iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 23/08/2026

Reti Rapa (Roller Derby) Triple Header in Te Papaioea! Teams from Swamp City Roller Derby, Volcanic City Rollers from Auckland and Bay of Plenty Roller Derby will be taking to the track for a full day of derby action. Saturday, 29 August / Doors open 12.00pm / Arena 3, Pascal St / Koha entry

Poster for Reti Rapa (Roller Derby) Triple Header, with a photo of opposing skaters battling it out on the track. 12:30pm, Swamp City vs Bay of Plenty. 2:30pm, Bay of Plenty vs Volcanic. 4:30pm, Volcanic vs Swamp City. 29 August (O Here-Turi-Kōkā) 2026. Doors open 12pm, Arena 3, Pascal St, koha entry.

010 1

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 27/07/2026

This beest can’t walk right now.

A sign at a museum exhibit of Theo Jansen’s Strandbeests, kinetic sculptures that use wind to walk around the beach. Many can be pushed by visitors, but when one is out of order, this sign with black and yellow caution stripe is used, “This beest can’t walk right now.”

010 1

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 06/07/2026

Amazing. Reminds me of my favorite public art, just around the corner from me:

Short brick wall with an arch built into it. The back of the arch is painted, possibly by a child? perhaps a group effort? The painting is in bright colors, of a pair of tūī sitting on abstract plants, with a rainbow in the background above a distant blue mountain range, with the birds and flowers and two ladybugs (a parent and child?) on a grassy rolling foreground. The style reminds me of southwestern US art, with the heads of the tūī turned to the right.

A picture of another arch built into the short brick wall, with a painting in the back of the arch, possibly by a child? perhaps a group effort? The painting is in bright colors; here a single tūī flies across the sky with a silhouette that, even more than the other arch painting, reminds me of the style of southwestern US art; the tūī is flying above a landscape, the colors are bright pink and dark blues (or purples? sorry I'm color impaired) giving the impression of a night sky with clouds and a moon, perhaps?, or maybe a sun?, with abstract plants like flowers or cactus in the foreground below, and a road or river leading to the horizon.

A wider view of the two arches reveals that they the short wall (maybe 2 to 3 feet high) is a retaining wall for a little grassy patch of land, a little park, with a few trees, and in front of the wall is a small paved area with a gently-curving green metal bench. Some residental houses, with fences, and street parking are seen in the background beyond the park.

070 7

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 06/07/2026

My @saplingband.com stickers arrived! ❤️ This may be the kick to finally put the pile of stickers on my roller derby helmet

Where to even begin? On top of a brown paper envelope with a canceled circular USA global forever stamp (with a compass rose design) is a business card for the band Sapling and a couple of the band’s stickers. The card has a picture of the three band members and says: “Sapling: bitchpop/art rock/bad jazz. ‘The best band in America.’ -some drunk guy at O’Brien’s. www.saplingband.com saplingthree@gmail.com” One sticker is a coat of arms: a shield with a canon shooting confetti, a fleur-de-lis made of a peeled banana hovering above, the shield flanked by a rubber chicken holding a vibraphone and a dog, I think, standing upright and recursively holding a rubber chicken with a vibraphone, standing on a banner with the motto “Noli bibere aquam pigmentosam” (“Don’t drink the paint water”). The other sticker is the band’s name in a sort of Arabic-ish font, that gives it a “metal umlaut” but below the letter rather than above, in a fiery pattern on black background. Phew.

020 2

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 10/06/2026

And also the movie one-sheet that I saved, when I was a projectionist at the time

Movie poster for /The Incredibly True Adventure of 2 Girls in Love/ unfurled on the floor. It has the title in big chunky irregular block letter smushed to fill the entire space (in kinda 90s throwback to 70s style) in pastel-ish but more 70s-ish colors. A still of the movie in the upper corner, with the girls locking hands and leaning foreheads against each other. The tagline is in the lower left but mostly out frame except that it ends with “coming-of-age”. In the upper left, a review quote: “It makes the big studios' romantic comedies look artificial and old hat. First love, straight or gay, has rarely been so expertly enacted.”
David Ansen, Newsweek

020 2

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 06/06/2026

We have two roller derby kēmu coming up today! Check out our booklet, we’re also streaming on Twitch thanks to rollerderbystreamingnz twitch.tv/rollerderbys...

