iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

About a month ago I got a newsletter from The Capitol Ledger, which was exactly this but in Connecticut. It was unsolicited and I unsubscribed immediately once I realized what it was

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

So I started and finished Emily is Away, after accidentally playing the third game in the trilogy (I didn’t realize!) and it felt just as awkward and sad as I remember my early 20s were. 10/10 would choose emo song lyrics as an away message again

A screenshot from the game “Emily is Away.” It is a window in the style of AOL Instant Messenger, with a record of the conversation at the top of the screen and a box to type responses at the bottom. The player, username dontpanicx3, is talking with Emily, whose username is emerly35. It’s a long story, but the player and Emily hooked up awhile ago, and there are unresolved feelings, but the conversation has run its course and the only options to respond are “goodbye.”

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Connecticut DOT will be there soon! #nutmegsky

A screenshot of a Facebook post (sorry) by Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont. The text reads:

“We're sending Connecticut Department of Transportation crews to support Governor Maura Healey and Governor Dan McKee as they recover from this historic storm. We've been in their shoes before and we'll always answer the call to help our neighbors. New England shows up for each other when it matters most.”

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

No I mean he sent me a literal book.

A hand-written letter on official stationary from Congressman Jim Himes, dated May 17, 2025. It says “Nikki, This is one of the best books I’ve ever read on how we Democrats should communicate better. Hope you enjoy! Jim”

The book I was mailed from Rep. Himes. It is “The Political Brain” by Drew Weston. The cover has a faux Rorschach test meant to look like silhouettes of an elephant and a donkey.

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

Here’s the chickenshit response from Rep. Jim Himes (D+13): #NutmegSky

A screenshot from Facebook on 3/6, Rep. Jim Himes:

“In 2009, I voted to hold Congressman Joe Wilson accountable for yelling "you lie" at President Obama during his State of the Union Address. Today, I voted to censure Congressman Al Green for a much larger disruption. Unlike my Republican colleagues and President Trump, I believe that rules, decorum, and accountability are important regardless of political party and beliefs. If we cannot stand on principle and act with the seriousness our nation deserves, our government will devolve further into the kindergarten it has already become.”

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

Excuse me, this waterfall in Woe's Hollow is the tallest on the planet.

A still from the Apple TV show Severance, depicting the four main characters in Woe's Hollow, a snowy landscape with a modest waterfall. In real life, this is Awosting Falls within Minnewaska State Park Preserve in New York.

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

Very relevant here in Connecticut - today the Planning & Development Committee voted to raise as a concept an act that would prevent municipalities from establishing mandatory minimum parking requirements. Keep an eye on this one to be drafted and scheduled for a public hearing. #NutmegSky

Planning and Development Committee

MEETING AGENDA

Monday, February 10, 2025

10:30 AM IN ROOM 2D OF THE LOB AND ZOOM AND YOUTUBE LIVE

I. CONVENE MEETING

II. REMARKS BY THE CHAIRS

III. BILLS FOR CHANGE OF REFERENCE

1. Proposed H.B. No. 6430 AN ACT CONCERNING STATE GRANTS IN LIEU OF TAXES FOR CERTAIN HOSPITAL FACILITIES. (REF TO FIN)

IV. CONCEPTS TO RAISE

1. AN ACT CONCERNING MANDATORY MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS [poster has highlighted this in yellow]

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

No one should spam them with nonsense.

Contact Us information for the NIMBY group “Keep Fairfield Safe”

keepfairfieldsafe@gmail.com

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

I used to spam my friends with their memes. I found my old texts from the first time I found their account on Twitter, in January 2022. What a pointless loss.

A screenshot of a text exchange:

“Do you still code ED admissions/ consumer product injuries?”

