codeman38
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codeman38.zone38.net
codeman38
@codeman38.zone38.net
72 followers 34 following 170 posts
A programmer named Cody. Originally from Georgia, now calling Massachusetts home. Natural language processing dev, video game font/music nerd, 1997 Nat'l Spelling Bee alum. Autistic, asexual, nonbinary (they or he).
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codeman38.zone38.net
The professor in question also has an Instagram with such… helpful?… diagrams as this one. Literally *not one* of these labels is correct! www.instagram.com/p/DOb3BkBEY1i/
An AI-generated image with the title "imaging Wednesday - Cell Structure: Explore organelles & their functions". The center of the cell has labels of "Nuleus" and "Nucelous", both placed along its edges. The membrane network under it is labeled "Enodopmisch reticulum". The group of small circular organelles to the right of that is labeled "Smouth".
October 13, 2025 at 2:17 AM
codeman38.zone38.net
Tech bros: "AI will replace human translators any day now!"

The AI:
A YouTube thumbnail showing a title auto-translated from Japanese: "Lily is a Great Pyrenees cat who eats very little." The preview shows Lily, who is, of course, a dog.
September 10, 2025 at 11:16 PM
codeman38.zone38.net
I can't get over this part. It's like Adult Swim's infomercial parody "Live Forever As You Are Now" but taken completely seriously.
Acosta said in the video segment that Oliver’s parents created the Al version of their son and his father, Manuel Oliver, invited him to be the first reporter to interview the avatar. Acosta also spoke to Manuel Oliver in the video, telling him: “I really felt like I was speaking with Joaquin. It’s just a beautiful thing.”
August 6, 2025 at 12:30 PM
codeman38.zone38.net
Alt text for those who need it:
But there's also something deeper going on that's sometimes framed as an attack on the whole professional-managerial class or the scholar-bureaucrats of the old regime, but I'm coming to believe that's not quite an adequate way of viewing things. (begin highlight) If you can read, you will read every day how this regime is barbaric. It represents an assault on reason itself. This regime can give no actual account of itself that stands up to the merest scrutiny: It's all nonsense and lies. This is a government of crackpots and charlatans, for crackpots and charlatans, by crackpots and charlatans. (end highlight) Anyone who believes any of its justifications and apologies is allowing himself to be deliberately confused or, even more pathetically, is indulging in absurd fantasies of racial or national rejuvenation amid the ruin of a great civilization. The people in charge want to replace thinking human beings with Al and an underclass of serfs they keep docile with digital slop. Ultimately, that is its only logic and its only rationale: domination, subjugation, repression.
April 23, 2025 at 12:09 AM
codeman38.zone38.net
What's really fun about this that you can ask the same question in two separate browser sessions, and the AI may possibly invent two completely unrelated meanings for the same fake expression.
"what does beefing the chicken mean" AI Overview: "Beefing the chicken" is an idiom that essentially means to increase the size or quantity of something, especially something that was previously smaller or less abundant. In the context of chicken, it could mean anything from raising bigger chickens to preparing a more substantial chicken dish. Here's a more detailed breakdown: Beefing up: The phrase "beefing up" is a common idiom that means to strengthen or increase something, often by adding more of it. Applying to chicken: When used in the context of chicken, "beefing up the chicken" could refer to various things, such as: - Raising larger chickens: Instead of raising smaller chickens, farmers might choose to raise larger breeds or use methods that result in bigger chickens. - Using more chicken in a recipe: Someone might "beef up" a chicken dish by using more chicken meat or adding additional chicken parts. - Making a chicken dish more substantial: The phrase could also refer to adding more ingredients or making the dish more flavorful to make it seem larger or more satisfying. "what does beefing the chicken mean" AI Overview: "Beefing the chicken" is slang that means to criticize, complain about, or verbally attack someone or something. It's not a literal reference to beef or chicken, but rather an idiom where "beef" (meaning a complaint or grudge) is used to describe a problem or argument with someone. For example, someone might say, "I'm going to beef the chicken with my boss if they don't pay me on time," meaning they will complain or argue with their boss if their payment is late.
April 18, 2025 at 5:42 PM
codeman38.zone38.net
Hm, that dog looks strangely familiar...
The poster for the movie _Bingo_ (1991), featuring a brown and white floppy-eared dog wearing red sunglasses that looks almost exactly like the one in Final Tetris.
March 10, 2025 at 12:48 AM
codeman38.zone38.net
Adding alt text for anyone else who's struggling with reading the definition:

