George Mari @GeorgeMari@qoto.org

I asked ChatGPT what was the first weblog. And note, the response is archived on my own site, statically rendered, in HTML. Makes it easier to share results, and for those results to get into search engines. Screen shots are bullshit.

http://scripting.com/publicfolder/chatgpt/2023/03/07/first-blog-links-net.html

Make no mistake: History has already taught us in plain terms where this is headed if we do not collectively stop it in its tracks right now.

I am not an alarmist. I am historically literate, and we must all be in the face of this attack. https://statuskuo.substack.com/p/when-they-call-for-eradication-it?sd=pf

Say what you will about Mastodon being too wonky or not as easy to use as other social platforms, but at least the links work when you click on them.

PSA: I really like Mastodon (much more than Twitter) and I want to just make sure I'm finding the right audience here.

I'm an immigration researcher with a modest but not insignificant public profile. My goal is to make non-partisan immigration data available and accessible to the public, which is why I primarily post about immigration.

If you want to stay up-to-date with immigration, consider sharing this and giving me a follow. Thanks!

#immigration #asylum @immigration

@DeliaChristina

In 1999 to 2000 I was going through a very rough patch in my life. What with the state of things, I didn't get to see #GalaxyQuest when it was first released. Finally, on a day I was feeling particularly low, and shortly before the movie left the theaters, I canceled work and took myself out to a midday matinée.

I was the *only* person in a vast theater, of a size that no one builds anymore, sitting and waiting for the lights to go down. At one point, I turned and peered up at the projectionist's booth. I saw a shadowy figure moving back and forth behind the window, bending and straightening. This was in the days before automated, digital films. The Phantom Menace had been released digitally in 1999, but the equipment to show such films was extremely expensive and most theaters hadn't converted yet; "projectionist" was still real job.

While I was looking, the figure paused, strode to the window and peered back at me, then disappeared quickly.

I turned back around and continued to fidget and ponder the misfit pieces of my life.

At the top of the aisle behind me, the theater door swung open and banged loudly on the wall. The projectionist strode down the aisle toward me, a tall barrel-shaped man with a thick beard and glasses. My first thought was that the matinee was canceled due to low turnout, and I'd be getting a refund. Just as I'd resigned myself to that, the marching projectionist shouted out in a booming voice,

"WELCOME to your PRIVATE viewing oooooooof GALAXY QUEST!!!"

He stopped in front of my row, and I saw that he had an *armload* of STUFF. One by one, he began presenting each thing to me, and as the pile in his arms dwindled, the one in my lap grew.

"As our SPECIAL VIP Galaxy Quest GUEST today, YOU are entitled to..."

"- A commemorative t-shirt!"
"- A poster suitable for framing!"
"- A limited edition refrigerator magnet!"
"- A button to pin to your lapel!"

The list and the shwag went on. With every ridiculous item, I laughed harder and harder, until there were tears leaking out of the corners of my eyes.

Then he bowed and shouted, "WE HOPE YOU ENJOY THE SHOW!" and turned on his heel to march back up the aisle and out the exit door.

Alas, of all the shwag only the magnet has stood the test of time. But the humor and kindness of the unknown projectionist lives on.

Hey all, I'm looking for a new job!
Something in the Embedded space where both Firmware and Hardware work is happening but I am open, more Software leaning overall. I enjoy product development a lot and is what I have done most of my career.
I'm a system engineering generalist with 10y+ experience and work as a Tech Lead atm.
Remote only, around US EST preferable.

It’s REALLY important for everyone to understand the truth that designing your city for cars fails for everyone, including drivers. Designing a city with CHOICES in how to get around works better for everyone, including drivers.

Let’s spread this message as much as we can.

#cities #cars #choices #urbanism #walking #biking #PublicTransit pic via Eric Sehr.

Alaska Says It’s Now Legal “in Some Instances” to Discriminate Against LGBTQ Individuals
--
On the advice of the state’s attorney general, Alaska’s civil rights agency quietly deleted language promising equal protections for LGBTQ Alaskans against most categories of discrimination, and it began refusing to investigate complaints.

#Alaska #LGBTQ #CivilRights #Discrimination #SCOTUS

https://www.propublica.org/article/alaska-drops-lgbtq-discrimination-ban?utm_medium=social&utm_source=mastodon&utm_campaign=mastodon-post

In a world of Scott Adams, be a Charles Schulz.

These "Floppy Disk Costumes" for SD cards by @charlyn are perfect! 🤩
Get yours here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1406341370

#trees #tree #naturephotography #nature #photography #photo

How Reuters used AirTags to reveal Dow’s false recycling promises https://9to5mac.com/2023/02/26/airtags-recycling-report-reuters/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

If you want to help trans people, and you work in tech: think about how your product handles names and genders. Can users change them? Is it a self-service? Do traces of the old name remain?

Then, fix it. Push back against resistance. Advocate for us.

It won't fix bigotry, or healthcare access, or w/e. But updating our details is a process full of hurdles that we have to go through at a really vulnerable point in our lives, and you can make a small improvement for a large number of us.

Hello! If you primarily use a screen reader on mobile, I'd love to hear from you about what you find to be the best experience for mobile text editing (please specify iOS or Android). Could be anything: Notes.app, Google Docs, etc. (Reach boosts appreciated!)

I'm on the job market this year, so please consider inviting me to give a talk at your local number theory seminar!

I specialize in arithmetic geometry and number theory, especially automorphic forms, Galois representations, and other topics related to the Langlands program.

My electric vehicle journey has begun anew and here's how that went. Fingers crossed jumping into YouTube lyfe helps me pay for the thing. 🤣 https://youtu.be/HhYMs5n6gU0

Hi everyone,

I am part of the NICE Diversity and Inclusion Resource Project Team, creating a playbook to increase representation from underserved communities as adjunct faculty in #cybersecurity #education.

I have created an Adjunct Professor Survey (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AdjunctProfessorSurvey) to capture responses on the hiring process to become adjunct faculty.

Please complete the survey if you’re an adjunct professor teaching cyber courses.

Thanks!

On this one year anniversary of the war in Ukraine, let us call out and condemn the apologists and cowards who would give Putin free reign to invade and destroy other free nations and to slaughter their citizens.

They are on our some of our “news” networks and even in the halls of Congress. They are a threat to liberty, freedom and democracy for all of us.

This war must be won on the home front, too. We must continue military aid until the war is won.

Never back down! Slava Ukraini! 🇺🇦