iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 07/08/2026

DOGE was apparently riddled with waste, inefficiency, and/or fraud.

The Washington Post headline:
‘
Elon Musk's DOGE made big errors in claims of government savings, GAO finds
The government watchdog found that billions of dollars in DOGE's public tally could not be verified and that some claimed cuts never happened.
August 6 at 7:00 AM 2026

𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 20/07/2026

57 years ago I was at Camp Chingachgook on Lake George with a mass of campers and counselors gathered before a little B&W TV, enthralled by a blurry picture and Walter Cronkite's narration.

A vintage ‘60s-era television set displaying a smeary, low contrast, black-and-white image of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the surface of the moon with the lunar lander close behind them.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 28/06/2026

Happy Birthday to Mel Brooks! 100 down, 1900 to go… He's a centenarian - or is that centurion? Mazel Tov, Mel.

Mel Brooks, dressed in ancient Roman armor, lays on a couch reading "Variety" and smiling at the camera.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 24/06/2026

This is a Santa Rosa plum tree, bred by Luther Burbank, Santa Rosa’s 2nd-most famous resident. My family can consume about 1/8 of a tree's produce. We have two. For 48 weeks of the year, there are no plums. And then, suddenly, there are far, far, far too many plums.

This is a Santa Rosa plum tree, replete with fruit.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 21/06/2026

Donald Trump securing a Memorandum of Understanding from Iran is a historic moment.

Donald Trump is standing before an old-fashioned microphone waving a piece of paper in the pose of a famous photograph of Neville Chamberlain’s “Peace for our Time” speech after the Munich agreement ceding Czechoslovakia to Germany.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 11/06/2026

On this date in 1776; The Continental Congress appoints Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston to the "Committee of Five" to draft a Declaration of Independence. As is typical in such cases, one person gets stuck doing 95% of the work.

Still frame from the movie "1776" depicting Thomas Jefferson (Ken Howard), Benjamin Franklin (Howard Da Silva), and John Adams (William Daniels) sitting on the steps of the staircase in the lobby just outside the main congressional assembly chamber in Independence Hall.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 13/05/2026

"And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward."

Washington Post: The Trump administration is hosting an all-day prayer festival on the National Mall on Sunday that organizers say will reflect the country's Christian origins and, they hope, spark "a movement of renewal" in America.

Photo of Trump supporters, heads bowed in prayer.

Caption: White House aims to link U.S. history and Christianity in 9-hour prayer festival

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 30/04/2026

On April 30th, 1916 Claude Shannon was born. He's called 'The Father of Information Theory' and if nerds had holidays to celebrate their founders, today would surely be one of them. Shannon is noted for having founded information theory with a landmark paper that he published in 1948.

Photograph of Claude Shannon standing in front of an early electronic computer.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 30/04/2026

People who claim to have been abducted by aliens are actually channeling the trauma of their dog being taken to the vet. Hairless w/ huge almond eyes, no nose or ears to speak of… that's what we look like to our pets. We're grey aliens because dogs are color blind. The anal probes? Thermometers.

POV classic alien abduction scenario: black and white illustration of two grey aliens peering down at you lying prone on an examining table as you look up into a round light. The background is filled with technical control panels and monitors vaguely suggestive of advanced medical equipment.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 04/04/2026

An open letter to Xavier Becerra, Antonio Villaraigosa, Matt Mahan, Betty Yee, & Tony Thurmond, candidates for California Governor: You're each below 5% in the polls, and your combined continued presence in the race can result in the top two vote-getters in California's primary being Republicans.

The California state flag waves in front of the state capitol building in Sacramento.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 27/02/2026

There is a brand new restoration of John Boorman's "Excalibur" (1981) in 4K and it's stunningly gorgeous. It's amazing how much magic can be evoked by skillful cinematography and a green accent light… when you don't have CGI at hand. 1/4

King Arthur and Guenevere wed as Sir Lancelot du Lac looks on in noble devotion to both. This will turn out swimmingly.

Morgana seeks Merlin's tutelage for reasons that are utterly benign, I'm sure.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 12/02/2026

On this date in 1809, a giant was born…

Composite of Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin, both born on February 12, 1809.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 12/02/2026

Then there was that time that the U.S. Postal Service blatantly promoted polyamory.

