iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 12/09/2026

I wonder if he's gonna debate each of the Ches Guevara individually or if its like a Jubilee situation

A cropped section of the above AI slop image showing Che Guevara standing behind himself in line

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 05/09/2026

I've never lived in Nevada so that's weird

A screenshot of a MyDialect “Your dialect map” results page. It says the user talks most like someone from Nevada, with about 56% of answers matching a typical resident. A color-gradient map of the United States shows red areas as most similar and blue areas as least similar, with the Wes shown in warmer red tones.
Below the map, a “Cities most & least like you” panel lists the most similar cities as Portland, Oregon (55%), Seattle, Washington (55%), and Phoenix, Arizona (55%). The least similar cities are Boston, Massachusetts (48%), Portland, Maine (48%), and New Orleans, Louisiana (49%).

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 01/09/2026

This is a direct attack on approximately 52 separate group chats I'm part of

A dark-mode iMessage exchange with “Mom.” Mom asks the recipient to return to a group chat to help make Thanksgiving plans. The recipient says everyone should use Signal instead of iMessage for better operational security; Mom replies that 92-year-old Gam Gam barely knows how to use her phone, and the recipient responds, “She needs to adapt.”

(Credit to Tumblr user hotvampireadjacent)

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 22/08/2026

Im having a really hard time following this trilogy, I gotta admit

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 15/08/2026

Has anyone ever seen Florida Senator Rick Scott and Watchmen's Moloch the Mystic at the same place at the same time?

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 15/08/2026

"The question of whether you will continue to serve or not will be postponed to that time when you will stand face to face with an unarmed crowd...and be ordered to shoot at them. And then, if anything human remains in you, you will have to refuse to obey, and, as a result, to leave the service."

You can always escape from your position. If, however, you do not, it is only because you prefer to live and act against your conscience rather than lose certain worldly advantages which your dishonest service affords. Only forget that you are an officer and recall to mind that you are a man, and the way of escape from your position will immediately disclose itself to you. This way of escape in its best and most honest form would consist in your calling together the men of whom you are in command, stepping in front, and asking their pardon for all the evil you have done them by deception - and then cease to serve in the army. Such an action seems very bold, demanding great courage, whereas in reality much less courage is required for such an action than to storm a fortification or to challenge a man to a duel for an insult to the uniform - which you as a soldier are always ready to do, and do.

But even without being capable of acting thus you can always, if you have understood the criminality of military service, leave it and give preference to any other activity though less advantageous.
But if you cannot do even this, then the solution for you of the question whether you will continue to serve or not will be postponed to that time - and this will soon appear for each one of you - when you will stand face to face with an unarmed crowd of peasants or factory workers, and be ordered to shoot at them. And then, if anything human remains in you, you will have to refuse to obey, and, as a result, to leave the service.

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 15/08/2026

www.panarchy.org/tolstoy/1901... Notes for Soldiers, Leo Tolstoy (1901)

When we see trained animals accomplishing thing contrary to nature: dogs walking on their forelegs, ele. phants rolling barrels, tigers playing with lions, and so on, we know that all this has been attained by the torments of hunger, whip, and red-hot iron. And when we see men in uniforms with rifles standing motionless, or performing all together the same movement--running, jumping, shoot ing, shouting and S on-in general, producing those fine reviews and manœuvers which emperors and kings so admire and show off one before the other. we know the same. One cannot cauterize out of a man all that is humar and reduce him to the state of a machine without tortur- ing him, and torturing not in a simple way but ir the most refined, cruel way--at one and the same time torturing and deceiving him

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 04/08/2026

5 years ago today. FORAGER 21. It was hot and miserable and I miss them so bad.

A collage of photos shows US Army Soldiers working with communications equipment and setting up a field site outdoors on a sunny day. The images include soldiers in uniform assembling cables and electronic gear, inspecting documents together, preparing protective barriers with coils of wire, and organizing cases and hardware around trucks and portable shelters on a grassy field.

