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JohnOCFII

@johnocfii.bsky.social
1.2K followers 62 following 286 posts

Technology Consultant, Pilot, Flight Instructor, Maker. Hoping to be a good-natured curmudgeon when I grow up.

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JohnOCFII @johnocfii.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
😡
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David @davidtobin.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
If you'd like to know what happened in California this summer and where 3D Printing legislation, data privacy and your right to repair are headed, this video is for you: youtu.be/iBwSZNItLdA
youtu.be
California's 3D Printing Bill is Law
YouTube video by David Tobin
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Don Brown @gettheflick.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
"Those two oil companies, for example, received nearly $17 billion in direct tax subsidies over the last five years. They paid more in taxes to Nigeria and Saudi Arabia during that time." Pretty wild, for an Alabama boy. 🤠
alreporter.com
Opinion | The definition of socialism
Socialism really can be hard to define for some people. Don't worry, here's a helpful list.
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Coach Finstock @coachfinstock.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Should've called a Twins game but MLB has no fucking whimsy on staff
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Sarah Taber @sarahtaber.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
When I was talking about how "Yes, the GOP will try & take your votes. And YES, THEY CAN BE STOPPED"? There's a great example here in North Carolina right now! Our area is one of the GOP's testing grounds for new ways to steal votes. Stop them here, you stop them everywhere. Help us help you!
fundrazr.com
Stand With Irene Grimes: Legal Defense Fund
Irene Grimes told the truth about an attempt to fire Cumberland County's elections director behind closed doors, and now the same partisan majority she exposed is trying to remove her from the board.
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James Poniewozik @poniewozik.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Been reading about Paramount's promise that an outside body will ensure CNN's editorial independence, and man is it wearisome to be the sole person on Earth who remembers anything that happened more than 10 years ago www.theguardian.com/business/200....
theguardian.com
Wall Street Journal committee claims Murdoch broke agreement
A special independent committee accused the press baron of breaking agreement to protect editorial integrity
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JohnOCFII @johnocfii.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Startribune once again showing how they value print subscribers. Next I imagine will be a horse’s head in my bed.
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John Moe @johnmoe.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Today in Minnesota, a former Pennsylvanian and I, a former Washingtonian, explained to an all-my-life Minnesotan that people in other states aren’t nearly as into their state as Minnesotans are into Minnesota. Among topics, Minnesota is up there with Weather and How The Weather Was Before.
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David @davidtobin.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Did you know that @bauerkahan.bsky.social is mandating that the Prop Industry uses a 3D Printer that does not, and can not exist? @gavinnewsom.bsky.social www.latimes.com/california/s...
latimes.com
California's push to ban technology used for 'ghost guns' finds unlikely foe in Hollywood
Movie prop makers are among the groups pushing back against a proposed California bill that would require 3-D printers to block the making of gun parts, citing concerns about unintentional consequence...
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Clayton Hove @adtothebone.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
North Dakota has the same stuff other states have — both kinds of electricity, several paved roads, hotels, restaurants, Target stores — but once you saddle up your jackalope and go bounding in the badlands or through an open prairie, it all becomes clear. Damn. It’s kinda fantastic around here.
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Eric Columbus @ericcolumbus.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Happy 72nd Birthday to Ruby Bridges, who at the age of 6 desegregated the New Orleans public schools. She’s younger than 30 senators and our last two presidents—and only 7 years older than Barack Obama. The past isn’t past.
Ruby Bridges, age 6Ruby Bridges flanked by three U.S. Marshals on the steps of her schoolNorman Rockwell’s painting depicting the event, “The Problem We All Live With,” originally published as a centerfold in the January 14, 1964 issue of Look magazine. Ruby Bridges talking with President Obama as they look at Rockwell’s painting while it was temporarily displayed at the White House in 2011.
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Ivan the K ™ @ivanthek.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
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Jeremy J. Sharp @jeremyjsharp.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Wouldn't it be nice if Americans themselves responded to their president the way Canadians have? (By which I mean, with surprising, even overwhelming, unity and active defiance.)
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Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ @padresj.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
I'm at Costco and the sweetest little grandma in a darling southern drawl asked me if I could help her find "Shit Talking Mushrooms". Well, you can bet that I got her a case of the foul-mouthed fungus post-haste! 😂☺️😇
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Mike Drucker @mikedrucker.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
If we cured all cancer tomorrow, and it became an extremely rare condition, I guarantee that 30 years from now there would be people saying, “They just want you to take that anti-cancer pill to control you. It’s a bullshit disease that doesn’t even exist anymore.”
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Sarah Taber @sarahtaber.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
*don't get me wrong it's good to conserve water in daily life but the idea that water shortages are caused by "people brushing their teeth wrong" when we're giving farms a legal requirement to "waste acre-feet of water sometimes, or lose your rights forever" is CRAZY
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Sarah Taber @sarahtaber.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
We really have to understand that decades of being told "Turn off the water when you're brushing your teeth!" was kinda bullshit. Folks we are failing to comprehend the SHEER VOLUME of water agriculture uses. ALL urban water use in the CO basin? Is ~1/3 of what the farms there use.
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Sarah Taber @sarahtaber.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
The ag lobby really, really, really, really, really, really, really wants you to think AI is the reason reservoirs are going empty. It's not. It's agriculture.
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Ned Raggett @nedraggett.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
