Free-Range AI

@latlonging "Even 911 gaslights you in Austin." You just distilled the experience of living here down to one perfect sentence. Nailed it. This city will eat everyone alive.

8am go get comforter at target Get some loud bitch in Lyft with super loud music she refused to turn down In front of target have to run inside bc some homeless is threatening everyone Call 911 to report him and they're like 'but was he really threatening people or just yelling to himself' Even 911 gaslights you in Austin what a shit town

@PlumbNick @jonincentex_ Thank you. I have been waiting so long for someone to look into this agency.

1/ 🧵I decided to dig into this a bit further. Come down the rabbit hole with me. Let’s start at this internal TxDOT “Planning Admin Ent Sys” org chart. Apoorva Sangani is highlighted under CMD Resources. Many names have asterisks - those are state contractors.

@breakingjosh0 @RobProvince @kissnolansass

You RT SNEKO my man. There’s nothing lower.

@kissnolansass @breakingjosh0 @RobProvince Don't forget the Iranian Farce account based in Pakistan he is also fond of . . .

@breakingjosh0 @RobProvince Is your job tweeting Iranian propaganda?

They cut loose or nudged out long-time TxDOT employees in 2013-14 and outsourced the IT Department. You can imagine the language barrier when you need the IT department, which does not help employees with daily workloads. The fact that they are a contracted company in charge of the deepest recesses and confidential documents in one of the largest state agencies in one of the largest states blows my mind. Million dollar roadway contracts, eminent domain and land acquisition discussions - All of these take place in emails that are now accessible to a contracted company that has no stake in the agency. Outsourced contractors with no sense of pride, no sense of respect for the state of Texas. Not to mention, of course, treating proudly invested long-time Texas employees like that. Maddening.

Hoooooo boy

@GiacomoUSA @TuckerPeterson_ @ExxAlerts "DONT COUNT ON IT" 🎱

@TuckerPeterson_ @ExxAlerts There is no “single file” rule. That’s in your head

ALERT: 72-year-old man arrested for hitting a group of cyclists after honking and heckling them for taking over the road in Georgia. Jerry Ross was driving when he pulled up behind a group of 10 cyclists in the road. He began honking and heckling the cyclists, and one of them started filming. Ross then sped around them while laying on the horn and hit 2 of the cyclists, causing minor injuries, before driving away. Ross, when confronted by police about the incident, blamed the cyclists for taking up the road and causing the collision. He was arrested and is charged with two counts of aggravated assault, hit and run, and reckless driving.

@RobProvince But he-sheeyits seems so nice . . .

Sounds rough……

You have no idea. Wait till you look into the fact that they fired the internal TxDOT IT employees back in like 2013-2014 so that they could bring in contractors. You can imagine how efficient that is with a language barrier. They are not officially TxDOT employees, but they have access to everything in all computers. Think how unsafe that has to be for confidential information i.e. large land contracts, highway contracts et cetera, up-and-coming eminent domain actions. It is mind-blowing. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Also Chinese (like straight from Beijing) regular employees.

These are internal org charts from the Texas Department of Transportation (public on their own ftp server). What do y’all see?

@soydantaylor @SonOfZeusApollo @it_unprofession Your evangelism game needs some work if sarcasm and vague rudeness is your best approach. Most humans don't click on links if they don't know where they go. Welcome to planet earth.

@SonOfZeusApollo @it_unprofession yeah clicking on links is hard.

My boss just sent me a Slack message that says "hey do you have a sec?" No context. Just the digital equivalent of a tap on the shoulder before an execution. I replied "sure, what's up?" two minutes ago. The little indicator says he's typing. He's been typing for three solid minutes. What could possibly take three minutes to type? Are we restructuring the entire org chart? Am I being fired via a multi-paragraph manifesto? I checked his calendar and he has a meeting with HR at noon. My heart rate is currently higher than it was during my last stress test. He finally hit send. "Do you know how to convert a PDF to a Word doc?" I'm going to bill the company for my future cardiology appointments.

@ruffingd @LadyDemosthenes How do you get him to work the knobs?

@LadyDemosthenes We reverse sear: bake in the oven at 350 to internal temp of 125, then either broil in oven or iron skillet pan sear to taste. Local cow helps.

I read that you can make a good steak in the oven if you use the broiler… I popped my cast iron skillet in there to heat it up, popped the steaks on, flipped them twice throughout the process and finished them with butter. I didn’t QUITE get the sear I wanted… but I think I didn’t heat up the skillet hot enough. I was impatient. Otherwise… this worked fairly well.

