ajdecon
@ajdecon.org
Building supercomputers! Currently at NVIDIA, formerly FB and LANL. Recovering SRE, former materials physicist, perpetually a bit confused. He/him.
Opinions solely mine as always.
🏡: Denver, CO
🔗 : https://www.ajdecon.org
Opinions solely mine as always.
🏡: Denver, CO
🔗 : https://www.ajdecon.org
Pinned
ajdecon
@ajdecon.org
· Nov 15
Silly thread for a Saturday: some of the #HPC clusters I’ve worked on over the years.
First up is Cielo, a Cray XE6 I worked on at LANL! Which might actually be the prettiest supercomputer I’ve worked on.
First up is Cielo, a Cray XE6 I worked on at LANL! Which might actually be the prettiest supercomputer I’ve worked on.
It’s difficult to figure out what to post this morning that isn’t incoherent rage at ICE and the government.
That is… not helpful, so I’m going to clean the house and yell at my reps to do what little they apparently can.
That is… not helpful, so I’m going to clean the house and yell at my reps to do what little they apparently can.
January 24, 2026 at 5:07 PM
It’s difficult to figure out what to post this morning that isn’t incoherent rage at ICE and the government.
That is… not helpful, so I’m going to clean the house and yell at my reps to do what little they apparently can.
That is… not helpful, so I’m going to clean the house and yell at my reps to do what little they apparently can.
Reposted by ajdecon
O'Hara refusing to step away from the scene is something to keep an eye on
BREAKING: The Tribune confirmed on Instagram that the man shot has died, according to two sources with knowledge of the incident.
ICE attempted to order local police from the scene, but Chief Brian O'Hara refused, sources also told the Tribune. O'Hara instructed his officers to preserve the scene.
ICE attempted to order local police from the scene, but Chief Brian O'Hara refused, sources also told the Tribune. O'Hara instructed his officers to preserve the scene.
Man shot by federal agent in south Minneapolis www.startribune.com/ice-raids-mi...
January 24, 2026 at 4:39 PM
O'Hara refusing to step away from the scene is something to keep an eye on
Reposted by ajdecon
Good time to turn off auto play folks
January 24, 2026 at 4:03 PM
Good time to turn off auto play folks
Reposted by ajdecon
Absolutely fabulous essay, well worth a read
(I envy Tolkien who kept tinkering with his myths again and again! I don't har such fortitude)
(I envy Tolkien who kept tinkering with his myths again and again! I don't har such fortitude)
OR x2!
For a limited time (ie til BSFA voting closes), read Nick's essay here for free:
www.speculativeinsight.com/extras/galadriel
The Roberts and Nolan essays:
www.speculativeinsight.com/essays
#BSFA #tolkien
For a limited time (ie til BSFA voting closes), read Nick's essay here for free:
www.speculativeinsight.com/extras/galadriel
The Roberts and Nolan essays:
www.speculativeinsight.com/essays
#BSFA #tolkien
January 23, 2026 at 2:55 PM
Absolutely fabulous essay, well worth a read
(I envy Tolkien who kept tinkering with his myths again and again! I don't har such fortitude)
(I envy Tolkien who kept tinkering with his myths again and again! I don't har such fortitude)
Can I go with a “classic” author who’s still writing?
Lois Bujold’s Penric novellas, from her world of the five gods, continue to be delightful.
AFAICT it’s the only series she still has going in her semi-retirement but they show up regularly and are always fun.
Lois Bujold’s Penric novellas, from her world of the five gods, continue to be delightful.
AFAICT it’s the only series she still has going in her semi-retirement but they show up regularly and are always fun.
If you see this and agree, you are obligated to rec a book by a fantasy author who's still writing. I don't make the rules.
I mean, I do. Please though? It'd be great.
I mean, I do. Please though? It'd be great.
I'm always baffled by the "I'll ONLY read old fantasy" crowd.
You know there are LIVING authors doing really cool stuff, right? Like, LOTS of them? And we could get MORE if more people bought their stuff?
You know there are LIVING authors doing really cool stuff, right? Like, LOTS of them? And we could get MORE if more people bought their stuff?
January 22, 2026 at 5:22 AM
Can I go with a “classic” author who’s still writing?
Lois Bujold’s Penric novellas, from her world of the five gods, continue to be delightful.
AFAICT it’s the only series she still has going in her semi-retirement but they show up regularly and are always fun.
Lois Bujold’s Penric novellas, from her world of the five gods, continue to be delightful.
AFAICT it’s the only series she still has going in her semi-retirement but they show up regularly and are always fun.
Interesting essay. I’m inclined to agree with the overall observation, though I’m not as sure I buy the consolidation argument. Worth reading though.
