iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Jim Whittington🔥

John Drury @profjohndrury.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

Today (13th October) is the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, and a good day to remind ourselves not to use the term 'natural disasters' www.undrr.org/our-impact/c...

undrr.org

No Natural Disasters

A hazard can only become a disaster once it impacts on society or community. A hazard is natural, disasters are not.

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Reposted by Jim Whittington🔥

Daniel Swain @weatherwest.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

Update: There is a rapidly emerging fire weather threat in parts of SoCal Thu-Fri in places that have not seen significant recent precip (esp. western LA metro). A warm Santa Ana event will bring strong, gusty winds even to lower elevs, but vegetation moisture highly variable.

Fire weather risk map from NWS Los Angeles depicting high (level 3 of 4) risk specifically across western LA metro on Thursday.

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Yesterday was National Coming Out Day and Wednesday is National Fossil Day. We wouldn’t need a special day for coming out if we had fewer fossils. As for today, good news! It’s National Gumbo Day. youtu.be/M5HBTdsdKvY?...

youtu.be

Rad Gumbo

YouTube video by Little Feat - Topic

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

I was an undergrad years ago and of course, there was no doubt that B-school profs favored & encouraged the Greeks, including often looking the other way when cheating occurred. So, if we're making major changes, I'm also in favor of razing the B-schools & starting over with more Liberal Arts. 2/2

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

A lot of calls for abolishing Greeks (and rightly so), but I never see anything about the role of the Business schools in all this. Is there a study about the values taught in B-school and how a preponderance of Greeks getting business/finance/marketing degrees influence policies and teaching? 1/

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kmclark.bsky.social @kmclark.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Wow. Everyone in the Wildland Fire Community should read this and understand.

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

This is an amazing doc written by Jayson Coil about the reorganization happening in wildland fire. Everything Jayson writes is gold. He's a great firefighter who, among many other accomplishments, took the lead on establishing COVID protocols for wildland fire. www.cogplexiti.com/wp-content/u...

cogplexiti.com

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Well, I didn’t think a 1910 political poster featuring Liberty would be classified as “adult content.” Here’s one that is more suited for our current-day sensibilities.

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Happy Republic Day to all my friends in Portugal. It’s always worthwhile to celebrate the overthrow of a monarchy.

Early 20th century poster celebrating the overthrow of the Portuguese monarchy and the declaration of the new Republic.

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

We are going to need to build multi-agency/corporate IMT-level IT security teams to deal with complex, long duration AI incidents. I know jack about AI, but I do know a bunch of good folks who understand team processes and realize what it takes to tackle a dynamic and extended problem.

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Shhh. UNT already has more than it can handle from idiot administrators and electeds forcing the shredding of classes and degrees. No need to put a target on the Jazz program. www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnSi...

youtube.com

UNT One O'Clock Lab Band: Overdrive! by Jack Lanhardt

YouTube video by University of North Texas College Concerts

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Spare me. Try being an Oilers fan. There will never again be any joy. Just years of anger and disgust until I die.

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

It's not an accident this is happening next door to Aspen. Lots of potential for exclusionary fees & policies to make it an experience only the wealthy can afford. And to do this under a NEPA categorical exclusion? Not cool. Also, if you care at all about the West, read @highcountrynews.org. 3/3

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

"The agency lost almost 6,000 employees in 2025, and President Trump’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2027 would slash its budget still further, cutting it by 75%." This is a bad precedent that will open the gates to the further decline & privatization of our public lands, as the story notes. 2/

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The US Forest Service can no longer manage one of the crown jewels of the wilderness system, but please tell us again how all the DOGE actions did not affect land management or incident response. 1/

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

I’m no expert, but as I understand it, the wave will reach the PNW after CA. The dynamics will be the same with increased risk of flooding, but will likely be a bit less intense than that experienced by CA. Of course, that is little comfort to low-lying areas.

