Lorien
@lorien.bsky.social
Write some, dev some; amateur cook, gardener, photographer; cat mom; avid reader and traveler (sometimes simultaneously). She/her. Empathy is underrated.
Pinned
Lorien
@lorien.bsky.social
· Nov 18
Welcome to Bluesky, new folks!
Useful Settings: require Alt Text (Accessibility menu), Logged-out visibility (Moderation menu), Chat Settings.
Block is public; mute is private.
Bugs are often temporary; Bluesky is growing quickly; also depends on underlying services that sometimes have hiccups.
Useful Settings: require Alt Text (Accessibility menu), Logged-out visibility (Moderation menu), Chat Settings.
Block is public; mute is private.
Bugs are often temporary; Bluesky is growing quickly; also depends on underlying services that sometimes have hiccups.
With folks living in flood and fire zones, humans redirecting waterways, paving over permeable soil, and otherwise interfering with nature and causing weather changes, hundred-year events can now be ten-, five, even one-year events. In the not-too-distant future, they might be hundred-a-year events.
July 14, 2025 at 1:19 AM
With folks living in flood and fire zones, humans redirecting waterways, paving over permeable soil, and otherwise interfering with nature and causing weather changes, hundred-year events can now be ten-, five, even one-year events. In the not-too-distant future, they might be hundred-a-year events.
Reposted by Lorien
If you’re with a state agency or legislature who needs help figuring out how you’re going to modify your benefits systems to deal with federally mandated changes (e.g. employment verification), contact us at @usdigitalresponse.org. We can help for free, thanks to grant funding. There’s no catch.
Contact Us - U.S. Digital Response
Reach out to us with requests for government support, volunteer sign-ups, funding proposals, media inquiries, and more.
www.usdigitalresponse.org
July 3, 2025 at 7:49 PM
If you’re with a state agency or legislature who needs help figuring out how you’re going to modify your benefits systems to deal with federally mandated changes (e.g. employment verification), contact us at @usdigitalresponse.org. We can help for free, thanks to grant funding. There’s no catch.
“At their peak the renewables provided up to 162 percent of the grid’s needs — adding extra electricity California could export to neighboring states or use to fill batteries.”
California just debunked a big myth about renewable energy.
The state went a record 98 of 116 days providing up to 10 hours of electricity with renewables alone.
grist.org/energy/calif...
#CA #Renewables #California #Energy #Solar #Wind #Batteries #Climate
The state went a record 98 of 116 days providing up to 10 hours of electricity with renewables alone.
grist.org/energy/calif...
#CA #Renewables #California #Energy #Solar #Wind #Batteries #Climate
California just debunked a big myth about renewable energy
Are renewables reliable? A new study says California ran on renewables alone for a record number of days last year.
grist.org
June 24, 2025 at 8:32 PM
“At their peak the renewables provided up to 162 percent of the grid’s needs — adding extra electricity California could export to neighboring states or use to fill batteries.”
Reposted by Lorien
JUST IN: Democrat John Ewing has defeated Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, a Republican who was running for a fourth term.
Ewing, who currently serves as Douglas County's treasurer and will be Omaha's first Black mayor, leads Stothert 56 to 44 percent with most ballots counted.
Ewing, who currently serves as Douglas County's treasurer and will be Omaha's first Black mayor, leads Stothert 56 to 44 percent with most ballots counted.
May 14, 2025 at 3:39 AM
JUST IN: Democrat John Ewing has defeated Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, a Republican who was running for a fourth term.
Ewing, who currently serves as Douglas County's treasurer and will be Omaha's first Black mayor, leads Stothert 56 to 44 percent with most ballots counted.
Ewing, who currently serves as Douglas County's treasurer and will be Omaha's first Black mayor, leads Stothert 56 to 44 percent with most ballots counted.
“We’re getting birds nesting in places where they hadn’t nested before”
Coral reefs can supply the sediment needed for small islands to stay above water, even as oceans rise.
To shore up vulnerable islands, experts are working to restore the native trees and wildlife that keep reefs healthy.
To shore up vulnerable islands, experts are working to restore the native trees and wildlife that keep reefs healthy.