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 05/07/2026

From Snow Crash by Neil Stephenson, 1992

Why is the Deliverator so equipped? Because people rely on him. He is a role model. This is America. People do whatever the fuck they feel like doing, you got a problem with that? Because they have a right to. And because they have guns and no one can fucking stop them. As a result, this country has one of the worst economies in the world. When it gets down to it—talking trade balances here—once we’ve brain-drained all our technology into other countries, once things have evened out, they’re making cars in Bolivia and microwave ovens in Tadzhikistan and selling them here—once our edge in natural resources has been made irrelevant by giant Hong Kong ships and dirigibles that can ship North Dakota all the way to New Zealand for a nickel—once the Invisible Hand has taken all those historical inequities and smeared them out into a broad global layer of what a Pakistani brickmaker would consider to be prosperity—y’know what? There’s only four things we do better than anyone else: music, movies, microcode (software), high-speed pizza delivery.

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 21/06/2026

So you can spell out the names of the letters on the alphabet phonetically, and many of them dont actually start with the letter those names represent Which means you can re-alphabetize the alphabet Which then becomes an iterative process of approaching the True Alphabet Behold

A vertical spreadsheet table with two columns and 26 rows. The left column contains single uppercase letters of the English alphabet, each in its own row. The right column contains the way each letter is pronounced, written out in capital letters. They have been reordered so that their pronunciation is also in alphabetical order.

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 18/06/2026

I can't ever see one of these without hearing it to the tune of Tiny Dancer

Yellow bumper sticker reading "please be patient, student driver"

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 04/06/2026

This city was once the jewel of our kingdom. A place of light, and beauty, and music. And so it shall be once more!

Boromir standing victoriously over the city of Osgiliath, holding a pride flag

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 02/06/2026

Shout out to @rpg-volley.bsky.social for this still-relevant advice from 6 years ago today

A June 2020 tweet from former Twitter user RPG saying "Just start chanting 'ENDEX' at the National Guard and they'l all pop their helmets off and take a seat or wander off. Promise. Money-back guarantee"

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 01/06/2026

*stares directly into the camera like a 2010s sitcom*

An ad for a rainbow-themed dog collar from Human Rights Campaign, with the slogan "queer gear for your furry friend" emblazoned across the top of the ad like they don't know what they're doing. We see you HRC. Dont pretend like you didnt know what tou were doing here.

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 27/05/2026

People: "This new wokeness made the military weaker!" The United States Army, "Personal Conduct For the Soldier", 1949:

Don't make fun of customs that are new to you. Your behavior is probably as funny to the Hindu as the Hindu's behavior is to you. Don't laugh at the Mohammedans when they pray five times a day facing their holy city of Mecca. Who are we Americans to ridicule anybody's clothes? Our swallowtail coats, zoot, suits, and women's hats are funnier than flowing robes, turbans, and grass skirts. Remember that whatever you say is likely to be understood by some passerby, for everywhere people understand some English.

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 26/05/2026

This is the grave of Technical Sergeant Leonard Matlovich. It doesn't bear his name because he intended to be a monument to all gay veterans.

A close-up photo of a dark stone headstone in a cemetery, with green grass visible in the background. A blue baseball cap with a white peace symbol is placed on top of the headstone. On the left side of the stone is a pink triangle above the words “NEVER AGAIN” and the date “6 JULY 1943.” On the right side is an inverted pink triangle above the words “NEVER FORGET” and the date “22 JUNE 1988.” In the center, large engraved text reads: “A GAY VIETNAM VETERAN.” Below that, in smaller letters, the inscription says: “WHEN I WAS IN THE MILITARY THEY GAVE ME A MEDAL FOR KILLING TWO MEN AND A DISCHARGE FOR LOVING ONE.”

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 30/04/2026

I miss when the Army used to say things like this.

Excerpt from Army Doctrine Publication 6-22 regarding illegal, unethical, or immoral orders

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 19/04/2026

Ok new petition lets make dogs the dominant lifeform they're better

A light brown pit bull-staffordshire mix dog with a red collar curled up asleep on a patterned pillow on a gray couch, surrounded by several blankets in blue, pink, and green-white. A small Ty Beanie Baby toy, also a brown dog, rests near her paws.

