Michael Montour
@mmontour.bsky.social
Software developer. Not a bot. Also found on Mastodon.
Reposted by Michael Montour
low stakes posting today reminds me that 1) Facebook is for talking to people you know IRL but don’t like and 2) microblogging sites are for talking to people you don’t know but do like.
we forget these things at our peril
we forget these things at our peril
December 24, 2025 at 9:11 PM
low stakes posting today reminds me that 1) Facebook is for talking to people you know IRL but don’t like and 2) microblogging sites are for talking to people you don’t know but do like.
we forget these things at our peril
we forget these things at our peril
Reposted by Michael Montour
Ignore AI upscaled YouTube videos with yt-dlp: alexwlchan.net/til/2025/ign...
YouTube have started upscaling videos using AI. If you don’t want to download those versions, you can skip them by passing a --format option to yt-dlp.
(But I know Bluesky loves AI so I’m sure nobody wants this… 😘)
YouTube have started upscaling videos using AI. If you don’t want to download those versions, you can skip them by passing a --format option to yt-dlp.
(But I know Bluesky loves AI so I’m sure nobody wants this… 😘)
Ignore AI upscaled YouTube videos with yt-dlp
Filter for formats that don't include `-sr` ("super resolution") in their format ID.
alexwlchan.net
December 24, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Ignore AI upscaled YouTube videos with yt-dlp: alexwlchan.net/til/2025/ign...
YouTube have started upscaling videos using AI. If you don’t want to download those versions, you can skip them by passing a --format option to yt-dlp.
(But I know Bluesky loves AI so I’m sure nobody wants this… 😘)
YouTube have started upscaling videos using AI. If you don’t want to download those versions, you can skip them by passing a --format option to yt-dlp.
(But I know Bluesky loves AI so I’m sure nobody wants this… 😘)
Reposted by Michael Montour
Reminder that @ddosecrets.com is not only archiving DOJ's Epstein files, but has 20K+ emails from Epstein's Yahoo inbox.
I broke 2 Epstein scoops as well based on hacked emails from ex-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak that had been sitting on DDoSecrets for months.
Don't overlook this resource.
I broke 2 Epstein scoops as well based on hacked emails from ex-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak that had been sitting on DDoSecrets for months.
Don't overlook this resource.
The original cache of DataSet 8 (with the incorrectly redacted files) has been added to @ddosecrets.com
So for some of the Epstein docs they highlighted in black and then forgot to “print to pdf” which would have effectively flattened the formatting and stopped text being recoverable, but here we are.
github.com/leedrake5/un...
github.com/leedrake5/un...
December 23, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Reminder that @ddosecrets.com is not only archiving DOJ's Epstein files, but has 20K+ emails from Epstein's Yahoo inbox.
I broke 2 Epstein scoops as well based on hacked emails from ex-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak that had been sitting on DDoSecrets for months.
Don't overlook this resource.
I broke 2 Epstein scoops as well based on hacked emails from ex-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak that had been sitting on DDoSecrets for months.
Don't overlook this resource.
Reposted by Michael Montour
It used to be that the United States would use Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty to transmit truth across the borders of repressive regimes.
Now the work of American reporters, having been censored, is being smuggled across the border to reach Americans.
Now the work of American reporters, having been censored, is being smuggled across the border to reach Americans.
The 60 Minutes piece on the Trump Administration’s torture prison that Bari Weiss doesn’t want you to see has leaked.
December 22, 2025 at 11:01 PM
It used to be that the United States would use Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty to transmit truth across the borders of repressive regimes.
Now the work of American reporters, having been censored, is being smuggled across the border to reach Americans.
Now the work of American reporters, having been censored, is being smuggled across the border to reach Americans.
Reposted by Michael Montour
It's important to note for the consultant people: Kat is tied for first place, she's raised more money in this race than anyone else, and she hasn't used Twitter in months.
It's a website filled with racist AI snuff films and it's rigged against you specifically. There's no good reason to use it.
It's a website filled with racist AI snuff films and it's rigged against you specifically. There's no good reason to use it.
This has always been a Bluesky-first campaign. But as of today, we will no longer be using Twitter. At all.
And I'm calling on other candidates to follow suit.
