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Deirdre

@pingyourbrain.bsky.social
37 followers 75 following 109 posts

Content Director at Sterling Communications. Dr. Dobb's alumna. Past Sr. Editor at Java Magazine. Reads a lot, is a Pisces, and digs cool things.

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Deirdre
James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I've reported first-hand on steel mills in Korea, China, Japan, Illinois, and Mississippi. This is 100% not going to happen. Disagree? Bet me. (Though I'm against online betting. It's just not going to happen.)
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
😱https://www.bcbs.com/about-us/association-news/bcbsa-analysis-ai-coding-tools-affects-healthcare-costs
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
we can still have nice things www.mercurynews.com/2026/09/10/b...
mercurynews.com
Bay Area’s first ‘living levee’ opens to the public
More than 2,000 plants hailing from 30 species are planted on a 500-foot-long slope of the Harbor Marsh shores in the Palo Alto Baylands
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
"the anti-AI movement isn’t about rejecting technology altogether so much as it is about advocating for more control, agency, and freedom in how people use technology" techcrunch.com/2026/07/25/l...
techcrunch.com
Librarians are hosting viral 'Avoiding AI' workshops for people who are fed up with Big Tech | TechCrunch
At libraries around the country, "Avoiding AI" workshops have elicited unprecedented demand.
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
"Call us optimists, call us dreamers. Just as we've always done, we're betting on people." —The voiceover from a new advert from Meta, which exhorts us to be more optimistic about AI.
Gladiators battling before spectators
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
🤔 www.wired.com/story/how-hu...
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Even though the talking heads and the interwebs keep telling us everything is awful and everyone is hateful, stories like this remind me that people are awesome and I love them www.bbc.com/travel/artic...
bbc.com
The US that World Cup fans didn't expect to love
From roadside convenience stores to lonely landscapes, travellers are discovering little-known slices of Americana away from the host cities.
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
www.404media.co/bodycam-foot...
404media.co
Bodycam Shows Moment Cops Arrested a Man for Speaking Too Long at Data Center Meeting
We spoke to Darren Blanchard, the man arrested while speaking out against data centers at a community meeting. He's sharing the bodycam footage of his arrest for the first time with 404 Media.
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Yes, it is true! Ikeda's pies are the best and everyone knows it. www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaur...
sfchronicle.com
This Bay Area-to-Tahoe road trip stop was just named America’s best pie shop
A longtime I-80 stop for Bay Area travelers headed to Lake Tahoe was recently voted the best in the country for its pies.
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
This gave me fits of gigggles www.nytimes.com/2026/06/15/a...
nytimes.com
In Its Tragic Finale, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Is Interrupted by a Cat
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
www.nytimes.com/2026/06/02/w...
static.klipy.com
Consequences: Keanu Reeves as John Wick
ALT: Consequences: Keanu Reeves as John Wick
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
really cool discussion on how batteries are made and new ways to make them better in this podcast (hint: with additive manufacturing equipment, they can actually be printed -- just like laser-printing documents!) youtu.be/Oo5y4QE5D5Q?...
youtu.be
Printing Batteries, how AM is changing Battery Manufacturing and Performance
YouTube video by EOS 3D Printing
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
I've said it before and I'll say it again: @drewmagary.bsky.social is a national treasure
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
fascinating 🤔 www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
The Astounding Discovery That Could Link Eastern and Western Medicine
The detection of another circulatory system in the human body could have enormous scientific implications.
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
techcrunch.com/2026/05/26/d...
techcrunch.com
DuckDuckGo installs are up 30% as users reject being ‘force-fed’ Google’s AI Search | TechCrunch
Google overhauled Search at I/O 2026, replacing blue links with AI agents. The backlash has been swift. DuckDuckGo app installs spiked 30% as users seek a way out.
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
"At his best, Attenborough reminds us that there are natural wonders beyond our comprehension and that, despite our collective self-absorption, we are not the center of the universe." www.theringer.com/2026/05/04/t...
theringer.com
David Attenborough and the Voice That Revealed a Planet
He turned a whisper into one of the most powerful voices in history. At 100, it carries both wonder and warning.
