iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

(sigh) I won't be changing this Summer Reading Sale image (and page) until tomorrow probably. due to being *up to here* with the LIONES'S MANE stuff, but this sale is STILL ON. 🙂 ebooks.direct/pages/our-su...

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...Yeah, that'd be my reading of it, these days. 😊 ...But also: the expressions in that scene make it plain, even leaving Vulcan hand porn out of it. —The question remains: how many minutes/hours separated these shots, and who let these two (or directed them) off the leash for just that long? 😏

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Status report, “Local(ish) Politics” dep’t: Sweet holy Thoth but could this guy possibly be *more* vague and ineffective? 🫤

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I was looking for the new Pallas's Cat Ikea plushie, and stumbled across this during a failed search. Think I need it anyway... 😀 www.ikea.com/ie/en/p/grej...

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Diane Duane @diane.dianeduane.com · 26/09/2026

Status report, "Weary Experimentation Mode": I wonder if the 9:16 book trailer for THE ADVENTURE OF THE LIONESS'S MANE will display correctly here? *Let's find out!* (...And yes, you can buy the book! Wait for the QR code. Or go to bit.ly/Lioness-Mane! Whichever you prefer!) 🙂 #booksky #ebook

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Adding: Actually, exited Audio Editing Hell with surprising speed because the audio was surprisingly editable (and Lightworks does make this easier by showing you the waveforms). ...Now just putting together a final graphic or two to fill out the space, and I can ideally POST THIS THING tomorrow. :)

A screenshot of the still/video and sound editing dashboard in Lightworks

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(Here are the contributing spices, for those who might be interested.)

Casserole spices: pepper (Tellicherry), salt, oregano, chipotle chile, onion granules, arbol chile, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper

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And yeah, that's panko on top. (Later dotted with lard.) ...This shall henceforth be known as the Cultural Appropriation Casserole. If I'm gonna appropriate cultures' foods, Imma appropriate ALL of them. 😏

In a Peugeot casserole dish: the Cultural Appropriation Casserole.

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Meanwhile, taking a break from the cogitations regarding rose hips: as I'm contemplating a couple of heavy days of writing work ahead, I seem to be making a casserole. Potatoes, ground beef, homemade refried beans, Carbery Cracker cheddar. Pickled Jalapenos. Various spices. Etc. (1/2)

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...So now I have to figure out what to do with these (about 350g of them). Jam? Jelly? Some kind of weird chutney? Considering my options. They still have to be washed, sorted, tailed (i.e. the fuzzy bottom bits cut off); then run through the food processor a bit to open them up for cooking. (2/3)

A bowl of rose hips, awaiting their fate

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Diane Duane @diane.dianeduane.com · 23/09/2026

Status report, Seasonal Pastimes dep't: This is about as close as I get to the Putting Things Up urge that some folks get around this time of year. The climbing rose that's establishing itself in front of the cottage got a little excited about making rose hips this year. (1/2)

On the worktop, a cutting board with rose hips being cleaned and prepped for... something or other

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Status report: Long work day punctuated by small deliveries & making book trailer slides. Currently watching TRON: LEGACY and wallowing in Daft Punk while more rendering goes on. …Meanwhile: a digital “model sheet” of some non-invisible #bisexuals. Happy #BisexualVisibilityDay to all celebrants! 😀

Height check on the (polyamorous / bisexual) human members of the core marriage of the #MiddleKingdoms series: Herewiss, Freelorn, Segnbora, Eftgan, Wyn. (Other members of the marriage are either too large to fit in shot, or beings for whom height checks
aren’t useful data.)

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Diane Duane @diane.dianeduane.com · 23/09/2026

Meanwhile, I checked this with closed captions turned on, and yeah, they cheated it. No news, I guess: it's the Mouse, after all. 🙄

Screengrab from TREASURE PLANET. "Dang it, Jim, I'm an astronomer, not a doctor."

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Diane Duane @diane.dianeduane.com · 21/09/2026

Status report, "Going Through Some Older Graphics Files" dep't: Found this set labeled as "unpopulated." Plainly mislabeled. 😅

"Working royalty": the king of Arlen does research. His queen "helps".

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Diane Duane @diane.dianeduane.com · 20/09/2026

So: a little supper. Tortilla chips, refried beans, more tortilla chips, grated Carbery Cracker cheddar (one of the best cheddars on this island, made in Cork). Fancier version tomorrow, with... who knows... *meat* in it. Red wine on the side. Entirely sufficient for the evening. 😋

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Diane Duane @diane.dianeduane.com · 20/09/2026

Beans now mashed and cooling. When cooled, will taste and correct seasoning if necessary. Then: casserole. Tortilla chips, beans, cheese. OMNOMNOM.

