Jason Cotton

I'm fighting the urge to post signs over the urinals at work that say, "I don't know who you are, but you're not standing close enough."

It is absolutely, mind-bogglingly exhausting trying to figure out how I'm going to teach a GIS/Data Science course this semester with a @#$%& administration that doesn't believe in data or science deleting and/or refusing to maintain every Federal dataset they can lay their grubby little hands on.

NASA’s acting chief calls for the end of Earth science at the space agency NASA’s charter clearly states the agency should study planet Earth, however.

This is the dumbest timeline. I thought them destroying the Orbiting Carbon Observatories was misguided, but this on top of it? It's the plan. You stop measuring and studying carbon and global warming, then you can claim anything without having to worry about pesky scientific data contradicting you.

Confession: Whenever I leave the house I sing a little song to myself to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell", except my lyrics are "Keys, Wallet, Phone".

My Unions are fine. I work two full time jobs (with Unions) and a side hustle. I'm typically working on something else during lunch. This is a situation I'm working in order to earn a living wage.

I am in a union.

As a person badgered by my doctor to eat healthier, I'm glad that hand held salads are popular again. The author may have the luxury of time to sit down and leisurely enjoy a salad, but I sure don't. I don't get paid for that, I've got $#!+ to do.

I sang Big Rock Candy Mountain or Lydia the Tattooed Lady to my kids when they were babies. My wife never approved.

Executive Order Sets Stage to Silence Scientists and Empower Industry, Polluters and Corrupt Elected Officials In late May, President Trump issued an executive order which, if enacted, could significantly undermine scientific institutions and harm public health and the environment.

www.ucs.org/about/news/e...

Sign The Open Letter to Stand Up For Science Now! Science is under siege. Trump’s latest Executive Order calls for politically appointed science commissars to evaluate research. Join us in adding your name to our open letter condemning Trump’s escala...

actionnetwork.org/petitions/op...

What does Trump’s call for ‘gold standard science’ really mean? Critics worry new executive order allows political appointees to determine how science is used in policy decisions

Basically, the order allows the administration to suppress, ignore, and/or punish findings that don't align with their agenda.
Because when you suppress science to the point where there's no data left to prove a thing, you can claim anything.
www.science.org/content/arti...

Thank you!

Do you publish change logs for your updates? I'd like to read the recent ones but can't seem to find them. Something happened with either this update or a recent one that's causing my playdate to burn through battery when it's idle and not being used. Thanks.

I'm having a heck of a time teaching data science with Federal data sites just disappearing into the void. I'm worried how I'll teach next semester... data is just vanishing and/or no longer being maintained. I'm worried we're entering an information dark age.

I'm joining the ranks of data hoarders trying to preserve public data. Here's several links for people interested in preserving data.
datahoarding.org
eotarchive.org
www.datarescueproject.org/current-effo...
govarchive.us
git.lsit.ucsb.edu/publicdata
climate.law.columbia.edu/Silencing-Sc...

I'm having a heck of a time teaching data science with Federal data sites just disappearing into the void. I'm worried how I'll teach next semester... data is just vanishing and no longer being maintained. I'm worried we're entering an information dark age. www.propublica.org/article/trum...

🙋I would love this. Actually, my daughter would probably love this even more than me, I'd likely end up giving it to her.

Ok, Americans on Bluesky. Today you must choose one or the other.

This cycle has recurred multiple times in my professional career:

1) Apply/pursue a position.
2) Get told I'm not qualified.
3) Immediately get asked to do that job out-of-class and/or get asked to train/assist the person selected.

I'm tired. I'm not doing this anymore. They can sink or swim.

*grumble grumble* Stupid groundhog.

Add this to the list of things I'll never understand:
People having a loud phone conversation... in public... on a speakerphone... in a public restroom.

Yesterday: Notice of Federal hiring freeze went out to the public.

Today: I receive several "no longer being considered" emails from USAJobs.

I feel like I've dodged a bullet here...

**family working together to put grocery order away**
ME: *shouts* "Son, where are you?"
SON: *shouts back* "Hiding in my room, goofing off!"

What makes me angry: A row of handicapped parking filled with cars without placards.

What fills me with joy: Watching parking enforcement roll through and leaving them all with $250 tickets.

I never realized before how good the words "Scruffy-Looking Nerf Herder" work when sung to the tune of the William Tell Overture.

Students did presentations today. One thought he understood the assignment and flexed his heavy Gen Z slang, finna be extra and make theirs hit different. Dude thought he was deadass based... but I was lowkey shook, not gonna lie. It's giving unprofessional and now living rent free in my head. Oof.

Welp, got it done.

Overwhelmed with life. I want to run screaming into the woods never to be seen again, but unfortunately I don't have the time or any woods nearby. I'd have to drive for two hours just to get to some woods to run screaming into.
Alexa, schedule a reminder to run screaming into woods tomorrow, 2pm.

I'd just like to say making the entire house smell like freshly baked cookies only to leave a potential cookie seeker to discover there are no cookies, just a lit candle, is not cool man. Phantom cookies are not cool... 😢

I finally saw the Aurora last night...