(Sorry for deleting and reposting this three times! I failed to indicate the strikethroughs the first time, and accidentally copied the body text of my post the second time.)
A scan of a page from House Bill 675, which reads: (Begin quote) Section 2. Section 45-8-117, MCA, is amended to read: "45-8-117. Definitions. As used in 45-8-117 and 45-8-118, the following definitions apply: (1) "Drag king" (Deleted:) means a male or female performer who adopts a flamboyant or parodic male persona with glamorous or exaggerated costumes and makeup (Added:) means a female or male performer who embodies an exaggerated masculine persona with a strong emphasis on sexual energy, eroticism, and provocative performance art. Their acts often include sexually suggestive movements, stripping, fetish-inspired attire, and themes of dominance or seduction. They have been known to historically perform in libraries, schools, adult entertainment venues, burlesque shows, and private events where explicit content is expected. Their performances often challenge gender norms while incorporating elements of sexual fantasy and desire. (2) "Drag queen" (Deleted:) means a male or female performer who adopts a flamboyant or parodic feminine persona with glamorous or exaggerated costumes and makeup (Added:) means a male or female performer who embraces an ultra-feminine, hypersexualized drag persona, incorporating overtly erotic themes into their act. Their performances may include sensual dancing, provocative costuming, striptease, and adult humor. Drag queens have been known to historically perform in libraries, schools, nightclubs, burlesque shows, and adult- only events where their acts cater to an audience expecting bold, risque entertainment. (3) "Drag story hour" means an event hosted by a drag queen or drag king who reads children's (The page cuts off in mid-sentence here. End quote.)
February 28, 2025 at 11:04 PM
codeman38.zone38.net
Adding alt text for those who need it (my own nearsighted self included):
Dear Secretary Rubio, We are deeply concerned that congressionally appropriated foreign aid funding remains inaccessible to U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) contract partners who have received emergency humanitarian waivers. The Phoenix payment system, used by USAID to disburse financial assistance, has been inaccessible for weeks. Foreign assistance waivers and the reversal of stop-work orders are not sufficient if organizations and contractors are not receiving payments. These payment delays are threatening the continued operation of organizations that are providing life-saving products and services. For example, producers of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) in our states of Rhode Island and Georgia, Edesia Nutrition and Mana Nutrition, respectively, have yet to receive millions of dollars in payments for both completed and current contracts, despite receiving humanitarian waivers. Presently they are owed a combined total of $23 million for contracts completed and delivered upon in 2024. They are also currently performing on a combined $50+ million in on-going contracts, for which they also have no indication of when they will be able to be paid. The inability of USAID contract partners to access funds, even with a humanitarian waiver in place, is an impediment to delivering humanitarian assistance to those in severe need. In addition, this payment issue will result in major disruptions throughout the supply chain. Without payments through the Phoenix payment system, RUTF producers, Edesia and Mana, will soon be unable to pay their American agricultural suppliers (peanut, dairy, soy, oil, and sugar suppliers), and American truckers and shippers will also be affected. (continued in next image's alt text) (continued from first image) The nutrient-rich, peanut-based paste saves children's lives around the world suffering from severe acute malnutrition, a deadly condition where timely treatment and care is vital. Without a prompt resolution, Edesia and Mana will be forced to shut down their life-saving programs and close their businesses, an outcome with devastating consequences. They are, at best, a matter of weeks away from cash flow crises, which will result in major disruption to their businesses and supply chains. - We request your immediate attention to this issue to ensure that funds are released and provided as soon as possible. Every month that American RUTF supply chains are shut down puts at risk up to 500,000 more children falling deeper into severe malnutrition or death. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Seth Magaziner Member of Congress Austin Scott Member of Congress
February 26, 2025 at 11:02 PM
codeman38.zone38.net
Incidentally, for those who are curious to see the rest of what I'd written for that bit, here it is (with alt text to make it more readable).
A statement in black text on a white background, reading: Letter-sized documents posted on social media are a challenge to read on multiple platforms, especially when they’re posted as an uncropped full-page scan. Viewing them in Bluesky’s web interface on a computer will shrink them down to fit the screen by default, so you’ll need to open the image in a tab of its own or awkwardly zoom it with a touchpad to read it more easily. On mobile, you’ve at least got the right aspect ratio, but the page is now shrunk down to around a third of its original size — and if you try to zoom in to make it more readable, you’ll have to constantly scroll back and forth because the text doesn’t reflow. And that’s when your eyesight is 20/20. I’m nearsighted, and it only makes these kinds of posts more frustrating. I’m perfectly fine reading Bluesky’s normal UI font even with my glasses off, especially in dark mode, but screenshots of text-heavy documents with a white background can be a challenge even when I’ve zoomed in a reasonable amount. (And if you’re completely blind, then just forget about accessing what’s in the screenshot entirely!) If people could be considerate enough to use alt text when posting documents like this — or, at the *very* least, link to a more accessible PDF or HTML version of the document — then readers would be able to access the contents so much more easily.
February 25, 2025 at 1:40 AM
codeman38.zone38.net
Oh, sorry, it's so small that I can't get my nearsighted eyes to focus! Let me zoom in so it's at a more reasonable size on my phone.

