iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Jim Ottaviani

Helioscope @helioscopepdx.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Now accepting applications for the Helioscope mentorship program, January- April 2027. Details at: helioscopepdx.com/mentorship

helioscopepdx.com

Mentorship — Helioscope

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Make a band edible: Flock of Sea Bass

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Paul F. Tompkins @pftompkins.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Are we just blowing past the illegal part which is the part that’s happening in the present

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🇦🇷 Taylor Esposito, multi award winning pro letterer & educator @tayloresposito.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

RT if you've never had a tab of ChatGPT open, period.

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

If the fire department was the Supreme Court: "Yeah, we know all the houses around you are burning, but they have to call us, not you. Until your stuff is in flames, you can't ask us to do anything."

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Just got off a Zoom call/interview with Andre Douglas, U-M grad and Artemis III astronaut. No surprise: he was kind, friendly, charming, etc. I must have asked decent questions, since I got an extra 10% beyond the time NASA had scheduled. My questions must have been okay?! 1/

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Wanna fancy up a mid-shelf rye? My recommendation: Bulleit + El Guapo’s Cuban bitters. (Yeah, we’re almost out of both. Will remedy…)

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Look, I don't want to get into a semantic argument, I just want the protein.

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

A thing I didn’t want to find out: getting stung in the nose by a hornet will make facial recognition fail. I’ll spare you the selfie. Instead here’s a waterfall in Iceland.

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Definitely the best take on the Fauci hearings (and coverage) I’ve seen to date.

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Woke up to the news that we won’t get to see this again. Seeing and hearing the hiss then pop of the ball hitting the catcher’s glove up close was powerful. I can’t imagine doing anything but standing in the far back corner of the box and hoping it’ll be over soon. Thanks for the memories, Skube.

Tarik Skubal warming up at Tiger Stadium.

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Bumper crop of political ads in today's mail. (Feeling sorry for the carriers who have to sort and haul this stuff.) Already dropped off my ballot, so deposited it all in recycling guilt-free!

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Hey, cool! I'm on the cover of the Eisner-winning "Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen: The Deluxe Edition" by Matt Fraction and @stevelieberart.bsky.social. I'm 100% sure my (cartooned) presence in the crowd scene made the difference…

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Corey S. Powell @coreyspowell.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Very exciting! First clear detection of an atmosphere around an Earth-size planet in the habitable zone of another star. This is a big step forward in figuring out if "potentially habitable" planets are actually habitable & if red dwarf stars could sustain life. 🧪🔭 www.science.org/content/arti...

This artist conceptualization shows the exoplanet LHS 1140 b in the foreground surrounded by a helium-rich atmosphere. In the distance is its red dwarf star orbited by another rocky planet. Melissa Weiss/Center for Astrophysics

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William Gibson @greatdismal.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

In 60 days or so, we’ll face an election we can’t successfully win without a landslide. Any low-percentage win and they’ll do what we know they already know exactly how to do, and more. We’ve all seen it happen. So we need that landslide victory. We all must vote.

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

When it rains it pours: Second major water problem in the house in a week. Fortunately, both the toilet and the shower were fixable by me with off-the-shelf parts, so now that I've (literally!) saved us $100s in plumber's fees do I get to buy some comic as a treat? Yes!

The Superior Foes of Spider-Man by Nick Spencer and Steve Lieber

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

I did this. Please do this yourself!

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Spotted on a remote beach in Iceland. No idea how long it had been there, as we saw no other footprints.

Stones spelling out eighty six forty seven on black sand.

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

My current least-favorite micro lies: “Listen carefully since our menu options have recently changed.” Followed by “If you’d like a response please leave your full name and # and email.” (I’ve been dealing with the Health Care Industrial Complex and calling my Congress people a lot lately.)

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

I wish heartbreak wasn’t real, and wish Marjane Satrapi was still with us. Her work made the world better.

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Maris Wicks @mariswicks.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

"Cozy chaos" is my entire vibe; what a lovely review!!

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

I’ve done this and I hope (ask! implore!) that you do too!

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Pigeons: our buddies since...a lot longer ago than we thought?! I hope @rosemarymosco.com puts out an updated book so she can include new research like this, since the original "A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching" is so good! phys.org/news/2026-05...

phys.org

Friend or foul? Exploring the ancient bond between pigeons and people

Examination of pigeon bones from Late Bronze Age Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus indicates they were already semi-domesticated as early as c. 1400 BCE, pushing back direct evidence for pigeon domestication ...