“This is what they are doing with the data”

The image is taken from the CPSC Twitter account. It is a cardinal on a snowy branch, wearing a poorly-Photoshopped top hat, with the text:

BIRD BEN
FRANKLIN
CPSC.gov
HAVE
COURAGE AND A
CLEAN DRYER LINT
FILTER

A screenshot of two CPSC memes in a text exchange:

Top meme is of a man teleworking while his toaster is on fire on the background. Text reads “Always have a working fire extinguisher in your kitchenoffice.” And below it the man is saying into his headset:
“Hey Jess! Oh, you know. Just another day at the kitchenoffice... That sound? A small fire. Ha! Let me mute for a sec.”

Bottom meme is of a rabbit menacingly speaking with bicyclists on an outdoor trail. The rabbit is saying “LESS TALKING, MORE PEDALING, SON!” while one of the bicyclists is yelling “WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?!” Below that is text that reads: “Always wear a helmet when escaping from Suspiciously Large Rabbits on your bike.”

A screenshot of a text exchange including a CPSC meme.

“This is the most unhinged Twitter account I've ever seen”

The meme depicts an open-mouthed shark wearing a red bow, bursting from a pile of wrapped Christmas gifts. The text reads: “SAFE GIFTS ONLY Follow age guidance and choose toys that match each child's interests and abilities. Get safety gear, including helmets, for scooters and other riding toys. Keep small balls and toys with small parts away from children younger than age 3 and keep deflated balloons away from children younger than age 8.”

Reply texts from my friend: “Lollll They’re wild I wish I had one of those jobs”

And my response: “I wish I got paid to make batshit memes all day”

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

My cat is the only thing keeping me from completely unraveling at this point

A black cat looking up at the camera while the photographer is sitting on the toilet (not pictured). He is smallish and fluffy and has golden eyes. The bathroom floor has light blue tiles. He is the world’s greatest cat.

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

You’ll have to take my word for this as I can’t find a digital image of the whole page, but this photo was on the front page of my local paper, above the fold. A guy in Connecticut saw some deer in his yard and sent in a photo. #NutmegSky

A screenshot from Prime Publishers, Inc. It is a photo taken at some distance of five deer grazing in a suburban yard. It is titled “Day’s End” and was a Top Story on March 24, 2021. In the foreground there is a fence. In the background there is a partially frozen pond. This is hard hitting journalism in a news desert.

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

No cheating. Your last saved celebrity pic is your therapist.

Avril Lavigne singing Bite Me on The Dick <line break> Clark Rockin New Years Eve 2022 Show

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

These are all new from yesterday. Are you involved locally? Now is the time. #NutmegSky

A screenshot from the Connecticut General Assembly website:

Proposed H.B. No. 6200
Session Year 2025

AN ACT PROHIBITING THE PROMOTION OF RACIAL AND SEXUAL SUPREMACY IN SCHOOLS IN CONNECTICUT.

To ensure that all students are treated fairly and equally in Connecticut's schools.

Introduced by:
Rep. Doug Dubitsky, 47th Dist.

A screenshot from the Connecticut General Assembly website:

Proposed H.B. No. 6201
Session Year 2025

AN ACT PROHIBITING STUDENT ATHLETES WHO WERE BORN AS MALES FROM PARTICIPATING IN WOMEN'S INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC EVENTS.

To eliminate unfair competition in women's interscholastic sporting competition.

Introduced by:
Rep. Doug Dubitsky, 47th Dist.

A screenshot from the Connecticut General Assembly website:

Proposed H.B. No. 6331
Session Year 2025

AN ACT PROHIBITING USE OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION CONSIDERATIONS AT PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.

To prohibit public institutions of higher education from (1) maintaining an office for diversity, equity and inclusion, (2) requiring a diversity statement, and (3) considering a person's immutable characteristics in any admissions, scholarship, grading or employment decisions.

Introduced by:
Rep. Doug Dubitsky, 47th Dist.

A screenshot from the Connecticut General Assembly website:

Proposed H.B. No. 6368
Session Year 2025

AN ACT REQUIRING STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TO COOPERATE WITH THE FEDERAL OFFICE OF IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT.