QR code for the game day booklet for our roller derby doubleheader today

000 0

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 26/05/2026

I desperately wanted to comment with a picture of a Big Boy restaurant mascot being yarn-bombed, but alas the Internet failed to deliver

Mascot statue in front of Bob's Big Boy restaurant in Burbank, California, which was designated a California Point of Historical Interest in 1993. The larger-than-life mascot is of a stubby cartoonish style, with a pompadour hairstyle, red-and-white checkered overalls, blue shoes, white T-shirt ringed with blue, and holding a Big Boy sandwich on a plate lifted by one hand above his head. On his T-shirt, in blue, are the words “Big Boy”.

110 1

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 19/05/2026

I missed the MPR talk, but got to hear Eddie talk briefly at a HoG photo exhibit five years ago (pictured). Glad this was recorded and looking forward to watching!

Photocopy clip-and-paste style flyer, with photos of a student flat and a streetlight pole with “punk” painted down it, and text: The ‘Beer and Chicken Art Collective’ presents ‘House of Goth’ (H.O.G.) April 24th/25th 2021, 10am to 7pm. Venue: Palmerston North Community Leisure Centre, 569 Ferguson Street, Terrace End, Palmerston North. Photographers and artist include: Jen Clyde - Eris Newson: Edward McEwan - Beck White - Rob Haakman - Bob Naylor - Paul Woods - Karen Larking - Victoria Forbes - Nigel Joyce and many more unknown contributors. Over 200 pieces reflecting an alternative side and time of Palmerston North's Art and political history.

110 1

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 04/05/2026

Rally for trans youth, Wednesday, in Wellington, 12pm! Join Queer Endurance in Defiance outside the High Court, where PATHA's challenge to the Government’s puberty blocker ban will be heard. Meet at Wai-Titi landing, corner of Molesworth and Lambton Quay. Bring signs, banners, friends, and whãnau!

Rally for trans youth: Back PATHA at the High Court! 6th May, 12pm-1pm. Meet at Wai-Titi landing, corner of Molesworth and Lambton Quay.

030 3

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 03/04/2026

Every time I bike past this sign, my brain thinks it’s a warning to watch out for bears

Grassy area in front of forest, with a big informational sign stretching all the way to the ground, with the title in large letters, “OURS.” (The French word for bear.) In much smaller letters underneath, it says, “The Manawatu River Leaders’ Accord”.

030 3

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 11/02/2026

The Riff Raff Cam is live again! The statue has been returned to Embassy Park, Hamilton, with an official unveiling festival this Saturday — watch the cam around 8:30pm to see Richard O’Brien himself do the honours! riffraffstatue.org

A metal statue of the Riff Raff character in the final scenes of the Rocky Horror Picture Show movie, in the quilted triangular costume and hair-do with a ponytail on top gelled to point forward, and with a pronged laser gun steadied on his arm. The statue has a square metal base reminiscent of the RKO tower from that scene. It sits on a circular island in a concrete plaza off the street, next to the new Embassy Theatre with a modern glass facade and tiled walk. Red laser lines, styled as in the movie, run from the statue to a plaque in the ground. The view is a wide-angle webcam from the roof of a building on the opposite side of the plaza from the Embassy, along that street.

A non-wide view of the same scene, this time centred on the statue and showing more of the back of the park, where the plaza transitions downhill to the river walkway.

110 1

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 01/02/2026

NZ Bug of the Year is open! but can we talk about how satisfying this insect’s name is? bugoftheyear.ento.org.nz

A round silvery insect with spikey hairs sticking out sparsely from all over its body, reminiscent of the Pinhead character in the Hellraiser movies. Below the square photo is the caption: Hellraiser Mite.

3102 10

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 22/01/2026

If you're in Te Papaieoa and want to learn to roller skate, Swamp City Roller Derby have an open-skate day on 1 Feb (Rātapu, 2:30-4:30pm, koha) to have a taste and meet our team and then a 6-week course on Sundays from 15 Feb. To register interest and receive email updates: linktr.ee/swampcityrol...