A U.S. postal stamp design: Veronica, Archie,and Betty are each sitting very closely together while sipping out of a single chocolate malted with a straw. They are all smiling, and Archie and Betty are gazing at Veronica, whose eyes are closed. Valentine hearts hover over Betty's head.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 12/02/2026

Drought in NorCal is an increasingly common and I'm married to a gardener. When sunlight falls on my roof, I harvest electrons. When rain falls on my roof, I grab water.

Backyard cisterns for holding rooftop rainwater.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 09/02/2026

And the general public could use a lift back to America…

Photo of the Straw Man, the Tin Woodman, Dorothy, and the Cowardly Lion in the hall of the Wizard of Oz.

Caption reads:

"I WISH THERE WERE A WIZARD OF OZ TO GIVE THE GOP A HEART, DEMOCRATS COURAGE, AND THE MEDIA A BRAIN."

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 31/01/2026

People are going out of their way to stream Michelle Obama's "Becoming" on Netflix this weekend so its ratings exceed the viewings of Melania's new movie. Is it petty? Yes. Will I be doing it? Also, yes.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 30/01/2026

This rabble rouser clearly deserved whatever violence the state meted out to him afterwards.

Mockup of a Truth Social post by Pontius Pilate, reading: "Agitator, and perhaps, insurrectionist, Jesus of Nazareth's stock has gone way down with the just released video of him screaming and kicking over the table of a very calm and under control moneychanger! MAKE JUDEA GREAT AGAIN."

Accompanied by a mock photo of Jesus kicking over a moneychanger's table.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 27/01/2026

I'm posting this for no particular reason.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 26/01/2026

MAGA is now claiming that Americans need to meekly submit to government authority. And mustn't interfere with law enforcement in the commission of their duties. This is quite an interesting plot twist for them.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 11/01/2026

I just finished the final volume of Phillip Pullman's "The Book of Dust" trilogy: "The Rose Field." This is his continuation of the story of Lyra Silvertongue which began in "His Dark Materials." 1/3

Portion of the book cover illustration: a desert landscape with a portentous sky filled with billowing clouds. Two camels and riders appear in silhouette.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 28/12/2025

December 28th is the anniversary of the tragic Tay Bridge Disaster that claimed 75 lives in Scotland in 1879. A failure of engineering, inspection, and construction it precipitated another disaster: one of the very worst poems in the history of the English language. Which is no small feat. 1/3

19th Century etching of the aftermath of the Tay Bridge collapse.

A truncated bridge vanishes into the distance while debris and piling rise out of the tumultuous sea which violently tosses several rescue boats.

In the foreground two men in rain gear and a dog watch the rescue efforts from a pier.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 27/12/2025

Every time this ad shows up in my Facebook feed I think it's political commentary.

Illustration with a header that reads: "TEMU UNITED STATES" followed by a colorful NYC skyline and a caption that says "CLEARANCE", and "Everything must go!"

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 26/12/2025

I mistakenly thought these signs were meant to encourage other drivers to proceed with extra care to protect the child inside. Now I understand that it’s a warning to us that the driver has a major source of distraction inside that vehicle, and hasn’t had a decent night’s sleep in months.

"Baby on Board" sign as seen through a car's rear window.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 26/12/2025

If Superman can shoot laser beams from his eyes, does that not technically make him a cat toy?

Photo of Christopher Reeves as Superman using his heat vision.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 25/12/2025

On this day long ago, a child was born who, by age 30, would transform the world. Happy Birthday Isaac Newton b. Dec 25, 1642

$An illustration of Sir Isaac Newton seated behind a desk, holding up a prism that diffracts a white beam of light into its constituent colors. On the desk before him sit two large tomes, one is titled "Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica". Also on the desk is a small telescope. Behind him, over his right shoulder, is an astronomical illustration of the sun being orbited by planets. Over his left shoulder is an apple tree, and the left portion of the illustration opens up to reveal a seascape with a prominent wave reflecting the light of a full moon, sized and positioned to imply a relationship to the apple in obeying the same gravitational laws.$

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 07/12/2025

This is the stuff of nightmares. From the “Whippets of Brobdingnag Collection”

An ad for a hoodie with a massively disproportionate photo of the neck and head of a whippet peering out from it, looking both friendly and monstrous at the same time.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 29/11/2025

I need to use my bottled water before it goes bad…

A jug of water with a “Best Before” date stamped on the container.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 15/11/2025

On June 25, 1967 as “The Summer of Love” was in full swing, over 700 million people around the world tuned into something unprecedented: a live worldwide television broadcast made possible by brand new global satellite telecommunications technology.

