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J Durkin

@drgonzo2022.bsky.social
441 followers 1.1K following 815 posts

Writer, TTRPG designer, Gluten-free baker (because my GI tract hates me), AV editor/producer. Check out my sites www.curiachronicles.com (author info) and sprocketland.wordpress.com (pop culture ramblings).

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by J Durkin
Rebecca Solnit @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Anand is the best (and I'm doing an event with him at, yes, @cityartssf.bsky.social Thursday, for his new book Man in the Mirror). Couldn't agree more that cities are refuges or places of last resort for people kicked out of rural/suburban/pseudo-idyllic America.
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Dorian Lynskey @dorianlynskey.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Unimprovable retort
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J Durkin @drgonzo2022.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Watched They Will Kill You (2026) today. Meh. Good action scenes and some decent effects. Premise is fine. But got repetitive after a while and the protagonist never landed with me (as a character; the actress - Zazie Beetz - is fine). A decent but forgettable action/horror film. 2.5/5 #filmsky
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J Durkin @drgonzo2022.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Watched Evil Dead Burn last night. Pretty good. Solid opening act. Good effects. Unflinching gore. But, meh characters, overly cartoonish violence (already a staple of the series, but here it gets numbing), some pacing issues near the end, and a dreary color palette weigh it down. 3/5. #filmsky
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The Economist @economist.com · 24/09/2026
Deaths now outnumber births in reliably Republican counties for the first time since at least 1982. We explain how this may already be affecting voting patterns in America bit.ly/471apDL
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J Durkin @drgonzo2022.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Watching The Bay (2012) tonight. This is a SF/horror film using a found footage/mockumentary format. Basically, a town on the shore of the Chesapeake Bay is infested with a strain of isopods. Well done. Decent acting, great pacing, some cool gore effects.
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J Durkin @drgonzo2022.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
A victory for the First Amendment and press freedom… at least, for now. www.themirror.com/entertainmen...
themirror.com
CNN, MS NOW journalists allowed into White House in humiliating U-turn for Trump
After having their passes taken away and being denied entry to the White House grounds, reporters from the three banned news outlets were allowed back in during President Xi's visit
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Kathleen Bachynski @bachynski.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
“When I was in kindergarten in 1961, I survived a near-fatal case of measles… my clearest memory of that period is my father carrying me to our station wagon & rushing me to the hospital. I stayed for a month, part of it in a coma, my blood pressure dangerously unstable” @jackiantonovich.bsky.social
statnews.com
Measles almost killed me. Now I’m a doctor — and I'm scared of what's happening
Jewel Mullen was in kindergarten in 1961 when she almost died from measles. Now a physician, measles’ return frightens her.
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Pat @pizzasuplex.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Yea dude no shit that’s why it mostly works. Those are load bearing furries.
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Leah McElrath @leahmcelrath.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
⚠️ Anthropic announces its first wet lab discovery: A team of Anthropic biologists used Claude to find “a novel enzyme system that is associated with an array of DNA repeats, a pattern reminiscent of CRISPR.”
anthropic.com
Claude discovers a novel enzyme system with CRISPR-like repeats
Anthropic is an AI safety and research company that's working to build reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems.
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J Durkin @drgonzo2022.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Dr Oz is another braindead muppet in a regime filled to brim with them. He cited a lack of use of health insurance as proof that person does not exist and should have health insurance cut. He does not understand how insurance works. He is deeply stupid and dangerous. www.esquire.com/news-politic...
esquire.com
Everyone’s Least Favorite Vice President Has Decided That Some Americans Don’t Deserve Health Care
Who better to team up with for such a slimy crusade than Dr. Oz?
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J Durkin @drgonzo2022.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Trump is a one-track thinker. He thinks calling AI “super intelligence” will end the wide-ranging suspicion of the technology and the people pursuing it in a manner even they acknowledge is reckless. But he thinks it’s a branding issue. Sorry, Donny, but no. #ai www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
reuters.com
Trump says US Justice Department could rein in AI companies if needed
President ‌Donald Trump reiterated his opposition to new regulations on AI technology, telling global leaders at the ​UN General Assembly on Tuesday that US ​law enforcement agencies would rein in the...
