iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 08/10/2026

I looked up what Amazon things about me and... the foster kittens have confused things. 😂 (For the record, I do not have any children.)

Screenshot of part of the Amazon "About you" page.
Brands: Prefers Gerber for baby food
Departments: Baby Care
Home & Family: Has an infant
Departments: Child Safety
Product Preferences: Recently invested in child safety measures

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 06/10/2026

Finally configured the new camera for use as a kitten cam. (The cameras are actually reasonably tough for their price, but the kittens are tougher.) So now we can all watch the live shenanigans of Amina, Tinbu, Pebbles, Bamm-Bamm, Dina, and Hoppy. (Yes, they look a little funny. They have […]

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 06/10/2026

Why are my foster cats so much better at finding keyboard shortcuts than I am? Dangit!

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 04/10/2026

Tech question re: burner phones: I'm reading a story by a critique partner that takes place in current-day USA. The victim had a burner phone, and detectives are able to link another phone to it because they assume phones are sold in lots to retailers and have sequential phone numbers. But is […]

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Tim Carmody @tcarmody.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

This is the funniest thing I've seen today, possibly ever

A tweet by SarahStarberry that says "oh god read the vertical axis" on top of a chart measuring AI models' release dates and model numbers rather than any real capabilities

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 29/09/2026

Francis Noodle finished his FIP treatment about a month ago. Last week they wanted to evaluate his coordination at the shelter, but he refused to move. (Of course!) So now I, certified GenX who takes five tries to do anything on my phone, am trying to take […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 29/09/2026

The Flintstones babies are slowly improving (while also getting even balder), but since the newest addition (Hoppy) is dealing with diarrhea and all four are housed in the tub, I'll spare you pictures for a bit. (I clean I swear! But it only stays clean for a […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 26/09/2026

Apparently Saturdays are the day I get to look through character names from The Flintstones. Meet Hoppy! She's from the same location as Pebbles, Bamm-Bamm, and Dina. She's pretty skinny for her size, so we'll be working on feeding her up for the next few weeks. #CatsOfMastodon #FosterKittens

Photo of a medium-hair 5-week-old brown tabby standing inside a clear weighing bin (repurposed from one half of a bread bin). She looks bedraggled and a little shell-shocked. It's been a long day for her.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 25/09/2026

Today incudes a checkup for 10 of my 11 fosters. Can I fit 5 carriers in my car? We shall see. Most of the kittens will just be there for a ringworm recheck (they will start another culture — someday the culture will be negative two weeks in a row and they will be declared ringworm-free) but […]

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darth™️ @darthbluesky.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

the fuck

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 23/09/2026

I've added a ramp. Prince has gone up and down a few times. Hopefully Francis Noodle was paying attention.

Photo of a wire dog crate with an extra panel extending diagonally to the floor. Three cats (Francis Noodle, Kitty Tuna, and Prince) are seated nearby.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 23/09/2026

We cheated and I boosted him up. Tomorrow I need to look at ramp supplies.

Photo of a gray & white cat (Francis Noodle) lying on a towel on top of a large dog crate. It's blurry because he was moving around and I want to snap a quick photo before he fell off or did something equally silly.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 22/09/2026

Francis Noodle, whose back end doesn't work quite right, has decided that he really needs to climb onto the dog crate this morning. It is not going well for him, but it's good to have goals! #FosterCat #CatsOfMastodon

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 22/09/2026

The Hot Mess Express babies are pretty cute, even with all their problems. #FosterKittens #CatsOfMastodon #TheRingwormCycle

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 22/09/2026

Bamm-Bamm finally hit 300 grams today! He should be about twice that size. It does make the lime sulfur bath really quick though.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 20/09/2026

Dino is even balder than Bamm-Bamm, though his eyes are in better shape. Note: Dino is not a sphinx. He's just bald from ringworm. #CatsOfMastodon #FosterKittens #HotMessExpress

Photo of two pathetic 4-week-old kittens. Dino, front, has basically no hair on his head, which makes his eyes look giant. He could be the inspiration for Gollum in the LOTR movies. Behind Dino, Bamm-Bamm has partially-open eyes which makes him appear miserable even though he was wrestling with his siblings right before the picture was taken. His bald spot gives him a reverse mohawk, though it's not as obvious in this picture.
This photo should have a Sarah McLachlan song playing as the link to donate money to the Yolo County Animal Services Shelter scrolls below.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/09/2026

Hot mess update: While I was at the shelter picking up drugs for a different foster, another littermate of Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm was brought in. So now there are three of them. (Pics later. I'm currently waiting for fleas to die off so I can bathe/medicate him.)

