if that says more about me or about the times we live in.
April 16, 2025 at 1:06 PM
“I just so desperately want him to get his comeuppance” applies to more and more people. Not sure if that says more about me or about the times we live in.
Reposted
So, the DOGE kids intend to rewrite the social-security administration's COBOL code-base!
and they want to do it ...
... in *a few months*
I did a huge dive into COBOL a few years ago (www.wealthsimple.com/en-ca/magazi...) ...
... so let me explain why DOGE is *way* over its skis here
1/9
and they want to do it ...
... in *a few months*
I did a huge dive into COBOL a few years ago (www.wealthsimple.com/en-ca/magazi...) ...
... so let me explain why DOGE is *way* over its skis here
1/9
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www.wealthsimple.com
March 30, 2025 at 6:41 PM
So, the DOGE kids intend to rewrite the social-security administration's COBOL code-base!
and they want to do it ...
... in *a few months*
I did a huge dive into COBOL a few years ago (www.wealthsimple.com/en-ca/magazi...) ...
... so let me explain why DOGE is *way* over its skis here
1/9
and they want to do it ...
... in *a few months*
I did a huge dive into COBOL a few years ago (www.wealthsimple.com/en-ca/magazi...) ...
... so let me explain why DOGE is *way* over its skis here
1/9
Why is it bad SSA’s code is written in COBOL? Stories like this always make is sound self-evident that an “archaic” language is bad. The only thing that actually seems bad is decades if underinvestment in architecture, so systems end up “held together with bail wire and duct tape”
DOGE Plans to Rebuild SSA Code Base in Months, Risking Benefits and System Collapse
Social Security systems contain tens of millions of lines of code written in COBOL, an archaic programming language. Safely rewriting that code would take years—DOGE wants it done in months.
www.wired.com
March 30, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Why is it bad SSA’s code is written in COBOL? Stories like this always make is sound self-evident that an “archaic” language is bad. The only thing that actually seems bad is decades if underinvestment in architecture, so systems end up “held together with bail wire and duct tape”
Musk in Wisconsin right now...
March 28, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Musk in Wisconsin right now...
They say a president’s 1st term is about domestic policy and the 2nd is about foreign policy. Anyone remember in the first term when he said “nobody knew health care was so complicated”? I feel like we’re a couple weeks away from “nobody knew international trade could be so complicated”
March 27, 2025 at 2:31 PM
They say a president’s 1st term is about domestic policy and the 2nd is about foreign policy. Anyone remember in the first term when he said “nobody knew health care was so complicated”? I feel like we’re a couple weeks away from “nobody knew international trade could be so complicated”
I keep thinking about that scene in Silicon Valley where the CEO of the pizza app nonchalantly explains how they are selling a $10 pizza for $9, but actually losing $4 on every pie because of re-boxing, etc. but the engineers will optimize delivery routes or some bs to make that up.
March 21, 2025 at 4:20 PM
I keep thinking about that scene in Silicon Valley where the CEO of the pizza app nonchalantly explains how they are selling a $10 pizza for $9, but actually losing $4 on every pie because of re-boxing, etc. but the engineers will optimize delivery routes or some bs to make that up.
I like to think of myself as a Bandit, but in my heart of hearts, I know I’m more of a Stripe.
March 21, 2025 at 1:14 AM
I like to think of myself as a Bandit, but in my heart of hearts, I know I’m more of a Stripe.
Reposted
“The US defense department webpage celebrating an army general who served in the Vietnam war and was awarded the country’s highest military decoration has been removed and the letters ‘DEI’
added to the site’s address…
The URL was also changed, with the word “medal” changed to “
‘deimedal.’”
added to the site’s address…
The URL was also changed, with the word “medal” changed to “
‘deimedal.’”
Black Medal of Honor recipient removed from US Department of Defense website
Page honoring Charles C Rogers for his Vietnam war service is now defunct with letters ‘DEI’ added to website address
www.theguardian.com
March 16, 2025 at 10:52 PM
“The US defense department webpage celebrating an army general who served in the Vietnam war and was awarded the country’s highest military decoration has been removed and the letters ‘DEI’
added to the site’s address…
The URL was also changed, with the word “medal” changed to “
‘deimedal.’”
added to the site’s address…
The URL was also changed, with the word “medal” changed to “
‘deimedal.’”
Reposted
Jeff Bezos says he wants the Washington Post to run columns touting the merits of the market. Here is my submission substack.com/home/post/p-...
(I saw that Jeff Bezos wants the Washington Post’s editorial page to run pieces touting the merits of free markets. Here’s my submission.) The Elites’ Big Lie on Inequality
There are not many issues on which there is largely bipartisan agreement, so the story we tell about the origin of economic inequality stands out.
substack.com
February 27, 2025 at 2:59 AM
Jeff Bezos says he wants the Washington Post to run columns touting the merits of the market. Here is my submission substack.com/home/post/p-...