And I'm calling on other candidates to follow suit.
December 22, 2025 at 6:17 PM
It's important to note for the consultant people: Kat is tied for first place, she's raised more money in this race than anyone else, and she hasn't used Twitter in months.
It's a website filled with racist AI snuff films and it's rigged against you specifically. There's no good reason to use it.
It's a website filled with racist AI snuff films and it's rigged against you specifically. There's no good reason to use it.
Reposted by Michael Montour
🔥✈️ GUR conducted an operation at the Lipetsk Air Base taking out of action Su-27 and Su-30!
During the night of 20–21 December 2025, a saboteurs infiltrated the airfield and set ablaze a Su-30 and a Su-27, bearing tail numbers “82” and “12”, inside a protected hangar, then exited undetected.
During the night of 20–21 December 2025, a saboteurs infiltrated the airfield and set ablaze a Su-30 and a Su-27, bearing tail numbers “82” and “12”, inside a protected hangar, then exited undetected.
December 22, 2025 at 6:47 AM
🔥✈️ GUR conducted an operation at the Lipetsk Air Base taking out of action Su-27 and Su-30!
During the night of 20–21 December 2025, a saboteurs infiltrated the airfield and set ablaze a Su-30 and a Su-27, bearing tail numbers “82” and “12”, inside a protected hangar, then exited undetected.
During the night of 20–21 December 2025, a saboteurs infiltrated the airfield and set ablaze a Su-30 and a Su-27, bearing tail numbers “82” and “12”, inside a protected hangar, then exited undetected.
Reposted by Michael Montour
Tonight’s dumb napkin cartoon…
December 22, 2025 at 12:43 AM
Tonight’s dumb napkin cartoon…
Reposted by Michael Montour
As we get close to the end of the year I thought I'd repost some of my favorites.
These aren't in any particular order, but how could I not start with my absolute favorite of the Kingbird riding on the osprey while carrying a fish?
#photography #birds
These aren't in any particular order, but how could I not start with my absolute favorite of the Kingbird riding on the osprey while carrying a fish?
#photography #birds
December 20, 2025 at 6:01 PM
As we get close to the end of the year I thought I'd repost some of my favorites.
These aren't in any particular order, but how could I not start with my absolute favorite of the Kingbird riding on the osprey while carrying a fish?
#photography #birds
These aren't in any particular order, but how could I not start with my absolute favorite of the Kingbird riding on the osprey while carrying a fish?
#photography #birds
Reposted by Michael Montour
USAのNIST Boulderの時刻標準は電源等回復し、精度は維持された模様。
groups.google.com/a/list.nist....
groups.google.com/a/list.nist....
Update on Boulder Internet Time Services and atomic time scale
groups.google.com
December 22, 2025 at 1:24 AM
USAのNIST Boulderの時刻標準は電源等回復し、精度は維持された模様。
groups.google.com/a/list.nist....
groups.google.com/a/list.nist....
Reposted by Michael Montour
Sounds like they're trying to Bari the story.
December 21, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Sounds like they're trying to Bari the story.
Reposted by Michael Montour
I will keep saying this.
If you bought a calculator and it EVEN ONCE told you 2+2=5, you’d throw it out and demand a refund.
If you had an employee who lied confidently to you, and was easily caught, you’d fire them.
LLMs are the untrustworthy calculator and the confident liar.
Fire them.
If you bought a calculator and it EVEN ONCE told you 2+2=5, you’d throw it out and demand a refund.
If you had an employee who lied confidently to you, and was easily caught, you’d fire them.
LLMs are the untrustworthy calculator and the confident liar.
Fire them.
suspect a big reason why many academics and others who work in areas where getting facts RIGHT is key are disinterested in using LLMs for research:
they’ve tried it, they keep noticing major errors in output, and they conclude that having to verify all that doesn’t actually save them time.
they’ve tried it, they keep noticing major errors in output, and they conclude that having to verify all that doesn’t actually save them time.
December 21, 2025 at 6:27 PM
I will keep saying this.
If you bought a calculator and it EVEN ONCE told you 2+2=5, you’d throw it out and demand a refund.
If you had an employee who lied confidently to you, and was easily caught, you’d fire them.
LLMs are the untrustworthy calculator and the confident liar.
