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Matt

@mattbakes.bsky.social
385 followers 665 following 2.5K posts

I write about the global energy industry, with a slight focus on the renewable side. A lifetime ago, I was in the Marines. For fun and self-therapy, I bake, and that's mostly what I post here. Glorified butler to three dogs.

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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Ohhh you might like Maphra's cover of Unethical! It's a bit of a different take on it but it's really good.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
But a great base for peach kuchen! Just made some this weekend.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
static.klipy.com
Michael Clarke Duncan in Green Mile: I'm Tired, Boss
Alt: Michael Clarke Duncan in Green Mile: I'm Tired, Boss
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
static.klipy.com
Press F to Pay Respects Meme
ALT: Press F to Pay Respects Meme
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Airports are of the shadow realm. Normal rules do not apply. Wear a moth-eaten outift pulled out of a dumpster? Sure. Eat a 3,000-calorie dinner at 10 a.m.? Go for it. Test the drinking line dividing "just buzzed enough" and "I just got kicked off my flight and put on a list"? You do you boo.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Yes, but only very carefully and with at least two exit plans (a primary and a backup). It's the eyes closed, head first, full send fucking around that inevitably leads to finding out.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
Mini maple french toast muffins from @kingarthurbaking.bsky.social. Easy, quick recipe and really good. The muffins are coated in a mixture of melted butter and maple syrup and then tossed in a mixture of sugar, maple sugar and cinnamon.
A tray of 24 mini maple french toast muffins after coating. The are next to a bowl of the sugar and cinnamon mixture and a cup of the butter and maple syrup mixture.A close up of the mini maple french toast muffins24 mini maple french toast muffins still in the pan, before turning them out to coat them.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Made brown sugar strawberry frosted cakes from @kingarthurbaking.bsky.social. First time I’ve tried reverse creaming. Probably overmixed the batter, since the centers didn’t rise. Still really good & neighbors enjoyed them. Silver lining is that the buttercream is piled high in the middle. #baking
Two brown sugar strawberry frosted cakes on cooling racksA slice of brown sugar strawberry frosted cake on a plateTwo brown sugar strawberry frosted cakes without strawberries added yetTwo brown sugar strawberry frosted cakes, before adding the buttercream and strawberries. The centers did not rise.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
As a veteran, I despise war mongers that never walked the walk. Hegseth has a CIB from Iraq, but the action that led to it was unsubstantiated at confirmation hearing. There should be documentation. Always got the sense that he's the type of vet to inflate his record. Or maybe I'm just bitter.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
Haven’t had the time or energy to bake anything for weeks. Took the opportunity of a three-day weekend to make hot milk cupcakes with vanilla buttercream and berries.
A tray of eighteen hot milk cupcakes. Each is topped with piped vanilla buttercream, a blackberry, blueberry and slice of strawberryA closer shot of two hot milk cupcakes. Each is topped with piped vanilla buttercream, a blackberry, blueberry and slice of strawberry18 hot milk cupcakes fresh out of the oven. Still in the two cupcake pans—there are 12 cupcakes in one and six in the other. The cupcakes have light golden tops.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Every time I see whatever fresh, new horror each day brings from AI companies, I can't help but think that none of them watched Jurassic Park as kids, or did not take any lessons from it if they did.
An image of Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic park with his quote, "Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, that they didn't stop to think if they should."
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
There is no such thing as "too much" garlic. Also, if you want to make peeling the cloves easier, microwave them for about 5-10 seconds first. It's like magic.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
I've just been existing out of spite for the last decade. I'll worry about five years in the future in five years.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
I happened to follow you when I first joined the platform because I followed a lot of journalist lists. Your seemingly near-inexhaustible capacity to engage with people, especially those who vehemently disagree with you, is impressive. I wouldn't be able to last a week.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
I wasn't aware they were considering adapting them. Not sure how I feel about the idea. Core part of my childhood and instrumental in developing a life-long love of reading. Probably my love of baking too, come to think of it; some of my favorite passages were descriptions of the feasts.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Every Monday I wake up and wonder what new fuel the week will bring for my existential dread. I did not have to wait long. Fantastic piece, by the way, @newyorker.com, @ronanfarrow.bsky.social and Andrew Marantz. www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
newyorker.com
Sam Altman May Control Our Future—Can He Be Trusted?