January 20, 2026 at 1:55 PM
Interesting essay. I’m inclined to agree with the overall observation, though I’m not as sure I buy the consolidation argument. Worth reading though.
The latest post from @charity.wtf is an excellent discussion (rant?) on the value of operations and why it’s such a bad idea to pretend you don’t have to do it.
Bring Back Ops Pride (xpost)
Cross-posted from “Bring Back Ops Pride” “Operations” is not a dirty word, a synonym for toil, or a title for people who can’t write code. May those who shit on ops ge…
charity.wtf
January 19, 2026 at 5:50 PM
The latest post from @charity.wtf is an excellent discussion (rant?) on the value of operations and why it’s such a bad idea to pretend you don’t have to do it.
Reposted by ajdecon
very sincerely, please be aware that no one on social media, least of all massive accounts, is going to give you advance warning of u.s. miltary action except by accident
speaking assuredly about unknowable things drives traffic but you are better off going out and touching grass
speaking assuredly about unknowable things drives traffic but you are better off going out and touching grass
January 19, 2026 at 4:18 PM
very sincerely, please be aware that no one on social media, least of all massive accounts, is going to give you advance warning of u.s. miltary action except by accident
speaking assuredly about unknowable things drives traffic but you are better off going out and touching grass
speaking assuredly about unknowable things drives traffic but you are better off going out and touching grass
This would be hilarious if it weren’t so enraging and embarrassing
Breaking News: President Trump told Norway’s prime minister that one reason he’s pushing to acquire Greenland is because he didn’t win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Denied Peace Prize, Trump Tells Norway He’ll Push for Greenland
In a text message, President Trump told Norway’s prime minister he no longer felt obliged to “think purely of Peace” and that the world would not be secure until America controlled the island.
nyti.ms
January 19, 2026 at 1:46 PM
This would be hilarious if it weren’t so enraging and embarrassing
Reposted by ajdecon
Reposted by ajdecon
Actually the iPod shuffle was the platonic ideal of distraction free screenless music
January 18, 2026 at 8:27 PM
Actually the iPod shuffle was the platonic ideal of distraction free screenless music
This post from @norootcause.surfingcomplexity.com is quite good, and I agree captures one of the big reasons why it’s hard to effectively investigate large, high-profile incidents.
Telling the wrong story
In last Sunday’s New York Times Book Review, there was an essay by Jennifer Szalai titled Hannah Arendt Is Not Your Icon. I was vaguely aware of Arendt as a public intellectual of the mid twe…
surfingcomplexity.blog
January 18, 2026 at 6:18 PM
This post from @norootcause.surfingcomplexity.com is quite good, and I agree captures one of the big reasons why it’s hard to effectively investigate large, high-profile incidents.
Search is in fact one of the main use cases for me these days! Especially using an internal search engine at work, but also Gemini is pretty good now.
it's crazy the number of people who will pontificate confidently on LLMs without knowing that the popular consumer chatbots search the internet and link to the results in their responses.
January 18, 2026 at 5:20 PM
Search is in fact one of the main use cases for me these days! Especially using an internal search engine at work, but also Gemini is pretty good now.
There is really no reason not to block this account.
Like I understand why bsky is verifying it, better than imposters running around. But there’s nothing of value in anything it could post.
Like I understand why bsky is verifying it, better than imposters running around. But there’s nothing of value in anything it could post.
✅ @icegov.bsky.social has been verified by @bsky.app.
January 17, 2026 at 1:40 AM
There is really no reason not to block this account.
Like I understand why bsky is verifying it, better than imposters running around. But there’s nothing of value in anything it could post.
Like I understand why bsky is verifying it, better than imposters running around. But there’s nothing of value in anything it could post.
ok this is perfect
January 17, 2026 at 1:31 AM
ok this is perfect
This was a great listen, and I liked the insight from @sunshowers.io that LLMs aren’t just for producing more code: they can help produce higher-quality code in the same time
On Monday, @sunshowers.io and @davidcrespo.bsky.social joined me and @bcantrill.bsky.social to talk about their use of LLMs for building software--not to make vibe-coded one-offs, but to build much *more* robust systems software.