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Reposted by Jim Whittington🔥

Erik Loomis @erikloomis.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

This Day in Labor History: September 28, 1874. The U.S. military defeated the Comanche in Palo Duro Canyon, south of modern Amarillo, Texas, largely by stealing their horse herds. This made previous Comanche ways of life, including their work cultures, impossible and forced them into a reservation!

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Reposted by Jim Whittington🔥

Pepitas editorial @pepitaseditorial.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

«Piroceno» presentado por su autor Stephen J. Pyne youtu.be/MiPo-yfDBUA * @sjpyne.bsky.social Piroceno Viejo y nuevo orden de los incendios forestales. Vivir en la Edad del Fuego Traducción del inglés de Salvador Cobo Coeditado con @biblioteca451.bsky.social www.pepitas.net/libro/piroceno

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I don’t know, but I would guess being arbitrarily and unceremoniously forced out of your job might make some reluctant to do AD work. Plus, you know, many of them had to find other jobs that probably don’t allow for the time commitment Fire requires.

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

You can't run a dispatch center, cache, or incident management team without help from regular employees, so I'm glad to see them featured. Yet given the climate, I can't decide if this is poking a stick at all the folks who were forced to leave their jobs or some subversive pro-fed ad campaign. 2/2

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Watching the USFS and Wildland Fire Service Facebook feeds, I'm seeing more mention of the regular non-fire employees who are have incident qualifications than ever before. These folks have always played a critical role in both direct response and support/logistics. 1/

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

“The destiny of the land, the nation, the South, the State, the County, was already whirling into the plunge of its precipice, not that the State and the South knew it, because the first seconds of fall always seem like soar.” ― William Faulkner

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Smart video about the pushed myth of looting and the related militarization of response by @phibi16.bsky.social. And yes, she is my daughter. Always makes a parent proud when a kid follows you into the family business--even if it is disasters. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Joch...

youtube.com

Out of Control Lawlessness, Looting, and Disaster Crime

YouTube video by the disaster gal

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

We could still have a hot and dry spell across the western US, Santa Ana winds, or local conditions that push a fire, but I think we can comfortably say the 2026 fire year is winding down in intensity. Now, about that El Nino and the 2027 fire year... better get rest and start preparing now. 2/2

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Mid-sept and the PNW is at PL3 and easing towards PL2 after a brutal 12 week stretch. Still a lot of work to close out some fires, but the wetter and cooler weather is helping greatly. Nationally, 2,459,142 acres have burned this year, with 1,811,254 of them in Oregon and Washington. 1/

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

We had a Flexsteel sofa for 25+ years. Have also had some chairs. They are a decent option for mid-tier prices.

Old magazine ad showing the internal construction of a Flexsteel couch.

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Reposted by Jim Whittington🔥

Michael Wara @michaelwara.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

An incredible article about the wildfire situation that was recommended on X by two fire chiefs I deeply respect and we all should listen to, Bobby Garcia and Kim Zagaris. California is lucky to have them both. Can we listen to what they and others are saying? grist.org/extreme-weat...

grist.org

America is losing its war against wildfire

Wildland firefighting is increasingly facing an intractable reality: We’re stuck in a vicious cycle. A doom loop.

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Reposted by Jim Whittington🔥

wes(is no longer)injapan @wesinjapan.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

In disaster research we talk about Pro-Social Behavior. There are certainly many examples of that during 9/11. We also talk about Elite Panic. 9/11 is a textbook example of Elite Panic that we have lived within for the last 25 years.

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Reposted by Jim Whittington🔥

Jonathan Coop @coopecology.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Our new paper asks the question: is there any precedent for recent, high-severity fires that have removed >100,000 acres of forests from northern New Mexico? Based on the locations of trees that recorded surface fires over the prior 500 years, the answer is, statistically speaking, "not a chance".

Formerly forested landscapes of the Jemez Mountains, NM. Burned in 1996 and 2011. Photo 2022.

