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Chris Conaton

@conatonc.bsky.social
402 followers 107 following 2K posts

Music writer, movie lover, professional grocery shopper

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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
A familiar story for anyone who follows @volts.wtf. “The Chronicle spoke to more than half a dozen grid experts…to try to understand why Texas’s notoriously unreliable grid had a remarkably reliable summer. The answer was unanimous: solar panels and batteries.”
houstonchronicle.com
Texas shattered energy demand records this summer. Here's why the grid held up.
Texas repeatedly broke electricity demand records this summer, but ERCOT avoided emergencies as booming solar and battery capacity helped keep the grid stable.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
First time in baseball history a stadium name has gotten a September call-up. I guess the Tigers’ AAA affiliate, the Toledo Mud Hens, are gonna have to find a new name for their ballpark now. www.mlive.com/tigers/2026/...
mlive.com
Goodbye, Comerica Park: Tigers unveil new stadium name
Comerica Park will soon be Fifth Third Park.
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Rob Friedman @pitchingninja.com · 22/09/2026
Jason Benetti gets absolutely roasted by his own production crew with the camera cut after his Austro-Turkish War reference. 🤣
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
static.klipy.com
Metroid (NES) Title Screen - 1986 Nintendo
ALT: Metroid (NES) Title Screen - 1986 Nintendo
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
So far the Lions seem to have no idea that Josh Allen sometimes runs the ball and is good at it. No one anywhere near him when he takes off.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Driving behind a car with a “Do You Follow Jesus This Close?“ license plate border while listening to Podium by @cheekface.bsky.social
static.klipy.com
Michael Fassbender: Perfection
ALT: Michael Fassbender: Perfection
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Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Since becoming president again, Trump has promised: -$5000 stimulus checks via "DOGE dividend" -$2000 stimulus checks via "tariff dividend" -$1000+ checks via "savings" from expiring ACA subsidies -$5000 "dividend" if Rs win midterms No checks have been issued www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-magi...
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
The latest salvo in Target’s “Stop getting mad at us, we just like money!” campaign has arrived, as a key part of their Halloween sections that are just now going up.
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migas7.bsky.social @migas7.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Texans: Make sure you are registered to vote. Being on the voter suspense list does not mean your voter registration has been purged. It simply means that local officials need an updated address before October 5th – the voter registration deadline in Texas.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
The refs took that game from Western Michigan and gave Michigan an undeserved second chance to win it. Ridiculous.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Just going to start marking this at this point. Since the last jump exactly 2 weeks ago, gas prices here in Houston had generally fallen about $.20. He and Hegseth started doing dumb shit with Iran again over the weekend, so oil rose on Monday, and gas prices jumped $.30 here overnight. 
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Big regrets from Trump’s people here, who decided they needed to find something Presidential for him to do here in Houston so it didn’t look like he just came for a very expensive fundraiser. Which he did.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Oh, wow. Sounds like people really hate data centers and AI right now. This you? futurism.com/future-socie...
futurism.com
Axios Partners With OpenAI to "Automate" Local Journalism
Axios co-founder and CEO Jim VandeHei has swiftly embraced AI, telling his journalists that they "don't have a choice."
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Zootopia as an allegory for average Americans discovering our history of discrimination. 1: I knew we gave Carnivores a hard time, but this is BAD! 2: We kicked out Reptiles due to capitalism and racism, WHAT THE FUCK? 3: We also messed with Birds? I hate it here! screenrant.com/zootopia-3-d...
screenrant.com
Disney Officially Announces Zootopia 3 & Returning Character
The world of zoos is back!!
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Mo Ryan @moryan.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
We do not have to watch the wizard bigot show. We do not have to write about the wizard bigot show. We can simply point out that the people making it chose to endorse bigotry. And not reward it with coverage or eyeballs.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
@tvisgoodpod.bsky.social @kvanaren.bsky.social @sepinwall.bsky.social When Kathryn said, “We will be talking about Mrs. Davis at some point on this podcast” at the end of the Ted Lasso episode, I unintentionally turned into the Sickos meme in my car.
static.klipy.com
Sickos Haha Yes
ALT: Sickos Haha Yes
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
This week I reviewed the new album from Cheekface for @popmatters.com . I was only dimly aware of these guys prior to this, but now I’m a fan! If you like sardonic alt-rock and you like CAKE and Spoon, you will probably really enjoy this album. Full review below: www.popmatters.com/cheekface-po...
