iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Stacy Mittens @hawkalum6.bsky.social · 8h

Saw a big toad hiding behind the beans in the garden tonight!

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MaskTogetherAmerica @togetherwemask.bsky.social · 14h

“I #MaskUp because I am immunocompromised. I am a voice actor for animation, audio books and video games. I don’t want to get sick. I also want to protect others. It’s the right thing to do.” —Helen Laser, @newyorkcomiccon.bsky.social panelist. 📸: @msjulieslam.bsky.social #IAmNYCC

Helen Laser, wearing a Black KN95 respirator, made a peace-sign when posing for Julie Lam at the New York Comic Con 2026.

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Stacy Mittens @hawkalum6.bsky.social · 11h

Those tiny little black bugs that poke your skin (I think they're called pirate bugs?) can go to hell.

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Denis - The COVID Info Guy @thecovidinfoguy.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Source: www.ctvnews.ca/health/artic... Archive: archive.li/slMBX

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Denis - The COVID Info Guy @thecovidinfoguy.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

USA: "Unknown virus leaves some Iowa patients sick for weeks" An unidentified illness is leaving patients in Des Moines, Iowa, sick for weeks “They’re hanging on to this bug for around a month,” says a nurse practitioner Symptoms keep returning, despite negative tests for COVID-19, flu and strep

An image from the CTV News website reporting on a medical mystery.
The headline reads, "Unknown virus leaves some Iowa patients sick for weeks," attributed to CNN. It lists a publication date of October 07, 2026.
The main photo shows a blurry view of a child in an orange shirt holding a tissue to their nose, sitting next to an adult in a grey sweater. In the background, a brown medical bottle labelled "ALCOHOL" sits on a counter, and a person's hand is visible holding a pen.
The caption below states: "An unidentified illness is stumping medical professionals and keeping patients sick for weeks on end in the Des Moines area. (KCCI via CNN Newsource)."

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Dr Elisa Perego @elisaperego78.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

The pandemic isn't over and Covid isn't "endemic". It's still a pandemic disease with waves across the globe. It can still make you sick, kill you, hospitalize you

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Mike Hoerger, PhD, MSCR, MBA @michael-hoerger.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

California's COVlD outbreak now surpasses 3 months. PMC estimates 1 in 29 residents are actively infectious statewide. Mask up and get boosted.💉💪😷 On a computer, go to pmc19.com/map and click on individual counties for more info, including a graph of recent levels. Summary in ALT text.

County, Level, and PMC estimate of the proportion of the population actively infectious

Alameda | Very High | 1 in 26
Alpine | High | 1 in 34
Amador | High | 1 in 36
Butte | Very High | 1 in 22
Calaveras | High | 1 in 30
Colusa | Very High | 1 in 25
Contra Costa | High | 1 in 36
Del Norte | Very High | 1 in 23
El Dorado | High | 1 in 40
Fresno | Very High | 1 in 23
Glenn | Very High | 1 in 23
Humboldt | High | 1 in 32
Imperial | High | 1 in 31
Inyo | Very High | 1 in 20
Kern | Very High | At least 1 in 20
Kings | Very High | At least 1 in 20
Lake | Very High | 1 in 23
Lassen | Very High | At least 1 in 20
Los Angeles | High | 1 in 34
Madera | Very High | 1 in 24
Marin | Very High | At least 1 in 20
Mariposa | High | 1 in 29
Mendocino | Very High | 1 in 24
Merced | Moderate | 1 in 43
Modoc | Very High | 1 in 21
Mono | Very High | 1 in 25
Monterey | Very High | 1 in 28
Napa | High | 1 in 33
Nevada | Very High | 1 in 28
Orange | High | 1 in 38
Placer | High | 1 in 29
Plumas | Very High | At least 1 in 20
Riverside | Very High | 1 in 26
Sacramento | High | 1 in 29
San Benito | High | 1 in 30
San Bernardino | Very High | At least 1 in 20
San Diego | Moderate | 1 in 48
San Francisco | High | 1 in 34
San Joaquin | Very High | 1 in 22
San Luis Obispo | High | 1 in 29
San Mateo | High | 1 in 37
Santa Barbara | Very High | At least 1 in 20
Santa Clara | High | 1 in 40
Santa Cruz | Very High | 1 in 26
Shasta | Very High | 1 in 26
Sierra | Very High | 1 in 23
Siskiyou | High | 1 in 31
Solano | High | 1 in 34
Sonoma | Very High | 1 in 25
Stanislaus | Very High | At least 1 in 20
Sutter | High | 1 in 31
Tehama | Very High | 1 in 23
Trinity | High | 1 in 30
Tulare | Very High | 1 in 20
Tuolumne | High | 1 in 29
Ventura | High | 1 in 34
Yolo | Very High | 1 in 24
Yuba | Very High | 1 in 28