To require that state law enforcement agencies cooperate with the Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Introduced by:
Rep. Doug Dubitsky, 47th Dist.

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

Hey Connecticut - we’re not insulated from the horrors because we live in a blue state. Rep. Dubitsky has proposed a bill to defund the Office of Equity and Opportunity. It’s going to take all of us to hold the line. #NutmegSky

A screenshot from the Connecticut General Assembly website:

Proposed H.B. No. 6193
Session Year 2025

AN ACT PROHIBITING THE FUNDING OF THE OFFICE OF EQUITY AND OPPORTUNITY.

To prohibit the Office of Equity and Opportunity from receiving any state funds to support the office or its functions.

Introduced by:
Rep. Doug Dubitsky, 47th Dist.

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

Maybe the statement to northern New England is “Join, or Die [in 4:00 pm winter darkness].”

The 1754 “Join, or Die.” political cartoon showing the disunity in the American colonies, originally in the context of the French and Indian War, attributed to Benjamin Franklin. It is the earliest known pictorial representation of colonial union produced by an American colonist in colonial America. It depicts a snake cut into pieces that are labeled “N. E.”, “N. Y.”, “N. J.”, “P.”, “M.”, “V.”, “N. C.”, and “S. C.” with the words “Join, or Die.” underneath.

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

Taking a break from the horrors to review newly-proposed bills by the Connecticut General Assembly. Here’s one that would move CT to Atlantic Time, pending adoption by MA / RI / NY. #NutmegSky

A screenshot from the Connecticut General Assembly website:

Proposed H.B. No. 5683
Session Year 2025

AN ACT CONCERNING THE ADOPTION OF ATLANTIC STANDARD TIME.

To require the state to adopt Atlantic Standard time upon the enactment of legislation in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York adopting said time and federal approval of such change.

Introduced by:
Rep. Kurt Vail, 52nd Dist.
Rep. Craig C. Fishbein, 90th Dist.
Sen. Catherine A. Osten, 19th Dist.
Rep. Josh Elliott, 88th Dist.
Rep. Tony J Scott, 112th Dist.

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Looks like it would be between Danbury and Waterbury. Here’s the text of the proposed bill:

General Assembly
Proposed Bill No. 5350
January Session, 2025
LCO No. 1850

Referred to Committee on TRANSPORTATION

Introduced by:
REP. BOLINSKY, 106th Dist.

AN ACT STUDYING THE FEASIBILITY OF INSTALLING AN ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC LANE ON A PORTION OF INTERSTATE ROUTE 84.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

That the Commissioner of Transportation study the feasibility of installing an additional traffic lane on Interstate Route 84 eastbound and westbound from exit 7 in the city of Danbury to exit 20 in the city of Waterbury.

Statement of Purpose:
To study the feasibility of installing an additional traffic lane on a portion of Interstate Route 84 in order to significantly reduce traffic congestion.

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

just one more lane bro. i promise bro just one more lane and it'll fix everything bro. bro. just one more lane. please just one more. one more lane and we can fix this whole problem bro. bro cmon just give me one more lane i promise bro. bro bro please i just need one more lane t #NutmegSky

A screenshot of the Connecticut General Assembly website:

Proposed H.B. No. 5350
Session Year 2025

AN ACT STUDYING THE FEASIBILITY OF INSTALLING AN ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC LANE ON A PORTION OF INTERSTATE ROUTE 84.

To study the feasibility of installing an additional traffic lane on a portion of Interstate Route 84 in order to significantly reduce traffic congestion.

Introduced by:
Rep. Mitch Bolinsky, 106th Dist.

