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I can't like this. <likes it>

Just sitting back down and seeing that we're finally getting closure on Game 6 of the 2020 World Series. It would have been a bit more satisfying if the Rays were the Dodgers' opponents, but I'm not dissatisfied.

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Andy Rivkin @asrivkin.bsky.social · 12h

UPDATE: I misremembered it being a shillelagh, and Lunine came out better than I expected. Chris Chyba didn't. My bad.

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Andy Rivkin @asrivkin.bsky.social · 13h

...and stay a bit longer for Alfred McEwen's Braveheart speech in favor of Mars Observer Observer.

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Andy Rivkin @asrivkin.bsky.social · 13h

Is there a relevant 90's-era LPL Holiday Skit for this? Yes, of course. It was even the whole framing device for the 1997 skits. Come for Bob Strom's prescient pre-MESSENGER concept, stay for Carolyn Porco's admin assistant murdering Jonathan Lunine with a shillelagh.

youtube.com

1997 LPL Christmas Skits: Discovery Proposals

YouTube video by Andy Rivkin

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Andy Rivkin @asrivkin.bsky.social · 13h

Every app and website out there that offers chords and tablature for songs and makes you pay to see them (and/or sells ad space) is built on countless stolen and scraped hours of volunteer work posted to USENET in a spirit of sharing what we'd figured out with other music fans.

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Andy Rivkin @asrivkin.bsky.social · 16h

Hey, was this the "wait until you see what happens next week" thing that Trump was teasing last week?

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Andy Rivkin @asrivkin.bsky.social · 19h

i will plead no contest to any and all of the charges and implications in this article.

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IndivisibleHoCoMD❌👑 @indivisiblehocomd.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

Attn local IndivisibleHoCoMD followers: Howard County Executive Calvin Ball has announced a new, online form for residents and County employees to report ICE activity in Howard County. People can submit the form anonymously. It’s not intended for emergency situations, when 911 should be called. 🍃

howardcountymd.gov

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball Unveils New Tool for Reporting ICE Activity in Howard County | Howard County

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Andy Rivkin @asrivkin.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

But realistically ("realistically")? However the war starts, it probably ends once the modern crew figures out how to program a bunch of drones to get into formation to spell out "Surrender Now Or Else" in various languages over enemy capitals.

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Andy Rivkin @asrivkin.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

In that case, _maybe_, if you can convince the hundreds of millions of '39ers that the French and Poles need to be eliminated at any cost, and they are not dissuaded by the Force de Frappe, _maybe_ after a very long war of attrition?

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Andy Rivkin @asrivkin.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

I agree that they're bananas. The _only_ thing I can imagine for this one is that they're looking at it like they're all fighting to the death of the last person for some reason and the '39ers are some unlimited zombie army that way, way outnumbers present-day France + Poland.

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Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

ONE WEEK UNTIL THE LAUNCH OF MMX! 🚀 There is some subtle messaging at the station closest to the JAXA Sagamihara campus.

A row of launch posters runs all the way along the wall above the train station ticket gates.

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ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 13/10/2026

📣 Launch announcement The Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission is set to launch on a H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center at 21:41 CEST on 19 October 2026 👉 www.esa.int/Science_Expl... 🔭 🧪

Infographic explaining the MMX mission (part 1) in the style of a comic strip. At the top we see several logos: ESA, JAXA, NASA, DLR and CNES. Below there are three panels showing a timeline of the mission: October 2026 launch, August 2027 arrival at Mars, September 2027 arrival at Phobos. Two other panels show the mission observing Phobos from orbit and scouting for a landing site for the rover and a sample retrieval sites, and the release of the Idefix rover.

Infographic explaining the MMX mission (part 2) in the style of a comic strip. Several panels show the mission collecting samples from Phobos, the return module separating from the exploration module, dropping a capsule over Australia and a scientist holding the samples. A last panel lists the scientific questions scientists hope to answer using the samples: 'Where did Mars's moons come from?', 'What can they tell us about habitability in the Solar System?', and 'How has Mars and its environment changed over time?'.

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Andy Rivkin @asrivkin.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

The Midwest starts at about Harrisburg and goes to about Elko.

