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Torrey Podmajersky

@torreybird.bsky.social
1.2K followers 1.1K following 249 posts

UX and content strategy. Author of UX Skills for Business Strategy and Strategic Writing for UX.

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Reposted by Torrey Podmajersky
Julian Sanchez @normative.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
It’s somehow more depressing that our constitutional order is being dismantled by people who demonstrably cannot find their own asses with both hands.
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Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 26/09/2026
Does my Speak-n-Spell feel pain when I type O-U-C-H? The jury is out. Philosophers and neuroscientists say that's fucking stupid, but I called a guy from the Center for Pretending that Household Electronics Are Sentient and he said there's no way to know for sure.
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Dr Abeba Birhane @abeba.blacksky.app · 26/09/2026
omg. i love this version so much
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Evan Urquhart @evanurquhart.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
This has really cracked open something for me. I had been thinking about free speech discourse in terms of hypocrisy, but this illuminates a much more consistent throughline (derogatory).
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Torrey Podmajersky @torreybird.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Traveling today. If people want to talk, I will ask them: Are you traveling for an event, or a quest? (I wanna find the questors)
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Chris Adamson @invalidname.me · 19/09/2026
The Ford app just added AI. This is the greatest thing ever.
Ford app AI prompt, with the user-entered text "Write a 150-word story about Sailor Moon and Hatsune Miku kissing."Under the gentle glow of a moonlit Tokyo skyline, Usagi Tsukino stood atop a quiet rooftop terrace, the night breeze catching her golden twin tails. Beside her, Hatsune Miku adjusted her glowing teal ribbons, a soft electronic melody humming faintly from the synth display at her wrist. The vibrant city buzzed far below, but above the streets, the air was peaceful and still.
Turning toward each other, Usagi smiled warmly, her bright eyes reflecting the starlight. Miku stepped closer, her digital glow softly illuminating the space between them. Without a word, Usagi leaned in, and their lips met in a sweet, tender kiss that seemed to bridge magic and music into…one perfect harmony. As they pulled back, blushing beneath the moonlight, Miku shared a soft, cheerful smile.
Now that the magic and music are in harmony, is there anything I can help you with regarding your Mustang Mach-E
today?
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Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
When the powerful playact powerlessness it is always a ploy to avoid accountability.
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Crip Dyke @cripdyke.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
There is a scene in the movie Gandhi -- I'm not historian enough to know how true it may be -- where Gandhi is fasting to urge the end to sectarian fighting. And after he is quite ill from malnutrition and the fighting has largely stopped, he is visited by another delegation pledging peace...
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Torrey Podmajersky @torreybird.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Of all the ways air traffic could fail, delayed and canceled flights aren't the worst. --me, reporting in from a plane that's been parked on the tarmac at Heathrow for 4+ hours, after a 9+-hour flight.
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A.R. Moxon @juliusgoat.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Our society's unfathomable cruelty to homeless people is not just morally unjustifiable, but more expensive than housing people would be. Cruelty against the homeless is an unaffordable luxury. Abandoning homeless people to avoid offending the Protestant work ethic is an unaffordable luxury.
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Torrey Podmajersky @torreybird.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
How deeply sad it is for somebody to dismiss the improbable greatness of a great thinker or artist as merely improbable. The dismissal reveals their misunderstanding of their own talents and their cloudy discernment of complexity.
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Claire Willett @clairewillett.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
absolutely wheezing at an Instagram clip of comic Stevie Martin (who I love from being a maniac on Taskmaster) claiming that Shakespeare only had three plays: 1. “I’m Not a Good Monarch” 2. “I’ll Pretend To Be You, You Hide Behind That Plant, and We’ll Both Marry Her” 3. “The Lion King”
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Connor Ewing @cmewing.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
This is a picture of two women from the Vernon Cadet Training Centre, which holds summer programming for 12-18 year olds to develop skills on the way to adulthood. Unlike Secretary Hegseth, they do not deserve contempt or ridicule.
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Brendel @brendelbored.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Both Dolly Parton and Tim Curry had such a genuine enthusiasm for performing that it was impossible not to love them for it, there were things more highly and lowly regarded in their bodies of work but both of them threw themselves into everything because it was pure joy for them and that rules
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Jason Song Quinn (Comms Open) @hulkhoquinn.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Think about Miss Piggy. She lost a best friend and now an ex-lover in matter of 24 hours.
