iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

This one hurts a lot. Dolly Parton was the kindest, most vibrant celebrity I can think of, and her nephew's video is a lovely tribute for a lovely woman. Rest in peace, Dolly Parton. You will be missed. 💔 www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...

nbcnews.com

Dolly Parton, country music icon, dies at 80

Her death came after in May 2026 she announced she was canceling a Las Vegas show and said she’d been undergoing treatment for kidney stones for several years.

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

@vikkigoodwintx.bsky.social is running against Dan Patrick for Lt. Governor. If you live in TX, please research your candidates and VOTE. If you live out of state, a follow can raise people's awareness of Goodwin.

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

I finished The Flag and the Cross by Philip Gorski and @profsamperry.bsky.social. The book was so informative on White Christian Nationalism, but chapter 4 was especially chilling. The book was released in 2022 and pretty accurately predicted what Trump 2 would look like. If only people listened.

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

This is a Facebook repost from my dad of a post from my godfather. I've never been more proud...😀 My dad is a retired Army chaplain and Vietnam veteran. He and my mom volunteer with Democratic campaigns, and he upsets our conservative family members regularly with his outspoken comments. The best!

Facebook repost of a post with a quote image by Heather Cox Richardson saying, "If Hungary can get rid of its autocrat, America can too." The repost says, "Amen to that!"

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 01/03/2026

As someone who has lived in the Middle East, Trump is what the Middle Eastern leaders have been dreaming of for years. The fact that they could flatter and/or bribe the U.S. President into doing exactly what they've wanted to do to Iran for years is appalling and embarrassing.

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Perfect description. If anyone knows how to get us out of the current duopoly into a multi-party coalition govt, I'm here for it. You will have more options on voting, but there will still need to be compromises to accomplish things.

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

Tired of the commentary around the Democratic TX Senate race. Both are excellent candidates. I would love to have both of them as our Senators. I voted for the one I think has a better chance in November. But I will do everything to get whoever wins elected in Nov. We need everyone to do the same.

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

This is so gross. I still have to wonder if they use regular AI or a custom AI that's only trained on Mein Kampf and Nazi propaganda. I usually support keeping primary sources to learn from the past, but I hope someday we can purge all the racist content from government channels. 1/?

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

I am so happy for Sam Darnold and the Seahawks. Plus, he seems like an amazing teammate and leader. Signed, a Vikings fan who knew they royally messed up last year www.wsj.com/sports/footb...

wsj.com

Sam Darnold’s Quiet Super Bowl Revenge

An NFL survivor defies his noisiest critics to win a championship. He’d rather talk about his team.

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

The amount of money Dunkin' spent for that mess of a commercial is shocking. 😂

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

I don't know how PACs work and how much coordination there is between candidates and a PAC. I am appalled by the latest Lone Star Rising ad against @crockett.house.gov. I support @jamestalarico.bsky.social and believe that he has a better chance in the general election. But this ad is not the way.

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

This is long read around a painful issue that most people aren't even aware of. The treatment of people from U.S. territories as second-class citizens (or not citizens in this case) is shameful.

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

This is nuts. The statement by Jerome Powell is so strong, so logical, and so calm. And the Federal Reserve posted it on their website and their socials. Good! www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...

federalreserve.gov

Statement from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell

Good evening. On Friday, the Department of Justice served the Federal Reserve with grand jury subpoenas, threatening a criminal indictment related to my testi

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Not sure if Chris Collingsworth is trying to fit in in New England in his cable knit sweater or if he didn't have time to change after finishing his shift on the fishing trawler. 😂 #nfl

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

I just got my first oven-safe pan and made a frittata. It was as delicious as it was beautiful!

Vegetarian frittata in a pan on the stovetop

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

As I watched the Texans play today, J.J. Watt said Danielle Hunter not being selected for the Pro Bowl was a huge snub, which I also said to my husband after they announced the Pro Bowl roster. (Go, me! 🥳) @minakimes.bsky.social Why didn't they select Hunter??

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

I appreciate people who can so thoughtfully articulate what I cannot. And the line, "We SHOULD argue, as a nation, about who we get to kill" gutted me. open.substack.com/pub/dbarkhuf...

Screenshot of text:
"Checks and balances do not exist on paper alone. They only work if they are enforced. And enforcement requires friction between branches with genuinely disparate interests. Congress was not designed to be a support staff for the executive. It was designed to be a rival power center, jealous of its authority, slow to act, and allergic to haste. That slowness is not a bug. It is the feature.
We should argue, as a nation, about who we get to kill.
The founders understood something we seem determined to forget: wisdom is almost diametrically opposed to short-term interest. Wisdom asks annoying questions. Wisdom delays gratification. Wisdom demands evidence when urgency is being used as a cudgel. Short-term interest wants speed, optics, dominance, and the avoidance of blame. When Congress shares those incentives, the republic fails quietly, with bipartisan applause."

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

Dear NFL, Please fix the playoff rules. It hurts quality football to force division leaders into the playoffs instead of actual records. Penalizing good teams bc they're in strong divisions is wrong. PS: I see the irony of saying this about the AFC South. 🤣 #NFL #playoffs

NFL standings Week 15 showing Pittsburgh in 4th with a record of 7-6 over Chargers, Bills, and Texans with records higher than that. Those three teams are in stronger divisions so they're in second in their respective divisions.

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 27/10/2025

My brain can't even comprehend the highlighted quote in this article from NPR. The cruelty that uses this as a rationale to force Democrats to cave on ACA subsidies is mind-boggling. www.npr.org/2025/10/24/n...

Screenshot of quote from Joel Berg in an NPR article, "If the SNAP program shuts down, we will have the most mass hunger suffering we've had in America since the Great Depression."

