iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

I see your apex predator and raise you mine #Caturday

Russian Blue cat caught in mid-yawn, looking like she has no eyes and a very misshapen head

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Spotlight team back on its bullshit again (complimentary).

Message projected in white on the side of an overpass at night: VOTE Tom Perriello

Another message, same place : VOTE EARLY Sept 18 — Oct 31

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

The Spotlight team was out in Charlottesville tonight…

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

They moved, the tricksy little barstids! But they were slow coming out of the nest this time, and I saw them from 30 feet away.

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

English dry gin and homemade lemon cordial, muddled with a little basil. I call it pretty damn good.

A luminescent yellow drink in a Nick and Nora glass on a dark countertop, in front of a matte black vase

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Yahoo News with a really delicious fuckup TODAY

A screenshot of an email inbox with four email, three to show context and today's date, one being from Yahoo News with the subject line "This is subject" and the preview line "This is preheader".

A screenshot of the email body, showing the "This is subject" line, a Breaking News banner, an image of Trump and Harris shaking hands after their debate, and the headline "Debate takeaways: Harris triggers Trump in high-stakes clash"

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

I don’t disagree with that latter point. But is the answer “build the line that data center expansion needs“ even if the data centers don’t eventuate? Or is it “build the lines that prove necessary for massive electrification”? And maybe they’re the same! I don’t know! But the projections…

Why Here and Why Now?

The electric grid operator for the mid-atlantic region, PJM, identifies areas where existing transmission lines might be inadequate or overloaded in the future based on where electric generation and demand are changing. The unconstrained growth of data centers has altered demand substantially in Virginia, and each new data center approved by localities adds more energy demand to the queue.eue.

The maximum power demand ever recorded on the electric grid in Dominion Energy’s territory is about 24 GW. When PJM selected the Joshua Falls-Yeat line in February 2025 as part of its Regional Transmission Expansion Plan (RTEP), they were expecting that to grow to around 33 GW by 2030, an increase of about 40% in five years. In the year since, data center requests for power have only grown. Dominion recently told the SCC they’ve received requests to serve over 70 GW of demand, almost three times the current peak load, and are receiving an additional 2-3 GW worth every month from this singular industry.

This demand growth, which has occurred almost entirely since the data center rush kicked off in 2022, flows directly into new transmission line project approvals across the region.

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

🎶 If you visit American city You will find it very pretty Just two things of which you must beware Don’t eat the salads and don’t breathe the air 🎶 (with apologies to Tom Lehrer)

A meadow in the foreground and smoky air where a mountain should be in the background

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Life finds a way! Meet my Driveway Flower(™️). This healthy rudbeckia (Brown-eyed Susan) volunteer is growing in very compacted gravel against a concrete retaining wall. 🌱

A lovely green plant with a dozen gold-petaled flowers with brown centers, growing from a gravel driveway.

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Happy 4th of July on this, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence! I’m making lime cordial to stock up for when *It Happens*. There will be dancing and screaming and singing and many many gimlets and the sheer force of joy will uphold me until I finally fall.

A pile of lime zest on parchment paper next to the zested limes

A food processor with citrus juicing attachment next to a pile of juiced limes

Adding sugar to the lime zest and lime juice

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

A mere 102° out here in western Albemarle

Round dial thermometer with the needle indicating 102F

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

I just freaking love fireflies. And until the first spring we were out here, I had no idea there could be fireflies in May. These aren’t your usual July evening ones, they’re a whole-ass other genus! (Photuris) They start in full dark and flash all night. Glorious! (Wish my phone camera was better)

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

After 5 1/4” of rain over 5 days, the Doyles is looking healthier. Seen here today with mist over it.

A river about 20’ wide, bright green Virginia spring foliage on both sides, and a light mist rising 3 or 4 feet above the water.

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

I have discovered a hole in the universe. With luck it’s a portal to a better place. I shall report back if possible.

A black dog sitting in shade blots out part of a Virginia foothills view in late afternoon.

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Duck bacon and kimchi pizza (w/fresh mozz natch). Highly recommended. For vegetarians, substitute Fakin’ Bacon (smoke-infused seitan), it is *at least* as good.

A pizza shown on the peel, right out of the oven. Reddish kimchi, dark duck bacon, splotches of melted cheese on top. Pretty good spotting on the cornicione.

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

TFW your gutting of the Postal Service backfires on you. These came TODAY. 🤣🤡 #VoteYES #SuckItLosers

Three “Vote NO” flyers, all targeted at minority communities. Disgraceful lies of course, but also HAHAHAHAHA!!!!

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

All right, Virginia, you know what to do! If you didn’t vote early, vote now.

The facade of the Federal Courthouse in downtown Charlottesville, with the message “Stop TRUMP Vote YES by April 21” projected on it.

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Fresh mozzarella, some of the first asparagus from the garden, and duck prosciutto (added after the oven). First time I’ve made this, and I’ve got to say, it’s a banger!

A pizza with mozzarella, asparagus, and duck prosciutto, on a wooden pizza peel.

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

Welp, was moving 5 bucketloads of compost to the garden, and I was on trip 1 when a snek poked its little head out the throttle slot, startling us both, and pulled back. Finished the trip, dumped the compost, popped the engine cover—no snek to be seen. Four more trips, parked the tractor, oh hai! 🌱

4.5 foot black ratsnake leaving a little John Deere tractor after the ride of its lifetime.