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Mark Ungrin @mark-ungrin.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

If it doesn't get inside you, it can't make you sick. N95 respirators and air cleaning stop the aerosols that plague, COVID, etc transmit in. If you need advice on protecting yourself, talk to someone #Covid / #longCOVID aware. Even if you think we're nuts, we're pretty 🤬 good at this by now.

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Stacy Mittens @hawkalum6.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Anyone else having trouble posting images?

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Stacy Mittens @hawkalum6.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

We made some Nigerian Meat pies (Eran Paii) tonight. I made the dough and husband cooked the filling.

Around 10 dough pockets with hamburger, carrots, and potatoes peek out of an offwhite oval bowl. A silver radio is behind them. There is also a random orange cherry tomato, tiny tomatillo, and blue scissors in the background.

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Stacy Mittens @hawkalum6.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

We made some Nigerian meat pies tonight. Recipe from Evi Aki's cookbook Flavors of Africa. I made the dough, husband cooked the filling.

Around 10 dough pockets with hamburger, carrot, and potatoes peek out of an oval bowl. A silver radio is behind them. There is also a random orange cherry tomato, tiny tomatillo, and blue scissors in the background.

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Jeff VanderMeer @jeffvandermeer.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

They quoted me in this New Yorker piece about AI today. www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...

“Let’s say there’s a world or time line I exist in where A.I. has been subject to regulation. It is ethical. It has no footprint environmentally,” the novelist Jeff VanderMeer, a prominent critic of A.I., told me over the phone. “With those guardrails in place, would I read an A.I. book? All I can say is no. And the reason is, in part, because I want to read something coming from a particular mind.” Using A.I., he said, “feels like a betrayal of the whole point of why you’re a writer.”

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emily fraser 🌿🐌✨ @emilyesfraser.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

In so many ways we’ve gone backwards… masks extremely stigmatized & sometimes outright banned, anti-vax sentiment up, 19th century pathogens thriving, public health defunded & derided, Medicaid defunded, hospitals/schools/airports more likely to disable or kill you, & ableism worse than ever

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Mike Hoerger, PhD, MSCR, MBA @michael-hoerger.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

PMC COVlD Update, Sep 28, 2026 (US): 🔸We're in a 13th COVlD wave. 🔸40 states & territories continue to have COVlD outbreaks, stable from last week. 🔸Levels likely peaked between Sep 7-13 at a PMC-estimated 580,000 new daily infections. pmc19.com/map

The US has at least 40 states and territories with COVlD outbreaks, the same number reported last week. These include Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
There are likely outbreaks in additional states. The summary statistic of 40 only includes counties with observed data, rather than estimated data. For example, Idaho, Louisiana, Maryland, and Tennessee likely have outbreaks, but monitoring is poor.

Nuance:
Note that while PMC uses forecasting to estimate national statistics through Sep 28 and beyond, the state-level data do not, meaning they are now 9 days old. If the national forecast is correct, levels peaked between Sept 7-13, closely aligned with our prior forecasts. This would mean that levels are declining more so than depicted in the map. Levels often decline slowly, suggesting the need for ongoing precautions. Additionally, Biobot and 200 CDC sites are offline this week, and both have experienced major retroactive corrections of late, so the national forecast has more uncertainty than usual. For example, we could see the peak adjusted upward or a double peak. It is unclear how quickly reporting will resume at the offline sites.

