Ben Tucker

svg of a pelican riding a bicycle on a white background

Here's what the SVG looks like on a white background.

Ha! This just reminded me of my experiment from March after OpenAI launched their new image generation model of having ChatGPT generate an image, then trace it to SVG. I just tried this again & it's still pretty similar: chatgpt.com/share/69161f...
Took two prompts still.
bsky.app/profile/btuc...

I think you could also do that using claude itself. You don’t necessarily need another LLM.

Certainly possible, but I’m not sure the value would be high. Another approach is you can use Claude Code in headless mode from a Claude Code plugin/skill. This allows using Claude as the LLM from those.

What I find useful about local models is when you don’t want the content to leave the machine.

What sorts of use cases are you thinking about?

it turns out PyPI doesn't yet support macOS 26 wheels. I opened a PR to add this: github.com/pypi/warehou...

GitHub - btucker/llm-apple: LLM plugin for local apple-foundation-models available on macOS 26 LLM plugin for local apple-foundation-models available on macOS 26 - btucker/llm-apple

Then I wanted to make it easier to play with, so another hour with Claude Code and I had a plugin for @simonwillison.net's llm: github.com/btucker/llm-...

What's cool this is you don't have to install anything other than some python packages & you have full access to a reasonably capable LLM.

GitHub - btucker/apple-foundation-models-py: Python bindings for Apple's FoundationModels framework - on-device AI Python bindings for Apple's FoundationModels framework - on-device AI - btucker/apple-foundation-models-py

I've been wanting to explore Apple's local LLM ("Foundation Models") that's now there on every macOS 26 install. I was surprised I couldn't find any python bindings. A few hours with Claude Code (still mind blowing to me this is possible!) and I have an initial version: github.com/btucker/appl...

YouTube video by Slate Auto Slate Auto Reveal Event

The comments on the Slate launch video are quite something. They seem to be making someone people want.

youtu.be/jKVwEg4ZToI?...

Hopefully fatally funny

Painting saying STOP COMRADE TRAITOR TRUMP

Protesters in Daley Plaza, Chicago

Protesters in Daley Plaza, Chicago

Protestor holding sign saying: WE ARENT GETTING PAID TO BE HERE. WE HATE YOU FOR FREE!

Great turnout today for the #50501 protest in Chicago

An extract from the judgement: It is difficult in some cases to get to the very heart of the matter. But in this case, it is not hard at all. The government is asserting a right to stash away residents of this country in foreign prisons without the semblance of due process that is the foundation of our constitutional order. Further, it claims in essence that because it has rid itself of custody that there is nothing that can be done. This should be shocking not only to judges, but to the intuitive sense of liberty that Americans far removed from courthouses still hold dear.

🚨BREAKING: 4th Circuit Court of Appeal throws out Trump’s request to halt proceedings in the case of wrongfully imprisoned Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

It is a devastating judgement.

Just read this extract.👇

He was afraid people would believe in evolution.

This is so fucked up. ICE agents in Massachusetts smashed the window of a car to grab a Guatemalan guy who was with his wife. They were waiting for their lawyer to arrive because he has a pending asylum case.

Story via @wcvb5.bsky.social: www.wcvb.com/article/ice-...

YouTube video by All-In Podcast Chamath and Larry Summers Debate the Market Reaction to Trump's Tariffs

I’m all for folks going on the bropods & getting in front of these audiences. BUT, get it in writing that you get edit approval for any clips.

Case in point, this edited clip of a “debate”

youtube.com/shorts/uRVOy...

We need to stop saying “wrongly deported.” That means we expel someone out of the country.

No, we sent him to a US-funded prison.

Abrego Garcia is being “wrongly imprisoned.”

Homegrown Criminals Whether it's been an intentional strategy of "shock and awe" or just the inevitable result of a bunch of ignorant assholes being empowered at the same time, the opening months of Trump's second admini...

There's been a LOT going on, but the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case really deserves all of our attention. Some thoughts at CAMPAIGN TRAILS:

campaign-trails.ghost.io/homegrown-cr...

THIS. Also, we need continuous innovation in regulating effectively.

Musk’s Latest Fraud Finding Isn’t What It Seems His team found cases of seemingly fake people receiving unemployment benefits. But that fake data exists for a reason.

“This is yet another example of a DOGE ‘report’ misunderstanding this data at best, blatantly mischaracterizing this data at worst.”

Economic event contracts New event contracts for economic indicators are open for trading. Watch the prediction markets react in real time. Eligibility and restrictions apply.

Time to pack it up. It’s all a big game to gamble on.

One Aspect of Trump’s El Salvador Gulag Is Particularly Illegal At every step, the federal government’s conduct has been legally questionable.

CECOT is a hellhole that local despot Nayib Bukele had proactively offered up weeks ago. On what basis can our government send people there?

The Trump-El Salvador Scandal Deepens As President Trump prepares to fête brutal far-right El Salvadoran dictator Nayib Bukele in DC on April 14, the scandal involving a vile new international slave trade between the two men is growing.

How could a slavery scandal involving the President of the United States be worse than we thought? This extremely long, extremely detailed, and fully sourced PROOF report explains.

This—not the tariff war—is the most important story in America right now. I hope you will consider checking it out.

Budget airline Avelo to fly deportation flights for ICE from Arizona Budget carrier Avelo Airlines says it has signed an agreement to fly deportation flights from Arizona starting in May

If you ever have the opportunity to fly Avelo Airlines—don’t.

Chart showing an earlier spike in buying before the public announcement of the Tariffs being put on hold

Surely these insider traders on the WH Signal chats will be held accountable, right?

Who knew the invisible hand of the market was so small & orange.

Or burning down the house to impress the neighbors with our fancy new tent.

I think they dream of a world where taxes are all on consumption & you pay for what services you use—which are mostly provided privately. Unless it has to do with cars. They can’t stand the idea of tolls for cars.

Undocumented immigrants pay $96 BILLION in taxes each year.

itep.org/undocumented...

State and Local Tax Contributions by Undocumented Immigrants Undocumented immigrants pay taxes that help fund public infrastructure, institutions, and services in every U.S. state. Nearly 39 percent of the total tax dollars paid by undocumented immigrants in 20...

Undocumented immigrants pay $96 BILLION in taxes annually. And they receive a fraction of the services of citizens.

itep.org/undocumented...

The desire to deport people who are PAYING taxes is unconscionable.