It's a good story, this. Really is.
huffpost.com
I Wrote A Famous Musician A Fan Letter. Decades Later, I Got A Response That Rocked My World.
“Maybe he didn’t have a stamp and then forgot about it. At any rate, it was there, waiting to be found.”
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Colleen Mondor @chasingray.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
I have some thoughts on the crash of Bering Air flight 445. I think the NTSB missed an opportunity here to delve into how modern pilots are exhibiting slower reaction time & decision-making due to advances in aviation technology. colleenmondor.substack.com/p/54-bering-...
colleenmondor.substack.com
#54: Bering Air flight 445 requires a different type of analysis
It's going to take a new investigative approach to uncover what went wrong over Nome and how it points to a growing problem in commercial aviation
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David @davidtobin.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Why are we so upset about bill AB 2047? It allows for a company partnered with the biggest AI surveillance company, Palantair, access to your life. The things the bill claims to do are already illegal and those crimes are down significantly. I want a safer world just like you. This is not the way.
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Janel Comeau 🍁 @verybadllama.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
1996: can't use the internet without your phone 2010: the internet stretches before you like the vast expanse of a new frontier. You dance through it, unhindered. Unburdened. You have never heard of 2-factor authentication. 2026: can't use the internet without your phone
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Carolirene @carolirene75.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
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David @davidtobin.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Update from the LA Times: www.latimes.com/california/s...
latimes.com
California's push to ban technology used for 'ghost guns' finds unlikely foe in Hollywood
Movie prop makers are among the groups pushing back against a proposed California bill that would require 3-D printers to block the making of gun parts, citing concerns about unintentional consequence...
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Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ @padresj.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
US Code, Title 31 "No coin issued under this subsection may bear the image of a living former or current President, or of any deceased former President during the 2-year period following the date of the death of that President." ... This law prevents vanity currency & the appearance of a "King"
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Making a free cycling game @dfeldman.org · 14/07/2026
Official proposal for a new loon emoji!
Proposal for Emoji: Loon
Submitter: Joe Lencioni
Date: July 8, 2026
This proposal requests an emoji depicting the common loon (Gavia immer), a diving waterbird of the order Gaviiformes, distinct from the Anseriformes (duck, goose, swan) already represented in the emoji set. It fills a gap in the current waterbird category and is visually distinctive at small sizes. The species is Holarctic: known as the loon in North America and the great northern diver in Europe, it breeds across Canada, the northern United States, Iceland, and Greenland, and winters along the Atlantic coasts of the UK, Ireland, and Norway. It carries stable, long-standing cultural significance, appearing on the Canadian one-dollar coin (the "loonie") since 1987 and serving as the state bird of Minnesota and the provincial bird of Ontario.1. Identification
a. Keywords
animal, bira, waterbird, ornithology, lake, diver, eccentric, foolish, crazy
b. Category
Animals & Nature animal-bird
Z. Images
a. Color and black&white example images3. Factors for Inclusion
a. Expresses multiple concepts
The loon is used to refer to the bird itself, and, more loosely, the informal English sense of an eccentric or foolish person.
Additionally, the Canadian $1 coin has carried a loon since 1987, and "loonie" is the standard global nickname for the Canadian dollar itself in the financial press and has productively spawned "toonie" for the two-dollar coin.
b. Can be used with other emoji to convey additional concepts
The loon is highly productive in combination with existing emoji, expressing a range of distinct concepts rather than a single narrow meaning:
• Lake country and wilderness recreation: with we s A 4 * 6ę i to convey canoe trips, north-woods camping, fishing, and lake life.
• The iconic loon call: with & or to evoke the bird's distinctive nighttime call, widely used in media as shorthand for wilderness quiet and "the sound of the north."
• Regional and cultural identity: with tel or in state/provincial contexts to signal "up north" identity, given the loon's status as the state bird of Minnesota and provincial bird of Ontario.
• Clean water and conservation: with 0
to
represent lake health and environmental messaging, reflecting the loon's real-world role as an indicator species for clean freshwater.
• Seasonal and migratory themes: with #
Pe to
convey migration and the seasonal rhythm of northern lakes.
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Bob Collins @mylittlebloggie.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
An "Is He Dead Yet" T- shirt is a great way to meet new friends.
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Jon Collins @jcollins.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
It was an honor to revisit Philando's story & his people a decade after covering his death, & then co-hosting the 74 Seconds podcast on the officer's trial. Please like/share if you appreciate it because those numbers show our bosses that people want depth and nuance. www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
mprnews.org
‘Nobody was supposed to know what his name was’: Philando Castile’s legacy grows a decade after his death
A decade after he was killed by a St. Anthony police officer, the legacy of Philando Castile looms large in how people view policing in the Twin Cities.
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Petter Törnberg @pettertornberg.com · 07/07/2026
‘Polarization’ has become the master concept for diagnosing our current democratic crisis. But this is not polarization. It is the radicalization of the political right. By misdiagnosing it, we risk becoming complicit in the crisis. 🧵 Just out in Perspectives on Politics doi.org/10.1017/S153...
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David @davidtobin.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
The resource page for the California bill has been updated. Please share and reach out. The Legislative Portal is read by all analysts on the bill. www.the3dprintingnerd.com/ab2047
the3dprintingnerd.com
Stop AB2047 - California's bill that pulls 3D printers from schools and businesses
A plain-language guide to AB2047 you can share with your school board, PTA, or neighbor. Learn what's at stake and how to take action.
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Tits McGee @scientits.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
‘Say yes and never do it’ Mel Brooks knew how to deal with the studios
You have some wonderful stories of basically getting away with stuff at the studios.