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 18/10/2025

My sign and the great turnout in Fort Bend County, TX! Just a few counter protesters and lots of encouraging honks Thanks to the organizers for another peaceful event. @indivisible.org @50501movement.bsky.social

Sign saying "Protesting because I ♥️ this country"

Photo of a large crowd with protest signs

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

I love living in someone's personal piggy bank with blatant bribery on display. And the stock market thinks it's a positive. Late stage capitalism is a winner. 🤬

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 26/07/2025

There is so much truth in this video.

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

Dear World, Do not send your students to be educated here. The quality of that education has dropped significantly. There are many amazing universities around the world where you're allowed to think and learn without government thought policing.

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

My sign is ready for later today. I'm proud of my pool noodle sign pole. 😂 #nokings

Protest sign "Our rights aren't up for debate!"

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Reposted by Joanna

Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

I work for a similar nonprofit that has received federal funding for 60 years. He wants to cancel our funding, too. We do an annual impact study to show the impact our program has on businesses and the economy. Our 2024 study showed every $1 in federal funding = $45 in federal taxes. Doesn't matter.

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 03/05/2025

This. And Congress needs to be willing to do what's right and institute age limits, term limits, political funding reform, anti-lobbying, and stock trading laws on themselves. Sadly, I don't think enough of them will prioritze our country over their own political power and financial gain.

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 10/04/2025

The Save Act places a financial and administrative burden on those who have changed their name or don't have access to their documentation. This is no different than the literacy tests or poll taxes during Jim Crow. Call your senators!

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 06/04/2025

This little one was getting in good trouble yesterday! May we all show that strength and keep the same positive goal going forward. 💪♥️ ☮️

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 06/04/2025

When Drudge and Fox News give better positioning to stories about the protests than CNN, NBC, and MSNBC. 😠 ABC News for the win!

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

Sugar Land, TX is small but mighty! 200ish?

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

I've loved Langston Hughes since high school, but I didn't really get it. I read "Let America Be America Again" and wow. This stanza did me in. I want "the land that never has been yet" for everyone. Let's go. www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/147907...

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 04/04/2025

I miss having a president who understood the lessons from history instead of one who liked the name of the Gilded Age because it reminded him of his tacky decorating style and decided that's what we need. Nevermind the corruption and greed that the robber barons wrought. Plus, the name was satire. 😠

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

What's shocking to me is that many of the trade deficits that the U.S. has is due to the materialistic consumerism of the American people and corporate greed. We want to buy cheap stuff so we can buy more and companies want to make stuff cheaply so they can make more 💰.

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Reposted by Joanna

John Fea @johnfea1.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

It’s an old but timely question: ‘What sort of hope have we?’ Check out Robert Tracy McKenzie's piece, "Jackson, Trump and Constitutional Crisis": currentpub.com/2025/03/05/l...

currentpub.com

LONG FORM: Jackson, Trump and Constitutional Crisis

It’s an old but timely question: ‘What sort of hope have we?’

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

Random thoughts on world leaders and their handshake approaches. Some world leaders show hands as equals, while Trump tries to dominate some and acquiesce to others. Who gets which handshake approach is quite telling.

Bluesky comment about dominance theory if hand is on top during a handshake with comment that Trump usually offers his hand with palm down to show dominance but not to three people shown in later picture.

Prime Minister of the UK and President Zelenskyy shaking hands with both hands turned sideways, showing equal standing and no one trying to dominate the other.

Zelenskyy and Trudeau shaking hands with both hands turned sideways instead of one trying to dominate the handshake.

Pictures of Trump shaking hands with Putin, Kim Jong-un, and Chinese President Xi with Trump's hand on the bottom in all three. This supposedly shows deference.

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

Do we think they're talking about the biggest social security scam ever with DOGE getting access to our data for whatever purpose they choose?? That's definitely a scam that needs to be stopped.

Email screenshot from Social Security Administration with header about National Stop the Scam Day on March 6

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

My Duck Duck Go tabs (because I'm mad at Google) look like my brain. There's some random tidbit I'm looking up, news items that make me 🤬, and something related to my creative outlet. Currently learning Tunesian Crochet. Because we need balance right now.

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

Great explainer of what the various departments in the USDA do and how the cuts will impact farmers. I would love to see similar pieces about the work of other government agencies. open.substack.com/pub/farmerge...

open.substack.com

No Relief Yet - It's Getting Worse - for U.S. Farmers Pummeled Under Trump 2.0

This Week's Victim? The USDA.

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

I have contacted my senators and representative repeatedly on a variety of subjects. I sent this email today. It'll be interesting to see what I get back.

Email to GOP senator asking when they'll be ready to do their job and stand up to Trump's overreach, as well as list the actions they've shown they are ok with.

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

I have an Android, so I'm stuck with Google for a lot of things. I refuse to get directions that include the Gulf of America. Hello, MapQuest.

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

The DOJ's Office on Violence Against Women is no longer listing grant opportunities. These grants provided funding for non-profits to help victims of domestic violence. Seriously? 19thnews.org/2025/02/offi...

19thnews.org

Federal Office on Violence Against Women removes funding opportunities from website

The office, part of the Justice Department, is a key source of grants for nonprofits that work to help victims of domestic violence.

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

I just discovered usaspending.gov and I'm a fan. Shutting down USAID will save, at most, 0.3% of the annual budget and people will die. Meanwhile, guess which departments have contracts with he-who-shall-not-be-named??

Screenshot of usaspending.gov showing the FY24 government budget and USAID gets $24.9 billion.

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Joanna @joannamtx2011.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

This is currently on the USAID website. This is not a temporary measure; it's a "we're done." Moving people internationally on a quick timeline is expensive and difficult. This is executive overreach and will lead to suffering and destabilization around the world.

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