iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 11h

This is as fancy as it gets when I’m cooking.

A pot of water boils on the stove, while some measuring cups sit to the side on the counter. Boxes of Goodles Mac & Cheese are in the background.

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

The first nine that come to mind.

My nine books

James C. Scott - Seeing like a state
James Q. Wilson - Bureaucracy
Amy Zegart - Flawed by Design
Jerry Z. Muller - The Tyranny of Metrics
Walter Willett and Edward L. Giovannucci - Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy
Tim Keller - God’s Wisdom for Navigating Life
Thomas Kuhn - The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
James M. Dubik - Just War Revisited
Michael Howard - The Invention of Peace

Make your book grid at myninebooks.com

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

I specialize in simple breakfasts and lunches, so the history is a lot of scrambled eggs, cheese quesadillas, and chicken nuggets. My wife knows how to cook real meals. This clip is what it looks like when I’m creating or editing a menu. This is breakfast for tomorrow.

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

I made an app that allows me to create a menu on my phone. My kids can then place orders on their iPad. When it’s ready, they can take a picture of the meal and leave a “tip.” Meals, pictures, and tips are stored in a meal history. I also added a recipe section and a place to rate my wife’s dinners.

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Shut up, Apple Watch. I have kids.

A screen shot of the sleep app from my iPhone. It says I have a “low” sleep score of 42, tells me
My sleep last night “wasn’t very good” and urges me to get to bed on time tonight.

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Instead of a war on wokeness, there needs to be a war on obnoxiously large plugs. You plug this monstrosity into a power strip and it covers 3 outlets.

A ridiculously large plug. Completely unnecessary.

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Got the bill for the birth of my daughter (over 6 months ago). C-section and 2 days in the maternity ward. I guess it’s not crazy considering everything the doctors and nurses have to do. Either way, I’m glad we have insurance.

Charges: 24,096.25
Adjustments: -17,472.81
Payments: -6,576.54
Balance: 46.90

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

I cooked bacon, eggs, pancakes, and s’mores on the fire pit this morning. Perfect weather. Living in the moment, so I didn’t snap a picture until the end when I was cleaning up.

A picture of a fire pit, with a folding grate on top. The grate is folded open, with a cast iron pan between the folds. In the background there is a small wooden table and a garden bed that is entirely taken over with weeds.

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Fun fact: the Army is older than the Constitution. Here’s the officer’s oath established by the Continental Congress: Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789, vol. 5, at 790 (Worthington Chauncey Ford ed., 1906) www.archives.gov/research/gui... The current oath: www.army.mil/values/offic...

An excerpt from the cited publication. The oath is in Section III, Article 1, and reads, “I swear, or affirm, (as the case may be,) to be true to the United States of America, and to serve them honestly and faithfully against all their enemies or opposers whatsoever; and to observe and obey the orders of the Continental Congress, and the orders of the generals and officers set over me by them.”

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Happy 251st Birthday, US Army! Over two and a half centuries of defeating tyrants, defending the Constitution, winning world wars, and upholding the principle that the military answers to the people.

An image embodying the current focus on lethality as the solution to all problems whether they be economic, diplomatic, information-based, military-centric, social, imagined or real, theoretical, or self-imposed.
The image shows military vehicles, aircraft, and missiles emerging from a gigantic explosion, heading directly toward the viewer. In the middle of the vehicle formation is a wheeled vehicle with a soldier in the turret, throwing a grenade, which makes no tactical sense but reinforces the absurdity of it all.

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Please bear with me, but I think there’s a silver lining to this madness that no doubt causes our Founding Fathers to spin in their graves.

An image of a US Founding Father. He is secured to a spinning pole with a thick coil of copper wire. There are magnets on either side of him. To the left is a sign that reads: “Founding Fathers Renewable Energy: Harnessing eternal revolution for a brighter tomorrow.” On the left is a sign that reads: “HOW IT WORKS: 1. Founding Father spins. 2. Copper coil cuts magnetic field. 3. Electricity is generated. 4. We power the future.”
Beneath the founding father is a plaque that reads: “SPINNING THEIR GRAVES - POWERING OUR FUTURE”

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Very excited to receive this in the mail yesterday.

A license plate frame, engraved with the words “BURPEES ARE DUMB”

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

The Army: “Leg tucks are too hard. People will fail and have to be separated.” My 7-year-old:

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

I’m surprised that was nearly a 20. What gets you under 10?

