Greg Olsen
@gtotango.bsky.social
Former cartographer, ballroom dance pro and tanguero, cyber security professional. Volunteers in the USCG Auxiliary. PhD in Politics, University of Leicester. Expertise in MOOTW.
Also RUSI Journal.
November 12, 2025 at 11:38 PM
Also RUSI Journal.
The closest I can think of is Survival put out by IISS in Britain.
November 12, 2025 at 11:35 PM
The closest I can think of is Survival put out by IISS in Britain.
Since the 1950s, AI researchers had been building toy applications and proofs of concept and developing languages to try and have the machine understand natural language, not just parse but understand. It seems to have proven to be a dead end. Too hard.
November 12, 2025 at 5:11 AM
Since the 1950s, AI researchers had been building toy applications and proofs of concept and developing languages to try and have the machine understand natural language, not just parse but understand. It seems to have proven to be a dead end. Too hard.
I worked my way up from the mail room at World Savings to the information systems department. I became a COBOL and FOCUS programmer.
November 11, 2025 at 11:54 PM
I worked my way up from the mail room at World Savings to the information systems department. I became a COBOL and FOCUS programmer.
I adopted OS/2 because I had bought a PS/2 desktop. It took advantage of the micro channel architecture unlike Windows.
November 11, 2025 at 11:53 PM
I adopted OS/2 because I had bought a PS/2 desktop. It took advantage of the micro channel architecture unlike Windows.
I loved it too. OS/2 2.0 had it. It was one of the things I liked most about that operating system, it was so IBM-ish. IBM was really good about copying things that worked across platforms instead of perennially reinventing the wheel.
November 11, 2025 at 11:44 PM
I loved it too. OS/2 2.0 had it. It was one of the things I liked most about that operating system, it was so IBM-ish. IBM was really good about copying things that worked across platforms instead of perennially reinventing the wheel.
Right on. When I worked at the bank, they had a keystroke counter on us to make sure we were working. I solved that problem by coding Klondike in REXX for my 3178 terminal.
November 11, 2025 at 11:38 PM
Right on. When I worked at the bank, they had a keystroke counter on us to make sure we were working. I solved that problem by coding Klondike in REXX for my 3178 terminal.
The IBM red books were the best computer manuals ever written.
November 11, 2025 at 11:35 PM
The IBM red books were the best computer manuals ever written.
I had a dog that hated obedience school. He thought it was Doggie Dachau. The problem was he used to take my sister for a drag going for a walk. He'd espy a bird or squirrel and take off. 80 lb lab dragging a 70 lb human.
November 11, 2025 at 11:33 PM
I had a dog that hated obedience school. He thought it was Doggie Dachau. The problem was he used to take my sister for a drag going for a walk. He'd espy a bird or squirrel and take off. 80 lb lab dragging a 70 lb human.
Doggie Daycare? Obedience Training? What?
November 11, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Doggie Daycare? Obedience Training? What?
Red books or blue books? IYKYK
November 11, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Red books or blue books? IYKYK
I am having flashbacks to the whole language movement that took over in my elementary school in about 4th grade. Thank god I had had training in phonics in 1st-2nd grade.
The problem was, I never really learned grammar. Never diagrammed a sentence. Not until foreign language in high school.
The problem was, I never really learned grammar. Never diagrammed a sentence. Not until foreign language in high school.
November 11, 2025 at 11:27 PM
I am having flashbacks to the whole language movement that took over in my elementary school in about 4th grade. Thank god I had had training in phonics in 1st-2nd grade.
The problem was, I never really learned grammar. Never diagrammed a sentence. Not until foreign language in high school.
The problem was, I never really learned grammar. Never diagrammed a sentence. Not until foreign language in high school.
The big difference is that state governments decided that university education was a luxury good and scaled back subsidies. The Sputnik moment when government was all in on increasing US human capital ended.
November 11, 2025 at 5:20 AM
The big difference is that state governments decided that university education was a luxury good and scaled back subsidies. The Sputnik moment when government was all in on increasing US human capital ended.
It probably depends on the market. I almost doubled my money in 3 years on my condo in Novato, CA that was 1946 former base housing at Hamilton Field after the base closure.
November 11, 2025 at 5:13 AM
It probably depends on the market. I almost doubled my money in 3 years on my condo in Novato, CA that was 1946 former base housing at Hamilton Field after the base closure.
By California standards 1/3 acre is huge. That is still a culture shock thing for my wife, being from NJ. The suburban lots in CA are so small.
November 11, 2025 at 5:07 AM
By California standards 1/3 acre is huge. That is still a culture shock thing for my wife, being from NJ. The suburban lots in CA are so small.
That is how I feel about my parents’ first house, a little bungalow in Huntington Beach. I thought it was huge as a kid, but I drove by it about 12 years ago. It was actually an 1100 sq ft shoe box.
November 11, 2025 at 5:04 AM
That is how I feel about my parents’ first house, a little bungalow in Huntington Beach. I thought it was huge as a kid, but I drove by it about 12 years ago. It was actually an 1100 sq ft shoe box.
I bought a condo at 32 and the got married so that with 2 incomes and selling 2 properties at 35 we could afford a house.
November 11, 2025 at 5:01 AM
I bought a condo at 32 and the got married so that with 2 incomes and selling 2 properties at 35 we could afford a house.
I feel bad for all the kids around here that were pushed into computer science degrees by their parents and AI ate their jobs.
November 11, 2025 at 4:40 AM
I feel bad for all the kids around here that were pushed into computer science degrees by their parents and AI ate their jobs.
A few years ago, I drove past the house in Sunnyvale I lived in for most of elementary school. It was a shack (now a $2m shack because the commute to Google is 10 minutes; a subject of another of your skeets). Nostalgia is powerful.
November 11, 2025 at 4:38 AM
A few years ago, I drove past the house in Sunnyvale I lived in for most of elementary school. It was a shack (now a $2m shack because the commute to Google is 10 minutes; a subject of another of your skeets). Nostalgia is powerful.
The handle is because from 2003-2008 before my first kid was born, I was a part time ballroom dance pro and performed in an Argentine tango show.
November 11, 2025 at 4:25 AM
The handle is because from 2003-2008 before my first kid was born, I was a part time ballroom dance pro and performed in an Argentine tango show.
As a junior in high school I used to pull all-nighters with my friends (yes we were all dorks) and we’d go out to a diner before school. I think it was $1.50 for 2 eggs and a short stack.
November 11, 2025 at 4:22 AM
As a junior in high school I used to pull all-nighters with my friends (yes we were all dorks) and we’d go out to a diner before school. I think it was $1.50 for 2 eggs and a short stack.
OMG the Nestea with sugar and lemon flavor. I loved that stuff.
November 11, 2025 at 4:17 AM
OMG the Nestea with sugar and lemon flavor. I loved that stuff.