Chuck Olsen
@chuckumentary.bsky.social
Boreal human photographer under the actual blue sky
Reposted by Chuck Olsen
The humidity is doing a number on my hair. Good to see I’m not the only one.
August 21, 2025 at 8:00 PM
The humidity is doing a number on my hair. Good to see I’m not the only one.
Cold, dry and sudden: The dangers of ocean current collapse due to a warming planet
www.economist.com/leaders/2025...
www.economist.com/leaders/2025...
The shutdown of ocean currents could freeze Europe
When climate change poses a strategic threat, it needs a strategic response
www.economist.com
August 21, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Cold, dry and sudden: The dangers of ocean current collapse due to a warming planet
www.economist.com/leaders/2025...
www.economist.com/leaders/2025...
An excellent overview explaining why federal troops cannot generally be used as law enforcement.
www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...
www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...
The Posse Comitatus Act Explained
The law generally prevents the president from using the military as a domestic police force.
www.brennancenter.org
August 12, 2025 at 2:49 PM
An excellent overview explaining why federal troops cannot generally be used as law enforcement.
www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...
www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...
Reposted by Chuck Olsen
When the Icebergs Came to Town. A pair of icebergs drifted close to a town in Greenland, “dwarfing the fishing village’s modest wooden houses”. [kottke.org]
When the Icebergs Came to Town
A few weeks ago, a pair of icebergs drifted close to Innaarsuit, Greenland. Photographer Dennis Lehtonen captured the visit — you can see the photos on Instagram or in the Arctic gallery on his website. From Colossal
kottke.org
July 21, 2025 at 8:12 PM
When the Icebergs Came to Town. A pair of icebergs drifted close to a town in Greenland, “dwarfing the fishing village’s modest wooden houses”. [kottke.org]
Lake Superior is my favorite ocean 🌊
August 6, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Lake Superior is my favorite ocean 🌊
Sunset in Superior National Forest
July 31, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Sunset in Superior National Forest
“Switzerland announced a fully open‑source large language model, trained on its carbon‑neutral Alps supercomputer…Supporting over 1,000 languages, with transparent training data and code…setting a new international benchmark for sovereign, ethical AI.”
www.winssolutions.org/switzerland-...
www.winssolutions.org/switzerland-...
Switzerland's Open-Source LLM Sets New Standard
Developed entirely on public infrastructure, Switzerland's open-source LLM is set for release in late summer 2025, and aims to redefine open-source AI.
www.winssolutions.org
July 31, 2025 at 5:51 PM
“Switzerland announced a fully open‑source large language model, trained on its carbon‑neutral Alps supercomputer…Supporting over 1,000 languages, with transparent training data and code…setting a new international benchmark for sovereign, ethical AI.”
www.winssolutions.org/switzerland-...
www.winssolutions.org/switzerland-...
Temperance River carves a steep canyon o’er hidden (and not-so-hidden) falls, to her chilly Lake Superior destiny.
July 29, 2025 at 6:49 AM
Temperance River carves a steep canyon o’er hidden (and not-so-hidden) falls, to her chilly Lake Superior destiny.
Please enjoy this Baltimore Oriole eating oranges to-day
May 14, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Please enjoy this Baltimore Oriole eating oranges to-day
Frosty moose breakfast in Superior National Forest
May 8, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Frosty moose breakfast in Superior National Forest
My first 🫎 sightings this year! A lovely pair having breakfast on a frosty 23° morning in Superior National Forest. Let’s protect this precious watershed and habitat.
May 8, 2025 at 12:46 PM
My first 🫎 sightings this year! A lovely pair having breakfast on a frosty 23° morning in Superior National Forest. Let’s protect this precious watershed and habitat.
Happy International Dark Sky Week. Here’s an excerpt from my WTIP interview with night sky photographer and Grand Portage tribal member Travis Novitsky, paired with my night sky photos. The full interview: wtip.org/grand-portag...
April 24, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Happy International Dark Sky Week. Here’s an excerpt from my WTIP interview with night sky photographer and Grand Portage tribal member Travis Novitsky, paired with my night sky photos. The full interview: wtip.org/grand-portag...
Happy #EarthDay to my fellow humans, and to the trees, rocks, air, water and wildlife we are privileged to protect.
This reckless administration is trying to roll back 150 years of environmental protections and plunder our public lands for profit. Let’s fight to protect our world!
This reckless administration is trying to roll back 150 years of environmental protections and plunder our public lands for profit. Let’s fight to protect our world!
