iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

I'm really hopeful for James Talarico's Senate bid. My kids went to McNeil High School in north Austin with him -- he went by 'Jimmy' then -- and I've watched his political career with interest.

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

We're tryin' -- it's getting interesting here.

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

And, of course, there are people who not only do not participate with political parties, they don't engage in the political process at all. The common description of these people is "apolitical" (analogous to 'atheist'). But no one calls the apolitical a "political party" (let alone a religion). 2/2

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

While there are indeed activist atheists, the vast majority of atheists do not interact in any organized way. I think a better analogy to religion is political parties. They have dogma, leadership hierarchies, devoted followers, but no one calls political parties a "religion". 1/2

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

So do you get as annoyed as I do when you hear the opening riff start up on a juke box in a dive bar and it turns into Kid Rock's All Summer Long?

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

re: 'exvangelical' I'm atheist, grew up in a virtually non-religious environment, and have encountered the term 'exvangelical' many times. It seems to me you might be saying here that exvangelicists are more inclined to use insulting language than, say, us 'normie' atheists". Is that the case?

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

"Gotta get some of that good bird feed!"

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Shiboof... I don't know if you may have seen this already but I was just nosing around the internet this morning and saw this old Merle concert video from 1984 in Fresno. Good solo's from Mark and your Dad music.youtube.com/watch?v=E65C...

music.youtube.com

MERLE HAGGARD LIVE! Full Concert

YouTube video by CountryMusicOne

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

This is certainly worth an experiment even if you have to intentionally look for underripe tomatoes at the store. I'm certainly going to try it.

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

My brother had a couple acre place off Round Mountain Rd (but not actually on the river) and Ethyl's was the after-work and weekend-night hangout.

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

"... and pretty sure I know all the musicians Jim Keltner played with ..."

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Diversity is an indicator of freedom. When you see people around you who look different than you, speak different than you, love different than you, eat different foods than you, you know you live in a free society. Those who insist on conformity are no friend to freedom.

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

An important ingredient in my chile verde recipe...

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

In my defense, I was quite young the year I was born.

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Who knew? Words from my birth year: 1) asswipe 2) cherry bomb 3) puppy mill 4) video tape 5) whoopie cushion

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Significant construction project in progress. Please stand back.

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

..Trump actually believes that starting wars would boost his polling favorability. It has nothing to do with deterring Iran's nuclear capabilities. He literally thought that if he started the same war he claimed Obama would do that he would reap the favorability that he thought Obama would accrue.

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Trump saw Bush's favorability actually increase after attacking Iraq. Trump said *many* times during the Obama administration that "Obama is going to attack Iran" with the explicit idea that Obama would do it in order to increase polling favorability...

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

And Trump had to announce a "ceasefire" so that the 90 day window for Congressional authorization would close before he could then re-start hostilities and yet another 90 day window.

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Let's check back on this in a year.

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Beautiful. If you don't mind me asking, what are the dimensions of the piece?

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Poe's Law has moved the Overton Window.

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

There's an abandoned box of rocks kicked to the curb outside a truck stop off Buck Owens Blvd in Bakersfield CA that's still way smarter than Tommy Tuberville.

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Mathematically no. But it can get perilously close to zero.

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Sounds like how the transporters in Star Trek work.

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

To my mind, It kinda resembles Felix the Cat. What does Aug make of it?

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

In the course of raising 3 kids in the 80's and 90's I think I've seen Princess Bride at least 20 times.

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

As a retired programmer, I'm considering working on some visual graphic projects in my (now copious) free time. If you don't mind me asking, what is your development platform?

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Our current understanding of science -- cosmology, physics, biology, chemistry -- is sufficient to conclude that all ancient creation stories -- including Genesis in the Bible's Old Testament -- and the gods, god, or God they describe are human fabrications.

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

You said "militant atheism" on your first line, but "Atheism is a faith..." (without the 'militant') on the last.

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

So the baked potato with clam chowder is now a regular on the family dinner rotation. This time with pancetta (in place of the bacon) and with a side of broccoli.

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Mark started with Merle in '72 -- so not too long after. I've watched more than one Merle concert in Tahoe (as well as other venues) sitting just off stage on whatever backstage equipment provided the most comfortable seat and view. Occasionally I'd actually see a show sitting in the audience.

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

... and if you don't mind me asking, when and where did you meet him?

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Like I said, I was just reminiscing and searching on social media for "Mark Yeary" and encountered a post from someone I follow saying (something like) "And Mark Yeary on piano" (which is something I might say) and "I almost married that piano player" (which is something I wouldn't say)...

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Now that I posted the link I see that you probably can't read it. I remember a couple music sites that reprinted it --- I'll try to find one.

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

He always had hear problems (he had a scar on his chest from operations when he was a kid). Here's an article from the Bakersfield Californian just after he died... www.bakersfield.com/news/once-me...

bakersfield.com

Once Merle Haggard's right-hand piano man, Mark Yeary dies at 67

He was there in the mid-1970s when Dolly Parton showed up, sans wig and rhinestones, to teach the boys how to play her new song, "Kentucky Gambler."

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

I went to high school with Mark, we were lifetime friends and last saw him in the summer of 2019 about six month before he died in Jan 2020. And your dad is Tiny Moore??

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Shiboof, I gotta ask... I was reminiscing about an old friend today and searching social media for references and I saw a post from you from a couple years ago where you mentioned Mark Yeary...

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

I don't know if there's a thread roller thingy, but for Charlotte's posts, go to her Substack -- the link is in her bio -- and hit the Notes button...

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

It gets hot enough in Austin (and Texas in general) to want to park under a tree for a little shade in the summer -- but, of course, not if it's anywhere near a Whataburger.

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

I travel with a Mac mini, keyboard, mouse, and ViewSonic 15" monitor -- it all fits in a backpack for the 2009 17" MacBook Pro that I got free as an attendee at the 2009 Apple Developers Conference. Obviously, it's not battery-powered like a laptop but for remote office and hotel rooms it's fine.

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Definitely Bakersfield - there are still a half dozen Basque restaurants in Bakersfield, though several have closed over the last decade. Basque is not only a cuisine but a dining experience. While Bakersfield often gets criticized as a back-water town, it's worth experiencing a Basque dinner there.

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

It really does make a satisfying, casual meal.

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Baked potato with clam chowder, bacon, and minced green onion..

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zenelectron @zenelectron.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

I told my family about the baked potato and clam chowder idea when I read this thread a week or so ago. We're going to try it tonight...

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