iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

@johnmu.com have y'all seen this? script.google.com pages ranking (in traditional organic & AIOs) for some reasonably competitive YMYL terms. Seems sketchy. Feels like an SEM lander that has no business ranking on the merits of its content alone.

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

At what point is it downright deceptive for a store to use AI-generated product photos? I ordered a "Monaco Knitted Short Sleeve Shirt", supposed to look like the 1st image, but what came in the mail was this POS in the 2nd image 😂 Straight to the donate pile. drakoessentials.com/products/men...

An AI-generated product photo pictured on drakoessentials.com. Do not shop with this company.

A super low quality t-shirt that I received from drakoessentials.com

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Country music, but make it untz. 3 hours of nonstop high octane twang from Sturgill Simpson (via Johnny Blue Skies) at the Greek in Berkeley last night.

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

This article accuses folks of being "too lazy to do a Google search", overlooking the fact that most Google queries have a generative answer at the top, and now they're pushing folks from Google search directly into AI Mode. We're being force-fed slop, and it takes an active effort to avoid it.

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

I am beyond grateful for the next-level convenience that "AI chatbots" bring into my life every single day. We're truly living in the future.

My insurance company forces me to use a "health chat bot" in order to take action, but it doesn't understand even the simplest commands, and the only fallback option to choose is "Something Else".

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Reposted by John Vantine (he/him)

Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Evidence keeps accumulating that LLMs are a powerfully useful technology for people who already know what they're talking about, and a dangerous outsourcing of cognitive function for people who don't. This can occur within a single individual, who knows a lot about some things and not about others.

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Great show from Osees at The Chapel in SF last night. High energy, moshpit and crowdsurfing throughout the show… which I safely observed from the comfort of the balcony 😂 👀 @oseesarchive.bsky.social

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

This is a black metal album about a pony named Bill. I'm hearing equal parts shoegaze, black metal, and... super nintendo soundtrack. It's beautiful and wonderfully weird and gives me a strange sense of hope for humanity. @lammoth.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8WQ...

youtube.com

Lammoth - Onward (Full album, 2026) | Blackgaze

YouTube video by Antifascist Black Metal Network

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

I switched to decaf at the beginning of this year and it's been a *massive* upgrade for my nervous system. I'm still a big-time coffee snob and I'm grateful for the abundance of incredible decaf options out there, allowing me to maintain my precious morning bean routine.

Decaf beans from Hydrangea next to an Aeropress XL

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Beautiful evening at the Santa Cruz Quarry Ampitheater with Joe Russo’s Almost Dead last night. This venue is such a gem, and I’ll be back to see Acid Bath and the Melvins in just a few weeks!

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

So much nostalgia for this formative period of musical discovery. Streaming just doesn't hit the same.

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Still in awe of the landscapes we moved through over 5 days and 90 miles of mountain running in the French Alps, from Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée to Menton.

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Sitting on top of Black Rock Pass in Mineral King, Sequoia National Park, waiting for friends, loving life. It’s real good out there 😎

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Big Basin never ceases to amaze 😍

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

Morning sun showers in the Santa Cruz mountains 😍

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4mL... Thrilled to be featured on the Voices of Search podcast, where I spoke with Jordan about SEO, generative search, and winning AI Overviews in the health space. This was my first time on a podcast and I really enjoyed the experience.

youtube.com

How to Win AI Overviews in Healthcare

YouTube video by Previsible

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

Big Sur: Soberanes Canyon and Rocky Ridge trails (Garrapata State Park) while processing and healing ❤️‍🩹 with musical accompaniment by The Disco Biscuits.

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

Ken Marino leading his band through “Ophelia” sounds way better than it has any business being. David Wain is a beast on drums. This was a delightful evening of nostalgic jams and hilarious stories at Great American in SF last night.

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

Backpacking the Ohlone Wilderness Trail has always been high on my bucket list. Yesterday we ran it instead. Couldn’t have asked for better weather, and it’s so beautifully green out there right now. So much climbing, but we had a lot of fun. Roughly 30 miles and 8k vert 🫠

Strava stats from Trail running the Ohlone wilderness Trail, from Del Valle to Rose Peak, through Sunol, and ending after climbing Mission Peak in San Jose

Trail running the Ohlone wilderness, from Del Valle to Rose Peak, through Sunol, and ending after climbing Mission Peak in San Jose

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

Metal recommendations crack me up. "I felt physically bad after listening to [this album] for the first time" "Yeah. It’s like being in hell." SAY NO MORE FAM

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

Here’s @trey.com on The Small Bow podcast talking real-world application of emotional sobriety. Simple but powerful. I think about this a lot. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

Poison oak on my eye is just one of the many perks that come with the trail running lifestyle. A small gift from the redwoods.

Poison oak rash on face/eye. So much fun.

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

Just signed up for my first 50 mile race. This feels both completely insane and like a logical progression of my running journey. LFG.

Registration confirmation for Saddles 50 mile race in Prescott, AZ

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 11/01/2026

So sad about Bob Weir's passing. I found the Dead in my 20s, but their music continues to reveal itself to me, resonating in new ways as I get older. Phil & Friends at Langerado '08 hooked me, but Bobby was always my favorite. Here's video from Bob & Wolf Bros @ Greek Berkeley '21, a great show.

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

Stoked to hear about ChatGPT Health. Does this mean they'll start to focus on providing accurate information? As of this morning, ChatGPT tells me that the Wegovy pill is not real, so I'm not holding my breath...

ChatGPT says that wegovy is not available as a pill, only as an injection.

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

Santa Cruz is pure magic after the rain. Here are some shots from The Forest of Nisene Marks in Aptos earlier this week.