Note that while PMC national statistical estimates include forecasting, the state-level data do not, meaning they are now 9 days old. If the forecast is correct, levels peaked between Sept 7-13. This would mean that levels are declining more so than depicted in the map. However, Biobot and 200 CDC sites are offline this week and both have experienced major retroactive corrections of late, so high uncertainty.

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Dr Elisa Perego @elisaperego78.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

A few scientific facts. Covid is a multi-system disease with sequelae in all organs. SARS-CoV-2 didn't not disappear; actually a new variant is on the rise in multiple countries (PJ.2.1). It's not endemic. SARS-CoV-2 is airborne, namely it can spread and linger in the air a bit like cigarette smoke.

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Stacy Mittens @hawkalum6.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Went to the kitchen to shut off the grow lights and now I'm icing my toe. Damn you Batmobile toy.

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Stacy Mittens @hawkalum6.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

The dahlias are loving the cooler temperatures!

Ruby red dahlia with dark pink and yellow center.

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Stacy Mittens @hawkalum6.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Had to replant fall garden due to excessive heat and rain. 🫠

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Stacy Mittens @hawkalum6.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Feeling a little sad planting the last seeds of the season outdoors tonight: roasting and golden beets; French breakfast, pink beauty, and Rudolph radishes; winter and Reine de Glace lettuces, Scarlet Nantes carrots, and Tom Thumb peas. Hoping something comes up!

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Denis - The COVID Info Guy @thecovidinfoguy.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Your Mask Reminds Them COVID Isn’t Over Source: x.com/PlaguePoems/...

The image displays a text-based meme against a solid medium-blue background.
The main text is written in a heavy, white, sans-serif font with a thick black drop shadow and outline, resembling a traditional internet meme style. Certain key phrases are highlighted in a bright yellow colour for emphasis.
The full text reads:
"They are not angry with you for wearing a mask. They are angry with you for reminding them that the pandemic is not over."
At the very bottom center, smaller white text credits the creator of the quote: "By Plague Poems @PlaguePoems".

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DCapTO @dcapto.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

“…no one’s wearing masks, everyone seems to be in good shape…” Biden, 2022 “15 million Americans may have long COVID…almost certainly an undercount…cardiologist seeing new dysautonomia, endocrinologist seeing new metabolic disease, neurologist seeing unexplained cognitive complaints” Research, 2026

cidrap.umn.edu

Long COVID may affect 1 in 6 infected patients

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Mike Hoerger, PhD, MSCR, MBA @michael-hoerger.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Use layered COVlD safety: ✅Boosters 💉 ✅N95 respirators 😷 ✅Virtual events ✅Air purifiers ✅Testing ✅Staying home when sick ✅Monitoring local levels (pmc19.com/map) These are evidence-based recommendations. 🧵THREAD (4/4)

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Denis - The COVID Info Guy @thecovidinfoguy.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

71.5% Reporting Fatigue. Connect the Dots — Let’s Talk About Long COVID. #LongCOVID #COVIDisNotOver #COVIDisAirborne Source: x.com/PenGwenWithL...

The image shows a screenshot of a social media post on X (formerly Twitter) by a user named Gwen B. with LC.
The post shares an article from NBC News with the headline, "Why are Americans so tired? CDC report highlights who's feeling it most." The article image features a tired woman lying in bed.
The social media user text reads: "So after about 90% of the population has had COVID 71.5% of the population is having Long Covid symptoms But MSM won't say that because it's very important that people not start connecting those dots en masse or y'all might start demanding treatments and universal healthcare".
The post is dated Sep 19, 2026, has 626.1K views, and a re-post timestamp from Sep 21, 2026.

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Mike Hoerger, PhD, MSCR, MBA @michael-hoerger.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

PMC COVlD Update, Sep 21, 2026 (US) 🔥13th COVlD wave 🔥40 states/territories with outbreaks (see Alt text) 🔥3.8 million estimated weekly infections 🔥Outbreaks in NYC 🔥Extremely high levels on the Big Island of HI Mask up and get boosted. 🧵THREAD (1/4)

The US has at least 34 states and territories with COVlD outbreaks. These include Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawai'i, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia. Levels on the Big Island of Hawai’i are particularly high. Note also, the NYC area is seeing outbreaks.