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ffrf.org @ffrf.org · 21/09/2026
Correct. We should lose the biblical foundation for marriage and gender. Those ancient religious rules have no business governing modern society. But we don’t need Adam and Eve, or any religion at all, to recognize the sanctity and value of human life.
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J Durkin @drgonzo2022.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Zack Snyder is remaking Escape From New York?!? Why? Like why do it and why him? The original is a classic. More importantly, I don't see what the remake can bring to the story. And Snyder is not in the same class as John Carpenter. Hard pass. #filmsky share.google/PMCIROFyGqHX...
share.google
Zack Snyder’s Remake Of Kurt Russell Sci-Fi Classic Gets First Plot Details
Zack Snyder is returning to science fiction.
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🍁🇨🇦Team Canada Forever🇨🇦🍁 @teamcanadaforever.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Trump threatened to stop all trade with the EU if they let Canada become an associate member. How did Europe respond? They gave PM Carney a standing ovation 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 The world has moved on, and the US is ALL alone and isolated.
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Lynda Carter @lyndacarter.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Our music and our memories are being wiped out. AMERICA built this city. Not a president. Join us!
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Democracy Docket @democracydocket.com · 15/09/2026
SCOTUS blocked USPS from advancing Trump's anti-mail voting order. What does this mean? ✅The battle returns to lower courts that have already ruled against it. ✅States can mail absentee ballots as they always have for midterms. Subscribe for more mail voting updates: demdock.com/3T3Owjg
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Jon Ossoff @ossoff.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
While the world burns, and you pay more for everything, your tax dollars become the royal family’s wealth. Because it pays to be a Trump, especially when the whole world knows daddy's a crook.
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Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 15/09/2026
Tell me again that climate change is a hoax.
Chart showing global annual temperature abnormalities between 1880 and 2024
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J Durkin @drgonzo2022.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
cutting it close, but got my latest submission done and I with 15 minutes to spare. 4400 words. Not bad for an anthology call that I learned about Thursday. #amwriting
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J Durkin @drgonzo2022.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
So, Trump posted this on Truth Social and now I am more worried about a catastrophic outcome for gAI. This clown is going to try and stop anyone from enacting guardrails. Congress has checked out. We are rushing into a new technological paradigm without any real safeguards against harm.
Truth Social text from Donald Trump claiming to be a genius, decrying any efforts to make AI safer and calling critics traitors.
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J Durkin @drgonzo2022.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Buffet Infinity - eldritch horror meets absurdist comedy about consumerism told as a series of fragmented 80s style ads and news snippets. Very unsettling and very funny. Oh, and there are some catchy/creepy tunes to sing along with. Highly recommended. 4.5/5 #filmsky
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J Durkin @drgonzo2022.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Watched Disclosure Day. This is one of the worst films I’ve seen in a while. Terrible writing (so much exposition). Embarrassing acting (Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor are particularly bad). Meh effects. The dumbest action set pieces I’ve seen in a while. And a non-ending. Such a disappointment. 1/5
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J Durkin @drgonzo2022.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Great stuff. youtu.be/isLWnuBkaOc?...
youtu.be
Your Boss Who Has AI Psychosis
YouTube video by Ryan George
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J Durkin @drgonzo2022.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Interesting piece. www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
theguardian.com
Mistakes, mistrust and misdirection: 25 years after 9/11, its dark legacy continues to unfold
The world’s most powerful country responded to the worst terrorist attack in its history by inflicting terror of its own – around the world, and at home
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CNN @cnn.com · 11/09/2026
James Talarico, the Texas Democratic Senate candidate, says the Trump administration is committing “the most dangerous form of cancel culture” by pressuring TV stations over their content. Talarico spoke out ahead of an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, an outspoken opponent of President Donald Trump.
cnn.com
James Talarico blasts Trump FCC’s ‘dangerous’ cancel culture over Kimmel interview ordeal | CNN Business
Talarico, the Texas Democratic Senate candidate, says the Trump administration is committing “the most dangerous form of cancel culture” by pressuring TV stations over their content.