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

This barrier is a plot point (after a fashion, and, do nonfiction OGNs have plots?) in @daleraydeforest.bsky.social’s and my upcoming book. So cool! www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/a...

theguardian.com

Sabastian Sawe breaks two-hour barrier to make history in London Marathon

Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe has made history at the London Marathon, winning the men’s race in a historic time of 1hr 59min 30sec

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

Snarkiest footnote ever?: “Also, the author extends no thanks to the [Small Town Name Redacted] Heritage Society for failing to return my calls and email messages requesting help here. Are you really that busy?” Answer: Yes, but at the same time, I feel ya, fellow non-fiction writer…

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Steve Lieber @stevelieberart.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

Frank Stack was a cartoonist, fine artist, educator, & one of the founding figures of underground comics. He passed away recently, and to honor his memory @comicsjournal.bsky.social has made available an interview that @gtlabsrat.bsky.social & I did with him a while back. www.tcj.com/the-comics-j...

tcj.com

The Comics Journal #189: The Frank Stack Interview - The Comics Journal

In this interview from TCJ #189, Frank Stack talks about working with Harvey Pekar and Gilbert Shelton, Foolbert Funnies, the New Adventures of Jesus and more.

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

Celebrating five years with this dog. Ticks joined the party too, unfortunately, but she’s a joy!

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

I’m not a Johnson cultist (he’s in the pantheon, obviously, but there’s no One True Blues God IMO). That said: Wow and Whoa and thank you for this gift!

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

I can't be the only one to think that Vance's criticisms of the Pope are insincere — "Bad Faith Argument Suck Up" should be his middle names instead of whatever "D" stands for, after all — and that he says this stuff mostly because it plays well with evangelicals and Christian Nationalists, can I?

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Via the excellent Information is Beautiful site: informationisbeautiful.net/visualizatio...

informationisbeautiful.net

The Billion Dollar Gram — Information is Beautiful

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

This metaphor needs more work, so I welcome improvements: Trump is the white noise generator that's always on and ruins your sleep.

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Better Things Are Possible @internethippo.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

I maintain that among the media's biggest mistakes has been continuing to ask Trump questions as if he's a normal guy instead of asking things like "Can you explain who Jesus is" or "Describe the process of pumping gas"

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

We're on track to use much less than 100 gallons of gas over the last 12 months. Yes, I keep track, and yes, we're happy to have gotten a plug-in hybrid last year. (Also lucky to have gotten one, since they're hard to find for reasons I can't wrap my head around.)

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

Dog, vintage Apollo 11 glass, and the homecoming of Artemis II!

Dog, drink, vintage Apollo 11 glass, and the approach of Artemis II!

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

Watching the Earth get bigger for Artemis II throughout the day is a gift to us all.

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

I did another book, with @zandercannon.bsky.social and @kevincannon.bsky.social, about the first time(s) we went to the moon. Apollo 8 — Artemis II's proud parent — is a focus of "T-Minus", because people looking at Earth from space is always beautiful. www.simonandschuster.com/books/T-Minu...

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

We’re proud of this one, and proud of our space science and exploration programs too!

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

Biruté Galdikas, Champion of Endangered Orangutans, Dies at 79 www.nytimes.com/2026/04/02/s...

nytimes.com

Biruté Galdikas, Champion of Endangered Orangutans, Dies at 79

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Just hit the 14th* language in translation for books I've written. Hard to wrap my head around such weird+wonderful things. Most of this is thanks to the great folks at @01firstsecond.bsky.social. (*16th, if you count the countries that use different forms of Chinese and Portuguese as separate…)

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Harrison Ford (in the April 26 National Geographic) on why he works for Conservation International: "We simply cannot provide for ourselves the things that nature gives us for free and that sustain our lives." 1/2

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

Good turnout at the No Kings rally in Ann Arbor today. Didn’t take any photos but joined in some chanting for once. (As a committed independent I refuse to rhyme, so I usually just say the final phrase.)

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

Finest and wickedest review ever?: “[T]he best book ever written by any man on the wrong side of a question of which he was profoundly ignorant.” (Quoted in “Index, a History of” by Dennis Duncan, p. 149)

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

If I could only listen to one person’s oeuvre for the rest of my life it would be The Duke, and if I could only listen to one album it would be “The Complete Ellington Indigos”. (FWIW, in second place would be Pete Townshend.) (Also FWIW I’m glad there’s lots of other music out there too.)

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Jim Ottaviani @gtlabsrat.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Serious question: Given the amount of obvious garbage that still makes it into my inbox, I wonder why AI and LLMs are not used in (or, if used, not better at) spam filtering? The repetitive subject lines, and even sender-names, would seem trivial to detect and block.

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