iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

My friend sent me these exciting soaps from 1000 Islands Soap Co. in Ontario. I'm pleased to say "Ontario" as much as I can. They do not currently ship to the U.S., so you might have to get a friend like mine. 1000islandssoapcompany.com

A bag of 6 little soaps with intriguing names such as "La Mer" and "Dragon's Blood."

011

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Drove the back way to my mom's. Saw many bunches of rose mallow off the South River. Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) Photo Helen Hamilton

A white flower 4-5 inches across, with 5 petals changing to a red/pink color at the center.

010

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

There is a semi-circle of mushrooms out front. My spouse calls it a fairy crosswalk.

Side view of beige mushrooms forming a semi-circle on a green lawn.

Beige mushrooms forming a semi-circle on a (mostly) green lawn.

010

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

I know it's supposed to depict airflow, but I see farts.

Text: Thicker High Density Seat Cushion
A gray chair with little white puffs of air coming out of it. There are red arrows pointing up sort of near the words Sackcloth, Breathable, Comfortable, Sweat, and Thick seat. There's an inset photo of someone pushing an egg into foam with their finger.

021

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

New artifact: My dad's Whistle for Your Milk cup from when he was little.

A cream-colored ceramic mug that says, "Whistle for your milk." There's are 2 little pink, yellow, and green birds perched on a branch singing: there are musical notes above them. The handle is a branch, with a 3rd, 3d bird on top. It's tail is a whistle.

Side view of a cream-colored ceramic mug that says, "Whistle for your milk." You can see that the bird on the handle has a hole in its tail to form a whistle.

031

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Look what I found in H Mart, of all places.

A store display of books in Korean. Front and center is a copy of Michelle Zauner's Crying in H Mart. The cover is red, with the title in black text in English. The rest of the text is in Korean. On either side, there's an image of black chopsticks, linked by noodles stretching across the cover.

042

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

The New York Ironweed I planted last year is at least 7 1/2 feet tall! I knew it would be big, but whoa!

The top of my head in the foreground and a thin, leafy plant in the back, about 2 1/2 feet taller than me. Bright fuschia-colored flowers are starting to bloom at the top.

120

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

It's like a Capri Sun, only not gross. Not too practical for walking around, but points for graphics.

A sort-of rigid plastic bag with a flat bottom holding cold brew coffee. There's a green straw sticking out of the top and a colorful label with people on it that says, "Cafeinated Human of New Jersey.

010

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

This tiny label is in the bathroom of the Amtrak train I'm on.

With A Sharp Knife
Cut Deeply Into The
Middle Finger of The Left Hand
Eat The Pain

010

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

My colleague made an "Unsolicited Advice" library display with how-to books. It includes "Today's Word of Wisdom." Each of these ends with "Also never use a speaker or FaceTime in public spaces."

A library book display labeled "Unsolicited Advice," filled with how-to books.

A sign on a library display that says, "Today's words of wisdom." Beneath that, there's a blue square that says, "Listen more than you speak: You learn nothing by hearing your own voice. Also -- never use a speaker or FaceTime in public spaces."

110

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

And more from the RRs themselves: www.resistancerangers.org

000

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Badass! This is the back flap of the book jacket for the Elizabeth Marshall Thomas book, Growing Old: Notes on Aging with Something Like Grace.

Rear flap of a yellow book jacket showing the author with a birthday cake. She has short, white hair and glasses and is wearing a colorful necklace. She is lighting the cigarette in her mouth from 88-shaped birthday candles on top of a cake.
Text below the photo is cut off, but it reads,"Elizabeth Marshall Thomas has written fourteen books during her half-century career. Her fifth book, The Hidden..."

031

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Oh woe! Alas! Alackaday! I put a hole in my favorite sneakers today! It's the last day of school and the first day of the library's Summer Reading Adventure. Let's hope this isn't an omen.

A slip-on sneaker with a pouncing tiger, clouds, and colorful flowers on a black background. There's a little hole where the left big toe goes.

020

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

The woman at the counter walked out to where I was waiting for my order of momos and handed me this energy drink tonight. I guess I looked really tired?

A blue can of "Blu" energy drink, with vitamins B3, B5, B6...

020

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

This pineapple sparkle lava lamp(?) is available at a thrift store near me! If it didn't look like it was leaking, I would have bought it.

A pineapple-shaped, lava lamp kind of thing on a white metal shelf next to some other glassware. It has a metal base with an on/off switch, on top of which is a pineapple-shaped container partway full of gold-ish liquid with multicolored glitter in it. The leaves on top of that are metal.

020

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

The Read Global, Dine Local book club I started 7 years ago as a library program decided to meet on their own after I had to drop it for other commitments. I stop by once in a while. We talked about the gorgeous prose in The Sunflower Boys (Wachman) while eating Azerbaijani food.

Shekerbura (an intricately decorated nut pastry) on a white plate, Turkish coffee in a brightly-patterned cup & saucer, a fancy holder with a piece of Turkish delight, and a book (The Sunflower Boys).

100

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Well, it's the kid's 4th set of labs in 10 days, but at least the place has a sense of humor.