A screen shot of the sleep app on my iPhone, displaying a “Very Low” sleep score of 19 out of 100, and breaking this down into the elements of:
Duration: 2h 19m (3 points out of 50)
Bedtime: Expected: 11:15 PM (0 points out of 50, which apparently means I missed it by a mile)
Interruptions: 6 wake-ups, 14m total (16 points out of 20, because I guess it’s good to be woken up 6 times in a span of 140 minutes?)

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

This morning my son asked why I was eating breakfast in the bathroom. It dawned of me that maybe this is an unusual type of multitasking. I snapped a photo. On average, maybe it’s weird. At this phase of parenting, I’m thinking it’s normal.

A photograph of my bathroom sink. My breakfast (coffee and a bagel) are beside some shaving supplies (scuttle, soap dish, and safety razor). Assorted other items are visible (soap dispenser, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, floss, etc).

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

This is how I try to keep the dogs off our couch.

A photograph of a white, L-shaped couch and matching ottoman in my living room. The cushions are covered with a baby floor seat, a Baby Bjorn on its side, assorted objects, a baby car seat, and three upside-down, round, plastic laundry baskets. In the background, there is a perfectly good dog bed, which is unoccupied.

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

I ordered a metal pipe from Lowe’s so I could make an outdoor pull up bar. I am not kidding - this is how it was packaged and dropped at my front door. I guess they couldn’t find a properly-sized box.

A photograph of a cardboard box shaped like thick, rectangular cube. The ends of a metal bar are protruding from inside box, approximately six inches out each end.

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

Also, sleep training update. Left: my daughter’s sleep last night Right: as a result, my sleep.

A graph showing when my daughter was asleep, awake, and when me or my wife had to attend to her. She slept for nearly the entire night.

A graph showing when I was asleep and awake last night. I broke 8 total hours for the first time in over 4 months.

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

It’s a simple thing, but I think it makes a difference. I never again need to worry about overfilling my mug or leaving a coffee ring on the counter. (6/6)

A photograph of the setup. From left to right, there is a roll-top sugar cube holder with tongs, a napkin holder filled with V60 filters, the Hario Switch immersion dripper on top of the Hario Range Server, with coffee flowing into the server, my Niche grinder is in the rear-center, my Ember mug in the front-center, and my electric water kettle on the right.

A photograph of me pouring coffee from the Hario Range Server into my Ember mug.

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

Today, I also got the Hario V60 Range Server (left). I got this because the bottom lip of the dripper often extends into the coffee in my cup (see lip on right). So if you set it down after brewing, you get a ring of coffee on the counter. (5/6)

A photograph of my Hario V60 Range Server

A photograph of the bottom lip of the Hario Switch immersion dripper, beside the coffee, to show how large the lip is compared to the cup.

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

Differences (cont’d) The Clever has a drain valve that releases when set on the mug. The Hario has a switch on the side. The Clever comes with a lid and coaster. The Hario comes with neither. I like the lid to keep the brew hot while it steeps. Luckily, the Clever lid fits the Hario well. (4/6)

A photograph of my Hario dripper, with me holding the Clever lid over the top.

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

A few weeks ago, I bought a Hario V60 immersion dripper (left) to replace my Clever Brewer (right). They’re both immersion pour overs. And both are great. I just felt like the Hario was an upgrade I wanted. Clever: cleverbrewing.coffee/products/cle... Hario: www.hario-usa.com/products/swi... (2/6)

A photograph showing my Hario V60 immersion dripper on the left and my Clever Brewer immersion dripper on the right.

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

Some coffee news. A couple months ago, my wife bought me a Niche coffee bean grinder for my birthday. Definitely in my top 5 all-time birthday gifts. (1/6)

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

I’ve been reading Schake’s The State and the Soldier. In the introduction, she offers these two tests. We’re definitely getting tested on the first. bookshop.org/p/books/the-...

A photograph of a page in The State and the Soldier. The following text is circled:

“There are basically only two essential tests of the health of civil-military relations in the US:
• can the president fire military leaders with impunity? and
• will the military carry out policies they don't agree with?”

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Last week, we cleaned out the office fridge. Now, I’m seeing this notification. Perhaps we were foolish to throw away all that old food.

A notification from WSJ with the teaser headline: “A reclusive 94-year-old just sold his food empire for $29 billion”

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Finally got around to building a miter saw bench a couple weeks ago. This takes about an hour or two. Unless you have kids. Then it takes 6 weeks. Now I need to make one for the table saw. Hopefully another six weeks.