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
www.nytimes.com/2026/05/05/u...
nytimes.com
F.D.A. Blocked Publication of Research Finding Covid and Shingles Vaccines Were Safe
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
Heartbreaking. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/21/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Measles Took My Daughter. This Is What I Want Everyone to Know.
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
The screens got cheap. The shared experiences got expensive. www.derekthompson.org/p/why-cost-d...
derekthompson.org
Why 'Cost Disease' Is the Secret Force Behind America's Toxic Solitude
The screens got cheap. The shared experiences got expensive.
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
www.wired.com/story/border...
wired.com
Unmasking the Paramilitary Agents Behind Trump’s Violent Immigration Crackdown
A WIRED analysis of DHS records identified dozens of specialized federal agents who used force against US civilians during the largest known deployment of its kind in US history.
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
@gruber.foo Silly reader, the web is for bots daringfireball.net/2026/03/your...
media.tenor.com
a cartoon dog is sitting in front of a fire and saying i 'm fine this is fine everything is fine
ALT: a cartoon dog is sitting in front of a fire and saying i 'm fine this is fine everything is fine
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
If Oscar acceptance speeches were honest 😈
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
I'll forever love this dude for his scene-stealing, bad-boyfriend King George. Watching Hamilton with the family on Disney was a profound and wonderful gift during the pandemic www.nytimes.com/2026/03/05/t...
nytimes.com
How Jonathan Groff Became Broadway’s Leading Man
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Reposted by Deirdre
Thor Benson @thorbenson.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Government tells broadcasters to air propaganda to celebrate freedom
hollywoodreporter.com
FCC Asks Broadcasters to Run “Patriotic, Pro-America Content” In America 250 Push
FCC chairman Brendan Carr's Pledge America campaign suggests that TV and radio stations air PSAs or begin their days with the Pledge of Allegiance .
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
anyone else think that the existence of PreCheck is some true BS anyway? www.nytimes.com/2026/02/22/u...
nytimes.com
T.S.A. Says PreCheck Will Remain Operational at Airports
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
pure California gold😊 www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVmC...
youtube.com
Alysa Liu wins the Olympic gold medal for the United States
YouTube video by Olympics
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
Oh sorry, he's already running the FDA www.statnews.com/2026/02/10/f...
statnews.com
FDA refuses to review Moderna’s influenza vaccine
FDA refuses to review Moderna’s influenza vaccine, which could raise concerns about the agency’s posture toward vaccines and drug approvals more generally.
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/c...
media.tenor.com
a cartoon dog is sitting in front of a fire and saying i 'm fine this is fine everything is fine
ALT: a cartoon dog is sitting in front of a fire and saying i 'm fine this is fine everything is fine
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
🤔 Slaves to the machine? techcrunch.com/2026/02/09/t...
techcrunch.com
The first signs of burnout are coming from the people who embrace AI the most | TechCrunch
Because employees could do more, work began bleeding into lunch breaks and late evenings. The employees' to-do lists expanded to fill every hour that AI freed up, and then kept going.
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
At this point, I think we'd be better off with Georgio Tsoukalos running HHS www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/u...
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Life Unplugged. www.wsj.com/style/design...
wsj.com
Everyone Wants a Room Where They Can Escape Their Screens
Weary of ‘smart’ everything, Americans are craving stylish ‘analog rooms’ free of digital distractions—and designers are making them a growing trend
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
20 minutes well spent www.nytimes.com/2026/01/10/m...
nytimes.com
George Saunders Says Ditching These Three Delusions Can Save You
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
🥰 if you like food and need a little joy in your day, listen to this delightful Splendid Table podcast episode with Francis Lam interviewing Irish raconteur and culinary legend Darina Allen 👩‍🍳https://www.splendidtable.org/episode/2025/01/10/irelands-national-culinary-treasure-darina-allen
splendidtable.org
Ireland’s National Culinary Treasure, Darina Allen
This week, we spend an energetic hour with Ireland’s Darina Allen, founder of the Ballymaloe Cookery School and author of multiple bestselling cookbooks, including her classic, The Forgotten Skills of...
