iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Yhe world, to help people in a war-torn nation fighting for it’s survival, and to give them a break from day to day horrors. I strongly recommend Balakun to anyone who wants to help the Ukrainian people. (Tell 'em wizzard sent you!)

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

be useful in conversations. It may also help me understand the issues my students are having learning a new language. The world seems a chaotic place these days and it feels like there is little that can be done as an individual. Balakun has been giving me an opportunity to meet people from around

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

(There is also a need for behind the scenes volunteers who want to help but don’t want to teach students directly.) I don’t speak or read Ukrainian but I AM beginning lessons with a group of other mentors in a couple weeks. I doubt I’ll ever be fluent, but I hope to pick up a few words that will

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

read this far and think this sounds interesting, consider filling out the application mentor on the home page of the link above. It’s simple and asks only a few questions. Shortly after, you will have an online face to face verification interview that will help Balakun match you with a student.

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

can hang out and chat about their English lessons or bounce through any topics that people raise. I often have long conversations with 5 or 6 others, each of us in a different country and time-zone. Balkun is growing rapidly and is getting more students and needs to find more Mentors. If you’ve

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

the Balakun web site to help make lessons to expand my student’s vocabulary. I attend speaking clubs where teachers lead lessons to interested groups of students and teachers. I use them to help me better teach my students and I pick up tips frequently. There are groups where mentors and mentees

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

have 2 mentees that I meet with online each week. We talk and listen to each other, mostly in English. We read stories and discuss words that are new or unknown. I taught physics and mathematics for 15 years in earlier days, but this is my first experience as an english teacher. I use resources on

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

From their site: “Balakun is a bridge between passionate volunteer mentors from around the world and Ukrainians eager to learn or practice English, German, and Spanish, or any other language, creating space for shared learning, conversation, and the exchange of experience.” As a Mentor, I currently

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I’m a supporter of Ukraine. I’ve donated money to send trucks, drones and first aid, but can’t make any significant change with the few Euros that I can afford to donate. I started offering a different kind of support in February when I joined an organization called Balakun. balakun.org

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

The garden has been productive this year. In the last few days I've been gathering potatoes, apples, summer squash, cucumbers and figs.

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Thanks for the reminder. I have long considered myself to be a Muse of sorts so I had to go look up the text of the Theogony. My Greek is a bit rusty so I'll trust your translation. This also seems like an appropriate passage for a lot of what is going on in world politics today. Thanks.

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

The tires look better than some I've had on my active cars over the years.

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

And I thought I had a lot of tomato plants! Looking good! (I've even got a few dozen green tomatoes waiting for a bit of sun to change color.)

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

Mixed couple? Can a veggie and a fruit find happiness? They'll have interesting children.

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

Didn't you hear Elon tell people not to save for retirement because AI is going to make us all rich? Methinks it's about time to break out the pitchforks and torches.

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

I'm all for less AI and more HI (human intelligence).

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

I'm with you about flowers. I mostly plant stuff to eat, but this year I've been adding more flowers just to confuse or deter the nasty invaders from the edible goodies.

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

April showers bring May flowers... April is nearly over and rain is brewing overhead. Around our home, the flowers of May have been popping up everywhere. Here are a few.

Marigolds in an outside raised bed. Hoping it will confuse the smell of nearby croos.

Pale rise. The scent is just as understated

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

I'm loving the Iranian Lego videos slamming our moron-in-chief, but I think they need to come out with a line of physical Lego trump figures and military props so we can all join in with mocking this petulant child. Anyone got a contact in the Iranian propaganda division to pass this idea to?

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

And nothing but delusional lies

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

I saw it breathing. After lightly stroking it, it flew off! Yea! I'm hoping it recovered completely and I added a hole to the side of the greenhouse high up where I think future trapped birds can find the outlet.

Close up of my little hummer, now breathing and moments before it took off into the distance. Heading home I hope.

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

It just kept flying back and forth. In the early morning I went to look for it and found it on a branch of a nasturtium plant, ib the semi comma as they do at night. I cut the branch off and carried it to a heating pad on the back deck. After a few minutes, it started moving slightly and #rescue

A closer look at the hummingbird, still unmoving gripping a branch tightly.

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

A couple days ago and hummingbird found its way into our greenhouse but couldn't find its way out. I put a couple hummer feeders near an open window and by the large open door, but when I went back hours later at night it was still there. Couldn't figure out how to free #hummingbird #wildlife

A hummingbird laying totally still next to a feeders I hoped it might feed from if it woke up.