popmatters.com
Cheekface Get a Little Funky and a Bit Angry on 'Podium' » PopMatters
Cheekface's oddball point of view is a big draw, but their willingness to turn their sardonicism toward current events is a good way for them to meet the moment.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Will failed US Senate candidate and failed NBA player Royce White also have to take a bus cross-country to play games in his hypothetical WNBA career due to his crippling fear of flying? This is what I would ask them.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
The Republican play is always “Appeal to voters’ worst impulses” • Opponent is a woman? Try sexism! • Opponent is a man of color? Try racism! • Opponent is a clean-cut white man? Try homophobia!
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
In case anyone was unclear as we approach the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Islamophobia is still a HUGE part of the Republican platform. “They’re trying to do Sharia law!” and posting photos of people existing while Muslim in grocery stores are both Republican scare tactics here in Texas right now!
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Seems like this was a bad night in Michigan for the people who conduct polls. Did any of them have this as a nail-biting squeaker won by less than 2 points?
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
@houstonchronicle.com I’m not sure I agree with yours and Carlos Correa’s assessment here.
A headline from the Sunday, August 2, 2026 edition of the Houston Chronicle reads, “Correa not ruling out return in 2025.”
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Houston and Birmingham had different problems in the UFL, but two of them were the same: the teams weren’t good, and the league plays afternoon games outdoors in May. The latter is an issue for attendance in the South when the former is also true. It’s something the UFL needs to think about more.
sportsbusinessjournal.com
UFL exits Birmingham, Houston in market realignment
The UFL is ceasing operations of the Birmingham Stallions and Houston Gamblers as part of its market realignment and long-term growth strategy.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Tonight’s mystery movie was One Night Only. If you were wondering if they could pull off a romcom with the premise of The Purge (premarital sex is legal once a year for 12 hours), turns out they can’t. The premise keeps intruding on the wacky romcom hijinks and it sits together very uncomfortably.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Finally saw Disclosure Day. It’s like Spielberg decided to direct the action-packed finale of a tv show, and just didn’t bother to make the 50 episodes leading up to it. It’s an audacious concept, but it didn’t quite work for me.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
We were SO close to everyone getting to make jokes involving the mostly-forgotten Dreamworks movie Flushed Away, but England took that from us.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Staybridge Suites in Bowling Green, Kentucky. I know the hot breakfast is the draw, but you have cereal, too. “Oh, sorry, we ran out of 2% milk, you’ll have to use the almond milk” with 45 minutes left to go in your breakfast period is unacceptable.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Clarence Thomas taking 90 pages to say, “Fuck Them Kids.”
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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
I know the list is endless but I genuinely think trashing the legitimate congressionally chartered org for celebrating the 250th to instead hijack our national assets and taxpayer funds for his personality cult grifter crap should, in and of itself, be fully sufficient to merit removal from office.
linuscatt · 1d ago
I worked at Smithsonian, specifically raising money for 250th. What I want people to know is we secured millions of private philanthropy to host a month long Folklife Festival on the mall, "The Festival of Festivals". Was going to feature well known festivals, think Burning Man, Farm Aid, Grand Ole Oprey etc. as well as smaller local and regional festivals from across the U.S. and territories. Goal was to feature truly the best and most beautiful creative expression in music, dance, arts and craft traditions, food, community etc. Can't name names but plan was to have headliners every night for free concerts.... Think the types of names who might be affiliated with the aforementioned large festivals. Stars were willing to perform because was under banner of Smithsonian. It had to all be scrapped bc the administration would not release permits to host on the mall. The money went elsewhere, but our nation was robbed of what would have been a once in a generation cultural moment.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
I usually enjoy Old Crow Medicine Show. Here, bandleader Ketch Secor was determined to make an album celebrating the US’ 250th birthday. Even when Trump was elected again and started a fascist teardown of the country, Secor powered through and stuck to the plan: www.popmatters.com/old-crow-med...
popmatters.com
Old Crow Medicine Show Celebrate America at 250 Years » PopMatters
Ketch Secor's insistence on making a "Hooray for America!" record ends up putting Old Crow Medicine Show in an awkward position.