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J Durkin @drgonzo2022.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
“The 22 babies born in New York City while the World Trade Center burned will never know what they missed. The last half of the 20th century will seem like a wild party for rich kids, compared to what's coming now. The party's over, folks.” Hunter S Thompson, after 9/11. www.espn.com/page2/s/thom...
espn.com
ESPN.com - Page2 - When war drums roll
Johnny Depp called me from France on Sunday night and asked what I knew about Osama bin Laden.
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Jess Piper Fan Page 💙 📚 @jesspiperfanpage.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Go Denmark @alexvonwitzleben.bsky.social @piperformissouri.bsky.social @wellmanformo.bsky.social @mrsdeborahlynn.bsky.social @corrina.sheshed.rocks @jbminatra.bsky.social @rebba.bsky.social @fireeyebooks.bsky.social @docsociology.bsky.social @sheilaharris.bsky.social @unauthorizedbeast.bsky.social
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J Durkin @drgonzo2022.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
AI may have its uses, but being your friend is not one of them.
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The New Republic @newrepublic.com · 09/09/2026
"He scammed his way into the White House twice." trib.al/BaQUJfU
trib.al
Transcript: Trump Accidentally Reveals His Contempt for MAGA Voters
As fresh Trump outbursts expose what he really thinks of his supporters, a skilled decoder of MAGA explains the role of sheer unreality in Trumpian politics—and why it betrays deep political weakness.
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J Durkin @drgonzo2022.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
A good piece on the dismantling of the US food inspection and safety system, exacerbating problems that have existed for decades. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
theatlantic.com
Should We Be Afraid of Our Food?
America’s food-safety system is being methodically dismantled by the Trump administration.
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euobserver — EU news that matters @euobserver.com · 08/09/2026
Russians feel puzzled after Putin issues fake, AI-fuelled claim of victory in a Ukrainian battle (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,656)
euobserver.com
Russians feel puzzled after Putin issues fake, AI-fuelled claim of victory in a Ukrainian battle (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,656)
Telegram channels that usually cheer the Kremlin are now fact-checking AI-forged “liberation” videos and maps, amid a desperate scramble by Russian commanders to fulfil Putin’s fantasies.
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Chise @sailorrooscout.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
GOOD NEWS! Phase I clinical trial results out of Johns Hopkins show a first-of-its-kind vaccine designed to target common KRAS mutations was safe AND stimulated KRAS-specific T-cell responses in 90% of study participants who were at HIGH risk of developing pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).
insideprecisionmedicine.com
Pancreatic Cancer Vaccine Triggers Immune Response Before Tumors Develop
Phase I results show early promise for a vaccine designed to prevent pancreatic cancer in people at high risk of developing the disease.
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Scott Edelman @scottedelman.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Oh, how I endorse those final two panels! www.dailykos.com/stories/2026...
dailykos.com
The great renaming
A cartoon by Tom Tomorrow.
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J Durkin @drgonzo2022.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
The POTUS once again showered his faithful with deranged AI slop and pathetic self-aggrandizement. But, really, what has changed? He has been like this for his entire life, manufacturing a reality in which he is at the center. www.mediaite.com/online/trump...
mediaite.com
Trump’s Jaw-Dropping Labor Day Weekend Posting Blitz Sends Social Media Into a Spin: ’25th Amendment NOW!’
Trump unleashed over 37 posts over several hours, featuring AI depictions of the president alongside historical figures, in outer space or as pop culture icons.
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Raw Story @rawstory.com · 05/09/2026
I'm not sure if you've noticed – I mean, there are just so many damn distractions these days – but our Vice President JD Vance is a crazed religious zealot untethered from reality.
bit.ly
Buried in JD Vance's scary-as-hell rant was a terrifying admission
I’m not sure if you’ve noticed – I mean, there are just so many damn distractions these days – but our Vice President JD Vance is a crazed religious zealot untethered from reality.This is not terribly reassuring considering that his boss is even more deranged than he is.Maybe Vance is just trying to...
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J Durkin @drgonzo2022.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Trump told ranchers to slaughter gray wolves today, signing an EO to that effect. The GOP will not be happy until the natural world is a wasteland covered in data centers, strip mines, and detention camps. www.mediaite.com/media/news/t...
mediaite.com
Trump Gives Reluctant Ranchers The Go-Ahead To ‘Take Care Of’ Endangered Species: ‘You Can Shoot Them As Of Today’
Donald Trump literally jumped the gun by encouraging American ranchers to go ahead and shoot gray wolves to protect their cattle herds from the predators.