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

nearly 4 feet tall already. This is the biggest and most varied garden I've ever grown. I'm looking forward harvesting and eating the crops over the next months.

Corn growing in a cloth bags along with squash and bean plants. These are the "3 sisters" system used for hundreds of years. Each plant helps the others.

Cardboard boxes in which I started potatoes in 6 inches or so of dirt, waited till lush plant growth and then added 6"+ of dirt to fill the boxes and stimulate more potatoes to grow from the buried parts of the plants

Onions in large cloth bags that we planted in the early winter months getting ready to pull from the ground.

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

I've already pulled radishes out of the ground and picked a handful of snap peas from 8 foot tall vines in our greenhouse. A dozen summer squashes are nearly big enough to eat, cucumbers are climbing the trellises I set up this year, and some of the corn stalks are

Timers hooked up to added lighting in our greenhouse.

I've planted many marigold and nasturtium flowers around the raised beds to confuse and sacrifice themselves to bugs to hopefully save the crops I want to eat.

Wildflowers growing under grow lighting in the greenhouse.

Radishes straight from the outside garden.

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

April showers have been racing through Northern California with a vengeance for the last week or so, watering the hundreds of plants I've been putting into our raised beds, cloth bags and cardboard boxes during the record breakingly warm spring weather this year! #garden #food

An outdoor raised beds full of tomato, cucumber,squash and beet plants.

A bamboo teepee with newly started pickling cucumbers, just started onions in foreground cloth bag.

Tomato plants mostly in this photo in the greenhouse.

Pea plants climbing a trellis in the greenhouse. I had to climb a ladder to grab a handful of snap peas to add to a pot of soup.

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

I'm a major dr. Who fan! Been watching for more than 50 years and want my own tardis. Glad you found one!

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

Very cool! I've been working hard on my raised beds putting in tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, corn and marigolds & nasturtiums (sp?) to distract the pests as northern California has been under a heat dome for a month. Good to grow your own food!

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

What are the greens? Can't tell but look fresh and healthy.

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

I like it. Looks like you were enjoying yourself. Don't mind those who can't enjoy life.

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

what I was trying to say because of my awkward phrasing, they responded with a thumbs up and smiley emoji. Hope it stays this way! We need less bickering over nothing. Thank YOU for responding so fully. Your time must be more fully occupied than an old retired dude.

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

I was never on twitter/x, but joined Bluesky when people I follow on progressive sites started running away from x because of its growing toxicity. I've been very pleased with the overall positivity on BSky. I've only had one negative interaction and once I responded that they didn't understand

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

I just figured out how to see your past posts. I have to 'swipe up' on your very first line of your profile instead of the body of the description. Persistence paid off!

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

No worries, love seeing your updates even if I can't go through your history.

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

teaching physics and other sciences in the next town over. Thanks for the web site info. Looks like your work is well appreciated by those around you. Just keep growing!

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

Cool. Now it is making more sense. I'm in my 70s but drawing so much enjoyment from growing plants this year and learning more about perennials (started some good king henry and tamarillo trees) that I sometimes wish I could have been a gardener/farmer. I lived on a dairy farm for years while

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

Are you supplying plants to farmers or stores or just really like tomato juice? You're on an industrial scale.

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

The No Kings rally was well attended in Chico, CA today. Some images follow.

Seemed like more younger folks were present this time.

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

I wanted to go back an see your first few posts of the greenhouse but can't seem to get down to them. If intentional that's ok, but seems like a bug or something. I'm also naive enough on social media that it may just be something I'm doing wrong but maybe view your profile on someone else's BSky

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

I'd like to share a little feedback about you bluesky home/profile page. I'm not sure if is the double spaced sentences in your self description or something else, but I'm unable to 'swipe my finger up' to go down and see your most recent posts. I can't get past the opening screen.

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

Started after a local class in seed starting and suddenly had tons of new plants and had to find friends to take away the excess 75-100 tomato, cucumber, marigold and other plants. Starting so early, many are only now showing flowers, and just shared our first radish with my wife an hour ago.

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BobMarzewski @bmarzewski.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

You're growing on a different scale than I am, but this year I started my seeds using seedsnails (I won't mansplain it to you in case you're aware of it, but it's all over youtube if interested) and was amazed at the high fraction of germination and ease of transplanting to new containers.

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