Fire them.
If you bought a calculator and it EVEN ONCE told you 2+2=5, you’d throw it out and demand a refund.
If you had an employee who lied confidently to you, and was easily caught, you’d fire them.
LLMs are the untrustworthy calculator and the confident liar.
Fire them.
Reposted by Michael Montour
A Deadly Pathogen Decimated Sunflower Sea Stars. Look Inside the Lab Working to Bring Them Back by Freezing and Thawing Their Larvae
www.smithsonianmag.com/science-natu...
www.smithsonianmag.com/science-natu...
A Deadly Pathogen Decimated Sunflower Sea Stars. Look Inside the Lab Working to Bring Them Back by Freezing and Thawing Their Larvae
For the first time, scientists have cryopreserved and revived the larvae of a sea star species. The breakthrough, made with the giant pink star, gives hope the technique could be repeated to save the…
www.smithsonianmag.com
December 21, 2025 at 5:57 PM
A Deadly Pathogen Decimated Sunflower Sea Stars. Look Inside the Lab Working to Bring Them Back by Freezing and Thawing Their Larvae
www.smithsonianmag.com/science-natu...
www.smithsonianmag.com/science-natu...
Reposted by Michael Montour
🚨THE ATOMIC ENSEMBLE TIME SCALE AT THE NIST BOULDER CAMPUS HAS FAILED🚨
THE HYDROGEN MASER CLOCKS ARE APPROACHING THEIR BACKUP LIMIT!
AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
(now w/alt text)
Trump take standards.
THE HYDROGEN MASER CLOCKS ARE APPROACHING THEIR BACKUP LIMIT!
AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
(now w/alt text)
Trump take standards.
December 20, 2025 at 10:57 PM
🚨THE ATOMIC ENSEMBLE TIME SCALE AT THE NIST BOULDER CAMPUS HAS FAILED🚨
THE HYDROGEN MASER CLOCKS ARE APPROACHING THEIR BACKUP LIMIT!
AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
(now w/alt text)
Trump take standards.
THE HYDROGEN MASER CLOCKS ARE APPROACHING THEIR BACKUP LIMIT!
AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
(now w/alt text)
Trump take standards.
Reposted by Michael Montour
New ideas about chronic illness could revolutionize treatment, if we take the research seriously.
Scientists Thought Parkinson’s Was in Our Genes. It Might Be in the Water
New ideas about chronic illness could revolutionize treatment, if we take the research seriously.
wrd.cm
December 20, 2025 at 8:25 PM
New ideas about chronic illness could revolutionize treatment, if we take the research seriously.
Reposted by Michael Montour
If Firefox were taking it "seriously and absolutely" they'd simply say "we're not putting LLMs in our web browser, because it's a web browser."
Something that hasn't been made clear: Firefox will have an option to completely disable all AI features.
We've been calling it the AI kill switch internally. I'm sure it'll ship with a less murderous name, but that's how seriously and absolutely we're taking this.
…
We've been calling it the AI kill switch internally. I'm sure it'll ship with a less murderous name, but that's how seriously and absolutely we're taking this.
…
December 19, 2025 at 9:48 PM
If Firefox were taking it "seriously and absolutely" they'd simply say "we're not putting LLMs in our web browser, because it's a web browser."
Reposted by Michael Montour
The U.S. military early Saturday boarded a tanker that is not under U.S. sanctions as it shipped Venezuelan oil. "This is a message to Maduro," one of the sources briefed on the boarding said.-Axios
www.axios.com/2025/12/20/v...
www.axios.com/2025/12/20/v...
U.S. boards un-sanctioned tanker with Venezuelan oil to tighten blockade
The move makes clear the Trump administration considers almost all oil tankers with Venezuelan crude subject to possible seizure.
www.axios.com
December 20, 2025 at 6:04 PM
The U.S. military early Saturday boarded a tanker that is not under U.S. sanctions as it shipped Venezuelan oil. "This is a message to Maduro," one of the sources briefed on the boarding said.-Axios
www.axios.com/2025/12/20/v...
www.axios.com/2025/12/20/v...