A restroom in a lab collection office. Next to a help call button, there's a silver-tone square metal cabinet to put a urine sample in. There's a sticker of a urine collection cup with a heart on it that says, "Urine my thoughts."

010

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

Today, I took my kid to an art class at the Workhouse Art Center. When they originally asked about doing this, I thought I could have a nice walk in the park or visit the museum and galleries while they got their art on. Alas, most things don't open until 11.

A light pole, brick buildings, tent, and a gray sky viewed through a car window co ered in raindrops.

Brick buildings, a "LOVE" sign, and some decorative grasses against a gray sky, viewed through a windshield in the rain.

000

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

Decided my #kidlit readers advisory skills were getting rusty, so I grabbed a recent book almost at random. To Night Owl From Dogfish is so much fun. It starts out like a reverse Parent Trap, and then it twists. And twists again. I like this cover better than the paperback.

Cover of To Night Owl From Dogfish, by Holly Goldber Sloan and Meg Wolitzer. It has sort of a yellow postage stamp on a blue background with a stylized owl in a tent at the top and at the bottom there's an upside-down dogfish in an upside-down tent. https://bookshop.org/p/books/to-night-owl-from-dogfish-holly-goldberg-sloan/a0c70c1ba1679540?ean=9780525553243&next=t

020

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

I went to get some plants from the local chapter of the native plant society, and it turned out that the park where they're headquartered was having a big plant sale. There were groups of enthusiasts for hostas, begonias, rock gardens, camellias, etc. plus some artisans. Surprise!

A park with lush gardens. There are trees, grass, and flowers. To the right, the path goes through a circular gray stone moongate. Beyond are colorful shade structures and people.

120

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

Protected voting rights would make an excellent Mother's Day gift.

042

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

Subsidizing transit improves things for drivers, too. Image originally from www.i-sustain.com/commutertool...

"You are not stuck in traffic. You are the traffic."
Four photos showing how much space people take up using different modes of transportation.
1. In their cars they take up 5 lanes, extending for blocks
2. Without cars, but in the same spacing as cars, individuals all spread out.
3. On their bikes, taking up only one lane, spreading a block or 2.
4. On 3 buses, all sitting together and only taking up 1 lane.

040

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

This is some Milo Minderbender stuff right here. www.britannica.com/topic/Milo-M...

1st Lt. Milo Minderbender: We're gonna come out of this war rich!
Yossarian: You're gonna come out rich. We're gonna come out dead.

000

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

16 said he heard that music was good for plants. I said I'd heard that, too. A few minutes ago, I saw him headed upstairs with his record player and a Fugazi album.

Red album cover with "Fugazi" in black and a black & white photo of shenanigans.

020

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

This is not an acceptable library donation. We cannot add these to our collection or sell them. You are wasting the time of our generous volunteers. If you want to give us the profits from your investments, then please go ahead.

Annual reports for the companies Coca-Cola, Cisco, and General Mills.

000

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

TFW your 16 y.o. laughs at you because you see a bunny and squeal, "BUNNY!!!"

Brown cotton tail rabbit in the grass, eating leafy greens.

131

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

I find my dishwasher stressful.

The front of a dishwasher with a black and white clean/dirty magnet on it. The magnet is positioned halfway between clean and dirty.

000

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

I love a good #library fundraiser! Hope I can find time to drive to MD soon. @aacpl.bsky.social www.aacpl.net/foundation/l...

Love the Anne Arundel County Public Library!
Order our custom flavor
The Wonderful Wizard of S'mores
Ice Cream, Beer & More
Available all February long
[photos of a can of porter and a triple-scoop ice cream cone]

010

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

I found my reading/computer glasses after I misplaced them a week ago. The building is warm and so is my coffee. It's the last day of my work week, and I am mostly caught up. I know this moment is brief so I am endeavoring to relish it.

Picture of a blue-and-white Calamityware mug with a hand holding it, surrounded by the dull tones of a cubicle.

010

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

We know that the prior owner painted the railings black because they're white in a previous Zillow listing. She (or whoever did it) did not prep. They didn't even dust. We have peeling, bumpy stair rails. Sanding off black paint to prep for repainting is going to suck.

A black iron (?) handrail with white showing through where the paint is flaking off.

The base of a stair rail showing one of the vertical supports. It's painted shiny black, but sidelighting shows lots of little bumps. It's clean -- the bumps seem to be formed by painting over dust.

100

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

It's IEP Day. I'm grateful my kid gets the support they do, but this is always stressful. We're lucky because our state and school district are good with this. Many aren't, and the Dept. of Education oversight has been dismantled.

A coffee mug that says "IEP prep" and a stemless wineglass that says "IEP recovery" in matching font and color.

010

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

The boiler for one section of the building where I work is still not fixed. We've got several of these big black boxes scattered around. They look like they're going to attack me with the Dark Side when I turn out the lights tonight.

A large black portable heater with a collapsible vent that goes through the ceiling. It's in front of shelves of library books.

010

Erratic Reader @randomreader.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

Who *does* this? I know who, but I have a hard time understanding that we share genes.

An almost-empty tune of toothpaste with a ridiculously huge mound of dried-on green gel toothpaste concealing the flip top and the mouth of the tube.

020