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Rob Ballou

@robballou.com

Finn the cattle dog's human, mountain biker, backpacker, and software engineer.

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06.07.2023
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Latest posts by Rob Ballou @robballou.com

Using a repository for the images would work so much better, but, uh, I'm not shelling out for that right now.

10.03.2026 03:23 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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a man with a beard and curly hair is smiling ALT: a man with a beard and curly hair is smiling

Was battling one single docker image that would not get created on a (cheap) server all day. Finally, the magic pill seemed to be run `npm cache clean --force` within the build process.

10.03.2026 03:23 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
So, just to recap, we have two random DOGE bros with basically no knowledge or experience in the humanities (and at least one of whom is a college dropout), who just went around terminating grants that had gone through a full grant application process by feeding in a list of culture war grievance terms, selecting out the grant titles based on the appearance of seemingly β€œwoke” words, then asking ChatGPT β€œyo, tell me this is DEI” and then sending termination emails the next day from a private server and forging the director’s signature.

This is what β€œgovernment efficiency” looks like in practice: two guys with zero relevant experience, a keyword list built on culture war grievances, and a chatbot confidently spitting out 120-character verdicts on federal grants that went through actual review processes. The experts who might have explained what these grants actually do? Locked out. The director whose signature appeared on termination letters? Couldn’t tell you which grants got cut or w

So, just to recap, we have two random DOGE bros with basically no knowledge or experience in the humanities (and at least one of whom is a college dropout), who just went around terminating grants that had gone through a full grant application process by feeding in a list of culture war grievance terms, selecting out the grant titles based on the appearance of seemingly β€œwoke” words, then asking ChatGPT β€œyo, tell me this is DEI” and then sending termination emails the next day from a private server and forging the director’s signature. This is what β€œgovernment efficiency” looks like in practice: two guys with zero relevant experience, a keyword list built on culture war grievances, and a chatbot confidently spitting out 120-character verdicts on federal grants that went through actual review processes. The experts who might have explained what these grants actually do? Locked out. The director whose signature appeared on termination letters? Couldn’t tell you which grants got cut or w

Ever wondered how your grant got cancelled? No we know. Some college dropout asked ChatGPT "is it DEI/woke"?

www.techdirt.com/202...

20.02.2026 12:37 πŸ‘ 1411 πŸ” 552 πŸ’¬ 14 πŸ“Œ 39
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Why now is the time to be loudly anti-war We don't need the clarity of hindsight to know war in Iranβ€”or anywhereβ€”will end in physical, moral and financial ruin.

New β€” My case for why it’s not enough to call this β€œTrump’s war” when violence abroad implicates us all, and how we don’t need hindsight to know that unequivocally opposing this war will be the correct (and only morally defensible) choice:

09.03.2026 00:11 πŸ‘ 1629 πŸ” 489 πŸ’¬ 24 πŸ“Œ 23

$4 for 87 πŸ™ƒ

09.03.2026 00:07 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I wholly feel this: β€œWhen I look at these developments, it's hard not to feel a bit of cognitive dissonanceβ€”and more than a little despair. …[I]t's honestly difficult to reconcile the idealism of the web I was promised with the web we got.” By @ethanmarcotte.com

07.03.2026 22:05 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Haitian man dies in US immigration custody with untreated toothache, brother says A Haitian man confined at an Arizona immigration detention center for months after the denial of his asylum application has died in the hospital

Emmanuel Damas, another individual killed in ICE custody.

He had a toothache. They ignored it. He died of spesis. Read that again.

Why do we need to fund this murderous agency?

www.washingtonpost.com/national/202...

05.03.2026 05:27 πŸ‘ 4289 πŸ” 1926 πŸ’¬ 139 πŸ“Œ 95

Not really cancelling my sub because of the article, but it was a good reminder that it was a sub I needed to cancel given other circumstances.

06.03.2026 21:54 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
A snowy Denver landscape. It hasn’t snowed since at least January

A snowy Denver landscape. It hasn’t snowed since at least January

06.03.2026 15:26 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Exclusive: US investigation points to likely US responsibility in Iran school strike, sources say Military investigators believe it is likely that U.S. forces were responsible for an apparent strike on an Iranian girls' school that killed scores of children on Saturday, two U.S. officials told Reu...

Reuters Exclusive

"U.S. military investigators believe it is likely that U.S. forces were responsible for an apparent strike on an Iranian girls' school."

"The strike would rank among the worst cases of civilian casualties in decades of U.S. conflicts in the ​Middle East."

