#introduction

Hi Mastodon! I'm Pascal and new to Mastodon. I'm a computer engineer and a researcher in operations research. I'm a (fairly) strong advocate for #openSource and #openScience. I'm interested in many topics but mostly #sustainability #privacy #lowtech #epistemology.

I'm a bit of a #typesetting nerd, so I use #LaTeX (or #TeX), and #Typst. I maintain two Typst packages: glossarium and algorithmic.

I have some free time before my next work contract starts, so I have been slowly going through my personal projects backlog...

Looking forward to meet people here!

There is 1 spot left this month for 3 mentorship session with me, where I use a decade of professional experience working in games and painting illustrations for Magic; the Gathering to help you on your art learning journey.

All the details in the link: https://ko-fi.com/niwlcraft/tiers

#conceptart #DigitalArt #digitalpainting

The "raw materials of fertilizers" can't get out of the Straight of Hormuz, and farmers all over the world are panicking.

It made me think about my field of olive trees. We are very small scale, with 26 trees and no irrigation system. Because the trees were neglected by their previous owner, and also due to an extremely hot and dry summer, we had no crop last year. But the trees are pruned now, and we gave them some organic cow poo fertilizer (we are organic, but our neighbors are all in on chemical warfare).

When we were getting fertilizer, we had the choice between chemical fertilizer (Hormuz) and local cattle poo. Chemical fertilizer is cheaper in the short term but it washes out of the soil. You need to put it on every year. Cow poo is almost twice the price, but the trees only need it every two or three years.

The cow poo feeds and restores the soil. The Hormuz fertilizer degrades the soil and poisons the sea with nitrogen runoff

I am struck by how global crop yields will crash without the Hormuz fertilizer. I'm hardly a farmer, but that sounds like soil health is being neglected or even abused. Are we growing crops in tortured sand and chemicals?

#iran #organic #farming

Are there medium-to-large-ish, secure Mastodon instances (i.e. ones that aren't going to poop out any time soon) that are trying to resist AI as a matter of policy?

I realize that AI is everywhere and the general attitude is "just give up, you can't win" (so no need to comment that), but are there any instances that are actively trying to avoid integrating with it, as long as possible?

#AskFedi

RE: https://infosec.exchange/@beyondmachines1/116340430386264988

The story here focuses on LinkedIn, who should definitely be held accountable for what they’re doing with our data, but the real question is “Why does Chromium allow this?”

If Chromium allows this, then anyone—not just LinkedIn—can do this.

Most certainly, Google already knows all of this if you use Chromium. Meta probably does this. I’m sure others do, too.

There’s still space for a few more uni students for Bruce Large and my SANS ICS310 community version at BSides Melbourne.

Learn about OT cybersecurity!

Free from us, only the conference $30 entry fee. https://events.humanitix.com/bsides-melbourne-2026-training/tickets

“But adequately stigmatizing Rowling’s weaponization of childhood not only requires personal withdrawal for most people, it necessitates something much more difficult: being a giant fucking killjoy. You should tell people discussing the show that you’re not watching it, and why, and you should let yourself openly cringe at your sister-in-law’s Harry Potter tote bag, and you should bring up unprompted that the onslaught of legislation against trans people makes you sad and angry, presuming it does, and you should do this because, not despite, the fact that it will make you look annoying as hell and may make everyone present uncomfortable.”

https://defector.com/its-time-to-grow-up-hbo-harry-potter

University of Minnesota Nursing School has begun a scholarship to honor Alex Pretti, read and/or donate here:

https://crowdfund.umn.edu/campaigns/AlexPretti