There are likely outbreaks in additional states. The summary statistic of 40 only includes counties with observed data, rather than estimated data. For example, Idaho, Louisiana, Maryland, and Tennessee likely have outbreaks, but monitoring is poor.

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babs ✨ @itsbabs.bsky.social · 08/06/2025

followin this 🧵 up months later w essential reading that captured that moment in time—LA aflame in january—with such lucidity, tracing the connective tissue to our masked past, present. i cannot say it enough: to consciously take an action like donning a filter is the radical care needed right now.

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babs ✨ @itsbabs.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

a mask is the thing you’re looking for. it is the visible reminder of how things have changed, that you acknowledge we are not coveted “normal” times—but unlike donation-earned tote bags or symbolic beaded bracelets, the mask is community care in both form & immediate function.

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babs ✨ @itsbabs.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

let wearing a mask in your day to day bond you with others—you’re protecting them & hopefully they you—as you work through obligations & deadlines while previously solid structures collapse around you. it is an overwhelming, exhausting time to be alive; eschew embarrassment, lead with solidarity 😷✊🏻

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Stacy Mittens @hawkalum6.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Hearing the crickets outside is so relaxing.

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Stacy Mittens @hawkalum6.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

What do you do during halftime? Plant some lettuce seeds of course!

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Lauren Flans @laurenflans.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I know that sharing this is probably not going to change the mind of anyone who isn't already masking and taking #Covid seriously, but I have to do my due diligence and at least try! Years from now, people will be like "Nobody told us! 😫" about this, too. Some of us are trying, dawg!! #maskup 😷

Screenshot from Twitter:

@stonedauntjanny
What am I supposed to do with this overwhelming rage and grief and fear I feel after Mamdani and Jon Stewart disclosed that the majority of the people I know and care for in NYC were breathing in toxic air for months...years?

How we were encouraged to go downtown and have dinner, see a movie, go shopping all whilst Pataki and Giuliani and Bush knew we were breathing and touching asbestos?! They did not care as long as the economy was ok!

I've never felt more betrayed by my fucking government.

@jessyroos
I really hate to pile on here, but they are doing the same thing with Covid. The air is not safe, Covid causes damage to your immune system, brain, heart, etc, even when you have a mild infection. And they've been telling everyone for years that's it's all fine and good and we should live like Covid isn't still circulating and causing immense harm. They don't care as long as the economy is okay.

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Marcia Cohen Zakai @cozamarsh.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Eventually air quality - both outdoor and indoor - will matter enough to our local, state and federal governments for them to update mandatory minimum standards and enforce their implementation.

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babs ✨ @itsbabs.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

“Our findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infection can activate an immune program that closely resembles those involved in established autoimmune disorders, helping explain why some individuals experience autoimmune complications following infection.”

static.klipy.com

Nicholas Cage: You Don't Say?

Alt: Nicholas Cage: You Don't Say?

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Denis - The COVID Info Guy @thecovidinfoguy.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

tern: "Long Covid reveals itself in many ways, but all of them start with Covid" Source: x.com/1goodtern/st...

The image is a screenshot of a social media post on X (formerly Twitter) by a verified user named "tern" with the handle @1goodtern. The post was published at 6:30 PM on Sep 2, 2026, and has accumulated 16.1K views.
The text of the post reads:
"Today people will catch covid not knowing that in three or six or nine month's time they will develop heart disease or diabetes or organ dysfunction as a result.
Public Health has failed us.
Long Covid reveals itself in many ways, but all of them start with Covid."

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Stacy Mittens @hawkalum6.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Used some tomatoes, eggplant, and basil from the garden to make flatbreads tonight.

Flatbread with roasted eggplant, tomatoes, basil, melted mozzarella and Jarlsberg cheese on a sheet pan.

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Claire @baseball-broad.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Snagged these screenshots from Instagram. I don’t know how else to tell you that the next covid wave is here and you need to be taking precautions! Any covid infection, even mild or asymptomatic infections, can lead to life-altering conditions or long covid, so please mask up and stay home when sick

Michael_Hoerger
HERE COMES COVID
August 30, 2026

A map of the counties in Washington State. Some in the central and eastern parts of state are light green for low. Some southern and almost all of the western and northern counties are orange for moderate, red for high, or purple for very high.