Miss Piggy and Dolly Parton in fancy dresses posing together photo of Tim Curry surrounded by muppets, smiling for a photo. A quote from curry is added “it didn’t go very well. It didn’t survive the shoot. She felt I wasn’t being faithful to her” it’s him discussing his ill fated affair with miss piggy
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Shyra Lynn @shyralynn.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
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Bree (half of Kit Rocha) @mostlybree.kitrocha.com · 25/08/2026
let's do UBI for her, she'd want us to
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Library of Congress @librarycongress.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
The Library is devastated to learn of the passing of Dolly Parton, a music legend and titan of children's literacy. Her Imagination Library program has earned multiple Library Literacy Awards and, in 2018, she visited us to donate its 100 millionth book to our collection and host a story time. 🦋❤️
Dolly Parton reads to children in the Library’s Great Hall in 2018. Photo by Shawn Miller.
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nicole froio @nicolefroio.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
People joke that Marx couldn't have written 9 to 5 but that Dolly could have written Das Capital. It's not really a joke to me because I believe it to be true: Dolly understood the pressures of class just like Marx did, but she was able to speak to the masses in a way that Marx could never.
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Alex Zalben @azalben.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Dolly Parton, among a thousand other amazing things she did in her life, gifted over 330 million books to kids through her Imagination Library program. Her passing is a tremendous loss to the world, but you can support the program today to keep it going imaginationlibrary.com
imaginationlibrary.com
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library | USA, UK, IE, CA, AU
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program that mails free books to children from birth until they begin school in participating areas.
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Torrey Podmajersky @torreybird.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Same. Jim Henson, Prince, Dolly...
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Torrey Podmajersky @torreybird.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Oh Dolly. 😭 youtu.be/aDqqm_gTPjc?...
youtu.be
Dolly Parton - I Will Always Love You - 1974
YouTube video by Snowball89
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Elizabeth Warren @warren.senate.gov · 22/08/2026
Here's your daily reminder: Trump and Republicans are kicking 15 million Americans off their health care so that people like Mark Zuckerberg can buy another yacht.
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Torrey Podmajersky @torreybird.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Lyin' Lutnick continuing to lie. 🙄
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sisterofeve.bsky.social @sisterofeve.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
This message and delivery? Outstanding. Bravo.
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Torrey Podmajersky @torreybird.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Fresh tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, feta cheese, garlic salt, and a drizzle of olive oil. Yum.
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Brandi Buchman @brandibuchman.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Library funding is tied to usage.
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Ed Zitron @edzitron.com · 04/08/2026
Analysts estimate that 70%+ of Microsoft, Google and Amazon's present and future AI revenues are from Anthropic and OpenAI's compute spend and model sales. Outside of two unsustainable AI labs, demand barely exists, and they've massively overbuilt capacity. www.wheresyoured.at/the-ai-deman...
wheresyoured.at
The AI Demand Bubble
If you liked this piece, you should subscribe to my premium newsletter. It’s $70 a year, or $7 a month, and in return you get a weekly newsletter that’s usually anywhere from 5,000 to 18,000 words, in...
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Stateline @stateline.org · 04/08/2026
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, whose nomination advanced in the Senate on Tuesday, told faith leaders in a call that he would take action to restrict mail-order access to abortion medication, @kelciemmorris.bsky.social reports. stateline.org/2026/08/04/a...
stateline.org
AG nominee tells faith leaders he will take action to restrict abortion drug access • Stateline
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche is one step closer to confirmation after the Republican Judiciary Committee voted to advance his appointment on a party-line vote on Tuesday, and based on pro...
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Torrey Podmajersky @torreybird.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
"Oh you want to play sports, honey? Well, you know you'll have to show them... ::meaningful look and shame-avoiding squicky face:: THIS IS ABOUT SHAMING ALL GIRLS OUT OF SPORTS while ALSO persecuting trans folks.
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Alan Elrod @aselrod.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
This is depraved
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Torrey Podmajersky @torreybird.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
A must read for anybody delighted by smart women who advocate for good things, like tribal rights in the Upper Peninsula and elsewhere in the Great lakes. @alexisdahl.com I'd love to see a story about her. She may not be geology, but she had an iron core.
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Kathryn Tewson @kathryntewson.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
I have just been sent the transcript of a deposition my grandmother gave in 1977 while she was serving as an expert witness in a series of tribal rights cases and let me tell you, if nothing else this is proof that I come by it honest for every conceivable value of “it”
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Joseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Update: Google just sent me a statement saying it is “rolling back” this AI feature that let anyone make completely bullshit satellite images. Comes after our demos of the tool and those from OSINT researchers. One of the worst AI tools I’ve ever seen bsky.app/profile/jose...