Oxide and Friends 1/12/2026 -- Engineering Rigor in the LLM Age
YouTube video by Oxide Computer Company
youtu.be
January 17, 2026 at 12:38 AM
This was a great listen, and I liked the insight from @sunshowers.io that LLMs aren’t just for producing more code: they can help produce higher-quality code in the same time
Blog post: Why I continue to blog with Wordpress
why I continue to blog with WordPress – thinking out loud
thinking.ajdecon.org
January 16, 2026 at 8:32 PM
Blog post: Why I continue to blog with Wordpress
Reposted by ajdecon
ICE is younger than my blog
ICE is younger than my email address
ICE is younger than at least one of my ukuleles
ICE is younger than my email address
ICE is younger than at least one of my ukuleles
I'm just going to point out that ICE is about 23 years old. It was formed as part of the response to 9/11 and was reactionary, performative, and racist from the start.
Its not eternal. This is not a thousand-year Reich.
Its not eternal. This is not a thousand-year Reich.
January 16, 2026 at 3:09 PM
ICE is younger than my blog
ICE is younger than my email address
ICE is younger than at least one of my ukuleles
ICE is younger than my email address
ICE is younger than at least one of my ukuleles
This is not me saying that the US has an ideal government structure, to be clear. Absolutely not. There’s a lot wrong with it.
But if anything I think power should be *more* distributed. To misquote the Zen of Python:
Federalism is one honking great idea -- let's do more of that!
But if anything I think power should be *more* distributed. To misquote the Zen of Python:
Federalism is one honking great idea -- let's do more of that!
Good thread, up and down.
I continue to believe one of the best *ideas* in American democracy, mixed as the implementation is, is that power is spread around into so many different institutions.
Even capturing the Presidency, Congress, and SCOTUS does not give Republicans complete control.
I continue to believe one of the best *ideas* in American democracy, mixed as the implementation is, is that power is spread around into so many different institutions.
Even capturing the Presidency, Congress, and SCOTUS does not give Republicans complete control.
But there are places where Trump, as president, has relatively limited freedom of action and where the main points of opposition have been robust. Where states can contest his actions (National Guard deployments), he falls short. Where courts must litigate his decisions, he also falls short. (3/?)
January 16, 2026 at 3:35 PM
This is not me saying that the US has an ideal government structure, to be clear. Absolutely not. There’s a lot wrong with it.
But if anything I think power should be *more* distributed. To misquote the Zen of Python:
Federalism is one honking great idea -- let's do more of that!
But if anything I think power should be *more* distributed. To misquote the Zen of Python:
Federalism is one honking great idea -- let's do more of that!
Good thread, up and down.
I continue to believe one of the best *ideas* in American democracy, mixed as the implementation is, is that power is spread around into so many different institutions.
Even capturing the Presidency, Congress, and SCOTUS does not give Republicans complete control.
I continue to believe one of the best *ideas* in American democracy, mixed as the implementation is, is that power is spread around into so many different institutions.
Even capturing the Presidency, Congress, and SCOTUS does not give Republicans complete control.
But there are places where Trump, as president, has relatively limited freedom of action and where the main points of opposition have been robust. Where states can contest his actions (National Guard deployments), he falls short. Where courts must litigate his decisions, he also falls short. (3/?)
January 16, 2026 at 3:20 PM
Good thread, up and down.
I continue to believe one of the best *ideas* in American democracy, mixed as the implementation is, is that power is spread around into so many different institutions.
Even capturing the Presidency, Congress, and SCOTUS does not give Republicans complete control.
I continue to believe one of the best *ideas* in American democracy, mixed as the implementation is, is that power is spread around into so many different institutions.
Even capturing the Presidency, Congress, and SCOTUS does not give Republicans complete control.
Reposted by ajdecon
i have been reading Tom Ricks’ “Fighting the Good War” which is a military analysis of the civil rights movement, and one thing that comes abundantly across is that movement leaders and ordinary people made it a practice to refuse to fall into despair and cynicism.
January 16, 2026 at 1:55 PM
i have been reading Tom Ricks’ “Fighting the Good War” which is a military analysis of the civil rights movement, and one thing that comes abundantly across is that movement leaders and ordinary people made it a practice to refuse to fall into despair and cynicism.
Blog post: It’s not just about shorter sentences
It’s not just about shorter sentences – thinking out loud
thinking.ajdecon.org
January 16, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Blog post: It’s not just about shorter sentences
I would really prefer that fewer things happen at once
January 14, 2026 at 11:18 PM
I would really prefer that fewer things happen at once
Reposted by ajdecon
I haven’t had a good excuse to go to CUG for a while, but I agree it’s a pretty excellent conference.
The CFP for CUG 2026, to be held in Nice, France, is now open! Wish I could go. CUG was one of my favorite annual #HPC conferences.
cug.org/cug-2026/
cug.org/cug-2026/
CUG 2026 – CUG
cug.org
January 13, 2026 at 3:09 AM
I haven’t had a good excuse to go to CUG for a while, but I agree it’s a pretty excellent conference.