Mastodawn

that's pretty grim. failed state continues to failed state :| https://bsky.app/profile/esqueer.net/post/3lvbc5yqkc22g

Alejandra Caraballo (@esqueer.net)

DOJ put out a memo stating that all recipients of federal funding must ban trans people from bathrooms. https://www.justice.gov/ag/media/1409486/dl?inline=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Bluesky Social

Jimijamflimflam 6h ago

BrianKrebs 9h ago

Making it easier for Americans to access their own health records is a laudable goal. I am constantly amazed at how difficult it is sometimes to get our own records from healthcare providers -- even when it is a matter of urgency or a critical health issue.

But creating a system where Big Tech gets to share your medical records so you can access them wherever is an extremely bad idea for health data security. For starters, it does nothing to address the reality that healthcare companies in general have absolutely atrocious security practices and some of leanest security budgets you've ever seen for large organizations trusted with such sensitive information.

More importantly, we still don't have any data privacy laws that are relevant to life in the 21st century. How about we work on that before we just punt a broken system to the tech bros?

https://apnews.com/article/trump-ai-rfk-jr-health-tech-fa73703bd1fd557c787ef0b590e151f1

Trump administration announces new private health tracking system with Big Tech’s help

The Trump administration is pushing for Americans to upload personal health data to new apps run by private tech companies. This initiative aims to make accessing health records and monitoring wellness easier. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump is expected to discuss this at an event with leaders from companies like Google and Amazon. The system will focus on diabetes, weight management, and digital tools for patient check-ins. While officials say patients must opt in and data will be secure, experts warn of ethical and legal concerns. Critics worry about data privacy and potential misuse of sensitive information.

AP News

Jimijamflimflam 6h ago

Mats Holberg 🇺🇦 🇵🇸7h ago

This is a fascinating twist on the typical story. He was using his stolen millions only partially to fund a lavish lifestyle—most of it was given to museums in the service of his invented persona as a major patron.

And now he’s dead—mysteriously.

Artnet: How a Fake Philanthropist Fooled the Frick

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/matthew-pietras-frick-2672502?amp=1

Jimijamflimflam 6h ago

Michael 9h ago

https://www.desmog.com/2025/07/31/world-economic-forum-edelman-oil-and-gaslighting-how-trump-and-corporations-manufacture-self-serving-pseudo-realities/

Oil and Gaslighting: How Trump and Corporations Manufacture Self-Serving ‘Pseudo-Realities’

Like MAGA, major fossil fuel polluters and their PR enablers evade accountability by spinning the world they want you to see. 

DeSmog

Jimijamflimflam 7h ago

bythehandofbob 9h ago

A few attempts at #urbansketching from yesterday. Drawn at the corporate mega coffee place. I seem to have drawn 3 of them from the exact same spot. Ink and brush on postcards.

Jimijamflimflam 8h ago

emptywheel 10h ago

This is one of the best things I've seen on the threatened gerrymander.

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:7vj2towokzui3hgna5u5u46f/post/3lvbas7ds2s2i

Jimijamflimflam 9h ago

Mary Austin VOTED 4 HARRIS!10h ago

As always, Gov. Pritzker gets it.

via Brian Taylor Cohen on Bluesky:

"Democrats can't live by the old rules... We've got to put everything on the table... Governors across the country who have the ability (maybe it's the ones where we've got trifectas) we've got to do everything we can to stand up to what Trump and Abbott are trying to do."

Unilaterally disarming will not defeat the Nazis.

#gerrymandering

Show thread

Jimijamflimflam 10h ago

Some really good questions asked here. Questions that need hashing out so plans can be made beyond magical thinking.

I think it’s worth your time to read.

@emptywheel.bsky.social

XKCD Bot Jul 15

#3115 - Unsolved Physics Problems

Show thread

Ariaflame Jul 15

@xkcd And someone has already updated wikipedia's articles on whiskers to link to this.

Show thread

Dr. Fortyseven 🥃 █▓▒░Jul 15

@xkcd "Don't forget to shave your zinc."

Show thread

Jay Hannah Jul 16

@fortyseven @xkcd with todays’s sponsor: Manscaped!

Show thread

John Carlos Baez Jul 18

@xkcd - "Second, try to observe the timing of the shortage instances. A random pattern may still mean zinc whiskers are a possibility. But if there are more shortages or other issues after you do any floor or cable maintenance work, construction, rearranging of heavy equipment or move floor tiles for any reason, then there’s a high probability of it being the fault of zinc whiskers.

Some of the most common problems following zinc filaments entering your airflow include intermittent short circuits, voltage variances and signal disturbances. Once the sensitive microcircuits become contaminated, the presence of zinc whiskers can cause full equipment failures and system resets.

These issues can spell out catastrophe for your data center and may result in downtime, expensive repairs or data loss. If you notice any of these problems, especially if they occur in groups or soon after shifting equipment and floor tiles, it’s essential to check for the source of the problem. If you come up empty-handed, you can count zinc whiskers as a potential suspect."

https://dataspan.com/blog/what-are-zinc-whiskers-and-how-do-they-affect-data-centers/

What Are Zinc Whiskers? | How They Affect Your Data Center

Learn more about zinc whiskers and how to stop them before they create problems in your data center. Contact us to find a solution for zinc whiskers.

Dataspan

Show thread

Jos Dingjan Jul 18

@johncarlosbaez @xkcd That article doesn’t make any skim-reading sense. “Depending on the length and width of the filaments, each whisker can have a direct current (DC) resistance of 10 to 40 watts.” WTF? Currents in mA³ WTF?

Show thread

Jos Dingjan Jul 18

@johncarlosbaez @xkcd “Diagnosis Confirmation - 2. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)” sure, lemme run my floor tiles through this handy SEM I have in my shed.

Show thread

John Carlos Baez Jul 18

@happydisciple - yes, the units are idiotic. It's possible a serious data center can afford to get someone to look at stuff with a scanning electron microscope....

Show thread

James Trickle uP Jul 18

@happydisciple @johncarlosbaez @xkcd Sounds like AI acting like normal, that is, like someone who smoked way too much weed.

Human	Not Immortal. Really.
Location	In far Northern Illinois. Previously Braga, Pt., Funchal, Pt., Barrie, Ontario. Far Northern Illinois before all that.
Banner Image	Fall is the season on the lakefront in Barrie, Ontario. A photographer in a yellow jacket sits under a reddish dynamic sculpture. New construction is visible in the background. Blue sky with scattered white clouds. The lake is reflecting the blue sky.
Toots	Toots disappear like tears in the rain. However it takes a while. So I got that going for me at least.