But now I can't read half of it without scrolling…
The same paragraph as in the previous post, no longer blurry, but the right half of the text has been cut off because it goes past the screen boundary. What *is* visible of the text reads: "Letter-sized documents posted on social medi especially when they're posted as an uncropp interface on a computer will shrink them dow open the image in a tab of its own or awkwar easily. On mobile, you've at least got the right around a third of its original size — and if yo have to constantly scroll back and forth beca And that's when your eyesight is 20/20. I'm ne more frustrating. I'm perfectly fine reading B especially in dark mode, but screenshots of te can be a challenge even when I've zoomed in (And if you're completely blind, then just forg entirely!) If people could be considerate enough to use the very least, link to a more accessible PDF o would be able to access the contents so much"
February 25, 2025 at 1:35 AM
codeman38.zone38.net
A statement on why text-heavy screenshots are inaccessible and need to have alt text added:
Four paragraphs of text, but they're so blurry as to be illegible.
February 25, 2025 at 1:35 AM
codeman38.zone38.net
Alt text, for those who need it:
(Bloomberg Law) -- The Trump administration is planning to lay off at least 40% of the workers at the federal agency that provides mortgage insurance on loans for people who otherwise wouldn't qualify for one, according to two sources familiar with the agency's plans. Federal officials are preparing to cut employees at the Federal Housing Administration, the office that helps certain homebuyers secure a loan if they can't afford a down payment or have below-average credit scores, the sources said. It also protects lenders against losses on those loans. The FHA is one of the largest mortgage insurers in the world and has insured more than 40 million home loans since 1934, according to the agency's website.
February 19, 2025 at 12:08 AM
codeman38.zone38.net
Roses are red
The three blind mice aren't rats
Hegseth uses more alt text
Than some Democrats.
A tweet from Pete Hegseth reading: "Poland leads by example. Great discussion with President @AndrzejDuda on strengthening NATO and ensuring the alliance is postured to deter aggression." The image in the tweet shows an alt text popup which reads: "Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth meets with Polish President Andrzej Duda at the presidential palace in Warsaw, Poland." A Bluesky post from Elizabeth Warren reading "Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s idea of efficiency is stopping research on curing cancer." The image embedded in the post, a screenshot of a tweet by Sam Stein, has no alt text, as indicated by a label in the upper left added by a browser plugin.
February 14, 2025 at 8:27 PM
codeman38.zone38.net
Progressive politicians of Bluesky:

Are you OK telling your constituents with visual disabilities that you care less than *Pete Hegseth* about whether your posts make any sense to them?

Guessing that's a "no"?

Then add alt text to your images. Like he does.
Screenshot of a tweet from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef), showing a picture of him with an alt text popup reading: "Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth arrives at NATO HQ in Brussels." The tweet above the image reads: "Arrived @NATO HQ. Our commitment is clear: NATO must be a stronger, more lethal force—not a diplomatic club. Time for allies to meet the moment."
February 13, 2025 at 1:17 AM
codeman38.zone38.net
Yet again, posted without alt text, so people with visual disabilities are left without the complete context. (Can your team *please* learn the basics of social media accessibility?)