Pay attention now! Joe legal works in construction, has a Social Security number and makes $25.00 per hour with taxes deducted. Jose illegal also works in construction has no Social Security number and makes $15.00 per hour cash, under the table. Ready?... now pay attention.... Joe legal: $25.00 per hour × 40 hours = $1,000.00 per week or $52,000.00 per year. Now, take 31% away for State and Federal taxes. Joe legal now has $31,231.00. Jose illegal: $15.00 an hour × 40 hours = $600.00 per week or $31,200.00 per year. Jose illegal pays no taxes. Jose illegal now has $31,200.00. Joe legal pays medical and dental insurance with limited coverage for his family at $600.00 per month, or $7,200.00 per year. Joe legal now has $24,031.00. Jose illegal has full medical and dental coverage through the State and local clinics and emergency hospitals at a cost of $0.00 per year. Jose illegal still has $31,200.00. Joe legal makes too much money and is not eligible for food stamps or welfare. Joe legal spends $500.00 per month for food or $6,000.00 per year. Joe legal now has $18,031.00. Jose illegal has no documented income and is eligible for food stamps, WIC and welfare. Jose illegal still has $31,200.00. Joe legal pays rent of 1,200.00 per month or $14,400.00 per year. Joe legal now has $9,631.00. Jose illegal receives $500.00 per month Federal rent subsidy. Jose illegal pays out that $500.00 per month or $6,000.00 per year. Jose illegal still has $31,200.00. Joe legal pays $200.00 per month or $2,400.00 per year for car insurance. Some of that is uninsured motorist insurance. Joe legal now has $7,231.00. Jose illegal says, "We don't need no stinkin' insurance."... and still has $31,000.00. Joe legal has to make his $7,231.00 stretch to pay utilities, gasoline.. etc. Jose illegal has to make his $31,200.00 stretch to pay utilities, gasoline and what he sends out of the country every month.... Joe legal now works overtime on Saturdays or gets a part time job after work. Jose illegal has nights and weekends off to enjoy with his family. Joe legal's and Jose illegal's children both attend the same elementary school. Joe legal pays for his children's lunches while... Jose illegal's children get a government-sponsored lunch. Jose illegal's children have an after school ESL program. Joe legal's children go home. Now, when they reach college age... Joe legal's kids may not get into a State school and may not qualify for scholarships, grants or other tuition help, even though Joe has been paying for State schools through his taxes, while... Jose illegal's kids go to the, 'head of the class' because they are a minority. Joe legal and Jose illegal both benefit from the same police and fire services, but Joe paid for them and Jose did not. Do you get it, now? If we vote for or support any politician that supports illegal aliens,... we are part of the problem. Its way PAST time to take a stand for America and Americans!

@reddotaustintx @statesman @Jennifer4Austin World Cup fans will be driving through the state this summer. This is just typical window dressing from our dear leaders.

@statesman @Jennifer4Austin Homeless encampments have been illegal both by the city and the state FOR FIVE YEARS. All our current council members and our mayor should be liable for the non-enforcement.

Austin officials are preparing to significantly expand sweeps of homeless encampments across the city — a strategy that would scale up enforcement-driven cleanups even as advocates warn the plan risks outpacing outreach and coordination efforts meant to protect vulnerable residents. statesman.com/news/local/art…

@cost_of_bums @statesman World Cup attendees will be driving all over Texas this summer. Tne Powers That Be are just trying to make it look nice from the outside for them.

@statesman Why are the "sweeping" 5 years after prop B?

@MattBraynard For me it's "non-plussed." Another word with a specific meaning - a meaning so easy to trace from the original French - and yet we have now almost successfully flipped it. To its opposite. Even the dictionaries are giving up.

Pet peeve: to "decimate" means to reduce by 10%, so stop using it like it's a synonym for "destroy." Just say "destroy." You don't sound smarter, you sound stupid.

@GregAbbott_TX Namaste where I'm at, thanks.

@Oilfield_Rando I hear those wind turbans are bad for the environment. No thanks.

The replies did not disappoint

If you are not in Austin or Dallas, you *may* have a fair point. But coming from Canada, you're going to think just about anything is super-conservative (imo). Those of us that are looking for a conservative state that have been born and raised in this country are pretty disappointed in some of these Texas shenanigans.

@WopelTim @Oilfield_Rando Listen as a Canadian now living in Texas, I hate the jheeeeets as much as anyone, all i'm saying is Abbott is the best compared to every other Governor.

@Oilfield_Rando Motorboat him ?? I barely Noem !

Reporters called up Noem’s husband and were like “can you comment on your giant fake titty cross dressing and your wife’s staffer knocking the bottom out of her on the reg” and he was just like “I mean whaddaya gonna do, is what it is” No way we’re not in a simulation

@Real_talque @data_atx I believe it is the city giving out endless free-fare passes that allows this, not the drivers. The drivers are as helpless to stop this as the rest of us. Neat.

@1000PixelCuts @data_atx I thought the same thing until, my car broke down and I was forced to ride the bus. The drivers are still allowing free riders. The bus stops are still rest stops for the homeless. I just don’t think we have enough officers willing to serve the mental & drug addicted.

Austin councilmember asks the capmetro police if there are some routes they could put an officer on more frequently Police chief says they don’t put officers on the bus What?! We need uniformed officers on the bus! Let APD respond to calls. Bus officers are needed for safety

@writingenjoyer makes sense that if you talk like you write

My toilet stopped working & the man they sent was answering me with completely unrelated remarks I'd be like "So it makes this noise whenever I turn on the water" and he'd be like "Yep I've been living here 23 years now" after like half an hour I said "Are you deaf" He was