A baby mushroom grows out of a massive redwood tree stump in The Forest of Nisene Marks in Aptos, CA

Eating a slice of mushroom pizza by a waterfall in The Forest of Nisene Marks in Aptos, CA

Rays of light cut through the morning fog in The Forest of Nisene Marks in Aptos, CA

A massive old growth redwood tree stump covered in moss in The Forest of Nisene Marks in Aptos, CA

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

The future is here. Update your calendars.

Next year is 2028, according to Google AI Overview.

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

Look, you can’t own a Cybertruck and be “Anti Elon”. Elon IS the Cybertruck. It’s gotta be one or the other. If you’re gonna drive this thing around, just own it.

A grey Cybertruck with an “anti Elon tesla club” sticker.

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

If you have money sitting in an FSA, Truemed.com is a game changer. They streamline the LMN (letter of medical necessity) process which opens up a lot of FSA-eligible items that you'd need a doctors note for otherwise. Gym/running equipment, supplements, sauna/red light therapy gear, etc.

truemed.com

Truemed | Save ~30% on HSA/FSA Eligible Products

Shop HSA/FSA eligible products. Save ~30% on fitness equipment, supplements, health tech, cold plunges, and saunas.

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 26/12/2025

At one point around the turn of the century, about.com was one of the most-visited sites on the web. Today it redirects to a 404 page.

About.com redirects to a 404 page on people.inc

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

Tech woes: I share a name (and thus a close email address) with my dad. Increasingly, I receive his order/reservation confirmations, presumably he's entering the wrong email. He may need the info in some of these, so I find myself acting as personal secretary, summarizing & forwarding emails...

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 13/12/2025

Connecting with your teen over music is such a cool experience. Holiday shopping is so fun when they’re into the same stuff you grew up on, open to your recommendations, and prefer physical media to streaming.

CDs by coheed and Cambria, the Smashing Pumpkins, slipknot, Faith no more, system of a down, Nine Inch Nails, Deftones, Type O Negative, Gorillaz, Opeth, and Korn

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 09/12/2025

This is pretty bad. I see it as a nice reminder to remain vigilant when using generative search tools.

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 06/12/2025

For better or worse, birthday miles has become a yearly tradition. The time passes a bit quicker when running some of those trail miles with friends. This was an epic (~42 mile!) trek from the top of the Santa Cruz mountains (near Saratoga) down to the coast in Wilder Ranch 🫠

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

Weaponizing/demonizing addiction doesn't help anyone.

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

I’ve only heard little bits of recent Disco Biscuits shows (giving them some time to figure things out with the new lineup) but I loved this little segment: Magner playing around with “I Melt With You” by Modern English during a “Cyclone” jam.

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 21/11/2025

Powerful stuff. A great listen for anyone touched by addiction.

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

Yet another friendly reminder that generative search/AI Overviews regularly hallucinate and are not to be trusted. Guitarist Kenny Hickey is very much alive.

Google AI Overview claiming that Kenny Hickey is dead.

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

Jay Lane (Dead & Co., Primus), Michael Travis (String Cheese Incident) and David Phipps (STS9) at Moes Alley in Santa Cruz last night.

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

Interesting... Movie title + runtime queries seem to consistently break AI Overviews on mobile. AIO isn't triggered on desktop for the handful of queries I attempted.

Google mobile search results for the query "one battle after another runtime"

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Reposted by John Vantine (he/him)

Lynn Stahl @msbtterswrth.altgov.info · 28/10/2025

Yesterday we talked a little bit about SNAP ending and how everyone who can, should give back to their communities. I'm going to spend a little time today talking about what to give.

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

On 11/1, ~42 million Americans will lose federal SNAP benefits. For those paycheck-to-paycheck, already on the brink of food insecurity, this is terrifying. Consider a monthly donation to a food bank like Second Harvest (www.shfb.org), they know what is needed & can spend efficiently buying in bulk.

shfb.org

Home

Help Second Harvest end hunger and support those in need. Join us today to make a real difference in your community, or find food near you.

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

Loved the light show for Minami Deutsch at the Santa Cruz Vets Hall last night.

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Reposted by John Vantine (he/him)

Anil Dash @anildash.com · 17/10/2025

"I have a decent fluency in LLMs, and they have utility, but the absurd degree of over-hype, the way they're being forced on everyone, and the insistence on ignoring the many valid critiques about them make it very difficult to focus on legitimate uses where they might add value."

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

We're deep in the best musical season. I've been adding to this Fall playlist since 2013, a collection of gloomy/spooky songs to get you in the Halloween spirit, and I'm stoked with how it turned out 🎃 🎶 Apple Music: music.apple.com/us/playlist/... 🎶 Spotify: open.spotify.com/playlist/6OL...

Screenshot of a playlist of gloomy, moody songs to get you into the fall/halloween spirit. Links provided for Apple Music and Spotify.

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 14/10/2025

I feel a *tiny* pang of guilt when marking democratic political campaign txts as spam. Like, yes, they're 100% spam, like dozens of other unsolicited texts/calls I get each day, but I don't want to hinder the PAC's ability to hassle other libs who need daily reminders of their guilt & powerlessness.

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John Vantine (he/him) @w00t.bsky.social · 13/10/2025

I've had a handful of epic trailrunning adventures recently, as the lines between fall and winter blur. Here's some shots from the eastern sierras, where firey aspens and an epic supermoon kept my camera working overtime.

Trail running Little Lakes Valley to Gem Lakes in Inyo National Forest, October 2025

Twenty Lakes Basin and Saddlebag Lake Loop near Lee Vining, California

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