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
This classic is tops in my 2025 holiday playlist youtu.be/Ssd3U_zicAI?...
youtu.be
Elvis Costello & The Attractions - (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding
YouTube video by ElvisCostelloVEVO
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
Real American holiday cheer 😂 The 2025 Hater’s Guide To The Williams-Sonoma Catalog - defector.com/the-2025-hat...
defector.com
The 2025 Hater’s Guide To The Williams-Sonoma Catalog | Defector
[Opens front door while holding a toy corgi in one arm] Merry Christmas! Oh my God, you made it! I thought you might be stuck at the airport for weeks! Well, because it’s such madness out there. Piper...
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
Another day, another interesting publication probably destined for the AI-powered content marketing trash heap. www.semafor.com/article/12/0...
semafor.com
Exclusive: Staff cuts and strategy squabbles split Atlas Obscura leadership
The relationship between the company’s founders and some of its investors appears to have soured.
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
Gee, perhaps the city of Portland should file a billion dollar lawsuit against Fox News www.propublica.org/article/port...
propublica.org
“Riots Raging”: The Misleading Story Fox News Told About Portland Before Trump Sent Troops
After reviewing coverage from the network and hours of social media videos that preceded Trump’s decision, ProPublica found that Fox’s portrayal of “Portland rioters” routinely instigating violence wa...
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
Mysteries of the algorithm: I subscribe to the @404media.co newsletter. This morning it was sent to spam in my gmail inbox for some unknown reason 🤔 www.404media.co/google-has-c...
404media.co
Google Has Chosen a Side in Trump's Mass Deportation Effort
Google is hosting a CBP app that uses facial recognition to identify immigrants, while simultaneously removing apps that report the location of ICE officials because Google sees ICE as a vulnerable gr...
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
this could eat hours of my life 😆 floor796.com?mc_cid=cdbde...
floor796.com
Floor796
A huge animation scene with many references to memes, games, films, series, anime, music groups
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
:) www.mercurynews.com/2025/10/30/s...
mercurynews.com
San Jose’s iconic House of Pizza celebrating its 75th anniversary
The downtown restaurant, opened by George Kukar in 1950, has become a San Jose institution with its square-cut, cheese-on-top pizzas.
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
🤔 www.politico.com/newsletters/...
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
😂 I think we can all agree that Australians supply the best quotes: “They realized that I’m legitimately just a drunk Aussie guy going to see his family at Area 51 who happens to have custody of the world's oldest burger” www.sfgate.com/food/article...
sfgate.com
'Eerily intact': A disturbing fast food relic is continuing to haunt McDonald's
"It's no longer food."
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
😆 silly 🤖 -- Google's AI thinks my #Athleta email promotions are written Greek 🇬🇷
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 29/09/2025
❤️ www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 25/09/2025
😢 Sad news: This fella served up a lot of joy and special memories for me and my family. Joe Betz, owner of House of Prime Rib, dies at 86 sfstandard.com/2025/09/24/s...
sfstandard.com
House of Prime Rib owner Joe Betz dies at 86
The House of Prime Rib owner is lauded for his generosity and commitment to old-school dining in San Francisco.
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
Cool stuff. 3dprintingindustry.com/news/intervi...
3dprintingindustry.com
Interview: Is 3D Printing Battery Components a Reality? Inside Sakuu’s Dry Electrode Printing Technology - 3D Printing Industry
As global electrification gains momentum, the battery industry is under growing pressure to boost production efficiency, minimize environmental impact, and build more resilient supply chains. To addre...
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
Delightful (AND the Cliff Stoll reference sent me down a memory-lane rabbit hole to a quirky old NOVA episode about hacking and the KGB :>) ratfactor.com/cards/fitted...
ratfactor.com
Ratfactor's Illustrated Guide to Folding Fitted Sheets - ratfactor
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 15/09/2025
❤️ @jenniferwilson.bsky.social "someone had waded through swamps, deciphered Latin, and gained the trust of egomaniacal horticulturalists, all for my passing delight" www.newyorker.com/magazine/tak...
newyorker.com
Jennifer Wilson on Susan Orlean’s “Orchid Fever”
The writer worried that the story was “too niche, too odd,” the crime of flower theft “too minor.” To think, I had loved it for precisely those qualities.
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Deirdre @pingyourbrain.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
Sharing good eats and spreading joy www.sfgate.com/warriors/art...
sfgate.com
Why you may recognize the Bay Area's new 7-foot food influencer
Here's why you're likely to see Festus Ezeli at Bay Area food staples.
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