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JRafferty

@johnrafferty.bsky.social
3.2K followers 3.6K following 964 posts

Born 320ish CO2 ppm. Educational content creator / Earth and Life Sciences. Weather, Climate, Biodiversity, Natural Hazards, Ecology, Verts, and the politics (unfortunately) that goes with them. Also: maps, dinos, telecasters, etc. My views.

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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 26m
Maybe there is something to Neil Diamond's hands-touching-hands line in "Sweet Caroline." "...bleached fragments put in contact with their healthy clones had recovered. The ones that were kept apart had died." www.euronews.com/2026/10/15/t... #coralbleaching #coral #coralreef
Photo of coral in-contact recovery by Danny Collins.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 17h
Simple and straightforward. Telecaster --> Peterson tuner --> Fulltone OD --> Clone Theory (chorus) --> HX one for rotary and trem --> AC15 amp
Simple board
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Remember, kids, doing anything untoward to these terrible toxic, noisy, life-killing, job-killing facilities owned by the super wealthy is a crime.
Ukraine text by Davidthestella.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
"If you see a Norwegian number calling, please pick up."
Comment by Nobel Prize committee to Peace Prize winner Navi Pillay.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Late-season tropical storm Isaias is intensifying in the Gulf of Mexico. Possible landfall this weekend. No one will blame you if you have a touch of deja vu right now. www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/grap...
Possible path of Isaiah in the Gulf of Mexico.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
In my backyard vegetable garden 🫑🌶️... ...hybrid serrano-cayennes and hybrid ghost-habaneros may be emerging. Stay tuned.
Photo of a serrano pepper (right) and cayenne pepper (left) with a possible hybrid (middle).Photo of a ghost pepper (right) and habanero pepper (left) with a possible hybrid (middle).
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
The early games window shows a different game covering Texas.
Fox early games window for 10/4/2026
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Also NOT in Atlanta for the Hawks game on Feb. 3, 2024. Asst. Coach Willis Beard.
Photograph of actor Brendan Hunt as Coach Willis Beard on "Ted Lasso."
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Pretty scary map. The regime and their R servants in Congress and the Senate don't seem to care about this. Vote as many of them out as possible.
U.S. Drought monitor map of September 22, 2026, showing more than half of the continental U.S. experiencing some level of drought conditions.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
So, if a member of your community said something like this, put up signs, or took out an ad in the paper to say this... ...would the police take notice? Why does this guy get a pass?
Truth special post of 9/202/2026
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Excerpt from the Times piece.
Except from 9/8/2026 NYT article by Eric Schlosser about beef imports to US.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Calling it. Here it is folks. This "Lake Ontario / Lake Amer..." thing is trump truly jumping the shark. This is the moment of desperation where history marks the ignominious start of his decline. (Apologies to Henry Winkler)
Happy Days sitcom still of Fonzie (Henry Winkler) on water skis during the series' jump-the-shark episode.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
I agree. Maybe, in this case, all of these works might be overlain on it. Something like this, maybe?
Venn diagram showing the overlap of numerous literary and cinematic dystopian stories.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
I know this idea is far fetched...totally far fetched, I'll admit. But given the lapse on a White House security clearance for over a year - and the vague "assistant" title... Has anyone competent completely ruled out the Angela Lansbury/Red Queen thing? #Natalie
Still of Angela Lansbury as the Red Queen handler/mind manipulator character in The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
I own a handful of used guitars like this one. Scuffs, dents, chips, and age marks from previous owners tell a story that I can add to.
Fender Telecaster Custom HS (Made in Mexico). Maple neck, muted 2-color sunburst.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Demon Cavefish (Demogorgonichthys arcanus), found in Alabama by U. of Alabama, Huntsville (UAH) researchers... ...has a genus name partially inspired by Dungeons & Dragons and the television series Stranger Things. #coolspeciesnames www.nature.com/articles/s41... and www.uah.edu/news/items/h...
Morphological comparison of similar northern Alabama cave fishes: Typhlichthys subterraneus, Demogorgonichthys arcanus Speoplatyrhinus poulsoni.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Unofficial atmospheric CO2 concentration reading. Sea level + 597 feet Chicago's Near West suburbs. July 31, 2026 #globalwarming #carbondioxide #KeelingCurve
A device by Aranet notes an atmospheric CO2 concentration of 443 parts per million in a Chicago suburban backyard on July 31, 2026
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Non-science, non-politics post. Father-son poker table build project 2026 is in the books.
Teenager using hole saw on plywood.Stained wood area on poker tableFinished poker table with cup holders, vinyl rail, and raised playing surface with suited poker speedcloth
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
The Air Quality Index ranking looks like an Olympic Swimming final. www.iqair.com/world-air-qu...
Top 7 AQI ranks for 7/15/2026
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Some of you have heard rumblings that this year isn't like other El Nino years. I just read today's Substack by @zekehausfather.com on the coming Super #ElNino. The graphs alone tell a detailed story. It's a must-read. www.theclimatebrink.com/p/the-strong... #globalwarming #climate
Graph detailing the temperature anomalies of several El Nino events.Graph tracking the temperature departures of several El Nino events. One showing that July 2026 is rising noticeably faster than all others.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
No kings. Not now. Not ever. heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/july-2-2026
Text describing a part of Thomas Paine's Common Sense.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Probably apropos, even though the WH probably made all the staffers install the app. <Taps the sign>
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Obligatory "Dune" quote about machines.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
#showyoursttipes Upper Midwest.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
This subversive "Algae-Fa" image is making the rounds.
Pantone color 86-4547
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Dibs on the B52s-tribute/funk fusion band name "Doctor Congo." Also, that was one helluva game last night. ⚽️🏆 www.nytimes.com/athletic/liv...
Excerpt from New York Times article noting that Fox Commentator mistakenly called the Democratic Republic of Congo as Doctor Congo in a live broadcast.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
CNN released and annotated the memo of understanding. It's amazing how craptastic this thing is. $300 billion can either help put the country back on its feet, or it can fund weapons development and future attacks. www.cnn.com/2026/06/17/p...
Part of the memo and its annotation.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
(Now former) 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley issues statement after being fired by CBS. It's revealing and another shocking example of CBS's descent into rank unprofessionalism. www.mediaite.com/media/tv/sco...
Pelley statement text 1Pelley statement text 2Pelley statement text 3Pelley statement text 4
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Imagine going through all of the hard work of banning these terrible things in 2024, only to have the current administration of numbskulls and cruel idiots bring them back. #cyanidebomb #pest_control #endangered_species #federal_lands
A 2024 Bureau of Land Management report banning the use of M-44 "Cyanide Bomb" pest-control devices from federal lands.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Certainly not as pristine and well-mixed as Mauna Loa, but here's an unofficial reading from Chicago's Near West suburbs.
Atmospheric CO2 measurement on May 4, 2026. Chicago's western suburbs.