06.03.2026 02:50 πŸ‘ 10013 πŸ” 5281 πŸ’¬ 629 πŸ“Œ 639

I hope we can keep the energy of seeing someone get fired who is doing a live event

06.03.2026 00:58 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Note that this is a misleading headline

05.03.2026 21:15 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I would file the Proton information under the "do not digitally record or transmit things you don't want to see in court one day". It's a good thing, in general, to realize things like this can occur.

05.03.2026 21:11 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Republicans are using kids as a smokescreen for what Big Tech lobbyists want: a national surveillance program to harvest our data with zero protections for people and their privacy.

We must fight this dangerous expansion of surveillance technology.

05.03.2026 20:45 πŸ‘ 4260 πŸ” 1512 πŸ’¬ 60 πŸ“Œ 73
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AI is undermining labor power.

We need leaders in Washington who not only understand that, but will fight to protect collective bargaining and support workers through the AI revolution.

02.03.2026 13:53 πŸ‘ 49 πŸ” 17 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 3
Section508.gov Section508.gov is the official U.S. government resource for ensuring digital accessibility compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d). It offers comprehensive guidance, too...

As a reminder, government communications are required to conform with accessibility guidelines, including providing alt text for images (especially for text within images). www.section508.gov/create/alter...

05.03.2026 20:44 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Given his ability to just make up succession for a country, I wonder if Mullin even knew he was being nominated

05.03.2026 20:13 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Explore Financial Disclosures From President Trump and 1,500 of His Appointees - ProPublica Use this database to explore potential conflicts of interest for President Donald Trump and his team. The documents disclose positions officials have held outside government, their assets and their de...

NEW: Over the past year, we've been collecting thousands of financial disclosure documents from across the Trump administration. Now we're making them searchable. Look up names, assets, former employers across 1,500+ Trump appointees and 3,000+ ethics documents.

05.03.2026 12:27 πŸ‘ 989 πŸ” 539 πŸ’¬ 20 πŸ“Œ 50
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a man in a suit and tie is holding a bucket of popcorn with the words here for it all below him ALT: a man in a suit and tie is holding a bucket of popcorn with the words here for it all below him
05.03.2026 19:19 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Also, since confirmation may not go quickly, do you think Rubio will get a new title?

05.03.2026 19:18 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Mostly I wonder if we can charge her with crimes now?

05.03.2026 19:16 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

You can run some models locally, but you can't really pull those into the same copilot/claude code interfaces. It's a new gate on who gets to learn or do this work. And this applies to the people who want software engineers to be removed as well. If you just want to vibe some things, you pay.

05.03.2026 18:42 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Are you a student, someone making a career change, or funemployed? Congrats, you will need to subscribe with your own money to access this paradigm that companies you want to work for will require you to know.

05.03.2026 18:39 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

What I find particularly funny/odd with the push for AI in coding is that it essentially requires us to prop up these companies. We've invented the subscription model for a compiler (as opposed to the days of buying a compiler for a one time fee).

05.03.2026 18:39 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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What happened after Anthropic rejected an AI military contract

05.03.2026 01:37 πŸ‘ 199 πŸ” 41 πŸ’¬ 4 πŸ“Œ 1
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Colorado Gov. Jared Polis tells me that Tina Peters needs to show "contrition and apology" before he will grant her clemency, a step he otherwise appears ready to take.

When we spoke on the phone today, I asked him about his apparent eagerness to pardon Peters.

05.03.2026 03:12 πŸ‘ 467 πŸ” 138 πŸ’¬ 112 πŸ“Œ 25
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Close to 650 federal agents remain in Minnesota weeks after border czar announced end of operation There are still more than quadruple the 150 agents Tom Homan said there would be in the state by the end of last week.

They’re still lying to us.

www.startribune.com/close-to-650...

05.03.2026 02:05 πŸ‘ 2026 πŸ” 883 πŸ’¬ 16 πŸ“Œ 28
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Exclusive: Iranian girls killed by β€˜double-tap’ strikes on Minab school Eyewitnesses describe second blast which killed survivors as they sheltered in prayer hall

The girls’ school in Iran, where 165 people were killed by an apparent US-Israeli attack, was hit with two strikes, with the second missile killing sheltering survivors, two first responders and the parent of a slain child have told Middle East Eye.

04.03.2026 22:40 πŸ‘ 2887 πŸ” 1544 πŸ’¬ 127 πŸ“Œ 286

Down*

04.03.2026 23:45 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Strava, working on going public, has been done for most of the day with only an β€œwe’re investigating” message since this morning πŸ€”

04.03.2026 23:45 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0