A hastily assembled miter saw bench made from 7 2x4s, 4 caster wheels, a 2x12, and a box of screws.

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

In our previous house, I put a window-mounted air conditioner in the garage and it was just barely tolerable in the summer. Current house has a basement with rafters just high enough to accommodate the squat cage. Never goes above 75° in the summer or below 65° in the winter. And no pollen.

Photo of our garage gym in our previous house, taken from within the squat cage. A window-mounted air conditioner is visible in the back, right.

A photo of the gym in the basement of our current home.

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

images-us.bookshop.org/ingram/97801... bookshop.org/p/books/the-...

The book cover for “The Allure of Battle:
A History of How Wars Have Been Won and Lost” by Cathal J. Nolan

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

Serious multitasking today, changing my saw blade while cooking lunch, while my daughter naps.

A photograph of a cordless DeWalt brushless 7 1/4” circular on my kitchen counter, alongside a black Ember coffee mug. In the background, salt and pepper mills and bottles of olive oil and vinegar are against the wall.

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

“Why do men spend so much time in the bathroom?”

A photograph of a sign hanging in a bathroom. It reads, “bathroom
(bath-room): noun
A temporary sanctuary for overwhelmed parents seeking refuge from their offspring.”

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

These two nails on the stairwell randomly popped up. Two other nails on the step below it are also starting to pop up. What causes this? This house was built 8 years ago. Why now? The photos are of the same two nails, each photo under different lighting.

A photograph of two nails protruding from a wooden step.

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

How many phones do Vanessa and Adriana have?

A screenshot of deleted voicemails, received daily for the last nine days. Each record shows text previews of the transcriptions. The first five claim to be from “Vanessa” and next four from “Adriana.” All are scam phone calls purporting to be about a loan application.

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

I also maintain an analog capability, if necessary.

A photograph of other coffee bar items, showing a glass water kettle, Peugeot coffee mill grinder, dosing cup full of coffee beans, and small spray bottle.

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

Upgraded my dripper to the Hario Immersion Dripper Switch (360mL). And my wife bought me a Niche grinder for my birthday. We are not messing around.

A photograph of my coffee bar setup with a Niche coffee grinder, Hario Immersion Dripper Switch pour over brewer, Ember coffee mug, electric water kettle, roll-top sugar cube holder with tongs, V60 coffee filters, and small trash can.

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

🍺 “I stood here tonight and I made fun of the president of the United States, and I'm going to be fine. I am going to be fine, right?”

A screen shot of a YouTube clip, with transcript, in which Trevor Noah is speaking at the White House Correspondents Dinner and stating, “In America, you have the right to seek the truth and speak the truth even if it makes people in power uncomfortable, even if it makes your viewers or your readers uncomfortable. You understand how amazing that is? I stood here tonight and I made fun of the president of the United States, and I'm going to be fine. I am going to be fine, right?”

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

He desperately wants to play with her.

A photo of our 80-lb lying on the floor, looking at our ~6-week-old daughter, as she lies in a playmat on our living room floor.

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

We’re classing it up, putting our creatine in a ceramic jar instead of in the plastic tub it ships in.

A picture of a countertop. On it, from left to right, are a plastic tub of Isopure protein powder, a 20oz metal blender cup, and a ceramic jar. The ceramic jar has the lid removed, showing the contents of the jar.

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

I made a fire pit this week. It might be larger than necessary. I used 45 retaining wall blocks. Footprint: 48” diameter. Inside diameter on top: 30”. Height: 16”. To ensure air flow, the bottom layer has about an inch between each block. Wood is stacked 4” off the ground on a 22” grate.

A picture of a round fire pit constructed from 45 retaining wall blocks and a 39” cooking grate.

A closer picture of the fire pit. The cooking grate is folded up to provide a clearer view of the inside. Inside, there are 6 blocks of wood stacked on a 22” cooking grate that is elevated 4” from the bottom. Between the wood, there are cardboard tubes.

A picture of the fire pit with a comparatively small fire inside.

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

Not to take away from the achievement of your magnatile rocket ship, but check out this magnatile marble run and race track combo.

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Tim Mathews @timmathews.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

I am so sick of these scam calls.

A screen shot of deleted, unread voicemails from the same scammer using multiple numbers, calling nearly everyday for the last two weeks.

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