Reposted by Michael Montour
Screw Anduril and Palantir... I want to start a company called Bombadil that just makes fun shit, staffed by people who enjoy their jobs and have plenty of time to smoke weed and laugh. I don't even know what they'd do but it'd be something _whimsical as fuck_ let me tell you
December 19, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Screw Anduril and Palantir... I want to start a company called Bombadil that just makes fun shit, staffed by people who enjoy their jobs and have plenty of time to smoke weed and laugh. I don't even know what they'd do but it'd be something _whimsical as fuck_ let me tell you
Reposted by Michael Montour
Things are going great over at X, The Everything App
December 18, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Things are going great over at X, The Everything App
Reposted by Michael Montour
It's almost as if @warren.senate.gov should maybe listen to civil liberties / internet / free speech experts?
Recall she also voted for FOSTA and then was appalled that it harmed sex workers in exactly the way we all warned about.
Hi Senator, excuse me for jumping in, but... while I agree with you that this is really damaging, I couldn't help but notice YOU VOTED FOR THE FREAKING BILL THAT GAVE TRUMP THIS POWER (which some of us warned you not to do).
www.senate.gov/legislative/...
www.senate.gov/legislative/...
December 19, 2025 at 4:47 AM
It's almost as if @warren.senate.gov should maybe listen to civil liberties / internet / free speech experts?
Reposted by Michael Montour
If any journalist wants to talk to a trans man with a PhD in Human Genomics who was trained in labs that studied the evolution of sex, I'm right here
Or just keep platforming Republicans who have a 5th grade understanding of biology so they get more trans people killed, sure 🤷🏻♂️
Or just keep platforming Republicans who have a 5th grade understanding of biology so they get more trans people killed, sure 🤷🏻♂️
December 18, 2025 at 5:27 PM
If any journalist wants to talk to a trans man with a PhD in Human Genomics who was trained in labs that studied the evolution of sex, I'm right here
Or just keep platforming Republicans who have a 5th grade understanding of biology so they get more trans people killed, sure 🤷🏻♂️
Or just keep platforming Republicans who have a 5th grade understanding of biology so they get more trans people killed, sure 🤷🏻♂️
Reposted by Michael Montour
🚨 THE FINAL FOUR 🚨
We’re nearly at the end! 32 candidates have been narrowed down to a nefarious final four. But who will move on to the finals? You must decide!
🗳️ Cast your ballot: twsu.forms.app/wpit25-semif...
We’re nearly at the end! 32 candidates have been narrowed down to a nefarious final four. But who will move on to the finals? You must decide!
🗳️ Cast your ballot: twsu.forms.app/wpit25-semif...
December 18, 2025 at 2:46 PM
🚨 THE FINAL FOUR 🚨
We’re nearly at the end! 32 candidates have been narrowed down to a nefarious final four. But who will move on to the finals? You must decide!
🗳️ Cast your ballot: twsu.forms.app/wpit25-semif...
We’re nearly at the end! 32 candidates have been narrowed down to a nefarious final four. But who will move on to the finals? You must decide!
🗳️ Cast your ballot: twsu.forms.app/wpit25-semif...
Reposted by Michael Montour
Reposted by Michael Montour
Don't forget, Putin initially in 2022 sent his tanks to capture Kyiv, not Donetsk. To hope that his war against Ukraine will stop in Donbas is naive.
December 17, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Don't forget, Putin initially in 2022 sent his tanks to capture Kyiv, not Donetsk. To hope that his war against Ukraine will stop in Donbas is naive.
Reposted by Michael Montour
Organelles do NOT have a single uniform pH.
And if you think they must, because “protons diffuse fast,” this paper is for you.
A thread on why that assumption is wrong; and what we found instead. 🧵 1/n
And if you think they must, because “protons diffuse fast,” this paper is for you.
A thread on why that assumption is wrong; and what we found instead. 🧵 1/n
Organelles harbour pH gradients https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.12.694065v1
December 17, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Organelles do NOT have a single uniform pH.
And if you think they must, because “protons diffuse fast,” this paper is for you.
A thread on why that assumption is wrong; and what we found instead. 🧵 1/n
And if you think they must, because “protons diffuse fast,” this paper is for you.
A thread on why that assumption is wrong; and what we found instead. 🧵 1/n
Reposted by Michael Montour
December 16, 2025 at 9:38 PM