How Natural Solutions Can Help Islands Survive Sea Level Rise
Scientists have found that atoll islands with healthy forests and coral reefs are more resilient against rising seas. To shore up vulnerable islands in the Pacific and Indian oceans, experts are worki...
e360.yale.edu
May 12, 2025 at 1:23 PM
“We’re getting birds nesting in places where they hadn’t nested before”
Reposted by Lorien
Wired reports on internet-connected car features that raise your risk of police surveillance: www.wired.com/story/...
Car Subscription Features Raise Your Risk of Government Surveillance, Police Records Show
Records reviewed by WIRED show law enforcement agencies are eager to take advantage of the data trails generated by a flood of new internet-connected vehicle features.
www.wired.com
May 2, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Wired reports on internet-connected car features that raise your risk of police surveillance: www.wired.com/story/...
Seems old-fashioned to expect a secretary to wear makeup at work, but I guess it’s in keeping with the values of this administration.
April 23, 2025 at 10:49 PM
Seems old-fashioned to expect a secretary to wear makeup at work, but I guess it’s in keeping with the values of this administration.
Reposted by Lorien
🔥 A North Bay environmental conservation nonprofit won a $5.9 million in Cal Fire grants to provide landowners funding for wildfire risk reduction and forest health projects in Mendocino, Lake, Sonoma and Napa counties.
mendovoice.com/2025/04/nonp...
mendovoice.com/2025/04/nonp...
Nonprofit wins $5.9 million in Cal Fire grants for wildfire prevention • The Mendocino Voice | Mendocino County, CA
The grants will be used to fund wildfire prevention projects on private forest land throughout Mendocino County.
mendovoice.com
April 8, 2025 at 9:46 PM
🔥 A North Bay environmental conservation nonprofit won a $5.9 million in Cal Fire grants to provide landowners funding for wildfire risk reduction and forest health projects in Mendocino, Lake, Sonoma and Napa counties.
mendovoice.com/2025/04/nonp...
mendovoice.com/2025/04/nonp...
Reposted by Lorien
If you want to know how the dismantlement of the US government is going, there’s a website for that.
www.project2025.observer
www.project2025.observer
April 4, 2025 at 5:51 AM
If you want to know how the dismantlement of the US government is going, there’s a website for that.
www.project2025.observer
www.project2025.observer
Reposted by Lorien
6/6 We only communicate moderation decisions via email, not via DMs. If anyone messages you claiming this, please report them as spam in the app.
March 28, 2025 at 5:34 PM
6/6 We only communicate moderation decisions via email, not via DMs. If anyone messages you claiming this, please report them as spam in the app.
Reposted by Lorien
Bluesky loves links! We don't downrank, and major publishers report that we're sending more link traffic than other sites.
Here's the top links shared on Bluesky, updated hourly.
theblue.report/week/
Here's the top links shared on Bluesky, updated hourly.
theblue.report/week/
The Blue Report
The top links on Bluesky, updated hourly
theblue.report
March 28, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Bluesky loves links! We don't downrank, and major publishers report that we're sending more link traffic than other sites.
Here's the top links shared on Bluesky, updated hourly.
theblue.report/week/
Here's the top links shared on Bluesky, updated hourly.
theblue.report/week/
"Many federal resources that were commonly available are no longer viewable online...This guide provides alternate links to those sources as they are identified. In instances where alternate links to missing data cannot be provided, links to similar resources are."
libguides.wcsu.edu/c.php?g=1450...
libguides.wcsu.edu/c.php?g=1450...
Guides: Alternative Sources for Government Information: Home
Guides: Alternative Sources for Government Information: Home
libguides.wcsu.edu
March 8, 2025 at 1:01 AM
"Many federal resources that were commonly available are no longer viewable online...This guide provides alternate links to those sources as they are identified. In instances where alternate links to missing data cannot be provided, links to similar resources are."
libguides.wcsu.edu/c.php?g=1450...
libguides.wcsu.edu/c.php?g=1450...
“The termination of these two important advisory committees is very alarming and should serve as a warning to consumers that food safety will not be a priority at USDA in the foreseeable future”
Two decades old USDA safety advisory committees have been disbanded
(Gift link!)