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 06/04/2026

The Edgar Allen Poe Speakeasy came home to Maryland today, and it is quite a good show.

A performer sits on a wooden chair on a dimly lit stage bathed in blue and purple light, surrounded by candles, props, and gothic décor set against an exposed brick wall, as an audience watches from the foreground.

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 03/04/2026

We said it the moment it happened- it wouldn't stop with trans people.

A transgender flag painted on a white wall, with "first they came for me" painted in black over it

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 27/03/2026

"This is Baltimore's moment, and we recognize that trans people need to be able to see themselves in that moment...We are not going to be like our forefathers, we are going to be a place where every single person who comes to this city is welcome here."

A printed program for the Trans Day of Visibility event hosted by the Baltimore Mayor's Office of LGBTQ Affairs. The flyer reads: "Friday March 27th, Trans Day of Visibility, 10AM–11AM, Baltimore City Hall Rotunda." The design uses the transgender pride flag colors (light blue, pink, and white) in stripes along the top and bottom borders and as background highlights on the text banners. The City of Baltimore seal appears in the bottom right corner alongside the text "Mayor's Office of LGBTQ Affairs."

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 01/03/2026

As more of us start coming back in flag-draped coffins again, I'm thinking about something I wrote some years ago. I'm so tired of all this death.

There is a strange familiarity with death and violence that military personnel deal with on a daily basis which grants a sort of knowledge that most other professions do not gain. The most elemental thing that a Soldier knows, or is prepared to know, is that the spectre of Death is always nearby.

Military culture works to turn every visit from Death into a celebration of the Warrior Spirit. The raw grief is tempered, if not completely drowned out, by a wash of heroic sentiment and patriotic feeling. No matter how gruesome the details, or how unrecognizable the contents of that flag-draped coffin, ceremony turns the details of Death into something beautiful and fine.

But Death still takes its toll on you. Physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, spiritually... I'm exhausted.

Who am I kidding? I was already exhausted.

My friends are dying. They are wanting to die. Trying to die. Because the world wants us to die. Because the world thinks we aren't worth the effort to save. Just take as much as they can, and throw us aside when they're done.

I can't even count how many people have told me that they wouldn't even care if they never woke up.

There's no celebration of heroism to be had here. No warrior spirit. Just quiet desperation. Just an endless, drudging sense of sheer hopelessness.

I want to say to them, "the world is better with you in it. There is so much that is dark and bad here, you are one of the bright spots. Please, please don't die."

And if I'm to be completely honest, "Please, don't leave me here alone. I can't lose you too."

People keep asking if I'm considering my own death. They don't get it. They're completely missing the point. Death took my friends from me. Why would I give it more?

But that spectre is right there, right behind me, just out of view. Whispering in my ear the most horrible thing I can imagine--

"I'm taking you last.”

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 21/02/2026

This was the conclusion of the memo I attached to my retirement packet last May. Nothing the military does will ever clear away the stain of the shame they bear for this. There's no honor left in the institution.

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 14/02/2026

As it turns out, you can actually give your entire body to the US Army.

Your disability rating: 100% service connected

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 23/01/2026

The best smoke I ever had By me, Dec 2025

The best smoke I ever had was from a hookah in Baghdad
And they put orange peel and walnut shells in with the tobacco
And we were celebrating our partnership with the Iraqi Army
And it was 2013, and we had won
And I went home, and they went to Tikrit
And a year later they were all dead

The best smoke I ever had was on the tarmac of an Army airfield
And we were waiting on the shuttle to take us back to our families
And I hadn't seen them in months
And I'd quit cigarettes years before
And I bummed one off of my friend
And field smokes don't count

The best smoke I ever had was at 12:01 on my first day as a civilian
And you can't smoke weed in the Army
And I had been looking forward to it
And I'll never be a Soldier again
And I survived
And I'm still not sure if I like it

And they say each smoke takes 10 minutes off of your life
And I don't know if I'm losing time
Or if I'm paying a tithe

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 07/01/2026

Tomorrow at 1300 EST is my retirement ceremony, hosted by @hrc.org. Watch the livestream here: www.youtube.com/@hrcmedia/st...

