J. Brandon
@jcbrandon.bsky.social
Profound statement still in development.
Meanwhile, just a guy, living my life.
Silver City, New Mexico, USA
Meanwhile, just a guy, living my life.
Silver City, New Mexico, USA
This data center complex is one of the reasons that @val-weston.bsky.social and I decided not to build the house we planned on our little 10-acre ranch. We were less than 10 miles away and needed to drill a 400-foot well for water.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
The AI boom is heralding a new gold rush in the American west
Once home to gold and prospectors, the Nevada desert is now the site of a new kind of expansion: tech datacenters
www.theguardian.com
December 4, 2025 at 3:03 PM
This data center complex is one of the reasons that @val-weston.bsky.social and I decided not to build the house we planned on our little 10-acre ranch. We were less than 10 miles away and needed to drill a 400-foot well for water.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
"I’m entitled ..."
That sums up just about everything to do with this administration.
thehill.com/homenews/adm...
That sums up just about everything to do with this administration.
thehill.com/homenews/adm...
thehill.com
December 3, 2025 at 4:29 PM
"I’m entitled ..."
That sums up just about everything to do with this administration.
thehill.com/homenews/adm...
That sums up just about everything to do with this administration.
thehill.com/homenews/adm...
"Industrywide, the $21 million collected from ranchers by the BLM and Forest Service was about $284 million below market rate for forage last year."
www.hcn.org/issues/57-12...
www.hcn.org/issues/57-12...
The wealthy profit from public lands, and taxpayers pick up the tab - High Country News
Roughly two-thirds of grazing on Bureau of Land Management land is controlled by just 10% of permit holders.
www.hcn.org
December 1, 2025 at 2:50 PM
"Industrywide, the $21 million collected from ranchers by the BLM and Forest Service was about $284 million below market rate for forage last year."
www.hcn.org/issues/57-12...
www.hcn.org/issues/57-12...
"Like so many things these days, using Sora feels like it’s a little bit of a naughty thing to do, even if you don’t know exactly why."
gizmodo.com/all-the-bad-...
gizmodo.com/all-the-bad-...
All the Bad Things That Can Happen When You Generate a Sora Video
It's fun to mess around with cutting-edge AI. Here's why you still maybe shouldn't.
gizmodo.com
November 30, 2025 at 4:01 PM
"Like so many things these days, using Sora feels like it’s a little bit of a naughty thing to do, even if you don’t know exactly why."
gizmodo.com/all-the-bad-...
gizmodo.com/all-the-bad-...
"Now that we’re actually targeting boats and killing people, a lot of people have a lot of questions—and I don’t feel like I can answer them wisely."
slate.com/news-and-pol...
slate.com/news-and-pol...
Dear JAG: What Do I Do if I Get Unlawful Orders to Blow Up Civilian Boats
Orders are presumed to be lawful, but that presumption is rebuttable rather than conclusive.
slate.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:46 PM
"Now that we’re actually targeting boats and killing people, a lot of people have a lot of questions—and I don’t feel like I can answer them wisely."
slate.com/news-and-pol...
slate.com/news-and-pol...
I’m currently visiting Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, with @val-weston.bsky.social.
The art in our motel room depicts a majestic herd of bison crossing a river, beneath a dramatic cliff.
The art in our motel room depicts a majestic herd of bison crossing a river, beneath a dramatic cliff.
November 8, 2025 at 8:05 PM
I’m currently visiting Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, with @val-weston.bsky.social.
The art in our motel room depicts a majestic herd of bison crossing a river, beneath a dramatic cliff.
The art in our motel room depicts a majestic herd of bison crossing a river, beneath a dramatic cliff.
Is anyone surprised by this?
FBI urges ICE to ID themselves as criminals impersonate officers
thehill.com/policy/natio...
FBI urges ICE to ID themselves as criminals impersonate officers
thehill.com/policy/natio...
thehill.com
November 5, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Is anyone surprised by this?
FBI urges ICE to ID themselves as criminals impersonate officers
thehill.com/policy/natio...
FBI urges ICE to ID themselves as criminals impersonate officers
thehill.com/policy/natio...
This is not among the top 10 things I care most about today.
"... there is a 'high potential' that fecal matter and disease-causing organisms have entered the town’s infrastructure."
www.sfgate.com/renotahoe/ar...
"... there is a 'high potential' that fecal matter and disease-causing organisms have entered the town’s infrastructure."
www.sfgate.com/renotahoe/ar...
Tahoe’s billionaire enclave might have a poop problem
A Nov. 3 notice cited a "loss of pressure in the distribution system."
www.sfgate.com
November 5, 2025 at 5:46 PM
This is not among the top 10 things I care most about today.
"... there is a 'high potential' that fecal matter and disease-causing organisms have entered the town’s infrastructure."
www.sfgate.com/renotahoe/ar...
"... there is a 'high potential' that fecal matter and disease-causing organisms have entered the town’s infrastructure."
www.sfgate.com/renotahoe/ar...