Mask up, Seattle
pmc19 dot com

michael_hoerger
Mudhoney • Here Comes the Sickness
August 30, 2026
pmc19.com/map
COVID levels have steadily increased since mid July.
This is a part of a larger trend, especially among the Pacific states. Using wastewater monitoring data from the CDC, we estimate 1 in 36 residents are actively infectious.
Check levels across all counties on our interactive map.

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Stacy Mittens @hawkalum6.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

The dahlias are finally here and the bees love them!

Five dahlias in various growth stages. From left, white with a yellow center and two bees; white, fully open, not facing camera; wilting; a stem with one almost open and one just getting a bulb.

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Stacy Mittens @hawkalum6.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

We have tomatillos! After months of empty husks, the center has filled in.

Three green tomatillos sit on an cream colored countertop. In the background is an Oxo tea strainer on a saucer.

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Mike Hoerger, PhD, MSCR, MBA @michael-hoerger.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

PMC COVlD Update, Aug 24, 2026 The US is experiencing COVlD outbreaks in 23 states/territories (see Alt text). ▪️Largest outbreaks: TX, CA, HI, AK ▪️1 in 136 Americans estimated actively infectious ▪️Highest levels since March 20th Website: pmc19.com Interactive map: pmc19.com/interactive.php

The US has at least 23 states/territories with COVlD outbreaks. These include much of California, Texas, Alaska, and Hawai’i, as well as the territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Outbreaks are also present in Washington state, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, and New Hampshire.
There are likely outbreaks in additional states. The summary statistic of 23 only includes counties with observed data, rather than estimated data. Levels in some Texas counties are so high – on par with the national peak of BA.1 Omicron – that it drives up estimates for counties in neighboring states that lack CDC wastewater monitoring systems. Looking closely at the map, notice other instances of Very High counties in one state driving up estimates of an adjacent county in a neighboring state that lacks data. This shows a clear value of the county-level map over the CDC state map.

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Stacy Mittens @hawkalum6.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

I thought I had two tomatillo plants, but only have one. So, no tomatillos for us 😖. I was going to rip it out, but the pollinators love it so much, so it stays.

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Chantzy @chantzy.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

I mask in public still because no one has given me any convincing scientific evidence that getting repeat COVID infections is safe or sustainable for health, especially brain health 🧠

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Jessica Ellis @baddestmamajama.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Feel like I should add, we are in a covid wave on the west coast and you should be masking in public spaces, if you have learned, y’know, anything in the last six years.

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Stacy Mittens @hawkalum6.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Used tomatoes, eggplant, oregano, and basil fresh from the garden to make eggplant stacks.

Spaghetti with tomato sauce. Fried eggplant covered with tomato sauce and a little mozzarella cheese on a white plate with a faded blue border. Silver fork in back.

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Data Report @datareport.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Covid on wastewater scan is rising for just about every region of the US. The small drop for the South is likely due to incomplete data.

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Data Report @datareport.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

What could change the time of the peak or extend the wave? 1 of the new variants taking off. We will hopefully get more info on the variant front in the weeks to come for now be very vigilant and stay safe watch of for any cough you hear it might be Covid. Good night!

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Data Report @datareport.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Please, over the next few weeks, take extra precautions and avoid crowded events these rapid rises happening in some areas can infect a ton of people in a hurry. A few hours of fun in a packed indoor setting is NOT worth it. The US peak should be in early September.

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Data Report @datareport.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Bedtime thought thread: Several sites on Wastewater Scan are going up super fast for Covid. Some, even after more data is filled in, are still going up very fast. If we see more wastewater sites rapidly rise, then the national level would too.

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Stacy Mittens @hawkalum6.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

There is nothing like air fried Piracicaba Broccoli fresh from the garden.

Three green stemmed Piracicaba Broccoli stalks stretch across an off white plate with a faded blue border.

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Stacy Mittens @hawkalum6.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

We've waited a long time, but Big Jim is finally ready!

A Big Jim pepper, mostly red with just a little green, and a Roma tomato, next to it for scale, sit on an off white countertop. It would take two and a half Romas to equal a Big Jim.

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