iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Manda

@talzhemir.bsky.social

233 followers 364 following 217 posts

Painter, illustrator, co-creator of ttRPGs Cavemaster & Quicksilver, co-creator of Furcadia, writer on the Ultima series, atheist, and champion of teaching the difference between 'direct' and 'circumstantial' evidence, paleolithic textile artist

Posts Replies Media

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙖𝙩𝙨? The First Earth Battalion was a real U.S. top secret project. A 2004 book "The Men Who Stare At Goats" describes it. But... Why is the only animal seen being assassinated through psionics, a goat?! www.patreon.com/posts/150857... #skeptics #criticalthinking

The First Earth Battalion | Manda

Get more from Manda on Patreon

000

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

Did Sheep Spread Plague in the Bronze Age? DNA from pneumonic disease Yersinia pestis is found 2200–1900 BCE in human remains of Sintashta people. They were nomadic herders, the first horse riders. In 2025, that DNA was found in the bone of their sheep. 😢 www.patreon.com/posts/150457...

Did Sheep Spread a Plague in the Bronze Age? | Manda

Get more from Manda on Patreon

000

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

Help get out the word: Conservative James "Jim" MacKay has changed his name in 2025 to J. Gordon Mitchel. Now he's running for Congress as a Democrat! Vehemently and adamantly opposed to critical race theory, he removed LGBTQ titles from Leander school libraries. #Wilco #Democrats #WCDP

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

#FightWaste #EatCrostini 'Crostini'= little round bits of toast. This is wonderful with your favorite soups 'n' stews! I got this 'baguette' free from a food distribution site for bakery products past their prime. How To? Of course! It is super-easy. www.patreon.com/posts/148994...

[RECIPE] Make Some Crostini! | Manda

Get more from Manda on Patreon

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

[How To] Make a Faucet Cover out of a Bottle We have freezing rain on the way. The spiggot needs a little insulation. (Do you suppose it could be a yarn caddy after this?) #recycle #upcycle #winter www.patreon.com/posts/148973...

[How To] Recycle a Bottle to a Spiggot Cover | Manda

Get more from Manda on Patreon

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

#Measles #vaxx With a cutesy name like "Measles", it's very hard to take it seriously, but in 2019, we learned this disease can wipe out up to 70% of the immune system's previously-earned immunities. That may include those conferred by vaccines. www.patreon.com/posts/148067...

The MMR: It Saves Babies | Manda

Get more from Manda on Patreon

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 26/12/2025

Season's Eatings! Have Some-- Zinc??? "Mixed Nuts" are a traditional holiday snack. Why do the cashews get eaten first? Why are they so DELICIOUS?! And, come to think of it, why not just go straight for a bowl of nothing-but? www.patreon.com/posts/146745...

Season's Eatings! Have Some Zinc? | Manda

Get more from Manda on Patreon

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

From the restaurant Casa Garcia: two tortillas and grilled #shrimp. 38% of all seafood sold is shrimp. But, why did it evolve to be so delicious? www.patreon.com/posts/144963...

The Shrimp's Story | Manda

Get more from Manda on Patreon

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

#Chestnuts are a traditional autumn/winter food, and they've been scarce since the Chestnut Blight hit in the 1910's. Their popularity encourages conservation of this tree. "Galil's" are from Italy, Spain, and Portugal. #chestnuts and #rice www.patreon.com/posts/143891...

[RECIPE] Holiday Chestnut Rice | Manda

Get more from Manda on Patreon

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 16/11/2025

New Hand-spinners! We had far more kids wanting to learn how, than we could teach. #handspinning #fiberarts www.patreon.com/posts/143694...

[FIBER ARTS] New Hand-Spinners! | Manda

Get more from Manda on Patreon

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 09/11/2025

I'll be teaching classes in crank-spinning with a stick, and then the Mayan Paddle Spinner. I'm making them with cardstock layers for the students. A wildcat is the school mascot. #Crankspinning teaches the basics before #dropspinning #handspinning

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 01/11/2025

After shaping the 'akshas' with a corner store pedicure sandpaper tool, they soak in 'linseed oil', which is a "drying oil". It goes into the wood (or bamboo), and strengthens it. Drying oils are the 'medium' part of oil paints.

chopsticks soak in a Tablespoon of linseed oil, in a gallon-size plastic ziplock freezer bag

000

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 13/10/2025

It turns out Pepe the Frog's creator successfully sues those who co-opt him as the alt-right mascot. #SavePepe

"𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙜 𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩?" | Manda

Get more from Manda on Patreon

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

This Halloween, you might find these hair bands on sale. It's easy to make fuzzy kitty ears. #Needlefelting

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

If religion was treated like gender: "𝙉𝙤, 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙣. 𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡. 𝙈𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚."

Reposted by Manda

Jeff Dee @jeffdee.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social is playtesting Lost Age, her sequel to our Paleolithic #ttrpg Cavemaster. Here are two ‘character tablets’ from tonight’s game. We’re using a diced variant of the Cavemaster “Habilis system”. I’ve tried to draw pictures in the style of Copper Age sites like Gobekli Tepe.