New interviews and closely guarded documents shed light on the persistent doubts about the head of OpenAI.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
Chocolate chip cookie brownies, used a recipe from King Arthur Baking. Easy to make and really good. #baking
Two plates of chocolate chip cookie browniesA close up of a plate of chocolate chip cookie brownies
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Several firms are aiming for commercial reactors in the early 2030s. It seems possible, though the challenges mean failure is at least as likely as success. Even if it works, global build out likely takes decades. There are so many supply bottlenecks (tritium, HTS tape, etc) to still figure out.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
17% of Ras Laffan capacity being down—so far—for 3-5 years is going to be pretty gnarly, considering how tight LNG markets already were before the war.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Purchased and on the reading list, thanks
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
A superbly written article by @willoyd.bsky.social of @newstatesman1913.bsky.social. As a veteran of an earlier (and simpler?) war, it brought back a lot of old feelings. Shame, too. Fair warning, if the headline doesn't make it obvious: it's a dark topic. www.newstatesman.com/internationa...
newstatesman.com
The new world war
Why the battle for Iran and Ukraine is coming for us all
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
I guess if they’ll pay a few billion up front and let y’all keep the name, no strings attached…
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
Every day in the gym it’s not a question of will I hurt myself, it’s a question of what I will hurt this time. Today it was my Achilles tendon. This is what I get for getting old.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
Pretty happy with the result, and despite never deep frying anything before I managed to not start a grease fire or burn myself with scalding hot oil. I ate the two that looked like they turned out the worst (not fried long enough probably), and like usual gave the rest to my neighbors.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
Made çiğ börek (or chebureki) this morning for the first time. Its a simple dough filled with a mixture of mince meat—often beef but could also be lamb or pork—grated onion, salt and pepper. I also added garlic powder because just about everything is better with garlic. Then it's fried.
Twelve çiğ börek on a cooling rack on a tray.Dough balls on a tray and filling in a bowl for çiğ börek, sitting on a stove top.A dough ball rolled flat with filling on half of it for çiğ börek, before it is folded and pinched closed.Three çiğ börek deep frying in oil in a pan.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 21/02/2026
Had a bunch of buttermilk left over from baking last week that I didn’t want to go to waste. So I decided to make a ton of buttermilk pancakes to give to my neighbor. I ate a few myself and I still gave them about two dozen. Luckily, they have a big family.
A stovetop with a skillet and two bowls. One bowl has pancake batter, the other has utensils that are being used to keep the work area clean. The skillet has four pancakes cooking in it. A tray of about two dozen pancakes
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
And yes, I do realize I am very fortunate.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Just learned I will get a promotion and a ~16% raise next month. Looks like I'll be sticking around (also the job market is trash, so I better). Now my finances will be slightly less uncomfortable, which is wild considering salary, its just me and three dogs, and I am not frivolous with spending.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
Nothing like a bit of existential dread to start the day off right.
media.tenor.com
a cartoon dog is sitting at a table with a cup of coffee surrounded by fire .
Alt: a cartoon dog is sitting at a table with a cup of coffee surrounded by fire .
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 15/02/2026
Also don’t think the red velvet is a deep enough red, and while it’s not dry, it’s drier than I would like. All around though, they didn’t turn out too bad, just have room for improvement. Neighbors appreciated them, at least.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 15/02/2026
Red velvet cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting. The ermine frosting I made last night was absolutely unusable lol, so I had to whip up some buttercream instead. Meant to pipe flowers too but decided to leave that for after I’ve practiced some. #baking 1/2
Red velvet cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting on a cutting board Red velvet cupcakes without frosting on a cooling rackA red velvet cupcake cut in half to show the crumb
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
A few cups worth of ermine frosting for tomorrow. Tastes good, but then it’s mostly milk, butter and sugar so kinda hard to mess that up. Not so sure about how it will look after piping. Guess I’ll find out. Tomorrow’s #baking will be a lot of new things.