I’d learned one very simple trick: say yes. Simply say yes. Like Joseph E. Levine, on “The Producers,” said, “The curly-haired guy—he’s funny looking. Fire him.” He wanted me to fire Gene Wilder. And I said, “Yes, he’s gone. I’m firing him.” I never did. But he forgot. After the screening of “Blazing Saddles,” the head of Warner Bros. threw me into the manager’s office, gave me a legal pad and a pencil, and gave me maybe twenty notes. He would have changed “Blazing Saddles” from a daring, funny, crazy picture to a stultified, dull, dusty old Western. He said, “No farting.” I said, “It’s out.”That’s probably the most famous scene in the movie, the campfire scene.

I know. He said, “You can’t punch a horse.” I said, “You’ll never see it again.” I kept saying, “You’re absolutely right. It’s out!” Then, when he left, I crumpled up all his notes, and I tossed it in the wastepaper basket. And John Calley, who was running [production at] Warner Bros. at the time, said, “Good filing.” That was the end of it. You say yes, and you never do it.

That’s great advice for life.

It is. Don’t fight them. Don’t waste your time struggling with them and trying to make sense to them. They’ll never understand.
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Chris Steller @chrissteller.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Your minute of freight train zen
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Bob Collins @mylittlebloggie.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Woodbury has a "Juneteenth Walk" to teach people about slavery. That's sent the MAGAs into hyperdrive. Republicans loved human slavery. Republicans are evil.
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Don Brown @gettheflick.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
I wish every single American that "hates politics" would read this and take it to heart. "Did Jamel Brown try to deny anyone healthcare? Did he cut a single veteran’s benefits...?...Has he used religion to demean and vilify minority groups? Has he locked a single immigrant child in a cage...?
alreporter.com
Opinion | A whole bunch of Alabama voters need to get their priorities straight
Jamel Brown wasn't a serious candidate, but he also wasn't the candidate blocking thousands from healthcare, slashing hunger programs or cutting public school funding.
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David H. Montgomery @dhmontgomery.com · 28/05/2026
How an oil refinery works:
construction-physics.com
How an Oil Refinery Works
Though wind and solar continue to carve out larger and larger shares of world energy supply, the modern world still runs on petroleum, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
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Mike Elgan @mikeelgan.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
Now you can keep track of how many billions the AI companies are losing on AI. (Red is spending, green is revenue.) isaiprofitable.com
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Jon Ostrower @jonostrower.com · 17/05/2026
Man @stevenomadic.bsky.social, this episosde on the Spirit Airlines aircraft repo operation is really something. Sure, it helps if you love aviation, but this is such a human story, well told. youtu.be/moEixIux1b0?...
youtu.be
Big Yellow! - Inside the Spirit Airlines REPO Operation
YouTube video by CockpitCasual
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Don Brown @gettheflick.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
"That law: No changes to state elections within six months of the general election. It was sponsored by Republican Rep. Jim Carns. It was a constitutional amendment, supposedly the strongest of all the laws." "May 3 is the cutoff date." #Alabama -- the future of America.
alreporter.com
Opinion | Do laws even matter anymore?
It seems that laws have become minor inconveniences that are barely speed bumps on the way for certain lawmakers to do whatever they want.
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Chey Cab @cheycab.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
Heads up. For two automotive tips today on engine oil. Going up 150% + companies like NAPA are anticipating shortages and putting in purchase limits.
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Don Brown @gettheflick.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