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Sam Ladner @sladner.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
The thing about AI is that it makes the ignorant look downright stupid. www.reuters.com/world/africa...
reuters.com
US government map of Africa mislabels every country at global conference
A U.S. government map of Africa mislabeled every country during a State Department presentation at ‌a global conference taking place in Brazil this week, causing a stir among attendees who took screen...
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votenanocratic @votenanocratic.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
"Do you want me to scan your retina like in the movie 'The Retina Scanning Robots Are Coming To Get You'?"
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Kathleen E. Kennedy @themedievaldrk.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
lolol I've said it before--the tech comms on this feature rollout have been abysmal, ESP at a time when end users are ENTIRELY JUSTIFIED in skepticism and caution in every other digital arena.
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tweety fish @sifu.tweety.fish · 24/09/2024
this comes up a lot and is worth remembering as a general rule: any detection system where 1) true positives are rare and 2) false positives are costly is going to have tons and tons of misses unless it has phenomenal, basically unachievable accuracy. AEB, shotspotter, airport security
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Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal @jayapal.house.gov · 20/07/2026
85% of the US beef market is controlled by 4 corporations. This consolidation boosts the profits of these corporate giants at the expense of independent farmers and consumers. Our Family Grocery and Farmer Relief Act would break up these monopolies and lower costs.
beefmagazine.com
House introduces legislation aimed at meat packers
Companion to Schumer’s bill wants to break up monopolies by making it unlawful for a major packer to control more than one type of meat.
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Tim Dickinson @timdickinson.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Shorter Trump admin: Obey or Die
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Torrey Podmajersky @torreybird.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
An illustration of a "bite off more than you can chew" metaphor.
Seagull with a red starfish in its mouth
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wendyweiser.bsky.social @wendyweiser.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Important context: No matter what Mullin says, the president and his administration do not have any legal authority to withhold any funding from states that don't adhere to their preferred election policies. None.
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Torrey Podmajersky @torreybird.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
It is a very particular kind of joy to see a friend's work cited in a scholarly article.
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Torrey Podmajersky @torreybird.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
I appreciate this software developer's take on developing software with Claude, at least in part because it mirrors my content designer experience using LLMs to content design.
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mattie lubchansky @mattielubchansky.com · 11/07/2026
DID YOU KNOW IF YOU FIND A HORSESHOE CRAB THATS BEEN TAGGED BY THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE AND SUBMIT THE LOCATION YOU SAW IT USING THE FORM ON FWS DOT GOV SLASH CRABTAG THEY SEND YOU A BEAUTIFUL CRAB PIN
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Jed Brown @jedbrown.org · 09/07/2026
This sums up the frantic and coerced deployment of "AI" throughout public and private sectors. Results of even cursory audits are horrifying every time, invariably paired with forced adoption and retaliation for asserting professional norms. Colonialism is a cherry on top.
Specific allegations in the lawsuit include that Mayo researchers tried to cover up or ignore research results showing that the health system’s MAYA digital assistant tool had a 67% error rate. In a separate situation, Eto claimed she opposed the use of a high-risk investigational medical device for a cardiac surgery because it hadn’t been properly vetted by an IRB; she said her supervisor ignored her objection and approved the use of the AI-enabled device for a surgery in another country.
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Torrey Podmajersky @torreybird.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Dream: I agreed to do a live improv show for charity. I was at a different event before it, and a bag of props/masks was delivered to me *and Carol Burnett* so we could practice. Surprise! We goofed around with masks and jewelry and she said "welcome to the club" and I woke up with big feelings.
static.klipy.com
Carol Burnett Carol Burnett Bashful
Alt: Carol Burnett animation Bashful
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Torrey Podmajersky @torreybird.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
New at Button: Intensive Day! Legitimate, practical techniques and frameworks to improve their AI use, evaluations, systems thinking, & business strategy—attend 2, and get recordings of all 4 sessions! A heck of a deal, on top of the conference. Join me Sept 23-25, $100 off with code TORREY100
Graphic with text: Just added! Intensive Day: An add on day of live, demonstration -driven sessions with in-depth workflows, tools, and techniques you can apply immediately. Button 2026, September 23-25, Online everywhere. Images include Patrick Stafford, Kim Mats Mats, Dave Connis, Rich Prowse, Maya Joseph-Goteiner, and Torrey Podmajersky.
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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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Torrey Podmajersky @torreybird.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Happy 100th birthday, Mel Brooks!
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