A graphic announcing a military retirement ceremony livestream, featuring a close-up of a folded American flag as the background, with white text on the right side reading: “Retirement Ceremony Livestream Thursday, January 8th, 1PM Eastern https://www.youtube.com/@hrcmedia/streams.” Near the bottom center are five military rank insignia in a row, including a silver eagle, two silver oak leaves, and two senior enlisted-style chevrons and shields. Below the insignia is additional white text that says: “Five leaders. Five paths. Five specialties. One unshakeable truth: each served with exceptional skill, courage, and authenticity.”

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 06/01/2026

I don't understand this trilogy

Splashscreen for the game Slay the Spire

Poster for the documentary Slay the Dragon

Splashscreen for the game Slay the Princess

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 26/12/2025

Global War on Transgender Service medal, with F device for separation and gold star signifying that this is my second award.

A custom military-style medal with the transgender pride colors; the ribbon is striped light blue, pink, and white and has two small gold pins on it (a middle finger symbol and a star), and hanging from the ribbon is a large gold, pink, and blue five-pointed star-shaped medallion featuring a prominent transgender symbol in the center.

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 30/11/2025

As of today I have been in the Army for 20 years and 10 months. Tomorrow I will be a retired veteran. It wasn't supposed to end like this, but it was always going to end.

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 27/11/2025

You've just died. The 6th picture in your gallery is what killed you. ^__^

close-up view of a white kitchen cabinet unit, including an drawer with a sleek, horizontal stainless steel pull handle centered on its front panel. The handle's shadow on the drawer makes a 😄 face

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 26/11/2025

Army Doctrine Publication 6-22 (Army Leadership and the Profession) says to disobey unlawful orders. Immoral ones too. Do what's right. That's the standard.

1-20. Soldiers in combat operations are responsible for the ethical application of lethal force in honorable
service to the Nation. The law is explicit. Soldiers are bound to obey the legal and moral orders of their
superiors; but they must disobey an unlawful or immoral order. Soldiers are also legally bound to report
violations of the law of war to their chain of command

1-21. Under normal circumstances, Soldiers and Army civilians trust their superior's orders and execute
them to the best of their ability. However, making an ethical choice and acting on it when faced with an
ethical or moral issue can be difficult. Sometimes it means standing firm and disagreeing with a leader. These
occasions test character. If Army professionals perceive that an order is unlawful or immoral, they seek
situational understanding regarding the order and its original intent. This may include asking for clarification
from the person who issued the order.

1-22. If the question is complex, Soldiers and Army civilians should seek legal counsel. If circumstances do
not permit that, Soldiers make the best judgment possible based on their understanding of the Army ethic and
their conscience, as applied to the immediate situation. There is a risk when disobeying what is perceived to
be an unlawful or immoral order- and it may be the most courageous decision an Army professional ever
makes.

1-23. While none of us can be completely prepared for complex, ambiguous situations, we should reflect on
the Army ethic, study lessons learned, anticipate ethical challenges, and mitigate the risks. It is expected that
Soldiers and Army Civilians, as trusted Army professionals, will do what they believe is right,

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 20/11/2025

Theres something poetic about my retirement award being handed off to me at the shoppette by an admin clerk I've never met.

A close-up photograph of various official U.S. Army documents and awards arranged on a gray car seat inside a vehicle. An open green binder displays Department of the Army orders on white paper, and beside it a framed certificate for the Meritorious Service Medal.

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Cathrine Schmid @schmidcathrine.us · 18/11/2025

A big _hank you _o _he Depar_men_ of Ve_erans Affairs for all of your suppor_ _o our communi_y!

A flyer from the VA Boston Health Care System promoting a research study on an 8-session treatment for anxiety and depression among lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, or other sexual orientation veterans. Mentions of trans people are conspicuously absent.

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