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/09/2026

Oh, Francis Noodle... 😂 (He managed to extract himself without me helping.) #FosterCat #CatsOfMastodon #Caturday

Photo of the legs of a gray & white cat (Francis Noodle) sticking up in the air behind a cushion on the floor. On the other side of the cushion, a colorpoint kitten (Kitty Tuna) watches. This photo could easily be titled "Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!" and I'm probably going to hell for laughing, but I'll be in good company.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/09/2026

Hot mess update: *Some*body (Pebbles. It was Pebbles) realized she could fit between the wires of the crate and was running around the back room while I was giving other kittens a lime sulfur bath. So Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm have relocated to the tub. Amina & Tinbu […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

Photo of two scruffy kittens inside a tub. The larger kitten (Pebbles) is standing on her back legs, looking for new ways to get into trouble. The smaller kitten (Bamm-Bamm) is seated like a perfect angel. There's an empty plate of food in the shot because both are eating on their own!

Photo of two kittens (Amina and Tinbu) in a bathroom. At the back is the tub holding Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm. There are glass doors on the tub, so the kittens should not be able to mingle. Everything is clean because today was the day to dip the kittens and disinfect everything. By tomorrow morning the space will be trashed.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 17/09/2026

Hot Mess Babies (now Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm) are doing well this morning. We still have some significant challenges (ringworm, and maybe Bamm-Bamm is blind?) but they both look far better than they did two days ago. #FosterKittens #CatsOfMastodon

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 16/09/2026

Definitely on the Hot Mess Express. The girl is looking pretty good (everything is relative!) this morning, and her brother hasn't given up yet, so I'm hopeful. #FosterKittens #CatsOfMastodon #RingwormIsLife

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 16/09/2026

They are indeed a bit of a mess. We had the usual "they might not make it" talk. Fingers crossed that antibiotics and supportive care work their magic! #FosterKittens #CatsOfMastodon

Photo of two scraggly 4-week-old kittens on a pink baby blanket with white elephants. The larger kitten on the right seems alert, but the smaller kitten clearly doesn't feel well.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 16/09/2026

Everyone should live their lives so they get texts like "Hello! Not sure if you might be interested but we got in two little ~ 4 week old kittens who will need supportive care. They are a bit of a mess, they have uri, loose stool, and ringworm" 😂

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 15/09/2026

My day: "First some work stuff, then dipping the ringworm kittens / disinfecting rooms before it gets too hot." (Need to keep the windows open during a lime sulfur dip.) (Work) (Lunch) "Wait, I can't bathe the kittens until I find an audiobook." (45 minutes) "Crud, I forgot to charge my […]

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 15/09/2026

Now that the self-promo is out of the way... Have a picture of foster Kitty Tuna! She's adorable. #CatsOfMastodon #FosterKittens

Photo of a fluffy colorpoint kitten (Kitty Tuna, aka Princess Petunia) lying on her back on a green towel inside a wire dog crate. (The crate door is open. She went in there by herself.)

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 15/09/2026

New cozy mystery this Saturday! With her husband away for a weekend of search-and-rescue training, 50-something pet sitter Penelope Standing is busy hunting a runaway tortoise while wondering if her son has finally found a companion. Until she stumbles over a […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

Cover of "Death Retrieves a Rival: A Penelope Standing Mystery" by Tess Baytree (aka, me). Image shows a cartoon tortoise striding forward with a strawberry in his mouth. His trail could be mistaken for bloody footprints.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 10/09/2026

That one sentence tells me everything I need to know about working with this guy: "It isn’t clear why the company’s board made this decision now. One person speculated that the timing may have something to do with Mullenweg’s annual trip to the Burning Man festival, after which he tends to […]

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 07/09/2026

@wendypalmer To be fair, I can't wait until the LLMs don't exist...

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 07/09/2026

@wendypalmer I never filed for mine either. Back when it first became apparent people were going to get actual money, I had to accept that I was screwed. Now I'm looking at the whole situation realizing I don't have the ability to deal with that level of screwiness and it's probably just as well […]

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 06/09/2026

A friend pointed out that maybe the problem is that I'm not using his full name and titles, so here is the updated challenge board.

Photo of a whiteboard that now reads "Days since Lord Sir Francis Noodle O.B.E., Esquire pooped on the floor. The number is one. Perhaps my friend has a point.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 05/09/2026

I spent the afternoon spraying 8 cats/kittens with lime sulfur (bought a battery-powered sprayer!) and disinfecting their rooms. Meanwhile, these two are over there just being cute. #CatsOfMastodon #FosterKittens

Photo of two 6-week-old kittens (Amina & Tinbu) lying next to each other in a room full of spilled kibble and other detritus. They are almost touching, and I think Tinbu was sleeping with his head on Amina's back before I opened the door so I could take the picture.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 03/09/2026

Started couch-to-10k training this week for the Turkey Trot in November. Photos from the morning...