“It smelled of onions and mustard,” Lairmore said of the sandwich, which “exploded all over my chest.”
www.cnn.com/2025/11/04/p...
www.cnn.com/2025/11/04/p...
‘It smelled of onions and mustard,’ Border Patrol officer hit by sandwich in DC testifies | CNN Politics
The sandwich-throwing incident became a moment of resistance in the city, with spray painted posters popping up around the capital in the wake of the alleged assault.
www.cnn.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:00 PM
“It smelled of onions and mustard,” Lairmore said of the sandwich, which “exploded all over my chest.”
www.cnn.com/2025/11/04/p...
www.cnn.com/2025/11/04/p...
"Pentagon orders ‘quick reaction force’ of 500 troops per state
"Each state also will be given '100 sets of crowd control equipment to be used to support this requirement,' such as Tasers, pepper spray, batons, and body shields."
thehill.com/policy/defen...
"Each state also will be given '100 sets of crowd control equipment to be used to support this requirement,' such as Tasers, pepper spray, batons, and body shields."
thehill.com/policy/defen...
thehill.com
November 1, 2025 at 9:51 PM
"Pentagon orders ‘quick reaction force’ of 500 troops per state
"Each state also will be given '100 sets of crowd control equipment to be used to support this requirement,' such as Tasers, pepper spray, batons, and body shields."
thehill.com/policy/defen...
"Each state also will be given '100 sets of crowd control equipment to be used to support this requirement,' such as Tasers, pepper spray, batons, and body shields."
thehill.com/policy/defen...
"This machine is a stark reminder that automation doesn’t ask for permission."
How many fast-food employees will this device replace? Most of them, I think.
www.yankodesign.com/2025/10/29/t...
How many fast-food employees will this device replace? Most of them, I think.
www.yankodesign.com/2025/10/29/t...
This Massive Robot Wants To Replace An Entire Restaurant - Yanko Design
Inside a seven-square-meter glass enclosure, two robotic arms move with startling precision. One retrieves ingredients from climate-controlled silos, another works over a heating element, and within m...
www.yankodesign.com
November 1, 2025 at 1:34 PM
"This machine is a stark reminder that automation doesn’t ask for permission."
How many fast-food employees will this device replace? Most of them, I think.
www.yankodesign.com/2025/10/29/t...
How many fast-food employees will this device replace? Most of them, I think.
www.yankodesign.com/2025/10/29/t...
“He is acclimating people to the notion that the military is his private army, unconstrained by law, unconstrained by norms, unconstrained by American traditions.”
www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Trump’s Plan Is Now Out in the Open
It’s getting ever harder to avoid connecting the authoritarian dots.
www.theatlantic.com
October 31, 2025 at 5:31 PM
“He is acclimating people to the notion that the military is his private army, unconstrained by law, unconstrained by norms, unconstrained by American traditions.”
www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
"For years, the Senate eroded its own authority through silence and submission. Facing another turning point in U.S. foreign policy, its members now find they have no authority left to surrender."
thehill.com/opinion/cong...
thehill.com/opinion/cong...
thehill.com
October 29, 2025 at 8:28 PM
"For years, the Senate eroded its own authority through silence and submission. Facing another turning point in U.S. foreign policy, its members now find they have no authority left to surrender."
thehill.com/opinion/cong...
thehill.com/opinion/cong...
"... former SpaceX intern" plans to offer a “sunlight on demand service" to “leading brands who want to bring a novel touch to their promotions.”
And you thought AI was the techno threat of the day.
futurism.com/space/scient...
And you thought AI was the techno threat of the day.
futurism.com/space/scient...
Scientists Oppose Huge Array of Mirrors in Space That Shines Nighttime Sunlight on Wealthy Customers
The astronomical community is horrified at plans made by a for-profit company to flood the night sky with sunlight.
futurism.com
October 25, 2025 at 5:22 PM
"... former SpaceX intern" plans to offer a “sunlight on demand service" to “leading brands who want to bring a novel touch to their promotions.”
And you thought AI was the techno threat of the day.
futurism.com/space/scient...
And you thought AI was the techno threat of the day.
futurism.com/space/scient...
"By the time we agree that our minds are no longer our own, that we simply cannot think clearly without tech assistance, how much of us will be left to resist?"
This article makes some pretty profound observations.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
This article makes some pretty profound observations.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Are we living in a golden age of stupidity?
From brain-rotting videos to AI creep, every technological advance seems to make it harder to work, remember, think and function independently …
www.theguardian.com
October 25, 2025 at 4:06 PM
"By the time we agree that our minds are no longer our own, that we simply cannot think clearly without tech assistance, how much of us will be left to resist?"
This article makes some pretty profound observations.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
This article makes some pretty profound observations.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
It appears that The Onion is watching southwest New Mexico.