010 1

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 23/12/2025

And viewable in 3D via stereo pair photography! in a new book of native flowers

Two side-by-side photos that can be viewed as 3D by having the right eye see the right picture and the left eye see the left. The images are of a pōhutukawa flower lit against a black background, with its red spines coming towards the viewer, with yellow pollen on the ends. Photos by Philip Garnock-Jones, Creative Commons license BY-NC-ND 4.0

021 2

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 16/12/2025

This one! It’s next to my @humblegeode.bsky.social poster of Native Butterflies of New Zealand and my favorite op-shop find, which all give me big smiles

Watercolor of a stylized Tamagotchi — not pixelated, more like a larger-than-life cartoon, obscuring even some of the icons — in a purple case with lines of constellations and little yellow stars, and pink and red accent panels. The Tamagotchi fills the frame, but is on a striped background of similar colour stripes with darker circles and spirals. It is framed with double matting, purple inside a medium gray, to provide accent but let the color of the artwork shine.

Wider view of the framed Tamagotchi on a wall, next to a framed poster of Native Butterflies of New Zealand, and above the top of a bookcase with a Rubik’s cube, a bright yellow and blue and orange fidget spinner, and a colorful felt scene of a caterpillar and flowers (from a children’s kit?) in a light blue frame.

120 2

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 04/12/2025

Smiley faces on my bike ride, part 2

A paved path going up over the grassy river stopbank has a darker colored patch in the shape of a smiley face — presumably intentional, but crude enough that it could be accidental?

010 1

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 04/12/2025

Smiley faces on my bike ride, part 1

120 2

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 22/11/2025

I have long been a fan of signs next to the thing they accurately represent. I snapped this photo in Montreal in the 2000s.

What looks like a fire hydrant, but is actually a standpipe for metro stations, seen here in front of the brick and concrete plaza (and a few trees and ivy) at the entrance to the station it services, in the city of Montreal. The pipe is a lovely baby blue and immediately next to it is a tall sign with a baby blue silhouette of the pipe. It seems silly to have a sign that provides no additional information that the object itself isn't already providing, but turns out it's because Montreal gets lots of snow and this way the pipe can be found even if it's buried under snow. Barely a foot away is a parking meter -- apparently another difference between fire hydrants and standpipes, besides red vs blue, is that it's legal to park in front of a standpipe.

080 8

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 04/11/2025

Jen en Pola Esperantisto de Oktobro 1934 jbc.bj.uj.edu.pl/Content/8593...

Paĝo 128 de Pola Esperantisto de Oktobro 1934, sub titolo "Novaĵoj el Esperantujo": Fine vera esperanta tonfilmo. La dekan de aŭgusto estis projekciata en Stokholmo la unua esperantlingva filmo s. t. "Hodiaŭ komenciĝas la vivo." La filmo, tute korekte teknike farita, estos prezentata en ĉiuj pli grandaj urboj de la mondo.

211 2

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 31/10/2025

Road trip to Taupō to officiate roller derby for the newbies!

Photo of snow-capped Mt Ruapehu peeking out over the top of green hilly pasture with sheep and cattle and a wood post fence along the road, taken from a car whose front dashboard is visible in the foreground

Photo of snow-capped Mt Ruapehu straight ahead down the road, fully visible with clear skies, and a sign for Ruapehu skiing

Another view of Ruapehu, from the desert road

Mt Ngauruhoe, a conical shaped volcanic mountain in the same park

040 4

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 26/10/2025

How did I miss this? WBUR article on “some of the silliest submissions for a new Massachusetts flag, seal and motto” www.wbur.org/news/2025/08...

A while flag with a little furry dinosaur scurrying with a Dunkin Donuts styrofoam coffee cup in its hand and off-center above it is the name “massachusetts” in lowercase, in a bubble font that’s possibly Comic Sans. Below it text from the article:

Who's that cute guy running on Dunkin'? It is, of course, the state dinosaur, Podokesaurus holyokensis, or "the swift-footed lizard of Holyoke."

Image courtesy Massachusetts Seal, Flag, and Motto Advisory Commission

231 3

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 10/10/2025

“We mic'd up one of our Reti-a-nuku and let them announce the pãhotanga mataora (livestream)” 😂 Swamp City Roller Derby has a triple header tomorrow! Saturday, 11 October — Doors Open 12.00pm — Arena 3, Pascal St, Te Papaioea — Koha Entry

020 2

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 07/10/2025

I spotted this flyer posted at my weightlifting gym!

