iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Second one just a couple hours behind! Time to pump up those wings and fly south!

A monarch in the act of emerging from its chrysalis. Its wings are very small, its abdomen dangling beneath.

Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Almost there! We had to pull up some milkweed where we were doing work in our garden, so we saved all the caterpillars we found and took care of them until they pupated.

Close up: A monarch butterfly chrysalis attached to a piece of cardboard wedged in a jade plant.

Zoomed out: 4 monarch butterfly chrysalises attached to pieces of cardboard wedged in a jade plant.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Gene Wolfe responds to "the curtains were blue" discourse. He did so 33 years before the meme's creation because Father Inire sent a vision of the meme back to 1980.

"The third is the transsubstantial meaning. Since all objects have their ultimate origin in the Pancreator, and all were set in motion by him, so all must express his will-which is the higher reality."

"You're saying that what we saw was a sign."

I shook my head. "The book is saying that everything is a sign. The post of that fence is a sign, and so is the way the tree leans across it. Some signs may betray the third meaning more readily than others."

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

Acting like you can tell if something is touching something else from a side angle is ridiculous. You cannot. People who watch sports with video reviews will know this. In one of these pictures, my finger is touching the bottle. Can you tell which? (No, you cannot.)

A photo with a finger touching a bottle or not touching a bottle. The angle makes it impossible to tell.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

This boy loves the snow. His favourite time of year.

A large black dog rolling around in the snow, burying himself and getting covered in it.

A large black dog lying in the snow, looking at the camera with snow all over his face.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

Was looking through my old pics and found an old fave. These two were such good buddies. A lot of cats only tolerate each other, but this pair loved to cuddle together. We had plenty of cats, but Mats never had a friend like Kiki after she died.

A large black longhaired cat yawning with his tongue out, and a smaller black shorthaired cat with a white patch on her chest slowly closing her green eyes in a kitty smile.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 21/10/2025

Putting on my deerstalker cap to solve the mystery of who broke the flower pot.

Twiggy, a cat, lying on the windowsill pressed up against a flowerpot holding a milk tree. On the floor below lies another flowerpot, shattered, with dirt everywhere and a red succulent lying amidst the wreckage.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

That part in silksong where you find this guy:

A still from Triplets of Belleville where the champion is forced to pedal-power a machine.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 09/08/2025

My favorite Doctor and Companion.

A still from the film Reanimator. Jeffrey Combs wearing glasses and holding a pencil, staring past the camera. Bruce Abbott behind him looking at the pencil.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 09/08/2025

Here's a couple more close-up and better pics of the painting.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 08/08/2025

Octopus in the bathroom! (My wife rules)

A large painting of an octopus, purple and yellow on a green background.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 08/08/2025

Proof that AI summaries are useless, part 2039372628.

A Google "AI Summary" saying that in 1950s England, rates of single parenthood were "significantly lower than today."

A Google "AI Summary" saying that in 1950s England, rates of single parenthood were "significantly higher than today."

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 03/08/2025

Any entomology folks able to tell me what this fella is? Quite small--a little longer than the black ants we get here in Ontario. Kinda mantis-like in the long back part and the 2 front legs being distinct from the back 4. But also doesn't quite look right for a mantis to me. #insect #entomology

Unidentified insect in a jar. Description in the post.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 03/08/2025

Carmi was sitting on my lap. Toby decided she wanted to have a lap, so she jumped up. She hesitated for a few seconds when she saw the lap was taken. Then she just plopped herself down right on Carmi. This did not last long.

Toby, a grey tabby shorthair with white socks, sitting on Carmi, a white and tabby Persian with a grumpy expression.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 26/07/2025

Garden cleanup day! And it's a hot one. So much burdock, wild lettuce, and mulberry to mow over, uproot, and cut down. I get to eat some early tomatoes fresh off the plants, though. And peaches from the tree (though I have to watch out for bugs in those). And mulberries from the neighbour's tree.

Red and black mulberries on a branch: these delicious culprits sprout up small trees all over the yard.

A cluster of cherry tomatoes. This variety is black on top. The bottoms range from green to orange (the red ones being already in my belly).

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 20/07/2025

Out of interest, I wanted to look at gender diversity in the various SFF novel awards. I made a graph. I took a "moving average" approach but with GINI to look back over a decade: 1994 refers to "1985-1994". GINI is a measure of heterogeneity (or diversity) - the higher the more heterogeneity.