Here's a version with alt text for those who need it.
NEWS: Sanders Statement on New Study Highlighting Corporate Greed in the Health Care Industry WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 - Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today released the following statement regarding a new study from the Journal of American Medical Association. The study found that between 2001 and 2022, top health care companies made $2.7 trillion in profits and spent $2.6 trillion on stock buybacks and dividends. It is absolutely unacceptable that since 2001, the top health care companies in America spent 95% of their profits, $2.6 trillion, not to make Americans healthy, but to make their CEOs and stockholders obscenely rich. In America today, 85 million Americans are uninsured or under-insured. One out of four Americans cannot afford the medicine their doctors prescribe. Over half a million Americans go bankrupt each and every year due to medically related debt. 68,000 people in our country die each year because they cannot afford to go to a doctor when they get sick. How many of those Americans would be alive today if the top health care companies in our country spent $2.6 trillion on disease prevention and primary care, instead of stock buybacks and dividends? The function of a rational health care system is to guarantee quality health care to all, not huge payouts for stockholders and executives in the drug and insurance industries. None of this money was used to search for new treatments and cures, to lower prices, or to improve patient care. That has got to change. This study confirms that the greatest waste, fraud and abuse in this country is corporate greed. Unfortunately, instead of working with Congress on this real issue, Trump and Musk have launched an immoral and unconstitutional attack on the Department of Health and Human Services. Instead of taking on the greed of the pharmaceutical industry, Trump and Musk are taking away AIDS treatment from poor people. Instead of taking on the for-profit insurance industry, Trump and Musk are making it harder for working-class Americans to get the health care they need through Medicaid and community health centers. This absurdity must end. As the Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, I will do everything I can to take on the unprecedented level of corporate greed in our health care system.
February 12, 2025 at 8:29 PM
codeman38.zone38.net
Sure, everyone jokes about Superb Owls this time of year, but this is the only year when it's possible to joke about Superb Owl Lix.
A cartoon owl perched on a tree branch licking an orange lollipop, from the Tootsie Pop commercial
February 8, 2025 at 3:28 PM
codeman38.zone38.net
Sen. Sanders, can you please put in the effort to ensure that your posts here are accessible to people with visual disabilities?

For those who need alt text to read the images, here it is:
NEWS: Sanders Statement: Trump Claims He's on the Side of the Working Class. Really? BURLINGTON, Feb. 7 - Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today released the following statement: At a time of massive income and wealth inequality, when 60% of our people live paycheck to paycheck, millions of Americans understand that if they are going to make it to the middle class, they need to be in a trade union so they can negotiate for decent wages, benefits and working conditions. When Trump campaigned for president, he claimed he was on the side of the working class. But that's not what he's delivering. Rather than standing up for average Americans, he's protecting the interests of some of the wealthiest people in the world. When Donald Trump fires the most pro-union General Counsel in the history of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and illegally removes a member of this independent board, he is not a champion of the working class. He is a champion of unfettered corporate greed and union busters. As a result of Trump's unprecedented move, the NLRB no longer has a quorum and has effectively been shut down. What does this mean? It means that it will be far, far harder for workers to exercise their constitutional right to form a union and improve their standard of living. It means that during a union election, corporate bosses can illegally fire workers who vote to join a union. It means that corporate CEOs have free rein to illegally intimidate and coerce pro-union workers without recourse. It means that corporations can aggressively decide not to bargain in good faith with union workers or sign a first contract. And because the NLRB is now dysfunctional, workers have no recourse. Trump's decision has already had disastrous consequences. Last week, workers at a Whole Foods grocery store in Philadelphia voted 130-100 to join the United Food and Commercial Workers union. But Whole Foods, owned by Jeff Bezos, has made it crystal clear that they will ignore this union victory and will not bargain with their union workers in good faith. Without a functioning NLRB, Whole Foods cannot be held accountable for its illegal behavior. For months, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, the two wealthiest men alive, have been working overtime to abolish the NLRB. Why is that? These notorious anti-union billionaires want the absolute power to exploit their workers and violate labor law. The lower the wages they pay, the more money they make. Since Election Day, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have become $184 billion richer and are now worth $669 billion. But, apparently, that's not enough. As the Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee I will continue working with the trade union movement to oppose Trump's decision and make it easier for workers to join unions, not harder.
February 7, 2025 at 10:29 PM
codeman38.zone38.net
The alt text of this image is a URL to a paywalled article, which is *absolutely* not equivalent access.

