Don

Don

@oltmannd.bsky.social

Retired RR guy. Data geek. Train nerd. Occasional optimist. Mechanical Engineer by education and essence.

414 followers439 following1.4K posts

Don reposted

Everyone keeps asking me how I’m feeling about early voting so far. I’m feeling like nobody *actually* knows anything, and this is the most important midterm of our lives. I’d rather be us than them, but we can’t get comfortable. We can’t get complacent. Go vote like we’re down 3%.

Don reposted

Hmmm, what's missing from this list? (hint: it's ignored every single time, yet plays a key role in respiratory pathogen spread) ✅To defend ourselves, this country needs to strengthen its ability to quickly respond to a biological threat. [1/2]

Don reposted

Sad, pathetic, spineless, cowardly people who believe in nothing other than worshipping Trump. Vote them out so we can have a Congress again. bsky.app/profile/atru...

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

KARL: You've been a strong supporter of Ukraine & voted for sanctions on Russia. What do you make of Trump's plan to buy Russian diesel? EMMER: Well, it's another example of our president thinking out of the box. He's listening to the American people. They're hurting. He's the president of peace.

There are so many, good charging stations between Atlanta and Florida now, that I really don't even have to think very much about where and when to charge. 420 mile trip takes only 30 minutes longer than with gas car and saves me $20. Smoother, quieter trip, to boot.

Catherine Rampell@crampell.bsky.social

EV sales in the U.S. are down by half compared with last year. Meanwhile, charging companies in the U.S. are on track to install about as many public EV plugs this year as in 2025, the industry’s record high. www.wsj.com/business/aut...

Don reposted

How is it not news when the president nods off in public meetings and press conferences dozens of times? If you follow independent media, you see it and know about it. But why hasn’t CBS, NBC or ABC showed a montage of it on their evening news? They simply refuse to ever show it.

Don reposted

Please please please stop making a big deal out of the G7 reserves release. Yes, it’s 100 million barrels over 4 months. We - the planet - use 100 million barrels of crude every…single…day. Almost literally a drop in the bucket.

Don reposted

Mentions on Fox shows of the very newsworthy confrontation between Schmitt and Jack Smith: Ingraham (7-8pm): 0 Watters (8-9): 0 Hannity (9-10): 0 Gutfeld (10-11): 0 Fox & Friends this AM: 0

Don reposted

Why won’t network evening news broadcasts show their audience video of Trump dozing off during press events in the Oval Office in the middle of the day while people are talking, as he’s done dozens and dozen of times? Is that not newsworthy? Is it impolite? Will you lose access?

Don reposted

All Trump’s malevolence and psychosis will be on full display right after the midterms. We’ve been here before in Nov 2020, and here we go again. The national nightmare of Trump refusing to accept defeat and dragging the country through lies, conspiracies and drama begins again.

Don reposted

Your regular reminder -- yes, I'm going to keep on with this -- that Republicans in Congress are just fine with everything he's doing.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

Trump: "The Kennedy Center is in a virtual state of collapse, and has been for many years ... unfortunately, the Building is destined to doom. Isn’t that too bad?"

Don reposted

LOL -- Fox News ticks through all of Ken Paxton's scandals with on air graphics during an interview with Ken Paxton and Bret Baier says, "there's a long list here"

Don reposted

Trump could have made the ceremony with 9/11 first responders today about the many heroes who died attempting to rescue people and others who risked their lives & long term health. But instead, he created a fictitious event featuring himself, who did nothing, as the hero of 9/11.

Don reposted

Long after Trump and Rubio are out of office, maybe. This will never happen while these people are in power. The only thing Trump/Rubio have to offer the people of Venezuela is perpetuation of the Maduro regime and pillaged oil.

Don reposted

BREAKING MUST CREDIT: US Trade Representative doesn’t understand how trade works

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on a trade war with Canada: "There's no possible way it can really affect US well-being"

Don reposted

And there it is … bsky.app/profile/acyn...

Acyn@acyn.bsky.social

The President promotes Scotts Miracle-Gro in the middle of an Oval Office event: The best grass you can get. Scotts, you know Scotts? Scott's Miracle-Gro, they're doing it. They do great grass. I got to give him a plug because they did the White House for free.

This is what makes me the saddest. Pax Americana is dead. I don't think it's fixable.

Ron Filipkowski@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social

Putin, Xi, Iran, etc must love the way this clown car of incompetent cultists is burning every alliance and relationship the US has built over decades and centuries to the ground in such a short period of time with a toxic combination of arrogance and stupidity.

Incremental power use should be yield priced. Newest large customers should pay a lot more. New generation and distribution costs a lot. Shouldn't be spread on existing customers like peanut butter. Good decision.

Don reposted

BREAKING: A reporter asked Mike Johnson at a press conference today, “Should we bother asking you any questions about Trump reigniting his illegal Iran War without any Constitutionally mandatory Congressional deliberation and authorization... or have you not heard about it yet?"

If ever there was a need for a regulatory push, this is it.

Marisa Kabas@marisakabas.bsky.social

"After analyzing federal and industry records, including never-before-examined data on vehicle dimensions, we found that the rise of large pickups and S.U.V.s is an important factor." i'm sorry but how the fuck is this correlation just coming to light now?

Don reposted

"After analyzing federal and industry records, including never-before-examined data on vehicle dimensions, we found that the rise of large pickups and S.U.V.s is an important factor." i'm sorry but how the fuck is this correlation just coming to light now?

nytimes.comThe Deadly Rise of Giant Trucks and S.U.V.s (Gift Article)The vehicles on American roads have grown larger — and they are killing thousands more pedestrians, a Times investigation found.

Don reposted

RT=Endorsement

Bill Kristol@billkristolbulwark.bsky.social

"Trump and Hegseth have subordinated national security to their personal prejudice, egoism and corruption. And from their point of view the loss of professionalism, meritocracy and honor, along with the loss of America’s reputation, is acceptable collateral damage." open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...

Don reposted

GW never said this and neither did anybody else. The only official symbolism in the Flag Resolution is the stars are "representing a new constellation." The rest is just an iteration on the Red Ensign, and likely the East India Company's white stripes on it. The colors have no particular meaning.

Don reposted

As I kept reminding people, the reason most intel agencies in the world - not just us - believed that Iraq was hiding WMD is because *that's what Saddam wanted everyone to think* Well, he got his wish. We believed him. (That doesn't excuse George "Slam Dunk" Tenet, but it wasn't a lie.)

Konrad Adenauer formerly Honest Abe@hombrelibre.bsky.social

I will need to read your article. I think Saddam deserves much of the blame since he was the source for the disinformation about WMD. FBI Agent George Piro, an Arab speaker, interviewed Saddam who justified the disinformation as a means to keep Iran from attacking. Bush didn't make up the WMD story.

Don reposted

👇

Elizabeth Spiers@espiers.bsky.social

Elon did not invent space flight, satcomms, or AI but he has happily used decades of government funded research and resources to build his own private companies and wealth and greatly benefited from the privatization of these things