What To Know About Data Centers https://theonion.com/what-to-know-about-data-centers/
October 25, 2025 at 1:45 PM
It appears that The Onion is watching southwest New Mexico.
Please consider this as you decide what to pay attention to, what to ignore, and how to spend your money.
Random thought: many good articles are behind pay walls, while misleading or false content is free. As the economy deteriorates, access to information and facts can become a matter of disposable income.
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Please consider this as you decide what to pay attention to, what to ignore, and how to spend your money.
"Three years from now you’ll be getting ChatGPT to give you a bullet-pointed precis of an AI-generated criticism of a show that was presented by AI-generated hosts, while you dig in the dirt for worms to feed your family."
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
Joke’s on you, fleshbag! Channel 4’s first AI presenter is dizzyingly grim on so many levels
The AI-generated host of Dispatches raises worrying questions about Channel 4’s environmental impact. She’s also a dead-eyed host who might leave Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Kevin McCloud fearing for the...
www.theguardian.com
October 22, 2025 at 2:29 PM
"Three years from now you’ll be getting ChatGPT to give you a bullet-pointed precis of an AI-generated criticism of a show that was presented by AI-generated hosts, while you dig in the dirt for worms to feed your family."
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
"That appeals court decision protected access to more than 3.5 million acres of public lands in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Kansas, and Oklahoma, with implications for an estimated 8.3 million acres across the West."
www.backcountryhunters.org/news/details...
www.backcountryhunters.org/news/details...
Supreme Court Declines to Hear Corner-Crossing Case, Protecting Millions of Acres of Public Lands
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 20, 2025 Contact: [email protected] Supreme Court Declines to Hear Corner-Crossing Case, Protecting Millions of Acres of Public Lands Ruling highlig...
www.backcountryhunters.org
October 21, 2025 at 11:33 AM
"That appeals court decision protected access to more than 3.5 million acres of public lands in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Kansas, and Oklahoma, with implications for an estimated 8.3 million acres across the West."
www.backcountryhunters.org/news/details...
www.backcountryhunters.org/news/details...
Very proud of our little town.
And it was very fun to be there yesterday. I didn't see any hostile behavior at all.
And it was very fun to be there yesterday. I didn't see any hostile behavior at all.
From the front lines of War Ravaged Silver City, New Mexico
October 19, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Very proud of our little town.
And it was very fun to be there yesterday. I didn't see any hostile behavior at all.
And it was very fun to be there yesterday. I didn't see any hostile behavior at all.
"The government’s cases are sometimes so muddied that it’s unclear why agents actually arrested a citizen."
www.propublica.org/article/immi...
www.propublica.org/article/immi...
More Than 170 U.S. Citizens Have Been Held by Immigration Agents. They’ve Been Kicked, Dragged and Detained for Days.
The government does not track how often immigration agents grab citizens. So ProPublica did. Our tally — almost certainly incomplete — includes people who were held for days without a lawyer. And near...
www.propublica.org
October 17, 2025 at 12:06 AM
"The government’s cases are sometimes so muddied that it’s unclear why agents actually arrested a citizen."
www.propublica.org/article/immi...
www.propublica.org/article/immi...
"... a new parent searching for 'baby thermometers' might find pricier products on the first page of their results than a nonparent would. It’s not surprising that many people think this is unfair."
theconversation.com/in-defense-o...
theconversation.com/in-defense-o...
In defense of ‘surveillance pricing’: Why personalized prices could be an unexpected force for equity
Fans of redistribution may find something good in the latest AI-powered development in pricing.
theconversation.com
October 15, 2025 at 8:28 PM
"... a new parent searching for 'baby thermometers' might find pricier products on the first page of their results than a nonparent would. It’s not surprising that many people think this is unfair."
theconversation.com/in-defense-o...
theconversation.com/in-defense-o...
"Social movements are bigger than political parties, and focused on more than just passing bills in Congress. They push for change on civic, cultural, institutional, and legislative fronts all at once. They change the climate of the age."
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
America Needs a Mass Movement—Now
Without one, America may sink into autocracy for decades.
www.theatlantic.com
October 14, 2025 at 6:27 PM
"Social movements are bigger than political parties, and focused on more than just passing bills in Congress. They push for change on civic, cultural, institutional, and legislative fronts all at once. They change the climate of the age."
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
I've been lax about putting a photo of myself up on my profile. I'll get around to it, at some point.
Meanwhile, here's me, with my partner, Val.
Meanwhile, here's me, with my partner, Val.
Hi, friends! In case we haven't met you yet in our travels talking about this project, we're Val & J.—founders of Southwest Art Towns. We're based in Silver City, NM and we're looking forward to getting to know all of the great art communities and creators in the southwest through this adventure.
October 14, 2025 at 5:12 PM
I've been lax about putting a photo of myself up on my profile. I'll get around to it, at some point.
Meanwhile, here's me, with my partner, Val.
Meanwhile, here's me, with my partner, Val.