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Eric Haywood @erichaywood.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
I would never show my face in public again if I was on the receiving end of this burn
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Haiti’s players may not be the best team at the World Cup, but they are world class divers.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Not sure if this counts as petty, but I remember opening book 10 of The Wheel of Time only to discover that Robert Jordan had decided to start the book with a 100-page prologue featuring a brand new character and that was it for me, despite all the years and time invested in that series.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
As a person who isn’t in Maine, my Graham Platner opinion doesn’t count for much. But he seems like a real shithead, and I’m really not sure if I’m buying his “reformed shithead” shtick.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Using obvious AI-generated art in advertising can turn off a significant portion of the customers the advertisers are trying to attract. Here’s a corollary. If your company purchases a Cybertruck and wraps it with ads for the company, you are getting a negative return on that investment.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Intentionally or not, The Mandalorian and Grogu followed the course of about 80% of all anime tv-to-film adaptations: Stick to the basic premise, keep the characters to their broad archetypes, and don’t worry about hardly any of the ongoing plotlines from the show. For me, this worked pretty well!
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Iron Spike @ironspike.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
We all literally, LITERALLY just watched NASA fly four absolute all-stars the farthest any human has ever been from Earth and back flawlessly, and yet we're still continuously forced to pretend Musk's bullshit catastrophe factory is the future of human space exploration
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Ned Hartley @nedhartley.com · 15/05/2026
If the actor with British accent is evil then you’re watching Sci fi. If the actor with a British accent is good then it’s Fantasy. If the actor with a British accent knocks something over then it’s a Rom com.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
In case you were wondering how the youths are feeling about AI, this clip from a corporate VP doing a commencement speech at the University of Central Florida is worth watching.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
@tmbg.bsky.social have a new album out, which means I get to ramble about it for @popmatters.com ! www.popmatters.com/they-might-b...
popmatters.com
They Might Be Giants Are As Delightfully Weird As Ever » PopMatters
They Might Be Giants produce banger tracks, some really weird, very successful experiments, and another handful of songs where listeners' mileage may vary.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
You guys remember when Charlie Sheen was having a mental breakdown but kept insisting that everything was “Winning!” and everybody laughed and was entertained for a couple of months but then we stopped paying attention and his career tanked? Just thinking about that this morning.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
Relevant to @volts.wtf from a few weeks back.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Recent rebrand a handful of gas stations around Houston. Are there any electric chargers at any of these Charge Ups? Nope. Just deep irony.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Sure, sure correlation is not causation but it really seems like Trump’s threat to initiate an apocalypse caused gas prices to jump about $.30 this morning to a new high.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Arlo Parks’ debut album from a few years ago is an R&B/folk masterpiece. On her new third album, she goes low-key dance-pop with pretty solid results. www.popmatters.com/arlo-parks-a...
popmatters.com
Arlo Parks Dances the Pain Away with 'Ambiguous Desire' » PopMatters
Ambiguous Desire is a dance pop album, but since this is Arlo Parks, it's a low-key, introspective one. The indie dance pop feel is a successful sonic shift.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
These billionaires are getting out of control.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
I also did a review of the rerelease of Drive-By Truckers seminal album Decoration Day. This is an incredible album, but a lot of it is also really dark, lyrically, even for these guys. It’s also the debut of Jason Isbell, which is definitely noteworthy. www.popmatters.com/drive-by-tru...
popmatters.com
Drive-By Truckers Decoration Day still packs a wallop
A new remix and rerelease of the Drive-By Truckers classic shows why the record was a classic in the first place.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
It’s been a while since I posted a music review, so here we go. I’d never heard of The Brook and the Bluff before listening to their fourth album, Werewolf, but I like them. They’re doing classic rock that kind of fits in between Tom Petty and the Eagles, but they’re doing it really well.
popmatters.com
The Brook and the Bluff's Strong Songwriting Boosts Their Music » PopMatters
The Brook and the Bluff's Werewolf is a solid, straightforward album that will satisfy anyone looking for a classic rock fix.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
When Stubhub lets AI generate Facebook ads for them, it gives us things like this.
Facebook ad reads “Don’t Miss Jimmy Buffett. Live at the Moody Amphitheater” accompanied by a file photo of the now-deceased musician.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
It’s great to see Phil Lord and Chris Miller score a huge hit with an original movie this weekend. Project Hail Mary is a space drama with a great sense of humor. But remember that Lord & Miller were fired by Lucasfilm with a couple weeks to go filming Solo for making the exact same type of movie.
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