Jonathan Wolfe

I totally agree. The main thing I don’t like about higher gas prices is that it drives companies to expand drilling in places that should be protected

And in the spirit of exploring this social protocol, I’m starting to play with some other AT clients, like the Canadian @gandersocial.bsky.social and the French Element X. It’s exciting to see non-US tech platforms emerging to offer us disenshittefied social tools on this protocol. Urgently needed!

Very glad to see that the AT protocol that underlies Bluesky is robust enough that the long resistant and appropriately skeptical Cory @doctorow.pluralistic.net has been able to set up his own server and join the ecosystem. Yeay!

Hi Darren, thanks for the kind words, and welcome to Bluesky!
There’s not a lot of ballooning activity here yet, but I do maintain a Starter Pack of balloonists / balloon enthusiasts you can follow, linked in my profile. If you start posting balloon stuff I’ll definitely add you :)

It’s a Kubicek. 90’000 cubic ft. Phenomenal balloon!

Ah yes. Reminds me of crossing the border from France to Switzerland with Dad, and the stern customs agent demanded: “Marchandise a declarer? Avez-vous de la viande?” And poor flustered father replied “Non, pas d’avions” - no we weren’t smuggling in any airplanes 😅

View of the bottom of Infinitude, a fractal hot air balloon, showing the equation and coordinates that create the fractal image, and a dedication: “Infinite Gratitude to Benoit Mandelbrot”

Thanks for the kind words Jagger. In the inscription at the bottom of the balloon I dedicate it to Benoit Mandelbrot, but really I want to express my infinite gratitude to all the scientists and artists who help us see and understand the world. Infinitude!

I like the framing around Positive Tipping Points. There are valuable urgent things happening that are accelerating and that’s good - we need to nudge society in certain directions and let positive feedback loops kick in to accelerate the changes we need. global-tipping-points.org/positive-tip...

RNA vaccines! Antibiotics! Heatpumps! EVs! Applied Complexity Theory - Lots of excitement in lots of domains. And honestly, I’m excited about aspects of AI too, I just want us to have a say in how we implement it as a society, not just a few tech billionaires.
Also - it must NOT be fossil powered.

Such a beautiful inspiring Olympic moment! Too bad we didn’t get to see it in the US

I’ve long been a fan of Brian Schatz, and wow, he sure speaks the truth

Thank you!

History shows us that when big business consolidate and form monopolies, the costs to consumers go up, and that is exactly what will happen here. We must stand up for our interests as New Mexicans, and not allow this dangerous takeover to happen!

Thank you

/endrant

Do they think we are so stupid? Do they think they can bribe us with a $105 million dollar temporary rate cut, when they stand to earn billions from the acquisition?

PNM obviously wants this acquisition to happen as they and their shareholders will immediately benefit. They have painted a pretty picture in which they need a partner with the capital for important upgrades, and they promise a rate cut to tempt us.

- and then on top of it all they will force us to pay for those upgrades. Outrageous!

- which is not paid for by the data companies, but by the utility rate payers - that is US. We do not wish to see our state filled with giant new sources of pollution whose sole purpose is to power the AI machines churning out slop and putting working people out of business…

The future is electrified, and whoever controls the electrical systems controls the future. Blackstone's interests are clear, and their investments in AI data centers show us where their priorities lie. When data centers are built they require massive new generating capacity and infrastructure…

I am strongly opposed to the proposed acquisition of PNM, and believe it is not at all in the best interests of the people of New Mexico. We the people of New Mexico should set our own energy priorities, not out of state private equity firms looking out for their shareholders.

Whether or not you can attend in person, please share your comments with the Public Regulation Commission at public.comment@prc.nm.gov

Here’s what I had to say about it:

Who else is going to the public comment meeting in #abq tonight to speak out against the proposed acquisition of PNM electric utility by private equity monster Blackstone?

Full text and background here: bsky.app/profile/kott...

Shakespeare speaking to this exact moment from 400 years ago.

This is great! Do you have a link to a hires version? Would love to share and attribute properly

I just learned about “ICE fishing”, in which white people put Mexican flags on their cars to draw attention and get stopped by ICE to have a conversation and waste their time. I might get one of those and a Chinga la Migra sticker too…

Button making machine with a large collection of fractal patterns cut into circles, being assembled into fractal buttons

Getting ready for our Feedback and Fractals show at the Guild Cinema tonight, making fractal buttons as gifts for the people who give us feedback :)

I have a feeling we’ll be needing this more and more. Fractal Crisis Management as a new paradigm for addressing our wicked problems. Thank you, Dan!

Thanks for sharing this excellent piece on Fractal Social Change, Dan!

Thank you Dan - this is super helpful and interesting!
cc @sdwolfe.bsky.social

Everyone needs to hear this.