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

That helps you avoid unnecessary work and gets them in a better place to understand the reality of the incident and assist you in making decisions. So, anytime you hear the P word, pay attention. It's just a matter of timely and honest communication. 14/

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Engage them in conversation. Talk slower and softer than usual. Display competence and confidence. Explain your process and how you are making decisions. Discuss what you are doing and what the plan is. Get them to focus on you instead of the emotion of the incident. 13/

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Their panic often manifests as a directive to go quell the public panic, because if they are feeling panic, then surely everyone else is too, right? When you hear the "panic" word coming from one of these folks, that's a watchout situation that demands immediate attention. 12/

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

They have no clue about what to do in a crisis and they know they will be judged on their performance. That's not a swipe--it's just that many have no experience with disasters. 11/

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

That's how you work through a disaster and communicate as a someone who cares about the public. I have, however, seen a kind of panic on the incidents I've worked. It almost always comes form elected officials and agency administrations running headlong into the imposter syndrome. 10/

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Sharing dilemmas, explaining not just the "what" of decisions but the "why" behind them, showing how you make those decisions, not being afraid to discuss future actions & hypotheticals--those "what if" questions (all risk communication is hypothetical). 9/

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

You can't give false assurances because at some level people understand the situation is complex and inevitably, when your simplicities are revealed to be complexities, you lose credibility/trust and most importantly, you lose the ability to ask the public for action. 8/

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Understanding "panic" is a key for crisis communicators. The best way to deal with the stress and uncertainty of a disaster is through good, frequent, honest communication. 7/

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

When people were out of danger, they helped others as they walked home across bridges in an orderly way. Even people who freeze are not panicking. They are frozen with uncertainty and stress and it may take them time to sort out what is happening, what this departure from the norm means. 6/

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Think back to 9/11. People were running and stumbling down streets. It looked like panic, but it wasn't. They were running from collapsing buildings and rapidly moving toxic dust clouds. Self preservation. It was a perfectly rational response. 5/

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Packing up & leaving under those circumstances is not panic. That's acting rationally based on what you think reality is. When a firefighter comes by & explains the situation, it changes the view of reality & "panic" subsides. "Panic" is often a failure of authorities to deliver good information. 4/

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

With wildfires, it is not unusual for people to be packing up to evacuate when the fire is miles away and no threat--but the smoke column looks big, you can see the orange glow at night, and it seems to be getting closer to you, your family, and your neighborhood. 3/

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

The classic example is "War of the Worlds." If you turned the radio on midway through the broadcast and heard news reporters talking about Martians invading Earth, you might act differently than if you listened from the beginning and knew it was a production. 2/

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

A "PANIC!" thread (mostly for responders): Academics and emergency managers/responders have long realized that people do not panic during disasters. What may look like panic to one person who understands the situation is another person acting on the best information they have. 1/

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Related, without the amazing assistance from FDNY, the aftermath of the Granite Mountain tragedy and the large memorial service would have been near impossible for wildland folks to get through on our own. FDNY stood up for us in a big way.

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Nice bit of insight/oral history about the wildland fire community’s response to the attacks and some of the changes the interaction with FDNY brought to both orgs. teamcast.missioncti.com/episode/21-t...

teamcast.missioncti.com

#21 The Story of Wildland Fire and 9/11 - Teamcast

Preston converses with ret. Chief Bob Maynes of FDNY and Chief Dan Oltrogge of Wildland Fire on the Southwest Incident Management Team at 9/11.

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

E.V. Debs quote for Labor Day: “The greedy, profit-seeking exploiter cannot see beyond the end of his nose... He knows nothing of the great throbbing world... He has no capacity for literature; no appreciation of art; no soul for beauty. That is the penalty the parasites pay...”

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

September 5 is a big day in Texas history: In 1836, Sam Houston was elected the first President of the Republic of Texas and in 2008, Hakeem Olajuwon entered the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Hakeem Olajuwon shoots over Patrick Ewing in the 1994 NBA Finals.

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Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

OK, I think I got it. I was apparently caught in some update hellspace. Restarting seemed to work.

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