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Andy Rivkin @asrivkin.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

My heart tells me Joe DiMaggio, but I know you actually want me to say Ettore Boiardi.

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Andy Rivkin @asrivkin.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

That was my understanding, which is also why one of the rifles is randomly chosen to be loaded with blanks.

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The Art of Planetary Science @artofptys.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

We will feature both data art and fine art with this year’s theme being “As We Float on By: 50 Golden Years of Voyager”, and we can’t wait to see you there! You can learn more and submit here at lpl.arizona.edu/art

lpl.arizona.edu

Home

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The Art of Planetary Science @artofptys.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

TAPS 2027 is accepting submissions through December 31st! We accept art across all art forms and all skill levels. Whether it is your first art show or not, TAPS wants to see your art!

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CineCalendar @cinecalendar.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Oct 12th 802701 - George Wells' time machine finally stops travelling forward. After saving Weena, and meeting the Eloi, he discovers the underground race known as Morlocks. 📽️📅 The Time Machine (1960)

3 Screenshots from the movie "The Time Machine" (1960): First, a close-up of the time machine's control panel with colorful dials and ornate detailing, indicating a time of October 12. Second, a scene with a man and a woman sitting on steps, engaged in a serious conversation with the subtitle "Twenty of your friends were watching you drown." Third, a group of Morlocks, creatures with pale skin and white hair, standing in a cave-like environment, exuding a menacing presence.

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Andy Rivkin @asrivkin.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

"The proposals received...include 3,203 GO proposals for 138,460 hours (with an additional 8,971 Pure and Coordinated parallel hours requested); Cycle 6 has 7,700 hours being offered, which corresponds to an oversubscription of 18:1." Um, yay us? 🔭

stsci.edu

JWST Observers Break Another Record in Proposal Submissions

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Andy Rivkin @asrivkin.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

He also was born in Syracuse, which is something like 400 km inland from New York City and much more similar culturally to midwestern cities than the Eastern Seaboard ones.

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Andy Rivkin @asrivkin.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

And Glory Days, which sparked the question I guess, is often played at baseball games given its mention of hanging out with his friend from his high school baseball team. Of course, nothing is as popular at baseball games as Centerfield by John Fogerty.

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Andy Rivkin @asrivkin.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Just for context, in case you are interested, the man speaking is the manager of the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team, who are currently playing the Los Angeles Dodgers with the winner going to play in the World Series. Molitor and Randy Johnson are members of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

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Andy Rivkin @asrivkin.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

I recognize and applaud the fact this could be either a work potato or a personal potato.

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Ryan J Hollister @phaneritic.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

Note the right lateral offset of the yellow centerline of you look across the fault. (Traffic spotters had my back for this quick snap).

A road through the central coast of California, as viewed from the central line of the highway, looking off into the distance before the road turns. There’s mountains in the background and a few oak trees on the side of the road, but the important feature is at the bottom of the photo where there’s a rumble piece of asphalt that goes across the entire highway. That is the San Andreas fault and if you look across the rumble area, you can easily see the yellow center line has been offset to the right by a couple inches. this offset has happened within the last 10 years or so as they frequently repave this section.

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Andy Rivkin @asrivkin.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Smoltz is ever-so-slowly turning into McCarver. Soon he won't be moved to try to explain his weird "insights" and the transformation will be complete. At that point it will only be another 30 years before he retires.

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Ken Tremendous @kentremendous.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

I would pay extra for a feed with no Smoltz

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Andy Rivkin @asrivkin.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Women are disposable to them, and it is no coincidence that every single high-profile departure from the administration that I can think of was a woman while men have weathered truly jaw-dropping scandals.

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John Thorn @johnthorn.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

On this date in 1845, first baseball game played that would hit the newspapers. Brooklyn beats NY, 22-1. Reported three days later, in the True Sun, October 13, 1845. (Don't get me started on single-wicket cricket.)

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Andy Rivkin @asrivkin.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

I mean, that's the thing this administration regularly forgets about or even refuses to admit is true: other people have agency. Saying the USA doesn't intend to have any real engagement before the midterms doesn't mean anything if Iran and/or the Houthis intend otherwise.