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Anti-trans bill introduced in Connecticut and referred to the Joint Committee on Public Health. It’s unlikely to go anywhere, but this is a reminder that Rep. Dauphinais is a terrible person. (Seriously, look her up.) #NutmegSky #ctpolitics

A screenshot from the Connecticut General Assembly website, reading:

Proposed H.B. No. 5336
Session Year 2025

AN ACT CONCERNING THE PROTECTION OF A PARENTS' RIGHT TO RAISE THEIR CHILDREN CONSISTENT WITH THEIR CHILDREN'S BIOLOGICAL SEX AND THE PROMOTION OF FAIRNESS IN INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC COMPETITION.

To protect a parents' right to raise children consistent with their biological sex and promote fairness in interscholastic athletic competition.

Introduced by:
Rep. Anne Dauphinais, 44th Dist.

The full text of Proposed Bill No. 5336:

General Assembly
Proposed Bill No. 5336
January Session, 2025
LCO No. 1762

Referred to Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH
Introduced by:
REP. DAUPHINAIS, 44th Dist.

AN ACT CONCERNING THE PROTECTION OF A PARENTS' RIGHT TO RAISE THEIR CHILDREN CONSISTENT WITH THEIR CHILDREN'S BIOLOGICAL SEX AND THE PROMOTION OF FAIRNESS IN INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC COMPETITION.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

That the general statutes be amended to: (1) Prohibit any court of this state from interfering with a parent's right to raise a minor consistent with the minor's biological sex; (2) prohibit a physician from performing
gender reassignment surgery on minors or prescribing hormones or puberty-blocking drugs to minors; (3) prohibit a mental health
professional from providing treatment related to the gender transition of a minor without first obtaining consent from a parent or guardian of the minor; (4) prohibit Medicaid assistance for gender transition
surgeries; and (5) require schools and public and independent institutions of higher education in the state to designate separate athletic teams for each sex.

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

Among the bills proposed in the first week of the 2025 session is this one: a cat redemption pilot program within the Connecticut DOC #NutmegSky

Proposed S.B. No. 455
Session Year 2025

AN ACT ESTABLISHING A CAT REDEMPTION PILOT PROGRAM WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION.

To establish a cat redemption pilot program within the Department of Correction for the well-being of persons who are incarcerated and to provide a solution to the problem of abandoned and stray cats.

Introduced by:
Sen. Saud Anwar, 3rd Dist.

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

Are you coming to the affordable housing meeting next week?

A digital flyer with text and an illustration of a house. The flyer announces a meeting hosted by All In For Oxford, titled “Affordable housing: the conversation continues.” The meeting is scheduled for Thursday Jan 16 from 6:30 - 8:30 at St. Thomas Church in Oxford Connecticut.

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

So happy to have found @westportastro.bsky.social here on Bluesky! We visited there two years ago for a star party and loved it so much. Can’t wait to go back this summer!! 🔭 #NutmegSky

The silhouette of a child looking through a large telescope against a blue/green starry sky. Photo taken at the Westport Astronomical Society.

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 03/01/2025

My husband is downstairs in a call and I'm starving so I made a sign to hold up so he could read it without it interrupting the call. I went down there and held up the sign and he looked over his shoulder at me and I realized he is in a video call with his camera on, and I was visible.

A handwritten sign that says “I NEED CHEESE” in red Sharpie on a piece of paper towel. The overall look is rather unsettling.

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 01/01/2025

I tried to resist, but then —

A lemon pig holding a quarter. He has clove eyes, toothpick legs, and carved ears. He has a blank expression as he has seen the horrors to come in 2025.

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 25/12/2024

This little goblin prefers to live among the presents rather than up inside the tree

A fluffy black cat that looks a bit like an owl. He is sitting among presents under a Christmas tree. He is plotting.

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 23/12/2024

Out of office notifications are set!

A single paw print in shallow snow. Who left the print? Likely a cat.

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

I feel that. It stops me from taking the Waterbury Line to/from work in Bridgeport.

Upcoming train schedule from Bridgeport to Seymour, depicting departure times of 2:06, 4:06, 4:46, and 5:38. The 4:46 departure has been substituted with a bus instead of a train.