455 parts per million
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
Regardless of last night's episode, or how it really happened, or how it's being spun... it's a distraction. There is a national general strike THIS Friday, May 1. Stay focused. 🇺🇸 #IranWar #corruption #affordability #EpsteinFiles #ICE_attrocities #Qatar_jet #EastWingDemolition #2026midterms
General Strike notice for May 1, 2026.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
The average trend line is the thick, dark, hatched line in the left-hand figure (in the forwarded message). 1997-98 El Nino - peaked at 2.4 C 2015-16 El Nino - peaked at 2.6 C Models show that a 2.6+ event is possible.
https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/ensostuff/ONI_v5.php
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
So, say this canal gets built. (setting aside the terrain challenges for now)... ...Tanker/container traffic would be funneled into a DIFFERENT narrow channel STILL IN RANGE of Iran's kamikaze drones and missiles. #boondoggle #StraitofHormuz #Iranwar
Map of UAE and Omani side of the Strait of Hormuz showing terrain.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
The Strait is not open. As of an hour ago CST. Live tracking www.marinevesseltraffic.com/HORMUZ-STRAI...
Snapshot of current traffic concentration in the Strait of Hormuz at 16:38 UTC April 9, 2026.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 05/04/2026
Happy Easter, everyone. As we stumble through the weird rhetoric of the current prez, consider this t-shirt I just came across. Sure, Lincoln was cooler, and he looks totally at home playing a Telecaster, ...but I'd like to think he's got a Stratocaster stashed away somewhere.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
Get loud in two days. Remind them that YOU are THEIR bosses in two days. Make history in two days. 🇺🇸
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
Primary day in Illinois. Get out there and do the voting thing.
Voting sticker over car dash. Illinois Primary March 17, 2026.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
First Amendment violation, Brendan. I wonder if a class-action lawsuit (with 320 million of us being the injured class) might change your mind. Do this and ALL of us will see you in court.
Brendan Carr, FCC chair, threatens broadcaster licenses. This is a violation of the First Amendment.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Short term: gasoline and other fuels will quickly become more expensive. Long term: increased incentive for electrical vehicles #IranWar #StraitOfHormuz
March 6 crude oil futures trading price on NYMEX. $90.59 USD per barrel.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
FYI: Turner Classic Movies schedule opposite the State of the Union address.
Turner Classic Movies evening schedule for 2/24/2026. 7:00 PM CST "Gaslight" (1944)
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
I get it, but this also needs to be said. Hang in there, Brother.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
"Save America Act" <-- misnomer of the century. #KillTheBill Capitol Switchboard operator: (202) 224-3121 www.senate.gov/general/reso...
U.S. Senate office phone number list
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
I can't be the only one who's seeing this.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
Vance's statement is a textbook example of bad framing---it's a #Strawman argument. Call these out whenever you see them. Source: yourlogicalfallacyis.com/strawman
Strawman argument definition and example (with image) from  https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/strawman
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
My son (a GenZ) calls this "aura farming."
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
Chicago folks, Emergency Protest happening at 5 pm at Federal Plaza in the city. 🇺🇸 From Indivisible and 50501.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 01/01/2026
New Year's #resolution time! This year don't forget to add #Resistance Training to your resistance training. Let's Go! 🇺🇸
Graphic describes a male figure demonstrating a variety of exercises without weights.Graphic shows a number of people standing with a variety of modern protest signs.
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 29/12/2025
Remember the McDonald's McDLT - which "kept the hot side hot and the cool side cool?" The #polar_vortex should work the same way - with cold air staying in the Arctic. (Thanks to WFLA meteorologist Jeff Berardelli for the image) 1/3
"For the layman, (relative) warm blocking in the Arctic “displaces” the tropospheric Polar Vortex, forcing cold southward into the US."
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JRafferty @johnrafferty.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
Check out this awesome Brocken Spectre (also known as a glory) that I was able to snap as we descended into KC this AM. The image you see is the shadow of our plane on the clouds. (If you're interested in the nerdy stuff of how this happens, check out the link.) www.britannica.com/science/Broc...
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