I feel like federal employees should use ai to make the response email as long and useless and un-parseable as possible. Doge’ll probably just put whatever responses they get into an llm. Poison it from the start
February 23, 2025 at 3:19 AM
I feel like federal employees should use ai to make the response email as long and useless and un-parseable as possible. Doge’ll probably just put whatever responses they get into an llm. Poison it from the start
Back in 2020, I wanted to make an analogy between the chances of an asteroid hitting earth and the chances that Trump and MAGA would cause lasting damage. As i understand it, the chance that an asteroid hits earth usually goes up for a bit before falling to zero.
February 21, 2025 at 1:18 AM
Back in 2020, I wanted to make an analogy between the chances of an asteroid hitting earth and the chances that Trump and MAGA would cause lasting damage. As i understand it, the chance that an asteroid hits earth usually goes up for a bit before falling to zero.
The Mayans don’t get enough credit for calling for the end of the world in 2012. Not sure thats the exact moment the US jumped the shark (to mix my cultural touchstones) but it feels close enough
February 20, 2025 at 12:51 AM
The Mayans don’t get enough credit for calling for the end of the world in 2012. Not sure thats the exact moment the US jumped the shark (to mix my cultural touchstones) but it feels close enough
Doge[.]gov is so depressing. Its a stream of misinformation and disinformation. They make unfounded claims about huge savings with no explanation (a screenshot at best). Every one is probably a story of someone getting the rug pulled out from under them.
February 15, 2025 at 1:19 AM
Doge[.]gov is so depressing. Its a stream of misinformation and disinformation. They make unfounded claims about huge savings with no explanation (a screenshot at best). Every one is probably a story of someone getting the rug pulled out from under them.
My most charitable guess at what DOGE is doing is it’s what would happen if you tasked the most obnoxious arrogant college sophomore with cancelling anything that might have shown up in the ridiculous “wastebook” Tom Coburn used to put out + anything that mentions women or minorities
February 14, 2025 at 6:07 PM
My most charitable guess at what DOGE is doing is it’s what would happen if you tasked the most obnoxious arrogant college sophomore with cancelling anything that might have shown up in the ridiculous “wastebook” Tom Coburn used to put out + anything that mentions women or minorities
Just to be clear, the shit hasn't hit the fan yet, right? Following the news too closely makes it feel like everything has already happened, but the general public won't realize anything until it's all unavoidable because of real-life impacts, right?
February 12, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Just to be clear, the shit hasn't hit the fan yet, right? Following the news too closely makes it feel like everything has already happened, but the general public won't realize anything until it's all unavoidable because of real-life impacts, right?
Reposted
Reposted
Elon Musk is a terrible president.
February 3, 2025 at 10:34 PM
Elon Musk is a terrible president.
Successive reddit posts for me.
February 4, 2025 at 4:54 AM
Successive reddit posts for me.
At this point it feels like a race between rational people choosing not to buy/invest in Musk companies and billionaires on the take from Musk back-filling the hole.
www.reuters.com/business/aut...
www.reuters.com/business/aut...
Tesla loses market share in Sweden, Norway as Musk looms large
Tesla lost market share in Sweden and Norway in January, car registration data showed on Monday as the U.S. electric vehicle maker faces a test of popularity following billionaire CEO Elon Musk's high-profile foray into politics.
www.reuters.com
February 4, 2025 at 3:34 AM
At this point it feels like a race between rational people choosing not to buy/invest in Musk companies and billionaires on the take from Musk back-filling the hole.
www.reuters.com/business/aut...
www.reuters.com/business/aut...
Reposted
Ever since Trump first mentioned Greenland and Panama, I’ve been wondering what would it look like if the rest of the western world put sanctions on us like we have done to Russia, Iran, and others? Feels like we’re about to get a taste.
February 2, 2025 at 3:17 AM
Ever since Trump first mentioned Greenland and Panama, I’ve been wondering what would it look like if the rest of the western world put sanctions on us like we have done to Russia, Iran, and others? Feels like we’re about to get a taste.
Reposted
Reposted
I honestly believe our most powerful position in a toxic time that feeds on cynicism, apathy,& despair is to genuinely care and act for a better world.
Cynicism is our enemy. We should check it, incl. on the left. It’s not intellectually superior. It’s the virus they’re trying to infect us with. NO
Cynicism is our enemy. We should check it, incl. on the left. It’s not intellectually superior. It’s the virus they’re trying to infect us with. NO
January 31, 2025 at 7:04 PM
I honestly believe our most powerful position in a toxic time that feeds on cynicism, apathy,& despair is to genuinely care and act for a better world.
Cynicism is our enemy. We should check it, incl. on the left. It’s not intellectually superior. It’s the virus they’re trying to infect us with. NO
Cynicism is our enemy. We should check it, incl. on the left. It’s not intellectually superior. It’s the virus they’re trying to infect us with. NO
I keep thinking about that internet comment that defined conservatism so well it went kinda viral a few years ago. In the last 10 days, it feels like the “in groups”keep getting smaller and more devout to Trump and Elon. At what point do people realize they aren’t actually in the “in group”?
January 31, 2025 at 5:42 PM
I keep thinking about that internet comment that defined conservatism so well it went kinda viral a few years ago. In the last 10 days, it feels like the “in groups”keep getting smaller and more devout to Trump and Elon. At what point do people realize they aren’t actually in the “in group”?