Poster for event:
Mythbusting De-extinction: to sort fact from fiction

What’s the truth around de-extinction? A New Zealand perspective

14TH OCTOBER
11AM - 12.30PM NZDT
ONLINE EVENT

De-extinction hit the headlines recently with the 'resurrection' of the dire wolf and the push to bring back the moa. However, can scientists actually de-extinct animals, and more importantly, should they bring them back?

In this talk Associate Professor Nic Rawlence from the Otago University Zoology Department will delve into the science, ethics, and indigenous concerns surrounding de-extinction.

ALL ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND
SEE YOU THERE!

This special talk is brought to you by Genomics for Aotearoa New Zealand (GFANZ). Find out more about what we do at https://genomics.nz

010 1

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 07/10/2025

"We're retiring from music and dedicating our lives to interactivity"

010 1

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 02/10/2025

The Edward Gorey House and Queer History Boston present a virtual talk, "'A Curious Discovery': Queer Subtext in Edward Gorey's Work" www.eventbrite.com/e/curator-ta...

020 2

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 11/09/2025

But I think my vote has to go to karure (black robin). They’re just so cute! Once only five remained in the world! But conservation has brought them back to 300 — a success, but still seriously endangered! They’ve never been Bird of the Year but came second last time. This could be their year!

It’s just a round black puffball perched on a branch! Seriously, it’s like a chibi bird come to life, though with small eyes. Little tiny black eye and tiny black beak on a big round fluffy head body, with little tiny feets poking out from thin little legs wrapped underneath. Photo by Oscar Thomas, from birdoftheyear.org.nz

140 4

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 11/09/2025

Tūturuatu (shore plover) is tempting. They have little hats and they bop around on the shore! And they are critically endangered, with only about 250 remaining.

Little round bird walking on the sand. Its head is black, sharply separated from its body that is white on the breast and brown on the back, and on the top of its head is a brown circle lined with white, making it look like it’s wearing a suit and a little hat! Short, but not very short, orange beak, and orange legs that lift it slightly off the ground. Photo is by James Russell, October 2020, Rangatira Island, Chatham Islands, from nzbirdsonline.org.nz

140 4

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 02/09/2025

Boston Roller Derby is 20 years old! and The History Project (documenters of LGBTQ Boston) are celebrating with a Zoom discussion with six BRD panelists and writer @thefrankiedlc.news

Poster for an event by The History Project (documenters of LGBTQ Boston): Oral History Live! Roundtable with Boston Roller Derby. In conversation with Frankie de la Cretaz. Thursday, September 4th, 2025, at 7pm ET. Virtual panel via zoom. RSVP at the URL: OHL-BRD.eventbrite.com

131 3

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 30/08/2025

Thank you toilet-stall fairy ❤️

Wall of a bathroom stall with a chalkboard looking thing on it? On which someone has written, “You are a babe, go girl!” and a smiley face :)

030 3

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 29/08/2025

Reminder that Swamp City Roller Derby have a double header of reti rapa tomorrow in Te Papaioea (Palmy) with Nelson Bays Roller Derby! Bonus video featuring Still-On-Call: Ko tēwhea koe? Which kēmu day StOC are you?

110 1

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 22/08/2025

Post a non-religious image you think of as holy…

Alternate cover art for “Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers, volume 1” comic book, the first appearance and origin of Throg (Simon Puddlegulp) who was transformed after finding Frogjolnir, a sliver of Mjolnir. It is a realistic depiction, rocks are flying and the scene is fiery orange from lightning, as Thor strikes a mighty pose while holding Mjolnir. In the foreground, a tiny frog appears larger than life, due to the close perspective. The frog is wearing an identical costume and striking an identical pose, while holding tiny Frogjolnir. You are blown away by the simultaneous epic-ness and ludicrous-ity.

130 3

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 15/08/2025

VGA cable works! As does the camera daughter card!

Photo of a home television setup: a TV sitting on a long, low console with drawers and a shelf full of DVD boxes. In the foreground is a Terasic DE2-115 FPGA board, connected to the TV and display the startup image of the board itself. In the background, a sock monkey sits, smiling, but watching with one cautious eye.

Same as the other photo, but this time the Terasic DE2-115 FPGA board is using the TRDB-D5M camera module to display a live video on the TV: a still-life scene featuring a Count Duckula DVD case (Vol 1: Vampire Vacation). The sock monkey is still smiling but cautious.