April 22, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Happy #EarthDay to my fellow humans, and to the trees, rocks, air, water and wildlife we are privileged to protect.
This reckless administration is trying to roll back 150 years of environmental protections and plunder our public lands for profit. Let’s fight to protect our world!
This reckless administration is trying to roll back 150 years of environmental protections and plunder our public lands for profit. Let’s fight to protect our world!
Remembering Prince, gone from this world 9 years ago. I (badly) captured 360° video of the spontaneous memorial outside First Avenue that day for MPR: youtu.be/FHlZ_MD5VWU?...
First Avenue Prince Memorial – April 21, 2016 (360/VR)
YouTube video by The Current
youtu.be
April 21, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Remembering Prince, gone from this world 9 years ago. I (badly) captured 360° video of the spontaneous memorial outside First Avenue that day for MPR: youtu.be/FHlZ_MD5VWU?...
High Falls on a cloudy spring day 💦 Pigeon River, between Grand Portage and Canada (our two nations to the north)
April 20, 2025 at 12:23 PM
High Falls on a cloudy spring day 💦 Pigeon River, between Grand Portage and Canada (our two nations to the north)
Reposted by Chuck Olsen
this is just a horrible, pathological liar. we know that. but they know they've lost the public on this one. the escalation is the giveaway
Bondi is escalating the rhetoric against Abrego Garcia, who she calls "one of the top MS-13 members" and "a terrorist"
April 17, 2025 at 1:21 AM
this is just a horrible, pathological liar. we know that. but they know they've lost the public on this one. the escalation is the giveaway
Spotted the first Northern Flicker woodpecker in our yard today - it was hunting for bugs in the ground while light snow was falling. (This photo from April ‘24)
April 15, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Spotted the first Northern Flicker woodpecker in our yard today - it was hunting for bugs in the ground while light snow was falling. (This photo from April ‘24)
In early spring, the male Pileated Woodpecker excavates a large nest hole in a dead tree. I was very happy to run across this walking in Tofte today! I only had my iPhone so the quality isn’t great. If he attracts a female, the two of them will finish excavating the nest cavity.
April 15, 2025 at 6:09 PM
In early spring, the male Pileated Woodpecker excavates a large nest hole in a dead tree. I was very happy to run across this walking in Tofte today! I only had my iPhone so the quality isn’t great. If he attracts a female, the two of them will finish excavating the nest cavity.
Reposted by Chuck Olsen
The Rise of End Times Fascism. “This is a belief system that is genocidal at its core and treasonous to the wonder and beauty of this world.” [kottke.org]
“The Rise of End Times Fascism”
This is a really interesting essay from Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor about the rise of end times fascism and the far right’s bet against the future.
The governing ideology of the far right in our age of escalating disas
kottke.org
April 15, 2025 at 6:06 PM
The Rise of End Times Fascism. “This is a belief system that is genocidal at its core and treasonous to the wonder and beauty of this world.” [kottke.org]
Reposted by Chuck Olsen
I would not have predicted that large universities would show more courage than either Big Law or corporate media. Good for them.
April 15, 2025 at 2:39 AM
I would not have predicted that large universities would show more courage than either Big Law or corporate media. Good for them.
This is devastating to rural community radio. My station is the only broadcast news source in a region with a huge number of wilderness tourists that rely on our services and signal - not to mention locals. Please call your Senators & protest this clawing back of funds already allocated by Congress!
April 15, 2025 at 12:58 AM
This is devastating to rural community radio. My station is the only broadcast news source in a region with a huge number of wilderness tourists that rely on our services and signal - not to mention locals. Please call your Senators & protest this clawing back of funds already allocated by Congress!
It’s currently snowing in Tofte ❄️ also—
April 14, 2025 at 11:53 PM
It’s currently snowing in Tofte ❄️ also—
Reposted by Chuck Olsen
Any Democratic politician who doesn't understand Nayib Bukele's grave offense against the sovereignty of the American people and constitutional order and say as much publicly should have no future in elected office. talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/bukel...
Bukele’s Offense Against the American People
Here’s how I look at today’s White House spectacle. I don’t really...
talkingpointsmemo.com
April 14, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Any Democratic politician who doesn't understand Nayib Bukele's grave offense against the sovereignty of the American people and constitutional order and say as much publicly should have no future in elected office. talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/bukel...
Iskigamizige-giizis (Boiling Sap Moon)
April 12, 2025 at 2:35 AM
Iskigamizige-giizis (Boiling Sap Moon)