For those who need it, here's the same image with alt text that actually transcribes the names in it:
Republican toss up: AZ-01 Schweikert, AZ-06 Ciscomani, CO-08 Evans, IA-01 Miller-Meeks, MI-07 Barrett, NE-02 Bacon, PA-07 Mackenzie, PA-10 Perry Lean Republican: CA-22 Valadao, CA-41 Calvert, IA-03 Nunn, MI-10 James, NJ-07 Kean Jr., NY-17 Lawler, PA-08 Bresnahan, VA-02 Kiggans, WI-03 Van Orden Likely Republican: AK-AL Begich, AZ-02 Crane, CA-03 Kiley, CA-40 Kim, CO-03 Hurd, FL-13 Luna, MI-04 Huizenga, MT-01 Zinke, PA-01 Fitzpatrick, TX-15 De La Cruz, VA-01 Wittman, WI-01 Steil
February 7, 2025 at 2:30 AM
codeman38.zone38.net
Adding alt text, because the full statement deserves to be made accessible to the whole disability community:
SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS United States Senator for Vermont NEWS: Sanders Statement on Voting "NO" on RFK Jr. WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 - Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today released the following statement after voting no during a Senate Finance Committee mark-up on the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services: There are a few issues that Mr. Kennedy and I agree on. We agree on the need to stop the ultra-processed food industry from getting our kids addicted to unhealthy and dangerous products that cause obesity, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. We agree on the need to lower the outrageous prices we pay for prescription drugs in this country. We agree that we should stop Big Pharma from being allowed to flood the airwaves with advertising. But, despite those agreements, I cannot in good conscience vote for someone who denies and will dilute our public health protections, sow distrust in science and oversee massive cuts to health care programs for low-income people, nursing home care for seniors and long-term care for people with disabilities. Despite what Mr. Kennedy believes, the overwhelming consensus within the scientific community is clear: Vaccines are safe and effective. Over the past 50 years, vaccines have saved the lives of over 150 million people throughout the world and reduced the infant mortality rate by 40%. Vaccines have not, as Mr. Kennedy has claimed, "poisoned an entire generation of American children." Vaccines do not, as Mr. Kennedy has claimed, cause autism. More than a dozen rigorous scientific studies from around the world involving hundreds of thousands of children have proven that. The polio vaccine has not killed, as Mr. Kennedy has claimed, more people than polio ever did. The scientific community has found that the polio vaccine has saved 1.5 million lives and has prevented more than 20 million people from becoming paralyzed since 1988. The COVID vaccine was not, as Mr. Kennedy has claimed, "the deadliest vaccine ever made." The scientific community has found that the COVID vaccine saved over three million lives and prevented over 18 million hospitalizations in the United States alone. In my view, we should listen to nearly 20,000 doctors who have told us that Mr. Kennedy has "a well-documented history of spreading dangerous disinformation on vaccines and public health interventions, leaving vulnerable communities unprotected and placing millions of lives at risk. His appointment is a direct threat to the safety of our patients and the public at large." We should listen to over 900 public health officials in 41 states who have urged us to prioritize science and reject Mr. Kennedy's "dangerous" nomination. We should listen to 77 Nobel Laureates who have told us that putting Mr. Kennedy in charge of HHS would "put the public's health in jeopardy and undermine America's global leadership in the health sciences, in both the public and commercial sectors." We must reject Mr. Kennedy's nomination.
February 4, 2025 at 6:30 PM
codeman38.zone38.net
Given the current administration's attacks on disabled people, it is especially important for politicians to make their statements accessible. Could you *please* start adding alt text so that blind people can access them, as I've done below?
A tweet from Sen. Warren: "Donald Trump is turning his back on our servicemembers - and our servicewomen in particular - to score political points. It's shameful, and it will only make us less safe." Below it, a snippet of an article from The Hill: "Pentagon scrubs Biden-era abortion travel policy The Pentagon has struck a Biden administration policy of covering travel costs for service members and their dependents who must cross state lines to receive abortions and other reproductive care, according to a new memo."
January 31, 2025 at 3:29 PM
codeman38.zone38.net
Could you please start including alt text when you're posting screenshots of other social media here? For blind constituents, this post literally says nothing.

Just so this doesn't look like an empty complaint, I'm reposting the image with alt text myself.
Screenshot of a tweet from Sen. Warren reading: "They sweat when they have something to hide - but in plain sight he wouldn't promise to stop cashing in." It retweets Aaron Rupar stating "RFK Jr was wiping his brow after Warren was through with him", with a CNN screenshot showing RFK Jr. wiping his face with a handkerchief.
January 29, 2025 at 7:12 PM
codeman38.zone38.net
I'm not entirely sure how Amazon managed to do this, but they seem to have renamed several models of Anker earbuds so that they're now a pack of Gildan fleece hoodies (?!?!).

(Search for "Soundcore earbuds" on Amazon and it may show up for you as well…)
An Amazon screenshot showing what is clearly a pair of Bluetooth earbuds, but the product title reads "Gildan Unisex-adult Fleece Hoodie Sweatshirt, Style G18500, Multipack"
April 22, 2024 at 8:17 PM
codeman38.zone38.net
David Zaslav in the Warner Bros. C-suite, sending movies to the tax write-off bin:
Wile E. Coyote attempts to pressure-cook Bugs Bunny, saying "Gad, I'm such a genius", while Bugs stands right behind him
November 10, 2023 at 5:43 PM