The Beatles standing closely in a row at the recording session for "All You Need is Love". In the background, above them, are an array of festive colorful balloons.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 06/11/2025

Damn: Donald Trump being the most callous person in a room full of Pharma execs.

Donald Trump stands stiffly, facing forward as a group of pharmaceutical execs are gathered around to look after the welfare of a collapsed colleague.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 04/11/2025

I saw someone post this question: "What does your dog dream about?" I'll be damned if I know: they never talk about their dreams. But after a bit of reflection, I figure they probably have that dream where they're out in public and suddenly realize that they're totally naked.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 23/10/2025

If Trump can build his ballroom without going through any legal permitting process, it follows that a future president can demolish it without going through any legal permitting process.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 20/10/2025

This total badass is the hero of our household, having dispatched a large rat that had invaded our home, fouled our pantry, and eluded the cat for nearly a week. Grace may look dainty, but she has the soul of a hunter. Our cat may never live this down. #whippet #dogsofbluesky

Female whippet sitting on the carpet looking alert and deceptively elegant.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 15/09/2025

I understand that It might be challenging for most folks to find a mug that wouldn’t get stained by the turmeric in their golden milk… #startrek

A mug modeled after Captain Kirk’s gold/green uniform from the original Star Trek. Its color precisely matches that of the golden milk beverage which it contains.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 09/09/2025

Weird: firing people at the Bureau of Labor Statistics didn't result in more jobs.

Headline:
U.S. added 911,000 fewer jobs than first estimated in 2024-25, Bureau of Labor Statistics says

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 21/08/2025

Laws are spider webs through which the big flies pass and the little ones get caught.

Reuter's headline: "Trump's civil-fraud penalty is thrown out by New
York appeals court"

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 20/08/2025

On August 20, 1866 President Andrew Johnson officially declared the end of the Civil War. 159 years later, I see no end in sight.

Photograph of a Union Federal gun battery during the American Civil War. Attributed to Matthew Brady.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 13/08/2025

Wonder Woman sets Lex Luthor straight on how Superman views humanity. From "Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor", written by Mark Waid. (Click to expand)

Comic book panels, Wonder Woman is narrating.

Panel 1: Depicts Clark Kent talking to Lois Lane as they walk through the busy Daily Planet newsroom.

"DO YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT SUPERMAN SEES WHEN HE LOOKS AT ORDINARY PEOPLE, LUTHOR? HE STANDS IN AWE WATCHING THEM GO THROUGH THEIR DAILY LIVES WITHOUT HIS POWERS, TAKING RISKS JUST BY CROSSING THE STREET OR CLIMBING A LADDER."

Panel 2: Depicts Clark and Lois continuing their walk into another room where there is a banner that says "Welcome Back" and balloon decorations. A group of coworkers are greeting a colleague wearing a bandanna, apparently recovering from cancer treatment.

"IN HIS EYES, YOU SOLDIER THROUGH THE DARKEST TIMES WITHOUT SUPER-STRENGTH. YOU FACE UNFATHOMABLE CHALLENGES WITHOUT INVULNERABILITY."

Panel 3: Depicts Clark Kent's face reflected in the glass of a framed newspaper front page that reads "Men Walk on Moon."

"YOU'RE MADE OF TISSUE PAPER AND YET YOU CAN DO ANYTHING."

Panel 4: Depicts a tight close-up of Wonder Woman's face, earnest.

"HE DOESN'T SEE YOU AS INFERIOR.
IF ANYTHING, HE MARVELS AT YOUR BRAVERY."

"YOU'RE HIS HEROES."

Panel 5: Lex Luthor, bound by Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth looks indignant, and replies:

•… YOU'RE LYING."

Panel 6: Pulls back on Wonder Woman to show her forearm wrapped by her glowing lasso, revealing that she, too, is bound by it and compelled to be truthful. She replies:

"NO, I'M NOT."

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 13/08/2025

Social Security is 90… and works. On August 14, 1935 Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act, creating a government pension system for the retired. And there's no reason for it to ever run out of money: we only need to raise the cap on income subject to Social Security witholding.

Social security cards laid over a pay stub showing withholding amounts.

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𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕒 @malacandra.me · 11/08/2025

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds S03EP05. “You fell victim to one of the classic blunders: never disturb the ruins of an ancient technologically advanced species!”

Vizzini from “The Princess Bride”, smirking.

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