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

I made myself a Native American weaving loom. The spine is a palm leaf's center spar. There are two chopsticks for the beams (horizontals). I think the 'Vytis Cross', Jogaila's Cross, is a similar loom with one beam and a beater-pick. ‡ Jogaila was a pagan. #Lithuania #primitive #weaving

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

The point where twist is halted is the 'pinch'. The off-center axis where the string acts like a fulcrum is the 'tula'. The string between pinch and tula is the 'pend'. #Minoan #Labrys #Arkalochori #Herakleion #HandSpinning #CrankSpinning #ShetlandSheep #Indigo #Wool #ExperimentalArchaeology

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 23/08/2025

How to Make a Stick Spindle! The best stick for crank-spinning has a few slight bends, and a pointy tip. For an archaeologist, this is circumstantial evidence a stick was the tool of an expert spinner. Use jujube, blackthorn, Gambel oak. #HandSpinning #ExperimentalArchaeology

[CRAFT] How to Make a Stick Spindle | Manda

Get more from Manda on Patreon

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

The Labrys: I'm pretty sure it's a crank spindle. If it isn't, then I have discovered the most wonderful way to repurpose an enigmatic ancient artifact to make oodles of beautiful thread. BTW-- the eight-pointed one works even better. #labrys #handspinning #CrankSpinning is #NotDropSpinning

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 12/08/2025

A Portable Pocket! Nothing hard or fancy; just a phone-toting bag with an over-the-shoulder strap. If your hand-spinning makes yards of cord, not miles, here's a small yet rewarding project. www.patreon.com/posts/136301...

[Crafting] My Portable Pocket | Manda

Get more from Manda on Patreon

000

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

#prehistoric #handspinning The spindle is a stick from the back yard. The fiber is Shetland wool wrapped "barber-pole" to make a puni. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙚𝙛𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚. Move the spindle as if reeling in a fish. "Crank" but let slip. Draft is fehu ᚠ, not algiz ᛉ (delta). @jillianeve.bsky.social

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

I dyed my yarn with Rit. It's reddish purple in memory of Queen Penelope. It's mock-Tyrian-purple, a color once made with billions of murex snails. The mordant was water from soaking black rice. It's shiny because it's crank-spun using a labrys (pélekys), not drop-spun. #handspinning

Two small skeins of yarn, in the hand spun twist arrangement. They are wool, but it's a soft and smooth kind of yarn.

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

Here's the short-fibers spun up into string on that same chopstick. The grey color is from lanolin and dirt. Blodwyn swears she's white sheep. We'll see. Gonna make a tiny micro-mini hank to clean and dye it. #handspinning #experimentalarchareology

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 19/07/2025

Stone-age #Handspinning I made a puni with a chopstick. Now I'm spinning it into thread with the same stick. The fiber becomes a slim snake of roving. **happy** #experimentalarchaeology #softsoft #thel

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 19/07/2025

Paleo Method #2: Puni After pulling 'tog', I'm left with 1.5" 'thel'. I wind it onto a stick at a 45° angle. The puni survives as a no-carders cotton prep style in India. When spun, it spirals, midway between worsted and wool. #handspinning #experimentalarchaeology @jillianeve.bsky.social

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

This is a non-fiction tale just for my Patreon backers. The short version is that James Mellaart, 1 of 3 discoverers of Catalhoyuk, was a major con artist. On the basis of his forgery, the Sea People (Peleset) are equated with the Philistines and Palestinians. www.patreon.com/posts/134322...

Jimmy Bey and the Treasure of Dorak | Manda

Get more from Manda on Patreon

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

How To Prep Wool for Spinning, Paleo-style If you don't have carders or combs, you can still make roving. That's fleece in a belt or tube shape. The tool I recommend is a standard chopstick. 1/4" x 8-9" www.patreon.com/posts/133727... #handspinning #prehistoric #wool @jillianeve.bsky.social

[CRAFTS] How to Prep Wool for Spinning, Paleo-style | Manda

Get more from Manda on Patreon

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

A Low-key Look This is UV hardening 'gel' enamel. It's two layers which, together, resemble amber... or yellow popcorn kernels. I used the manicure buffing sponge to carefully prepare the nail surface myself. It's meant to be "natural", not "glamorous". The whole process only took 27 minutes.

curled left fist with thin layer of transparent enamel on the nails

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

Cheon Sa Chae is a Korean invention from the 1980s. The main ingredient is brown seaweed extract, and it's crunchy. It's served as a banchan (condiment) with mayo. Did you know it's also a source of Vanadium? It lowers cholesterol + acts like Insulin. www.patreon.com/posts/130674...

Crunchy Alginate Noodles and Vanadium | Manda

Get more from Manda on Patreon

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 22/05/2025

VAMPIRES COULD MAKE SENSE AFTER ALL... Mitochondria aren't your body's only source of ATP. Your red blood cells also make it-- out of Citric Acid. They donate any excess to any cells in need, at the capillaries. (They can also consume Lactic Acid.) www.patreon.com/posts/129613...