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Gardening season has begun here in central Virginia. Today’s haul: five cubic yards of lovely black compost, courtesy of Panorama Paydirt in Earlysville. 🌱

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

“The Assyrian came down like a wolf on the fold/his cohorts all gleaming in purple and gold” well you got nothing on a crocus, buddy, go home

Closeup of a crocus with dark purple petals and bright golden pistol and stamen.

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

(Taps the sign) See you after the spring thaw, Charlottesville! 🫡

On the left, a bridge covered with 8” of snow turned to ice; right foreground, a sign saying “Weight Limit 32 Tons/Do Not Cross When Icy”

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

The Doyles River this morning, still running underneath the ice

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Tomorrow’s dinner and another for later: sous vide duck confit, 155° for 32 hours.

Big pot on a stovetop with an Anova sous vide machine and two vacuum sealed bags with two duck legs each. Seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, thyme.

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

Our unsung hero, the chipper-shredder. This pile we made today is about 2 cubic yards: the multiple brush piles we chipped into this would have totaled at least 15’ long, 6’ deep, and 6’ high. And we’ll go through these in no time flat just on garden paths!

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

Espresso martini because I was absolutely beat from working outside and wanted both relaxation and caffeine. Pretty damn good!

Martini glass on a soapstone counter; dark contents with a lovely foamy crema on top. Cartoonishly lopsided perspective makes the top look huge comparatively

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

Good night from central Virginia! Hope the first day of 2026 has been a good one for you!

Salmon and orange sunset colors over a dark mountain ridge

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 27/12/2025

Mountain sunset, central Virginia

Dark mountain ridges in the bottom third, some trees in silhouette on the left, vice sunset colors above, blue sky in the upper left.

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

The very end of the interview. Absolute mic drop moment.

Were there moments that you missed? Anything that happened that’s on the cutting room floor?

I don’t think there’s anything I missed that I wish I’d gotten. I’ll give you a little anecdote: Stephen Miller was perhaps the most concerned about the portrait session. He asked me, “Should I smile or not smile?” and I said, “How would you want to be portrayed?” We agreed that we would do a bit of both. And then when we were finished, he comes up to me to shake my hand and say goodbye. And he says to me, “You know, you have a lot of power in the discretion you use to be kind to people.” And I looked at him and I said, “You know, you do, too.”

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

Tonight’s dinner: grilled pear and Gorgonzola pizza topped out of the oven with lightly dressed arugula (olive oil and balsamic)

The pizza right out of the oven, nice grill marks on the pear slices

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

Serendipity in my timeline

Screenshot of Jeff’s original post, with the next post below being a BREAKING post

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 09/12/2025

Low key thinking about returning my rain gauge. Doesn’t seem to be working.

Copper rain gauge tube with a 3” mushroom of snow on top.

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 09/12/2025

On such a winter’s day… tomorrow’s dinner, now in the sous vide bath (or soup bidet, according to autocorrect).

Four duck legs in two vacuum bags, each leg salted and peppered and rubbed with garlic and thyme. In for 30 hours at 155°.

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 15/11/2025

Just release all the detainees if they can’t get the constitutionally guaranteed right to a speedy trial. Right? If someone gets killed as a result, that’s the responsibility of your local Congressperson.

Thousands of court-appointed lawyers, known as Criminal Justice Act panel attorneys, along with paralegals, investigators, expert witnesses and interpreters, haven’t been paid since June after federal funding for the Defender Services program fell $130 million short of what the judiciary requested and ran out July 3. They had been told they would receive deferred payment once Congress passed a new budget, but as the government shutdown dragged on, many couldn’t move forward with trials or take on new clients.

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 09/11/2025

We had a good one too but yours was better tonight!

Red and orange band of clouds over a far mountain ridge; dark clouds scattered above

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

For her 65th, I made my sister an end grain cutting board from spalted poplar harvested on our property. Fancy and beautiful! But my daily driver is a 30-year old board from Ikea and I also have a couple that are just off-cuts of 1x6's that I had from other projects. 😀

Cutting board sitting on cardboard as I treated it with mineral oil. Square blocks of end grain poplar with color and figure from spalting.

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

Hey y’all remember @indivisiblecville.bsky.social’s “3 for 3” campaign? Where we chose 3 HoD candidates and asked people to volunteer for the campaigns, with postcards, phone banking, and donations? www.indivisiblecharlottesville.org/2025election Well… 😇😉

Screenshot from an election results website showing that all three of our “3 for 3” candidates won.

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

I was not the only one who woke up to the news of Dick Cheney’s death. Spencer Ackerman did too @attackerman.bsky.social; historian of the War on Terror—if you are not following him, remedy that NOW). But HE wrote an obituary which The Nation published. Here’s the headline:

Screenshot of The Nation’s headline: “ His Works Completed, Dick Cheney, Mass Murderer of Iraqis and American Democracy, Dies”.

To be very clear, I agree wholeheartedly with the assessment.

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

Absolutely lovely this morning!

Low mountains glow red in early morning sun. Clouds above and a darker ridge in front that has not yet caught the sun.

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 26/10/2025

Serendipity! I was just finishing Even Greater Mistakes when my hold on Automatic Noodle finally came through! Loved both books, particularly Noodle (Thought of Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, cozy AF). Will be gifting this season. @charliejane.bsky.social @annaleen.bsky.social 🪐📚

Two books next to each other: Greater Mistakes: Stories, by Charlie Jane Anders, and Automatic Noodle, by Annalee Newitz

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Joe Calhoun @jbc3.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

Sure is a lovely time of year!

Pasturefence Mountain in early sun, showing lots of fall color

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