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Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Hasan Piker isn't part of the Abdul El-Sayed campaign. Lorenzo Sewell is a member of the Mike Rogers campaign. And he's a proper extremist and bigot who the media isn't covering. I brought receipts in the Guardian today: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
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J Durkin @drgonzo2022.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
JD Vance thinks the anti-christ walks the earth, it is cool for Trump to show himself as God, and that UFOs are real, but are angels and demons... Vance is a complete nutter butter. www.rawstory.com/jd-vance-tru...
rawstory.com
JD Vance suspects Antichrist 'among us' as he defends Trump depicting 'himself as God'
Vice President JD Vance said he would not be shocked if the Antichrist was walking among us, then defended President Donald Trump's meme depicting himself as God.Vance made the remarks in an interview...
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J Durkin @drgonzo2022.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Rewatching the 2004 Battlestar Galactica series. While not without flaws - particularly the ending, which, while not a disaster, was not very satisfying - it still is a master class in episodic storytelling and military SF. And Edward James Olmos is a freakin’ god (of acting, OC). #filmsky
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J Durkin @drgonzo2022.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Trump has performed a useful function - he has shown all the flaws in the American systems - political, economic, governmental, cultural. We can use this knowledge to fix the systems (where possible) or replace them. We can create a society with real guard rails against this kind of threat.
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Mark Jacob @markjacob.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
I feel like I’m living In a dystopian novel written in 1993 that was rejected by dozens of publishers because it was incredibly stupid.
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PBS News @pbsnews.org · 30/08/2026
Ontario Premier Doug Ford answered President Donald Trump's "Lake America" decree with a billboard-sized message on the Canadian shoreline — "Lake Ontario. Now and Always" — as Canadian leaders met the move with ridicule rather than outrage. to.pbs.org/4wTg5dd
to.pbs.org
Ontario premier answers Trump’s ‘Lake America’ with giant ‘Lake Ontario’ sign
The 24-by-12-foot sign stands on 6-foot legs, putting its top about 18 feet above the ground — roughly two stories high.
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J Durkin @drgonzo2022.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Very useful list of Google (and Apple) alternatives. #boycottgoogle
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elcanaco.bsky.social @elcanaco.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Alternatives to Google: Chrome browser: -Vivaldi -Mullvad -Opera -LibreWolf Google search: -Qwant -Ecosia -Swisscows Gmail: -Proton Mail -Tuta Mail -Runbox Google Maps: -Here WeGo -Organic Maps -Mapy.com Android: -Ubuntu Touch -Sailfish OS -/e/OS -GrapheneOS -LineageOS #BoycottGoogle #cdnpoli
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J Durkin @drgonzo2022.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
The CDC is a dangerous propaganda arm for the regime. Dangerous, because some people still think it has residual authority. But RFK and the other Trumpists have ruined it. An organization that for decades was one of the greatest health and science orgs in history… destroyed in months.
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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 30/08/2026
President Donald Trump tried to defund ARPA-E in his first term by withholding funds appropriated by Congress. So far, during his second term, the administration has attempted to wipe billions of dollars in Biden-era climate grants.
motherjones.com
Here's one federal clean power program Trump hasn't destroyed yet
ARPA-E supports projects that are "just not valued unless the government values them."
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J Durkin @drgonzo2022.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Google Maps has relabeled Lake Ontario to Lake America. Time to stop using all Google products. It is not just because of how pathetic and offensive this is. It is because Google cannot be trusted at all with our data. I have no doubt they will hand over any personal data the Trumpists want.
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J Durkin @drgonzo2022.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
The SCOTUS under Roberts and the other Trumpists has shown itself to be too vulnerable to long-term ideological capture. Reforms re needed. More justices. 15 year terms. Robust personal transparency laws for justices and severe penalties for corruption. No more shadow docket.
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J Durkin @drgonzo2022.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Just saw Obsession. A decent take on the Monkey’s Paw story. The lead actor - Inde Navarrette - is great, giving a powerful performance. I look forward to seeing more from her. The film looks good. I appreciate the brutal nature of the violence. Very impactful. The rest of the cast is serviceable.
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