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
(Gift link!)
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Two USDA Food Safety Committees Disbanded Under Trump Order
The Trump administration has terminated two decades-old, independent food safety advisory committees to the US Department of Agriculture.
www.bloomberg.com
March 8, 2025 at 12:54 AM
“The termination of these two important advisory committees is very alarming and should serve as a warning to consumers that food safety will not be a priority at USDA in the foreseeable future”
Opinion piece by Brett Wagner, now retired, who served as a professor of national security decision making for the U.S. Naval War College.
The clock is ticking down on a crucial but little-noticed part of President Trump’s first round of executive orders — the one tasking the secretaries of the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security to submit a joint report recommending “whether to invoke the Insurrection Act.”
Is Trump preparing to invoke the Insurrection Act? Signs are pointing that way
A joint Department of Defense and Homeland Security report will soon recommend whether or not to invoke the Insurrection Act over illegal migration.
www.sfchronicle.com
March 8, 2025 at 12:41 AM
Opinion piece by Brett Wagner, now retired, who served as a professor of national security decision making for the U.S. Naval War College.
Reposted by Lorien
The once-dry lands in parts of Africa are slowly sprouting back to life—all thanks to a regreening initiative, which has restored 350,000 hectares so far.
More about this #GenerationRestoration initiative: www.unep.org/news-and-sto...
More about this #GenerationRestoration initiative: www.unep.org/news-and-sto...
March 6, 2025 at 6:49 AM
The once-dry lands in parts of Africa are slowly sprouting back to life—all thanks to a regreening initiative, which has restored 350,000 hectares so far.
More about this #GenerationRestoration initiative: www.unep.org/news-and-sto...
More about this #GenerationRestoration initiative: www.unep.org/news-and-sto...
Reposted by Lorien
Huge kudos to the team at Fulton Ring for rebuilding this digital infrastructure that we, the American people, paid for with our tax dollars!
Future Climate Risk Index
Interactive map showing climate risk data across US counties. View future climate hazard projections and risk ratings.
fulton-ring.github.io
February 27, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Huge kudos to the team at Fulton Ring for rebuilding this digital infrastructure that we, the American people, paid for with our tax dollars!
Reposted by Lorien
A new $15 million jazz fellowship is granting 50 artists over the age of 62 a $100,000 grant, professional support and performance opportunities
New jazz fellowship honors the genre's elders and gives them each an unrestricted $100,000 grant
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and The Jazz Foundation of America on Tuesday announced the Jazz Legacies Fellowship -- a new $15 million program that will give 50 artists who are 62 years or older a ...
apnews.com
February 26, 2025 at 9:58 PM
A new $15 million jazz fellowship is granting 50 artists over the age of 62 a $100,000 grant, professional support and performance opportunities
“We have trees and vegetation that are planted to be flooded. We even have mulch that stays in place better when it gets flooded.”
How investing in neighborhood parks has transformed climate resilience in some at-risk areas grist.org/looking-forw...
Climate change is politically divisive. Public parks? Not so much.
Parks are popular community amenities. When built right, they can also mitigate flooding, heat, and other impacts of climate change.
grist.org
February 26, 2025 at 6:20 PM
“We have trees and vegetation that are planted to be flooded. We even have mulch that stays in place better when it gets flooded.”
Reposted by Lorien
I launched a Kickstarter this week to expand @govtrack.us's work to tracking executive orders and other White House actions. I probably don't need to tell you how it important it is to track this.
Be among the first to make this happen! Please back and share!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/gov...
Be among the first to make this happen! Please back and share!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/gov...
Alert: New Executive Order
We've been tracking the U.S. Congress for twenty years. Now it's time to track the White House.
www.kickstarter.com
February 19, 2025 at 6:42 PM
I launched a Kickstarter this week to expand @govtrack.us's work to tracking executive orders and other White House actions. I probably don't need to tell you how it important it is to track this.
Be among the first to make this happen! Please back and share!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/gov...
Be among the first to make this happen! Please back and share!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/gov...