The graph described in the post. Some of the details described in the thread.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 19/07/2025

Saw this book in the bookstore and picked it up thanks to the @animesickos.bsky.social They've told me that "literature is good" so we'll see if they're right about that!

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 15/06/2025

Father's Day morning with coffee and a new book.

A mug of coffee and the book Latro in the Mist by Gene Wolfe on a wooden table outside.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

I accidentally disturbed a bunny nest today while gardening. The wee ones scattered. We collected them up and put them back safe and sound.

3 baby bunnies in a bin. The ones who made a run for it.

The smallest baby bunny, still snug in her nest.

Her nest is a shallow burrow under the lawn, lined with fur.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

Update on the runty robin nest. Runty's siblings fledged today. They are good flyers. Runty decided to join them. Sadly, Runty can't fly yet so is just hopping around on the grass causing my kids distress as they worry about the poor guy.

Runty, a robin who is a day or two from being able to fly. It is on my porch.

Runty's older sibling who can fly. It has hopped up onto a grill.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

Scribbling notes for campaign prep today. Experimenting with random/wandering monsters but with lower variance than the usual. Using encounters from my Eyes of the Stone Thief conversion.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

Runty and sibling update photos. Runty is growing, but the gap between siblings is not closing!

Runty, the baby robin, fluffy and still weird and alien looking, but bigger than he/she was last time we saw!

Runty's bigger sibling, looking almost like a real bird

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

I just finished reading House of the Rain King by @gnipahellir.bsky.social and I have to say: it is the best fantasy book I have read in years. It is truly something special. The characters, the prose, the story, the setting, all wonderful. The complete package. Read it.

My copy of House of the Rain King by Will Greatwich.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

A robin nested on our front porch. Kyla has been spying on the eggs and then the chicks. One was runty and not getting fed as much as its siblings, so Kyla decided to give it some supplemental feeding. Here's runty and its big sibling.

Two robin chicks, looking cute in a very ugly way. One is half the size of the other.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

Saw a turkey vulture and a heron at the dog park. Didn't get a pic of the heron, but here's a fella with a too-small head.

A turkey vulture on a dead tree, looking back over his shoulder.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 01/05/2025

Took the kids to the zoo yesterday. Got a fun pic of the snapping turtle on the move. A few of the animals who are usually sleepy were quite active! The cheetahs were chasing each other, the rhino was trotting about, the lions were play-wrestling, the bald eagle was strolling with its funny gait.

A snapping turtle swimming around, seen from underwater through the glass of its tank.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

The duality of cat. The perfect circle nap vs the freestyle.

Bindi, a cat, curled into a neat circle for her nap.

Carmi, a cat, napping belly-up and twisted around in a crazy mess of fur.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

My daughter just sent me this pic. You all need to see it.

Toby, a tabby cat, stretching one arm and curling her tail like a question mark.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

Car died in VT. Salute to you, crappy chevy. We never liked you much, but you got us around for a while. We're leaving you behind in the land of your forefathers.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

On Friday, we were skiing. Today we're out biking. Spring comes fast!

4 kids on bikes, with my bike on the ground between them. They are taking a water break.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

A little pro tip for aspiring food photographers. It's better to take the photo of the food *before* you eat it all.

A plate that once contained grilled octopus, with the caption "Grilled Octopus."

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

Cool abstract frost patterns! I wonder why it formed in that way with those patches and lines.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Faceplant nap! Bonus marks if you can tell which paw that is sticking out in front of her front right paw.

Carmi, a cat, sleeping with her face planted firmly into the couch. In the image, it is unclear which of her paws is where.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

your last saved meme is your moral philosophy

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 23/12/2024

Carmi has taken over playing the Drifter in Frosthaven today.

Carmi, a floofy cat, sitting in a chair with her front paws on the table in front of some Frosthaven pieces.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 20/12/2024

Snow day at the dog park! Best time of the year for him. He can romp and roll all he likes without needing a bath later.

My big hairy black dog with snow all over his face sticking his wet black nose close to the camera lens.

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

Last time I saw 3 counts of murder with only one body, the victim was this guy:

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Jim McGarva @jimbozig.bsky.social · 10/12/2024

Prepping for some in-person RPGing with the kids! @potatocubed.bsky.social I think you'll recognize this! I'm going to try out @freyjavalentine.bsky.social's Knight's Tales.

A dry-erase on chessex grid version of the map from The Map is not The Territory.

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