iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Melanie @melancholiet.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

We added to our destruction. Meet Freddie.

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Reposted by Melanie

Mark Hamill @markhamillofficial.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

We have now arrived at the "arresting judges" level of fascism.

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Reposted by Melanie

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 29/01/2025

remember stuff like this when they tell you that diversity means a lowering of standards

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Reposted by Melanie

Steven T. Gibbon @stgibbon.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

For his crimes against decency and for being just an ornery little son of a gun, Lipsnitch Snilly is banished from his tribe of fellow goat people. Well, that's fine. He found a talking crow and he's off to learn dark magic in Ohio before the world ends. (COLOR OF MAGIC X DEADWOOD) #pit2025 #F #HA

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Melanie @melancholiet.bsky.social · 23/12/2024

Zorro was not very impressed at all the activity involved with putting up the second Christmas tree today.

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Melanie @melancholiet.bsky.social · 14/12/2024

Playing Among Us when you have cats

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Melanie @melancholiet.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

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Melanie @melancholiet.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

11 years of loving this boy today. Happy Gotcha Day, Gizmo!

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Melanie @melancholiet.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

I lost my dad in 2008, 11 days after this photo was taken. Today would have been his 93rd birthday. I miss him.

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Reposted by Melanie

Kelly Turnbull @coelasquid.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

This is one of the funniest stories I’ve ever read

CASE STUDY: My Brian Blessed Story

I was lucky enough to be the winning trainer on the BBC TV programme The Underdog Show, which took 10 of the UK's leading dog trainers, and paired them with 10 celebrities to train 10 rescue dogs on a weekly 'live' TV show hosted by Julian Clary. Due to our success on series one (why, thank you!), I was asked to return on series two as Head Judge.
Now, one of the celebrities on series two was the legend that is Brian Blessed who was training

pointer mix called Dougal. If you don't know who Brian Blessed is, he's the larger than life BOOMING actor who played such wallflowers as Prince Vultan in Flash Gordon, Long John Silver in Treasure Island and, my favourite, Grampy Rabbit in Peppa Pig. If you still don't know who Brian Blessed is, imagine being trapped inside a kaleidoscope made out of foghorns and volume.
During a quiet time in filming, Brian mentioned to me that he was struggling to get Dougal to focus on him when in front of the cameras. He wanted Dougal to focus on him in the same way that I had trained Chump to focus on Selina Scott in series one.
Now, remember, how you deliver your name and cues is very important. If you just rattle off lots of words and the key word is hidden somewhere in that rambling sentence, then how on earth is a puppy supposed to know what to do?
It's like me listening to a rap song full of hundreds of words but then being expected to easily pick out and act upon one word from that mass of lyrics. When you do that with a puppy, they think, I've got to respond to everything here or ignore everything here. They simply can't think, Okay,

ignore that, ignore that, ignore that, ah! Act on that, then ignore that...
So, when you give a cue it's much better that it's one syllable, succinct, unique and consistent.
So, there I am, with the legend that is Brian Blessed and I'm trying to teach him the initial stages of 'Reflex To Name', as per above.
Me: Okay, Brian, I just want you to say,
'Dougal' once, then treat.
The legend that is Brian Blessed: NOW
DOUGAL, OH DOUGAL, YES, THAT'S IT, WHATTA BOY, OH, DOUGAL NOW THEN...
Me: Like that, Brian, yes. But this time, just say one word, 'Dougal', nothing else. Then treat.
The legend that is Brian Blessed: Right you are, Steve... AHHHH, DOUGAL MY BOY, WHATTA FELLA, WHATTA FELLA, EH, THAT'S MY BOY, NOW, YOU LOOK HERE, DOUGIE OLD BOY...
Me:Nearly there, Brian. If you can, and I know you can, just say the one word 'Dougal'

and nothing else. That way we're going to condition a perfect Reflex To Name.
The legend that is Brian Blessed: OH, WAS I NOT, DEAR BOY? CRIKEY. RIGHTO, HERE WE GO ... NOW, DOUGAL, OH, YOU ARE A BEAUUUUTIFUL CREATURE, YES, YOU ARE, HERE WE GO, BOY, YES, WE DO, OH YEEEEES ... WE DO...
Me: Spot on, Brian. Good luck with tonight's
show!

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Melanie @melancholiet.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

Yes, we have snow. What gave it away?

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Melanie @melancholiet.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

Having introduced my cats, I should also introduce my gin cabinet. I really should throw that 'Bring A Tonic' party I keep joking about...

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Melanie @melancholiet.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

When you get her favourite treats out 😂

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Melanie @melancholiet.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

Meet my cats: Zorro. This is the youngest of my brood, 6 year old Zorro. When he was a kitten he was a real handful but he's calmed down a lot now. He's a Dreamies fiend. He likes to be around us but not necessarily on us. Cuddles are very much on his terms. He loves to watch TV with us.

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Melanie @melancholiet.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

Meet my cats: Sapphire This is my princess, Sapphire. She loves people! She was hand-reared from being 3 days old. She has a heart murmur and a gum condition that means she's lost most of her teeth but she's so happy you'd never know. Legs and feet are her favourite places to sit and sleep.

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Melanie @melancholiet.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

Meet my cats: Gizmo This is my 11 year old tabby boy, Gizmo. He's about 3 months younger than Tank. We adopted him with his sister, Juniper, who we sadly lost in 2022. Upstairs in the house, he likes nothing more than cuddling me. Downstairs, he's all about my husband. He loves cheese.

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Melanie @melancholiet.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

Meet my cats: Tanqueray This is my little babycat, Tanqueray (aka Tank, Tankie or Tankles). He's 11 years old but still acts like a little baby. I am his favourite thing in the whole world and he gets jealous if I talk to other people. Cuddles and sleeping are how he likes to spend his days.

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Melanie @melancholiet.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

Meet my cats: Oxley This is Oxley, my other 12 year old void. He likes to think he's the alpha and spends a lot of time patrolling his territory but he's a big softy really and has the cutest little squeak where his meow should be.

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Melanie @melancholiet.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

Meet my cats: Hendrick This is one of my 12 year old void brothers, Hendrick. He likes to announce his presence when he enters a room. He's a total flirt with visitors.

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