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Andy Rivkin @asrivkin.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

If the pope did stay up to watch that, I hope he can clear his schedule for tomorrow and sleep in for a lazy Sunday morning/afternoon. Given the Yankees' exit, whoever won this series was going to be where I threw my support, and it's a bonus that it's my brother's local team. So, go Cleveland!

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Andy Rivkin @asrivkin.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

OK, at least that hit makes _that_ potential decision less agonizing.

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Andy Rivkin @asrivkin.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

Like he's not already up, with a bottle of Malort and a bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos on a little tray sitting on the ottoman, streaming the game from some sketchy Turkish betting site straight to his 80" TV.

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Corey S. Powell @coreyspowell.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

After Hera reaches Dimorphos on November 25, it will map the asteroid at 1-meter resolution, study its gravity & inner structure, deploy 2 cubesats, and test rendezvous techniques that could be crucial for deflecting or mining asteroids in the future. 🧪🔭 www.heramission.space

Hera will be humankind's first probe to closely investigate a binary asteroid system. It will find out more about this type of asteroid and explore asteroid deflection. This infographic describes the Hera mission from its lift off from Earth to the end of the nominal Hera mission at Didymos.

Along the way, Hera will carry out lots of science, including measuring the properties of the asteroid and investigating the crater left by DART crashing into the asteroid’s surface. It will also demonstrate some impressive new technologies.

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Corey S. Powell @coreyspowell.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

Today in space: The Hera spacecraft is about to perform a hard burn so it can meet up with asteroid Dimorphos. 4 years ago, NASA deliberately crashed a probe into Dimorphos. Starting next month, Hera will map the wreckage. 🧪🔭 www.esa.int/Space_Safety...

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barbylon @barbylon.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Here are a couple experiments in underglazes. I'm clearly still learning but I love the experimentation! #pottery I put blue underglaze on the inside of these two bowls and bisque fired them, then did some detailed Moon work partly from stencil partly by hand.

handmade bowl with blue underglaze and Moon decorations inside

handmade bowl with blue underglaze and Moon decorations inside and sienna speckle outside

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Courtney Milan @courtneymilan.com · 09/10/2026

In case you missed it last night: we are seeing reports all over the country of immigration surges and state violence. If you need whistles for your community, we will send you 100-3000 3d printed for free, and we will love doing it. 3dwhistles.com

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Andrea Luck @andrealuck.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

2/2 Here's Phobos, with Saturn (natural size 1x) in the background by @science.esa.int Mars Express Full size: flic.kr/p/2sFs2yu 🧪🔭 Credit: ESA/DLR/FUBerlin/AndreaLuck CC BY

The potato shaped moon of Mars, Phobos, as seen by ESA’s Mars Express. Its grey, covered on craters, 2 enormous ones that occupy nearly a third of the visible side, along with long grooves etched into the terrain. In the background, a tiny far away Saturn appears in a yellowish, colourised view, adding contrast without exaggerating the planet’s size.

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Andy Rivkin @asrivkin.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

I mean, not commenting on every other aspect* of everything, this is certainly not anywhere near as bad as the way that "ingrate" Netanyahu was "making things more complicated for the president" in 2024. *and indeed, I'm turning off all interactions on a skeet for the first time ever, thanks

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barbylon @barbylon.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

After this, Goddard closed and dismantled the anechoic chamber :(

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CineCalendar @cinecalendar.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Oct 10th 2004 - Explorers open a tomb unveiling mankind's worst nightmare, the #AlienVsPredator franchise. 📽️📅 AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)

2 Screenshots from the movie "AVP: Alien vs. Predator" (2004): First, a close-up of a concerned woman with dark hair, wearing a red jacket, in a dimly lit environment, with the subtitles "What's today's date?" and "October 10." Second, a man with short dark hair, dressed warmly, is illuminated by a flashlight, looking intently at someone off-screen, with the subtitle "Someone opened this 100 years ago?"

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Andy Rivkin @asrivkin.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

With only a few weeks to go before the DPS Open Mic night I'm starting to figure out my solo set. I thought I'd give "Womanizer" a try, but while I can play it and sing it I think way too many things would need to go right for it to be enjoyable for anyone (including me).

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