iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 19h

One interesting thing I learned from watching Van Buren Twp, meetings is that there is already a massive data center in that neighborhood and none of the neighbors even knew about it. Hidden in plain site.

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

For context, Nestle's consumption is 0.75 MGD. I don't buy bottled water. I don't like the whole bottled water phenomenon. But I have trouble seeing this as an environmental issue.

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Amazon thinks I'm the person I want to be.

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Everybody needs a doggy for a pillow. Everybody needs a doggy.

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Do you know where? I know this one is Ashburn, Virginia because I found it at one point and I use it in a slide. It's frequently used to illustrate how close data centers can be to homes (actually kinda rare).

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

My elderly aunt gave me a cigar box full of old coins. It contained a 1980s ride token for the Detroit people mover.

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I just learned that the GAO published a report on cloud seeding. www.gao.gov/assets/gao-2...

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Understanding "ethics" was difficult for me too. I actually read Plato, Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau, and more to research for this report.

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I was contracted by a state department of transportation to evaluate "Ethics of Government Use of Data Collected via Intelligent Transportation Systems." But early conversations made it clear they didn't know what ethics were. They just wanted to not get sued. So I had to start pretty basic.

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

I had to do a double take. For a hot second I thought that was my Surly.

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Good morning. Here is a photo of a dragonfly sleeping in a tropical hibiscus and a photo of a kousa dogwood fruit.

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

This one is called, "Help Me."

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Ha! I knew that streaming BS was a fad.

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

A MI rural township is fighting off a data center proposal. A nearby town wants to annex the land and approve it. Interesting reporting by @dustinpwalsh.bsky.social. www.crainsdetroit.com/technology/c...

Township rejects the development
The annexation effort began in June after Vevay Township officials rejected a revenue-sharing agreement, called a 425 agreement, that would have provided $30 million to the small town’s tax coffers in exchange for approving the potential data center — the developers have not yet submitted a proposal — after public pushback.

At the township board meeting, Treasurer Christopher Lewis told residents and fellow board members that if the property were to be annexed and a data center moves forward, the township would receive no benefit. A 425 agreement — which allows municipalities to share tax revenue and secure infrastructure for economic development without losing governing control of property — would provide some benefits.

Mason’s draft agreement would have provided at least $30 million over 30 years to Vevay Township, which would more than double its total annual revenue collection of just $736,000.

Lewis also pointed out that annexation would delay the project, not stop it, according to meeting minutes.

All five board members voted to reject exploring a 425 agreement with Mason.

Vevay Township Supervisor John Lazet told Crain’s in an email that the township would not comment outside of meeting minutes about the project.

Alan Greene, partner at law firm Dykema, submitted the annexation request on behalf of the landowners, operating under Chellison’s Enterprises, and developer, Ohio-based Comino Development, in early August. Chellison is the shell company for the Hall Family Farm property owners that control 398 acres of the 400-acre plot along with two other small parcel owners tied to the potential development.

Neither Michael Hall nor Peter Hall, grandsons of the farm’s founder, Chellis Hall, responded to Crain’s inquiries. Greene also did not respond.

It’s unclear when the state’s Boundary Commission will begin litigating the annexation request. The next meeting of the commission — a three-person committee including retired…

Mason Mayor Russell Whipple said the residents are skeptical but not overtly opposed to the data center as in other communities.

“We are seeing a lot of pushback, but the vast majority of that is not coming from our residents,” Whipple said. “One of the main drivers of that movement lives in Haslett, 15 miles away. A lot of people are apprehensive because they have been told a lot of things that are not true.”

Mason’s city council passed a data center zoning framework in February, but repealed it six weeks later after a ballot referendum threat to oppose the zoning emerged. In June, the council adopted an ordinance that establishes setbacks, property line noise limitations and generator testing.

The city of fewer than 8,300 residents is not a party to the annexation request, but Whipple said the annexation and addition of a hyperscale data center at the city’s far western reaches holds a lot of promise.

“We haven’t had any commercial development in 20 years, and it’s starting to show,” Whipple said. “This project is high-value, low-impact. It doesn’t really impact a drive or more city services.”

Whipple said the city has had conversations with the developer and, despite no formal proposal on the table, the tax benefits are overwhelming in exchange for very little.

Whipple said the developer is estimating 40,000 gallons of water use per day, well below the 600,000 gallons of untapped capacity the city could offer now.

The project is estimated to push Mason’s total revenue from around $5 million to upward of $12 million. That’s enough money to transform the community, Whipple said.

Whipple said the additional revenue would be used to upgrade services, shore up pension obligations to 100% and pay down debts.

Mason would also create a capital improvements fund that could be worth more than $15 million in a decade, Whipple said, as well as potentially work to cut property taxes by as much as half.

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

I have a whole-ass slide about this story in my presentations. I call it journalistic malpractice.

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Happy National Chicken Boy Day to those who celebrate.

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

So, a new executive order just dropped that would seem to place restrictions on importing power grid equipment like transformers. Depending on how this is administered, this could create substantial backlogs and cost inflation. www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...

Sec. 2. Prohibitions and Implementation. (a) The following actions are prohibited: any acquisition, importation, transfer, or installation of any foreign-produced bulk-power system electric equipment (transaction) by any person, or with respect to any property, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, where the transaction involves any property in which any foreign country or a national thereof has any interest (including through an interest in a contract for the provision of the equipment), where the transaction was initiated after the date of this order, and where the Secretary of Energy (Secretary), in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and in consultation with the Secretary of War, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of National Intelligence, and, as appropriate, the heads of other executive departments and agencies (agencies), has determined that:

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

I've been tracking this. I don't think it can be entirely discounted. Marinoni and Sailor aren't great approaches but have you read the Roboto and Zhan studies?

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

In these trying times, please consider these dogs.

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

This didn't used to happen. fire.airnow.gov

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Every team in the AL East won their last game. Every team in the NL east lost theirs.

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

I ended up with this a few years later, which I am now considering selling, but I can definitely see myself putting it up for sale and then changing my mind once the possibility becomes real.

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

I need someone else to know that the guy who played Shooter McGavin had a bit role in a Star Trek TNG episode (S3 E15).

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

My parents think my dog is such a good girl that they got one that looks just like her.

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

I caught a big fish. Thank you for your attention to this matter. EPD

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

I would like to know more about the photo accompanying this story.

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

If this erection lasts any longer they gonna have to call a doctor.

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

This load of complete garbage scrap metal was recently extracted from my father's driveway with great effort of negotiation.

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

We have inflatable flippin boats. Dressers has got to be doable.

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Still fairly confident in my now eight-year-old prediction that I caught hell for on Twitter.

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

You sure about that? Most old canals have tow paths. When they were built, they weren't assuming the barges would be self-powered.

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Yeah, I agree with that. But if adopting an assumption that we're going to run them anyway, I can understand Waymo discounting new directional signage. Adversarial potential could be hilarious.

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

I googled boat shoes and I'm even more confused.

A brown leather loafer that looks like it would get ruined if wet and probably doesn't even float.

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EPDiogenes @ericpauldennis.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

Look at this amazing hand-drawn graph from the guy who discovered infrared lioght in 1800. sensing.konicaminolta.us/us/blog/how-...

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