"Yakubu Issah began planting baobab and shea trees on his farm five years ago... 'now, our millet grows healthier, the soil holds water longer'... He added that bees have returned, along with birds and squirrels: 'The farm feels alive again.'”
news.mongabay.com/2024/12/agro...
news.mongabay.com/2024/12/agro...
Agroecology offers blueprint for resilient farming in northern Ghana
Farmers in Ghana’s Upper East region traditionally decided when to plant and harvest their crops in rhythm with regular rainfall cycles. But the rains now come at increasingly odd times, farmland is t...
news.mongabay.com
February 17, 2025 at 1:22 AM
"Yakubu Issah began planting baobab and shea trees on his farm five years ago... 'now, our millet grows healthier, the soil holds water longer'... He added that bees have returned, along with birds and squirrels: 'The farm feels alive again.'”
news.mongabay.com/2024/12/agro...
news.mongabay.com/2024/12/agro...
“The StoryGraph, despite its climbing user numbers, is still run by Odunayo, who puts videos on Instagram and social media, talking about the app and her own reading, and answers direct messages personally.”
‘Reading is part of my identity’: the woman taking on Goodreads owner Amazon
‘Reading is part of my identity’: the woman taking on Goodreads owner Amazon
Software engineer and developer Nadia Odunayo created the social media readers’ platform StoryGraph and its popularity has rocketed
www.theguardian.com
February 17, 2025 at 12:38 AM
“The StoryGraph, despite its climbing user numbers, is still run by Odunayo, who puts videos on Instagram and social media, talking about the app and her own reading, and answers direct messages personally.”
“Today it’s owned by twin Black sisters, Jo and Joy Banner. The sisters, who run the Descendants Project, a community organization focused on supporting formerly enslaved communities across the Gulf Coast, are on a mission. “
A black family now owns the site of America’s largest slave revolt.
A Black Family Now Owns the Site of America’s Largest Slave Revolt
Twin sisters, whose ancestors were enslaved in the area, purchased the plantation to ensure the history will never be buried again.
capitalbnews.org
February 17, 2025 at 12:33 AM
“Today it’s owned by twin Black sisters, Jo and Joy Banner. The sisters, who run the Descendants Project, a community organization focused on supporting formerly enslaved communities across the Gulf Coast, are on a mission. “
“There’s just the inefficiency . . . to have so many resources already put in and so many people working on projects all over the country that are now in jeopardy.”
Trump’s Funding Freeze Creates Chaos and Financial Distress for Farmers
Trump’s Funding Freeze Creates Chaos and Financial Distress for Farmers
Regenerative farming programs supported by the USDA are thrown into chaos as federal funding is put on pause.
buff.ly
February 17, 2025 at 12:21 AM
“There’s just the inefficiency . . . to have so many resources already put in and so many people working on projects all over the country that are now in jeopardy.”
Apparently the Maya people either called it Chactemal or nahá (sources differ), so maybe we could actually use one of those. But I felt like being silly, because fun is in short supply right now, and MapQuest has given us the opportunity for some fun.
gulfof.mapquest.com?name=Gulfy+M...
gulfof.mapquest.com?name=Gulfy+M...
Gulf of Gulfy McGulfFace
Check out my custom Gulf of Gulfy McGulfFace map created with MapQuest!
gulfof.mapquest.com
February 15, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Apparently the Maya people either called it Chactemal or nahá (sources differ), so maybe we could actually use one of those. But I felt like being silly, because fun is in short supply right now, and MapQuest has given us the opportunity for some fun.
gulfof.mapquest.com?name=Gulfy+M...
gulfof.mapquest.com?name=Gulfy+M...
I wonder if some bot followers are based on one's perceived demographic. Almost all of my (presumably) bot followers are older white men with no bio, and either no posts, or generic, possibly AI photos.
The only time I follow back someone with no bio and no real posts is if I know them personally.
The only time I follow back someone with no bio and no real posts is if I know them personally.
February 11, 2025 at 7:42 AM
I wonder if some bot followers are based on one's perceived demographic. Almost all of my (presumably) bot followers are older white men with no bio, and either no posts, or generic, possibly AI photos.
The only time I follow back someone with no bio and no real posts is if I know them personally.
The only time I follow back someone with no bio and no real posts is if I know them personally.