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

Wow, thanks for the $8.83 after raising my car and homeowners insurance rates this year, USAA! I hope the difficult decisions you made to protect your financial strength didn’t negatively impact Wayne Peacock’s ~$8.1 million salary.

A screenshot from a news article, including a photo of Wayne Peacock, CEO of USAA. The text reads: “His compensation soared by about 69% last year: Peacock made at least $8.1 million in 2023, compared to his 2022 compensation of $4.8 million, according to the San Antonio Report.”

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

The first snow here in SW Connecticut! It’s not cold enough for it to last, but it’s nice to look at in the meantime. #NutmegSky

Garden boots adorned with illustrations of vegetables stand in untouched snow. There’s not a lot of it, and it’s very wet.

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

Oopsie! [I live here and actively helped with flood recovery, so don’t bother scolding me for pointing out my community’s infuriating short-sightedness.]

A screen shot from a news article dated 8/12/2024: “OXFORD, Conn. — It’s been just over a week since a historic storm washed entire homes and roads away in the southwestern part of the state. Now, teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) are here, assessing the damage.”

A screenshot of the 2024 election results for Oxford, Connecticut, showing 3,327 votes for Harris / Walz (38.74%) and 5,160 votes for Trump / Vance (60.08%) plus another ~100 votes for third party candidates.

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

We’ve been looking for co-op Switch games and came across ibb & obb. It’s a bit like Snipperclips in that both players need to work together to solve puzzles. It’s cute!

A screen grab of the video game ibb & obb. The players are a small green figure with eyes and legs, and a slightly taller pink figure with eyes and legs. The landscape extends both up and down from the horizontal walking surface, as gravity works in both directions.

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

The energy I’m bringing into 2025.

A deviled egg that was decorated to look like a chick, with a carrot nose and candy eyes. The moisture from the egg has made the candy eyes run, resulting in a horror-stricken, disassociated expression on the chick’s face.

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

I step away for a second and Goose is in the linen closet, snoozing on the towels I just put away

An orange and white cat sleeping on a stack of folded towels, in a linen closet. He is unbothered by the photographer’s dismay.

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

Name a TV show you’re positive no one remembers but you.

Are You Being Served? was a British television sitcom that was broadcast from 1972 to 1985. It was set in a fictitious department store in London.

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

I defended in 2023 at Rutgers in New Jersey, the same month the Rutgers AAUP-AFT ratified the current contract (for 2022-2026). Here’s what PhD students get for a stipend.

For graduate workers:
32.6% increase in the TA/GA minimum salary over four years. $34,678 in the first year (15% increase, includes $1,500 lump sum payment); $35,335 in the second year (1.9% increase); $36,395 in the third year (3% increase); and $40,000 in the fourth year (9.9% increase). 32.6% increase over the life of the contract.

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

For anyone in the Naugatuck Valley part of #NutmegSky, some updates to the ongoing Route 8 construction - here’s what’s happening for the weeks of Nov 18-25.

Nighttime work will continue from 6PM to 6AM:

Nighttime operations will typically occur Sunday night through Thursday night.

Saw-cutting and concrete pavement repair activities will continue, northbound from Exit 15 to 22 (New Exits 12B to 18).

Both northbound and southbound traffic lanes are moving to the right shoulder to create a work area for upcoming barrier replacement between Exit 20 and 22 (New Exits 17-18).

The week of Thanksgiving: work will cease Wednesday, November 27, and resume the following week, December 2.

There is no upcoming Daytime work.

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Niki Dykstra @enephdee.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

Me: wondering if military reenlistment codes have changed over time Google AI: Resident Evil is relevant to this search

Google AI Overview of military reenlistment (RE) codes that are listed in discharge paperwork and indicate whether an individual is eligible to reenter the military (if they so desired). These codes are RE-1, RE-2, etc. Google AI populated the logos for several Resident Evil video games next to explanations of the various codes.

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