Mastodawn

Yesterday’s ceiling were a bit too low. Today finally got to knock some rust off! Bulk of approach was in solid IMC. Got to drift above for a bit. Final approach broke out fairly high, but was too busy watching student on lower approaches to take photo.

JohnOCFII Jun 14

Philip Bump Jun 13

Countries that think U.S. democracy is functioning well are not generally ones where democracy is functioning well. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/06/13/trump-noem-padilla-democracy-polling/

JohnOCFII Jun 13

“One more A+ recommendation: The Agency on Paramount+. Michael Fassbender, Jeffrey Wright, Richard Gere, a breakout searing performance by Jodie Turner-Smith, and a great supporting cast in a super-smart, hyper-realistic-feeling spy-thriller/mystery/love story. Gorgeous cinematography too.”

I’m so glad I caught this footnote in Daring Fireball a couple of months ago. I finished season one. It was fantastic. And yet, this is the _only_ place I’d heard of it.

https://daringfireball.net/2025/03/the_studio

‘The Studio’ Is Fantastic So Far

Perhaps Apple’s leadership simply believes, as I do, that cinema is the grandest and greatest form of art the world has ever seen — one that encompasses acting, writing, photography and/or illustration, and music — and but that great cinema is expensive and delicate and needs, from deep-pocketed studios and their deeper-pocketed corporate parents, more than patrons, but *champions*.

Daring Fireball

JohnOCFII Jun 12

Ars Technica Jun 12

What might have been at Jared Isaacman’s NASA
"I was very disappointed, especially because it was so close to confirmation."
https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/06/what-might-have-been-at-jared-isaacmans-nasa/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

JohnOCFII Jun 12

Alpenglow Industries Jun 12

Well if that isn’t fascist as fuck, I don’t know what is. https://apnews.com/article/alex-padilla-noem-immigration-protest-california-f67d220a0254473c53c16aa96f554239

Sen. Alex Padilla forcibly removed from Kristi Noem's news conference

Democratic U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla of California has been forcefully removed from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s news conference in Los Angeles and handcuffed by officers as he tried to speak up about immigration raids that have led to protests in California and elsewhere. Video shows a Secret Service agent on Noem’s security detail grabbing Padilla by his jacket Thursday and shoving him from the room as he tried to interrupt Noem’s news conference in Los Angeles. The stunning scene of a U.S. senator being aggressively removed from a Cabinet secretary’s news conference prompted immediate outrage from his Democratic colleagues in the chamber.

AP News

JohnOCFII Jun 9

Curt Olson Jun 9

#2pencil #pencil #sharp
I know there is a lot going on in the world right now, but at least Minneapolis is keeping their pencil sharp!
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/egbUDhUNWUY

Giant Pencil Sharpening in #minneapolis #minnesota #twincities #shorts

YouTube

JohnOCFII Jun 9

Bob Henry Jun 1

"Should Nature Photographers Speak Out?" – @bryanhansel

#Photography #Nature #Environment

https://bryanhansel.substack.com/p/should-nature-photographers-speak

Should Nature Photographers Speak Out?

Back in April, I was interviewed about my thoughts on the environment, our federal lands, and the threats that they face, which includes privatization.

More or Less About the Photo

JohnOCFII Jun 8