010 1

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 05/08/2025

Deadline for tshirt orders extended to 15 Aug. Also, information on the design, by M Winiana Artistry ❤️

Mangopare (Hammerhead Shark)
These designs come from kōwhaiwhai that can be found in Māori art. Depicting a hammerhead these designs symbolise strength, courage, and determination. These values are important for the self when facing the world and the struggles we face.
I have chosen the placement of these mangopare because some iwi believe the direction indicates gender. Upwards for feminine, downwards for masculine. They also don't point directly in either direction to allow for our diversity in gender identities.

Niho Taniwhā / Pākati (Teeth of a Taniwhā)
These designs are found in multiple forms across whakairo (wood carving), tukutuku (woven panels), and kōwhaiwhai (designs). I have added these teeth to the tail of our mangopare because they symbolise strength, unity, and guardianship.

010 1

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 04/08/2025

Swamp City Roller Derby double header of reti rapa (roller derby) in Te Papaioea, 30 Aug! Nelson Bay Roller Derby are coming up to play us, followed by our annual intraleague game, this time as a grad kēmu for our new skaters! Come show them some love! Doors 12:30pm, Arena 3, Pascal St, koha entry

Snapshot of a video advertising Swamp City's Reti Rapa / Roller Derby Double Header. Doors Open 12.30pm. 30 August 2025. Arena 3, Pascal St. Koha entry. The image is on a green background (Swamp's color) with two skaters from a past interleague Quads vs Queens game: one in Quad Bomber blue (a jammer / kaipiro) and one in Trauma Queens white (a blocker / kaiārai, moving to hit the kaipiro out).

110 1

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 25/07/2025

Team New Zealand Roller Derby designed these shirts to wear at the world cup and are offering them for a limited time with 25% profit going to OutLine Aotearoa. More details to pre-order on their various socials (elsewhere), such as: www.instagram.com/p/DMhYeW7xMDx/

"Manaakitia Tāngata Irawhiti" in pink/white/blue trans flag colors on a dark gray shirt, next to a scrolling Māori pattern (kōwhaiwhai) with mangōpare (symbolic of the hammerhead shark and of determination, strength, and courage) with trailing chevrons in trans flag colors. Below is the smaller text "Protect Trans People" with the logos of OutLine Aotearoa and Team New Zealand Roller Derby.

"Manaakitia Tāngata Takatāpui" in white on a navy blue shirt, next to a scrolling Māori pattern (kōwhaiwhai) with mangōpare (symbolic of the hammerhead shark and of determination, strength, and courage) with trailing chevrons in rainbow colors. Below is the smaller text "Protect Queer People" with the logos of OutLine Aotearoa and Team New Zealand Roller Derby.

000 0

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 28/06/2025

Working the score-keeping table!

Computer keyboard with all the key caps removed and pretty color-coded 3d-printed over-sized caps added for just the roller derby scoreboard functions: Lead, Lost, Call, Stop, TO, +1, +2, +3, +4.

000 0

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 26/06/2025

Roller derby this weekend at the Kāpiti Coast! The local derby club, KC/DC, will be hosting a mashup game of players from around the region to celebrate Matariki. Streaming on Twitch, or live at Kāpiti College Gym, doors at 1:30pm, game at 2pm. Event page: www.facebook.com/events/16469...

An event poster, on a background photo of stars in the night sky: Matariki Mashup, live roller derby, presented by KC/DC (Kāpiti Coast Derby Crew). At Kāpiti College, 28 June, 2pm. $5 for adults, ages 12 and under free.

120 2

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 11/04/2025

Another favorite was seder in Esperanto with some of my favorite friends 💚 opensiddur.org/compilations...

Cover of a bilingual Esperanto-Hebrew Haggadah (opening right to left), in white with green lettering and the outline of a green six-sided star. The title is Verda Stelo (Green Star), translated into Esperanto by Erin Piateski.

120 2

Julie @kvarko.northsky.social · 28/03/2025

First time on skates in five months, due to one thing after another. Feels so good to be on hū wira again. Mostly in time for the start of the roller derby season

View of my pasty legs, wearing roller derby skates and knee pads, while sitting on an outdoor concrete rink, just after I’ve geared up. Outside the railing of the rink is a grassy embankment and concrete stands. The sun is low in the sky, illuminating sideways and casting long shadows.

030 3