Refried beans, fried in lard and just mashed

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Diane Duane @diane.dianeduane.com · 20/09/2026

On the #ISS: Morning approaches (via the 4K video feed from sen.com)

Approaching the (morning) terminator in the south Atlantic: view from the ISS

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Everybody loves the antenna. It features in all the New Millennium Edition cover art. 😄

A wizard’s manual with wands (one of which is a car antenna)

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Pretty sure you're thinking of Neal McPheeters (gods rest him, gone now). And this cover, which is a fave of mine. (A little more about the artist is here: www.youngwizards.com/yw-publicati... )

Neal McPheeters's Dell Yearling and Dell Laurel-Leaf cover art for SO YOU WANT TO BE A WIZARD

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Oh, sorry, I was trying to save space. Details: www.youngwizards.com/so-you-want-... ...The issue on this book was that the 1983 hardcover first edition was (maybe?) only 1500 copies, most of which went to libraries. They're quite rare in good condition & w/the original David Wiesner cover/jacket.

The 1983 David Wiesner cover for the 1st hardcover edition of SO YOU WANT TO BE A WIZARD

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Diane Duane @diane.dianeduane.com · 17/09/2026

Meanwhile, in near space (via the 4K video live feed at sen.com): The #ISS cruises over Madagascar….

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Status report, Verification Of Claims dep't: Google Maps' description of tbe Couvert Marché's location as a 20-minute walk from Metz-Ville station is *utter BS.* ...Now having a fresh tomato juice with vodka in it to recover somewhat. 🫥

Fresh tomato juice with vodka. #GNU Peter Morwood

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Diane Duane @diane.dianeduane.com · 17/09/2026

A little later: Lunch. Quiche lorraine and a nice salad. (Because if you can't get a decent quiche in Lorraine, what the hell is the point?) 😅

Quiche lorraine and a salad. In Lorraine.

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Diane Duane @diane.dianeduane.com · 17/09/2026

Status report: Metz. Lunchtime.

In the Brasserie ABC across from Metz-Ville station: Lunchtime.

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Diane Duane @diane.dianeduane.com · 16/09/2026

…This is a pleasant place if you need to kill some time (I’m early for my nearby-hotel checkin). The front is a sandwich/snack takeaway. The back has a nice bar/restaurant space. No one hurries you: they’re used, I think, to being kind of a waiting room.

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Diane Duane @diane.dianeduane.com · 16/09/2026

Meanwhile: here's yet another place that can make you say to people "I'm dying for a good meal, let's go to the train station". Seared salmon, black rice risotto. Luxembourgish pinot blanc just out of shot. FABULOUS. 😋 (Le Quai Steffen, Luxembourg Gare Centrale)

Seared salmon, black rice risotto. LOOKIT THE LITTLE FLOWER! 😀 ...At Le Quai Steffen, Luxembourg Gare Centrale.

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Diane Duane @diane.dianeduane.com · 16/09/2026

Status report, Tram Line Overshoot dep't: Slightly delayed on tbe way in from Metz, misread directions for the right stop for the big Wednesday matket. Got off to triangulste & backtrack. And what are the odds that I'd immediately find/walk into an Irish bar...? 😂

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Status report, "In Metz": dammit. A little too late for lunch, a little too early for dinner: kitchen's closed right now, but they have Breton sardines and *I want them!* ...Ah well: later. 😀

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From the #TGV heading towards #Metz: The train's opened her speed up a bit. Silk-smooth: in the bar car nobody's drinks would even be wiggling.

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Status report, "Catching The #Luxembourg to #Metz #TGV": Look at this magnificent thing. There's a certain amount of late-Renaissance "Come on up here if you think you're hard enough!" stuff going on that's entirely understandable if you're the Counts of Limburg looking for a defensible spot... 😁

Stained glass of Luxemburgh City in the Gare Centrale

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Status report, Luxembourg Gare Centrale: Lunch. 😀

Burger de boeuf, with cheese, frites and a salad

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Status report, DUB: I think that's possibly my outbound equipment.

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Status report: At DUB. Through Fast Track without incident. Nothing to do now but wait an hour or so for the open gate. (sigh)

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In Dublin, on the way to the airport: Some stairs.

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Status report, “Heading For DUB” dep’t: Lovely late lunch. Time to go. Yet, today’s mild surprises: Got offered a seat not once but *twice* on the inbound tram. …Yeah, I had a late IBS-troubled night, but did I look THAT crap? (Yet also: those seats were *welcome.* I’m 74, dammit!) 😄

The burger at Davy Byrnes, very stripped back (because the cheese is unwise for me today and I can’t do the onions), with the best fries in town

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