Two deli containers laying on their sides with lids on. They are each about three-quarters full of freshly made ermine frosting.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
Had to try again. Used a different recipe this time. Still not completely satisfied, so the search continues. Now I just need to find someone(s) to give about 40 cookies to. I think I might give them to the dogs' vet staff when I pick up Arlo tomorrow. #baking
A plastic container lined with parchment paper, with about 40 freshly baked chocolate chip cookies inside.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
You're not wrong, but the never-ending performative outrage over minor things is exhausting, which I guess may be the point. Feels like it has been one tan suit after another since 2014. It's enough to make a person numb, which is a problem for when something happens that *should* piss everyone off.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
Couldn't decide what to bake yesterday, so I went with chocolate chip cookies. Tried to make them crispy, but they ended up a bit too thin. I need to bake cookies more often. They can be deceptively tricky to get just right. But even an imperfect cookie is almost always still a tasty cookie. #baking
A sheet of parchment paper on a baking tray, on top of which there are three rows of chocolate chip cookies.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
It feels like we are on a path where in a few years, "this product was made without any use of AI," will command a premium. Sort of like high end, hand-made products vs. cheap, mass-manufactured products now.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
Does anyone know a good online source for food-grade beeswax? I need some for canelés but haven’t been able to find anything that I felt I could trust. #baking
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Can I have some too? I have been bleeding money for months and I hate it.
media.tenor.com
a man in a suit and tie is holding a laptop and says " yeah that 'd be nice "
ALT: a man in a suit and tie is holding a laptop and says " yeah that 'd be nice "
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
I'm not going to go looking for pulpy juice, but if I get a glass of juice and it happens to have pulp I'll still drink it. So I guess I'm mostly indifferent?
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
media.tenor.com
a man in a suit and tie is sitting at a desk with a computer and the word and written on it
ALT: a man in a suit and tie is sitting at a desk with a computer and the word and written on it
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
If it's not, it should be. They look great!
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
I wrote a long-form article a few months ago for work covering all the actions taken against wind in the U.S. and the impacts (which will only get worse). The timeline of federal actions took up nearly a full page, and that was *before* the latest stop work orders. He really hates wind farms.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
I was in the USMC from 2007-2015, and there are still a lot of days where I really miss it, or parts of it anyway. I would dread still being in now. The positions they are being put in is absolutely insane. I just hope if the moment truly comes, their leaders have the courage to say no.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
media.tenor.com
a man in a white shirt is saying i am jack 's complete lack of surprise
Alt: a man in a white shirt is saying i am jack 's complete lack of surprise
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
I feel your pain 😩 Worked yesterday and today because my plate overfloweth
media.tenor.com
a cartoon dog is sitting at a table in front of a fire with the words `` i 'm fine '' above him .
Alt: a cartoon dog is sitting at a table in front of a fire with the words `` i 'm fine '' above him .
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
I had to cheat to figure out what it was 😞 I have never watched that one. I know I should, it's on the ever-growing list.
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
I feel your pain. Get to wake up at 4:30 a.m. tomorrow to drive to IAH for a flight 😩 gonna ruin the day before it even begins
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
media.tenor.com
a man in a green shirt and tie says " i have something to live for "
ALT: a man in a green shirt and tie says " i have something to live for "
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
Can't wait for mudbugs 😩
media.tenor.com
a man with a mustache is talking about eating food that is scared .
ALT: a man with a mustache is talking about eating food that is scared .
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Matt @mattbakes.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
I had a full English breakfast a few times in Afghanistan—or what passed for one in that environment—when I spent some time on British bases during my first deployment. I don't know if I can say it is my favorite, but it certainly hit the spot when I had it. Way better than what I typically got.
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