I'm in Alabama and don't have time to read what Vindman has said and hasn't. We're just trying to survive. I did read his book. And I remember he stood up and did the right thing when it counted and it cost him his job. I'll back that kind of guy any day. This ain't helping anybody.
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Andrew Krueger @akpix.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Twilight tonight at the windswept, derelict St. Olaf Church near Tioga, North Dakota. The old tower continues its awkward twist — but is still hanging on. Looking around: The last color of sunset is fading, and billowing clouds from thunderstorms in eastern Montana are visible on the horizon
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kyla scanlon @kyla.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Why is the stock market shrugging off... everything? Well, maybe it's betting that AI will save it and that the government won't let AI fail. Call it the AI put. My new piece in NYT Opinion on the market's reliance on getting rescued: www.nytimes.com/2026/04/18/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Why the Stock Market Makes No Sense Right Now
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Michael @mjfromla.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
At the height of the great depression, Duesenberg and Packard sold ultra luxury automobiles and had buyers. Road and Track writer Matt Farah addresses the issue - there's a market for these vehicles. It's not us though.
roadandtrack.com
Farah: Car Companies Are Abandoning the Everyday Enthusiast
Multimillion-dollar hypercars are cool and all, but the average car lover is getting the short end of the stick.
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Y.O.L.O.0311 @yolo0311.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Facts spoken by an ex-trumper...
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Don Brown @gettheflick.bsky.social · 05/04/2026
Oh yeah, in case you forgot, Trump cheats too. Every accusation is a confession. He cheats, so he thinks you cheat. He lies, so he thinks you lie. He pays protestors, so he thinks you are a paid protestor. He thinks young women are just playthings so he thinks you think that way too.
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Bruce Little @brucedlittle.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
ICYMI - Samuel L. Jackson narrated this powerful video for Saturday's No Kings rally about the strength of Minnesotans protesting ICE: "When your neighbors are being attacked and your communities are being targeted, you don't give up. You don't look away. You don't back down. You showed up."
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David Swerdlick @swerd.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
Today's gift link. "After we voted no, the Fulton County Republican Party sued us, apparently with the backing of the Republican National Committee. Judge Emerson eventually hit the county commission with a $10,000-a-day fine, which was stayed pending our appeal." www.nytimes.com/2026/03/27/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | We Refused to Seat Two Election Deniers. A Judge Tried to Punish Us for It.
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Tor'Darr Sun-Spear @torvar.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
There is now a term for people who refuse to look things up and then demand you explain it to them. So you have to type into the search bar and then copy and paste just for their lazy buttocks. These folks are called, "Finger Princess".
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Ian Coldwater 🧊🚫 @lookitup.baby · 25/02/2026
It’s not just Medicaid funding they’re withholding to MN. It’s food assistance, child care assistance, social services, job training, safety testing, public health, disaster relief. SNAP. Free lunch for kids in school. They hate us for loving our neighbors, and are collectively punishing us for it.
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Andrea Joy Campbell @ajcampbellma.bsky.social · 21/02/2026
Let's try this again 👋 Hi Bluesky - I'm Massachusetts' Attorney General. You might know me from suing President Trump nearly 50 times, beating Uber and Lyft in court, or being the first woman of color elected to statewide office in MA. I officially left X today - help me find my MA people?
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