Photo of three chickens with fluffy legs (probably a fancy chicken breed, but I don't know what kind) running along the sidewalk together.

Photo of a green field with clouds and a rainbow arcing across the sky.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 02/09/2026

Francis Noodle makes sure The Kitten Formerly Known As Prince respects his elders. #FosterKittens #CatsOfMastodon

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 01/09/2026

I could never be a delivery driver because I don't know enough people to be on the phone all day long.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 31/08/2026

I DNF'd a book (cozy fantasy) in the first chapter today because the author had clearly never used a mop before. Pro tip (?): mopping spilled food without picking up the solids first is just going to smear the food all over the floor. (I'm still confused by this book.)

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 30/08/2026

Amina, the first small kitten I've ever had on rabies quarantine. She's going to be stunningly beautiful someday. (Not sure if that eye is salvageable.) #FosterKittens #CatsOfMastodon

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 30/08/2026

I sometimes worry that my Patreon supporters look at the things I send (which I think are hilarious) and shake their heads.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 30/08/2026

[Venty/whiny/first-world problems etc] @wendypalmer I am amazed that you were able to do such a thing at all. Well done! Bask in the glow of accomplishment for at least a couple weeks! (But also, that AI person can go shove their head into a muddy ditch.)

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 29/08/2026

Despite how this picture looks, I did not lop off the back half of Francis Noodle. He was very proud of himself for (almost) getting on top of this carrier, so I took a picture. #Caturday #FosterCat #CatsOfMastodon

Photo of a large gray & white cat (Francis Noodle) perched on top of a smallish pink cat carrier. Due to the perspective, it looks like the back half of him has disappeared, but his back legs are dangling over the far side. He looks proud of himself, which he should because he has a hard time using his back half and he usually knocks this carrier over when he tries to pull himself onto it. This is the look of a cat who cannot be stopped! (Except by the pet gate blocking the door of the office.)

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 29/08/2026

Here at the house of rabies and ringworm, it was a day for recheck appointments and lime sulfur dips. I am not a popular person this evening... 🙂

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 28/08/2026

Rabies-quarantine baby (Amina) is in the tub of the bathroom where the other 4-week-old (Tinbu) is living. So while I'm busy syringe feeding Amina and giving her fluids and meds, Tinbu is full-on play-leaping at my ankles, front legs spread apart like he's catching prey. It's absolutely adorable.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 27/08/2026

New kitten Amina bit the person who brought her to the shelter 😂 so she is technically on rabies quarantine for the next 10 days. In practical terms, that means nothing unless she passes away. Her URI is relatively mild so that shouldn't be a problem. #FosterKittens #CatsOfMastodon

Photo of a sleeping 4-week-old calico kitten (Amina) on a green flannel blanket with drawings of cars.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 25/08/2026

What I should have done today: worked on the story due to my Patreon supporters by the end of the month. What I did: Spent 3+ hours today dipping 8 of my fosters in lime sulfur and disinfecting their rooms. Fun times! (5 had known ringworm before I took them, 2 had *surprise!* ringworm, and 1 […]

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 24/08/2026

24 hours of fluids, food, antibiotics, and sleep can work wonders. #CatsOfMastodon #FosterKittens

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Herisson Rose @herissonrose.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 23/08/2026

Doing The Prom-Dance again (apologies) I'm a registered artisan making #handmade #forest #nature #jewellery in France. My shop flatlined in July (Etsy's AI verification fiasco), and now can't sell to Germany or Spain.. Views appreciated - just to trigger […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

Two elaborate beaded chokers, featuring bats leaves and flowers, laid flat on a tree trunk. Top: silver with milky white Opalite beaded fringe. Bottom: solver and glittery dark navy Blue Goldstone version of same necklace.

Two v shaped necklaces with flowers, beads and birds. Left: dark green and bronze, 3 flowers, hanging from a flat upraised hand for scale. Right: Black version with 5 flowers and diamond shaped jet black crystals, also hanging from a flat raised white hand. Background is blurred dark and sunlit forest.

Four photos of flower shaped earrings in different colours. All have silver hooks, sepals and 3 small dangling crystals underneath. Top left: scarlet red, Top Right: pale blue, Bottom left: darker bright or capri blue, bottom right: black.

Chandelier bat earrings that match the necklace in first photo. A silver bat with outspread wings hangs from a v shaped chain with fringe of tiny leaves and crystals. Below hang large milky white opalite beads, and an 8 pointed star.

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