CITRIC ACID!!! | Manda

Get more from Manda on Patreon

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 07/05/2025

This character, Hei Tiki, is a New Zealand icon who became a beloved mascot for surfers. He is made of a kind of jade called Pounamu. What is jade? A magnet for money? A shield against harm? What else do people believe about it? #jade www.patreon.com/posts/jade-m...

Jade Mysteries; Jade Revelations Post 4: Ten Thousand Superstitions | Manda

Get more from Manda on Patreon

000

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

The people of Liangzhu, China, left mysterious stone artifacts of surprising technical sophistication. Why did the ch'ng (also spelled ts'ung and cong) have these little wide-eyed faces? www.patreon.com/posts/jade-m...

Jade Mysteries; Jade Revelations Post 3: The Two Faces | Manda

Get more from Manda on Patreon

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

Jade Mysteries, Jade Revelations Post 2: THE CH'NG www.patreon.com/posts/jade-m...

Jade Mysteries; Jade Revelations Part 2: The Ch'ng | Manda

Get more from Manda on Patreon

000

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

If THEY don't respect an obligation to help others, then 𝙒𝙀 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙮. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙜𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙛𝙛 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙆𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞 𝙉𝙤𝙚𝙢'𝙨 $3000, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙚𝙙.

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙤 𝙨𝙤. www.patreon.com/posts/127463...

Your Modern Morality | Manda

Get more from Manda on Patreon

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 20/04/2025

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 15/04/2025

You may not call me "a home-grown". That's a dehumanizing slur. It is unacceptable, like "wetback" and the N-word. I am an #American #Citizen. #Democrat #Republican #Independent #Arrest #Trump #Deport #Musk

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 15/04/2025

𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙜𝙤, 𝙄 𝙬𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙩. 𝙒𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙃𝙊𝙒. I think we finally understand now. I reckon constriction by cold is triggering the mitochondrial shift. #science #biology #mitochondria #weightloss shift.https://www.patreon.com/posts/126684376?

000

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 12/04/2025

#ShortStory #Fiction Mir is a pacifist Hyksos girl in the Nile Delta city of Hut-Waret. A horrifying event is about to take place. How can she oppose it, yet stay true to her principles and her god? www.patreon.com/posts/126481...

000

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

Yah. No.

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 09/04/2025

Copper turns out to be a big deal. It plays a role in #cancer. It also relates to #obesity. Mitochondria require it and regulate it. In 2023 we discovered "Cuproptosis" jams the proteasomes. Would you be surprised to learn #VitaminC blocks Cu absorption? www.patreon.com/posts/126265...

[Biology] Our Symbiotic Mitochondria, and Copper | Manda

Get more from Manda on Patreon

000

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

The #DireWolf wasn't a wolf. It was related to the Maned Wolf, a kind of wild 'dog' as in African Wild Dog. They only stay with their mothers 7 months. They're not wolf-derived pack hunters with an. extensive repertoire of social cues to pick up. Oh, and they don't howl. They ROAR.

000

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 06/04/2025

Wine has a lot of Potassium. The body uses Potassium to control high blood pressure. Why weren't you told? #wine #longevity #health #manda #electrolytes www.patreon.com/posts/126063...

The Correct Ratio of Potassium to Sodium | Manda

Get more from Manda on Patreon

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 04/04/2025

Eat Some Grapes! Balance Potassium and Sodium, 3 to 1 #Health #Longevity #Manda www.patreon.com/posts/longev...

[Longevity] [Health] Get Some Grapes | Manda

Get more from Manda on Patreon

000

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

Are those funny little miniature bronze axe heads tools for use with rock salt? #artisinal #salt #speculative #archaeology www.patreon.com/posts/gaming...

[Gaming] [Cooking] Archaeological Speculation: An Egg of Salt | Manda

Get more from Manda on Patreon

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

Sensitive This is the genius that played on your hopes. And this is the monster that fed your fears. This is the leopard that ate your face. And this is the baby-man gushing tears. #Poetry #poem

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 29/03/2025

RUMBLE-CRUMBS! I think planets are formed out of Rumble-Crumbs. It's the way I make boba pearls. I do not pinch them off by hand. I stir and roll, and spheres form. I reckon this is also how our moon formed post-collision. #Science ?!!! #Boba #bobaTea #Manda www.patreon.com/posts/cookin...

[Cooking] [Astrophysics] [Meteorology] Rumble-Crumbs: Making Boba Without Pinching and Shaping Each One | Manda

Get more from Manda on Patreon

Manda @talzhemir.bsky.social · 29/03/2025

Here's my new "garden" labels! I've included black-on-white, and white-on-black. Use an art program to customize it, or, use pen or white gel pen after printing. Laminate with clear 2" packing tape. For your jellies, etc.! #Manda #Garden #spices #Papercraft www.patreon.com/posts/crafts...

[Crafts] Garden Labels | Manda

Get more from Manda on Patreon